Transfer device for components

Abstract

Transfer device (10) for components (1), comprising a housing (20) and a suction element (11) attached to the housing (20) for holding a component (1), wherein the suction element (11) has at least one suction opening (31, 32) on the side facing the component (1), which can be pressurized with negative pressure via at least one bore (28, 29, 47, 48, 52) arranged in the housing (20) or in a guide element (40) for holding the component (1), wherein the suction element (11) is in contact with the housing (20) in a first position and is tiltable in a plane (X, Y) perpendicular to a longitudinal axis (13) of the movable housing (20) in a second position, wherein the suction element (11) is attached to the end region (45) of the guide element on the side facing away from the component (1), forming a first guide surface (36). (40) abuts a second guide surface (35), and that the two guide surfaces (35,36) form a point- or circular arrangement (37), characterized in that the guide element (40) is designed as a pin-shaped element arranged in a bearing (43) in the housing (20) in the axial direction of the longitudinal axis (13) so as to be movable up and down, which with a partial area (41) of its outer surface outside the point- or circular arrangement (37) in the area of ​​the bearing (43) forms a part of the bearing (43).

Description

State of the art

[0001] The invention relates to a transfer device for components according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Such a transfer device is known from US Patent 2002 / 0116090 A1. The known transfer device serves, for example, to pick up an electronic component, such as an integrated circuit (IC), using a suction element and to transfer the component, for example, onto a printed circuit board (PCB) of an electronic circuit at a location designated for the component. The transfer device can, for example, simultaneously serve to mount the component onto the PCB by applying an adhesive to the PCB at the designated location, so that pressing the component onto the PCB bonds it to the PCB. It is essential that, for positioning the component, for example, on the PCB, it can be aligned with the plane or surface of the PCB.For this purpose, the known device features an air bearing between the suction element and the housing of the transfer device, in which an air cushion is formed between the two opposing end faces of the suction element and the housing by the outflow of compressed air. This allows the suction element to be aligned with the surface of the printed circuit board, for example, when the component is pressed down. The suction element is thus arranged to be tiltable at a certain angle to the longitudinal axis of the housing of the transfer device. A disadvantage of this is that such a tiltable arrangement is relatively complex due to the additional overpressure source and the necessary bores, and that the swivel angle is limited by the relatively small thickness or height of the air cushion.

[0003] The patent application JP H08-78 884 A discloses a handling unit with a suction plate that aligns itself flat against a gripping object. Within this handling unit, a pin-shaped element is designed as a point bearing. This point bearing is fixed in position, allowing the suction plate, mounted at the point of contact, to tilt by rotating only around this point.

[0004] The patent application EP 2 088 844 A1 discloses a similar handling unit, wherein a suction plunger is resiliently mounted on an outer surface within a housing in a rotary bearing. A suction plate at the end of the suction plunger has a surface plane oriented perpendicular to the bearing axis when the suction plunger is mounted vertically. Alignment with the material being gripped is achieved by a purely tilting rotary movement of the suction plunger within the rotary bearing.

[0005] Utility model DE 90 18 052 U1 again shows a suction pipette with a pipette tip which is rotatably mounted in the pipette housing by means of a ball joint. Alignment with a target object is achieved by a purely rotary movement of the pipette tip in the ball joint. Disclosure of the invention

[0006] Based on the prior art described above, the invention aims to further develop a transfer device for components according to the preamble of claim 1 in such a way that it is mechanically relatively simple and allows relatively large tilting angles. This objective is achieved in a transfer device with the features of claim 1 according to the invention by the suction element bearing against the end region of the guide element, which forms a first guide surface, on the side facing away from the component, with a second guide surface, and by the two guide surfaces forming a point or circular contact. Thus, in contrast to the prior art, a purely mechanical tilting arrangement of the suction element on the housing is achieved, thereby eliminating the need for bores for guiding compressed air or similar components, as well as the devices required for generating the compressed air.To ensure precise guidance of the suction element when force is applied to it in its axial direction, the guide element is designed as a pin-shaped element that is movably mounted up and down in a bearing. Furthermore, a portion of the guide element's outer surface forms part of the bearing itself.

[0007] Advantageous embodiments of the component transfer device according to the invention are specified in the dependent claims. The invention encompasses all combinations of at least two features disclosed in the claims, the description, and / or the figures.

[0008] The tilting capability of the suction element can be achieved relatively simply by making one of the two guide surfaces conical and the other funnel-shaped, with the angles of the two guide surfaces being of different sizes. These differing angles allow the suction element to be centered around its tilting axis or tipping point, while simultaneously limiting the tilting angle, for example, by adjusting the size of the two angles.

[0009] In order to securely hold the suction element on the housing during the transfer of the component and, furthermore, to enable a defined position of the suction element during the transfer of the component, a further design embodiment of the invention provides that the suction element is subjected to force at least indirectly against a housing-fixed stop element (in the form of a cylindrical pin) by means of a compression spring to form the first position and, when force is applied to the suction element against the spring force of the compression spring, lifts off from the stop element to form the second position.

[0010] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the latter design, it is proposed that the stop element on the housing, with a recess in the suction element, forms a positive-locking and angularly locking position of the suction element on the housing, particularly in the form of a prismatic bearing. This positions or fixes the suction element not only with respect to the tilting axis, but also in its angular position, so that, for example, the application of vacuum to the component during transport or handling can always occur at the same points on the component.

[0011] Another aspect of the invention relates to the guidance of the negative pressure from the head region of the transfer device to the at least one suction opening in the suction element. In order to reduce the construction effort by eliminating the need for multiple bores, a further embodiment of the invention proposes that the guide element has a blind bore arranged in the longitudinal axis of the guide element on the side facing away from the end region, and that the guide element is surrounded on the side facing away from the end region by a first flexible sealing element, both end faces of which are sealed to a housing plate and the bearing.

[0012] Similarly, it is proposed that the guide element between the bearing and the end face of the suction element is radially encompassed by a second flexible sealing element, which is sealed towards the bearing and the suction element.

[0013] In order to keep the axial length of the transfer device as short as possible, it is further proposed that the guide element extend axially into the suction element.

[0014] Further advantages, features and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments and from the drawing. This shows in Fig. 1 the individual parts of a transfer device for components according to the invention in an exploded view, Fig. 2 a longitudinal section through the transfer device according to the Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a perspective view of the pin-shaped element used to support the suction element, Fig. 4 a perspective bottom view of a suction element used in the suction device and Fig. 5 a partial section through the suction device, in which it is raised from its lowered position to position a component.

[0015] Identical components or components with the same function are provided with the same reference numbers in the figures.

[0016] In the Fig. 1 and Fig. Figure 2 shows a transfer device 10 according to the invention for components 1. The component 1 can be, in particular, but not limited to, an electrical or electronic component 1, especially in the form of a semiconductor chip or similar, which consists of a (not shown) transfer position for transferring the component 1 into a Fig. The transfer position 5 is movable in order to position component 1, for example, on the top side of a printed circuit board 5 or similar, at the designated position. It is essential that component 1 is aligned flush with the surface of the printed circuit board 5.

[0017] To adapt the transfer device 10 to different formats of the components 1, the underside of a suction element 11 facing the component 1 can be connected to a format-dependent adapter part 12a, 12b.

[0018] The transfer device 10 can be moved in the direction of the X, Y, and Z axes by means of drive means not shown and can also be rotated about the Z-axis.

[0019] The transfer device 10 has a housing guide part 14 that is approximately rotationally symmetrical about a longitudinal axis 13 and consists of two essentially cylindrical sub-sections 16 and 17, the lower sub-section 16 facing component 1 having a smaller diameter than the other sub-section 17. The housing guide part 14 can be connected to an intermediate plate 18 on a head element 19 of the transfer device 10 by means of connecting elements (not shown), in particular set screws. The housing guide part 14, together with the intermediate plate 18 and optionally with the head element 19, forms a housing 20 of the transfer device 10.

[0020] The housing guide part 14 has a recess 21 in its interior and is equipped on the side facing the suction element 11 with a flange-like recessed bottom section 22, which has a through-opening 23 in the center through which the suction element 11 projects with a lower section 25 that has a smaller diameter than a cylindrical upper section 24. On the side facing the upper section 24, three cylindrical pins 26 are arranged in the bottom section 22 of the housing guide part 14, for example, at equal angular intervals. Fig. 5) arranged as part of a prism bearing, which act as stop elements.

[0021] The cylindrical pins 26 interact with recesses 27 formed on the upper area 24 of the suction element 11 on the side facing the cylindrical pins 26 (see Fig. 4) as the second component of the prism support. In the Fig. In the lowered position of the suction element 11 shown in Figure 1, the suction element 11 is arranged in a form-fit and angle-fit manner relative to the housing guide part 14 by means of the prism bearing.

[0022] In the suction element 11, in the exemplary embodiment there are two Fig. 2 recognizable through-holes 28, 29 are formed, which on the side of the suction element 11 facing component 1 form two suction openings 31, 32 ( Fig. 4) form. On the side facing the housing guide part 14, a blind bore 34 is formed in the suction element 11, the bottom of which forms a funnel-shaped guide surface 35 with an opening angle α. The funnel-shaped guide surface 35 interacts with a conical guide surface 36 with a cone angle β, where the cone angle β is smaller than the opening angle α. The conical guide surface 36, together with the funnel-shaped guide surface 35, forms a point or circular contact 37 between the suction element 11 and a pin-shaped guide element 40.

[0023] The one in Fig. The guide element 40, shown in detail in Figure 3, has sections with different outer diameters, with a subsection 41 serving to support or guide the guide element 40 in the housing guide part 14. For this purpose, the outer surface of the subsection 41, together with a (Sferax) bushing 42, forms a bearing 43, which is radially surrounded by a sleeve 44 that in turn abuts the wall of the recess 21 of the housing guide part 14. The guide element 40 projects axially into the blind bore 34 with its end section 45, with the tip 46 facing the suction element 11 forming the aforementioned surface 37. The guide element 40, which extends only over an axial partial length of the housing guide part 14, has a blind bore 47 on the side facing away from the suction element 11, at the bottom of which, in the exemplary embodiment, four transverse bores 48 open, each offset by 90° to each other.The transverse bores 48 are designed as through bores and extend from the outer surface of the guide element 40 to the area of ​​the blind bore 47.

[0024] The area of ​​the guide element 40 projecting on the side of the bearing 43 facing the intermediate plate 18 is radially enclosed by a first, bellows-like sealing element 49, the two opposing end faces of which are sealed to the underside of the intermediate plate 18 and to the top of the bearing 43. Likewise, the area of ​​the guide element 40 between the underside of the bearing 43 facing the suction element 11 and the top of the upper region 24 of the suction element 11 is radially surrounded by a second, also bellows-like, sealing element 51, which is sealed analogously in the direction of the suction element 11 and the bearing 43. To prevent transverse forces on the suction element 11 and thus on the component 1, the two sealing elements 49, 51 are arranged concentrically to the longitudinal axis 13 of the guide element.

[0025] Aligned with the guide element 40, the intermediate plate 18 has a bore 52 on the side facing the guide element 40, which is connected to a vacuum or negative pressure source (not shown). Thus, when the vacuum or negative pressure source is operated, a negative pressure is generated via the bore 52, the blind bore 47, the transverse bore 48, and the two through bores 28, 29 on the suction element 11 in the area of ​​the suction openings 31, 32. This negative pressure serves to hold the component 1. The two sealing elements 49 and 51 seal the flow path for the negative pressure.

[0026] The guide element 40 is subjected to force in the direction of the suction element 11 by means of a compression spring 55, which is supported between the intermediate plate 18 and a diameter step 56 formed on the guide element 40. By means of the compression spring 55, the guide element 40 is pressed with its end region 45 against the surface 37, so that simultaneously, when the compression spring 55 is not under load, the suction element 11 is pressed against the cylindrical pins 26 in the housing guide part 14.

[0027] The transfer device 10 described so far operates as follows: In the Fig.In the transfer position of a component 1 shown in Figure 2, the compression spring 55 presses the suction element 11 into its position defined by the cylindrical pins 26 and stop surfaces 27. In this position, with the vacuum applied, a component 1 can be removed, for example, from packaging or similar and moved towards the transfer position (in the illustrated embodiment, therefore, towards the circuit board 5). To release the component 1, or to transfer the component 1 from the transfer device 10, in particular from the suction element 11, onto the top side of the circuit board 5, the transfer device 10 is pressed against the top side of the circuit board 5, which is, for example, coated with a conductive adhesive. This causes the suction element 11 to move from its first (lowered) position to a second (raised) position against the spring force of the compression spring 5. In this second position, the cylindrical pins 26 and the stop surfaces 27 of the prism bearing are spaced apart from each other.This means that the suction element 11 is stored in the transfer device 10 exclusively in the area of ​​the system 37 between the guide element 40 and the suction element 11, whereby, as a result of the point- or ring-shaped system 37, the suction element 11 can be tilted around the system 37 in order to align the component 1 to the top of the circuit board 5.

[0028] The transfer device 10 described so far can be modified or adapted in a variety of ways without deviating from the inventive concept.

Claims

[1] Transfer device (10) for components (1), comprising a housing (20) and a suction element (11) attached to the housing (20) for holding a component (1), wherein the suction element (11) has at least one suction opening (31, 32) on the side facing the component (1), which can be pressurized with negative pressure via at least one bore (28, 29, 47, 48, 52) arranged in the housing (20) or in a guide element (40) for holding the component (1), wherein the suction element (11) is in contact with the housing (20) in a first position and is tiltable in a plane (X, Y) perpendicular to a longitudinal axis (13) of the movable housing (20) in a second position, wherein the suction element (11) is attached on the side facing away from the component (1) to the end region (45) forming a first guide surface (36) of the guide element (40) rests against a second guide surface (35), and that the two guide surfaces (35,36) form a point-shaped or circular arrangement (37), , characterized by , that the guide element (40) is designed as a pin-shaped element arranged in a bearing (43) in the housing (20) in the axial direction of the longitudinal axis (13) so as to be movable up and down, which with a partial area (41) of its outer surface outside the point or circular support (37) in the area of ​​the bearing (43) forms a part of the bearing (43). [2] Transfer device according to claim 1, characterized by , that the first guide surface (36) is conical and the second guide surface (35) is funnel-shaped, with the angles (α, β) of the two guide surfaces (35, 36) being of different sizes. [3] Transfer device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by, that the suction element (11) is subjected to force at least indirectly against at least one housing-fixed stop element (26) by means of a compression spring (55) to form the first position and, when force is applied to the suction element (11) against the spring force of the compression spring (55) to form the second position, lifts off from the at least one stop element (26). [4] Transfer device according to claim 3, characterized by , that the stop element (26) with a recess (27) on the suction element (11) forms a positive and angular locking positioning of the suction element (11) to the housing (20), in particular in the form of a prism bearing. [5] Transfer device according to claim 4, characterized by that several stop elements (26) and recesses (27) are provided, preferably arranged at equal angular distances from each other. [6] Transfer device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized by, that at least one stop element (26) is designed as a cylindrical pin (26). [7] Transfer device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the guide element (40) has a blind bore (47) arranged in the longitudinal axis (13) of the guide element (40) on the side facing away from the end region (45), and that the guide element (40) is surrounded on the side facing away from the end region (45) by a first flexible sealing element (49), both end faces of which are sealed towards a plate (18) and the bearing (43). [8] Transfer device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the guide element (40) between the bearing (43) of an end face and the suction element (11) is radially encompassed by a second flexible sealing element (51) which is sealed towards the bearing (43) and the suction element (11). [9] Transfer device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized by, that the first sealing element (49) and / or the second sealing element (51) are arranged concentrically to the longitudinal axis (13) of the guide element (40). [10] Transfer device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the guide element (40) extends axially into the suction element (11).

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