Solder supplying device, solder supplying method and printing device

Abstract

This invention relates to a solder supply device comprising a storage pot, a slider, a slider drive mechanism, and a controller. The storage pot has a storage space capable of storing solder, and a drain port provided in a bottom portion thereof that communicates with the storage space, wherein the solder can be drained downward from the drain port. The slider is movable in the storage space in the vertical direction while covering the solder stored in the storage space from above.The slider drive mechanism includes a first opening / closing part for switching the pressure supply and stopping the pressure supply of air to a non-reservoir area, and is configured to push the slider downward by supplying the pressurized air to the non-reservoir area via the first opening / closing part, the non-reservoir area being located above the slider in the reservoir. The controller is configured to control the slider drive mechanism to discharge the solder from the discharge port by pushing the slider downward.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELDThis invention relates to a solder supply technique in which solder stored in a storage crucible is supplied by discharging the solder from a discharge port provided in a lower part of the storage crucible, and a printing apparatus for printing solder supplied by the solder supply technique.BACKGROUND ARTThere is known a printing apparatus that prints solder on a board that overlaps on the lower surface of a mask plate by moving the solder on the upper surface of the mask plate. This printing apparatus is equipped with a solder supplying apparatus that supplies paste-like solder (also referred to as "solder paste") to the mask plate. In Patent Literature 1, for example, an inner lid is movably disposed in a container constituting the storage crucible. The solder is discharged downward from the tip of a through hole, i.e., a discharge port provided in the lower part of the container, by a pressing member whose diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the container which presses down the inner lid.PRIOR ART DOCUMENTPATENT DOCUMENTPatent Literature 1: JP 2015-174119AILLUSTRATIONPROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTIONIn the apparatus described in Patent Literature 1, a pressurizing cylinder is fixedly disposed above the storage crucible to move the pressurizing member into and out of the container. Accordingly, a relatively large space for installing the printing cylinder needs to be provided above the storage crucible, which becomes one of the major factors for increasing the size of the apparatus in the vertical direction and thus becomes one of the disadvantages in downsizing the printing apparatus.This invention has been developed in view of the above problem, and aims to provide a solder supply technique capable of reducing the size of an apparatus and a printing apparatus equipped with such a technique.MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMA first aspect of the invention is a device for supplying solder. The apparatus includes: a storage pan including a storage space capable of storing solder and a discharge port provided in a bottom part and communicating with the storage space, the solder being dischargeable downward from the discharge port; a slider movable in the storage space in the vertical direction and covering the solder stored in the storage space from above; a slider driving mechanism including a first opening / closing part for switching pressure supply and stopping pressure supply of air to a non-storage area, and configured to push down the slider by supplying the air under pressure to the non-storage area via the first opening / closing part, the non-storage area being disposed above the slider in the storage space; and a controller configured to control the slider driving mechanism to discharge the solder from the discharge port by depressing the slider.A second aspect of the invention is a method of supplying solder. The method includes: providing a slider movable in a storage space in the vertical direction while covering the solder from above for the storage crucible by storing the solder in the storage space; and supplying compressed air to a non-storage area above the slider in the storage space, thereby increasing the pressure in the non-storage area and discharging the solder from a discharge port communicating with a lower part of the storage space by pressing the slider downward according to a rise in pressure.A third aspect of the invention is a printing device. The apparatus includes: the solder supply apparatus configured to supply solder to a surface of a mask that overlaps on a board; and a pressing mechanism configured to press the solder on the board in a pattern corresponding to the mask by moving the solder supplied from the solder supply apparatus to the surface of the mask.In the invention configured in this manner, the air pressurized into the non-storage region via the first opening / closing member presses down the movable body, thereby discharging solder from the discharge port. Therefore, the apparatus for supplying solder can be miniaturized in the vertical direction as compared with a conventional apparatus using a pressure cylinder for depressing the slider.Here, the storage crucible may have a concave-shaped container whose inside serves as a storage space while being open upward, the storage crucible being provided with the discharge port in the lower part. The slider may include: an inner lid movable in the vertical direction while a side surface thereof slides in contact with an inner wall of the container and a bottom surface thereof is held in contact with a liquid surface of the solder; and a moving member movable in the vertical direction integrally with the inner lid in a state of being placed on an upper surface of the inner lid. The slider driving mechanism may further include an outer lid to be attached to the container to close an opening of the container with the inner lid, and the moving member is inserted into the storage space. The first opening / closing part may be connected to the outer lid to communicate with the non-storage region sandwiched between the outer lid and the moving member. In other words, when the storage crucible is provided with the inner ceiling inserted into the storage space, the inner lid can be used as a component of the slider, and by using the inner lid as the slider, the solder can be discharged while preventing solder residue on the inner wall of the container. In addition, the outer lid is attached to the container to seal the opening of the container, so that the solder can be pushed down by the slider efficiently.The outer lid may be attachable to and detachable from the container. In this case, the moving member can be taken out from the storage space by detaching the outer lid when the solder is used up. In addition, the moving member may include a lower surface held in contact with the upper surface of the inner lid, an upper surface facing the non-storage region, and a protruding member protruding from a central part of the upper surface toward the opening of the container. The presence of the protruding member facilitates the placement and removal of the moving member on the inner lid.The storage crucible may include a concave-shaped container having an interior serving as a storage space while being open upward, the storage crucible being provided with the discharge port in the lower part. The slider may include a moving member movable in the vertical direction while a side surface thereof slides in contact with an inner wall of the container and a bottom surface thereof is held in contact with a liquid surface of the solder. The pusher drive mechanism may further include an outer lid that is mounted on the container to close an opening of the container when the moving member is inserted into the storage space. The first opening / closing part is connected to the outer lid to communicate with the non-storage area sandwiched between the outer lid and the moving member. In this case, by attaching the outer lid to the container, the opening of the container is sealed, whereby the non-storage area becomes airtight and the solder can be pushed down efficiently by the slider.The moving member may further include: a disc member having the bottom surface; a tubular member that rises from a peripheral edge part of the disc member and has a tubular shape inside the inner wall of the container; and a first protruding part that protrudes outward from a lower end part of a side surface of the tubular member and is held in sliding contact with the inner wall of the container. In this case, the first protrusion slides along the inner wall of the container to efficiently supply solder.A second protruding part may be provided which protrudes outward from an upper end part of the lateral surface of the tubular member and is held in sliding contact with the inner wall of the container. By providing two sliding contact points in the vertical direction, the efficiency of supplying solder is further improved. However, the presence of two separate upper and lower protruding parts makes it difficult for the moving member to move in the vertical direction. Therefore, in consideration of this point, it is suitable to provide cut parts in the first and second protruding parts. In other words, the cut parts serve as an escape route for air, whereby the moving member can stably move in the vertical direction.The storage crucible may have a concave-shaped container whose inside serves as a storage space while being open upward, the storage crucible being provided with the discharge port in the lower part. The slider may include a moving member movable in the vertical direction while a side surface faces and is separated from an inner wall of the container by a minute distance and a bottom surface is held in contact with a liquid surface of the solder. The slider driving mechanism may further include an outer lid attached to the container to close an opening of the container with the moving member inserted into the storage space. The first opening / closing part may be connected to the outer lid to communicate with the non-storage region sandwiched between the outer lid and the moving member. In this case, a part of the compressed air is supplied between the container inner wall of the storage crucible and the pressurized solder via the minute gap formed between the container inner wall and the moving member. As a result, the amount of the solder remaining on the container inner wall of the storage crucible can be reduced.The outer lid may be attachable to and detachable from the container. In this case, the moving member can be taken out from the storage space by detaching the outer lid when the solder is used up. The moving member may have an upper surface facing the non-storage area and a protruding member protruding from a central part of the upper surface toward the opening of the container. The protruding member facilitates the placement and removal of the moving member on the inner lid.The damper drive mechanism may include a second opening / closing part for switching suction and suction stop of the air from the non-storage area, and may be configured to pull up the damper by suction of the air from the non-storage area via the second opening / closing part. The controller may be configured to control the spool driving mechanism to suck the solder from the drain port by pulling up the spool due to a pressure drop in the non-storage region. For example, the extraction of solder from the discharge port can be performed by the retraction of the plunger of the pressurizing cylinder in the conventional apparatus, but the same problem as the solder ejection occurs. In contrast, when sucking solder into the discharge port by a pressure reduction in the non-storage area, no impression cylinder is required, and as with the solder ejection, this greatly contributes to downsizing of the apparatus for supplying solder in the vertical direction.The controller may be configured to control the slider driving mechanism such that: the first and second opening / closing parts are switched to pressure supply and suction stop, respectively, when the solder is supplied, and the first and second opening / closing parts are switched to pressure supply stop and suction, respectively, while the supply of the solder is stopped. By controlling the first and second open / close parts in this manner, solder discharge and solder retraction can be smoothly switched.The damper drive mechanism may include: a pressure supply device configured to supply the air under pressure; a suction device configured to suck the air; and a flow passage switching valve including a first port to be connected to the non-storage area, a second port to be connected to the pressure supply device, and a third port to be connected to the suction device, wherein the flow passage switching valve functions as the first opening / closing part by connecting and disconnecting the second port to and from the first port, and functions as the second opening / closing part by connecting and disconnecting the third port to and from the first port. The flow passage switching valve may function as a first opening / closing part by connecting and disconnecting the second port to and from the first port, and function as a second opening / closing part by connecting and disconnecting the third port to and from the first port. The use of a single flow path switching valve in this manner simplifies the structure of the spool drive mechanism.A cutting mechanism may be further provided to cut off the solder suspended from the drain socket at a position directly below the drain socket, thereby effectively preventing excess solder from dripping at times other than solder discharge.The cutting mechanism may include a cutting tool configured to cut off the solder suspended from the drain port, and a solder catch tank configured to receive and catch the solder cut off by the cutting tool. In the cutting mechanism, the solder cut by the cutting tool can be reliably collected in the solder collection container. As a result, the solder piece can be reliably prevented from scattering in the device.A crucible holder may be provided to hold a plurality of storage crucibles side by side in the horizontal direction, wherein the controller may be configured to select one of the plurality of storage crucibles as a selected crucible and control the slider driving mechanism so that the solder is discharged from the discharge port of the selected crucible by pushing the slider into the storage space of the selected crucible. In this case, the solder discharge can be continuously performed by selecting another storage crucible even when the selected crucible becomes empty. As a result, the solder supply can be performed for a long period of time.A remaining amount detector may be provided to detect the remaining amount of the solder in each storage crucible, and the controller may be configured to select the selected crucible from among storage crucibles not selected as the selected crucible and control the slider driving mechanism to discharge the solder from the discharge port of the selected crucible by pressing down the slider in the storage space of the newly selected crucible when it is detected by the remaining amount detector that the remaining amount of the solder in the selected crucible has fallen below a predetermined value.ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECT OF THE INVENTIONAs described above, according to the present invention, solder can be efficiently supplied while reducing the size of the device in a vertical direction.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSFig. 1 is a diagram showing a printing apparatus equipped with a first embodiment of an apparatus for supplying solder according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the solder supplying mechanism corresponding to the first embodiment of the solder supplying apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a view showing a storage crucible to be installed in the solder supply mechanism of FIG. 2, and an adapter and an outer lid to be attached to the storage crucible. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the solder supply mechanism and the constituent members to be connected to the solder supply mechanism. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration and operation of a cutting mechanism for cutting the solder. FIG. 6A is an air circulation diagram when the solder is discharged from the first feedable crucible by applying an overpressure to the first feedable crucible. FIG. 6B is an air circulation diagram when the solder is sucked into the first feedable crucible by applying a negative pressure to the first feedable crucible. FIG. 6C is an air circulation diagram when the solder is discharged from the second feedable crucible by applying an overpressure to the second feedable crucible. FIG. 6D is a flowchart of the air circulation when the solder is sucked into this feedable crucible by applying a negative pressure to the second feedable crucible. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the solder supplying mechanism for supplying the solder using the two feedable crucibles. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a method of assembling the feedable crucible into the solder feed mechanism by the operator. FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing a solder discharging operation, a solder suction operation, and a solder cutting operation. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the exhaustion process. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a storage crucible and an adapter and an outer lid to be attached to the storage crucible in a second embodiment of the solder supplying apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically showing a solder discharging operation, a solder suction operation, and a solder cutting operation in the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically showing a solder discharging operation in a third embodiment of the solder supplying apparatus according to the present invention.DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTSFig. 1 is a diagram showing a printing apparatus equipped with a first embodiment of an apparatus for supplying solder according to the present invention. In FIG. 1 and subsequent figures, orthogonal XYZ coordinate axes are shown to represent a positional relationship of the respective components of the apparatus. In addition, if necessary, an arrow direction of each coordinate axis is treated as a positive side and an opposite arrow direction of each coordinate axis is treated as a negative side.A printing apparatus 100 is provided with a base 1 having a substantially rectangular rectangular cuboid shape and a support mechanism formed of two support frames 2, 2 mounted on the upper surface of the base 1. Each of these support frames 2, 2 is a gate-shaped frame in which a beam member 2 bextending in the Y-axis direction is bridged between pillar members 2 a, 2 aprovided at both end parts in the Y-axis direction of the base 1. Of these two support frames 2, 2, one support frame 2 is disposed at a central part in an X-axis direction of the base 2, and the other support frame 2 is disposed at an end part in an X-axis positive direction of the base 1. A pressing unit 200 is supported on the upper surface of the base 1 between the two support frames 2, 2 arranged in the Y-axis direction. On the other hand, a substrate conveying unit 300 extends in the X-axis direction through the gate-shaped support frames 2, 2 and is supported on the upper surface of the base 1.The substrate conveyance unit 300 is disposed between a loading conveyor and an unloading conveyor, which are separated from each other in the X-axis direction, receives a substrate S loaded from the loading conveyor, and conveys the substrate S to the unloading conveyor. Further, the substrate conveyance unit 300 has a function of appropriately stopping the substrate S at a standby position and a printing position Pp provided between the loading conveyor and the unloading conveyor. Specifically, the substrate conveyance unit 300 is configured such that a substrate table 302 is supported on upper parts of two slide mechanisms 301, 301 extending in the X-axis direction. This substrate table 302 moves in the X-axis direction while holding the substrate S on its upper surface, whereby the substrate S picked up by the loading conveyor waits at the waiting position before the printing unit 200, conveys the substrate S to the printing position Pp in the printing unit 200, and discharges the substrate S printed at the printing position Pp to the unloading conveyor. The printing unit 200 prints the substrate S conveyed to the printing position Pp.The printing unit 200 is provided with a solder supply mechanism 10, a mask raising mechanism 20 for raising and lowering a mask M above the substrate conveyance unit 300, and a printing mechanism 30 for printing the solder supplied to the mask M onto the substrate S. The solder supplying mechanism 10 has a function of supplying the solder to the mask M, and corresponds to the first embodiment of the solder supplying apparatus according to the present invention. Note that the configuration and operation of the solder supply mechanism 10 will be described in detail later.The mask raising mechanism 20 is disposed between the above-mentioned support frames 2 and 2 disposed on the upper surface of the base 1 in the Y-axis direction, and has a schematic configuration for raising and lowering the mask M by raising and lowering a mask holding frame 21 that holds the mask M by a frame driving device 22. This frame driving device 22 raises and lowers the mask holding frame 21 by rotating pulleys 24 which are respectively threadedly engaged with four ball screws 23 extending downward (in the negative Z-axis direction) from the mask holding frame 21 via a belt 25 by a servomotor 26.When printing on the substrate S, the mask elevating mechanism 20 lowers the mask M. In this way, the lower surface of the mask M overlaps the upper surface of the substrate S which is conveyed to and fixed to the printing position Pp below the mask M held by the mask holding frame 21. On the other hand, after printing on the substrate S, the mask elevating mechanism 20 raises the mask M to separate the lower surface of the mask M from the upper surface of the substrate S (state of FIG. 1 ).The pressing mechanism 30 is supported by the beam members 2 b, 2 bof the support frames 2, 2 above the mask raising mechanism 20. The pressing mechanism 30 presses the solder on the substrate S via pattern holes formed in the mask M by sliding squeegees 40 in the Y-axis direction on the upper surface of the mask M to which the solder has been supplied. In this embodiment, the printing mechanism 30 includes the squeegee 40 (right squeegee in FIG. 1 ) for sliding on the mask M in a positive Y-axis direction and the squeegee 40 (right squeegee in FIG. 1 ) for sliding on the mask M in a negative Y-axis direction.The printing mechanism 30 includes a printing-application means 31 for holding each of these squeegees 40 via rods 41 which are expandable in the vertical direction. This printing press applying means 31 presses the upper surface of the mask M with a predetermined pressure by lowering the squeegee 40 corresponding to a sliding direction from the two squeegees 40, 40 at the time of printing. In addition, the solder supply mechanism 10 is attached to the printing pressure applying device 31. The printing pressure applying device 31 and the solder supplying mechanism 10 are integrally movable in the Y-axis direction by a ball screw. Specifically, a nut member 34 threadedly engaged with a ball screw 33 extending in the Y-axis direction is attached to the solder supply mechanism 10. When the ball screw 33 is rotated by a servo motor 35, the printing pressure applying means 31 and the solder supplying mechanism 10 move in the Y-axis direction. Therefore, by operating the solder supply mechanism 10, a predetermined amount of solder SP is applied to the upper surface of the mask M. Note that the solder supply mechanism 10 of the first embodiment corresponds to the solder supply apparatus of the present invention, and the configuration and operation thereof will be described in detail later.By operating the servomotor 35 while pressing the squeegee 40 against the upper surface of the mask M with the paste-like solder SP (cream solder) on the upper surface of the mask M, the squeegee 400 slides in the Y-axis direction on the upper surface of the mask M and the solder is printed on the substrate S. Note that both axial end parts of the ball screw 33 are rotatably supported on fasteners 36, 37 attached to both end parts in the Y-axis direction of the upper surface of the beam member 2 b, and the servo motor 35 is fixed to the fastener 36.Each component of the printing apparatus 100 thus configured is controlled by a controller ( 500 in FIG. 4 ) configured similarly to a general computer. The controller is equipped with, for example, a CPU for performing various arithmetic processing, a ROM that is a read only memory for storing a basic program, a RAM that is a readable and writable memory for storing various information, and a magnetic disk for storing control software, data, and the like. In the controller, the CPU serving as the main controller performs arithmetic processing according to a method described in the program to control each component of the printing apparatus 100. Of course, the solder supply mechanism 10 configured as described below is also controlled by the controller.FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the solder supplying mechanism corresponding to the first embodiment of the solder supplying apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a view showing a storage crucible to be installed in the solder supply mechanism of FIG. 2, and an adapter and an outer lid to be attached to the storage crucible. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the solder supply mechanism and the constituent members to be connected to the solder supply mechanism. The solder supply mechanism 10 serves to push out solder SP in the storage crucible 11 by air pressure and supply the solder SP to the upper surface of the mask M while the storage crucible 11 storing the solder SP is held by a crucible holder 12.As shown in FIG. 3, the reservoir crucible 11 has a concave-shaped container open upward (in this embodiment, in the form of a hollow cylindrical cup), and an inside of the container serves as a reservoir space 111 for storing the solder SP. Further, a discharge port 112 is provided which communicates with the storage space 111 in a lower part of the storage crucible 11, and the solder SP can be discharged downward from the discharge port 112. When the storage crucible 11 is provided for the printing apparatus 100, an inner lid 131 is inserted to cover the solder SP stored in the storage space 111 from above while a plug member 14 is mounted in the discharge port 112. In the first embodiment, the inner lid 131 is used as part of a "slide" of the invention at the time of supplying the solder while the plug member 14 is removed from the storage crucible 11 after the storage crucible 11 is inserted into the crucible holder 12.The inner lid 131 is movable in the vertical direction Z while its side surface slides in contact with the inner wall of the storage crucible 11 and its bottom surface is held in contact with a liquid surface of the solder SP. Furthermore, an adapter 132 is loosely inserted into the storage space 111 of the storage crucible 11. The adapter 132 has a lower surface 132 athat is held in contact with the upper surface of the inner lid 131, an upper surface 132 bthat faces upward, and a protruding member 132 cthat protrudes from a central part of the upper surface 132 btoward an opening of the container (hereinafter referred to as a "container opening"), as illustrated in FIG. 3. By providing the protruding member 132c, the fitting of the adapter 132 onto the upper surface of the inner lid 131 by the operator and the removal of the adapter 132 are facilitated.The adapter 132 is integrally movable in the vertical direction with the inner lid 132 while being placed on the upper surface of the inner lid 131. That is, the adapter 132 is an example of a "moving member" of the invention, and functions as a "slider" according to the invention in cooperation with the inner lid 131.Further, a slider 13 formed by the inner lid 131 and the adapter 132 also serves to divide the storage space 111 into two regions. That is, the storage space 111 is divided into a storage area R 1 below the slider 13 for storing the solder SP and a non-storage area R 2 above the slider 13.An outer lid 15 is attached so as to close an opening of the storage crucible 11, and the adapter 132 is thus added in this storage space 111 before the storage crucible 11 is inserted into the crucible holder 12 (see FIG. 3 ). In the outer lid 15, an internal thread (see enlarged view in FIG. 15 ) is formed inside a lid body 151 and provided with an external thread (see enlarged view in FIG. 15 ) provided at an upper end part of the storage crucible 11 by rotating the outer lid 15 in a predetermined direction, whereby the outer lid 15 can be mounted and the storage space 111 can be sealed. That is, airtightness of the non-storage portion R 2 is improved by mounting the outer lid 15. Conversely, the outer lid 15 can be removed from the storage crucible 11 by rotating in the opposite direction.A socket 152 is attached to the ceiling surface of the lid body 151. This connection piece 152 is connected to the non-storage area R 2 of the storage space 111. By attaching one-touch coupler 160 to this sleeve 152, as shown in Fig. 4, the non-storage area R2 is connected to a slider driving mechanism 16 via this one-touch coupler 160. Thus, the spool 13 moves in the vertical direction Z by controlling an internal pressure of the non-storage area R 2 by the spool drive mechanism 16. By this movement, the solder SP is discharged and sucked. Note that the configuration of the slider drive mechanism 16, a discharging operation of the solder SP, and a sucking operation of the solder SP will be described in detail later.As shown in FIG. 3, the plug member 14 is removed at an appropriate time after the adapter 132 is additionally inserted into the storage space 111 and the outer lid 15 is attached. The storage crucible 11 capable of discharging the solder SP in this manner is appropriately referred to as a "supplyable crucible 10A" in this specification to distinguish it from a purchased storage crucible.In order to accommodate the feedable crucible 10A, the crucible holder 12 is provided. The crucible holder 12 includes a holder body 121 in which two feedable crucibles 10A can be placed side by side in the horizontal direction, and a door body 122 rotatably supported about a rotation axis AX extending in the vertical direction Z with respect to the holder body 121. The holder body 121 includes a support member 123 for supporting the outer lids 15 of the feedable crucibles 10A from a rear surface side. This support member 123 has two arc-cut parts engageable with outer side parts of the outer lids 15 in a plan view from above. Further, the door body 122 is also provided with similar cut parts. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, when the door body 122 is separated from the support member 123, the feedable crucibles 10A can be mounted in the holder body 121, and the feedable crucible 10A empty with the solder SP (hereinafter referred to as "empty crucible") can be taken out from the holder body 121.On the other hand, when the door body 122 is integrated with the support member 123 with both of the two feedable crucibles 10A placed in the holder body 121, the feedable crucibles 10A are sandwiched by the door body 122 and the support member 123 as shown in FIG. 4. In this way, the two feedable crucibles 10A are firmly held in the solder feed mechanism 10. Note that, for convenience of the following description, the feedable crucible 10A or the empty crucible on the right side when viewed from the door body 122 side, i.e., from a (+)Y direction, are referred to as "first feedable crucible 10A 1" and "first empty crucible", respectively, as illustrated in FIG. 2. On the other hand, the feedable crucible 10A or the empty crucible on a left side when viewed from the door body 122 side are referred to as "second feedable crucible 10A 2" and "second empty crucible", respectively.The remaining amount of the solder SP in the feedable crucible 10A 1, 10A 2 decreases as the solder is discharged. Accordingly, solder remaining amount sensors 171, 172 are respectively provided in the vicinity of the lower ends of the respective feedable crucibles 10A 1, 10A 2, and detect the solder remaining amounts in the storage spaces 111. In this way, the solder remaining amount sensors 171, 172 correspond to examples of a "remaining amount detector" of the invention. Note that in FIG. 2, only the solder remaining amount sensor 172 is illustrated. In this embodiment, the solder remaining amount sensors 171, 172 are of the electrostatic capacity type. Further, in order to detect the width of the solder discharged from each feedable crucible 10A 1, 10A 2, a solder width sensor 173 is fixedly attached to the holder body 121 via a sensor fixing member 174, as shown in FIG. 2.FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration and operation of a cutting mechanism for cutting the solder. The configuration and operation of a cutting mechanism 18 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2, 4, and 5. The cutting mechanism 18 has a function of removing and collecting a tip part of the solder SP that could not be sucked into the discharge port 122 by a suction operation described later. As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the cutting mechanism 18 includes a cutter holder 181 fixed to the lower surface of the holder 121. This cutter holder 181 is provided with two through holes 182 corresponding to two discharge ports 112. Note that only the through hole 182 corresponding to the discharge port 112 of the first feedable crucible 10A 1 is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.A cutting tool 183 is provided so as to be able to freely enter and withdraw from a space directly below the through hole 182 (hereinafter referred to as "cutting space") at a position directly below the cutter holder 181. Further, a box-shaped solder receiver 184 is mounted obliquely below the cutter 183 and horizontally movable together with the cutter 183. Further, a piston of an air cylinder 185 is connected to the rear end of the cutter 183. This air cylinder 185 is connected to a blade drive 186 as shown in Fig. 4. This blade driver 186 supplies compressed air to the air cylinder 185 when a drive command is input from the controller 500 of the printing apparatus 100, and drives the piston of the air cylinder 185. For example, when the blade driver 186 contracts the piston of the air cylinder 185, the cutter 183 and the solder reservoir 184 are retracted toward the air cylinder 185 from the cutting space as shown in panel (a) of FIGS. 5 and 4. In this state, the solder SP is discharged from the discharge port 112 and applied to the upper surface of the mask M. On the other hand, when the blade driver 186 extends the piston of the air cylinder 185, the solder SP present in the cutting space is cut by a tip part of the cutter 183, i.e., a blade part, and is collected into the solder collection container 184 which is moved into the cutting space slightly later than the blade part, as shown in panel (b) of FIG. 5. Note that, in this embodiment, the controller 500 cuts the solder SP hanging down into the cutting space by repeating minute forward and backward movements at a time when the blade part moves to the cutting space. Thus, the solder SP can be cut reliably. Further, after completion of this cutting operation, the cutter 183 stops in a state where the through hole 182 is closed. In this way, even if the solder SP is accidentally suspended from the drain port 112, the solder SP can be effectively prevented from dropping on the mask M.Next, the configuration and operation of the slider driving mechanism 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6D. FIGS. 6A to 6D are diagrams showing the configuration and operation of the slider driving mechanism. FIG. 6A is an air circulation diagram when the solder SP is discharged from the first feedable crucible 10A 1 by generating an overpressure in the first feedable crucible 10A 1. FIG. 6B is an air circulation diagram when the solder SP is sucked into the first feedable crucible 10A 1 by generating a negative pressure in the first feedable crucible 10A 1. FIG. 6C is an air circulation diagram when the solder SP is discharged from the second feedable crucible 10A 2 by generating an overpressure in the second feedable crucible 10A 2. FIG. 6D is an air circulation diagram when the solder SP is sucked into the second feedable crucible 10A 2 by generating a negative pressure in the second feedable crucible 10A 2. Note that black arrows and white arrows in these figures represent positive pressure and negative pressure, respectively. Further, in FIGS. 6A to 6D, a black triangular part indicates a state in which the valve is opened, and a white triangular part indicates a state in which the valve is closed. Further, 191, 192 in FIGS. 6A to 6D denote indicator lamps attached to the crucible holder 12, and the indicator lamp 191 is turned on during use of the first feedable crucible 10A 1, while the indicator lamp 192 is turned on during use of the second feedable crucible 10A 2.The slide drive mechanism 16 includes a regulator 161 serving as a pressure supply means for supplying air under pressure while appropriately changing the magnitude of a pressure in supplying compressed air under pressure to each supplyable crucible 10A 1, 10A 2, i.e., an overpressure, a vacuum ejector 162 serving as a suction means for generating a negative pressure for sucking air from each of the supplyable crucibles 10A 1, 10A 2, an air operation valve 163 for switching between the positive pressure and the negative pressure, and an air operation valve 164 for switching the supply targets of the positive pressure and the negative pressure. In addition, three control valves 165 to 167 are provided to selectively switch the following four operation states: (a) an operation of discharging the solder SP into the first feedable crucible 10A 1, (b) an operation of sucking the solder SP into the first feedable crucible 10A 1, (c) an operation of discharging the solder SP into the second feedable crucible 10A 2, and (d) an operation of sucking the solder SP into the second feedable crucible 10A 2.The regulator 161 is connected to a compressed air supply source 168 through the control valve 165. As the compressed air supply source 168, for example, a supply source or the like of a factory in which the printing apparatus 100 is installed may be used. When the control valve 165 is turned on in response to an opening command from the controller 500, compressed air is supplied to the regulator 161, and the positive pressure is regulated to be suitable for discharging solder. Therefore, the control valve 165 functions as a solder relief valve in this embodiment. It is noted that a positive pressure sensor 169 is connected to the regulator 161 to monitor the pressure at this time.The vacuum ejector 162 has a supply port 162 a, an exhaust port 162 b, and a vacuum port 162 c, and serves as an example of a "suction device" of the invention. The supply port 162a is connected to the compressed air supply source 168 through the control valve 166. Thus, when the control valve 166 is turned on in response to an opening command from the controller 500, compressed air is discharged to the supply port 162 a, flows into the ejector, and exits from the exhaust port 162 b. At this time, a suction force is generated in the pipe 162c. This suction force releases a reduced pressure to each feedable crucible 10A 1, 10A 2. On the other hand, when the control valve 166 is turned off in response to a closing command from the controller 500, the suction of the vacuum ejector 162 is stopped. Therefore, the control valve 166 functions as a brazing exhaust valve, and exhaust and exhaust stop by the air operation valve 163 can be switched. However, in this embodiment, the control valve 166 also functions as a switching valve for switching over positive pressure and negative pressure in cooperation with the air operation valve 163.The air operating valve 163 has four ports 163a to 163d. The port 163a is connected to the control valve 166. The port 163 bis connected to the non-storage areas R 2 of the feedable crucibles 10A 1, 10A 2 via the other air operation valve 164 and the outer lid 15. The remaining two stubs 163 c, 163 dare each connected to an output of the controller 161 and the vacuum connection 162 cof the vacuum ejector 162. Of these, the nozzles 163 bto 163 drespectively correspond to a "first nozzle", a "second nozzle", and a "third nozzle" of the invention.The air operating valve 163 has an overpressure supply flow passage connecting the nozzles 163 b, 163 cand a underpressure supply flow passage connecting the nozzles 163 b, 163 d. The air operating valve 163 opens the negative pressure supply flow passage and blocks the positive pressure supply flow passage when a pressure received from the pipe 163 aexceeds a threshold value, and opens the positive pressure supply flow passage and blocks the negative pressure supply flow passage when the pressure falls to or below the threshold value. That is, the air operation valve 163 functions as a first opening / closing part for controlling the connection and disconnection of the nozzles 163 b, 163 cand a second opening / closing part for controlling the connection and disconnection of the nozzles 163 b, 163 d. When the control valve 166 is turned on, the vacuum ejector 162 can generate a negative pressure, which can be discharged to the feedable crucibles 10A 1, 10A 2 via the negative pressure supply flow passage as described above. Conversely, when the control valve 166 is off, the positive pressure may be delivered to the feedable crucibles 10A 1, 10A 2 along the positive pressure supply flow passage. As just described, in this embodiment, the air operation valve 163 functions as an example of a "flow passage switching valve" of the invention.The port 163b of the air operating valve 163 is connected to a port 164b of the air operating valve 164. This air actuating valve 164 includes, in addition to the port 164 b, a port 164 aconnected to the control valve 167, a port 164 cconnected to the first feedable crucible 10A 1, and a port 164 dconnected to the second feedable crucible 10A 2. This air operating valve 164 has a first crucible flow channel connecting the nozzles 164 b, 164 cand a second crucible flow channel connecting the nozzles 164 b, 164 d. The air operating valve 164 is configured to open the first crucible flow passage when a pressure applied to the port 164 aexceeds a threshold value, and to open the second crucible flow passage when the pressure falls to the threshold value or below. Therefore, when the control valve 167 is turned on, an excess pressure or a reduced pressure is supplied to the first feedable crucible 10A 1 via the first crucible flow passage. Conversely, when the control valve 167 is turned off, an overpressure or an underpressure is discharged via the second crucible flow channel to the second feedable crucible 10A 2. In this way, the control valve 167 functions as a crucible switching valve.In the thus configured spool drive mechanism 16, the operating states are switched as shown in Table 1 by the ON / OFF state combinations of the control valves 165 to 167 described below. [Table 1] Table 1] [Table 1] Table 1]ANOFFOFFDraining6AOFFANOFFSuction6BANOFFANDraining6COFFANANSuction6DIn this embodiment, the ON / OFF states of the control valves 165 to 167 are switched according to the program of the controller 500 of the printing apparatus 100, but a controller for the above switch may be provided in the solder supply mechanism 10 according to the solder supply apparatus of the present invention.Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10, a process of supplying the solder SP by the solder supply mechanism 10 will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation of the solder supply mechanism for supplying the solder using the two feedable crucibles. At an appropriate time, for example, when the printing apparatus 100 is powered on or when maintenance is completed, the controller 500 determines whether both the first and second feedable crucibles 10A 1, 10A 2 are held in the crucible holder 12 (step S 1). This determination may be made, for example, by the solder remaining amount sensors 171, 172.The controller 500 skips step S 2 and proceeds to step S 3 when it is determined "YES" in step S 1. On the other hand, when the first and / or second feedable crucibles 10A 1, 10A 2 are not mounted in the crucible holder 12, the controller 500 determines "NO" in step S 1 and notifies an operator by displaying, on a display (not illustrated) of the printing apparatus 100, a message requesting to mount the first and / or second feedable crucibles 10A 1, 10A 2. Subsequently, a process of crucible mounting is performed by the operator (step S 2). When it is confirmed that this process of crucible mounting is performed and both the first and second feedable crucibles 10A 1, 10A 2 are held in the crucible holder 12, the controller 500 proceeds to the next step S 3.FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process of assembling the feedable crucible in the solder feed mechanism by the operator. The storage crucible 11 is provided with the solder SP stored in the storage space 111 covered by the inner lid 131, and the plug member 14 is inserted into the discharge port 112. In this embodiment, the solder is supplied using the inner lid 131. Therefore, the operator sets the adapter 132 on the inner lid 131 (step S21) with the inner lid 131 remaining. Subsequently, the operator attaches the outer lid 15 to close the opening of the storage crucible 11 (step S 22). In this way, the preparation of the feedable crucible 10A is completed.Subsequently, the operator rotates the door body 122 about the rotation axis AX to open the door body 122, as illustrated in FIG. 2 (step S 23). In this way, a place for placing crucibles is opened, and the operator sets the two feedable crucibles 10A side by side in the horizontal direction in the open placement space (step S 24). Then, the operator attaches the one-touch coupler 160 to the neck 152 of each feedable crucible 10A (step S 25). In this way, the first and second feedable crucibles 10A 1, 10A 2 are connected to the pusher drive mechanism 16. Thereafter, the operator removes the plug members 14 from the discharge ports 112 of the first and second feedable crucibles 10A 1, 10A 2, and rotates the door body 122 about the rotation axis AX in the opposite direction to close the door body 122, as illustrated in FIG. 4 (step S 26). In this way, the assembly of the two feedable crucibles 10A 1, 10A 2 is completed.Referring back to FIG. 7, the description will be continued with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing a solder discharging operation, a solder suction operation, and a solder cutting operation. When a solder discharge command is issued from the controller 500 to the slider driving mechanism 16 after the preparation of the two feedable crucibles 10A 1, 10A 2 filled with the solder SP is completed as described above, first the first feedable crucible 10A 1 is selected as the "selected crucible" of the invention. Then, an amount of the solder SP corresponding to the solder discharge command is discharged from the first feedable crucible 10A 1 (solder discharge process: step S 3). That is, the spool drive mechanism 16 sets the valves 165 to 167 to "ON", "OFF", and "OFF", respectively, as shown in FIG. 6A. Then, as shown in the panel (a) of Fig. 9, compressed air is supplied to the first feedable crucible 10A1, and a pressure in the non-storage region R2 is increased to a value higher than the atmospheric pressure. In this way, the slider 13 (= adapter 132 + inner lid 131) moves downward, and an amount of the solder SP corresponding to the pressure regulated by the regulator 161 is pushed downward out of the discharge port 112. By this solder discharging process, the solder SP is supplied to the upper surface of the mask M.After completion of the supply of solder, the slider driving mechanism 16 sets the valves 165 to 167 to "OFF", "ON", and "OFF", respectively, as illustrated in FIG. 6B. Then, as shown in the panel (b) of FIG. 9, a negative pressure is supplied to the first feedable crucible 10A 1, that is, the air in the non-storage area R 2 is sucked. In this way, the pressure in the non-reservoir area R 2 is reduced to a value lower than the atmospheric pressure, and the spool 13 (= adapter 132+ inner lid 131) moves upward. According to this movement, the solder SP suspended from the discharge port 112 is sucked toward the reservoir space 111 (solder suction process: step S 4).Subsequently, the blade driver 186, which has received a cutting command from the controller 500, operates so that the tip part (blade part) of the cutting tool 183 receives the solder SP suspended from the discharge port 112 by extending the piston of the air cylinder 185 and the solder collection containers 184, a cut-off piece of the solder SP while keeping the non-V172orrate region R2 of the first feedable crucible 10A1 decompressed (solder cutting process: step S5). In this way, the solder SP can be effectively prevented from dropping from the discharge port 112 after completion of the supply of the solder SP to the next solder discharging process (step S 6). In addition, since the cut solder piece is caught in the solder catch tank 184, the solder piece can be reliably prevented from being dispersed in the device.When the solder discharge command is given from the controller 500 to the slider driving mechanism 16, an amount of the solder SP corresponding to the solder discharge command is discharged from the first feedable crucible 10A 1 (solder discharge process: step S 6) as in step S 3. By repeating the solder discharging process in this manner, the amount of the solder SP stored in the first feedable crucible 10A 1 decreases. Accordingly, in this embodiment, each time the discharging of the solder from the first feedable crucible 10A 1 is repeated, the controller 500 determines a decrease in the remaining amount (step S 7) based on a detection signal from the solder remaining amount sensor 171 disposed in the vicinity of the first feedable crucible 10A 1, whether the amount of the solder SP remaining in the first feedable crucible 10A 1 falls below a predetermined value. In this embodiment, the above threshold value means such a solder amount that a solder discharge can be performed a plurality of times (corresponding to a remaining amount count described next).When the remaining amount is equal to or larger than the threshold value ("NO" in step S 7), return to step S 4 and supply of solder is repeated. On the other hand, if the remaining amount falls below the threshold value, i.e., the number of supply of solder by the remaining solder SP is a multiple, the controller 500 performs a exhaustion process shown in FIG. 10.FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the exhaustion process. The controller 500 efficiently and without waste uses the solder P remaining in the first feedable crucible 10A 1 by controlling each component of the solder feed mechanism 10 according to the above program. The controller 500 calculates an executable number of the solder discharging process using the solder SP remaining in the first feedable crucible 10A 1, and sets the executable number as the remaining amount count m (step S 81). Then, the controller 500 performs the solder suction process (step S 82) and the solder cutting process (step S 83), and alerts the operator to a decrease in the remaining amount of solder in the first feedable crucible 10A 1 by displaying a corresponding message on the display (not shown) (step S 84), as in steps S 4 to S 5 described above.Subsequently, the controller 500 determines whether or not the remaining amount count m has reached zero (step S 86) after the remaining amount count m is decremented by "1" (step S 85). When the count value of the remaining amount m is greater than zero, that is, when the solder discharging process using the solder SP remaining in the first feedable crucible 10A 1 is still executable, the controller 500 returns to step S 82, and repeats the solder suction process (step S 82) and the solder cutting process (step S 83) after the solder discharging process (step S 87) is performed.On the other hand, when the remaining amount count m becomes zero, i.e., the first feedable crucible 10A 1 becomes empty, the controller 500 alerts an operator by displaying a message indicating that the remaining amount is zero on the display.Referring back to FIG. 7, the description will be continued. When it is no longer possible to supply the solder from the first feedable crucible 10A 1, the controller 500 turns on the indicator lamp 192 while turning off the indicator lamp 191. By switching this lamp display, the operator is informed that the feedable crucible 10A used for supplying solder has been switched from the first feedable crucible 10A 1 to the second feedable crucible 10A 2. In addition, the controller 500 starts supply of solder SP from the second feedable crucible 10A 2.The supply of solder from the second feedable crucible 10A 2 is basically the same as that from the first feedable crucible 10A 1. This means that in this phase the first feedable crucible 10A 1 is empty, but sufficient solder SP is present in the second feedable crucible 10A 2. Accordingly, when a solder discharge command is given from the controller 500 to the slider driving mechanism 16, an amount of the solder SP corresponding to the solder discharge command is discharged from the second feedable crucible 10A 2 (solder discharge process: step S 9). That is, the spool drive mechanism 16 sets the valves 165 to 167 to "ON", "OFF", and "ON", respectively, as shown in FIG. 6C. In this manner, compressed air is supplied to the second feedable crucible 10A 2, and the pressure in the non-storage region R 2 is increased to a value exceeding the atmospheric pressure. As a result, the solder SP is supplied to the upper surface of the mask M as in step S3.Upon completion of the supply of solder, the slider driving mechanism 16 sets the valves 165 to 167 to "OFF", "ON" and "ON", respectively, as shown in FIG. 6D. In this way, the pressure in the non-reservoir area R 2 is reduced to a value below the atmospheric pressure, and the solder SP suspended from the discharge port 112 is sucked toward the reservoir space 111 (solder suction process: step S 10). Subsequently, the blade driver 186, which has received a cutting command from the controller 500, causes the piston of the air cylinder 185 to be extended while keeping the non-storage area R 2 of the second feedable crucible 10A 2 decompressed, with the tip part (cutting part) of the cutting tool 183 cutting off the solder SP suspended from the discharge port 112 and the solder collection container 184 collecting the cut-off solder piece SP (solder cutting process: step S 11).Further, when a solder discharge command is given from the controller 500 to the slider driving mechanism 16, an amount of the solder SP corresponding to the solder discharge command is discharged from the second feedable crucible 10A 2 (solder discharge process: step S 12) as in step S 9. By repeating the solder discharging process in this manner, the amount of the solder SP stored in the second feedable crucible 10A 2 decreases. Accordingly, as in step S 7, each time the solder discharging process from the second feedable crucible 10A 2 is repeated, the controller 500 determines a decrease in the remaining amount (step S 13) based on a detection signal from the solder remaining amount sensor 172 disposed in the vicinity of the second feedable crucible 10A 2 when the amount of the solder SP remaining in the second feedable crucible 10A 2 falls below a predetermined value.When the remaining amount is equal to or larger than the threshold value, the process returns to step S 10, and the supply of solder is repeated. On the other hand, when the remaining amount falls below the threshold value, i.e., the number of supply of solder by the remaining solder SP becomes a multiple, the controller 500 performs the exhaustion process shown in FIG. 10 (step S 14).When the second feedable crucible 10A 2 also becomes empty due to the exhaustion process (step S 14), the supply of solder cannot be continued. Accordingly, the controller 500 notifies this effect to the operator by displaying a corresponding message on the display (not shown). Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the controller 500 returns to step S 2 and repeats a series of processes when the operator confirms that the used crucibles, i.e., the first and second empty crucibles, have been removed from the crucible holder 12 (step S 15).As described above, according to the first embodiment, the pressure supply and the stopping of the pressure supply of air are switched to each feedable crucible 10A 1, 10A 2 through the air operation valve 163 corresponding to a "first opening / closing part" of the invention. By supplying compressed air via the air operation valve 163 to the non-storage area R 2 of the feedable crucible 10A 1, 10A 2, the slider 13 moves downward and the solder SP is discharged downward from the discharge port 112. In this manner, the solder SP is supplied from each feedable crucible 10A 1, 10A 2 using compressed air. Therefore, the solder SP can be supplied efficiently while reducing the size of the apparatus in the vertical direction Z compared to a conventional apparatus having an extrusion cylinder. This point also applies to solder suction. By pulling up the slider 13 by a pressure reduction in the non-storage area R 2, a pressure cylinder used in the related-art apparatus is not necessary to suck the solder SP from the discharge port 112, and the solder SP suspended from the discharge port 112 can be efficiently retracted while reducing the apparatus size in the vertical direction Z as in the case of the solder discharge.Further, in the first embodiment, the inner lid 131 belonging to the purchased storage pan 11 is movable together with the solder SP in the vertical direction in the storage space 11 with its side surface sliding in contact with the inner wall of the container (hereinafter referred to as "container inner wall") of the storage pan 11 and its bottom surface being held in contact with the liquid surface of the solder SP. Thus, the inner lid 131 can be effectively used as the slider 13. In addition, as described below, adhesion of the solder SP to the adapter 132 can be drastically reduced compared to an embodiment in which the solder SP is pressed down only by one adapter. That is, functions and effects that can be achieved by appropriately reusing the adapter 132 can be achieved.Further, the air operation valve 163 also functions as "first opening / closing part" and "second opening / closing part" of the invention, and switches the negative pressure supply flow passage and the positive pressure supply flow passage. Therefore, the configuration of the slider driving mechanism 16 can be simplified.Since the solder is sequentially supplied from the two first and second feedable crucibles 10A 1, 10A 2 as illustrated in FIG. 7, the solder can be supplied over a long period of time.In addition, when a decrease in the remaining amount of the solder SP in the first feedable crucible 10A 1 is detected by the solder remaining amount sensor 171, the exhaustion process shown in FIG. 10 (step S 8) is performed. Further, when a decrease in the remaining amount of the solder SP in the second feedable crucible 10A 2 is detected by the solder remaining amount sensor 172, the exhaustion process (step S 8) is similarly performed. Thus, the solder SP stored in each feedable crucible 10A 1, 10A 2 can be efficiently consumed.FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a storage crucible and an adapter and an outer lid to be attached to the storage crucible in a second embodiment of the solder supplying apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically showing a solder discharging operation, a solder suction operation, and a solder cutting operation in the second embodiment. This second embodiment is different from the first embodiment substantially in the configuration of a slider 13, while the other configuration and operation are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences, and the same components and the same operations will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described below.In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, an operator prepares feedable crucibles 10A 1, 10A 2 in the following process. That is, the operator inserts an adapter 133 serving as an example of a "moving member" of the invention into a storage space 111 after an inner lid (see 131 in FIG. 3 ) is removed from a purchased storage crucible 11. Subsequently, the operator mounts an outer lid 15 on the storage crucible 11. In this way, the feedable crucibles 10A 1, 10A 2 are obtained.The adapter 133 includes a disk-shaped disk member 133 awith a lower surface that can come into contact with a liquid surface of the solder SP, and a tubular member 133 bthat rises from a peripheral edge part of the disk member 133 aand has a tubular shape and an upwardly open cup shape within a container inner wall of the storage crucible 11. In addition, a first protruding part 133 and a second protruding part 133 dprotrude outward from the lateral surface of the tubular member 133 b. Specifically, the first protruding part 133 cis in the form of a flange provided at a lower end part of the side surface of the tubular member 133 b, and a side part thereof is provided so as to be slidable in contact with the container inner wall of the storage crucible 11. Further, the second protruding part 133 dis in the form of a flange provided at an upper end part of the side surface of the tubular member 133 b, and a side part thereof is provided so as to slide in contact with the container inner wall of the storage crucible 11. Accordingly, the adapter 133 inserted into the storage space 111 is movable in the vertical direction while the first and second protruding parts 133 c, 133 dare sliding in contact with the inner wall of the storage crucible 11 and the lower surface of the disk member 133 ais held in contact with the liquid surface of the solder SP, as illustrated in FIG. 12. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, a solder discharging process and a solder suction process are performed. That is, when compressed air is supplied to the feedable crucible 10A, as shown in panel (a) of FIG. 12, the slider 13 (= adapter 133) moves downward and the solder SP is pushed out downward from a discharge port 112. By this solder discharging process, the solder SP is supplied to the upper surface of a mask M. Further, when a negative pressure is applied to the feedable crucible 10A, that is, when air is sucked into a non-storage area R 2, the slider 13 (= adapter 133) moves upward, and accordingly, the solder SP suspended from the discharge port 112 is sucked toward the storage space 111.Further, each of the first and second protruding parts 133 c, 133 dis provided with a plurality of cut parts 133 eat equal angular intervals. When the adapter 133 is inserted into the storage space 111, as indicated by a dashed arrow in FIG. 11, gas components can flow in the vertical direction along the inner wall surface of the storage crucible 11. That is, the cut parts 133 efunction as escape paths for air. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, the adapter 133 is stably movable in the vertical direction when an overpressure or underpressure is applied to the non-storage area R 2, with the side parts of the first and second protruding parts 133 c, 133 dliding in contact with the container inner wall of the storage crucible 11.Further, in the adapter 133, too, a protruding member 133f protrudes from a central part of the upper surface of the disc member 133a toward a container opening as in the first embodiment. Thus, the fitting of the adapter 133 onto the upper surface of the inner lid 131 by the operator and the removal of the adapter 133 are facilitated.FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically showing a solder discharging operation in a third embodiment of the solder supplying apparatus according to the present invention. In the third embodiment, an adapter 134 not having the first and second protruding parts 133 c, 133 dis used instead of the adapter 133 used in the second embodiment. Thus, the outer lateral surface of the adapter 134 is separated by a minute distance from the container inner wall of the storage crucible 11. That is, a minute annular gap GP is formed between the container inner wall of the storage crucible 11 and the adapter 134, serving as a path for compressed air. Accordingly, when the compressed air is discharged to the feedable crucible 10A, a slide 13 (= adapter 134) moves downward, and the solder SP is pushed downward out of a discharge port 112. By this solder discharging process, solder SP is supplied to the upper surface of a mask M. In addition, during the solder discharging process, a part of the compressed air (broken line in FIG. 13 ) is supplied between the container inner wall of the storage crucible 11 and the solder SP under pressure via the minute gap GP, as illustrated in a partially enlarged view of FIG. 13. Therefore, in addition to the effects similar to those of the above embodiments, the following functions and effects are achieved.In the device described in Patent Literature 1, the pressing member is pressed downward by the pressing cylinder while sliding in contact with the container. Therefore, the solder tended to remain on the inner wall of the container, and it was difficult to efficiently supply the solder. In contrast, in the third embodiment, air under pressure is supplied via the minute gap GP to the solder SP that is in contact with the container inner wall of the storage crucible 11. In this way, the solder SP is also discharged downward via the discharge port 112. As a result, the amount of the solder remaining on the container inner wall of the storage crucible 11 can be reduced, and the solder SP can be efficiently supplied to the mask M.It is noted that the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes other than those mentioned above may be made without departing from the gist of the invention. For example, in the above embodiments, the mechanism for supplying solder 10 in which two feedable crucibles 10A arranged side by side are provided in the crucible holder 12 is an example of a "device for supplying solder" of the invention, and the invention is applied to this mechanism for supplying solder 10, but the number of the feedable crucibles 10A is not limited to "2". For example, three or more feedable crucibles 10A may be provided side by side. Further, the invention is also applicable to a solder supply mechanism (solder supply device) for supplying solder using a single feedable crucible 10A.Further, although the positive pressure and the negative pressure and their supply targets are switched using the air operation valves 163, 164 in the above embodiments, the spool drive mechanism 16 may be configured to switch using other valves.INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITYThis invention can be applied to solder supply techniques generally for discharging and supplying solder stored in a storage crucible from a discharge port provided in a bottom part of the storage crucible.LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS10 Solder Supply Mechanism (Solder Supply Device) 10A, 10A 1, 10A2 Feedable crucible 10A1 First feedable crucible 10A2 Second feedable crucible 11 Storage crucible 12 Crucible holder 13 Slider 15 Outer lid 16 Slider driving mechanism 18 Cutting mechanism 30 Pressing mechanism 100 Pressing device 111 Storage space 112 Discharge port 131 Inner lid 132, 133, 134 Adapter (moving member) 132 a Untere surface (adapter) 132 b Obere surface (adapter) 132 c, 133 f Vorstehend member 133 a Scheiben member 133 b Röhrenförmige member 133 cFirst protruding part 133 dSecond protruding part 133 e Geschnittene parts 161 Regulator (pressure supplying means) 162 Vacuum ejector (suction means) 163 Air operation valve (first opening / closing part, second opening / closing part, flow passage switching valve) 171, 172 Solder remaining amount sensor (remaining amount detector) 500 Controller GP Minute gap M Mask R 1 Storage area R 2 Non-storage area S Substrate SP Solder Z Vertical directionReferences included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedJP 2015-174119A

[0003]

Claims

An apparatus for supplying solder, comprising: a storage crucible having a storage space capable of storing solder and a discharge port provided in a bottom part and communicating with the storage space, wherein the solder can be discharged downward from the discharge port; a slider movable in the storage space in the vertical direction and covering the solder stored in the storage space from above; a slider driving mechanism having a first opening / closing part for switching pressure supply and stopping pressure supply of air to a non-storage area and configured to push down the slider by supplying the air under pressure to the non-storage area via the first opening / closing part, the non-storage area being disposed above the slider in the storage space; and a controller configured to control the slider driving mechanism to drain the solder from the drain port by pushing down the slider.The solder supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the storage crucible has a concave-shaped container having an inner space serving as a storage space while being open upward, the storage crucible being provided with the discharge port in the lower part, the slider has an inner lid and a moving member, the inner lid being movable in the vertical direction while a side surface thereof slides in contact with an inner wall of the container and a bottom surface thereof is held in contact with a liquid surface of the solder, the moving member being movable in the vertical direction integrally with the inner lid in a state of being placed on an upper surface of the inner lid, the slider driving mechanism further has an outer lid to be attached to the container, to close an opening of the container with the inner lid and the moving member inserted into the storage space, and the first opening / closing part is connected to the outer lid to communicate with the non-storage area sandwiched between the outer lid and the moving member.The solder supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: the outer lid is attachable to and detachable from the container, and the moving member has a lower surface held in contact with the upper surface of the inner lid, an upper surface facing the non-storage area, and a protruding member protruding from a central part of the upper surface toward the opening of the container.The solder supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the storage crucible has a concave-shaped container having an inner space serving as a storage space while being open upward, the storage crucible is provided with the discharge port in the lower part, the slider has a moving member movable in the vertical direction while a side surface thereof slides in contact with an inner wall of the container and a bottom surface thereof is held in contact with a liquid surface of the solder, the slider driving mechanism further has an outer lid to be attached to the container to close an opening of the container, the moving member is inserted into the storage space, and the first opening / closing part is connected to the outer lid to communicate with the non-storage area, Is sandwiched between the outer lid and the moving member to communicate.The solder supply device according to claim 4, wherein: the moving member further comprises: a disk member having the lower surface; a tubular member that rises from a peripheral edge part of the disk member and has a tubular shape inside the inner wall of the container; and a first protruding part that protrudes outward from a lower end part of a side surface of the tubular member and is held in sliding contact with the inner wall of the container.The solder supply device according to claim 5, further comprising a second protruding part protruding outward from an upper end part of the side surface of the tubular member and held in sliding contact with the inner wall of the container.The apparatus for supplying solder according to claim 6, wherein: the first and second protruding parts have cut parts.The solder supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the storage crucible has a concave-shaped container having an inner space serving as a storage space while being open upward, the storage crucible is provided with the discharge port in the lower part, the slider has a moving member movable in the vertical direction while a side surface faces and is separated from an inner wall of the container by a small distance and a lower surface is held in contact with a liquid surface of the solder, the slider driving mechanism further has an outer lid to be attached to the container to close an opening of the container, the moving member is inserted into the storage space, and the first opening / closing part is connected to the outer lid to be connected to the non-storage area, Is sandwiched between the outer lid and the moving member to communicate.The solder supply apparatus according to claim 4 or 8, wherein: the outer lid is attachable to and detachable from the container, and the moving member has an upper surface facing the non-storage area and a protruding member protruding from a central part of the upper surface toward the opening of the container.The solder supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the spool driving mechanism includes a second opening / closing part for switching suction and suction stop of the air from the non-storage area and is configured to pull up the spool by suction of the air from the non-storage area via the second opening / closing part, and the controller is configured to control the spool driving mechanism to suck the solder from the discharge port by pulling up the spool due to a pressure drop in the non-storage area.The solder supply apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: the controller is configured to control the slider driving mechanism such that: the first and second opening / closing parts are switched to pressure supply and suction stop, respectively, when the solder is supplied, and the first and second opening / closing parts are switched to pressure supply stop and suction, respectively, while the supply of the solder is stopped.The solder supplying apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: the slider driving mechanism includes: a pressure supply device configured to supply the air under pressure; a suction device configured to suck the air; and a flow passage switching valve including a first port to be connected to the non-storage area, a second port to be connected to the pressure supply device, and a third port to be connected to the suction device, the flow passage switching valve functioning as the first opening / closing part by connecting and disconnecting the second port to and from the first port, and functioning as the second opening / closing part by connecting and disconnecting the third port to and from the first port.The solder supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a cutting mechanism configured to cut off the solder suspended from the drain socket at a position directly below the drain socket.The solder supply apparatus according to claim 13, wherein: the cutting mechanism includes a cutting tool configured to cut off the solder suspended from the drain port, and a solder collection container configured to receive and collect the solder falling off by being cut off by the cutting device.The solder supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a crucible holder configured to hold a plurality of the storage crucibles side by side in the horizontal direction, wherein: the controller is configured to select one of the plurality of storage crucibles as the selected crucibles, and controls the slider driving mechanism so that the solder is discharged from the discharge port of the selected crucible by pushing the slider into the storage space of the selected crucible.The solder supply apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a remaining amount detector configured to detect a remaining amount of the solder of each storage crucible, wherein: the controller is configured to select the selected crucible from among storage crucibles not selected as the selected crucibles, and controls the slider driving mechanism to discharge the solder from the discharge port of the selected crucible by pushing down the slider in the storage space of the newly selected crucible when it is detected by the remaining amount detector that the remaining amount of the solder in the selected crucible has fallen below a predetermined value.A method for supplying solder, comprising: providing a slide movable in the vertical direction in a storage space while covering the solder from above for the storage crucible in which the solder is stored in the storage space; and supplying compressed air to a non-storage area above the slide in the storage space, thereby increasing the pressure in the non-storage area and discharging the solder from a discharge port communicating with a lower part of the storage space by pressing the slide downward according to a rise in pressure.A printing apparatus, comprising: the solder supply apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 16, configured to supply solder to a surface of a mask that overlaps on a board; and a printing mechanism configured to print the solder on the board in a pattern corresponding to the mask by moving the solder supplied from the solder supply apparatus to the surface of the mask.

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