Dispenser and lifting device for the dispenser

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a dispenser for discharging a material onto a substrate. The dispenser includes a pair of rails, a heating device, and a pair of lifting devices. One of the pair of rails is movable in the Y-axis direction toward or away from the other to adjust the distance between the pair of rails. Each rail has a support surface and a blocking portion above the support surface for supporting the substrate in the transfer position. The blocking portion is used to maintain the substrate in the discharge position. The heating device is disposed below the pair of rails in the Z-axis direction and is movable in the Z-axis direction. The pair of lifting devices are respectively attached to the pair of rails and each include a lifting member movably connected to the rail and a return member between the rail and the lifting member. The lifting member can be pushed by the heating device to rise and lift the substrate from the transfer position to the discharge position, and can be lowered from the discharge position to the transfer position by the action of the return member when the heating device descends.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to an apparatus for discharging a viscous material onto a substrate (e.g., a printed circuit board).

Background Art

[0002] During the manufacture of a printed circuit board, in some cases, it is necessary to discharge a viscous material (e.g., adhesiveness) onto the circuit board in order to better connect some circuit elements to the circuit board. A dispenser or discharging device for discharging a viscous material onto a printed circuit board is also referred to as a dispenser. In such a dispenser, a transfer rail for transferring the substrate, a discharging unit disposed above the rail, and a heating device disposed below the rail are provided. The heating device is used to heat the substrate during the discharging operation by the discharging unit so that the viscous material adheres better to a desired position on the substrate.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a dispenser for discharging a material onto a substrate is provided. The dispenser includes a pair of rails configured to move the substrate into and out of the dispenser in the X-axis direction, wherein one of the pair of rails is movable in the Y-axis direction toward or away from the other to adjust the distance between the pair of rails. On each of the pair of rails, a support surface and a blocking portion located above the support surface are disposed. The support surfaces of the pair of rails are configured to support the substrate in the transfer position, and the blocking portions of the pair of rails are configured to hold the substrate in the discharge position. The dispenser further includes a heating device disposed below the pair of rails in the Z-axis direction and movable in the Z-axis direction, and a pair of lifting devices respectively attached to the pair of rails. Each of the pair of lifting devices includes a lifting member movably connected to the rail and movable in the Z-axis direction, and a return member disposed between the rail and the lifting member and compressed when the lifting member rises relative to the rail, and capable of lowering the lifting member relative to the rail by an elastic force. The lifting member is configured to be pushed by the heating device to rise and lift the substrate from the transfer position to the discharge position, and to be lowered from the discharge position to the transfer position by the action of the return member when the heating device descends.

[0004] According to the above-described dispenser, the lifting device further includes a connection device including a connection slot disposed on the lifting member and a connection member connected to the rail. The connection slot extends along the Z-axis direction, and the connection member is inserted into the connection slot and movable in the Z-axis direction within the connection slot.

[0005] According to the above-described dispenser, the lifting member is in a clevis shape and is provided (sleeved) to form a sleeve around the rail from below the rail. The lifting member includes a pair of side plates and a base plate connected between the pair of side plates. The pair of side plates are respectively disposed on both sides of the rail, the base plate is disposed below the rail, and each of the pair of side plates has at least one connection slot.

[0006] According to the above dispenser, the lifting member extends along the X-axis direction by a certain distance. The lifting device includes several return members, several connection slots disposed on each of the side plates, and several connection members corresponding to the several connection slots. The several return members are arranged in the X-axis direction, and the several connection slots are arranged in the X-axis direction.

[0007] According to the above dispenser, the rail is provided with holes, and the return member is at least partially disposed in the holes.

[0008] According to the above dispenser, the return member is a coil spring.

[0009] According to the above dispenser, the dispenser also includes a guide pin. The bottom end of the guide pin is connected to the lifting member, and the return member is provided to form a sleeve on the guide pin.

[0010] According to the above dispenser, the lifting device further includes a guide wheel having a slit on its outer surface. The slit extends circumferentially along the guide wheel. The guide wheel is provided to form a sleeve on the connection member. The guide wheel is inserted into the connection slot, and the opposing edges of the side plates of the lifting member constituting the connection slot are clamped within the slit of the guide wheel.

[0011] According to the above dispenser, the blocking portion is constituted by a baffle attached to the top end of the rail.

[0012] According to the above dispenser, the dispenser is disposed below the heating device and further includes a driving device for driving the movement of the heating device in the Z-axis direction.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 3C

Figure 3D

Figure 3E

Figure 4A

Figure 4B

Figure 4C

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Various specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings that form part of this application. Terms indicating directions such as "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", etc. are used in this disclosure to describe various exemplary structural components and elements of the present disclosure, but it should be understood that these terms are used in this specification merely for the convenience of illustration and are determined based on the exemplary directions shown in the accompanying drawings. Since the examples disclosed in the present disclosure can be arranged in different directions, these terms indicating directions are for illustrative purposes only and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser 100 according to an example of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the dispenser 100 includes a box-shaped body frame 102 whose width extends in the X-axis direction, length extends in the Y-axis direction, and height extends in the Z-axis direction. The body frame 102 has an accommodation space for supporting and accommodating various components of the dispenser 100. The dispenser 100 also includes a front cover 103 disposed on the body frame 102 for opening and closing the accommodation space of the body frame 102. The body frame 102 includes an opening 107 penetrating therethrough in the X-axis direction. The dispenser 100 includes a pair of rails 120 extending into the body frame 102 through the opening 107 so as to move a substrate 110 (e.g., a printed circuit board) in and out of the dispenser 100 where a viscous material (e.g., an adhesive) is discharged onto the substrate 110. Further, the dispenser 100 includes a discharge unit 105 disposed above the rails 120 and a rack 150 for the discharge unit 105. The discharge unit 105 is, for example, a discharge head capable of discharging a viscous material onto the substrate 110. The number of discharge units 105 can be set as desired, and in the example shown in FIG. 1, two discharge units are arranged side by side in the X-axis direction. The rack 150 is used to move the discharge unit 105 in the Y-axis direction and the X-axis direction and to move the discharge unit 105 over a position where discharge onto the substrate 110 is performed. The dispenser 120 also includes a heating device 201 disposed below the rails 120 for heating the substrate 110 before the discharge unit 105 performs a discharge operation in order to better adhere the viscous material discharged onto the substrate 110.

[0016] In the dispenser 100 according to the present disclosure, before performing the discharging operation, the discharging unit 105 can move in the Y-axis direction and the X-axis direction parallel to the rail 120 to move to a desired discharging position on the alignment substrate 110. However, the discharging unit 105 does not move close to the discharging position on the substrate by moving in the Z-axis direction perpendicular to the rail, but drives the substrate 110 upward by lifting the heating device 201 to bring the substrate 110 closer to the discharging unit 105. Therefore, the dispenser 100 of the present disclosure also includes a driving device 203 (shown in FIG. 2) that drives the movement of the heating device 201 in the Z-axis direction, and a pair of elevating devices 250 (shown in FIG. 2) respectively attached on a pair of rails 120.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rail 120, the elevating device 250, the heating device 201, and the driving device 203 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of rails 120 are arranged parallel to each other and extend in the X-axis direction. One of the rails is a fixed rail, and the other is a movable rail that can move in the Y-axis direction. Therefore, the distance between the pair of rails 120 can be adjusted to adapt to the widths of various substrates. Each rail 120 is provided with a transfer belt 208, such as an annular belt, that transfers the substrate 110 and moves it in the X-axis direction. The transfer belt 208 is arranged on the sides of the pair of rails 120 facing each other. The transfer belt 208 constitutes a support surface 210 that extends in the X-axis direction, and the support surfaces 210 of the pair of rails 120 jointly support the substrate 110. Each rail 120 also includes a blocking portion 220 arranged above the support surface 210, and the blocking portion 220 is constituted by a baffle arranged at the top of the rail 120. When the substrate 110 is arranged on the support surfaces 210 of the pair of rails 120, the substrate 110 is arranged at its transfer position where it can be transferred in the X-axis direction. When the substrate 110 rises along the Z-axis direction and contacts the blocking portion 220, the substrate 110 is arranged at its discharging position, and at the discharging position, the substrate 110 is close to the discharging unit 105, and the discharging unit 105 can discharge the viscous material to a desired position on the substrate 110.

[0018] As further shown in FIG. 2, the heating device 201 is disposed below the rail 120, and the driving device 203 is disposed below the heating device 201. The heating device 201 is used to heat the substrate 110, and the driving device 203 drives the heating device 201 to move up and down along the Z-axis direction so that the heating device 201 can be moved closer to or farther from the substrate 110. The heating device 201 includes an air guide plate 202 disposed at its top, and the air guide plate 202 has uniformly distributed air guide holes for directing hot air uniformly toward the substrate 110. The driving device 203 is, for example, an air cylinder. One lifting device 250 is disposed and attached below the substrate 110 on each rail 120 so that the substrate 110 can be pushed up. The lifting device 250 can lift the substrate 110 from the transfer position to the discharge position by being pushed by the heating device 201, and can also lower the substrate from the discharge position to the transfer position when the heating device 201 descends.

[0019] FIGS. 3A to 3E show the specific structure of the lifting device 250. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the rail 120 and the lifting device 250. FIG. 3B is an exploded view of the rail 120 and the lifting device 250. FIG. 3C is a partially enlarged top view of the rail 120 and the lifting device 250. FIG. 3D is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 3C. FIG. 3E is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 3C. As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3E, the lifting device 250 includes a lifting member 310, a return member 320, and a connecting device 330. The lifting member 310 is movably connected to the rail 120 by the connecting device 330 and is movable in the Z-axis direction. The return member 320 is disposed between the lifting member 310 and the rail 120, and is compressed when the lifting member 310 rises, and can lower the lifting member 310 with respect to the rail 120 by an elastic force. The lifting member 310 is disposed below the substrate 110, and can move the substrate 110 from the transfer position to the discharge position when rising, and move the substrate 110 from the discharge position to the transfer position when descending. The connecting device 330 includes a connecting slot 332 disposed on the lifting member 310 and a connecting member 334 connected to the rail 120. The connecting member 334 is, for example, a bolt.

[0020] The elevating member 310 is in the shape of a clevis and extends along the extending direction of the rail 120 (i.e., the X-axis direction) for a certain distance. The elevating member 310 includes a pair of side plates 312 and a base plate 314 connected between the pair of side plates 312. The pair of side plates 312 and the base plate 314 are combined to form a clevis-shaped elevating member 310 that enables the elevating member 310 to be provided from below the rail 120 to form a sleeve around the rail 120. Here, the pair of side plates 314 are arranged on both sides of the rail 120, and the base plate 314 is arranged below the rail 120. Each of the pair of side plates 312 of the elevating member 310 has several connection slots 332 on each side plate 312. The several connection slots 332 are arranged along the extending direction of the elevating member 310 (i.e., the X-axis direction), and each connection slot 332 extends along the Z-axis direction. Therefore, it has a length that enables the movement of the elevating member 310 along the Z-axis direction.

[0021] The elevating device 250 also includes several guide wheels 335, and the quantity of the guide wheels 335 corresponds to the quantity of the connection slots 332. The guide wheels 335 are provided to form a sleeve around a connection member 334 fixed to the rail 120. Both the guide wheels 335 and the connection member 334 are inserted into the connection slots 332. The guide wheels 335 are configured to cooperate with the connection slots 332 to guide the elevating member 310 to move smoothly in the Z-axis direction. The outer surface of the guide wheel 335 is provided as a slit 338 that extends circumferentially along the guide wheel 335. The width of the slit 338 is slightly larger than the thickness of the side plate 314 of the elevating member 310. Thereby, a pair of opposing edges 337 of the side plate 314 that constitutes the connection slot 332 are clamped within the slit 338 of the guide wheel 335.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 3B and 3D, the side plate 314 is provided with an opening 339 that is larger in size compared to the width of the connection slot 332 at the bottom end of the connection slot 332. The opening 339 communicates with the connection slot 332, and the opening 339 is sized to be larger than the outer diameter of the guide wheel 335. Thus, when the guide wheel 335 is inserted into the connection slot 332 through the opening 339 and moved upward, the slit 338 can be clamped to form a pair of edges 337 of the slit 338. Therefore, the guide wheel 335 can be oriented to smoothly move the lifting member 310 in the Z-axis direction.

[0023] In some examples, the return member 320 is a coil spring. There can be a plurality of return members 320, which are arranged along the extending direction of the lifting member 310 (i.e., the X-axis direction). The return member 320 is disposed in the hole of the rail 120. At this time, the bottom end of the rail 120 extends through the hole of the rail 120 and abuts against the bottom plate 314 of the lifting member 310, and the top end is connected to the rail.

[0024] The lifting device 250 also includes guide pins 325, and the number of guide pins 325 is the same as the number of return members 320. The bottom end 326 of the guide pin 325 is connected to the bottom plate 314 of the lifting member 310, and the guide pin 325 is disposed between the pair of side plates 312. The guide pin 325 generally extends along the Z-axis direction, and the return member 320 is provided to form a sleeve on the guide pin 325 so that the return member 320 can be compressed or released along the Z-axis direction.

[0025] When the lifting member 310 rises along the Z-axis relative to the rail 120, the return member 320 is compressed by the lifting member 310 and accumulates elastic force. The lifting member 310 can also be lowered along the Z-axis relative to the rail 120 when the elastic force of the return member 320 acts.

[0026] Figures 4A to 4C show the state changes of the lifting device 250 of the dispenser 100 as the substrate 110 moves between the transfer position and the discharge position. Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view when the substrate in Figure 2 is at the transfer position, Figure 4B is a cross-sectional view when the heating device 201 rises and contacts the lifting device 250, and Figure 4C is a cross-sectional view when the substrate 110 has risen to the discharge position.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4A, when the substrate 110 is at the transfer position, the substrate 110 is supported by the support surface 210 of the pair of rails 120, and the lifting member 310 of the lifting device 250 is separated from the air guide plate 202 of the heating device 201 instead of contacting it. When it is necessary to discharge the viscous material onto the substrate 110, the heating device 201 is driven upward by the driving device 203 to approach the substrate 110 in order to perform a heating operation on the substrate 110, and at the same time, it is also possible to move the substrate 110 to the discharge position by the heating device 210.

[0028] As shown in Figure 4B, the heating device 201 is driven by the driving device 203 to rise, and its air guide plate 202 will contact the lifting member 310 of the lifting device 250. Thereafter, the driving device 203 continues to drive the heating device 201 to move axially along the Z-axis. Due to the movement of the heating device 201, the lifting member 310 of the lifting device 250 rises relative to the rail 120. When the lifting member 310 is disposed below the substrate 110, the lifting member 310 contacts the substrate 110 and pushes up the substrate 110 until the substrate 110 reaches the position shown in Figure 4C.

[0029] As shown in Figure 4C, when the substrate 110 rises and abuts against the blocking portion 220, the substrate 110 is blocked from rising further, and the substrate 110 has reached its discharge position. During the movement from the state shown in Figure 4B to the state shown in Figure 4C, as the lifting member 310 moves relative to the rail 120, the return member 320 is compressed.

[0030] When the discharging operation with respect to the substrate 110 is completed, the driving device 203 drives the heating device 201 to lower it along the Z-axis. The lifting member 310 can descend along the Z-axis by receiving the elastic force of the return member 320 that is no longer pushed by the heating device 201. As a result, the substrate 110 also descends until it is supported by the support surface 210 of the rail 120 and reaches its transfer position.

[0031] The dispenser 100 generally needs to be designed to process substrates 110 having various widths. In order to move the substrate 110 between the transfer position and the discharging position, it is necessary to adapt the distance between the lifting devices 250 to the width of the substrate 110 so that the lifting device 250 can push, lift, or lower the substrate 110. In order to support the substrate 110, it is necessary to adapt the distance between the pair of rails 120 to the width of the substrate 110. In the contributor 100 of the present disclosure, since the lifting devices 250 are respectively provided on the pair of rails 120, the substrate 110 can be further pushed and moved by the lifting device 250 being pushed by the heating device 201. As a result, the substrate 110 can move from its transfer position to a contributing position where a contributing operation is performed. When it is necessary to adjust the distance between the pair of rails 120 according to the width of the substrate 110, the distance between the lifting devices 250 attached to the pair of rails 120 is also adjusted accordingly. As a result, the distance between the lifting devices 250 also conforms to the width of the substrate 110. Therefore, the same lifting device 110 and heating device 201 can be adapted to the widths of various substrates.

[0032] In addition, since the lifting device 250 of the present disclosure surrounds the rail 120 by the lifting member 310, when the heating device 201 contacts the lifting member 310 and pushes the lifting member 310 upward to perform a heating operation on the substrate 110, the rail 120 can be isolated from the heating device 210 by the lifting member 310, thereby protecting the rail 120 (particularly, the transfer belt 208 on the rail 120) from high-temperature baking by the heating device 210.

[0033] Although the present disclosure has been described in connection with the examples outlined above, various alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and / or substantial equivalents may be apparent to at least those skilled in the art, whether now known or foreseeable in the present or near future. Additionally, the technical effects and / or technical problems described herein are exemplary and not limiting, and thus the disclosure herein may be used to solve other technical problems, may have other technical effects, and / or may solve other technical problems. Accordingly, the examples of the present disclosure described above are exemplary and not intended to be limiting. Various changes can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to include all known or previously developed alternative forms, modified forms, variant forms, improved forms, and / or substantial equivalents.

Claims

1. A dispenser (100) configured to discharge a material onto a substrate (110), A pair of rails (120) configured to move the substrate (110) into and out of the dispenser (100) in the X-axis direction, wherein one of the pair of rails (120) is movable in the Y-axis direction toward or away from the other to adjust the distance between the pair of rails (120), and each of the pair of rails (120) is provided with a support surface (210) and a blocking portion (220) located higher than the support surface (210), the support surface (210) of the pair of rails (120) being configured to support the substrate (110) in the transfer position, and the blocking portion (220) of the pair of rails (120) being configured to maintain the substrate (110) in the discharge position, a pair of rails (120); A heating device (201) disposed below the pair of rails (120) in the Z-axis direction and movable in the Z-axis direction; A pair of lifting devices (250) respectively attached to the pair of rails (120); comprising Each of the pair of lifting devices (250) includes a lifting member (310) movably connected to the rail (120) and movable in the Z-axis direction, and a return member (320) disposed between the rail (120) and the lifting member (310) and configured to be compressed when the lifting member (310) rises relative to the rail (120) and to be capable of lowering the lifting member (301) relative to the rail (120) by an elastic force; comprising The lifting member (310) is configured to be pushed by the heating device (201) to rise and lift the substrate (110) from the transfer position to the discharge position, and to be lowered by the action of the return member (320) when the heating device (201) descends, thereby lowering the substrate (110) from the discharge position to the transfer position. Dispenser (100).

2. The lifting device (250) further includes a connecting device (330) including a connecting slot (332) disposed on the lifting member (310) and a connecting member (334) connected to the rail (120). The connecting slot (332) extends along the Z-axis direction, and the connecting member (334) is inserted into the connecting slot (332) and is movable in the Z-axis direction within the connecting slot (332). The dispenser (100) according to claim 1.

3. The lifting member (310) is in the shape of a clevis and is provided to form a sleeve on the rail (120) from below the rail (120). The lifting member (310) includes a pair of side plates (312) and a base plate (314) connected between the pair of side plates (312). The pair of side plates (312) are respectively disposed on both sides of the rail (120), the base plate (314) is disposed below the rail (120), and each of the pair of side plates (312) has at least one connecting slot (332). The dispenser (100) according to claim 2.

4. The lifting member (310) extends along the X-axis direction by a certain distance. The lifting device (250) includes several return members (320), several connecting slots (332) disposed on each of the side plates (312), and several connecting members (334) corresponding to the several connecting slots (332). The several return members (320) are disposed in the X-axis direction, and the several connecting slots (332) are disposed in the X-axis direction. The dispenser (100) according to claim 3.

5. A hole (340) is provided in the rail (120), and the return member (320) is at least partially disposed in the hole (340). The dispenser (100) according to claim 4.

6. The dispenser (100) according to claim 1, wherein the return member (320) is a coil spring.

7. The dispenser (100) further comprises a guide pin (325), a bottom end portion (326) of the guide pin (325) is connected to the lifting member (310), and the return member (320) is provided to form a sleeve on the guide pin (325). The dispenser (100) according to claim 6.

8. The lifting device (250) further comprises a guide wheel (335) having a slit (338) on an outer surface, and the slit (338) extends circumferentially along the guide wheel (335). The guide wheel (335) is provided to form a sleeve on the connecting member (334), the guide wheel (335) is inserted into the connecting slot (332), and opposite edges (337) of the side plates (312) of the lifting member (310) constituting the connecting slot (332) are clamped within the slit (338) of the guide wheel (335). The dispenser (100) according to claim 3.

9. The dispenser (100) according to claim 1, wherein the blocking portion (220) is constituted by a baffle attached to a top end portion of the rail (120).

10. The dispenser (100) according to claim 1, further comprising a driving device (203) disposed below the heating device (201) to drive the movement of the heating device (201) in the Z-axis direction.

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