Trowel tip cleaning device

Abstract

To provide a cleaning device and soldering device that can efficiently and reliably remove deposits from inside the soldering holes of the soldering iron tip. [Solution] The cleaning process CL is a cleaning device that removes deposits attached to a cylindrical soldering iron tip 5 having a soldering hole 51 into which solder pieces are supplied, and comprises a gas supply means 6 that supplies gas to the soldering hole 51, and supplies gas from the gas supply means 6 to the soldering hole 51 at a supply pressure in the range of 0.02 MPa to 1 MPa.

Description

Technical Field

[0005] ,

[0004] , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a tip cleaning device, and more particularly to a cleaning device for removing deposits attached to a cylindrical tip having a solder hole to which solder pieces are supplied.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, many electrical devices have mounted electronic circuits on which electronic components are mounted. In the process of forming an electronic circuit, soldering is used. For example, the terminals or wires of an electronic component are inserted into through-holes formed in a wiring board, and the tip portions are soldered to wiring patterns (lands) formed around the through-holes, thereby mounting the electronic components and wires on the wiring board.

[0003] In a soldering device, the solder pieces sent to the solder holes of a cylindrical tip are heated and melted, and the melted solder is supplied to the wiring board to fix and electrically connect the terminals or wires of the electronic component and the land. Since the melted solder pieces come into contact with the inside of the solder holes of the tip every time soldering is performed, dross (mainly carbides of flux and oxides of solder) tends to adhere. When such deposits adhere to the inside of the solder holes of the tip, it becomes difficult for heat to be transferred to the solder pieces, and it becomes difficult to appropriately heat and melt the solder pieces. Therefore, after the completion of the soldering process, a cleaning process for removing the deposits inside the solder holes of the tip is appropriately performed.

[0004] The cleaning of the inside of the solder holes of the tip is performed by inserting a brush into the solder holes and rotating and / or moving the brush in the axial direction to wipe the inside of the solder holes with the brush. When wiping the inside of the solder holes with the brush, flux fumes may have a polishing effect. In this case, the inside of the solder holes is scraped and the inner diameter becomes larger. When the inner diameter of the solder holes becomes larger, it becomes difficult to attach solder to an accurate position on the substrate, and the accuracy of soldering decreases.

[0005] In conventional electronic equipment manufacturing equipment, the soldering iron tip is replaced after a certain number of cleanings to prevent a decrease in soldering accuracy. However, replacing the tip is time-consuming and labor-intensive, leading to longer downtimes in the soldering process and reducing the efficiency of electronic equipment manufacturing. Furthermore, frequent tip replacements increase tip consumption, which in turn increases the cost of manufacturing electronic equipment.

[0006] Therefore, the applicant has proposed a soldering system that includes cleaning (Patent Document 1). In this soldering system, a heater (heating means) is provided in a location separate from where the soldering is performed. At predetermined intervals, or after a predetermined number of soldering operations, the soldering device is moved to position the soldering iron tip inside the heater, and the soldering iron tip is heated by the heater to burn off and remove any attached material. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-221449 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device and a soldering device that can efficiently and reliably remove deposits from the soldering holes of the soldering iron tip to a degree equivalent to or better than the aforementioned proposed soldering system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] One embodiment of the iron tip cleaning device according to the present invention that achieves the above objective is a cleaning device for removing deposits attached to a cylindrical iron tip having a solder hole into which solder pieces are supplied, characterized in that it comprises a gas supply means for supplying gas to the solder hole, and the gas is supplied from the gas supply means to the solder hole at a supply pressure in the range of 0.02 MPa to 1 MPa.

[0010] In the soldering iron tip cleaning device having the above configuration, it is preferable to further include an insertion member having a rod-shaped portion, insert the rod-shaped portion of the insertion member into the solder hole, and supply gas to the solder hole from the gas supply means.

[0011] In the iron tip cleaning device having the above configuration, it is preferable that the rod-shaped portion of the insertion member has a large-diameter portion and / or a small-diameter portion in the region where it is inserted into the solder hole.

[0012] In the iron tip cleaning device having the above configuration, it is preferable that the rod-shaped portion of the insertion member has a plurality of linear grooves extending in the axial direction of the rod-shaped portion at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction on its outer surface in the region where it is inserted into the solder hole.

[0013] In the iron tip cleaning device having the above configuration, it is preferable to further include a gas suction means for sucking the gas from the gas discharge side of the solder hole.

[0014] In the trowel tip cleaning device having the above configuration, it is preferable that the gas mainly consists of at least one of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, and helium. In this specification, "main component" means a gas that makes up 50% by volume or more, and if two or more of the above gases are included, it means that the total amount of the two or more gases is 50% by volume or more.

[0015] One embodiment of the soldering apparatus according to the present invention that achieves the above objective comprises a cylindrical soldering iron tip having a soldering hole into which solder pieces are supplied, a heating means for heating the soldering iron tip, a gas supply means for supplying gas to the soldering hole, and a control means, and performs a soldering process by heating the soldering iron tip to heat and melt the solder pieces supplied into the soldering hole of the soldering iron tip and performing a cleaning process to remove deposits adhering to the soldering hole of the soldering iron tip, wherein the control means controls the supply of gas from the gas supply means to the soldering hole at a supply pressure in the range of 0.02 MPa to 1 MPa during the cleaning process.

[0016] In the soldering apparatus having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the control means further includes an insertion member having a rod-shaped portion, and the control means controls to insert the rod-shaped portion of the insertion member into the solder hole and supply gas from the gas supply means to the solder hole.

[0017] In the soldering apparatus having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the rod-shaped portion of the insertion member has a large-diameter portion and / or a small-diameter portion in the insertion region into the solder hole.

[0018] In the soldering apparatus having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the rod-shaped portion of the insertion member has a plurality of linear groove portions extending in the axial direction of the rod-shaped portion on the outer peripheral surface at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction in the insertion region into the solder hole.

[0019] In the soldering apparatus having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the apparatus further includes gas suction means for sucking the gas from the gas discharge side of the solder hole.

[0020] In the soldering apparatus having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the gas contains at least one of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, and helium as a main component.

Advantages of the Invention

[0021] According to the cleaning apparatus and the soldering apparatus according to the present invention, deposits adhering to the inside of the solder hole at the tip of the trowel can be efficiently and reliably removed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a schematic view showing an embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a state diagram showing the trowel tip being cleaned using the cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is an enlarged view of the circled portion in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the soldering apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 5]It is a perspective view showing the structure of the apparatus main body. [Figure 6] It is a schematic configuration diagram of the soldering position. [Figure 7] It is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the polishing means. [Figure 8] It is a view showing another embodiment of the insertion member. [Figure 9] It is a view showing still another embodiment of the insertion member.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, the cleaning apparatus and the soldering apparatus according to the present invention will be described in more detail based on the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. In addition, the "~" shown in this specification is used to include the numerical values described before and after it as lower and upper limits unless otherwise specified.

[0024] (Tip of the soldering iron) The tip of the soldering iron performs a soldering process by heating and melting the solder pieces supplied into the solder hole. The tip of the soldering iron is not particularly limited in its outer shape as long as it is cylindrical with a solder hole, and is appropriately determined according to the object to be soldered, such as a cylindrical shape.

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a vertical cross-sectional view including the central axis showing an embodiment of the tip of the soldering iron. The tip of the soldering iron 5 shown in FIG. 1 has a cylindrical shape and has a solder hole 51 penetrating in the central axis direction. The solder hole 51 is composed of a large-diameter portion 51a having a predetermined length downward from the upper end, a small-diameter portion 51b having a predetermined length upward from the lower end, and an inclined portion 51c that connects the lower end of the large-diameter portion 51a and the upper end of the small-diameter portion 51b and tapers downward. The solder pieces supplied from a supply portion not shown are guided from the large-diameter portion 51a of the solder hole 51 through the inclined portion 51c to the small-diameter portion 51b.

[0026] Note that the shape of the solder hole 51 is not limited to this, and may be appropriately determined in consideration of the outer diameter and length of the solder pieces, the shape of the portion to be soldered, etc. For example, the inner diameter may be the same from the upper end to the lower end of the tip of the soldering iron 5, or the shape may be continuously tapered from the upper end to the lower end.

[0027] The trowel tip 5 is preferably made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as a ceramic such as silicon carbide or aluminum nitride, or a metal such as tungsten.

[0028] As described above, solder pieces are supplied into the soldering holes 51 of the soldering iron tip 5, heated and melted, and flow down to perform the soldering process. As the soldering process is repeated, dross and other deposits gradually adhere to the inner circumferential wall of the soldering holes 51. When such deposits adhere to the soldering holes 51, heat is not easily transferred to the solder pieces, making it difficult to properly heat and melt them. Therefore, cleaning is necessary to remove the deposits from the soldering holes 51 of the soldering iron tip 5.

[0029] (Cleaning device) The cleaning device according to the present invention removes deposits adhering to the soldering holes 51 of the soldering iron tip 5 by blowing gas onto them. The cleaning device CL shown in Figure 1, which illustrates one embodiment of the cleaning device according to the present invention, comprises a gas supply means 6 for supplying gas to the soldering holes 51, an insertion member 7 having a rod-shaped portion 71 that can be inserted into the soldering holes 51, and a gas suction means 8 for sucking gas from the gas discharge side of the soldering holes 51.

[0030] (Gas supply means 6) The gas supply means 6 supplies gas into the soldering hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5 to remove any deposits inside the soldering hole 51. The gas supply means 6 shown in Figure 1 comprises a gas supply unit GS, a gas compression unit 62, and a connector 63.

[0031] The gas supply unit GS, when the usage volume is small, may include, for example, a nitrogen gas purification device that separates nitrogen gas from air using a membrane separation method. When the usage volume is large, such as in a factory, it may include a storage tank or cylinder. As described later, in this invention, the gas pressure supplied from the gas supply means 6 to the solder hole 51 is in the range of 0.02 MPa to 1 MPa. In the nitrogen gas purification device, the pressure of the purified nitrogen gas is generally low, so a gas compression unit 62 is necessary. On the other hand, when supplying nitrogen gas from a storage tank or cylinder, the gas supply pressure generally meets the desired pressure, so a gas compression unit 62 may not be necessary. This embodiment is an embodiment in which the nitrogen gas purification pressure is low and a gas compression unit 62 is used.

[0032] The gas compression unit 62 comprises a cylinder 621 and a piston 622 that is movable in the axial direction and airtightly separates the internal space of the cylinder 621 into two internal spaces IS1 and IS2 in the axial direction. The cylinder 621 has a through hole 623 that connects the internal space IS1 to the outside and a through hole 624 that connects the internal space IS2 to the outside. High-pressure air is supplied to the internal space IS1 from the outside via a switching valve 64 and the through hole 623. Nitrogen gas is supplied to the internal space IS2 from the gas supply unit GS via a switching valve 65 and the through hole 624.

[0033] The switching valve 64 switches between a flow path a, which allows high-pressure air to be supplied from the outside to the internal space IS1 of the cylinder 621, and a flow path b, which allows air to be discharged from the internal space IS1 to the outside. The switching valve 65 switches between a flow path c, which allows nitrogen gas to be supplied from the gas supply unit GS to the internal space IS2 of the cylinder 621, and a flow path d, which allows compressed nitrogen gas to be supplied from the internal space IS2 to the connector 63. A pulse blow generator 66 is provided in the middle of the flow path from the switching valve 65 to the connector 63.

[0034] In a gas compression unit 62 with this configuration, first, the switching valve 64 is designated as flow path b, and the switching valve 65 is designated as flow path c. Then, nitrogen gas is supplied to the internal space IS2 through the switching valve 65 and the through hole 624. As nitrogen gas fills the internal space IS2, the piston 622 of the cylinder 621 slides to the right in Figure 1. As a result, the internal space IS1 of the cylinder 621 narrows, and the air that was filling the internal space IS1 is discharged to the outside through the through hole 623 and the passage b of the switching valve 64.

[0035] Then, when the internal space IS2 is sufficiently filled with nitrogen gas, the switching valve 64 becomes flow path a and the switching valve 65 becomes flow path d. As a result, high-pressure air is supplied to the internal space IS1 of the cylinder 621, causing the piston 622 inside the cylinder 621 to slide to the left in Figure 1, compressing the nitrogen gas that was filling the internal space IS2 and supplying it to the connector 63 through the passage d of the through hole 624 and the switching valve 65. At this time, the high-pressure nitrogen gas is supplied to the connector 63 as a pulsed blow by the pulse blow generator 66 installed in the middle of the flow path from the cylinder 621 to the connector 63.

[0036] When the piston 622 of cylinder 621 has moved all the way to the left in Figure 1, the switching valve 64 becomes flow path b again, and the switching valve 65 becomes flow path c. Then, nitrogen gas is supplied to the internal space IS2 through the switching valve 65 and the through hole 624. As the internal space IS2 is filled with nitrogen gas, the piston 622 of cylinder 621 slides to the right in Figure 1. When the internal space IS2 is sufficiently filled with nitrogen gas, the switching valve 64 becomes flow path a, and the switching valve 65 becomes flow path d, and the nitrogen gas that was filling the internal space IS2 is compressed and supplied to the connector 63 through the passage d of the through hole 624 and the switching valve 65. As this operation is repeated, a predetermined amount of high-pressure nitrogen gas is supplied from the gas compression unit 62 to the connector 63 as a pulse blow. Of course, the high-pressure nitrogen gas may also be supplied as a continuous blow.

[0037] The nitrogen gas supply pressure from the gas compression unit 62 is in the range of 0.02 MPa to 1 MPa. When the gas supply pressure is 0.02 MPa or higher, deposits in the solder holes 51 are more easily removed. Also, when the gas supply pressure is 1 MPa or lower, it becomes easier to miniaturize and lighten the gas compression unit 62.

[0038] (Connector 63) The connector 63 is connected to one axial end (upper end in Figure 1) of the soldering iron tip 5 and serves to supply high-pressure nitrogen gas from the gas compression unit 62 into the soldering hole 51. The connector 63 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and has a connection hole 631 extending upward from the center of its lower surface, with an inner diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the soldering iron tip 5, and a through hole 632 extending from the center of the upper surface of the connection hole 631 through to the upper surface of the connector 63, with an inner diameter approximately the same as the inner diameter of the soldering hole 51.

[0039] The gas supplied from the gas supply means 6 is preferably a gas mainly composed of nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide, argon, or helium, in addition to nitrogen gas. Among these, nitrogen gas is preferred because it can be easily separated from air.

[0040] (Inserted member 7) The insertion member 7 has a rod-shaped portion 71 that is inserted into the soldering hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5. When the rod-shaped portion 71 is inserted into the soldering hole 51, the cross-sectional area of ​​the soldering hole 51 is reduced, that is, the flow path of the gas supplied from the gas supply means 6 is narrowed, the gas flow velocity increases, and deposits in the soldering hole 51 are more easily removed.

[0041] The insertion member 7 shown in Figure 1 has a disc-shaped base 72 and a cylindrical rod-shaped portion 71 erected at the center of the upper surface of the base 72, and is attached to the cylindrical intake portion 85 of the gas suction means 8, which will be described later. The rod-shaped portion 71 has a maximum outer diameter that can be inserted into the solder hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5, and its upper end is frustoconical in shape. The rod-shaped portion 71 has a plurality of small-diameter portions 711 (shown in Figure 3) at predetermined intervals in the axial direction. When small-diameter portions 711 are formed on the rod-shaped portion 71, there are alternating large and small gaps between the outer circumference of the rod-shaped portion 71 and the inner wall of the solder hole 51 in the direction of gas flow, so the gas flowing through such gaps becomes turbulent, making it easier to remove deposits inside the solder hole 51. In addition, deposits inside the solder hole 51 may be scraped off at the stepped portions where the outer diameter of the rod-shaped portion 71 changes. In addition, the rod-shaped portion 71 may have a large-diameter portion instead of, or together with, the small-diameter portion 711. Whether it is a small-diameter portion or a large-diameter portion is determined based on the outer diameter of the lower end of the rod-shaped portion 71 (the joint between the rod-shaped portion 71 and the base 72 in Figure 3).

[0042] There are no particular limitations on the axial length of the rod-shaped portion 71, but it is preferable that the tip of the rod-shaped portion 71 is long enough to reach the upper part of the region where solder slag and other deposits are likely to adhere, where the solder pieces in the solder hole 51 are heated and melted, or to extend above that region.

[0043] The cross-sectional shape of the rod-shaped portion 71 perpendicular to the axial direction is preferably similar to the cross-sectional shape of the solder hole 51. That is, the gap between the outer circumference of the rod-shaped portion 71 and the inner wall of the solder hole 51 is preferably the same in the circumferential direction. The outer diameter of the base 72 is preferably the same as or greater than the outer diameter of the soldering iron tip 5.

[0044] The insertion member 7 only needs to have at least a rod-shaped portion 71, but it is preferable to have a base 72 as in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, if the insertion member 7 has a base 72, the gas that flows out from the soldering hole 51 can flow through the gap between the lower surface of the soldering iron tip 5 and the upper surface of the base 72, and any deposits adhering to the lower surface of the soldering iron tip 5 can be removed by the gas.

[0045] The material of the insert member 7 is not particularly limited as long as it can withstand temperatures of around 300°C; conventionally known metal materials, resin materials, and inorganic materials can be used.

[0046] (Gas suction means) The gas suction means 8 plays the role of sucking up high-pressure nitrogen gas containing deposits discharged from the soldering hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5, thereby preventing the deposits from scattering into the surroundings. The gas suction means 8 shown in Figure 1 comprises a container body 81, a filter 82 provided to divide the container body 81 into two spaces IS3 and IS4, and an intake fan 83 located in one of the spaces IS4 separated by the filter 82. An exhaust hole 84 is provided in space IS4 of the container body 81, and an intake section 85 is provided in space IS3. The intake section 85 is cylindrical in shape and protrudes outward from the container body 81 (upward from the top surface of the container body 81 in Figure 1).

[0047] The inner diameter of the intake section 85 is larger than the outer diameter of the trowel tip 5 and the base 72 of the insertion member 7, and the insertion member 7 is mounted inside the intake section 85. A gap (for example, several mm) is provided between the outer circumference of the base 72 of the insertion member 7 and the inner wall of the intake section 85. It is desirable that the mounting position of the insertion member 7 inside the intake section 85 is such that at least the base 72 is located inside the intake section 85. This is because the high-pressure nitrogen gas discharged from the trowel tip 5 is reliably drawn into the container body 81 of the gas suction means 8 without leaking to the outside.

[0048] (Cleaning operation) Figure 2 shows an example of cleaning the soldering iron tip 5 using the cleaning device CL configured as shown. The upper end of the soldering iron tip 5 is inserted into the connection hole 631 of the connector 63 of the gas supply means 6, and the rod-shaped portion 71 of the insertion member 7 is inserted into the soldering hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5 from below. The amount of insertion of the rod-shaped portion 71 of the insertion member 7 into the soldering hole 51 is such that there is a predetermined gap (for example, several mm) between the lower end surface of the soldering iron tip 5 and the upper surface of the base 72 of the insertion member 7. In this embodiment, the soldering hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5 is inserted into the insertion member 7 which is installed inside the intake section 85. However, the insertion member 7 may be made detachable from the intake section 85, and after inserting the rod-shaped portion 71 of the insertion member 7 into the soldering hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5, the insertion member 7 may be attached to the intake section 85 together with the soldering iron tip 5.

[0049] Next, the gas supply means 6 and the gas suction means 8 are activated. When the gas supply means 6 is activated, high-pressure nitrogen gas, which has been increased to a predetermined pressure, is blown from the gas compression unit 62 into the soldering hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5 via the connector 63.

[0050] Figure 3 shows a partially enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating the flow of high-pressure nitrogen gas. As shown in Figure 3, the high-pressure nitrogen gas blown into the solder hole 51 rapidly increases in velocity in the gap between the outer circumference of the rod-shaped portion 71 and the inner wall of the solder hole 51. As a result, any deposits adhering to the inner wall surface of the solder hole 51 are blown away by the high-pressure nitrogen gas. In addition, small-diameter portions 711 are formed on the rod-shaped portion 71 at predetermined intervals in the axial direction. The gap between the outer circumference of the rod-shaped portion 71 and the inner wall of the solder hole 51 changes in the axial direction, causing the flow of high-pressure nitrogen gas supplied into the solder hole 51 to become high-speed and turbulent, and deposits adhering to the inner circumferential surface of the solder hole 51 are more reliably peeled off and removed by the high-pressure nitrogen gas.

[0051] As shown in Figure 2, the gas suction means 8 is driven together with the gas supply means 6. When the intake fan 83 of the gas suction means 8 is driven, outside air is drawn in from the intake section 85. The high-pressure nitrogen gas that flows down inside the soldering hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5 is discharged to the outside from the soldering hole 51 and at the same time is drawn in by the gas suction means 8 and into the space of the container body 81 via the intake section 85. At this time, relatively large deposits are separated from the flow of high-pressure nitrogen gas by gravity, etc., and fall to the bottom surface of the space IS3 and are collected. On the other hand, small deposits flow with the flow of high-pressure nitrogen gas, but are adsorbed and collected by the filter 82. The high-pressure nitrogen gas that has passed through the filter 82, that is, from which the deposits have been removed, is discharged to the outside from the exhaust hole 84 of the container body 81.

[0052] The filter 82 is detachable from the container body 81 and can be replaced or cleaned. In addition, the accumulated solid matter in the container body 81 can be discharged as needed through a waste port (not shown) provided in the container body 81.

[0053] Such cleaning processes may be performed, for example, at predetermined soldering time intervals or after predetermined soldering cycles.

[0054] In the cleaning process of the embodiment described above, the insertion member 7 and gas suction means 8 were used together with the gas supply means 6. However, it is also possible to clean the solder holes 51 of the soldering iron tip 5 using only the gas supply means 6. However, in order to clean the solder holes 51 more effectively, it is preferable to use the insertion member 7 and gas suction means 8 together.

[0055] (Soldering device) The soldering apparatus according to the present invention will now be described. The soldering apparatus according to the present invention can perform soldering and iron tip cleaning. The soldering process is a process of heating and melting solder pieces supplied into the solder holes of the iron tip to perform soldering, and the cleaning process is a process of removing deposits adhering to the solder holes of the iron tip and deposits adhering to the lower surface of the iron tip.

[0056] Figure 4 shows a perspective view illustrating one embodiment of the soldering apparatus according to the present invention. The soldering apparatus AP shown in Figure 4 is a diagram of a soldering apparatus AP used when soldering an electronic component Ep to a substrate CB. The substrate CB, fixed to a jig Gj, has four through-holes Th formed therein, and lands Ld are formed on the inner surface and periphery of each through-hole Th. Four pin terminals P extending from an electronic component Ep located on the back side of the substrate CB are inserted from bottom to top through each of the four through-holes Th, with the tips of the pin terminals P protruding from the top surface of the substrate CB. The top surface of the substrate CB is covered with solder resist SR, except for the electrode portion.

[0057] The soldering device AP comprises a manipulator ML as a means of movement having a multi-joint arm Am, a device body A1 attached to the tip of the manipulator ML, an insertion member 7, a gas suction means 8, a grinding means 9 for cleaning the soldering iron tip 5, and a control device Cont. The control device Cont controls the operation of the manipulator ML, the device body A1, the gas suction means 8, the grinding means 9, etc.

[0058] The manipulator ML is mounted on a base Bs, and the articulated arm Am is rotatable at each of its multiple joints. The control means Cont controls the rotational movement of the articulated arm Am of the manipulator ML to move the device body A1 to a desired position in the X, Y, and vertical directions. The control means Cont also controls the operation of the cutter unit 2, drive mechanism 3, solder feeding mechanism F, and heater (heating means) H of the device body A1 shown in Figure 5.

[0059] (Device body A1) Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the main body A1 of the device, and Figure 6 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the main body A1 of the device shown in Figure 5. Note that in Figure 5, a part of the housing has been cut away to show the inside of the main body A1 of the device.

[0060] As shown in Figure 5, the main body A1 of the device includes a device unit U, a support member SP that supports the device unit U so that it can move within a predetermined distance range in the vertical direction, and a cover C (dashed line in Figure 5) that covers the device unit U and the support member SP.

[0061] The support member SP comprises a plate-shaped base Mf having a rectangular YZ plane and a predetermined thickness in the X direction, a guide rail Mg having a predetermined width in the Y direction and protruding in the X direction from the center in the Y direction of one side surface of the base Mf in the X direction, and continuous in the vertical direction, and a block Mb attached to the guide rail Mg so as to be movable in the vertical direction.

[0062] The upper and lower upward ends of the base Mf are attached to the tip of the articulated arm Am of the manipulator ML. The wall 11 of the device unit U is attached to block Mb over almost its entire vertical area. That is, the device unit U is fixed to block Mb and is movable vertically in conjunction with block Mb. In addition, a movement restricting pin S1 is provided at the lower end of one side of block Mb in the Y direction, protruding vertically outward from the side.

[0063] On the other hand, at the Y-direction end position of the lower part in the vertical direction of one side surface in the X direction of the base portion Mf, a rectangular parallelepiped upper stopper portion S2 and a lower stopper portion S3 are provided so as to face each other at a predetermined distance apart in the vertical direction.

[0064] The movement-restricting pin S1, located on one side of block Mb, is situated in the region between the upper stopper portion S2 and the lower stopper portion S3 of the base Mf. In the initial state, i.e., when the trowel tip 5 is not in contact with the substrate CB, the movement-restricting pin S1 is in contact with the lower stopper portion S3 due to the weight of the device unit U and block Mb. In other words, the movement-restricting pin S1 in contact with the lower stopper portion S3 restricts the downward movement of the device unit U in the vertical direction. On the other hand, when the trowel tip 5 comes into contact with the substrate CB and the device unit U moves upward in the vertical direction, the movement-restricting pin S1 comes into contact with the upper stopper portion S2, restricting the upward movement of the device unit U in the vertical direction.

[0065] (Device Unit U) The device unit U comprises a support unit 1, a cutter unit 2, a drive mechanism 3, a connection unit 4, a soldering iron tip 5, and a solder feeding mechanism F.

[0066] The support section 1 includes an upright, flat wall 11. For convenience, in the following description, as shown in Figure 5, the horizontal direction along the wall 11 will be referred to as the X direction, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the wall 11 as the Y direction, and the vertical direction along the wall 11 as the up and down direction. For example, as shown in Figure 5, the wall 11 has a ZX plane.

[0067] The support unit 1 comprises a wall 11, a holding part 12, a sliding guide 13, and a connection unit fixing part 14. The wall 11 is a flat, plate-shaped wall erected vertically. The wall 11 serves as a support member for the device body A1. The holding part 12 is fixed at a position offset above the lower end of the wall 11 in the vertical direction. The holding part 12 holds the air cylinder 31 of the drive mechanism 3, which will be described later. The connection unit fixing part 14 is a member that fixes the connection unit 4 and is provided at the vertical end (lower end) of the wall 11.

[0068] The sliding guide 13 is fixed near the lower end of the wall 11 in the vertical direction. The sliding guide 13 is fixed to the wall 11 together with the lower cutter blade 22 of the cutter unit 2 (described later), and guides the upper cutter blade 21 of the cutter unit 2 (described later) so that it can slide in the X direction.

[0069] The sliding guide 13 is a pair of members facing each other in the Y direction. The sliding guide 13 has a pair of wall portions 131 and a retaining portion 132. The wall portions 131 are flat plate-shaped members extending in the X direction. One wall portion 131 is positioned in contact with the wall body 11, and the side opposite to the wall body 11 is in contact with the lower end 22 of the cutter. The other wall portion 131 is in contact with the side surface of the lower blade 22 of the cutter. In other words, the pair of wall portions 131 sandwich the lower blade 22 of the cutter from both sides in the Y direction. The pair of wall portions 131 and the lower blade 22 of the cutter are then fastened together with the wall body 11 using fasteners such as screws and fixed in place.

[0070] The retaining portion 132 is provided on each of the pair of wall portions 131. The pair of wall portions 131 extend vertically beyond the upper and lower surfaces of the cutter lower blade 22, and each extends from its upper end in the vertical direction toward the other. In other words, the sliding guide 13 is equipped with a pair of retaining portions 132. The Y-direction tips of each of the pair of retaining portions 132 do not come into contact; in other words, the sliding guide 13 has an opening at the top. At least a portion of the cutter upper blade 21 is positioned between the upper surface of the cutter lower blade 22 and the retaining portion 132. As a result, the cutter upper blade 21 is guided in the X direction and prevented from coming off in the vertical direction.

[0071] The cutter unit 2 is a cutting tool that cuts the solder wire W fed by the solder feeding mechanism F into solder pieces Wh of a predetermined length. The cutter unit 2 comprises an upper cutter blade 21, a lower cutter blade 22, and a pusher pin 23.

[0072] As described above, the lower cutter blade 22 is fixed to the wall 11 together with the sliding guide 13. As shown in Figure 6, the lower cutter blade 22 is equipped with a lower blade hole 221 and a gas inlet hole 222. The lower blade hole 221 is a through hole that penetrates the lower cutter blade 22 in the vertical direction, and the solder wire W that has penetrated the upper blade hole 211 of the upper cutter blade 21 (described later) is inserted into it. The upper edge of the lower blade hole 221 is formed in a cutting edge shape. The solder wire W is cut into solder pieces Wh of a predetermined length using the upper blade hole 211 and the lower blade hole 221. The cut solder pieces Wh fall downward into the lower blade hole 221 by their own weight or pushed by the pusher pin 23. The lower blade hole 221 is in communication with the solder hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5 via the solder supply hole 422 of the connection unit 4 (described later). The solder pieces Wh that fall inside the lower blade hole 221 reach the solder supply hole 422 and then fall into the solder hole 51.

[0073] The gas inlet 222 is a hole that connects the outer surface of the cutter's lower blade 22 to the lower blade hole 221. Nitrogen gas supplied from the gas supply unit GS, and high-pressure nitrogen gas supplied from the gas supply unit GS via the gas compression unit 62, flow into the gas inlet 222. The nitrogen gas and high-pressure nitrogen gas (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "nitrogen gas") then pass through the lower blade hole 221 and the solder supply hole 422 to reach the solder hole 51. The nitrogen gas is mainly blown into the solder hole 51 during the soldering process to suppress the oxidation of the solder pieces Wh when they are heated and melted. On the other hand, the high-pressure nitrogen gas is mainly blown into the solder hole 51 during the cleaning process of the soldering iron tip 5 to remove deposits from the inner wall of the solder hole 51.

[0074] As described above, the upper cutter blade 21 is positioned on the upper and lower surfaces of the lower cutter blade 22. The upper cutter blade 21 is guided by the sliding guide 13 so that its sliding direction is in the X direction when it slides, and is also prevented from coming off in the vertical direction. That is, the upper cutter blade 21 slides in the X direction on the upper surface of the lower cutter blade 22 in the vertical direction. The upper cutter blade 21 is slid by the drive mechanism 3.

[0075] The cutter upper blade 21 is provided with an upper blade hole 211 and a pin hole 212. The upper blade hole 211 is a through hole that penetrates the cutter upper blade 21 in the vertical direction, and solder wire W fed from the solder feeding mechanism F is inserted into the upper blade hole 211. The lower edge of the upper blade hole 211 is formed in a cutting edge shape. The pin hole 212 is a through hole that penetrates the cutter upper blade 21 in the vertical direction. The rod portion 231 of the pusher pin 23, which will be described later, is slidably inserted into the pin hole 212.

[0076] The pusher pin 23 has a rod portion 231, a head portion 232, and a spring 233. The rod portion 231 is a cylindrical member and is slidably inserted into the pin hole 212. When the pusher pin 23 moves downward in the vertical direction, the tip of the rod portion 23 protrudes from the pin hole 212. The head portion 232 is connected to the upper axial end of the rod portion 231. The head portion 232 is a disc shape with an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the pin hole 212. The head portion 232 is not inserted into the pin hole 212. In other words, the head portion 232 acts as a stopper, restricting the movement of the rod portion 231 into the pin hole 212.

[0077] The spring 233 is a compression coil spring that surrounds the radially outer side of the rod portion 231. The lower end of the spring 233 in the vertical direction contacts the upper surface of the cutter upper blade 21, and the upper end in the vertical direction contacts the lower surface of the head portion 232. That is, the spring 233 receives a reaction force from the upper surface of the cutter upper blade 21, pushing the head portion 232 upward in the vertical direction. As a result, the rod portion 231 connected to the head portion 232 is lifted upward in the vertical direction, and the lower end of the rod portion 231 is kept from protruding from the lower end of the pin hole 212. The lower end of the rod portion 231 in the vertical direction is provided with a retainer (not shown) to prevent it from coming out of the pin hole 212.

[0078] The pusher pin 23 pushes downward the solder piece Wh remaining in the lower blade hole 221 after being cut by the upper cutter blade 21 and the lower cutter blade 22. The pusher pin 23 is constantly pushed upward, that is, away from the lower cutter blade 22, by the elastic force of the spring 233. In other words, when the head portion 232 is pushed, the rod portion 231 protrudes downward from the lower end in the vertical direction of the pin hole 212. The head portion 232 is then pushed by the cam member 33 of the drive mechanism 3, which will be described later.

[0079] In the cutter's upper blade 21, the upper blade hole 211 and the pin hole 212 are arranged side by side in the X direction. By sliding in the X direction, the cutter's upper blade 21 moves to a position where the upper blade hole 211 and the lower blade hole 221 overlap vertically, or where the pin hole 212 and the lower blade hole 221 overlap vertically. The cutter's upper blade 21 may also slide such that when it reaches one sliding end, the upper blade hole 211 and the lower blade hole 221 overlap, and when it reaches the other sliding end, the pin hole 212 and the lower blade hole 221 overlap.

[0080] Then, with the upper blade hole 211 and the lower blade hole 221 overlapping in the vertical direction, when solder wire W is fed from the solder feeding mechanism F, the solder wire W that has passed through the upper blade hole 211 is inserted into the lower blade hole 221. As described above, the lower edge of the upper blade hole 211 is formed in a cutting edge shape, and the upper edge of the lower blade hole 221 is also formed in a cutting edge shape. The lower surface of the upper cutter blade 21 is in contact with the upper surface of the lower cutter blade 22. Therefore, with the solder wire W inserted into the lower blade hole 221, the upper cutter blade 21 slides in the X direction, and the solder wire W is cut by the cutting edges of the upper blade hole 211 and the lower blade hole 221, respectively.

[0081] The upper cutter blade 21 is slid in the X direction by the cam member 33. Therefore, the upper cutter blade 21 and the pusher pin 23 are synchronized with the cam member 33. The cam member 33 pushes the head portion 232 when the pin hole 212 aligns vertically with the lower blade hole 221. Therefore, when the upper cutter blade 21 slides in the X direction, the tip of the rod portion 231 of the pusher pin 23 is housed in the pin hole 212. This prevents contact between the tip of the rod portion 231 and the upper surface of the lower cutter blade 22 when the upper cutter blade 21 slides in the X direction, thereby preventing deformation, damage, etc., of the tip of the rod portion 231 and / or the lower cutter blade 22.

[0082] As the upper cutter blade 21 slides in the X direction, the lower blade hole 211 and the pin hole 212 overlap in the vertical direction. With the pin hole 212 overlapping the lower blade hole 211, the head portion 232 is pushed by the cam member 33. This causes the pusher pin 23 to move downward in the vertical direction. When the pusher pin 23 protrudes downward in the vertical direction from the pin hole 212, a portion of the pusher pin 23 is inserted into the lower blade hole 211. If a piece of solder Wh, described later, remains at the entrance of the lower blade hole 211 after cutting the solder wire W, the tip of the pusher pin 23 pushes the piece of solder Wh, causing it to fall out.

[0083] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the drive mechanism 3 includes an air cylinder 31, a piston rod 32, a cam member 33, a slider portion 34, and a guide shaft 35. The air cylinder 31 is held by the holding portion 12. The air cylinder 31 is a bottomed cylindrical shape. The piston rod 32 is housed inside the air cylinder 31, and the piston rod 32 is driven to slide (extend and retract) by the pressure of air supplied from the outside. The air cylinder 31 and the piston rod 32 constitute the actuator of the drive mechanism 3. The piston rod 32 is positioned inside the air cylinder 31, and a portion of it always protrudes from one end of the air cylinder 31 in the axial direction (in this case, the lower end in the vertical direction). The air cylinder 31 is held by the holding portion 12 such that the surface from which the piston rod 32 protrudes faces the cutter unit 2, that is, it faces downward in the vertical direction.

[0084] The piston rod 32 passes through a through hole (not shown) provided in the holding portion 12. The piston rod 32 is provided parallel to the guide shaft 35 and reciprocates linearly along the guide shaft 35. The tip of the piston rod 32 is fixed to the cam member 33, and the cam member 33 slides vertically as the piston rod 32 extends and retracts. The sliding of the cam member 33 is guided by the guide shaft 35.

[0085] As shown in Figure 6, the lower end of the guide shaft 35 is fitted into a recessed hole in the cutter's lower blade 22 and is fixed to the cutter's lower blade 22 with a screw 351. The upper part of the guide shaft 35 passes through a hole in the holding part 12 and its movement is restricted by a pin 352. In other words, the guide shaft 35 is fixed to the cutter's lower blade 22 by the screw 351 and to the holding part 12 by the pin 352.

[0086] In this embodiment, the guide shaft 35 is fixed by a screw 351 and a pin 352, but it is not limited to this, and may be fixed by other fixing methods such as press-fitting or welding. Also, in this embodiment, the guide shaft 35 is a cylindrical member, but it is not limited to this, and a polygonal cross-sectional shape or an ellipse may be used.

[0087] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the cam member 33 is a rectangular member and comprises a recess 330 formed by cutting out a rectangular portion of its long side, and a cylindrical support portion 331 connected to the cam member 33 and having a through hole through which the guide shaft 35 passes. The slider portion 34 is slidably arranged in the recess 330 (in the X direction and vertical direction). The support portion 331 has a shape that extends parallel to the guide shaft 35 and is provided to suppress rattling of the cam member 33. In other words, if the cam member 33 has a certain thickness and is configured to be less prone to rattling, the cylindrical portion may be omitted, and the support portion 331 may be made up of only the through hole.

[0088] The cam member 33 comprises a cylindrical pin 332 provided in the middle of the recess 330 with its central axis perpendicular to the guide shaft 35, a pin pushing portion 333 adjacent to the recess 330 that pushes the pusher pin 23, and a bearing 334 positioned inside the support portion 331. The pin 332 is inserted into a cam groove 340, which will be described later, provided in the slider portion 34. The bearing 334 is fitted onto the guide shaft 35 and is a component that allows the cam member 33 to slide smoothly without rattling.

[0089] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the slider portion 34 is a rectangular plate-shaped member and is integrally formed with the cutter upper blade 21. The slider portion 34 is provided with a cam groove 340 that penetrates in the thickness direction and extends in the longitudinal direction. The cam groove 340 has a first groove portion 341 extending parallel to the guide shaft 35 on the upper side and a second groove portion 342 also extending parallel to the guide shaft 35 on the lower side. The first groove portion 341 and the second groove portion 342 are offset in the X direction, and the cam groove 340 is provided with a connecting groove portion 343 that connects the first groove portion 341 and the second groove portion 342.

[0090] A pin 332 of the cam member 33 is inserted into the cam groove 340, and as the cam member 33 moves along the guide shaft 35, the pin 332 slides along the inner surface of the cam groove 340. When the pin 332 is positioned in the connecting groove portion 343 of the cam groove 340, it presses against the inner surface of the connecting groove portion 343. As a result, the slider portion 34 and the cutter upper blade 21 integrally formed on the slider portion 34 move in a direction (X direction) that intersects with the sliding direction (up and down direction) of the cam member 33 (sliding relative to the cutter lower blade 22).

[0091] In this embodiment, a configuration in which the cam member 33 has a pin 332 and the slide portion 34 has a cam groove 340 has been described, but in reality, a configuration in which the cam member has a cam groove and the slide portion has a pin may also be used.

[0092] In this embodiment, pneumatics is used as the actuator for the drive mechanism 3, but it is not limited to this, and a fluid other than air (for example, hydraulic fluid) may be used (hydraulic). Furthermore, it is not limited to using a fluid, but electricity such as a motor or solenoid may be used. In this embodiment, one actuator, a cam, and a cam groove are used to slide the upper cutter blade 21 and press the pusher pin 23, but it is not limited to this. For example, multiple actuators (2) may be provided to slide the upper cutter blade 21 and press the pusher pin 23.

[0093] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the solder feeding mechanism F supplies solder wire W. The solder feeding mechanism F comprises a pair of feed rollers R and a guide tube T. The pair of feed rollers R are rotatably mounted on the support wall 11. The pair of feed rollers R rotate by gripping the sides of the solder wire W, thereby feeding the solder wire W downwards. The pair of feed rollers R are biased toward each other, and this biasing force grips the solder wire W. The length of the fed solder wire W is measured (determined) by the rotation angle (number of rotations) of the feed rollers R.

[0094] The guide tube T is an elastically deformable tube, and its upper end is positioned close to the part of the feed roller R from which the solder wire W is fed. The lower end of the guide tube T is provided to communicate with the upper blade hole 211 of the cutter upper blade 21. The lower end of the guide tube T moves in accordance with the sliding of the cutter upper blade 21, and the guide tube T has a length and shape that prevents it from being excessively pulled or stretched within the range of sliding of the cutter upper blade 21.

[0095] The connection unit 4 is a unit for detachably attaching the trowel tip 5. As shown in Figure 6, the connection unit 4 is fixed to a connection unit fixing part 14 provided at the lower end of the wall 22. A heater H is wrapped around the outer circumference of the connection unit 4. The heater H generates heat when electricity is applied and is a heat source for heating and melting the solder piece Wh supplied into the solder hole 51.

[0096] The connecting unit 4 has a cylindrical shape and includes a circular cross-section recess 421 at its axial end for attaching the soldering iron tip 5, and a solder supply hole 422 that penetrates from the center of the bottom of the recess 421 to the opposite side. The connecting unit 4 is provided in contact with the cutter's lower blade 22 so that the solder supply hole 422 and the lower blade hole 221 are in communication. By providing the connecting unit 4 in this way, the solder piece Wh moves from the lower blade hole 221 to the solder supply hole 422.

[0097] The soldering iron tip 5 is inserted into the recess 421 of the connection unit 4 and is secured in place by a component not shown in the figure. The soldering hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5 is in communication with the solder supply hole 421 of the connection unit 4, and solder pieces Wh are supplied from the solder supply hole 421.

[0098] The soldering iron tip 5 receives heat from the heater H, which melts the solder piece Wh. Therefore, the soldering iron tip 5 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as ceramics like silicon carbide or aluminum nitride, or metals like tungsten. In the apparatus unit U, the soldering iron tip 5 is cylindrical, but it is not limited to this, and a cylindrical shape with a polygonal or elliptical cross-section may also be used. Different shapes may be prepared to match the shape of the pin terminals P of the substrate CB and / or electronic component Ep to be soldered.

[0099] The gas supply means has the same basic configuration as the gas supply means 6 shown in Figure 1, and comprises a gas supply unit GS, a gas compression unit 62, and a connection unit 4. The connection unit 4 of the gas supply means 6 shown in Figure 6 performs the same function as the connector 63 of the gas supply means 6 shown in Figure 1.

[0100] The gas supply means supplies nitrogen gas at normal pressure to the soldering hole 51 from the gas supply unit GS when the soldering device is performing soldering work, and supplies high-pressure nitrogen gas, which is compressed by the gas compression unit 62 from the normal pressure nitrogen gas supplied from the gas supply unit GS, to the soldering hole 51 when the soldering device is performing cleaning work on the soldering iron tip 5.

[0101] A check valve is provided in both the normal-pressure nitrogen gas flow path from the gas supply unit GS to the gas inlet 222, and the high-pressure nitrogen gas flow path from the gas compression unit 62 to the gas inlet 222, thereby preventing nitrogen gas from flowing from one flow path to the other. A pulse blow generator 66 is also provided in the high-pressure nitrogen gas flow path from the gas compression unit 62 to the gas inlet 222.

[0102] Nitrogen gas supplied to the gas inlet hole 222 is supplied to the soldering hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5 through the lower blade hole 221 and the solder supply hole 422.

[0103] (Gas suction means 8 and insertion member 7) As shown in Figure 4, the same gas suction means 8 and insertion member 7 as shown in the cleaning device described above are positioned near the jig Gj to which the substrate CB is fixed. The structure of the gas suction means 8 and insertion member 7 is the same as that shown in the cleaning device CL described above, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0104] (Grinding method) The grinding means 9 works to remove deposits such as sludge (solder oxides) adhering to the underside of the trowel tip 5. In this embodiment, the grinding means 9 is positioned next to the gas suction means 8. Of course, it may be positioned at a distance from the gas suction means 8, but since grinding the underside of the trowel tip 5 and cleaning the solder holes 51 are often performed at the same time, it is preferable for the two means to be positioned close together.

[0105] As shown in Figure 7, the grinding means 9 comprises a rectangular parallelepiped base 91 and a grinding tool 92 detachably attached to the upper surface of the base 91. The grinding tool 92 scrapes off any deposits adhering to the lower surface of the trowel tip 5. The grinding tool 92 is disc-shaped and rotatable by a motor M. Examples of the grinding tool 92 include a plate-shaped file. The grinding tool 92 may not rotate, causing the trowel tip 5 to vibrate in the left-right direction in Figure 7, or the grinding tool 92 may rotate while the trowel tip 5 vibrates. Furthermore, the grinding means 9 may consist only of the grinding tool 92 without the base 91. The grinding tool 92 is replaceable or washable.

[0106] When grinding the underside of the trowel tip 5 and cleaning the solder holes 51 are performed at the same time, it is preferable to first grind the underside of the trowel tip 5 using the grinding means 9, and then clean the solder holes 51. As shown in Figure 3, when cleaning the solder holes 51, high-pressure nitrogen gas blown out from the solder holes 51 passes through the gap between the underside of the trowel tip 5 and the upper surface of the base 72. At this time, grinding debris and other materials adhering to the underside of the trowel tip 5 are blown away and removed by the high-pressure nitrogen gas.

[0107] (Soldering process) The following describes the process of performing soldering using the soldering device AP configured as described above. As shown in Figure 4, the device body A1 is moved in the X and Y directions by the manipulator ML to position it relative to the land Ld on the substrate CB. Then, as the device body A1 is moved vertically, the lower surface of the soldering iron tip 5 comes into contact with the substrate CB. For example, when soldering a pin terminal P to a land Ld, the device body A1 is moved so that the pin terminal P protruding from the upper surface of the substrate CB is positioned within the soldering hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5 of the device body A1. Then, solder pieces Wh are supplied to the soldering hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5. The supplied solder pieces Wh are heated and melted within the soldering hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5, and the pin terminal P and the land Ld are soldered together. In this embodiment, the device body A1 is moved, but the device body A1 may be fixed and the substrate CB may be moved, or both the device body A1 and the substrate CB may be moved.

[0108] The movement control of the trowel tip 5 by the control means Cont may be performed based on a value that has been input and set in advance, or it may be performed based on a detection signal from a detection means not shown, such as a contact sensor.

[0109] (Cleaning process) When soldering is repeatedly performed by the soldering device AP, flux carbides and other substances adhere to the solder holes 51 of the soldering iron tip 5, and sludge and other substances adhere to the underside of the soldering iron tip 5. For this reason, the soldering iron tip 5 is cleaned, for example, at predetermined soldering time intervals or after predetermined soldering cycles.

[0110] Figure 7 shows a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating the cleaning process of the underside of the trowel tip 5 by the grinding means 9. In the soldering apparatus AP shown in Figure 4, when cleaning the underside of the trowel tip 5, the apparatus body A1 is moved by the manipulator ML, and the underside of the trowel tip 5 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the grinding tool 92 of the grinding means 9. The grinding tool 92 is rotated by the motor M, and the trowel tip 5 vibrates in the left-right direction in Figure 7. As a result, any deposits on the underside of the trowel tip 5 are removed by the grinding tool 92.

[0111] In the soldering device AP shown in Figure 4, the cleaning process inside the soldering hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5 is performed by moving the device body A1 by the manipulator ML, and inserting the rod-shaped portion 71 of the insertion member 7 into the soldering hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5. Then, as shown in Figure 2, the gas supply means 6 and the gas suction means 8 are driven by the control means Cont. When the gas supply means 6 is driven, high-pressure nitrogen gas, pressurized to a predetermined pressure, is blown from the gas compression unit 62 into the soldering hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5 via the connection unit 4 (shown in Figure 7). The flow velocity of the high-pressure nitrogen gas blown into the soldering hole 51 rapidly increases in the gap between the outer circumference of the rod-shaped portion 71 and the inner wall of the soldering hole 51. As a result, any deposits adhering to the inner wall surface of the soldering hole 51 are blown away by the high-pressure nitrogen gas. In addition, small diameter portions are formed on the rod-shaped portion 71 at predetermined intervals in the axial direction. The gap between the outer circumference of the rod-shaped portion 71 and the inner wall of the solder hole 51 changes in the axial direction, causing the flow of high-pressure nitrogen gas supplied into the solder hole 51 to become high-speed and turbulent, and deposits adhering to the inner surface of the solder hole 51 are more reliably peeled off and removed by the high-pressure nitrogen gas.

[0112] As shown in Figure 2, the gas suction means 8 is driven together with the gas supply means 6. When the intake fan 83 of the gas suction means 8 is driven, outside air is drawn in from the intake section 85. The high-pressure nitrogen gas that flows down inside the soldering hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5 is discharged to the outside from the soldering hole 51 and at the same time is drawn in by the gas suction means and into the space of the container body 81 via the intake section 85. At this time, relatively large deposits are separated from the flow of high-pressure nitrogen gas by gravity, etc., fall to the bottom of the space and are collected. On the other hand, small deposits flow with the flow of high-pressure nitrogen gas, but are adsorbed and collected by the filter 82. The high-pressure nitrogen gas that has passed through the filter 82, that is, from which the deposits have been removed, is discharged to the outside from the exhaust hole 84 of the container body 81.

[0113] Such cleaning processes may be performed, for example, at predetermined intervals or after a predetermined number of soldering operations.

[0114] (others) In the embodiments described above, the gas supply means 6 had a gas compression unit 62, but if the gas supply unit GS is capable of supplying high-pressure gas (supply pressure 0.02 MPa to 1 MPa), the gas compression unit 62 does not need to be provided.

[0115] Other embodiments of the insert members usable in the present invention are shown in Figures 8 and 9. Figures 8(a) and 9(a) are plan views of the insert members 7a and 7b, and Figures 8(b) and 9(b) are side views of the insert members 7a and 7b.

[0116] In the insertion member 7a shown in Figure 8, a cylindrical rod-shaped portion 71a is vertically mounted in the center of the upper surface of the base 72. Four linear grooves 712 extending in the axial direction of the rod-shaped portion 71a are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the rod-shaped portion 71a at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In the insertion member 7b shown in Figure 9, a cylindrical rod-shaped portion 71b is vertically mounted in the center of the upper surface of the base 72. Two spiral grooves 713 extending in the axial direction of the rod-shaped portion 71a are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the rod-shaped portion 71a at opposing positions in the circumferential direction.

[0117] When the rod-shaped portions 71a and 71b of the insertion members 7a and 7b with this configuration are inserted into the soldering hole 51 of the soldering iron tip 5, the gap between the outer circumference of the rod-shaped portions 71a and 71b and the inner wall of the soldering hole 51 changes in the circumferential direction of the soldering hole 51. As a result, the flow of high-pressure gas supplied into the soldering hole 51 becomes partially high-speed and turbulent, and, similar to the above embodiment, deposits adhering to the inner circumferential surface of the soldering hole 51 can be more reliably peeled off and removed by the high-pressure gas. [Industrial applicability]

[0118] According to the cleaning apparatus and soldering apparatus of the present invention, deposits attached to the soldering holes of the soldering iron tip can be efficiently and reliably removed. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0119] 4 Connection Units 5. Trowel tip 51 Solder holes 6. Gas supply means 7,7a,7b Insertion members 72 base 71,71a,71b Rod-shaped part 711 Small diameter section 712 Groove 713 Groove 8. Gas suction means 9. Grinding means AP Soldering Machine A1 Main unit of the device H heater (heating means) F Solder feeding mechanism CB Printed Circuit Board Control means Ep electronic components GS Gas Supply Department MS molten solder Ld Land P pin terminal SR Solder Resist Th Through Hole W solder wire

Claims

1. A cleaning device for removing deposits attached to a cylindrical soldering iron tip having a soldering hole into which solder pieces are supplied, The system includes a gas supply means for supplying gas to the solder holes, The gas supply means supplies gas to the solder holes at a supply pressure in the range of 0.02 MPa to 1 MPa. A cleaning device for the tip of a trowel, characterized by the following features.

2. The insertion member further comprises a rod-shaped portion, The soldering iron tip cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the rod-shaped portion of the insertion member is inserted into the solder hole, and gas is supplied to the solder hole from the gas supply means.

3. The iron tip cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein the rod-shaped portion of the insertion member has a large-diameter portion and / or a small-diameter portion in the region where it is inserted into the solder hole.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein the rod-shaped portion of the insertion member has a plurality of linear grooves extending in the axial direction of the rod-shaped portion at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction on its outer surface in the region where it is inserted into the solder hole.

5. The iron tip cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a gas suction means for sucking the gas from the gas discharge side of the solder hole.

6. The trowel tip cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the gas mainly consists of at least one of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, and helium.

7. A cylindrical soldering iron tip having a soldering hole into which solder pieces are supplied, A heating means for heating the tip of the trowel, A gas supply means for supplying gas to the solder holes, Control means and Equipped with, A soldering apparatus that performs a soldering process by heating the soldering tip to heat and melt solder pieces supplied into the soldering holes of the soldering tip, and a cleaning process to remove deposits adhering to the soldering holes of the soldering tip, The soldering apparatus is characterized in that, during the cleaning process, the control means controls the supply of gas from the gas supply means to the solder holes at a supply pressure in the range of 0.02 MPa to 1 MPa.

8. The insertion member further comprises a rod-shaped portion, The control means inserts the rod-shaped portion of the insertion member into the solder hole, and the gas supply means The soldering apparatus according to claim 7, which controls the supply of gas to the solder holes.

9. The soldering apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the rod-shaped portion of the insertion member has a large-diameter portion and / or a small-diameter portion in the region where it is inserted into the solder hole.

10. The soldering apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the rod-shaped portion of the insertion member has a plurality of linear grooves extending in the axial direction of the rod-shaped portion at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction on its outer surface in the region where it is inserted into the solder hole.

11. A soldering apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 10, further comprising a gas suction means for sucking the gas from the gas discharge side of the solder hole.

12. The soldering apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the gas mainly consists of at least one of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, and helium.

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