Flux coating device

Abstract

To provide a flux application device that allows for precise spraying in a single operation. [Solution] A flux coating apparatus comprising: a main plate horizontally arranged with an opening formed on the upper surface of the apparatus case 9; a flux spray nozzle 30 attached to a holding member 32 with its nozzle facing upward within the opening; a first actuator 21 installed inside the apparatus case 9 and connected to the holding member, which moves the nozzle 300 horizontally and linearly within the opening; a pair of rails perpendicular to the direction of movement of the nozzle are provided on the upper surfaces on both sides of the main plate with the nozzle in between, and a frame-shaped base slide slidably mounted on the rails via a guide member; and a second actuator 51 connected to a hanging member 45 attached to the base slide, which moves the base slide horizontally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the nozzle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flux coating device for spot-applying a soldering flux onto a substrate or the like.

Background Art

[0002] For mounting electronic components on a printed circuit board or the like, usually, after applying flux to the entire substrate, it is passed through an automatic soldering device. However, connector components, irregularly shaped components, and components that cannot withstand high temperatures that cannot be passed through the device are spot-soldered by manual post-attachment. In this manual work, spot-applying flux and soldering have increased the labor burden. The applicant of the present invention previously proposed an invention that eliminates the above-described manual flux application work and reduces the labor burden that does not depend on the skill of the operator (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

[0004] The flux coating device of Patent Document 1 is a device that can easily apply a soldering flux only to the spot location without requiring skilled skills or the like even if the spot location for applying the flux changes on the two-dimensional surface of the back side of the substrate.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, although the flux coating apparatus of Patent Document 1 "can easily accommodate the range of the XY Cartesian coordinate system of the linear slit 10 for the X axis and the linear portion (narrow gap 31) for the Y axis" as stated in paragraph 0027, the Y axis of the XY Cartesian coordinate system is fixed by the setting of the spray nozzle 50 into the narrow gap 31, so the spray nozzle could only move in a straight line. After setting, the movement of flux coating was restricted to the spray nozzle which could only move in a straight line. Therefore, in cases such as when applying soldering slack to two add-on connectors (Figure 12) provided along both sides of adjacent sides of a rectangular substrate, it was not possible to complete the process in a single operation, and the substrate had to be rotated and the operation performed twice. Furthermore, there were limits to how closely the pitch of the multiple side-by-side spray nozzles could be reduced, and when adjacent spray nozzles came into contact, applying flux at a Y-axis distance narrowed further was difficult. A particular problem was that it was impossible to apply soldering slack, which was scattered in an arc shape on the back of the substrate as shown in Figure 13.

[0006] The present invention solves the above problems and aims to provide a flux coating apparatus that can spray soldering slack in an arc-shaped dot pattern onto the back surface of an object to be coated, such as a substrate, as well as spray it freely to multiple desired locations in a single operation. [Disclosure of the Invention] [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, a first aspect of the present invention includes: a main plate horizontally arranged with an opening on the upper surface of a device case; a flux injection nozzle attached to a holding member with its nozzle facing upward within the opening in a plan view; a first actuator installed inside the device case and connected to the holding member to move the nozzle horizontally and linearly within the opening in a plan view; and a pair of rails perpendicular to the direction of movement of the nozzle, provided on the upper surfaces on both sides of the main plate with the nozzle in between in a plan view, and a base slide slidably mounted on the rails via a guide member. The flux coating apparatus comprises a first actuator, which is installed inside the apparatus case and connected to a hanging member attached to the base slide, and which moves the base slide horizontally in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the nozzle, and is characterized in that, based on a command from a control means, the first actuator and the second actuator are operated so that the nozzle moves back and forth and the base slide moves back and forth, and the coating flux is sprayed from the spray nozzle toward the lower surface of the object to be coated, with the lower surface of the object to be coated set horizontally on the upper surface of the base slide. A flux coating apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect described above, a cylindrical portion is erected on the main plate to enclose the range in which the spray nozzle moves back and forth within the opening, such that it is positioned inside the cylinder in a plan view, and an outer flange is provided at the lower edge of the cylindrical portion to cover the opening outside the cylindrical portion, and a vertical wall is erected from the lower surface of the outer flange, extending horizontally outward from the cylindrical portion and surrounding the range in which the spray nozzle moves back and forth, and fitting inside the opening, thereby forming an enclosed space. A flux coating apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the second aspect, a through hole is provided in a part of the vertical wall of the enclosure lid with a cylindrical portion, one end of a duct is placed on or near the outer surface of the vertical wall around the through hole, and the other end of the duct is placed on the rear wall around the opening of the opening or in the suction area of ​​the fan, so as to surround the fan attached to the opening in the rear wall of the apparatus case, and the air in the enclosed space is discharged to the outside of the apparatus case by the operation of the fan. A flux coating apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the third aspect, a tray having a receiving plate that matches the plan view shape of the enclosed space in plan view is placed on the bottom plate of the apparatus case which is rectangular in plan view, and the tray can be pulled out from a notch provided in the side wall of the apparatus case. A flux coating apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first to fourth aspects described above, the first actuator is a first stepping motor, a first toothed pulley fixed to the first motor shaft of the first stepping motor which is disposed near one side of the front wall inside the rectangular apparatus case in plan view, and a first auxiliary toothed pulley attached to a first shaft which is disposed parallel to the first motor shaft on the other side inside the apparatus case, and a clamping device connected to the holding member is attached to one point on the first timing belt wound around the first timing belt, the holding member is connected to the first stepping motor, and the operation of the first stepping motor causes the injection nozzle to move back and forth horizontally and linearly within the opening in plan view.A flux coating apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the fifth aspect described above, the second actuator is a second stepping motor, a second toothed pulley fixed to the second motor shaft of the second stepping motor which is disposed near one end of one side wall inside the rectangular apparatus case, and a second auxiliary toothed pulley attached to a second shaft which is disposed near the other end of the apparatus case and parallel to the second motor shaft, and a clamping portion connected to the hanging member is attached to one point on a second timing belt wound around the second timing belt, the hanging member is connected to the second stepping motor, and the operation of the second stepping motor causes the base slide to move back and forth horizontally, perpendicular to the direction of movement of the nozzle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The flux coating apparatus of the present invention uses a first actuator to move the spray nozzle back and forth, and a second actuator to move the base slide on which the object to be coated is placed, perpendicular to the direction of the first actuator's movement, thereby enabling the nozzle to be brought close to any point on the underside of the object to be coated. This is highly effective in allowing flux to be applied in an arc-shaped pattern to the underside of the object to be coated, as well as by spraying soldering slack to multiple desired locations in a single operation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic right side view of one embodiment of the flux coating apparatus of the present invention, with the right side wall removed and a portion of the cross-section displayed. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram taken along the line II-II with the main plate removed. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram taken along the line IV-IV in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram viewed from the VV line. [Figure 6] This is a schematic left-side view with the left-side wall of Figure 3 removed and a portion of the cross-section displayed. [Figure 7] Figure 3 is a schematic rear view. [Figure 8] This is a flow diagram illustrating the supply of flux from the tank to the injection nozzle. [Figure 9] This is an enlarged view of the main part of Figure 2, showing a cross-sectional view of the vertical wall at the opening. [Figure 10] This is an external view of the flux application device with the front cover that covers the rails removed. [Figure 11] This is an external view image showing the main plate with the cylindrical enclosure cover removed from the opening. [Figure 12] This is an explanatory image of a sample of the material to be coated. [Figure 13] This is an explanatory image of a sample of the material to be coated. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The flux coating apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail below. Figures 1 to 11 show one embodiment of the flux coating apparatus of the present invention. Figure 1 is a right side view with the right side wall removed and a partial cross-section shown, Figure 2 is a view along line II-II with the main plate removed in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a view along line IV-IV in Figure 1, Figure 5 is a view along line VV in Figure 1, Figure 6 is a left side view with the left side wall removed and a partial cross-section shown in Figure 3, Figure 7 is a rear view of Figure 3, Figure 8 is a flow diagram illustrating the supply of flux from the tank to the injection nozzle, Figure 9 is an enlarged view of the main part of Figure 2 with the vertical wall shown in cross-section at the opening, Figure 10 is an image of the flux coating apparatus with the front cover removed, and Figure 11 shows an image with the cylindrical enclosure cover removed from the opening of the main plate. Figure 1 is a view along line II in Figure 3. Furthermore, to make the drawings easier to understand, some parts of the diagrams, such as the compressed air tube T and the flux pipe P, have been omitted. Also, each diagram is a schematic representation showing only the main components of interest, and some cross-sectional hatching has been omitted.

[0011] The flux application apparatus comprises an apparatus case 9, a main plate 11, a flux injection nozzle 30, a first actuator 21, a base slide 41, and a second actuator 51 (Figures 1 to 5). The device case 9 related to the flux coating device is formed in a hollow box shape with a rectangular shape in plan view. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, from the periphery of the rectangular bottom plate 91, the front wall 93 on the front side, the left and right side walls 92, and the rear wall 94 on the rear side stand up to form a box body with an upper surface opening of the device case 9. Here, in the present invention, the front of the front wall 93, in FIG. 1, refers to the left plate wall of the device case 9, the left side, and the rear of the rear wall 94, the rear refers to the right plate wall of the device case 9, the right side, and further, the upper surface, the upper side refers to the upper surface, the upper side, and the lower surface, the lower side refers to the lower surface, the lower side. Also, the left side wall 92L, the left side, in the device case 9 of FIG. 4, refers to the left plate wall on the left side of the paper surface, the left side, and the right side wall 92R, the right side refers to the plate wall on the right side of the paper surface, the right side. The front wall 93 inclines toward the rear wall 94 side during its ascent to form an inclined surface wall 931, bends and extends toward the rear wall 94 side at its upper edge, and an upper plate 963 arranged horizontally is provided. The front part of the main plate 11 is placed on this upper plate 963.

[0012] The main plate 11 is a plate body that covers the upper surface opening of the device case 9 and has an opening U. Here, a substantially rectangular opening U as shown in FIG. 2 (details in FIG. 9) where the left - right direction is longer than the front - rear direction is provided slightly closer to the front wall 93 than the approximate center. Inside the device case 9 where the main plate 11 that forms the opening U and is arranged horizontally covers the upper surface opening of the device case 9, a partition wall 95 running in the left - right direction stands upright in the intermediate region in the front - rear direction and closer to the left side wall 92L (FIGS. 2, 6). A flux tank 60 and an exhaust duct 81 are arranged on the rear side of the partition wall 95, and an injection nozzle 30 and a first actuator 21 connected thereto are provided on the front side. The injection nozzle 30 is arranged so as to look into the opening U on the front side of the partition wall 95, and the first actuator 21 and the first transmission mechanism for advancing and retreating the injection nozzle 30 are arranged along the front wall 93 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0013] The first actuator 21 is a device that converts into mechanical energy for the injection nozzle 30 to advance and retreat using an electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic energy source. The first actuator 21 of the present embodiment is a first stepping motor 21A (FIGS. 2, 4). The first stepping motor 21A is attached and fixed to a vertical plate SP3 in the intermediate height region within the device case 9 having a rectangular shape in plan view, and near one side (here the right side wall 92R) near the front wall 93 (FIGS. 2 and 4). A first toothed pulley 22 of the first transmission mechanism is fixed to a first motor shaft 211 that horizontally protrudes toward the front wall 93 (FIGS. 4 and 9). Further, a first shaft 23 parallel to the first motor shaft 211 is held by the vertical plate SP3 near the other side (here the left side wall 92L) within the device case 9, a first auxiliary toothed pulley 24 is attached thereto, and a first timing belt 25 is wound around the first toothed pulley 22 and the first auxiliary toothed pulley 24. A clamping tool 34 connected to the holding member 33 of the injection nozzle 30 is attached and fixed to a location on the lower belt of the first timing belt 25, and the holding member 33 is connected to the first stepping motor 21A (FIG. 6).

[0014] The injection nozzle 30 is a flux injection nozzle 30 that sprays the flux F from the injection port 300 upward toward the lower surface 71b of the coated body 71 within the opening U provided in the main plate 11 in plan view (FIGS. 2 and 6). The injection nozzle 30 is attached to the holding member 33, and the holding member 33 is connected to a clamping tool 34 attached and fixed to a location on the lower belt of the first timing belt 25. The injection port 300 is moved forward and backward horizontally and linearly within the opening U in plan view by the operation of the first stepping motor 21A. In FIG. 5, for example, the injection nozzle 30 and the injection port 300 shown by the solid line move to the position shown by the chain line, that is, horizontally in the left - right direction of the paper surface (hereinafter, also referred to as the "X - axis direction") between the right side wall 92R and the left side wall 92L. The movement line of the forward and backward movement of the injection nozzle 30 is parallel to the movable line of the belt of the first timing belt 25, and the injection nozzle 30 is disposed on the side of the rear wall 94 with respect to the first timing belt 25 as shown in FIG. 6.

[0015] More specifically, a holding member 33, which is a U-shaped plate in front view as shown in Figure 5, holds the main body of the injection nozzle 30 through a hole provided in its upper plate portion 321. A lower plate portion 322, which bends and extends from the lower edge of the upright portion 323 that extends downward from the upper plate portion 321, and a separate horizontal plate portion 35 that extends horizontally forward are fixed together with a fastener N. The tip of this horizontal plate portion 35 extends beyond directly below the first timing belt 25 toward the front wall 93. The horizontal plate portion 35 and a clamping device 34 attached and fixed to the lower belt of the first timing belt 25 are then connected by an L-shaped member 33 in side view as shown in Figure 6. The clamping device 34 clamps the lower timing belt 25 with its upper portion 34 and lower portion 34b and is fixed to the upper part of the L-shaped member 33. Thus, the operation of the first stepping motor 21A allows the injection nozzle 30 and injection port 300 to move back and forth in a linear manner horizontally and in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) as shown in Figure 5, within the opening U in a plan view. The injection port 300 is located near the lower surface of the main plate 11. Note that in Figure 6, in order to make the air tube T and flux pipe P connected to the injection nozzle 3 easier to understand, the upper plate portion 321 and lower plate portion 322 of the holding member 32 are shown in the reverse direction of how they protrude from the upright portion 323.

[0016] In this embodiment, the enclosure cover 15 with a cylindrical section is further provided, having a cylindrical opening that is narrowed to the range of movement of the injection nozzle 300 related to the injection nozzle 30, and is smaller than the opening U (Figures 1 and 5). Since the range of movement of the injection nozzle 300 within the opening U in Figure 2 is made larger, the enclosure cover 15 with a cylindrical section has a cylindrical section 151 erected on the main plate 11a that surrounds the cylinder 1510, appropriately taking the range of movement of the injection nozzle 300 in a plan view. An outer flange 152 is provided that protrudes horizontally outward from the lower edge of the cylindrical section 151, covering the opening U outside the cylindrical section 151. Furthermore, a vertical wall 153 is erected vertically from the lower surface of the outer flange 152, surrounding the range of movement of the injection nozzle 30 and fitting within the opening U, to form an enclosed space K, as shown in Figures 5, 6, and 9. When the vertical wall 153 forming the enclosed space K is inserted into the opening U, and the outer flange 152 is placed on the main plate 11 around the opening U, the vertical wall 153 of the enclosed space K comes into contact with or is close to the periphery of the opening U, and the enclosed cover 15 with the cylindrical part is stably installed on the main plate 11a. The enclosed cover 15 with the cylindrical part can be detachably attached to the main plate 11a. Incidentally, the lower edge 1531f of the vertical wall on the front wall 93 side is kept higher than the other lower edges 1531 of the vertical walls (Figure 1), making it easier for the flux pipe P and compressed air tube T to pass underneath and connect to the injection nozzle 30.

[0017] The flux F pipe P, supplied from the tank 60 in Figure 6, travels along the right side wall 92R inside the device case 9 towards the front wall 93, together with the compressed air tube T, which has been depressurized by the control valves B and B5 from the compressed air supply tube T supplied to the rear wall 94 in Figure 7. After passing under the lower edge 1531f of the vertical wall related to the cylindrical enclosure cover 15 on the front wall 93 side, both ends of the pipe P and tube T connect to the injection nozzle 30 (Figure 6), enabling the flux F mixed with compressed air AR to be sprayed from the injection port 300. Around the nozzle 300, flux F is sprayed onto the underside 71b of the object to be coated, and any excess flux F falls downward. The outer flange 152 catches the excess flux F around the opening U of the main plate 11, and the flux F that enters the inside of the cylinder 1510 is surrounded by the vertical wall 153 and caught by the tray 99, preventing the flux F from scattering throughout the entire device case 9. A tray 99 having a receiving plate 991 that matches the plan view shape of the enclosed space K formed by the vertical wall 153 is placed on the bottom plate 91 of the device case 9 (Figure 5), and the tray 99 can be pulled out from a notch 920 provided in the side wall 92 of the device case 9. In the figure, reference numeral 911 denotes a protrusion rising from the bottom plate 91 that supports the tray 99. Thus, the cylindrical enclosure lid 15 and tray 99 can be easily removed from the device case 9, and excess flux F scattered by the spray nozzle 30 can be efficiently removed.

[0018] The base slide 41 is a plate-like body positioned slightly above the main plate 11, allowing for horizontal movement in the front-to-back direction of the apparatus case 9 (Figures 3 to 6). Here, the base slide 41 is a frame-shaped flat plate, and the object to be coated 71 is set with its lower surface 71b facing downwards via a spacer 72 and a retaining frame 73 positioned on its upper surface, prior to flux application. A pair of rails 42 perpendicular to the direction of movement of the nozzle 300 are provided on the upper surfaces on both sides of the main plate 11, with the nozzle 300 in between in a plan view (Figures 3 and 10). A U-shaped frame-like base slide 41 is slidably mounted on these rails via a guide member 43 in a plan view (Figure 3). The main plate 11 has an elongated hole 110 drilled in the same direction as the rail 42, slightly inward from the rail 42 on the right side wall 92R. A hanging member 45 attached to the base slide 41 passes through this elongated hole 110 and connects to a second actuator 51, causing the base slide 41 to move back and forth horizontally (hereinafter also referred to as the "Y-axis direction") by the second actuator 51. Note that in order to make the connection between the base slide 41 and the second timing belt 55 easier to understand, the rail 42 and guide member 43 are not shown in Figure 1.

[0019] The second actuator 51 is a device that uses an electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic energy source to convert it into mechanical energy that moves the base slide 41 back and forth. The second actuator 51 is installed inside the device case 9 and connected to a hanging member 45 attached to the base slide 41, causing the base slide 41 to move back and forth horizontally in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the injection nozzle 30 (Figure 1). The second actuator 51 and the second transmission mechanism that move the base slide 41, which is mounted on a rail 42 provided on the main plate 11 via a guide member 43, back and forth are arranged along the right side wall 92R (Figure 2).

[0020] In this embodiment, the second actuator 51 is a second stepping motor 51A. The second stepping motor 51A is mounted and fixed to a vertical plate SP1 in the upper area near the lower surface of the main plate 11, and near one end (here, the rear wall 94) close to the right side wall 92R, within the rectangular device case 9 in plan view. The second toothed pulley 52 of the second transmission mechanism is fixed to the second motor shaft 511 which protrudes horizontally toward the right side wall 92R of the second stepping motor 51A (Figures 1 and 2). Furthermore, a second shaft 53 parallel to the second motor shaft 511 is provided on the vertical plate SP2 near the other end (here, the front wall 93) within the device case 9, and a second auxiliary toothed pulley 54 is attached to it, and a second timing belt 55 is wound around the second toothed pulley 52 and the second auxiliary toothed pulley 54. A hanging member 45 fixed to the base slide 41 passes through the elongated hole 110, and one end (lower end) of the hanging member is attached to and connected to a clamping portion 46 that is attached and fixed to the middle of the upper belt related to the second timing belt 55, thereby connecting to the second stepping motor 51A. The vertical plates SP1 and SP2 are provided on the beam BE of the frame FH.

[0021] Thus, with the object to be coated 71 having its lower surface 71b horizontally set on the upper surface of the base slide 41, the first actuator 21 and the second actuator 51 are activated based on a command from the control means R, causing the spray nozzle 30 and the base slide 41 to move back and forth, and spraying the coating flux F from the spray nozzle 30 toward the lower surface 71b of the object to be coated 71.

[0022] The control means R is a controller that moves the injection nozzle 30 back and forth in the X-axis direction by the first actuator 21 and moves the base slide 41 back and forth in the Y-axis direction by the second actuator 51 to form a movement trajectory, and further controls the spraying of coating flux F from the injection nozzle 30 at predetermined movement intervals between specified coordinate positions (X1, Y1) and coordinate positions (X2, Y2) while the movement trajectory is being formed. Multiple movement intervals for spraying flux F are provided in the movement trajectory. In this embodiment, the control means R consists of a microcomputer control panel, which receives signals generated by a contact-type touch panel TP installed on the inclined wall 931, and is equipped with a CPU to control the forward and backward movement of the injection nozzle 30 and the base slide 41, and the flux spraying from the injection nozzle 30. Specifically, in addition to the CPU, the control means R is equipped with a storage unit consisting of an HDD, SSD, etc., for storing information, and sends signals to circuits that control the forward and backward movement of the injection nozzle 30 and the base slide 41, and to circuits that promote spraying from the injection nozzle 30. The sent signals are transmitted to the first actuator 21 and the second actuator 51, causing the injection nozzle 30 to move forward and backward in the X-axis direction and the base slide 41 to move forward and backward in the Y-axis direction, so that the injection nozzle 30 moves relative to a predetermined position below the lower surface 71b of the object to be coated placed on the base slide 41. Then, control is performed to spray flux from the injection nozzle 30 in a predetermined section of the trajectory drawn by the forward and backward movement of the injection nozzle 30 and the base slide 41.

[0023] Furthermore, in the flux coating apparatus of this embodiment, a through hole 1530 is provided in a part of the vertical wall 153 (rear vertical wall) of the enclosed cover 15 with a cylindrical section, as shown in Figure 5. One end of a duct 81 is positioned on or near the outer surface of the vertical wall 153 around the through hole 1530, while the other end of the duct 81 is positioned in the rear wall 94 around the opening 940 or in the suction area of ​​the fan 65, surrounding a fan 65 attached to an opening 940 in the rear wall 94 of the apparatus case 9 (Figures 2 and 6). In addition, a short cylinder 1532 is formed to protrude from the vertical wall 153 around the through hole 1530 as shown in Figure 9, and a flange 1532f is provided at the tip of the short cylinder. The through-hole 1530 and the partition wall 95 are in close proximity, and when the vertical wall 153 of the enclosed cover 15 with a cylindrical section is inserted into the opening U of the main plate 11, the flange 1532f comes into contact with the partition wall 95. A through-hole is provided in the part of the partition wall 95 opposite the through-hole 1530, and one end of the duct 81 is fixed to the surrounding partition wall 95 that encloses the through-hole. The fan 65 is then used to discharge the air inside the enclosed space K to the outside of the device case 9. This device improves the working environment by forcibly discharging excess flux F atomized during flux application. In addition, the flux application device is filled with a disc-shaped filter made of a resin foam molded slab inside the short cylinder 1532 to perform dust removal. Note that Figure 6 omits the illustration of the short cylinder 1532 and flange 1532f. In the diagram, the symbols 60a, 60b, 69, 82, 90, 992, 993, 993, S2, 92, COV, and PW indicate the power outlet.

[0024] Next, an example of the use and operation of the flux coating apparatus with the above configuration will be described (Figures 1 to 9). First, the substrate or other object to be coated with flux, 71, is attached and set on the base slide 41. Here, a rectangular frame-shaped retaining frame 73 is attached to a U-shaped spacer 72, which is shaped in plan view to match the inner circumference of the U-shaped base slide 41, so as to protrude forward, and the object to be coated 71 is placed and set on this retaining frame 73 (Figure 6).

[0025] Next, turn on the power switch SW and touch the start indicator mark on the touch panel TP screen. The first actuator 21 will then activate, and the injection nozzle 30 and base slide 41 will return to their starting positions. For example, the injection nozzle 30, which was at the solid line position in Figure 3, will move in the direction of the black arrow and stop at the right end in the X-axis direction as shown in Figure 5. Similarly, the base slide 41, which was at the dashed line position in Figure 3, will move in the direction of the white arrow and stop at the front end in the Y-axis direction as shown in Figure 6. These right ends in the X-axis direction and front ends in the Y-axis direction become the starting points. Flux application to the object to be coated 71 is now ready. Next, select the model of the object to be coated 71 using the touch panel TP. Multiple models of the object to be coated 71 can be selected and displayed on the touch panel TP mounted on the inclined wall 931 of the device case 9. Select the model of the object to be coated 71 and input it using the touch button.

[0026] Next, press the start button S1 located at the right end of the inclined wall 931 of the device case 9 (Figure 3). Next, the microcontroller controls the calculation and data processing functions, and in accordance with the machine input, the spray nozzle 30, based on the first actuator 21, and the base slide 51, based on the second actuator 51, move relative to the spray nozzle 30, causing the nozzle opening 300 to move in the Y-axis direction as well, drawing a specified trajectory and spraying flux onto the underside of the object to be coated 71b in a desired section along the trajectory. When the movement trajectory created by the spray nozzle 30 and the base slide 41 reaches the specified coordinate positions (X1, Y1) on the X and Y axes, the control means R issues a command to open valve B1 and valve V (Figure 8). When valve B1 opens, compressed air AR increases the pressure inside the tank 60, pressurizing the flux F inside the tank 60 through the supply pipe 60c to the outside of the tank 60, and valve V opens, supplying flux F to the spray nozzle 30. Simultaneously, valve B5 opens, and compressed air AR is directed towards the injection nozzle 30, spraying the compressed air-mixed coating flux F upwards from the injection nozzle 30. The spraying is controlled to occur at predetermined timings during movement intervals between coordinate positions (X1, Y1) and (X2, Y2), and ends at coordinate position (X2, Y2). As the movement trajectory progresses, spraying from the injection nozzle 30 also occurs during movement intervals between another coordinate position (X3, Y3) and coordinate position (X4, Y4), where the spraying of flux F is specified. A flux-coated substrate or the like is completed, with flux F applied only to the necessary areas on the lower surface 71b of the substrate. Furthermore, after pressing the start button S1, the operating lamp LA2 will light up, and the spray lamp LA1 will light up while flux is being sprayed from nozzle 300.

[0027] In this configuration, the flux application apparatus allows the spray nozzle 30 to move independently in the X-axis direction by the first actuator 21, and the base slide 41 on which the object to be coated 71 is mounted to move independently in the Y-axis direction by the second actuator 51. This allows the spray nozzle 300 to be easily and accurately moved directly below any point on the lower surface 71b of the object to be coated. The first actuator 21 and the second actuator 51 sequentially cause new movement points in the movement trajectory to the object to be coated 71, selected via the touch panel TP, to appear directly above the spray nozzle 300. Therefore, by spraying flux F from the spray nozzle 300, flux can be applied to any desired location on the lower surface 71b of the object to be coated.

[0028] Unlike Patent Document 1, this flux coating apparatus is not limited in the location where flux can be applied. With a single operation of the start button S1, it can select and form various movement trajectories towards the underside 71b of the substrate or other object to be coated by the forward and backward movement of the spray nozzle 30 and the base slide 41, and spray flux from the spray nozzle 30 to the required location. This flux coating apparatus has a wide range of applications, as it can be applied to the underside 71b of the object to be coated by scattering flux at the required locations on curved lines such as arcs as shown in Figure 14. Furthermore, by combining the first actuator 21 with the injection nozzle 30 and the second actuator 51 with the base slide 41, and by assigning roles to advancement and retraction in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, each component can move freely. This configuration significantly expands the range of flux application to the underside 71b of the object to be coated, easily improves positional accuracy, and increases work efficiency. Moreover, since it does not rely on manual labor, there is no variation in flux application, and high quality can be consistently maintained.

[0029] Furthermore, by providing a cylindrical enclosure lid 15 with a cylindrical section 151 and an outer flange 152, and forming an enclosed space K with a vertical wall 153, excess flux F that falls from the spray nozzle 30 is kept within the enclosed space K and not diffused to the outside. The area around the cylindrical section 151, including the outer flange 152 which is prone to getting dirty from the spray from the spray nozzle 30, can be easily separated and removed from the device case 9, allowing for individual cleaning and thorough cleaning. This improves the working environment for flux application. In addition, a tray 99 having a receiving plate 991 that matches the planar shape of the enclosed space K is placed on the bottom plate 91 of the device case 9, and the tray 99 can be pulled out through a notch 920 provided in the side wall 92 of the device case 9. This allows the liquid flux F that falls down during flux spraying to be received in the tray 99 and then easily removed from the device case 9 for cleaning.

[0030] Furthermore, a through-hole 1530 is provided in a part of the vertical wall 153 of the enclosed cover 15 with a cylindrical section, and one end of the duct 81 is positioned on or near the outer surface of the vertical wall 153 around the through-hole 1530, while the other end of the duct 81 is positioned in the rear wall 94 around the opening 940 or in the suction area of ​​the fan 65 so as to surround the fan 65 attached to the opening 940 of the rear wall 94, thereby discharging the air inside the enclosed space K to the outside of the device case 9 by the operation of the fan 65, which allows excess flux F atomized by flux spraying to be discharged outside the system.

[0031] Furthermore, by using a first stepping motor 21A as the first actuator 21, and employing a transmission mechanism consisting of a first toothed pulley 22, a first auxiliary toothed pulley 24, and a first timing belt 25, the forward and backward movement of the injection nozzle 30 can be precisely moved to a predetermined location and stopped. By using a second stepping motor 51A as the second actuator 51, and employing a transmission mechanism consisting of a second toothed pulley 52, a second auxiliary toothed pulley 54, and a second timing belt 55, the forward and backward movement of the base slide 41 can be precisely moved to a predetermined location and stopped. This prevents misalignment of the flux application to the lower surface 71b of the object to be coated. With respect to the soldering flux F, high-quality flux application with high precision can be performed to the lower surface 71b of the object to be coated in a single operation. Thus, this flux coating device exhibits numerous excellent effects and is extremely beneficial.

[0032] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown above, and can be modified in various ways within the scope of the present invention depending on the purpose and application. The shape, size, number, material, etc. of the main plate 11, enclosed lid with cylindrical part 15, first actuator 21, spray nozzle 30, base slide 41, second actuator 51, tank 60, object to be coated 71, duct 81, device case 9, tray 99, control means R, etc. can be appropriately selected according to the application. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0033] 11 Main Plate 15. Enclosure lid with cylindrical section 151 Cylinder part 153 Vertical wall 21 First Actuator 21A First Stepping Motor 30 spray nozzles 300 injection port 41 Base slide 42 rails 43 Guide member 51 Second Actuator 51A Second stepping motor 65 Fans 71 Object to be coated 81 Duct 9. Device case U opening

Claims

1. On the top surface of the device case, a main plate is horizontally positioned with an opening, Within the opening in a plan view, a flux injection nozzle is attached to a holding member with the injection port facing upward, A first actuator is installed inside the device case and connected to the holding member, causing the nozzle to move back and forth horizontally and linearly within the opening in a plan view, A pair of rails perpendicular to the direction of movement of the nozzle are provided on the upper surfaces on both sides of the main plate, with the nozzle in between, in a plan view, and a base slide is slidably mounted on these rails via a guide member. The device comprises a second actuator installed inside the device case, connected to a hanging member attached to the base slide, which moves the base slide horizontally in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the nozzle, A flux coating apparatus characterized in that, with respect to an object to be coated whose lower surface is set horizontally on the upper surface of the base slide, the first actuator and the second actuator are operated based on a command from a control means, causing the spray nozzle to move back and forth and the base slide to move back and forth, and spraying coating flux from the spray nozzle toward the lower surface of the object to be coated.

2. Flux coating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cylindrical cover with a cylindrical section erected on the main plate, which surrounds the range in which the injection nozzle moves back and forth within the opening, such that it is positioned inside the cylinder in a plan view, and an outer flange is provided at the lower edge of the cylindrical section to cover the opening outside the cylindrical section, and a vertical wall is erected from the lower surface of the outer flange, extending horizontally outward from the cylindrical section and surrounding the range in which the injection nozzle moves back and forth, and fitting inside the opening, thereby forming an enclosed space.

3. Flux coating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a through hole is provided in a part of the vertical wall relating to the cylindrical enclosure lid, one end of a duct is positioned on or near the outer surface of the vertical wall around the through hole, and the other end of the duct is positioned on the rear wall around the opening or in the suction area of ​​the fan so as to surround a fan attached to an opening in the rear wall relating to the apparatus case, and the air in the enclosed space is discharged to the outside of the apparatus case by the operation of the fan.

4. The flux coating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a tray having a receiving plate that matches the planar shape of the enclosed space in a planar view is placed on the bottom plate of the apparatus case which is rectangular in plan view, and the tray can be pulled out from a notch provided in the side wall of the apparatus case.

5. Flux coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first actuator is a first stepping motor, a first toothed pulley fixed to the first motor shaft of the first stepping motor which is disposed near one side of the front wall inside the rectangular apparatus case, and a first auxiliary toothed pulley attached to a first shaft which is disposed parallel to the first motor shaft on the other side of the apparatus case, a clamping device connected to the holding member is attached and fixed to one point on the first timing belt wound around the first timing belt, the holding member is connected to the first stepping motor, and the operation of the first stepping motor causes the injection nozzle to move back and forth horizontally and linearly within the opening in a plan view.

6. The flux coating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second actuator is a second stepping motor, a second toothed pulley fixed to the second motor shaft of the second stepping motor which is disposed near one end of the rectangular apparatus case in plan view, and a second auxiliary toothed pulley attached to a second shaft which is disposed near the other end of the apparatus case parallel to the second motor shaft, and a clamping portion connected to the hanging member is attached to one point on the second timing belt wound around the second timing belt, the hanging member is connected to the second stepping motor, and the operation of the second stepping motor causes the base slide to move back and forth horizontally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the nozzle.

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