Electronic component mounting equipment

Abstract

To provide an electronic component mounting device that reduces the risk of electronic components placed on a tray tipping over and can remove a protective sheet covering the tray. [Solution] The system comprises a supply unit (10) that holds a plurality of stacked trays T on which electronic components C and protective sheets P covering the electronic components C are placed, a stage that receives the trays T one by one from below the supply unit (10) and transports the trays T from the supply unit (10) to a position where the electronic components C are picked up, a head that picks up the electronic components C placed on the tray T at the position where the electronic components C are picked up, a crimping unit (72) that receives the electronic components C from the head and crimps the electronic components C onto a substrate (D), and a removal unit (40) that is provided on the path along which the stage transports the trays T from the supply unit (10) to the position where the electronic components C are picked up, and that removes the protective sheets P from the trays T as they are transported.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic component mounting apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacturing process of display panels that constitute display devices such as liquid crystal displays, there is a process of mounting chip-type electronic components such as driver ICs on the glass substrate that constitutes the display panel. This type of mounting is called COG (Chip On Glass) mounting, and an electronic component mounting device called a COG mounting device is used for COG mounting.

[0003] The electronic component supply section of a COG mounting device is composed of multiple stacked trays for storing electronic components. Specifically, grooves are aligned on the top surface of each tray, and multiple trays are stacked with electronic components stored in these grooves. However, stacked trays may have protective sheets, such as protective paper, between each tray to protect the electronic components. Because these protective sheets interfere with picking up electronic components, a process is required in which the stacked trays are collapsed one by one and manually removed one by one. The trays are then stacked again to form the electronic component supply section. During the process of removing these protective sheets, vibrations caused by touching the trays can cause electronic components to tip over inside the grooves, potentially interfering with pickup, damaging the electronic components, or even tipping the trays over, resulting in the loss of electronic components.

[0004] To solve this problem, consideration has been given to mechanically removing protective sheets when picking up electronic components, rather than manually removing them beforehand. For example, as shown in Patent Document 1, first, the protective sheet placed on the top tray is removed by vacuum suction, and then the electronic components stored on this tray are sequentially picked up. When the top tray is empty, the empty tray is picked up and removed. Then, the stacked trays are raised, the protective sheet placed on the next tray is removed, and the electronic components stored on this tray are sequentially picked up. This pickup operation continues until all trays are empty. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-55598 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the top of the stacked trays may have uneven or tilted heights due to the accumulation of distortions and dimensional errors in each tray. In such cases, the height at which electronic components are picked up may be unstable, making it impossible to pick up the components. Even if the components are picked up, they may not be held securely enough and may fall during transport, resulting in the loss of the electronic components. Furthermore, when a removal unit such as a suction nozzle descends to remove the protective sheet, it may collide with the top of the tray. The resulting vibrations may cause the electronic components to tip over inside the grooves, hindering the pickup.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic component mounting apparatus that can reliably pick up electronic components placed on a tray and remove a protective sheet covering the tray. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the electronic component mounting apparatus of the present invention includes a supply unit that holds a plurality of trays, each tray having electronic components and a protective sheet that covers the electronic components, in a stacked state; a stage that receives the trays one by one from below the supply unit and transports the trays from the supply unit to a position where the electronic components are picked up; a head that picks up the electronic components placed on the tray at the position where the electronic components are picked up; a crimping unit that receives the electronic components from the head and crimps the electronic components onto a substrate; and a removal unit that is provided on a path along which the stage transports the trays from the supply unit to the position where the electronic components are picked up, and that removes the protective sheets from the trays being transported. a sheet detection unit that is provided on the path between the supply unit and the removal unit and detects the protective sheet, and / or a removal detection unit that is provided on the path between the removal unit and a position where the electronic component is picked up and detects whether the protective sheet has been removed; Equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The present invention can reliably pick up electronic components placed on a tray and remove the protective sheet covering the tray. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a tray applied to the embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of an electronic component mounting apparatus according to an embodiment; [Figure 3] 1A to 1C are explanatory views showing a mounting process of a chip-type electronic component according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating a tray receiving process of the supply unit of the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a stage and a removal unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a control unit of the embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart showing a mounting procedure for a chip-type electronic component according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an adsorption position according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a removal portion of a modified example. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a removal portion of a modified example. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a removal portion of a modified example. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a movement path of a stage in a modified example. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a movement path of a stage in a modified example. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the adsorption state of a modified example. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing tray replacement in a modified example. [Figure 16] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing tray replacement in a modified example. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a stage according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] An embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment) will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings are intended to show each member and each component in a schematic manner, and do not accurately show the dimensions, spacing, etc.

[0012] [composition] (Electronic components and trays) In this embodiment, the electronic components C are chip-type electronic components such as driver ICs. The electronic components C are stored in a tray T shown in FIG. 1. Specifically, the electronic components C are stored in grooves G provided on the upper surface of the tray T with their electrodes facing upward. For example, 20 grooves G (10 grooves x 2 rows) are provided, allowing 20 electronic components C to be stored. In addition, a protective sheet P covering the electronic components C is placed on the upper surface of the tray T (see FIG. 4). The protective sheet P is preferably made of, for example, paper or film, and is preferably static-resistant. A plurality of trays T are stacked with the electronic components C stored in the grooves G and the protective sheets P placed on them, and are held by the supply unit 10 of the electronic component mounting apparatus.

[0013] The mounting target of the electronic component C is a component that is electrically connected to the electrodes of the electronic component C. In this embodiment, the mounting target is a substrate D that is a display panel that constitutes a display device. In other words, it is a member that has a display function and electrodes.

[0014] (Electronic component mounting equipment) The configuration of the electronic component mounting apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 6. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the electronic component mounting apparatus has a supply unit 10, a stage 20, a detection unit 30, a removal unit 40, a detection unit 50, a transfer unit 60, a mounting unit 70, and a control unit 80. The electronic component mounting apparatus of this embodiment is a COG mounting apparatus that mounts electronic components C, which are chip-type electronic components.

[0015] The supply unit 10 supplies a tray T storing electronic components C. The stage 20 transports the tray T from the supply unit 10 to the transfer unit 60. The transfer unit 60 receives the electronic components C from the tray T transported to the stage 20 and passes them to the mounting unit 70. The mounting unit 70 presses the electronic components C onto the substrate D that is the mounting target.

[0016] The detection units 30 and 50 detect whether or not a protective sheet P is placed on a tray T placed on the stage 20. The removal unit 40 removes the protective sheet P from the tray T placed on the stage 20.

[0017] In FIG. 2 , the direction in which the transfer unit 60 and the crimping unit 72 of the mounting unit 70 are aligned is the Y direction. In a plane parallel to the surface of the stage 20, the direction perpendicular to the Y direction is the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions is the Z direction. The Z direction is the direction penetrating the paper in the figure. In this embodiment, the electronic component mounting device is installed so that the Z direction is vertical, thereby making the XY plane a horizontal plane. In this case, the Z direction is the height direction, and the installation surface side is called downward and the opposite side is called upward. In other words, downward is the direction of gravity. Furthermore, the rotation direction parallel to the XY plane is called the θ direction, and the rotation direction parallel to the ZX plane is called the α direction. Note that these directions are used to describe the positional relationship of each component of the electronic component mounting device and do not limit the positional relationship or orientation when installed on the installation surface.

[0018] (Supply Department) As shown in FIG. 4, the supply unit 10 supplies trays T containing electronic components C. The trays T are held in the supply unit 10 in a stacked state as described above. The portion of each tray T on which electronic components C are placed is covered with a protective sheet P. Note that, for ease of explanation, FIG. 4 only illustrates the protective sheet P covering the bottommost tray T. The supply unit 10 has a frame 11 and a gripping unit 12. The frame 11 is a pair of parallel, elongated members. The distance between the pair of frames 11 is approximately the width of the tray T, but allows the tray T to pass vertically between them. The gripping units 12 are provided on opposing side surfaces of the frame 11 and are movable toward and away from the side surfaces of the tray T by a drive mechanism (not shown). As a result, the gripping unit 12 grips the bottommost tray T of the stack, as shown in FIG. 4(A). 4B, the lower surface of the tray T held by the holding portion 12 is the surface opposite to the surface containing the electronic components C, and is the position where the stage 20 receives the tray T.

[0019] 2, the supply units 10 of this embodiment are provided as a pair on the left and right along the X axis in a plan view. Specifically, one supply unit 10a and the other supply unit 10b are provided at positions symmetrical with respect to the transfer unit 60 in a plan view. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the supply units 10a and 10b, they will simply be referred to as the supply units 10.

[0020] (stage) 4, 5(A), and 5(B), the stage 20 is provided below the supply unit 10 and the transfer unit 60, which will be described later, and receives trays T one by one from the bottom of a stack of trays T held by the supply unit 10, and transports the trays T to a position where the transfer unit 60 picks up electronic components C from the trays T. The stage 20 has a holding unit 21 and a support unit 22.

[0021] The holder 21 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with the outer edge of its upper surface larger than the outer edge of the tray T. Although not shown, suction holes connected to a pneumatic circuit are formed on the upper surface of the holder 21, and the tray T is held by suction using negative pressure. The bottom surface of the tray T may have an uneven surface to prevent static electricity. In this case, since the uneven surface may not provide sufficient suction force, it is preferable to form the suction holes at positions corresponding to the flat surface, avoiding the uneven surface. For example, suction holes may be formed at positions corresponding to the edges of the bottom surface of the tray T to ensure stable suction. The support column 22 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped member that supports the bottom of the holder 21.

[0022] The stage 20 is provided with a moving mechanism 23. The moving mechanism 23 includes a bracket 231, a linear guide 232, and a slider 233, and moves the holder 21 along the XY plane. As shown in FIG. 5(A), the bracket 231 is an elongated member that is L-shaped in cross section and extends along the movement direction of the stage 20 in the XY plane, and supports the linear guide 232. As shown in FIG. 5(B), the linear guide 232 is a guide member that is approximately rectangular parallelepiped and extends along the movement direction of the stage 20 in the XY plane, and slidably supports the slider 233. The slider 233 is driven, for example, by a drive source and a ball screw (not shown), and is provided to be movable along the linear guide 232. The slider 233 is provided at the lower end of the support column 22 and moves the holder 21 in the XY directions. Furthermore, the moving mechanism 23 includes an elevating mechanism (not shown), which moves the holder 21 in the Z direction. In this way, the movement mechanism 23 moves the stage 20 in the X, Y, and Z directions. The movement mechanism 23 enables the stage 20 to be moved between the supply unit 10 and the transfer unit 60. The stage 20 can also be temporarily stopped along this path.

[0023] In this embodiment, a pair of stages 20 are provided corresponding to the pair of supply units 10. Hereinafter, the stage 20 corresponding to one supply unit 10a will be referred to as stage 20a, and the stage 20 corresponding to the other supply unit 10b will be referred to as stage 20b, and when there is no need to distinguish between the two, they will simply be referred to as stage 20.

[0024] (Detection and removal units) 2 and 3, the detection units 30, 50 and the removal unit 40 are provided above the stage 20 on the path of the stage 20 from the supply unit 10 to the position where the transfer unit 60 picks up the electronic components C. Note that the detection unit 30 may also be referred to as a sheet detection unit, and the detection unit 50 as a removal detection unit.

[0025] The detection unit 30 is provided on the path of the stage 20 from the supply unit 10 to the removal unit 40, and detects the protective sheet P placed on the tray T placed on the stage 20. The detection unit 30 is a sensor such as a color sensor. Note that the color sensor in this embodiment will be described as a reflective type in which a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit are integrated. Since the protective sheet P is mainly a color close to white, the detection unit 30 irradiates light from above the stage 20 and detects the protective sheet P placed on the tray T based on whether the reflected light is white or not.

[0026] The removal unit 40 is provided on the path of the stage 20 from the detection unit 30 to the position where the transfer unit 60 picks up the electronic components C, and removes the protective sheet P from the tray T placed on the stage 20. The removal unit 40 has a suction unit 41 that suctions and holds the protective sheet P, an arm 42 that supports the suction unit 41, and an elevating mechanism 43 that supports the arm 42 and moves the suction unit 41 in the Z direction.

[0027] The suction unit 41 is connected to a pneumatic circuit (not shown) and suction-holds the protective sheet P by negative pressure generated by the pneumatic circuit. As shown in FIG. 5(A), the arm 42 is an L-shaped support member and supports the suction unit 41 at one end. A lifting mechanism 43 is provided at the other end of the arm 42. The lifting mechanism 43 includes a bracket 431, a linear guide 432, and a slider 433. As shown in FIG. 5(A), the bracket 431 is an L-shaped member in cross section that extends along the movement direction of the stage 20 in the XY plane and supports the linear guide 432. The bracket 431 is supported by the bracket 231. As shown in FIG. 5(B), the linear guide 432 is a guide member that has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and extends in the Z direction, and slidably supports the slider 433. The slider 433 is driven, for example, by a drive source and a ball screw (not shown), and is provided to be movable along the linear guide 432. The slider 433 also supports the arm 42. As a result, the lifting mechanism 43 moves the suction unit 41 supported by the arm 42 in the Z direction via the arm 42.

[0028] When the detection unit 30 detects the protective sheet P, the suction unit 41 approaches the stage 20, which is temporarily stopped below, by the lifting mechanism 43, and suction-holds the protective sheet P from the tray T placed on the stage 20. The suction unit 41 returns to the position where it started to descend, thereby removing the protective sheet P from the tray T. Once the protective sheet P is removed, the stage 20 moves away from below the suction unit 41 and transports the tray T to a position below the transfer unit 60 where the electronic components C are picked up. Note that if the detection unit 30 does not detect the protective sheet P, the suction unit 41 does not perform operations such as descending or generating negative pressure, and the tray T is transported to the transfer unit 60.

[0029] A collection box B is provided directly below the suction unit 41. The suction unit 41 releases the negative pressure after the stage 20 passes underneath. This causes the protective sheet P to fall by gravity and be collected in the collection box B. A guide plate may be provided at the opening of the collection box B to guide the protective sheet P as it falls and ensure that the protective sheet P is collected.

[0030] The detection unit 50 is provided on the path of the stage 20 from the removal unit 40 to the position where the transport unit 60 picks up the electronic components C, and detects whether the protective sheet P has been removed from the tray T placed on the stage 20. The detection unit 50 is a sensor such as a color sensor. Note that the color sensor in this embodiment will be described as a reflective type in which a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit are integrated. Since the protective sheet P is mainly a color close to white, the detection unit 50 irradiates light from above the stage 20 and detects whether the protective sheet P has been removed from the tray T based on whether the reflected light is white or not.

[0031] When the detection unit 50 detects the protective sheet P, it can, for example, emit a warning sound from a speaker (not shown) and call an operator. Alternatively, it can perform recovery processing. The recovery processing is processing in which the stage 20 is returned to the removal unit 40 and the removal unit 40 removes the protective sheet P. Note that when calling an operator, the transport of the tray T may be temporarily stopped.

[0032] The detection units 30, 50 and removal unit 40 are provided in pairs corresponding to the pair of supply unit 10 and stage 20. Hereinafter, the detection units 30, 50 and removal unit 40 corresponding to one supply unit 10a and stage 20a will be referred to as detection units 30a, 50a and removal unit 40a, and the detection unit 30 and removal unit 40 corresponding to the other supply unit 10b and stage 20b will be referred to as detection units 30b, 50b and removal unit 40b, and when there is no need to distinguish between the two, they will simply be referred to as detection units 30, 50 and removal unit 40.

[0033] (transfer department) 2 and 3, the transfer unit 60 is a device that picks up electronic components C from a tray T placed on the stage 20 and transfers them to the mounting unit 70. The transfer unit 60 is a long member that is rotatable in the θ direction by a drive source such as a motor on a surface parallel to the XY plane. That is, one end of the transfer unit 60 is fixed to a rotation shaft of the drive source (not shown), and the transfer unit 60 rotates intermittently in the θ direction by 180° increments. More specifically, the transfer unit 60 rotates intermittently in the counterclockwise or clockwise direction so as to stop at the 12 o'clock position and the 6 o'clock position.

[0034] A rotary head 61 is provided at the other end of the transfer section 60. The head 61 is provided so as to be rotatable in the direction α around the longitudinal direction of the transfer section 60 as an axis. The head 61 is provided with a suction nozzle 61a extending along the radial direction of the rotation circle. The suction nozzle 61a is connected to a pneumatic circuit (not shown) and sucks and holds the electronic component C by the negative pressure generated by this pneumatic circuit. The orientation of the tip of the suction nozzle 61a can be changed 180° by the head 61. In other words, the transfer section 60 is configured as a reversing transfer device that reverses the electronic component C picked up by suction and holds it in the direction α and transfers it.

[0035] When picking up electronic components C from the tray T held on the stage 20, the suction nozzle 61a suctions and holds the electronic components C one by one from above. That is, the suction nozzle 61a suctions and holds the electronic components C from above without reversing the orientation of the suction nozzle 61a. At this time, the electrode portions of the electronic components C face upward. On the other hand, when the suction nozzle 61a delivers the suctioned and held electronic components C to the pressure bonding unit 72 described below, the suction nozzle 61a delivers the electronic components C from below the pressure bonding unit 72. That is, the orientation of the suction nozzle 61a is reversed and the electronic components C are delivered from below. At this time, the electrode portions of the electronic components C face downward.

[0036] (mounting part) 2 and 3, the mounting unit 70 is a device that heats and presses the electrodes of the electronic component C to the electrodes of the substrate D via an ACF (Anisotropic Conductive Film). The ACF is a sheet-like member made of resin containing many small conductive particles. In this embodiment, the ACF is assumed to be attached to the substrate D side in advance.

[0037] The mounting section 70 has a table 71 and a pressure-bonding section 72. The table 71 is a horizontal plate-like body on which the substrate D is placed. Although not shown, suction holes connected to an air pressure circuit are formed on the top surface of the table 71, and the substrate D is held by suction using negative pressure. The table 71 is provided so as to be movable in the X, Y and θ directions by a drive mechanism, not shown.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 3 , the bonding unit 72 has a pressure head 721 and a backup 722. The pressure head 721 sucks and holds the electronic component C using a holding unit (not shown). The pressure head 721 is movable in the X, Y, and Z directions and the θ direction using a drive mechanism (not shown). As a result, the pressure head 721 sucks and holds the electronic component C using a holding unit (not shown), moves the sucked and held electronic component C, and overlays the electronic component C on the substrate D supported by the table 71. Furthermore, with the electronic component C overlaid on the substrate D, the pressure head 721 heats and presses the electronic component C using a heating unit and a pressure unit (not shown). As a result, the electronic component C is thermocompression-bonded to the substrate D. The backup 722 is a member that supports the substrate D when the pressure head 721 thermocompresses the electronic component C via the ACF.

[0039] The crimping unit 72 is a device for performing temporary crimping before final crimping. After the temporary crimping by the crimping unit 72, a final crimping is performed by a final crimping unit (not shown) arranged downstream.

[0040] (Control unit) The control unit 80 is configured, for example, by a dedicated electronic circuit or a computer that operates on a predetermined program. As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 80 has a mechanism control unit 81, a memory unit 82, a determination unit 83, and an input / output control unit 84. The mechanism control unit 81 controls the operations of the supply unit 10, the stage 20, the detection unit 30, the removal unit 40, the detection unit 50, the transfer unit 60, and the mounting unit 70. The memory unit 82 stores information necessary for control of this embodiment, such as programs and data for realizing these operations. The determination unit 83 determines the presence or absence of the protective sheet P based on the detection results of the detection units 30 and 50. The input / output control unit 84 is an interface that controls signal conversion and input / output between each unit to be controlled.

[0041] Furthermore, an input device 91 and an output device 92 are connected to the control unit 80. The input device 91 is input means such as a switch, touch panel, keyboard, mouse, etc., which the operator uses to operate the electronic component mounting device via the control unit 80. The output device 92 is output means such as a display device that makes information for checking the status of the electronic component mounting device visible to the operator.

[0042] [Effect] The operation of the electronic component mounting apparatus described above will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 7 and the explanatory diagram in FIG. 8 in addition to FIGS. 1 to 6.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 4(A), the stage 20 is moved by the movement mechanism 23 to below the supply unit 10 (step S01). In the supply unit 10, as shown in Fig. 4(B), the holder 21 of the stage 20 suction-holds the bottom surface of the lowest tray T. Then, the holder 21 of the stage 20 receives the trays T one by one in the following procedure (step S02).

[0044] As shown in Fig. 4(C), the supply unit 10 releases the gripping by the gripping unit 12. Then, as shown in Fig. 4(D), the stage 20 descends by the distance of one tray T. As shown in Fig. 4(E), the gripping unit 12 grips the tray T one tray above the lowest tray by means of the gripping unit 12. As shown in Fig. 4(F), the stage 20 descends, and the tray T is handed over to the holding unit 21.

[0045] After receiving the tray T, the stage 20 moves below the detection unit 30 (step S03). The stage 20 may pause below the detection unit 30, or may move below the removal unit 40 without pausing. The stage 20 simply passes below the detection unit 30 while moving below the removal unit 40. As the stage 20 passes below the detection unit 30, the detection unit 30 irradiates light onto the tray T placed on the stage 20 to detect whether a protective sheet P is placed thereon (step S04). Specifically, the determination unit 83 receives the detection result from the detection unit 30 and determines whether a protective sheet P is present. If a protective sheet P is placed on the tray T (YES in step S04), the process proceeds to step S06. If a protective sheet P is not placed on the tray T (NO in step S04), the process proceeds to step S09. Possible cases in which the protective sheet P is not placed on the tray T include when the protective sheet P has fallen off the tray T due to vibration or the like before the stage 20 passes under the detection unit 30, when the protective sheet P is stuck to the bottom surface of the upper tray T in the supply unit 10, or when the protective sheet P has accidentally fallen off when the stacked trays T are delivered. Also, when an operator checks whether or not the protective sheet P is placed on the tray T, the configuration of the detection unit 30 and the determination unit 83 can be omitted.

[0046] After passing below the detection unit 30, the stage 20 moves below the removal unit 40 (step S05). In this embodiment, the stage 20 temporarily stops below the removal unit 40. The suction unit 41 of the removal unit 40 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 43 to approach the protective sheet P and stops at a predetermined height where it can adsorb the protective sheet P by negative pressure. This height is, for example, 0.5 mm above the top surface of the tray T placed on the stage 20. At this height, the suction unit 41 generates negative pressure to adsorb and hold the protective sheet P. The suction unit 41 returns to the height at which it started to descend, thereby removing the protective sheet P from the tray T (step S06).

[0047] On the tray T, the position where the protective sheet P is sucked and held is preferably a position facing the groove G in which the electronic components C are stored. More preferably, as shown in FIG. 8(A), it is a position facing the center part of the groove G in which the electronic components C are stored.

[0048] The suction airflow acting on the protective sheet P on the tray T also acts on the tray T, passing through the protective sheet P. That is, a suction force is also exerted on the tray T. This results in the tray T being adsorbed and held in place. However, if the suction section 41 performs suction on the groove G, the groove G becomes a passageway for air, causing leakage onto the tray T. As a result, suction force is exerted on the protective sheet P but not on the tray T, and the tray T is not adsorbed and held in place. In this way, as long as leakage occurs onto the tray T and the tray T is not adsorbed, it does not matter which position on the tray T faces any groove G on the tray T, or which part of that groove G the suction section 41 faces.

[0049] However, tray T may have a portion without a groove G. FIG. 8 shows a tray T without a groove G in the center of the tray T. In such a tray T, in a location where the area where the suction unit 41 contacts the groove G is small, the leakage to the tray T is reduced, and a suction force is also applied to the tray T, increasing the risk of the tray T being adsorbed. For example, as shown in FIG. 8(B), when an attempt is made to use the suction unit 41 to adsorb a portion of the center of the tray T without a groove G, air flows only from one end of the groove G, and the area where the groove G contacts the groove G is small, making it difficult for the groove G to serve as an air passage. In this case, sufficient air does not flow from the groove G through the protective sheet P to the suction unit 41, resulting in little leakage and the risk of the tray T being adsorbed and held through the protective sheet P.

[0050] 8(A), when the center portion of the groove G is sucked by the suction unit 41, air flows from both ends of the groove G through the protective sheet P to the suction unit 41, causing a lot of leakage and reducing the risk of the tray T being sucked and held through the protective sheet P. In other words, there is little risk of the protective sheet P being sucked and held together with the tray T.

[0051] When the protective sheet P is removed from the tray T, the stage 20 moves to the transfer section 60. After the stage 20 moves from below the suction section 41, the suction section 41 releases the negative pressure and releases the protective sheet P that it has been suction-holding. The protective sheet P falls due to gravity and is collected in a collection box B provided directly below the suction section 41 (see FIG. 5(B)).

[0052] After passing below the removal unit 40, the stage 20 moves below the detection unit 50 (step S07). The stage 20 may temporarily stop below the detection unit 50, or may move below the suction nozzle 61a of the transfer unit 60 without stopping. The stage 20 may pass below the detection unit 50 while moving below the suction nozzle 61a of the transfer unit 60. As the stage 20 passes below the detection unit 50, the detection unit 50 irradiates light onto the tray T placed on the stage 20 to detect whether the protective sheet P has been removed (step S08). Specifically, the determination unit 83 receives the detection result from the detection unit 50 and determines whether the protective sheet P is present. If the protective sheet P has been removed from the tray T (YES in step S08), the process proceeds to step S09. If the protective sheet P remains on the tray T (NO in step S08), the process returns to step S06. Specifically, the recovery process described above is performed, the stage 20 returns to below the removal unit 40, and the protective sheet P is removed. In addition, when an operator checks whether or not the protective sheet P has been removed from the tray T, the configuration of the detection unit 50 and the determination unit 83 can be omitted.

[0053] After passing below the detection unit 50, the stage 20 moves to below the suction nozzle 61a of the transfer unit 60. That is, the stage 20 moves so that the electronic component C placed on the tray T is positioned below the suction nozzle 61a of the transfer unit 60, which is positioned at the 12 o'clock position described above. More specifically, each electronic component C stored in the groove G of the tray T is sequentially positioned to a position facing the suction nozzle 61a of the transfer unit 60. This positioning is performed by a scanning unit (not shown) scanning the tray T. Then, once one electronic component C on the tray T is positioned, pickup by the suction nozzle 61a begins. As a result, the electronic component C is transferred to the transfer unit 60 (step S09).

[0054] The transfer unit 60 rotates 180° in the XY plane to transfer the electronic component C to the pressure-bonding unit 72 of the mounting unit 70. During this movement, the head 61 rotates in the α direction and reverses so as to suction and hold the electronic component C from below. The suction by the suction nozzle 61a of the transfer unit 60 is released, and the pressure head 721 of the pressure-bonding unit 72 suctions the electronic component C, thereby transferring the electronic component C to the pressure head 721 (step S10). The pressure head 721 then descends, causing the electrode portions of the electronic component C to be thermocompression-bonded to the electrodes of the substrate D via the ACF (step S11). Thereafter, the suction by the pressure head 721 is released, and the substrate D to which the electronic component C has been temporarily compressed is transported to the final compression-bonding unit for final compression-bonding. Steps S09 to S11 are repeated until all electronic components C have been removed from one tray T (NO in step S12).

[0055] When all the electronic components C have been removed from one tray T (YES in step S12), the stage 20 on which the empty tray T is placed moves to a storage unit for empty trays T (not shown) and delivers the tray T to this storage unit. The stage 20 then returns to the supply unit 10, and as described above, receives the tray T containing the electronic components C from the supply unit 10 and delivers the electronic components C. The storage unit for empty trays T can be provided, for example, adjacent to the supply unit 10 and configured in the same manner as the supply unit 10. With this configuration, empty trays T can be stacked and stored in the reverse order of the supply unit 10, that is, in the order of (F), (E), (D), (C), (B), and (A) in FIG. 4.

[0056] Such supply of trays T is first performed by one of the supply units 10a and stage 20a. Then, when the trays T storing electronic components C run out from supply unit 10a, the supply unit is switched to the other supply unit 10b and stage 20b, which continue to supply trays T. During this time, the trays T in supply unit 10a are replaced, and when the trays T in the other supply unit 10b run out, the supply of trays T is switched back to supply by supply unit 10a and stage 20a. This allows mounting to continue without stopping the electronic component mounting apparatus.

[0057] [effect] (1) The electronic component mounting apparatus of this embodiment includes a supply unit 10 that holds a stack of trays T on which electronic components C and protective sheets P covering the electronic components C are placed, a stage 20 that receives the trays T one by one from below the supply unit 10 and transports the trays T from the supply unit 10 to a position where the electronic components C are picked up, a head 61 that picks up the electronic components C placed on the tray T at the position where the electronic components C are picked up, a crimping unit 72 that receives the electronic components C from the head 61 and crimps the electronic components C onto a substrate D, and a removal unit 40 that is provided on the path along which the stage 20 transports the trays T from the supply unit 10 to the position where the electronic components C are picked up, and that removes the protective sheets P from the trays T as they are transported.

[0058] This allows the protective sheet P to be removed mechanically from the tray T, reducing the risk of damaging the electronic components C placed on the tray T, tipping the tray over, or causing the electronic components C to tip over on the tray T compared to manual removal. Furthermore, because the trays T are transported one by one, there is less variation in the height position of the top surface compared to when multiple trays T are stacked. The top surface is also less tilted. This reduces the risk of the removal unit 40 accidentally colliding with the tray T when removing the protective sheet P and causing the electronic components C to tip over on the tray T due to the impact.

[0059] (2) The removal unit 40 of this embodiment is a suction unit 41 that uses negative pressure to suction and hold the protective sheet P. As a result, when the removal unit 40 removes the protective sheet P from the tray T, there is no risk of an impact being transmitted to the tray T via the protective sheet P, and therefore the risk of the electronic components C tipping over on the tray T can be reduced.

[0060] (3) The tray T of this embodiment is provided with a groove G in which electronic components C are stored, and the suction unit 41 suction-holds the protective sheet P from the tray T at a position facing the groove G. As a result, the groove G serves as a passage for air, so there is little risk that the suction unit 41 will suction-hold the entire tray T.

[0061] (4) The present embodiment further includes a recovery box B for recovering the protective sheet P, and the recovery box B is provided directly below the suction unit 41. This allows the suction unit 41 to recover the protective sheet P that it has adsorbed and held into the recovery box B simply by releasing the negative pressure.

[0062] (5) In this embodiment, the path further includes a detection unit 30 that is provided between the supply unit 10 and the removal unit 40 and detects the protective sheet P. This prevents a negative pressure from being generated on the upper surface of the tray T when the protective sheet P is not placed thereon, which could result in the electronic components C being erroneously sucked and held.

[0063] (6) In this embodiment, the path further includes a detection unit 50 that is provided between the removal unit 40 and the transport unit 60 and detects the protective sheet P. This prevents the tray T from being transported to the transport unit 60 in this state even if the protective sheet P remains on the tray T without being removed. Furthermore, when the detection unit 50 detects the protective sheet P, the protective sheet P can be reliably removed from the tray T by calling an operator or performing a recovery process. This allows the electronic components C to be reliably picked up in the transport unit 60.

[0064] [Variations] (1) In the above embodiment, the removal unit 40 includes the suction unit 41 that removes the protective sheet P by applying negative pressure. However, this is not limiting. For example, as shown in FIG. 9 , the removal unit 40 may include an adhesive unit 44 having an adhesive strength stronger than the holding strength of the stage 20. The adhesive unit 44 includes an adhesive sheet A wound around a supply reel and a recovery reel (not shown). The adhesive sheet A is guided in its movement direction by a path roller 441 and fed from the supply reel toward the pressure bonding tool 442. The pressure bonding tool 442 is provided so as to be capable of lifting and lowering while holding the adhesive sheet A. As the pressure bonding tool 442 descends, the adhesive sheet A comes into contact with the protective sheet P on the tray T, adhesively holding the protective sheet P to the adhesive sheet A. Thereafter, the pressure bonding tool 442 rises, separating the adhesive sheet A from the tray T, thereby removing the protective sheet P. Furthermore, as the recovery reel rotates, the protective sheet P is recovered together with the adhesive sheet A, and a new surface of the adhesive sheet A is supplied to the tray T.

[0065] This eliminates the need for a pneumatic circuit to generate negative pressure, making it possible to simplify the configuration, compared to when a suction unit 41 is provided. Furthermore, when moving the suction unit 41 horizontally to retract it from the path of the stage 20, arranging piping and the like for the moving suction unit 41 requires effort in both design and installation, but this can be avoided. Furthermore, since the protective sheet P can be held over a wider surface compared to suction using negative pressure, the protective sheet P can be held more reliably, reducing holding errors. Furthermore, trays and electronic components will not be held inadvertently.

[0066] Furthermore, by transferring the protective sheet P adhered to the adhesive sheet A to another adhesive sheet with stronger adhesive strength, the adhesive sheet A can be made to circulate like a belt and used repeatedly, thereby eliminating the need for a supply / recovery reel and further simplifying the configuration. Also, instead of using a recovery reel, the protective sheet P can be disposed of by being recovered together with the adhesive sheet A in a recovery box B provided at the delivery destination of the adhesive sheet A. This also makes it possible to eliminate the need for a recovery reel and achieve a simpler configuration.

[0067] (2) In the above embodiment, the removal unit 40 includes the suction unit 41 that removes the protective sheet P by applying negative pressure. However, this is not limiting. For example, as shown in FIG. 10(A), the removal unit 40 may be an airflow generating unit 45 that uses an airflow to blow the protective sheet P off the tray T. The airflow generating unit 45 is, for example, a cylindrical or rectangular blow nozzle 451 that generates an airflow to blow the protective sheet P toward the recovery box B and remove the protective sheet P from the tray T. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10(B), the function of the airflow generating unit 45 may be imparted to the recovery box B. That is, a rectangular suction nozzle 452 that is wider than the protective sheet P may be provided at the opening of the recovery box B. In this case, a negative pressure is generated inside the recovery box B to generate an airflow, and the protective sheet P is removed from the suction nozzle 452. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10(C), the blow nozzle 451 and the suction nozzle 452 may be used together to remove the protective sheet P by combining blowing and suction. By using them in combination, it is possible to more reliably remove the protective sheet P. In any of the cases shown in Figures 10(A) to 10(C), a mechanism consisting only of a blow or suction nozzle is sufficient, allowing for a simpler configuration.

[0068] (3) In the above embodiment, the removal unit 40 includes the suction unit 41 that removes the protective sheet P by applying negative pressure. However, this is not limiting. For example, as shown in FIG. 11 , the removal unit 40 may include a chuck unit 46 that picks up the protective sheet P from the tray T. The chuck unit 46 includes a pair of chuck claws 461 that approach each other by air pressure drive, and the pair of chuck claws 461 pick up the protective sheet P. The tips of the chuck claws 461 are covered with elastic caps 462 made of rubber or the like. The elastic caps 462 reduce the impact that occurs when the chuck claws 461 contact the tray T and also make it easier to pick up the protective sheet P. As a result, the chuck unit 46 removes the protective sheet P from the tray T, similar to the suction unit 41. Because the protective sheet P is picked up mechanically, the protective sheet P can be removed more reliably.

[0069] (4) In the above embodiment, the tray T stores electronic components C in the grooves G formed on its top surface, but this is not limited to this. For example, the electronic components C may be adhered to a thin adhesive layer formed on the top surface of the tray T. In this case, the electronic components C can be picked up from the tray T by making the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer smaller than the suction strength of the suction unit 41 of the remover 40 or the adhesive strength of the adhesive portion.

[0070] (5) In the above embodiment, the recovery box B is provided directly below the removal unit 40, but this is not limited to this. For example, the recovery box B may be provided anywhere as long as the removal unit 40 is provided with an XY movement mechanism that allows it to move in the XY plane. This allows the location of the recovery box B to be freely determined. Also, a configuration in which the recovery box B is not provided is possible. In this case, the removal unit 40 may move in the XY plane while holding the protective sheet P removed from the tray T, and place it on the tray T that has become empty after picking up the electronic components C. As a result, the protective sheet P is collected together with the empty tray T in the storage unit that stores the above-mentioned empty tray T.

[0071] (6) In the above embodiment, the detection unit 50 is provided between the removal unit 40 and the transfer unit 60, but this is not limited to this. If the protective sheet P is almost reliably removed in the removal unit 40, the detection unit 50 may be omitted. This simplifies the configuration of the electronic component mounting apparatus and makes it smaller.

[0072] (7) In the above embodiment, the removal unit 40 is provided between the detection unit 30 and the transfer unit 60, but this is not limited to this. For example, the removal unit 40 may be provided with an XY movement mechanism that moves the removal unit 40 back and forth between the supply unit 10 and the stage 20. That is, after the stage 20 receives the tray T and moves away from the supply unit 10 in the Z direction, the removal unit 40 may advance between them and remove the protective sheet P. In this case, the distance from the supply unit 10 to the transfer unit 60 can be shortened, thereby reducing the size of the entire device. In this case, the detection unit 30 may irradiate light toward the tray T placed on the stage 20 before the removal unit 40 advances, thereby detecting the protective sheet P placed on the tray T.

[0073] (8) In the above embodiment, the movement path of the stage 20 is substantially linear from the supply unit 10 via the removal unit 40 to the transfer unit 60, but is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIGS. 12(A) and 12(B), the movement path may be changed at a substantially right angle immediately below the removal unit 40. In other words, the layout of the supply unit 10, removal unit 40, and transfer unit 60 is not limited to a substantially linear layout. Note that, for ease of explanation, the configuration of the detection units 30 and 50 is omitted in FIGS. 12(A) and 12(B).

[0074] When the stage 20 changes direction at a substantially right angle, the movement mechanism 23 may be a slider and guide that are movable in the X and Y directions, a conveyor belt, or a conveyor rail that moves the stage 20. Furthermore, although the stage 20 has been described as moving back and forth along a single path from the supply unit 10 to the transfer unit 60, it may also be configured to move around a looped path. Using such a path increases the degree of freedom in path setting and allows the overall device to be made smaller.

[0075] 12(A), the recovery box B is provided adjacent to the removal unit 40, and when the protective sheet P is to be discarded, the removal unit 40 may be configured to move above the recovery box B. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 12(B), the recovery box B may be configured to move below the removal unit 40.

[0076] Furthermore, an embodiment in which one stage 20 holds two trays T in the layout shown in Fig. 12 will be described with reference to Fig. 13. In this case, the arrangement direction of the two trays T coincides with the movement direction of the stage 20 from the removal unit 40 to the transfer unit 60. As a result, after the removal unit 40 removes the protective sheet P from one tray T, the removal unit 40 can be made to face the protective sheet P of the other tray T simply by moving the stage 20 by one tray T. Furthermore, the replacement of trays T in the transfer unit 60 can also be achieved by moving the stage 20 by one tray.

[0077] (9) In the above embodiment, the suction unit 41 is lowered to a predetermined height and then stopped, generating negative pressure, as shown in FIG. 14(A). However, this is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 14(B), the suction unit 41 may be lowered toward the tray T while generating negative pressure. That is, the suction unit 41 of the removal unit 40 generates negative pressure when it is lowered by a lifting mechanism (not shown) to a predetermined height at which the protective sheet P can be adsorbed by negative pressure. This reduces the time required to reach a negative pressure at which the protective sheet P can be adsorbed, compared to a configuration in which the protective sheet P is lowered to a predetermined height at which the protective sheet P can be adsorbed and then negative pressure is generated, thereby shortening the takt time.

[0078] Furthermore, in this case, rather than setting a predetermined height to which the protective sheet P should be lowered, the lowering may be stopped upon detection of the protective sheet P being adsorbed. This not only shortens the time required to remove the protective sheet P, but also minimizes the risk of the adsorption portion 41 colliding with the tray T when adsorbing the protective sheet P, even if, for example, the tray T has a large dimensional error and varies in height.

[0079] Furthermore, the manner in which the suction portion 41 suctions the protective sheet P can be determined as appropriate, whether to generate negative pressure at the same time as the suction portion 41 descends, or to generate negative pressure after the suction portion 41 descends to a predetermined height, and the device may have a function that allows selection of these patterns.

[0080] (10) In the above embodiment, the suction unit 41 removes the protective sheet P from the tray T of the stage 20 that is temporarily stopped below it. However, this is not limited to this. The protective sheet P may be removed from the tray T without temporarily stopping the stage 20. For example, the suction unit 41 may be placed in a position higher than the upper surface of the tray T placed on the stage 20, for example, about 3 mm higher, and negative pressure may be generated when the stage 20 passes below the suction unit 41. This allows the protective sheet P to be removed from the tray T when the stage 20 passes below the suction unit 41 without temporarily stopping the stage 20, thereby eliminating the time lag required to temporarily stop the stage 20 and improving takt time.

[0081] (11) In the above embodiment, the detection unit 30 is a color sensor that detects the color of the protective sheet P, but this is not limited to this. For example, the detection unit 30 may be a sensor that can detect the protective sheet P by detecting the reflectance of light irradiated onto the protective sheet P.

[0082] (12) In the electronic component mounting apparatus of the above embodiment, one holding unit 21 of the stage 20 receives trays T one by one from the supply unit 10 and mounts electronic components C thereon. However, one holding unit 21 may receive multiple trays T at a time, or multiple holding units 21 may be provided to hold multiple trays T. In other words, when all electronic components C stored in one tray T are mounted and the tray T becomes empty, the tray T is switched to pick up electronic components C from another tray T. During a time when electronic components C are not being picked up, such as when a board D is transported from the mounting unit 70 to the main pressure bonding unit, the empty tray T is replaced with the next tray T containing electronic components C. This prevents electronic components C from running out of the holding unit 21 during mounting of electronic components C, allowing electronic components C to be mounted without delay.

[0083] An example in which the stage 20 holds multiple trays T will be described with reference to FIG. 15. In FIG. 15, similar to the layout shown in FIG. 13, the movement path of the stage 20 turns at a substantially right angle, and one stage 20 holds two trays T. Furthermore, in this example, two stages 20 are provided. That is, two stages 20a and 20b each hold two trays T. Hereinafter, of the two trays T, the left tray T will be referred to as tray TL, and the right tray T will be referred to as tray TR. Furthermore, if a tray T in the figure is diagonally shaded, it is assumed that a protective sheet P is placed on it, and if a tray T is not diagonally shaded, it is assumed that the protective sheet P has been removed.

[0084] First, as shown in FIG. 15(A), tray T is removed from supply unit 10a and held on stage 20a. Stage 20a receives trays TL and TR in this order from supply unit 10a. At the same time, tray T is removed from supply unit 10b and held on stage 20b. Stage 20b receives trays TR and TL in this order from supply unit 10b. In other words, the order in which supply unit 10b receives trays T is different from that of supply unit 10a.

[0085] Next, as shown in FIG. 15(B), the stage 20a moves below the removal unit 40a, and the protective sheet P is removed from the tray T. The stage 20a first positions the tray TR below the removal unit 40a, and after the protective sheet P from the tray TR has been removed, the stage 20a positions the tray TL below the removal unit 40a as shown in FIG. 15(C), and removes the protective sheet P from the tray TL. Similarly, the stage 20b first positions the tray TL below the removal unit 40b as shown in FIG. 15(B), and after the protective sheet P from the tray TL has been removed, the stage 20b positions the tray TR below the removal unit 40b as shown in FIG. 15(C), and removes the protective sheet P from the tray TR. In other words, the order in which the protective sheet P is removed from the tray T in the removal unit 40b is different from that in the removal unit 40a.

[0086] 15(D), the stage 20a moves below the transfer section 60, which then picks up electronic components C from the tray T, and the mounting section 70 mounts the electronic components C on the board D. The stage 20a first positions the tray TL below the transfer section 60, and after the tray TL has been emptied by the pickup by the transfer section 60, the stage 20a positions the tray TR below the transfer section 60 as shown in FIG. 15(E). This allows the transfer section 60 to pick up electronic components C from the tray TR even if the tray TL has been emptied, so that the pickup of electronic components C can be performed without interruption.

[0087] Furthermore, after the tray TL is emptied by the pickup by the transfer unit 60, as shown in FIG. 15(F), the stage 20a can be moved to the supply unit 10a at any timing to replace the tray TL with a new one. The arbitrary timing can be, for example, the timing to replace the substrate D for mounting electronic components C. At this time, it is assumed that about half of the electronic components C remain in the tray TR. Simultaneously with the movement of the stage 20a to replace the tray TL with a new one, the stage 20b moves below the transfer unit 60. Specifically, the tray TR of the stage 20b is positioned below the transfer unit 60. This allows the pickup and mounting of electronic components C to resume immediately after the replacement of the substrate D. While the pickup and mounting of electronic components C is being performed from the tray TR of the stage 20b, the tray TL of the stage 20a is replaced with a new one. The newly replaced tray TL is positioned below the removal unit 40a by the movement of the stage 20a, and the protective sheet P is removed by the removal unit 40a.

[0088] Returning to the pickup of stage 20b, when the tray TR of stage 20b becomes empty, stage 20b positions tray TL below the transfer section 60 and continuously picks up electronic components C. After the tray TR of stage 20b becomes empty, as explained above, stage 20b is moved to supply section 10b to replace the empty tray TR, for example, in accordance with the timing of replacing the board D. Simultaneously with this movement of stage 20b, stage 20a positions tray TR, which still has about half of the electronic components C, below the transfer section 60 and resumes picking up and mounting the electronic components C.

[0089] In this way, by configuring each of the two stages 20a, 20b to hold two trays TL, TR, electronic components C can be mounted uninterruptedly on the substrate D. There is also no risk of mounting being stopped due to the need to replace the tray T. That is, even if one tray T becomes empty, it is possible to immediately switch to the adjacent tray T, and further, since it is possible to switch stages 20 at the timing of replacing the substrate D, there is no risk of mounting being stopped due to the time it takes to replace the tray T or remove the protective sheet P on the other stage 20.

[0090] (13) In the above embodiment, the supply unit 10 and stage 20 are provided as a pair, namely, supply unit 10a and stage 20a, and supply unit 10b and stage 20b. However, only one pair may be provided. Alternatively, one stage 20 may be provided for the pair of supply units 10a and 10b, and this stage 20 may be moved between the pair of supply units 10a and 10b, so that the two supply units 10 share one stage 20. This simplifies the overall configuration of the electronic component mounting apparatus.

[0091] An example in which one stage 20 is shared will be described with reference to Fig. 16. In Fig. 16, similar to the layout shown in Fig. 13, the movement path of the stage 20 changes direction at approximately a right angle, and one stage 20 holds two trays T. Hereinafter, similar to Fig. 15, the left tray T of the two trays T will be referred to as tray TL, and the right tray T will be referred to as tray TR. Furthermore, if the tray T in the figure is diagonally shaded, it means that a protective sheet P is placed on it, and if the tray T is not diagonally shaded, it means that the protective sheet P has been removed.

[0092] First, as shown in FIG. 16(A), a tray T is cut out from the supply unit 10a and held on the stage 20. The stage 20 receives the tray TL and the tray TR from the supply unit 10a in that order. Next, as shown in FIG. 16(B), the stage 20 moves below the removal unit 40a, and the protective sheet P is removed from the tray T. The stage 20 first positions the tray TR below the removal unit 40a, and after the protective sheet P from the tray TR has been removed, as shown in FIG. 16(C), the stage 20 positions the tray TL below the removal unit 40a, and the protective sheet P from the tray TL is removed.

[0093] 16(D), the stage 20 moves below the transfer section 60, which then picks up electronic components C from the tray T, and the mounting section 70 mounts the electronic components C on the board D. The stage 20 first positions the tray TL below the transfer section 60, and after the tray TL has been emptied by the pickup by the transfer section 60, it then positions the tray TR below the transfer section 60 as shown in FIG. 16(E). This allows the transfer section 60 to pick up electronic components C from the tray TR even if the tray TL is emptied, so that the pickup of electronic components C can be performed without interruption.

[0094] Furthermore, after the tray TL is emptied by pickup by the transfer unit 60, as shown in FIG. 16(F), the stage 20 can be moved to the supply unit 10b at any timing to replace the tray TL with a new one. The arbitrary timing may be, for example, the timing to replace the substrate D for mounting electronic components C. At this time, it is assumed that about half of the electronic components C remain in the tray TR. After replacing the tray TL, the protective sheet P is removed by the removal unit 40b, and the tray TR is positioned below the transfer unit 60, allowing the pickup and mounting of electronic components C to resume. After this, when the tray TR becomes emptied, pickup is performed from the tray TL. Furthermore, when it is time to replace the substrate D, the empty tray TR is replaced. Note that in FIG. 16, the number of electronic components C mounted on the substrate D is assumed to be equal to or less than the number of electronic components C stored in one tray T.

[0095] (14) An ionizer may be provided to neutralize the lowest tray T held by the supply unit 10 in the above embodiment. This prevents the protective sheet P placed on the lowest tray T from sticking to the bottom surface of the upper tray T due to static electricity or the like.

[0096] (15) The stage 20 in the above embodiment may be an intermittently rotatable round table as shown in Fig. 17. This table receives the tray T at the 9 o'clock position shown in Fig. 17, removes the protective sheet P by the remover 40 at the 6 o'clock position, picks up the electronic components C by the suction nozzles 61a of the transfer unit 60 at the 3 o'clock position, and after all the electronic components C on the tray T have been picked up, stores the tray T in the storage section for empty tray T at the 12 o'clock position.

[0097] (16) In the above embodiment, the electronic component mounting apparatus is a COG mounting apparatus that mounts chip-type electronic components, but is not limited to this. For example, it may be an electronic component mounting apparatus that mounts chip-type electronic components on a film-type circuit board such as an organic EL, or an electronic component mounting apparatus known as a dual-purpose machine that selectively supplies and mounts chip-type electronic components and film-type electronic components called COF (Chip On Film) in which a driver IC is mounted on a film-type circuit board. In short, it is sufficient if it supplies and mounts chips from a stacking tray, and the substrate may be a wafer such as silicon, or a non-film-type circuit board.

[0098] [Other embodiments] Although the embodiments of the present invention and modifications of each part have been described above, these embodiments and modifications of each part are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments described above can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 10, 10a, 10b supply section 11 frames 12 Gripping part Stages 20, 20a, and 20b 30, 30a, 30b Detector 40, 40a, 40b removal section 41 Adsorption part 44 Adhesive part 45 Airflow generating section 451 Blow Nozzle 452 Suction nozzle 46 Chuck part 50, 50a, 50b Detector 60 Transfer section 61 head 61a Suction nozzle 70 Mounting section 71 Table 72 Crimping section 721 Pressure Head 722 Backup 80 Control Unit 81 Mechanism control unit 82 Memory section 83 Judgment section 84 Input / Output Control Unit 91 Input Device 92 Output Devices A Adhesive sheet B Collection Box C Electronic components D board G groove P protective sheet T-Tray

Claims

1. a supply unit that holds a plurality of trays, each tray having electronic components and a protective sheet for covering the electronic components, in a stacked state; a stage that receives the trays one by one from below the supply unit and transports the trays from the supply unit to a position where the electronic components are picked up; a head for picking up the electronic components placed on the tray at a position where the electronic components are picked up; a crimping unit that receives the electronic component from the head and crimps the electronic component onto a substrate; a removal unit that is provided on a path along which the stage transports the tray from the supply unit to a position where the electronic components are picked up, and that removes the protective sheet from the tray being transported; a sheet detection unit that is provided on the path between the supply unit and the removal unit and detects the protective sheet; and / or a removal detection unit that is provided on the path between the removal unit and a position where the electronic component is picked up, and that detects whether the protection sheet has been removed; An electronic component mounting device comprising:

2. the removal unit is an adsorption unit that adsorbs and holds the protection sheet by negative pressure. The electronic component mounting device according to claim 1 .

3. the suction unit approaches the protection sheet and stops at a predetermined height to generate negative pressure; The electronic component mounting device according to claim 2 .

4. The suction unit approaches the protection sheet while generating a negative pressure. The electronic component mounting device according to claim 2 .

5. the tray is provided with a groove in which the electronic components are stored; the suction portion suction-holds the protection sheet at a position facing the groove; 5. The electronic component mounting device according to claim 3 or 4.

6. Further provided is a collection box for collecting the protective sheet, The collection box is provided directly below the suction unit.

6. The electronic component mounting device according to claim 2.

7. The removal portion is an adhesive portion that adhesively holds the protective sheet with an adhesive sheet. The electronic component mounting device according to claim 1 .

8. The removal unit is an airflow generating unit that removes the protective sheet by airflow. The electronic component mounting device according to claim 1 .

9. The removal portion is a zipper portion that grips the protective sheet. The electronic component mounting device according to claim 1 .

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