Printing apparatus

Abstract

To automatically determine whether or not a support member is appropriate with a simple configuration in a printer in which the support member that supports a substrate is automatically replaceable.SOLUTION: A control device of a work apparatus reads a first reading object portion and a second reading object portion of a support member held by a transport jig after the transport jig is carried in, and determines a size of the support member relative to the transport jig. The first reading object portion is provided on a third side portion adjacent to a first side portion supported by a first arm at an outer edge portion of a bottom surface of the support member. The second reading object portion is provided on a fourth side portion opposing the third side portion at the outer edge portion of the bottom surface of the support member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification discloses a working device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a working device capable of automatically exchanging a substrate support member for supporting a substrate has been known. For example, in Patent Document 1, a transfer jig with a substrate support member pre-attached is carried into the inside, the substrate support member is taken out from the carried-in transfer jig and placed on a support table (table), and the transfer jig after taking out the substrate support member is carried out. A printing device is disclosed. The transfer jig has a frame body, a plurality of arm portions extending inward from the frame body, and concave projection holding portions (first to fourth projection holding portions) respectively disposed on the upper surface portions of the tips of the respective arm portions. The projection holding portions are arranged in pairs in the left-right direction. The substrate support member is provided with a pair of columnar projection portions arranged so as to project from the left and right of the main body portion. The pair of projection portions are respectively held by the corresponding projection holding portions of the transfer jig. Further, the second projection holding portion and the fourth projection holding portion that are paired on the left and right of the transfer jig can adjust the positions in the front-rear direction so that a plurality of types of substrate support members having different sizes can be attached. The operator adjusts the positions of the second projection holding portion and the fourth projection holding portion according to the substrate support member to be used, attaches the substrate support member to the transfer jig, stores the transfer jig in the storage portion, and sets it on the printing device main body. Further, when the operator stores the transfer jig in the storage portion, the operator reads the barcodes attached to the substrate support member and the transfer jig with a barcode reader as necessary to check whether the correct members are stored in the storage portion. The printing device main body takes out the transfer jig to which the substrate support member is attached from the storage portion and conveys (carries in) it forward so that the substrate support member is located above the support table. Subsequently, the printing device main body raises the support table to lift the plurality of projection portions of the substrate support member from the respective projection holding portions of the transfer jig. Further, the printing device main body moves the transfer jig backward and then lowers the support table, conveys (carries out) the transfer jig backward, and fixes the substrate support member on the support table.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2016 / 199207 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a method in which an operator reads barcodes attached to the substrate support member and the transport jig using a barcode reader to perform verification. However, verification by an operator is burdensome, and there is a risk of forgetting to perform the verification. Therefore, it is desirable to automatically determine whether the support member is appropriate using a simple configuration.

[0005] The primary purpose of this disclosure is to automatically determine whether a support member is appropriate or not using a simple configuration, in a system where the support member for a substrate can be automatically replaced. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This disclosure employs the following means to achieve the primary objectives described above.

[0007] The first work apparatus of this disclosure is a work apparatus for performing work on a substrate on a support member installed on a table, comprising: a control device that controls the automatic replacement of the support member by bringing in a transport jig holding the support member; and a reading device that reads a readable portion provided on the support member, wherein the transport jig includes a first arm member that supports a first side portion on the outer edge of the bottom surface of the support member, and a second arm member that is arranged so that its tips face each other and faces the first side portion on the outer edge of the bottom surface. The device includes a second arm member that supports the edge portion, the support member having a reading portion which includes a first reading portion provided on a third edge adjacent to the first edge on the outer edge of the bottom surface, and a second reading portion provided on a fourth edge facing the third edge on the outer edge of the bottom surface, the control device determines the size of the support member by reading the first reading portion and the second reading portion of the support member with the reading device after the transport jig holding the support member has been brought in.

[0008] The control device of the first work apparatus in this disclosure reads a first readable portion and a second readable portion of a support member held by a transport jig after the transport jig has been brought in, and determines the size of the support member relative to the transport jig. The first readable portion is provided on the third side of the bottom outer edge of the support member, adjacent to the first side supported by the first arm, and the second readable portion is provided on the fourth side of the bottom outer edge of the support member, opposite to the third side. Therefore, by reading the first readable portion and the second readable portion of the support member, the distance between the third side and the fourth side, i.e., the size of the support member, can be determined. As a result, in a system where the support member supporting the substrate is automatically replaceable, it is possible to determine whether the support member is appropriate with a simple configuration.

[0009] The second work apparatus of this disclosure comprises a work apparatus body for performing work on a substrate on a support member installed on a table, a storage section capable of accommodating a plurality of transport jigs capable of holding the support member vertically, and a storage section lifting device for raising and lowering the storage section, wherein the work apparatus includes a storage unit that stores in advance as support member information information by associating information identifying the transport jigs stored in the storage section with information identifying the support member held by the transport jig, a readable section on the side surface of the transport jig on which information identifying the transport jig is inscribed, the work apparatus body includes a reading unit for reading the readable section, and is capable of loading a transport jig that is in a predetermined lifting position among the transport jigs stored in the storage section, and the reading unit reads the readable section when the storage section is raised and lowered and the readable section passes the reading unit, and determines whether the support member held by the transport jig is appropriate based on the read information and the support member information stored in the storage unit.

[0010] The second work apparatus of this disclosure comprises a work apparatus body, a storage unit, a storage unit lifting device, and a storage unit. The storage unit pre-stores information identifying a transport jig stored in the storage unit and information identifying a support member held by the transport jig, as support member information. The work apparatus body can load a transport jig that is in a predetermined lifting position from among the transport jigs stored in the storage unit. Furthermore, the work apparatus body is equipped with a reading unit, which reads the read portion provided on the side of the transport jig as the storage unit is raised and lowered by the storage unit lifting device and the read portion passes the reading unit, and determines whether the support member held by the transport jig is appropriate based on the information read and the support member information stored in the storage unit. This makes it possible to determine whether the support member is appropriate before loading the transport jig holding the support member, with a simple configuration, in a system where the support member supporting the substrate can be automatically replaced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the working apparatus disclosed herein. [Figure 2]It is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the working device. [Figure 3] It is a side view showing the internal structure of the working device. [Figure 4] It is a block diagram showing the electrical connection relationship of the working device. [Figure 5A] It is a perspective view of the support member seen from the upper surface side. [Figure 5B] It is a perspective view of the support member seen from the bottom surface side. [Figure 6A] It is a perspective view of the support member seen from the upper surface side. [Figure 6B] It is a perspective view of the support member seen from the bottom surface side. [Figure 7] It is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the reader and the storage rack. [Figure 8] It is an external perspective view of the transfer jig. [Figure 9] It is an external perspective view of the transfer jig with the support member attached. [Figure 10] It is a schematic configuration diagram of the arm member. [Figure 11] It is a schematic configuration diagram of the pusher. [Figure 12] It is a partially enlarged view of the pusher. [Figure 13] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation when removing the support member from the transfer jig. [Figure 14] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation when removing the support member from the transfer jig. [Figure 15] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation when removing the support member from the transfer jig. [Figure 16] It is a flowchart showing an example of the support member loading process. [Figure 17] It is a flowchart showing an example of the support member loading process. [Figure 18] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the support substrate information stored in the storage device.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0012] Next, embodiments for implementing the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the working device 10 of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the working device 10. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the internal configuration of the working device 10. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the electrical connection relationship of the working device. In FIGS. 1 to 3, the left-right direction is the X-axis, the front-back direction is the Y-axis, and the up-down direction is the Z-axis.

[0014] The working device 10 performs predetermined work on the substrate S supported by the substrate support member 90. In the present embodiment, as the predetermined work, the working device 10 is configured as a printing device that pushes the solder paste on the screen mask M into the pattern holes P1 and P2 formed in the screen mask M using the squeegee 22, and thereby applies (prints) the solder paste to the lower substrate S through the pattern holes P1 and P2. The working device 10 is combined with a mounting device that mounts electronic components on the substrate S on which solder is printed to constitute a component mounting system. Further, when the working device 10 performs a setup change to change the printing target to different types of substrates S, it is possible to automatically exchange the screen mask M and automatically exchange using the transfer jig 80 of the substrate support member 90.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the working device 10 includes a working device main body 11, an exchange device 60, a storage rack 70, and a control device 100. The working device main body 11 includes a head device 20 including a head 21, a support rail 29 that supports the screen mask M and the transfer jig 80, first and second substrate transfer support devices 30 and 40 that transfer and support the substrate S by a dual lane, a camera device 50, and a reader 65. Further, the working device 10 also includes an operation panel that is installed in front of the working device main body 11, displays various information, and enables various input operations by an operator.

[0016] The head unit 20 is installed on the upper part of the work device body 11. As shown in Figure 1, the head unit 20 includes a head 21 and a head moving device 26 that moves the head 21 in the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction), which is the printing direction. The head moving device 26 has a Y-axis slider 27 that moves along a guide rail 28 that extends in the front-to-back direction, and a motor that drives the Y-axis slider 27. The head 21 includes a squeegee 22, a squeegee lifting device 23 that raises and lowers the squeegee 22, for example by an air cylinder, and a pusher 24 and a pusher lifting device 25 that raises and lowers the pusher 24, for example by an air cylinder. The squeegee 22 is a plate-shaped member that extends in the left-to-right direction (X-axis direction) perpendicular to the printing direction. The pusher 24 is lowered by the pusher lifting device 25 and, while protruding downwards, is moved back and forth by the head moving device 26 to push and transport the screen mask M and transport jig 80 on the support rail 29. The pusher 24 is also used when replacing the substrate support member 90 using the transport jig 80 to retrieve the substrate support member 90 from the table 36, 46 into the transport jig 80 that has been brought onto the support rail 29, or to remove the substrate support member 90 from the transport jig 80 that has been brought onto the support rail 29 while holding the substrate support member 90 and place it on the table 36, 46.

[0017] The screen mask M is a thin metal plate and is fixed to a rectangular frame F with a predetermined tension. The screen mask M has pattern holes P1 and P2 formed therein for printing solder onto the substrate S, which is transported and supported by the first and second substrate transport and support devices 30 and 40, respectively.

[0018] As shown in Figure 3, the support rails 29 are a pair of left and right rails extending in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction), and are installed between the head device 20 and the first and second substrate transport support devices 30 and 40. The support rails 29 support the screen mask M and transport jig 80 in a horizontal position and guide the screen mask M and transport jig 80, which are pushed by the pusher 24, to move along the front-rear direction.

[0019] The first and second substrate transport and support devices 30 and 40 transport and support substrates S, and also bring the supported substrates S into contact with and separate from the screen mask M on the support rail 29. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the first and second substrate transport and support devices 30 and 40 include conveyor devices 31 and 41, conveyor spacing changing devices 34 and 44, conveyor lifting devices 35 and 45, tables 36 and 46, and support member lifting devices 37 and 47. The conveyor devices 31 and 41 have conveyor belts provided on a pair of front and rear side frames 33s and 43s, respectively, and motors that drive the conveyor belts in a circular motion. The pair of side frames 33s and 43s are erected on the base frames 33b and 43b, and substrate guides 32 and 42 are provided at the upper ends of the pair of side frames 33s and 43s. The conveyor spacing changing devices 34 and 44 change (adjust) the spacing of the conveyor belt by moving one or both of the pair of side frames 33s and 43s closer together or further apart. This allows the first and second substrate transport and support devices 30 and 40 to transport and support substrates S of different sizes. The conveyor lifting devices 35 and 45 raise and lower the conveyor devices 31 and 41 (conveyor belts) by raising and lowering the support columns that support the base frames 33b and 43b. The tables 36 and 46 are support bases having an upper surface on which a substrate support member 90 can be installed. The support member lifting devices 37 and 47 raise and lower the substrate support member 90 installed on the tables 36 and 46 by raising and lowering the support columns that support the tables 36 and 46.

[0020] The substrate support member 90 supports the substrate S from below, and as shown in Figures 5A, 5B, 6A, and 6B, it is replaced with one of a size suitable for supporting the substrate S depending on the substrate S. The substrate support member 90 comprises a support member body 91 and an adapter 92 that is detachably attached to the bottom surface of the support member body 91. The upper surface of the support member body 91 has a recess 91a formed therein. The recess 91a is provided, for example, when producing a substrate S with components mounted on both the front and back surfaces, so as not to interfere with the mounted components when printing solder paste on one side of the substrate S and mounting components, and then printing solder paste on the other side of the substrate S. For this reason, the support member body 91 is a dedicated part for producing that substrate S, but since the adapter 92 is detachable from the support member body 91, if the substrate S to be produced is changed, if the size is compatible, only the support member body 91 needs to be replaced, and the adapter 92 can be used as is. Furthermore, an identification mark 91b for recognizing the support member body 91 is provided on the upper surface of the support member body 91. In this embodiment, the identification mark 91b is an ID code containing unique information for identifying the support member body 91.

[0021] The first side portion 92a of the bottom outer edge of the adapter 92 is provided with a pair of first pin members 94a (first engaged portion) that engage with the first arm member 82a, which is one of a pair of arm members 82 of the transport jig 80 that holds the substrate support member 90. The second side portion 92b of the bottom outer edge of the adapter 92, which is opposite the first side portion 92a, is provided with a pair of second pin members 94b (second engaged portion) that engage with the second arm member 82b, which is the other of the pair of arm members 82.

[0022] Furthermore, two first recognition marks 93c are formed on the third side 92c adjacent to (orthogonal to) the first side 92a on the outer edge of the bottom surface of the adapter 92. In addition, two second recognition marks 93d are formed on the fourth side 92d facing the third side 92c on the outer edge of the bottom surface of the adapter 92. The first and second recognition marks 93c and 93d are for recognizing the position and size (front-to-back width) of the substrate support member 90 when the work device body 11 replaces the substrate support member 90.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the camera device 50 comprises a camera body 51 and a camera moving device 55 that moves the camera body 51 in the forward, backward, left, and right directions (XY direction). The camera moving device 55 has an X-axis slider 56, a motor that drives the X-axis slider 56, a Y-axis slider 58, and a motor that drives the Y-axis slider 58. The Y-axis slider 58 is a long member that extends left and right and is spanned between a pair of left and right Y-axis guide rails 59, and moves back and forth along the Y-axis guide rails 59. The X-axis slider 56 moves left and right along the X-axis guide rail 57 provided on the Y-axis slider 58. The camera body 51 is fixed to the X-axis slider 56 and has two imaging fields (upper reading section 52, lower reading section 53) vertically. The camera device 50 acquires the position of the substrate S by imaging the marks formed on the upper surface of the substrate S, which has been transported and supported by the first and second substrate transport and support devices 30 and 40, with the lower reading unit 53. The camera device 50 also acquires the position and size (width in the front-to-back direction) of the substrate support member 90 (adapter 92), which has been transported onto the support rail 29 together with the transport jig 80, by imaging the marks (first and second recognition marks 93c, 93d) formed on the lower surface of the substrate support member 90 (support member body 91), which has been transported onto the support rail 29 together with the transport jig 80, with the upper reading unit 52. Furthermore, the camera device 50 acquires identification information of the support member body 91 by imaging the marks (recognition mark 91b) formed on the upper surface of the substrate support member 90 (support member body 91) which has been placed on the tables 36 and 46, with the lower reading unit 53.

[0024] The replacement device 60 receives a storage rack 70 containing replacement components such as a screen mask M and a transport jig 80, and transports the replacement components between the storage rack 70 and the work device body 11. The replacement device 60 comprises a left unit 61a installed on the left side of the front of the work device body 11, and a right unit 61b installed on the right side of the front of the work device body 11. The left unit 61a and the right unit 61b each have a rack support member 62 that receives the storage rack 70 and supports its lower surface from both the left and right sides, and a rack lifting device 63 that raises and lowers the rack support member 62. The rack lifting device 63 is configured, for example, by a combination of a ball screw mechanism and a motor, or by a linear motor. The storage rack 70, supported by the rack support member 62, is raised and lowered together with the rack support member 62 by the rack lifting device 63. Furthermore, the left unit 61a and the right unit 61b have a frame forward / backward movement device 64 that moves the frame of the replacement member in the storage rack 70 forward and backward from both the left and right sides using belts, rollers, etc.

[0025] The storage rack 70 has multiple rows of left and right support rails 71 arranged vertically, and each support rail 71 is a storage unit capable of accommodating replacement parts. Openings 72 and 73 are formed on the front and back of the storage rack 70 and the work device body 11. Replacement parts are loaded and unloaded by an operator through the front opening 72, and moved in and out by the frame forward / backward movement device 64 through the rear opening 73. With the storage rack 70 received by the replacement device 60, the frame forward / backward movement device 64 sends the replacement parts supported on the support rails 71 of the storage rack 70 that are located at approximately the same height as the support rails 29 of the work device body 11, via the rack lifting device 63, to the work device body 11. The frame forward / backward movement device 64 also sends the replacement parts supported on the support rails 29 of the work device body 11 to the support rails 71 of the storage rack 70 that are located at approximately the same height as the support rails 29. The storage rack 70 may be transported to the receiving position of the exchange device 60 by an operator, or it may be loaded onto an automated guided vehicle (AGV) and automatically transported to the receiving position of the exchange device 60 by the AGV.

[0026] The reader 65 detects the orientation of the transport fixture 80 housed in the storage rack 70 and acquires identification information of the transport fixture 80. As shown in Figure 7, the reader 65 is positioned on the front of the work device body 11 so as to face the side of the transport fixture 80 (frame 81) housed in the storage rack 70 when the exchange device 60 has received the storage rack 70. An identification mark 83 for recognizing the transport fixture 80 is provided on one side of the transport fixture 80. In this embodiment, the identification mark 83 is an ID code containing unique information for identifying the transport fixture 80. The orientation of the transport fixture 80 and its identification information are acquired when the storage rack 70 containing the transport fixture 80 is raised and lowered by the rack lifting device 63, and the reader 65 reads the identification mark 83 as the side of the transport fixture 80 passes in front of the reader 65. The orientation of the transport jig 80 is determined to be correct if the reader 65 can recognize the recognition mark 83, and incorrect if the reader 65 cannot recognize the recognition mark 83 of the transport jig 80.

[0027] The transport jig 80 is a jig used for loading and unloading substrate support members 90, and as shown in Figures 8 and 9, it comprises a rectangular frame 81 and a pair of arm members 82 (first arm member 82a, second arm member 82b) fixed to the frame 81 so that their ends face each other and hold the substrate support members 90 from both sides. In this embodiment, the transport jig 80 has two sets of pairs of arm members 82 for holding the substrate support members 90, and each set can transport the substrate support members 90 used in the first and second substrate transport support devices 30 and 40 at once.

[0028] Each arm member 82 (first arm member 82a, second arm member 82b) has a base member 821, an arm plate 822, a retaining member 823, a side plate 825, a lock plate 826, and a lock block 827, as shown in Figure 10. For ease of understanding the configuration, the front side plate 825 and lock plate 826 are shown with dashed lines in Figure 10. The base member 821 is fixed to the frame 81. The base end of the arm plate 822 is rotatably supported by the base member 821, and the retaining member 823 is rotatably attached to the tip of the arm plate 822. The side plates 825 are provided on both sides of the arm plate 822. The base end of the side plate 825 is rotatably supported by the base member 821, and the retaining member 823 is rotatably attached to the tip of the side plate 825. Furthermore, the side plate 825 biases the arm plate 822 upward by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 824 provided on the pivot axis on the base member 821 side. The side plate 825 is also positioned in a substantially horizontal position by a stopper formed on the base member 821, and holds the arm plate 822 in a substantially horizontal position. The holding member 823 constitutes the tip of the arm member 82 and engages with a pair of first pin members 94a provided on the first side portion 92a or a pair of second pin members 94b provided on the second side portion 92b of the bottom outer edge of the substrate support member 90, thereby holding the substrate support member 90. As a result, the substrate support member 90 is held from both sides by the tip portions (holding member 823) of the pair of arm members 82. The substrate support member 90, held by the pair of arm members 82, is detached from the transport jig 80 and placed on the tables 36 and 46 when the arm plates 822 of the pair of arm members 82 are pressed down and spread apart above the tables 36 and 46.

[0029] The locking plate 826 locks the arm plate 822 so that it cannot be pressed. The locking plates 826 are positioned on both sides of the arm plate 822, and a locking block 827 is fixed between the two locking plates 826 so as to be located below the arm plate 822. The base end of the locking plate 826 is rotatably mounted on the base member 821 at a position eccentric with respect to the pivot axis on the base end side of the arm plate 822, and is pulled toward the arm plate 822 by the biasing force of a tension spring 828 that is engaged with the locking plate 826 and the arm plate 822 at the tip side of the base end. The locking block 827 locks the arm plate 822 so that it cannot be pressed by engaging with a notch 822c formed on the lower surface of the arm plate 822. Furthermore, the tips of both locking plates 826 protrude upward from the arm plate 822 when the locking block 827 is engaged with the notch 822c of the arm plate 822.

[0030] In the arm member 82 configured in this way, the arm plate 822 is locked in place so that it cannot be pushed down by the biasing force of the tension spring 828 causing the lock block 827 to engage with the notch 822c of the arm plate 822. Therefore, even if an unintended force is applied to the substrate support member 90 or the arm plate 822, the arm member 82 (arm plate 822) will not be pushed down, and the substrate support member 90 will not detach. The lock of the lock plate 826 can be released by pressing the tip of the lock plate 826 that protrudes above the arm plate 822.

[0031] The lock plate 826 is unlocked and the arm plate 822 is pushed down by a single pusher 24. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the pusher 24 has a pair of front and rear pusher plates 241 positioned on the left and right sides at a distance corresponding to the distance between the pair of arm members 82, and a pusher roller 242 positioned between each pair of front and rear pusher plates 241. When the pusher 24 is lowered above the pair of arm members 82 by the pusher lifting device 25, the lower ends of the pair of pusher plates 241 come into contact with the tip of the lock plate 826, and the tip of the lock plate 826 is pushed down by the pusher plates 241 (see Figure 13). When the tip of the lock plate 826 is pushed down, the lock block 827 descends, and the engagement between the lock block 827 and the notch 822c of the arm plate 822 is released (see Figure 14). This unlocks the arm plate 822. As the pusher 24 descends further, the pusher roller 242 comes into contact with the arm plate 822, and the arm plate 822 is pushed down by the pusher roller 242 (see Figure 15). As a result, the pair of arm members 82 are pushed apart, and the substrate support member 90 held by the pair of arm members 82 detaches from the arm members 82.

[0032] The control device 100 is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU, and in addition to the CPU, it includes ROM, RAM, storage device 101, input / output ports, etc. The control device 100 exchanges signals with the head device 20, the first and second substrate transport support devices 30, 40, camera device 50, exchange device 60, reader 65, etc. The control device 100 is also communicatively connected to a management device 200 that manages the entire work system, including the work device 10. The management device 200 manages the progress status of the line, including the work device 10.

[0033] The operation of the work apparatus 10 configured in this way will be explained. In particular, the operation of changing the setup to replace the screen mask M and the substrate support member 90 will be explained. The setup change is performed by setting the storage rack 70 in the exchange device 60 and executing the mask unloading process, the support member unloading process, the support member loading process, and the mask loading process in this order.

[0034] The mask unloading process involves unloading the screen mask M, which is supported by the support rails 29 of the work device body 11, and storing it in the storage rack 70. In this mask unloading process, the control device 100 controls the rack lifting device 63 so that the empty support rails 71 of the storage rack 70 are at approximately the same height as the support rails 29 of the work device body 11. Next, the control device 100 controls the head moving device 26 so that the screen mask M, supported by the support rails 29, is pushed forward by the pusher 24 and unloaded from the work device body 11. Then, the control device 100 controls the frame forward / backward moving device 64 so that the unloaded screen mask M is stored in the storage rack 70. Note that the mask loading process is basically performed by the reverse operation of the mask unloading process, so its explanation is omitted.

[0035] The support member unloading process involves using a transport jig 80 to unload the substrate support members 90 from the tables 36 and 46 of the work device body 11 and storing them in the storage rack 70. The support member loading process involves using the transport jig 80 to load the substrate support members 90 from the storage rack 70 and placing them on the tables 36 and 46 of the work device body 11. Figures 16 and 17 are flowcharts showing an example of the support member loading process executed by the control device 100. Note that the support member unloading process is basically performed by the reverse operation of the support member loading process, so its explanation is omitted.

[0036] In the support member loading process, the control device 100 first controls the rack lifting device 63 so that the storage rack 70 rises until the support rail 71 supporting the transport jig 80 to be loaded is at approximately the same height as the support rail 29 of the work device body 11 (step S100). Next, the control device 100 performs a reading operation in which the reader 65 reads the recognition mark 83 provided on the side of the transport jig 80 (frame 81) as the side of the transport jig 80 passes the reader 65 (step S110), and determines whether the reading was successful or not (step S120). If the control device 100 determines that the reading failed, it determines that the orientation of the transport jig 80 in the storage rack 70 may be incorrect, and outputs an error to the operation panel without loading the transport jig 80 (step S290), and terminates the support member loading process.

[0037] On the other hand, when the control device 100 determines that the reading was successful, it performs a verification process to compare the read information (step S130) and determines whether the verification was successful or not (step S140). The verification process determines whether the substrate support member 90 held by the transport jig 80 that is about to be transported is correct or not. Specifically, the verification process is performed by recognizing the substrate support member 90 held by the transport jig 80 from the support member information stored in the storage device 101 based on the identification information of the transport jig 80 acquired in step S110, and determining whether the recognized substrate support member 90 matches the substrate support member 90 that was requested to be replaced during the setup change. As shown in Figure 18, the support member information is stored in the storage device 101 with the identification information of the transport jig 80 and the identification information of the substrate support member 90 associated with each other. Support member information can be pre-stored in the storage device 101, for example, when an operator sets the substrate support member 90 on the transport jig 80, by reading the recognition mark 83 on the transport jig 80 and the recognition mark 91b on the substrate support member 90 using a reader.

[0038] If the control device 100 determines that the verification has failed ("NO" in step S140), it determines that the incorrect substrate support member 90 is being held in the transport jig 80 that is about to be loaded, and without loading the transport jig 80, outputs an error to the operation panel (step S290) and terminates the support member loading process.

[0039] On the other hand, if the control device 100 determines that the verification was successful ("YES" in step S140), it then controls the transport so that the two substrate support members 90 held by the transport jig 80 are transported above the tables 36 and 46 of the first and second substrate transport support devices 30 and 40 (step S150). That is, the control device 100 controls the frame forward / backward movement device 64 so that the transport jig 80 is sent from the storage rack 70 to the support rail 29. Then, the control device 100 lowers the pusher 24 with the pusher lifting device 25 and controls the head movement device 26 so that the pusher 24 pushes the transport jig 80 on the support rail 29 backward for transport.

[0040] Next, the control device 100 controls the camera device 50 to read the first and second recognition marks 93c and 93d, which are provided on the bottom surface of the substrate support member 90 held in the transport jig 80 that has been brought in, at predetermined positions using the upper reading unit 52 of the camera body 51 (step S160). Subsequently, the control device 100 recognizes the front-to-back width (size) of the substrate support member 90 based on the positions of the read first and second recognition marks 93c and 93d (step S170), and determines whether the recognized size is appropriate or not (step S180). This determination can be made based on the size information of the substrate S to be produced next. If the control device 100 determines that the size of the substrate support member 90 held in the transport jig 80 that has been brought in is not appropriate, it unloads the transport jig 80 into the storage rack 70 (step S190). Specifically, the control device 100 controls the head moving device 26 to push the transport jig 80 on the support rail 29 forward using the pusher 24 and to transport it out, and also controls the frame forward / backward moving device 64 to transfer the transport jig 80 from the support rail 29 to the storage rack 70. Then, the control device 100 outputs an error to the operation panel (step S290) and terminates the support member transport process.

[0041] Meanwhile, when the control device 100 determines that the size of the substrate support member 90 held by the transport jig 80 that has been brought in is appropriate, it controls the support member lifting device 37 or 47 so that the table 36 or 46 rises to the printing height (step S200). Subsequently, the control device 100 controls the pusher lifting device 25 so that the pusher 24 descends directly above the raised table (step S210), and waits for a predetermined time to elapse (step S220). Here, the predetermined time is the waiting time until the substrate support member 90 detaches from the transport jig 80 and is placed on the table 36 or 46. As described above, when the pusher 24 descends, the left and right pair of pusher plates 241 first come into contact with the lock plates 826 of the pair of arm members 82 and press them down, releasing the lock of the arm plates 822. As the pusher 24 descends further, the left and right pair of pusher rollers 242 come into contact with the corresponding arm plates 822 and press them down, spreading the pair of arm members 82 apart. As a result, the substrate support member 90 detaches from the pair of arm members 82 and is placed on the table. In this way, the substrate support member 90 can be detached from the transport jig 80 and placed on the table by simple control, which involves only lowering the pusher 24 from directly above the pair of arm members 82.

[0042] When the control device 100 places the substrate support member 90 on the table 36 or 46, it controls the support member lifting device 37 or 47 so that the table 36 or 46 descends to its initial position (step S230). The control device 100 then places the other substrate support member 90, held by the transport jig 80, on the other table using similar control. As described above, the spacing between the front and rear conveyor belts of the conveyor devices 31 and 41 is changed (adjusted) by the conveyor spacing changing devices 34 and 44 based on the size information of the substrate S to be transported. Therefore, if a substrate support member 90 that is larger than the size information of the substrate S to be transported is brought in, the substrate support member 90 may interfere with the conveyor devices 31 and 41 when placed on the table 36 or 46, potentially causing damage to the substrate support member 90 or the conveyor devices 31 and 41. In this embodiment, the control device 100 confirms that the front-to-back width (size) of the transported substrate support member 90 is appropriate before placing the substrate support member 90 on the tables 36 and 46, thereby preventing the substrate support member 90 from interfering with the conveyor devices 31 and 41.

[0043] Next, the control device 100 controls the camera device 50 to read the recognition mark 91b provided on the upper surface of the substrate support member 90 (support member body 91) placed on the tables 36 and 46 using the lower reading unit 53 of the camera body 51 (step S240). Subsequently, the control device 100 performs a verification process to compare the identification information of the support member body 91 obtained by reading the recognition mark 91b (step S250), and determines whether the verification was successful or not (step S260). The verification process is performed by determining whether the support member body 91 recognized by the acquired identification information matches the support member body 91 that was requested to be replaced during the setup change. If the control device 100 determines that the verification has failed, it retrieves the substrate support member 90 placed on the tables 36 and 46 onto the transport jig 80 on the support rail 29 (step S270). This process is performed in the same manner as the support member unloading process. In other words, the control device 100 lowers the pusher 24 directly above the table on which the substrate support member 90 is placed, spreading the pair of arm members 82 apart, raising the table to the printing height, and raising the pusher 24 to hold the substrate support member 90 in place by the pair of arm members 82.

[0044] Meanwhile, when the control device 100 determines that the verification is successful, it moves the transport jig 80, which has removed the substrate support member 90, to the storage rack 70 (step S300), and ends the support member loading process. In other words, the control device 100 controls the head moving device 26 and the frame forward / backward moving device 64 so that the transport jig 80, which is supported on the support rail 29, is pushed forward by the pusher 24 and moved out of the work device body 11 and stored in the storage rack 70.

[0045] Here, the correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the present disclosure as described in the claims will be explained. Specifically, the substrate support member 90 corresponds to the support member, the work device 10 corresponds to the work device, the transport jig 80 corresponds to the transport jig, the control device 100 corresponds to the control device, the camera device 50 corresponds to the reading device, the first arm member 82a corresponds to the first arm member, the second arm member 82b corresponds to the second arm member, the first recognition mark 93c corresponds to the first readable part, and the second recognition mark 93d corresponds to the second readable part. In addition, the support member body 91 corresponds to the support member body, and the adapter 92 corresponds to the adapter. In addition, the recognition mark 91b corresponds to the third readable part. In addition, the pusher 24 corresponds to the pressing member, and the pusher lifting device 25 corresponds to the pressing member lifting device. Furthermore, the work device body 11 corresponds to the work device body, the storage rack 70 corresponds to the storage section, the rack lifting device 63 corresponds to the storage section lifting device, the memory device 101 corresponds to the storage section, and the recognition mark 83 corresponds to the read section.

[0046] It goes without saying that this disclosure is not limited in any way to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of this disclosure.

[0047] For example, in the embodiment described above, the work apparatus 10 is provided with two lanes for transporting and supporting the substrate S, but it may also be provided with only one lane.

[0048] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiments explained the application of the work apparatus of this disclosure to a printing apparatus, it is not limited thereto. It may be applied to any work apparatus that performs work on a substrate supported by a support member, such as a component mounting apparatus, and in which the support member can be automatically replaced.

[0049] As described above, the control device of the first work apparatus of this disclosure reads the first readable portion and the second readable portion of the support member held by the transport jig after the transport jig has been brought in, and determines the size of the support member relative to the transport jig. The first readable portion is provided on the third side of the bottom outer edge of the support member, adjacent to the first side supported by the first arm, and the second readable portion is provided on the fourth side of the bottom outer edge of the support member, opposite to the third side. Therefore, by reading the first readable portion and the second readable portion of the support member, the distance between the third side and the fourth side, i.e., the size of the support member, can be determined. As a result, in a system in which the support member supporting the substrate can be automatically replaced, it is possible to determine whether the support member is appropriate with a simple configuration.

[0050] In the first work apparatus of this disclosure, the control device may, if it determines that the size of the support member is appropriate, remove the support member from the transport jig and place it on the table, and if it determines that the size of the support member is not appropriate, not place the support member on the table. This prevents interference with other components in the work apparatus caused by placing support members of different sizes on the table.

[0051] In this case, the support member includes a support member body that supports the substrate on its upper surface, and an adapter detachably attached to the bottom surface of the support member body. The first reading portion may be provided on the third side of the bottom outer edge of the adapter, and the second reading portion may be provided on the fourth side of the bottom outer edge of the adapter. By making the adapter detachable from the support member body, even when changing the substrate being produced, only the support member body can be replaced, and the adapter can be used as is.

[0052] Furthermore, in this case, a third readable section is provided on the upper surface of the support member body, on which unique information of the support member body is inscribed, and the reading device is capable of reading both vertically and horizontally. The control device may, after placing the support member on the table, read the third readable section with the reading device to determine whether the support member body is appropriate or not. This allows for a more reliable determination of whether the support member body is appropriate or not.

[0053] Furthermore, in the first working device of this disclosure, a pressing member and a pressing member lifting device for raising and lowering the pressing member are provided, and the first arm member and the second arm member are configured to be rotatable about pivot axes arranged parallel to each other, and hold the support member at a predetermined rotation position where their respective tip ends face each other, and release the hold on the support member when they press against each other, and the control device may, when it determines that the size of the support member is appropriate, control the pressing member lifting device to lower the pressing member, thereby pressing the first arm member and the second arm member with the pressing member and placing the support member on the table. In this way, the support member can be automatically replaced with simple control.

[0054] The second work apparatus of this disclosure comprises a work apparatus body, a storage unit, a storage unit lifting device, and a storage unit. The storage unit pre-stores information identifying a transport jig stored in the storage unit and information identifying a support member held by the transport jig, as support member information. The work apparatus body can load a transport jig that is in a predetermined lifting position from among the transport jigs stored in the storage unit. Furthermore, the work apparatus body is equipped with a reading unit, and when the storage unit is raised and lowered by the storage unit lifting device and a readable part provided on the side of the transport jig passes the reading unit, the reading unit reads the readable part and determines whether the support member held by the transport jig is appropriate based on the read information and the support member information stored in the storage unit. As a result, in a system in which the support member supporting the substrate can be automatically replaced, it is possible to determine whether the support member is appropriate with a simple configuration before loading the transport jig holding the support member. [Industrial applicability]

[0055] This disclosure can be used in industries such as the manufacturing of conveying jigs, support members, and work equipment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10 Working device, 11 Working device body, 20 Head device, 21 Head, 22 Squeegee, 23 Squeegee lifting device, 24 Pusher, 25 Pusher lifting device, 26 Head moving device, 27 Y-axis slider, 28 Guide rail, 29 Support rail, 30 First substrate transport support device, 31,41 Conveyor device, 32,42 Substrate guide, 33b,43b Base frame, 33s,43s Side frame, 34,44 Conveyor spacing changing device, 35,45 Conveyor lifting device, 36,46 Table, 37,47 Support member lifting device, 40 Second substrate transport support device, 50 Camera device, 51 Camera body, 52 Upper reading unit, 53 Lower reading unit, 55 Camera moving device, 56 X-axis slider, 57 X-axis guide rail, 58 Y-axis slider, 59 Y-axis guide rail, 60 Replacement device, 61a Left unit, 61b Right unit, 62 Rack support member, 63 Rack lifting device, 64 Frame forward / backward movement device, 65 Leader, 70 Storage rack, 71 Support rail, 72, 73 Opening, 80 Transport jig, 81 Frame body, 82 Arm member, 82a First arm member, 82b Second arm member, 83 Recognition mark, 90 Substrate support member, 91 Support member body, 91a Recess, 91b Recognition mark, 92 Adapter, 92a First side, 92b Second side, 92c Third side, 92d Fourth side, 93c First recognition mark, 93d Second recognition mark, 94a First pin member, 94b Second pin member, 100 Control device, 101 Storage device, 200 Management device, 241 Pusher plate, 242 Pusher roller, 821 base member, 822 arm plate, 822c notch, 823 retaining member, 824 torsion coil spring, 825 side plate, 826 lock plate, 827 lock block, 828 tension spring, F frame, M screen mask, P1, P2 pattern holes, S substrate.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus for applying solder paste to a substrate via a screen mask, A support member that supports the circuit board from below, with reading sections provided on both the top and bottom surfaces, A camera device having two imaging fields, one above and one below, which reads the reading area on the upper surface and the reading area on the lower surface, A printing device equipped with a printer.

2. A transport jig capable of holding the support member, and a rail for guiding the movement of the screen mask, A table on which the support member can be installed, Furthermore, The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the camera device comprises an upper reading unit that reads the reading portion provided on the lower surface of the support member held by the transport jig on the rail from below the support member, and a lower reading unit that reads the reading portion provided on the upper surface of the support member on the table from above the support member.

3. A lifting device for raising and lowering the table, When the support member held by the transport jig is transported to the printing device along the rail, the control device controls the camera device to read the reading portion provided on the lower surface of the support member held by the transport jig on the rail from below the support member, and after controlling the lifting device to raise and lower the table and place the support member on the table, the control device controls the camera device to read the reading portion provided on the upper surface of the support member on the table from above the support member, The printing apparatus according to claim 2, comprising:

Images