Adjustable Substrate Conveyance Mechanism for Variable Length Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate conveyance mechanisms struggle to efficiently handle substrates of different lengths, requiring significant changes or replacements of transport conveyor and clamp mechanisms, making it difficult to switch between various substrate types.
Innovation Solution
A substrate conveyance mechanism with a series of conveyance units, including a working unit and stand-by unit, where pulleys and belt winding forms are adjustable to accommodate substrates of varying lengths, allowing for flexible adjustment of the working area length without needing to replace the conveyance units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the transport conveyor mechanism or clamp mechanism is manufactured according to a prescribed specification from the beginning of design, then the device can reliably handle substrates of a specific size, but it becomes difficult to switch to handle substrates of different sizes without replacing the entire mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The transport conveyor mechanism is divided into multiple independent conveyance units, each with adjustable pulley configurations. This segmentation allows individual units to be adjusted for different substrate sizes without replacing the entire mechanism, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The pulley positions and belt winding forms are made dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. This allows the mechanism to adapt to different substrate sizes by changing the configuration of existing components, eliminating the need for mechanism replacement and improving versatility while maintaining simplicity.
2Productivity
If three conveyor mechanisms are arranged in series with individual driving, then carrying-in and carrying-out operations can be performed irrespective of substrate state, but the mechanism cannot easily adapt to substrates of different lengths
Solution Approach 1:
Each conveyance unit is designed with universal adjustability through multiple pulley configurations and variable belt winding forms. This allows the same mechanism to handle substrates of different lengths while maintaining continuous operation capability, resolving the contradiction between productivity and adaptability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the working area length is made variable to accommodate different substrate sizes, then the mechanism can handle multiple substrate types, but the pulley arrangement and belt configuration become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The working area is divided into multiple conveyance units with standardized pulley configurations. By segmenting the system, the complexity of variable working area is managed through modular units rather than a single complex mechanism, allowing adaptability while controlling overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The belt winding form and pulley positions are changed as adjustable parameters rather than fixed structural elements. This allows the working area length to be varied by changing these parameters, achieving adaptability without permanently increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate conveyance mechanism that includes conveyance units and a working area length change part to easily change the types of substrates to allow substrates of different lengths to be selected to mount electronic components onto the substrate. The conveyance units include a working area for substrates having different length that are conveyed from a stand-by area, an area length of the working area that is variable in accordance with the length of the substrate, and a stand-by unit corresponding to a stand-by area for the substrate to be carried in to the working area. The working area length change part changes an interval between a commonly used first pulley and one of a plurality of second pulleys selectively used in accordance with the area length of the working area by changing a belt winding path of a conveyance belt wound on the pulleys in the working unit.