Buffer Conveyor Y-Direction Positioning for Substrate Conveyance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The conventional substrate conveying system for electronic component mounting devices faces inefficiencies in conveying printed substrates due to misaligned loading and unloading positions, leading to delays and reduced conveyance efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates upstream-side and downstream-side buffer conveyors that move between the mounting device conveyor and the upstream/downstream conveyors to temporarily hold substrates, allowing for simultaneous loading and unloading and minimizing delays by adjusting positions in the Y direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a substrate distributing apparatus is used to move printed substrates between conveyors, then substrate distribution is enabled, but conveyance efficiency decreases due to inability to simultaneously load and unload substrates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the substrate distributing apparatus movable in the Y-direction (perpendicular to conveying direction) rather than fixed. The apparatus can dynamically adjust its position to align with either the upstream conveyor for loading or downstream conveyor for unloading, enabling continuous operation without waiting for substrate processing to complete. This dynamic positioning capability resolves the contradiction by maintaining operational flexibility while maximizing conveyance efficiency.
2Adaptability or versatility
If loading and unloading positions are misaligned in the Y-direction, then flexible layout is achieved, but simultaneous loading and unloading becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate distributing apparatus is designed to move in the Y-direction to bridge the gap between misaligned loading and unloading positions. When the apparatus needs to load substrates, it moves to align with the upstream conveyor; when unloading, it moves to align with the downstream conveyor. This dynamic adaptation maintains the flexible layout while enabling simultaneous loading and unloading operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable substrate distributing apparatus acts as an intermediary between the upstream and downstream conveyors. Its ability to reposition in the Y-direction allows it to mediate the transfer of substrates between misaligned positions, effectively connecting the two conveyors despite their spatial offset. This intermediary function resolves the contradiction by maintaining layout flexibility while enabling efficient simultaneous operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate conveying system includes a mounting device conveyor (8) for conveying a printed substrate (2) in a first horizontal direction, an upstream-side conveyor (6), a downstream-side conveyor (7), and a buffer conveyor. The mounting device conveyor (8) has a function of moving the printed substrate (2) in a horizontal Y direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The upstream-side conveyor (6) is spaced apart from the downstream-side conveyor (7) in the Y direction. The buffer conveyor has a function of conveying the printed substrate (2) in the first direction, and a function of moving the printed substrate (2) in the Y direction. When the mounting device conveyor (8) and the buffer conveyor are positioned in the same position in the Y direction, the printed substrate (2) is transferred from one of these conveyors to the other. The conveyance efficiency of the printed substrate (2) increases in a substrate conveying system (1) in which the loading and unloading positions of the printed substrate (2) are misaligned in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.