Component Mounter Mark Recognition via Transmitted Illumination

Solution Overview

Problem

In liquid crystal display manufacturing, flexible film boards often deform, causing recognition errors due to wrinkles and warps, which lead to unclear imaging of marks under traditional reflected illumination methods used in component mounters.

Innovation Solution

A component mounter with an imaging camera and light emitter configuration that irradiates the board from above and uses a light reflecting member below to reflect illumination light back through the transparent end region, ensuring clear mark recognition even on deformed film boards.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If reflected illumination method is used to image marks on board, then imaging setup is simple, but mark recognition becomes unclear when board deforms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimaging setup complexityVSAvoidmark recognition clarity

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional illumination direction by placing the light source below the board and imaging camera above, using transmitted illumination instead of reflected illumination. This inversion allows light to pass through the transparent end region of the board, enabling clear mark recognition even when the board surface deforms with wrinkles and warps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a light reflecting member as an intermediary component positioned below the board. This reflecting member redirects illumination light upward through the transparent end region, ensuring consistent light transmission through the board regardless of surface deformations, thereby maintaining clear mark imaging.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If traditional imaging method is used on transparent end region, then imaging process is simple, but recognition accuracy decreases due to board deformation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimaging process efficiencyVSAvoidmark recognition accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional illumination direction by placing the light source below the board and imaging camera above, using transmitted illumination instead of reflected illumination. This inversion allows light to pass through the transparent end region of the board, enabling clear mark recognition even when the board surface deforms with wrinkles and warps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of manufacture

If illumination light is emitted from above, then imaging configuration is conventional, but light reflection from wrinkles causes imaging errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimaging configuration simplicityVSAvoidmark imaging clarity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional illumination direction by placing the light source below the board and imaging camera above, using transmitted illumination instead of reflected illumination. This inversion allows light to pass through the transparent end region of the board, enabling clear mark recognition even when the board surface deforms with wrinkles and warps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a light reflecting member as an intermediary component positioned below the board. This reflecting member redirects illumination light upward through the transparent end region, ensuring consistent light transmission through the board regardless of surface deformations, thereby maintaining clear mark imaging.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables accurate recognition and mounting of components on film boards with minimal deformation impact, improving the reliability of the component mounting process.

Implementation Method 1

a light reflecting member that is provided below the imaging camera and reflects the illumination light, which is emitted by the light emitter and is transmitted downwards through the end region, back to the end region

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight reflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentUS10813227B2Component mounter and mounting board manufacturing method

Publication Date: 2020.10.20 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD

AI summary

In a component press-bonding device that performs work related to component mounting on a board after a mark provided on a transparent end region of the board is recognized, an imaging camera provided with an imaging optical axis extending downwards, a light emitter that irradiates the end region with illumination light from above the board in a state where the mark is positioned within an imaging visual field of the imaging camera, and a light reflecting member that is provided below the imaging camera and reflects the illumination light, which is emitted by the light emitter and is transmitted downwards through the end region, back to the end region are included. The imaging camera images the mark under the illumination light, which is reflected by the light reflecting member and is transmitted upwards through the end region.