Conveying Device Thermal Expansion Compensation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing automatic soldering apparatuses face issues with thermal expansion and contraction between conveying chains and frames, leading to positional deviations of printed circuit boards during the soldering process, resulting in solder bridges or insufficient soldering. Additionally, previous solutions either increase costs with cooling systems or fail to address the expansion and contraction between the frame and chain effectively.

Innovation Solution

The automatic soldering apparatus incorporates conveying hooks, chains, and a pair of sliding frames with an absorbing member to manage thermal expansion and contraction, ensuring the printed circuit board is securely fixed and conveyed to the soldering position without deviation, using a sliding mechanism and an absorbing member between frames to stabilize the conveying chains.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If cooling fluid is supplied to the cooling duct provided inside the frame to cool the frame, then the frame can be cooled, but the costs increase in the conveying device for soldering

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveframe temperatureVSAvoidcooling system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the harmful thermal expansion effect from the system by introducing an absorbing member that specifically compensates for the expansion and contraction of the frame. Instead of trying to cool the frame to prevent expansion, the solution accepts the thermal effect and compensates for it mechanically through the absorbing member, thereby eliminating the need for complex cooling systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The absorbing member changes the mechanical parameters of the frame system by providing adjustable compensation for thermal expansion. The absorbing member can be positioned at different locations along the frame to adjust the compensation amount, allowing the system to maintain dimensional stability despite temperature changes without requiring active cooling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Stability of the object's composition

If deviation absorption means is provided between the supporting bar and the pair of frames to absorb deviation based on expansion and contraction of the frame, then thermal distortion of the frame can be prevented, but the expansion and contraction based on difference of thermal expansion between the frame and the chain is not addressed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveframe stabilityVSAvoidconveying position accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention segments the frame into multiple sections with absorbing members positioned at different locations. This segmentation allows independent compensation of thermal expansion at different points along the frame, ensuring that both the frame structure and the chain positioning are stabilized against thermal effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The absorbing member acts as an intermediary element between the frame and the chain, compensating for differential thermal expansion between these two components. By positioning the absorbing member to contact both the frame and the chain, it mediates the relative movement caused by different thermal expansion rates, maintaining precise conveying position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If the conveying portion is heated by the preheater and solder bath, then the soldering process can be performed, but expansion and contraction occurs based on difference of thermal expansion between the chain and frame causing position deviation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesoldering throughputVSAvoidprinted circuit board position accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The absorbing member is pre-positioned along the frame at locations that anticipate where thermal expansion will occur during the soldering process. This preliminary positioning allows the system to automatically compensate for expansion as it occurs during heating, maintaining position accuracy throughout the high-speed soldering process without requiring post-correction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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

This solution effectively prevents positional deviations of the conveying chains and frames during heat treatment and soldering, ensuring accurate solder placement and reducing solder bridges or insufficient soldering, while potentially reducing manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for extensive cooling systems.

Implementation Method 1

absorbs an expansion and contraction based on difference of any thermal expansion between the first and second frames and the conveying chains

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentEP2384104B1Conveying device for an automatic soldering device
Publication Date: 2019.11.27 SENJU METAL IND CO LTD
  • EP2384104B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2384104B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP2384104B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

To enable the circuit board to be fixed on a predetermined position and to be conveyed to the solder processing portion. Conveying hooks 10 that hold the printed circuit board W1 therebetween, conveying chains 15a, 15b that drive so that the conveying hooks 10 are movable from a heater part 4 to a solder bath 5, first frames 9A that guide the conveying chains 15a, 15b along the heater part 4, second frames 9B that guide the conveying chain 15 along the solder bath 5, and an absorbing member 124 that is provided between each of the first frames 9A and each of the second frames 9B and absorbs an expansion and contraction based on difference of any thermal expansion between the frames 9A, 9B and the conveying chains 15a, 15b are provided. Since the absorbing member 124 absorbs the expansion and contraction based on difference of any thermal expansion between the frames 9A, 9B and the conveying chains 15a, 15b, it is possible to prevent the conveying chains 15a, 15b from being deviated from the frames 9A, 9B. This enables the printed circuit board W1 to be fixed on the predetermined position and to be conveyed to the heater part 4 and the solder bath 5.