Guiding Board with Parallel Grooves for Ball Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ball placement methods are unstable, leading to a probability-based distribution of conducting balls into ball bases on a substrate, resulting in some ball bases being empty due to external forces or suction device inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A guiding board with parallel guiding grooves and ball-dropping holes on its surface, which directs and collects conducting balls from a ball case into specific positions on a substrate, ensuring each ball base is filled, and includes a retrieval area for surplus balls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional ball placement methods are used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of ball placement deteriorates due to probability-based distribution and external forces causing empty ball bases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a guiding board as an intermediary component between the ball case and the substrate. The guiding board features guiding grooves that channel conducting balls along predetermined paths and ball-dropping holes positioned above each ball base. This intermediary structure ensures reliable ball placement by physically guiding balls to their destinations rather than relying on probability-based methods, thereby improving reliability without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If probability-based ball distribution is used, then the device complexity is minimized, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates as some ball bases remain empty due to external forces or suction inefficiencies
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding board is segmented into multiple functional regions: guiding grooves for each ball base, ball-dropping holes positioned precisely above each ball base, and a retrieval area for surplus balls. This segmentation allows each region to perform its specific function independently, ensuring that each ball base receives a conducting ball with high precision while the overall structure remains manageable and not excessively complex.
3Productivity
If conventional placement methods are used, then the ease of operation is maintained, but the productivity deteriorates due to unstable placement requiring rework or additional suction attempts
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding board performs preliminary actions by pre-positioning ball-dropping holes directly above each ball base and creating guiding grooves that channel balls along predetermined paths before the actual placement occurs. This preliminary structuring ensures that when balls are dropped, they automatically follow the correct path to their designated ball bases, improving placement efficiency and reducing the need for rework or multiple suction attempts, thereby increasing productivity while maintaining ease of operation.
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
Ensures consistent and efficient placement of conducting balls into ball bases on a substrate, reducing the likelihood of empty positions and improving the reliability of the ball placement process.
Implementation Method 1
While the ball case 71 is moved relative to the cover 72, the conducting balls 77 will drop into the ball bases 76 via the bottom opening 74 in the ball case 71 and the through holes 76 in the cover 72
Implementation Method 2
The suction device 81 will suck and pick the conducting balls 89 in the ball holes 85 to ball bases on a substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A guiding board for a ball placement machine has a board body. The board body has a top surface, a bottom surface, a ball-dropping area, and multiple guiding grooves. The ball-dropping area is defined on the top surface. The guiding grooves are defined in the ball-dropping area and are parallel to each other. Each guiding groove has a bottom and multiple ball-dropping holes defined in the bottom and extending through the bottom surface of the board body.