Electronic Component Mounter Vacuum Break Control

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electronic component mounters face inefficiencies due to long vacuum break times and the need for variable air chamber volumes, which can lead to inadequate vacuum break effects and potential component displacement.

Innovation Solution

An electronic component mounter with a suction nozzle that supplies a high-pressure first blow for a specified time, followed by a lower-pressure second blow, to rapidly break the vacuum and prevent component displacement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If high pressure air is supplied to the suction nozzle for vacuum break, then the vacuum break time is shortened, but electronic components may be blown away

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevacuum break timeVSAvoidcomponent displacement
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies periodic action by dividing the air supply into two distinct phases: first supplying high-pressure air for a predetermined time to achieve rapid vacuum break, then switching to low-pressure air to maintain the broken state without blowing components away. This time-based periodic control resolves the contradiction between fast vacuum break and preventing component displacement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by dynamically adjusting the air pressure supplied to the suction nozzle based on the mounting process stage. The switching device changes the pressure from high to low at the appropriate moment, making the air pressure adaptive to the real-time requirements of the vacuum break and component release process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If low pressure air is supplied to the suction nozzle, then components are not blown away, but the vacuum break time becomes long

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent displacementVSAvoidvacuum break time
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses periodic action with two phases: initially supplying high-pressure air to achieve rapid vacuum break, then switching to low-pressure air to prevent component displacement. This sequential periodic control allows the system to benefit from both high pressure (fast break) and low pressure (stable release).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by first supplying high-pressure air to break the vacuum before switching to low-pressure air. This preliminary high-pressure action prepares the system for the subsequent low-pressure phase, ensuring the vacuum is already broken before gentle release begins.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If an air chamber is provided to capture air for vacuum break, then vacuum break consistency is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevacuum break consistencyVSAvoidair chamber structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the air chamber component from the system and replaces it with a switching device that directly controls air pressure timing. This removal simplifies the device structure while maintaining vacuum break consistency through precise timing control rather than physical air storage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent substitutes the mechanical air chamber (physical air storage) with a control-based switching device that uses timing and pressure regulation to achieve the same vacuum break consistency. This replaces a mechanical volume-based solution with a control-based pressure-time solution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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 method enables a reliable and rapid vacuum break, improving mounting efficiency and preventing components from being blown away, while eliminating the need for variable air chamber volumes.

Implementation Method 1

an electronic component housed in a component housing section of carrier tape fed by a tape feeder is picked up by a suction nozzle using negative pressure

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectNegative pressure: Vacuum

Implementation Method 2

positive pressure air that acts as a vacuum break is supplied to the suction nozzle so as to return the pressure at the tip of the suction nozzle to atmospheric pressure, which releases the component from the suction nozzle

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPositive pressure air: Pressure Increase

Data Source

PatentEP3471527B1Electronic component mounter and electronic component separating method
Publication Date: 2023.08.23 FUJI CORP

AI summary

An electronic component mounter (10) including: a suction nozzle (35) configured to pick up an electronic component (P) housed in a housing section that houses multiple of the electronic components that are to be mounted on a circuit board (PB); a switching device (55) configured to switch air supplied to a nozzle hole (35a) of the suction nozzle (35) to negative pressure air when picking up the electronic component (P), and to switch the air supplied to the nozzle hole (35a) of the suction nozzle (35) to positive pressure air when mounting the electronic component (P) that was picked up by the suction nozzle (35) on the circuit board (PB); and a blow supply device (58) configured to supply at least a first blow to the suction nozzle (35) for a specified time when the positive pressure air is being supplied to the nozzle hole (35a) by a switching device (55), then, after the specified time has elapsed, stop the first blow and supply a second blow with a lower pressure than the first blow to the suction nozzle (35).