U.S. patent application number 10/163380 was filed with the patent office on 2002-10-17 for self-adjusting printed circuit board support and method of use.
Invention is credited to Peckham, Mark V., Teitenberg, Tony.
Application Number | 20020148111 10/163380 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23531330 |
Filed Date | 2002-10-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020148111 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Peckham, Mark V. ; et
al. |
October 17, 2002 |
Self-adjusting printed circuit board support and method of use
Abstract
A printed circuit board support including a first member having
a planar upper surface for supporting a printed circuit board. At
least one second member is movably coupled to a first side of the
first member and movable toward and away from the side of the
movable member, and a bias source biases the second member in a
direction away from the first member.
Inventors: |
Peckham, Mark V.; (Boise,
ID) ; Teitenberg, Tony; (Meridian, ID) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DICKSTEIN SHAPIRO MORIN & OSHINSKY LLP
2101 L STREET NW
WASHINGTON
DC
20037-1526
US
|
Family ID: |
23531330 |
Appl. No.: |
10/163380 |
Filed: |
June 7, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10163380 |
Jun 7, 2002 |
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09387774 |
Sep 1, 1999 |
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6412768 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
29/832 ; 29/759;
29/760 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 29/4913 20150115;
H05K 13/0069 20130101; Y10T 29/5313 20150115; Y10T 29/53261
20150115; Y10T 29/53265 20150115; H05K 3/1216 20130101; Y10S
269/903 20130101; Y10T 29/53191 20150115; Y10T 29/49124 20150115;
Y10T 29/53961 20150115; Y10T 29/53913 20150115; Y10T 29/49133
20150115; Y10T 29/49126 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
29/832 ; 29/760;
29/759 |
International
Class: |
H05K 003/30; B23P
019/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A printed circuit board support comprising; a first member
having a planar upper surface for supporting a printed circuit
board; at least one second member movably coupled to a first side
of said first member and movable toward and away from said side of
said movable member, said at least one second member having an
upper surface for supporting a printed circuit board; and a bias
source for biasing said second member in a direction away from said
first member.
2. The printed circuit board support of claim 1 further comprising
a contact surface on said second member for contacting a
positioning surface of a printed circuit board assembly
station.
3. The printed circuit board support of claim 2 further comprising
a stop for limiting movement of said second member away from said
first member.
4. The printed circuit board support of claim 2 further comprising
at least one third member movably coupled to a second side of said
first member and movable toward and away from said second side of
said movable member, said at least one third member having an upper
surface for supporting a printed circuit board.
5. The printed circuit board support of claim 4 further comprising
a bias source for biasing said third member in a direction away
from said first member.
6. The printed circuit board support of claim 4 further comprising
a contact surface on said third member for contacting a positioning
surface of a printed circuit board assembly station.
7. The printed circuit board support of claim 2 wherein said second
and said third members are movable between a fully open position
when no compressive forces are applied thereto and a fully
compressed position when sufficient force is applied to said second
and said third members to compress said support.
8. The printed circuit board support of claim 4 wherein a plurality
of perforations extend through said first member from said planar
upper surface to communicate with a vacuum source for drawing a
printed circuit board against said upper surfaces.
9. The printed circuit board support of claim 4 wherein said first
member comprises a plurality of recesses in the underside thereof,
and wherein a plurality of magnets are seated in said recesses.
10. A printed circuit board support comprising: a pair of parallel
outer rails, each having outer surfaces for abutting engagement
with a plurality of spaced surfaces on a positioning device at said
assembly station, said outer rails having respective upper surfaces
for supporting a printed circuit board; a pair of parallel inner
rails between and spaced from said pair of outer rails, said inner
rails having respective upper surfaces for supporting a printed
circuit board; a mid-block between and spaced from said pair of
inner rails, said mid-block having an upper surface for supporting
a printed circuit board at said assembly station; a first plurality
of rods each fixed at one end thereof to a first one of said outer
rails and extending through a first plurality of transverse holes
in a first one of said inner rails; a second plurality of rods each
fixed at one end thereof to a second one of said outer rails and
extending through a second plurality of transverse holes in a
second one of said inner rails; and a plurality of components for
biasing each one of said outer rails and said inner rails outwardly
from said mid-block, said outer rails being movable toward each
other against the bias of said plurality of biasing components by
compression forces applied against said outer rails.
11. The printed circuit board support of claim 10 wherein said
positioning device is at a screenprinter station.
12. The printed circuit board support of claim 11 wherein said
outer rails are movable between a fully open position when no
compressive forces are applied thereto and a fully compressed
position when sufficient force to compress said support is
applied.
13. The printed circuit board support of claim 11 and wherein said
first and said second plurality of rods extend at least into said
mid-block when no compressive forces are applied to said outer
rails.
14. The printed circuit board support of claim 11 wherein said
first and said second plurality of rods extend through the
respective opposing inner rail and at least into the opposing outer
rail when said outer rails are fully compressed.
15. The printed circuit board support of claim 11 further
comprising a support handle attached to each end of each one of
said outer rails wherein the support handles are engageable for
applying compressive forces to the printed circuit board
support.
16. The printed circuit board support of claim 11 wherein said
mid-block is elongated, and wherein at least one perforation
extends through said mid-block from said upper support surface,
said at least one perforation communicating with a vacuum source
for drawing a printed circuit board against said upper support
surface.
17. The printed circuit board support of claim 11 wherein a
plurality of perforations extend through said mid-block from said
upper support surface to communicate with a vacuum source for
drawing a printed circuit board against said upper support
surface.
18. The printed circuit board support of claim 14 further
comprising a bearing in each one of said first and second plurality
of transverse holes, said first and said second plurality of rods
extending through a respective one of the bearings when no
compressive forces are applied to said outer rails.
19. The printed circuit board support of claim 11 wherein said
first and said second plurality of rods extend through the
respective opposing inner rails and into the respective opposing
outer rail when said outer rails are fully compressed.
20. The printed circuit board support of claim 11 wherein said
biasing components bias said outer rails and said inner rails
outwardly from said mid-block in directions as defined by the axes
of said first plurality of rods and said second plurality of
rods.
21. The printed circuit board support of claim 11 wherein said
mid-block comprises a plurality of recesses in the underside
thereof, and wherein a plurality of magnets are seated in said
recesses.
22. The printed circuit board support of claim 11 wherein said
outer surfaces are an outwardly extending lip formed on each one of
said outer rails.
23. The printed circuit board support of claim 11 wherein said
biasing components are coiled compression springs.
24. A self-adjusting printed circuit board support for use at a
screenprinter station in a printed circuit board assembly line,
said support comprising: a pair of parallel outer rails, each
having outer surfaces for abutting engagement with a plurality of
spaced surfaces on a positioning device at said assembly station
said outer rails having respective upper surfaces for supporting a
printed circuit board; a pair of parallel inner rails between and
spaced from said pair of outer rails, said inner rails having
respective upper surfaces for supporting a printed circuit board; a
mid-block between and spaced from said pair of inner rails, said
mid-block having an upper surface for supporting a printed circuit
board at said assembly station; a plurality of perforations
extending through said mid-block from said upper support surface to
communicate with a vacuum source for drawing said printed circuit
board against said upper support surface; a first plurality of rods
each fixed at one end thereof to a first one of said outer rails
and extending through a first plurality of transverse holes in a
first one of said inner rails; a second plurality of rods each
fixed at one end thereof to a second one of said outer rails and
extending through a second plurality of transverse holes in a
second one of said inner rails; and a plurality of components for
biasing each one of said outer rails and said inner rails outwardly
from said mid-block, said outer rails being movable toward each
other against the bias of said plurality of biasing components by
compression forces applied against said outer rails; said outer
rails being movable between a fully open position when no
compressive forces are applied thereto and a fully compressed
position when sufficient force to compress said support is applied
thereto, said first and said second plurality of rods extending at
least into said mid-block when no compressive forces are applied to
said outer rails, and said first and said second plurality of rods
extending through the respective opposing inner rail and at least
into the opposing outer rail when said outer rails are fully
compressed.
25. A method of positioning a printed circuit board at an assembly
station with a support comprising a pair of parallel outer rails; a
pair of parallel inner rails between and spaced from said pair of
outer rails; a mid-element between and spaced from said pair of
inner rails, said mid-element and inner and outer rails having
upper surfaces for supporting at least-one printed circuit board at
said assembly station; and a plurality of components for biasing
each one of said outer rails and said inner rails outwardly from
said mid-element, said outer rails being movable toward each other
against the bias of said plurality of biasing components by
compression forces applied against said outer rails to fit said
outer surfaces between and in abutting engagement with a pair of
spaced surfaces on a positioning device; said method comprising:
placing said outer rails in abutting engagement with said spaced
surfaces by compressing said outer rails and releasing said outer
rails when said outer rails are between said spaced surfaces;
sequentially supplying printed circuit boards to said assembly
station by a pair of feeder conveyor belts; transferring said
printed circuit boards from said feeder conveyor belts to a pair of
assembly station internal conveyor belts; raising said positioning
device to lift said support upwardly between said internal conveyor
belts to contact the underside of said printed circuit board;
drawing said printed circuit board to said support by a vacuum
applied through said support, and through at least one perforation
in said mid-element; lifting said printed circuit board off said
internal conveyor belts; performing a printed circuit board
assembly step; lowering said support to return said printed circuit
board to said internal conveyor belts; and passing said printed
circuit board to a pair of exit conveyor belts while another
printed circuit board is fed by said feeder conveyor belts to said
assembly station.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein said support will automatically
adjust to the width fixed by any width-wise adjustment in the space
between said spaced surfaces of the positioning device.
27. The method of claim 25 wherein a first plurality of rods each
fixed at one end thereof to a first one of said outer rails and
extending through a first plurality of transverse holes in a first
one of said inner rails; a second plurality of rods each fixed at
one end thereof to a second one of said outer rails and extending
through a second plurality of transverse holes in a second one of
said inner rails.
28. The method of claim 25 wherein the transfer of said printed
circuit boards are indexed such that only one printed circuit board
is on said internal conveyor belts during a printed circuit board
assembly operation.
29. The method of claim 25 wherein said support is positioned on a
metal plate and is held thereon by at least one magnet.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a self-adjusting printed
circuit board support for use at a printed circuit board screen
printing station. More particularly, the present invention relates
to a self-adjusting printed circuit board support for use at a
screen printer station in a printed circuit board assembly
line.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] A common step used during the assembly of active and passive
devices onto a printed circuit board is a screen printer station.
Typically at this station the circuit is already on the printed
circuit board and solder is squeegeed through a screen or template
onto the circuit in preparation for subsequent stations where
active and passive components are placed on the board. In addition,
a screen printer may be used as well to place the circuit pattern
on the printed circuit board. Prior art tooling or supports used
for holding the printed circuit board in the screen printer station
are generally designed for the narrowest printed circuit board,
thus leaving large areas of larger printed circuit boards
unsupported. Other known support devices require the use of
multiple fixed supports which are each designed for a specific
width of the various sized printed circuit boards to be
assembled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] A universal printed circuit board support which can fully
support various sizes of printed circuit board in a screen printer
and in the fabrication and/or assembly environments is desirable,
and is provided by the present invention.
[0006] In one aspect on the invention a printed circuit board
support comprises a first member having a planar upper surface for
supporting a printed circuit board. At least one second member is
movably coupled to a first side of the first member and movable
toward and away from the side of the movable member; and a bias
source biases the second member in a direction away from the first
member.
[0007] In another aspect, the present invention provides a printed
circuit board support for use at a printed circuit board assembly
station which is width-wise adjustable to support printed circuit
boards of various width-wise dimensions.
[0008] The support comprises a pair of parallel outer rails, each
of which has outer surfaces for abutting engagement with one of a
pair of spaced surfaces on a positioning device at the assembly
station. A pair of parallel inner rails are provided between and
spaced from the pair of outer rails, and a mid-block is provided
between and spaced from the pair of inner rails. The mid-block and
inner and outer rails have upper surfaces for supporting the
printed circuit board at the assembly station. A first plurality of
rods, each of which is fixed at one end thereof to the first one of
the outer rails, extend through a first respective plurality of
transverse holes in a first one of the inner rails. A second
plurality of rods, each fixed at one end thereof to a second one of
the outer rails, extend through a second respective plurality of
transverse holes in a second one of the inner rails. A plurality of
components for biasing each one of the outer rails and the inner
rails outwardly from the mid-block are associated with the rods.
The outer rails are moveable toward each other against the bias of
the plurality of biasing components by compressive forces applied
against the outer rails to fit the outer rails in abutting
engagement with the spaced surfaces on the positioning device.
[0009] The self adjusting printed circuit board support of the
present invention provides maximum support for a wide variety of
sizes of printed circuit boards used, for example, in the
production of memory modules. When used in a typical screen printer
the self-adjusting printed circuit board support of the present
invention supports in its length-wise direction the entire length
of a printed circuit board. When compressed width-wise, it self
adjusts to support the entire width of the printed circuit
board.
[0010] The support of the present invention is readily compressed
by hand to allow placement into or onto a positioning device
between a space defined by surfaces of the positioning device and
the support expands upon its release to fill the space. When the
support is left in the assembly station during a change over to a
different width circuit board, the support will automatically
adjust to the width fixed by any width-wise adjustment in the space
between the surfaces of the positioning device.
[0011] The above and other features and advantages of the invention
will be more readily understood from the following detailed
description which is provided in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a self-adjusting printed
circuit board support for use at a printed circuit board assembly
station in accordance with the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the support of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the support of FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the support of FIG.
3;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of
FIG. 3;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the support of FIG. 1 in a
fully compressed state and with a printed circuit board
thereon;
[0018] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a screen printer with its
cover removed;
[0019] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII
of FIG. 7; and
[0020] FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the screen printer showing a
self-adjusting printed circuit board support installed therein and
supporting a printed circuit board.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] With reference to FIGS. 1-4, there is shown an embodiment of
a self-adjusting printed circuit board support 10 in accordance
with the present invention. The support 10 has a pair of parallel
outer rails 12,14 each of which has an outwardly extending lip
13,15 for abutting engagement with a plurality of spaced surfaces
90-95 (FIG. 8) on a positioning device 97 (FIGS. 7 & 8) at an
assembly station. A pair of parallel inner rails 24,26 are located
between and spaced from the pair of outer rails 12,14. The support
10 also includes a mid-block 16 which is located between and spaced
from the pair of inner rails 24,26. The mid-block 16 has an upper
surface 17 for supporting a printed circuit board at the assembly
station. Likewise, the inner 24, 26 and outer 12, 14 rails have an
upper surface, co-planar with the upper surface of mid-block 16,
for supporting the printed circuit board.
[0022] A pair of rods 18, each fixed at one end thereof 19 to a
first one 12 of the outer rails 12,14, extend through a first
plurality of transverse holes 22,23 in a first one 24 of the inner
rails 24,26. A second pair of rods 25, each fixed at one end 27
thereof to a second one 14 of the outer rails 12,14, extend through
a second pair of transverse holes 29,32 in a second one 26 of the
inner rails 24,26. The first and second pair of rods 18,25 extend
through respective holes 30,31 in the mid-block 16. Each hole 30,31
in the mid-block 16 has therein a linear ball bearing assembly 28
(FIG. 5) for supporting a respective one of the rods 18,25.
[0023] Each one of the transverse holes 22,23;29,32 in the two
inner rails 24,26 has a counter-sunk portion 33,37 on each side for
seating a coil compression spring 34,34';35,35' therein. Each one
of the rods 18,25 has a circumferential recess 53 at each end
thereof. The recess 53 receives an E-clip 54 (FIG. 5) therein after
the rods 18,25 are passed through respective springs 34,34';35,35',
respective inner rails 24,26, respective springs 34,34';35,35' and
the inner-block 16. Each E-clip 54 abuts an underside of a
respective linear ball bearing assembly 28 (FIG. 5) to prevent the
its respective rod from passing through the linear ball bearing
assembly 28 under the bias of the springs 34,34';35,35'. However as
shown in FIG. 3, the E-clips 54 have an outer dimension which is
smaller than holes 60,61;62,63 in the inner rails 24,26 and holes
64,65;66,67 in the outer rails to permit the rods 18,25 to pass
through the inner rails 24,26 and into the outer rails 12,14 when
the support 10 is in a compressed state as shown in FIG. 6.
[0024] The coiled compression springs 34,35 function to bias each
one of the outer rails 12,14 and inner rails 24,26 outwardly from
the mid-block 16. The outer rails 12,14 are moveable toward each
other against the bias of the coiled compression springs
34,34';35,35' to position the support 10 between spaced surfaces on
the positioning device 97 of a screen printer, and upon release the
support expands to provide contact between the outer surfaces 13,15
on the outer rails 12,14 with the spaced surfaces on the
positioning device 97.
[0025] The printed circuit board support of the present invention
is particularly suitable for use at a screen printer assembly
station.
[0026] The printed circuit board support functions such that the
outer rails 12,14 are moveable between a fully open position as
shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 when no compressive forces are applied
thereto, and a fully compressed position when force is applied to
compress the support as shown in FIG. 6 wherein the outer rails
12,14 are in contact with the inner rails 24,26 and the inner rails
are in contact with the mid-block 16.
[0027] When no compressive forces are applied to the outer rails
12,14, the rods 18 extending from the outer rail 12 and the rods 25
extending from the other outer rail 14 extend through respective
inner rails 24,26 and into linear ball-bearing assemblies 28 in the
transverse holes 30,31 through the mid-block 16 as shown in FIG. 3.
When the printed circuit board support is fully compressed as shown
in FIG. 6, the rods 18 extending from the first outer rail 12 pass
through the transverse holes 30,31 of the mid-block 16, the holes
60,61 in the inner rail 26 and into holes 64,65 of the second outer
rail 14. In like manner, the rods 25 connected to the second outer
rail pass through a second set of transverse holes 30,31 in the
mid-block 16, through holes 62,63 in the first inner rail 24 and
into a pair of holes 66,67 in the first outer rail 12.
[0028] The mid-block 16 is elongated and has a plurality of
perforations 21 which extend through the mid-block 16 from the
upper support surface 17. When in position in the screen printer 70
as shown in FIG. 7, the support 10 is positioned over a conduit 76
which is in communication with a vacuum source 74. The pull of the
vacuum generated by the source 74 through the port 76 and the
perforations 21 act to draw the printed circuit board against the
upper support surface 17, and thus hold the printed circuit board
in position during the screen printer operation.
[0029] The outer rails 12,14 each have a pair of support handles
36,38; 40,42 secured respectively thereto by rivets or screws 44.
The support handles 36,38; 40,42 are manually engageable for
applying compressive forces to the printed circuit board support 10
during installation in the positioning device 97 of the screen
printer station.
[0030] A portion of a screen printer station 70 is shown in FIGS. 7
and 8 with a cover (not shown) removed. The positioning device 97
includes opposing step-like spaced surfaces 90,92,94;91,93,95
formed from sheet metal. Each one of the shaped surfaces has a leg
92,93 connected to and extending upwardly from a steel plate 96,
and an upwardly extending portion 90,91 spaced outwardly by
horizontal portion 94,95. Internal conveyor belts 72,73 are spaced
above horizontal portions 94,95, respectively.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 8, the lips 13,15 of the outer rails 12,14
are in abutting engagement with the step-like spaced surfaces 92;93
when the support 10 is released.
[0032] With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the support 10 is
positioned on the steel plate 96 and is held thereon by magnets 50
which are positioned in recesses 52 located in the underside of the
mid-block 16.
[0033] Printed circuit boards 80,81,82 are sequentially supplied to
the screenprinter 70 by a pair of feeder conveyor belts 85,86. Each
printed circuit board is transferred from the conveyor belts 85,86
to the internal conveyor belts 72,73 of the screenprinter 70. The
conveying system is indexed such that each printed circuit board
stops in the position shown in FIG. 7. The positioning device 97
including the steel plate 96 and the sheet metal opposing step-like
spaced surfaces 90,92,94;91,93,95 are raised to lift the support 10
upwardly between the internal conveyor belts 72,73 to contact the
underside of the printed circuit board 81. The printed circuit
board 81 is drawn to the support 10 by the vacuum applied through
port 76, to the underside of the support 10, and through the
perforations 21 in the mid-block 16. The vacuum acts to retain the
printed circuit board 81 against the upper support surface 17 of
the mid-block 16, and the upper surfaces of the inner 24, 26 and
outer 12, 14 rails, with the printed circuit board overhanging the
sides of the support 10 by a very slight distance. The printed
circuit board 81 is lifted off the internal conveyor belts 72,73 at
which position the screenprinting step is carried out. After
screenprinting, the support 10 is lowered by the screenprinter
positioning device 97 to return the printed circuit board 81 to the
internal conveyor belts 72,73. The internal conveyor belts 72,73 in
turn passes the printed circuit board 81 to exit conveyor belts
87,88 that are external to the screenprinter 70 while another
printed circuit board is fed by the feeder conveyor belts 85,86 to
the screenprinter 70.
[0034] In an alternative embodiment, a pair of snugger bars 78,79
(FIG. 9) engage the side surfaces of the printed circuit board 81
while in the screenprinter 70 and after the board 81 and support 10
are lifted by the positioning device 97. In this embodiment, both
the vacuum 74 and the snugger bars 78,79 hold the printed circuit
board in a fixed position during the screenprinting operation.
After the printing operation, the snugger bars 78,79 are retracted,
and the support is lowered by the positioning device 97 to place
the printer circuit board 81 back on the internal conveyor belts
72,73 for passage to the external conveyor belts 87,88.
[0035] Thus, the present invention provides a universal printed
circuit board support which can fully support various sizes of
printed circuit board in a screenprinter and/or in other
fabrication and assembly environments.
[0036] Although the present invention has been described with
preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications
and variations may be utilized without departing from the spirit
and scope of this invention, as those skilled in the art will
readily understand. Such modifications and variations are
considered to be part of the invention, provided they come within
the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *