Dual applicator fluid dispensing methods and systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10150131-B2
Application number	US-201715624932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2017
Priority date	Jul 9, 2014
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

Methods for simultaneously dispensing a first fluid pattern at a first dispense region with a first applicator and a second fluid pattern at a second dispense region with a second applicator. The first and second applicators are moved toward their respective dispense regions with a positioner. While dispensing, the second applicator is moved relative to the first applicator in a direction or directions parallel to a first axis, a second axis, and/or a third axis, the axes being mutually orthogonal. The first dispense region may be provided with a unique first tilt and/or a unique first contour relative to the reference plane and along the third axis. Systems for dispensing fluid include a primary positioner supporting a first applicator, and a secondary positioner coupled to the primary positioner and supporting a second applicator and configured to move the second applicator relative to the first applicator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing system for dispensing fluid at a first dispense region and a second dispense region, the first dispense region and the second dispense region being on one or more electronic substrates, the first dispense region and the second dispense region being positioned relative to a reference plane defined by a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, the dispensing system comprising:
a first non-contact applicator supported by a primary positioner, the first applicator having a first tip configured to dispense a first fluid pattern at the first dispense region;
a second non-contact applicator supported by a secondary positioner, the second applicator having a second tip configured to dispense a second fluid pattern at the second dispense region;
the primary positioner configured to position the first applicator for dispensing fluid at the first dispense region, the primary positioner supporting the first applicator and having a first drive to move the first applicator in a direction parallel to the first axis, a second drive to move the first applicator in a direction parallel to the second axis, and a third drive to move the first applicator in a direction parallel to a third axis, the third axis being mutually orthogonal with the first axis and the second axis; and
the secondary positioner configured to position the second applicator for dispensing the second fluid pattern at the second dispense region, the secondary positioner supporting the second applicator and having a first drive configured to move the second applicator independent of the first applicator in a direction parallel to the first axis, a second drive configured to move the second applicator relative to the first applicator in a direction parallel to the second axis, and a third drive configured to move the second applicator independent of the first applicator in a direction parallel to the third axis after the second applicator has started dispensing the second fluid pattern and before the second applicator has completed dispensing the second fluid pattern.

2. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary positioner is automatically movable with its corresponding drives relative to the primary positioner while the first applicator dispenses fluid at the first dispense region and the second applicator simultaneously dispenses fluid at the second dispense region.

3. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein a tip of the second applicator does not contact the second dispense region.

4. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the primary positioner is movable with a first range of motion in a direction parallel to the first axis, a second range of motion in a direction parallel to the second axis, and a third range of motion in a direction parallel to the third axis, and the secondary positioner is movable with a first range of motion in a direction parallel to the first axis, a second range of motion in a direction parallel to the second axis, and a third range of motion in a direction parallel to the third axis, and
wherein the second range of motion of the secondary positioner is less than the corresponding second range of motion of the primary positioner.

5. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first drives, each of the second drives, and each of the third drives includes an electrical motor.

6. The dispensing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one controller for commanding movement of the primary positioner relative to the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis, and movement of the secondary positioner relative to the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis.

7. The dispensing system of claim 6 , wherein:
the first applicator is automatically movable by the primary positioner, under control of the controller, in a direction parallel to the first axis, a direction parallel to the second axis, and a direction parallel to the third axis, while dispensing fluid at the first dispense region, and
the second applicator is automatically movable by the secondary positioner, under control of the controller, in a direction parallel to the first axis, a direction parallel to the second axis, and a direction parallel to the third axis, while dispensing fluid at the second dispense region,
the first applicator and the second applicator being automatically movable to account for misalignment with at least one of the first dispense region or the second dispense region with at least one of the first axis, the second axis, or the third axis.

8. The dispensing system of claim 6 , wherein the controller controls the first drive, the second drive, and the third drive of the primary positioner, and the first drive, the second drive, and the third drive of the secondary positioner.

9. The dispensing system of claim 6 , further comprising a height sensor configured to detect a dispense gap between the second tip and the second dispense region.

10. The dispensing system of claim 9 , wherein the second applicator is configured to maintain a constant dispense gap between the second tip and the second dispense region while moving in the direction along the third axis.

11. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first dispense region and the second dispense region is at least partially tilted or contoured relative to the reference plane along the third axis.

12. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the first dispense region includes an electronic first substrate, and the second dispense region includes an electronic second substrate.

13. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the second drive is configured to move the second applicator independent of the first applicator in a direction parallel to the second axis.

14. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary positioner is coupled to the primary positioner.

15. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the first applicator and the second applicator are configured to be moved independently in the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis while the first applicator is dispensing the first fluid pattern at the first dispense region and the second applicator is simultaneously dispensing the second fluid pattern at the second dispense region.

16. The dispensing system of claim 4 , wherein the first range of motion and the third range of motion of the secondary positioner are less than the corresponding first range of motion and third range of motion of the primary positioner.

17. The dispensing system of claim 6 , wherein:
the first dispense region is provided at a first position along the third axis and the second dispense region is provided at a second position along the third axis that is different from the first position, and
the controller is further configured to control the primary positioner to move the first applicator in a direction parallel to the third axis toward a first dispense height based on the first position, and simultaneously control the secondary positioner to move the second applicator relative to the first applicator in a direction parallel to the third axis toward a second dispense height based on the second position.

18. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first non-contact applicator is configured to dispense the first fluid pattern at the first dispense region without the first tip contacting the first dispense region, and
the second non-contact applicator is configured to dispense the second fluid pattern at the second dispense region without the second tip contacting

Assignees

• Nordson Corp

Inventors

• Giusti Christopher L
• Maiorca Philip P
• Meier Mark S
• Padgett David N

Classifications

• H10P72/16

  Trays for chips · CPC title

• B05C11/1018

  responsive to distance of target · CPC title

• B05C11/1021

  responsive to presence or shape of target (B05C11/1018 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05C13/02

  for particular articles · CPC title

• B05C5/027

  Coating heads with several outlets, e.g. aligned transversally to the moving direction of a web to be coated (B05C5/0254 takes precedence) · CPC title