Wire feeding and attaching system for camera lens suspensions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10840662-B2
Application number	US-201615086871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2016
Priority date	Apr 2, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

A wire feeding and bonding tool and method for attaching wires to a component having first and second spaced-apart wire attach structures. Wire from a supply is fed through a capillary having at least a linear end portion with a feed opening. The capillary is positioned with respect to the component to locate a first portion of the wire extending from the feed opening adjacent to the first wire attach structure, and the wire is attached to the first attach structure. The capillary is moved with respect to the component along a wire feed path to feed the wire from the first wire attach structure to the second wire attach structure and to locate a second portion of the wire extending from the feed opening adjacent to the second attach structure. The wire is attached to the second wire attach structure, and cut from the supply.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wire feeding and bonding tool, including:
a support configured to hold a component on a first surface, wherein the component includes a first wire attach structure and a second wire attach structure;
a wire clamp assembly adjacent to the support, the wire clamp assembly including a capillary having an end portion with a feed opening, wherein the capillary is configured to receive a wire that extends the feed opening;
an actuator below a second surface of the support distal to the first surface, the actuator configured to move the support with respect to the capillary such that:
the wire extending from the feed opening is presented at the first wire attach structure and the second wire attach structure, and
the capillary travels along a wire feed path and the wire is fed from the first wire attach structure to the second wire attach structure; and

an attachment tool above the first surface of the support, the attachment tool configured to attach the wire to the first wire attach structure and the second wire attach structure.

2. The wire feeding and bonding tool of claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes a stage coupled to the capillary.

3. The wire feeding and bonding tool of claim 1 wherein the actuator and the attachment tool are communicatively coupled with a control system.

4. The wire feeding and bonding tool of claim 3 , further comprising:
an imaging device communicatively coupled to the control system and configured to identify a location of one or more uncoated regions on the wire such that a position of the wire with respect to the capillary is adjusted by the wire clamp assembly as a function of the identified location of the one or more uncoated regions of the wire.

5. The wire feeding and bonding tool of claim 1 , the wire clamp assembly further comprises:
a wire clamp surrounding a least a portion of the wire prior to being received by the capillary, the wire clamp configured to releasably fix the position of the wire with respect to the capillary.

6. The wire feeding and bonding tool of claim 5 , wherein:
the actuator is further configured to position the support such that an end of the wire extending from the feed opening is adjacent to the first wire attach structure;
the attachment tool is further configured to attach the end of the wire to the first wire attached structure;
the actuator is further configured to move the support such that the capillary travels to a position in which a portion of the wire extending from the capillary is adjacent to the second wire attach structure;
the clamp is further configured to fix the wire with respect to the capillary after the portion of the wire is positioned adjacent to the second wire attach structure;
the actuator is further configured to move the support such that the capillary travels with the fixed wire toward the second attachment structure to push slack into the wire between the first attachment structure and the second attachment structure; and
the attachment tool is further configured to attach the portion of the wire adjacent to the second wire attach structure to the second wire attach structure.

7. The wire feeding and bonding tool of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is further configured to move the support such that the capillary travels along the wire feed path and the wire is fed from the first wire attach structure to the second wire attach structure with the wire emerging from the feed opening sufficiently coaxial with the capillary to reduce damage to the wire.

Assignees

• Hutchinson Technology

Inventors

• Davis Michael W
• Scheele Bryan J
• Scheele Daniel W
• Ashwill Andrew H
• Crane Matthew D

Classifications

• H04N23/687

  by shifting the lens or sensor position · CPC title

• F03G7/06143

  Wires · CPC title

• F03G7/067

  Safety arrangements · CPC title

• F03G7/0665

  controlled displacement, e.g. by using a lens positioning actuator · CPC title

• H04N23/55 Primary

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title