Stencil printer with component loading verification system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11778750-B2
Application number	US-202117469996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2021
Priority date	Sep 9, 2021
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

A stencil printer for printing an assembly material on an electronic substrate includes a frame, a stencil coupled to the frame, the stencil having apertures formed therein, a support assembly coupled to the frame, the support assembly being configured to support the electronic substrate, a print head gantry coupled to the frame, and a print head assembly supported by the print head gantry in such a manner that the print head assembly is configured to traverse the stencil during print strokes. The stencil printer further comprises a verification system to determine whether an item placed within the stencil printer is properly installed within the stencil printer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stencil printer for printing an assembly material on an electronic substrate, the stencil printer comprising:
a frame;
a stencil coupled to the frame;
a support assembly coupled to the frame, the support assembly being configured to support the electronic substrate;
a print head gantry coupled to the frame;
a print head assembly supported by the print head gantry in such a manner that the print head assembly is configured to traverse the stencil during print strokes; and
a verification system to determine whether an item placed within the stencil printer is properly installed within the stencil printer,
wherein the print head gantry includes an elongate beam that rides along rails provided on the frame, the elongate beam of the print head gantry including at least one linear bearing that extends in a horizontal direction, and wherein the verification system includes at least one tooling member configured to move laterally on the at least one linear bearing.

2. The stencil printer of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tooling member includes a downwardly extending pin configured to be moved between a fully extended position and a retracted position.

3. The stencil printer of claim 2 , wherein the verification system further includes a controller configured to move the at least one tooling member over the item and determining whether the pin of the at least one tooling member is in the retracted position.

4. The stencil printer of claim 3 , wherein the verification system further includes at least one sensor positioned on the at least one tooling member, the at least one sensor being configured to produce a first visual signal indicating that the pin of the at least one tooling member is fully extended and a second visual signal indicating that the pin of the at least one tooling member is retracted.

5. The stencil printer of claim 4 , wherein the at least one tooling member includes two spaced-apart tooling members, each including a pin, a first tooling member being configured to move laterally on a first linear bearing and a second tooling member being configured to move laterally on a second linear bearing.

6. The stencil printer of claim 2 , wherein the pin of the at least one tooling member has an end configured to be received within a receiving feature associated with the item.

7. The stencil printer of claim 6 , wherein the item includes at least one receiving feature configured to be engaged by the pin of the at least one tooling member to engage and move the item.

8. The stencil printer of claim 7 , wherein the at least one tooling member includes two spaced-apart tooling members, each including a pin, a first tooling member being configured to move laterally on a first linear bearing and a second tooling member being configured to move laterally on a second linear bearing, and wherein the at least one receiving feature includes two receiving features, one for each tooling member, the first and second tooling members being received in respective receiving features of the item to releasably secure the item.

9. The stencil printer of claim 8 , wherein the item includes a tooling plate having a flat bottom wall configured to mate with a tooling base of the stencil printer.

10. A method of verifying whether an item is properly installed in the stencil printer of claim 1 , the method comprising:
installing an item in the stencil printer; and
verifying whether the item is properly installed within the stencil printer.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein verifying whether the item is properly installed within the stencil printer includes
moving the at least one tooling member laterally on the at least one linear bearing of a print head gantry over the item, and
determining whether the at least one tooling member engages the item.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one tooling member includes a downwardly extending pin configured to be move between a fully extended position and a retracted position.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining whether the at least one tooling member engages the item includes determining whether the pin of the at least one tooling member is in the retracted position.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining whether the pin of the at least one tooling member is in the retracted position includes providing a first signal indicating that the pin of the at least one tooling member is fully extended and a second signal indicating that the pin of the at least one tooling member is retracted.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second signal indicates that the item is not properly installed.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the item includes a tooling plate having a flat bottom wall configured to mate with a tooling base of the stencil printer.

17. A stencil printer for printing an assembly material on an electronic substrate, the stencil printer comprising:
a frame;
a stencil coupled to the frame;
a support assembly coupled to the frame, the support assembly being configured to support the electronic substrate;
a print head gantry coupled to the frame;
a print head assembly supported by the print head gantry in such a manner that the print head assembly is configured to traverse the stencil during print strokes; and
a verification system to determine whether an item placed within the stencil printer is properly installed within the stencil printer,
wherein the verification system includes
at least one tooling member configured to move laterally on at least one linear bearing of the print head gantry, the at least one tooling member includes a downwardly extending pin configured to be moved between a fully extended position and a retracted position, and
a controller configured to move the at least one tooling member over the item and determining whether the pin of the at least one tooling member is in the retracted position.

18. The stencil printer of claim 17 , wherein the verification system further includes at least one sensor positioned on the at least one tooling member, the at least one sensor being configured to produce a first visual signal indicating that the pin of the at least one tooling member is fully extended and a second visual signal indicating that the pin of the at least one tooling member is retracted.

19. The stencil printer of claim 18 , wherein the at least one tooling member includes two spaced-apart tooling members, each including a pin, a first tooling member being configured to move laterally on a first linear bearing and a second tooling member being configured to move laterally on a second linear bearing.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Mattero Patsy A
• Foster Steven R

Classifications

• H05K2203/0139

  Blade or squeegee, e.g. for screen printing or filling of holes · CPC title

• H05K2203/168

  Wrong mounting prevention · CPC title

• H05K2203/167

  Using mechanical means for positioning, alignment or registration, e.g. using rod-in-hole alignment · CPC title

• B41P2215/50

  Screen printing machines for particular purposes · CPC title

• B41P2215/11

  Registering devices · CPC title