JPH0465160B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Purpose of the Invention [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to various processing baths used when electroplating or electroless plating is applied to printed circuit boards, or when electrodepositing a photosensitive electrodeposition resist. The present invention relates to a device for automatically transporting printed circuit boards, and is particularly characterized by its lifting/lowering operation means.

[Conventional technology]

As a means of lifting and lowering printed circuit board automatic transport equipment,
Conventionally, there have been a vertical lifting type as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-15369, and a rotating lifting type as shown in FIG. 5 of the present application.

The vertical lift type shown in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-15369 has a support set up on a transfer base that can be moved along the plating tank, and a substrate holding rack is hooked onto the arm. A cylinder serving as a driving means makes it possible to vertically move up and down along the pillar.

In addition, in the rotary lift type shown in FIG. 6 of the present application, a substrate holding rack 7' is placed on a transfer machine table 2' that can be moved along a processing tank 1' with a finger head 6' at the tip. The base of the hanging arm 3' is rotatably supported on a base-side horizontal shaft 11', and the arm 3' is moved around the horizontal shaft 11' by a driving means 8' such as an electric motor or a fluid cylinder. It can be raised and lowered by rotating it.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Among the above-mentioned conventional automatic conveyance devices of this kind, the vertically lifting type shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-15369 has a high overall height and a support column is provided outside the plating tank. The width also increases. Further, since the printed circuit board is pulled up vertically, the lower edge of the board is horizontal, and the processing liquid is difficult to drain.

In addition, in the case shown in FIG. 6, when the arm 3' rotates around the horizontal axis 11' and rises, the printed circuit board 17' held via the finger head 6' and the rack 7' draws an arc. The processing liquid can be easily drained from the lower corner 20'.

However, in the case where the arm 3' rotates around the horizontal axis 11' to raise and lower, the arm 3'
The center line f' of the finger head 6' attached to the tip is
It is highly tilted with respect to the vertical line x'. Therefore, the lower end of the rack 7' hooked on the head 6' and the lower corner 20' of the substrate 17' held by the rack 7'
draws a large arc. That is, as shown by the symbol s' in the same figure, when the substrate 17' moves up and down, the locus drawn by the lower corner part 20' is large, and the corner part 20' moves toward the processing tank 1' as shown by the two-dot chain line. There is a risk of collision inward. Therefore, conventionally, in this type of automatic conveyance device, the width of the processing tank 1' must be increased, which necessitates a large amount of processing liquid, and there have been problems such as poor stirring efficiency of the processing liquid. Ta.

The present invention aims to solve the problems of the conventional automatic printed circuit board conveying apparatus for processing tanks. That is, the purpose of the present invention is to simplify the structure, reduce the width and height of the device, reduce the amount of processing liquid, improve the stirring efficiency, and improve the drainage of the processing liquid. An object of the present invention is to provide a tank automatic printed circuit board conveyance device.

Structure of the Invention [Means for Solving the Problems] A first automatic conveyance device for printed circuit boards in a processing tank according to the present invention has a main arm 4 in a lower stage.
The sub-arm 5 is arranged on the upper stage. That is, the base of the arm 3, which suspends the substrate holding rack 7 by the finger head 6 at the tip, is placed on the carrier table 2, which is provided so that the side of the processing layer 1 can be moved, and is rotatable about the horizontal axis on the base side. In an automatic printed circuit board transfer device for a processing tank, which is equipped with a driving means 8 that is pivotally supported and rotates the arm 3 about the horizontal axis, the arm 3 is connected to a lower main arm 4 and an upper sub arm 5. It has a two-piece structure and is installed horizontally in a non-parallel manner, and the base 9 of the main arm 4 is rotatable by a base-side horizontal shaft 11 for the main arm fixed to a bracket 10 on the machine base 2. The base 14 of the sub arm 5 is supported by a shaft supporting member 18 serving as a fixed crank provided upright above the base side horizontal shaft 11.
The main arm 4 is rotatably supported by a horizontal shaft 15 on the base side for the sub arm, and the tip of the main arm 4 is mounted near the bottom of the head support member 12 with the finger head 6.
The sub arm 5 is rotatably supported by a horizontal shaft 13' on the front side, and the front end of the sub arm 5 is located near the upper part 12a of the head support member 12 with a space between the two shafts 11 and 15 on the base side that is wider than that between the two shafts 11 and 15 on the base side. It is rotatably supported at a distal end side horizontal shaft 16 at a distance (see FIGS. 1 to 4).

The second automatic conveyance device for printed circuit boards in a processing tank according to the present invention has a main arm 4 in an upper stage,
The sub-arm 5 is arranged at the lower stage. That is, the base of the arm 3, which suspends the substrate holding rack 7 by the finger head 6 at the tip, is placed on the carrier table 2, which is provided so that the side of the processing tank 1 is movable, and is rotatable about the horizontal axis on the base side. In an automatic printed circuit board transfer device for a processing tank, which is equipped with a driving means 8 that is pivotally supported and rotates the arm 3 about the horizontal axis, the arm 3 is connected to a main arm 4 on the upper stage and a sub-arm 5 on the lower stage. It has a two-piece structure and is installed horizontally in a non-parallel manner, and the base 9 of the main arm 4 is rotatable by a base-side horizontal shaft 11 for the main arm fixed to a bracket 10 on the machine base 2. The base 14 of the sub arm 5 is supported by a shaft supporting member 18 serving as a fixed crank provided in a hanging manner below the base side horizontal shaft 11.
The main arm 4 is rotatably supported on a base-side horizontal shaft 15 for the sub-arm, and on the other hand, the tip of the main arm 4 is attached to a tip-side horizontal shaft near the top 12a of the head support member 12 with the finger head 6. 13, and the tip of the sub-arm 5 is placed near the bottom of the head support member 12, with a distance between the two shafts 11 and 15 on the base side being wider than that between the two shafts 11 and 15 on the base side. It is rotatably supported on a shaft 16 (see Fig. 5).

In the above structure, the head support member 12 is rotatable about the front side horizontal shaft 13 for the main arm.

In the figure, reference numeral 18 denotes a shaft support member for the base-side horizontal shaft 15 of the sub-arm 5, which is fixed to the bracket 10. 20 is a lower corner of the printed circuit board 17;
21 is a carrier bar, 22a is the lower end of the carrier bar grip part 22, and 23 is a locking bar provided on both inner sides of the processing tank 1. Further, f is the center line of the finger head 6, j is a line connecting the horizontal axes 13 and 16 on both ends of the main and sub arms 4 and 5, x is a vertical line, and s is a line connecting the lower corner 20 of the printed circuit board 17. Show the trajectory.

[Effect]

The operating state of the printed circuit board automatic transport device in the processing tank according to the present invention is as follows.

A Printed circuit board 1 immersed in processing tank 1
7 will be lifted up to be transferred to the next processing tank.

While the printed circuit board 17 is immersed in the processing tank 1,
Carrier bar 2 of rack 7 holding board 17
1 is supported by locking bars 23 on both sides of the processing tank 1 and is in a horizontal state. When lifting, first, the main arm 4 of the present transfer device is rotated by the driving means 8 around the base-side horizontal shaft 11 for the main arm, so that the main arm 4 is in a horizontal state (second
(see Figure 5).

In this state, open the carrier bar gripping part 22,
The carrier bar 21 of the rack 7 is gripped, and then the main arm 4 is rotated upward about the main arm base horizontal axis 11 by the driving means 8 and raised (see FIGS. 1 and 3).

In that case, () In the case where the sub arm 5 is located above the main arm 4 as in the first invention, the main arm 4
As the head support member 12 rotates upward about the base-side horizontal axis 11, the head support member 12
is stretched forward at the tip of the sub arm 5 whose base side is supported by the shaft 15 on the upper part of the shaft support member 18.

With this, the head support member 12 can be prevented from tilting, and the line j connecting the horizontal shafts 13 and 16 on both front end sides of the main and sub arms 4 and 5 on the head support member 12 can be At each stage of the ascent, it will not be tilted too much with respect to the vertical line x (see Figure 4).

Therefore, the finger head 6 attached to the head support member 12 does not tilt much with respect to the vertical line x, and the lower end 22a of the carrier bar gripping portion 22 also has a small tilt with respect to the horizontal line. Board 17
The lower corner 20 is, for example, s in FIG.
It rises while drawing a trajectory as shown in .

Therefore, the printed circuit board 17 rises in a diagonal manner with good drainage, while reaching the lower corner portion 20.
It rises without protruding to the side too much, and there is no possibility of it colliding with the inside of the processing tank 1.

() In the second invention, in which the sub arm 5 is placed lower than the main arm 4 (see Fig. 5), when the main arm 4 similarly rotates upward around the base side horizontal axis 11, Head support member 1
The lower part of the arm 2 rises while being pulled toward the base side by the sub arm 5 whose base side is pivotally supported by the lower part of the shaft support member 18.

With this, the head support member 12 is prevented from tilting, and the line j connecting the horizontal axes 13 and 16 on both front end sides of the head support member 12 is also aligned with the vertical line x at each stage of the main arm 4's ascent. It doesn't tilt too much.

Therefore, the lower corner portion 20 of the printed circuit board 17 rises while tracing a trajectory similar to that shown by s in FIG. 4, and does not collide with the inside of the processing tank 1.

B The case where the printed circuit board 17 is lowered after being transported to the next processing tank 1 will be described.

() In the case where the sub arm 5 is located above the main arm 4 as in the first invention, the main arm 4
When the sub arm 4 rotates and descends around the base-side horizontal axis 11 by the drive device 8, the tip of the sub arm 4 pushes forward the upper part 12a of the head support member 12 in the same manner as when it rises. .

Now, the horizontal shafts 1 on both tip sides on the support member 12 are
The line j connecting 3 and 16 does not tilt much with respect to the vertical line x at each stage of the lowering of the main arm 4 (see FIG. 4).

Therefore, the center line f of the finger head 6 attached to the head support member 12 does not incline much with respect to the vertical line x at each stage of descent as well as when it rises, and the printed circuit board 17 held by the rack 7 , the lower corner portion 20 descends, for example, tracing a trajectory shown by s in FIG.

Therefore, although the printed circuit board 17 is lowered obliquely, the lower corner portion 20 is not protruded to the side much, and the printed circuit board 17 is immersed into the processing tank 1 without any trouble.

() When the sub-arm 5 is lower than the main arm 4 as in the second invention, when the main arm 4 rotates and descends around the base-side horizontal shaft 11, the sub-arm 5 supports the head support member. 12
The lower part of is pulled toward the base.

Therefore, the line j connecting the horizontal axes 13 and 16 on both front sides of the head support member 12 does not tilt much with respect to the vertical line x at each stage of descent, and the lower corner 20 of the printed circuit board 17 For example, it descends while drawing a trajectory similar to that shown by s in FIG. 4, and is immersed into the processing tank 1 without any trouble.

〔Example〕

The relationship between the upper and lower stages of the main arm 4 and the sub-arm 5 may be either upper or lower. The one shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 has the main arm 4 on the lower stage and the sub arm 5 on the upper stage.

That is, here, the bracket 10 on the carrier table 2
The base side horizontal shaft 11 of the main arm 4 is fixed to
The base 9 of the main arm 4 is rotatably supported on the horizontal shaft 11, and a shaft support member 18 serving as a fixed crank is provided upright on the horizontal shaft 11 to support the shaft support. The base 1 of the sub arm 5 is placed near the top of the material 18.
4 is rotatably supported by a horizontal shaft 15 on the base side.

Further, the lower portion of the head support member 12 is rotatably supported at the tip of the main arm 4 by a horizontal shaft 13 on the tip side, and the upper portion 12a of the support member 12 is rotatably supported at the tip of the sub arm 5. It is rotatably supported by a horizontal shaft 16 on the front side.

On the other hand, in the case shown in FIG. 5, the sub-arm 5 is provided below the main arm 4, contrary to the above. That is, here, a shaft support member 18 serving as a fixed crank is provided hanging downward on the base side horizontal shaft 11 that rotatably supports the base portion 9 of the main arm 4, and a sub-support member is provided at the bottom of the shaft support member 18. A base 14 of the arm 5 is rotatably supported by a base-side horizontal shaft 15.

Also, a head support member 12 is attached to the tip of the main arm 4.
The upper part 12a of the support member 12a is rotatably supported on the front side horizontal shaft 13, and the lower part of the support member 12 is rotatably supported on the front end of the sub arm 5 on the front side horizontal shaft 16. It is.

In any of the above cases, the non-parallel state of both the main and sub arms 4, 5 can be achieved by making the distance between the distal side horizontal shafts 13, 16 longer than between the base side horizontal axes 11, 15. The heads on the head support member 12 side are arranged in a non-parallel manner with wide spacing.

In the non-parallel state, the line j connecting the front horizontal axes 13 and 16 of the head support member 12 and the center line f of the finger head 6 become as close to parallel as possible.
In each tilt state of the main arm 4, the tilt with respect to the vertical line x becomes smaller. Therefore, although the lower corner portion 20 of the printed circuit board 17 no longer protrudes to the side, the liquid draining from the circuit board 17 becomes a little difficult.

The main arm 4 includes a rack 7 and a printed circuit board 1.
It has the strength to bear the load of 7, but the secondary arm 5
may be a simple rod-shaped member as long as it can pull or push the head support member 12.

The driving means 8 for rotating the main arm 4 around the base-side horizontal shaft 11 may be, for example, an air cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder connected to a central portion of the main arm 4, or a motor using a threaded rod or a gear. .

The main arm 4 can be lowered to a horizontal state when the main arm 4 is rotated about the base-side horizontal axis 11 for the main arm by the driving means 8 and lowered. Further, the finger head 6 provided on the head support member 12
is the head center line x when the main arm 4 is in a horizontal state.
The carrier bar gripping portion 22 at the bottom of the head 6 is set to be horizontal.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above, the automatic printed circuit board transport device in a processing tank according to the present invention, unlike conventional ones, has a simple structure, can reduce the width and height of the entire device, and can reduce the amount of processing liquid. It is possible to improve the stirring efficiency, and also to improve the draining of the processing liquid.

That is, in the conventional conveying apparatus of this type, the height of the entire apparatus was large, and the width was also large because the support was provided outside the processing tank. Furthermore, since the printed circuit board was pulled up vertically, the bottom edge of the board was horizontal, making it difficult for the processing liquid to drain. Furthermore, in the case where the substrate is raised and lowered by rotating in an arc, there is a risk that the lower end of the rack or the lower corner of the substrate may collide with the inside of the processing tank. Therefore, the processing tank became large, a large amount of processing liquid was required, and the stirring efficiency of the liquid was also poor.

On the other hand, in the automatic printed circuit board transfer device for a processing tank according to the present invention, when the arm rotates around the horizontal axis on the base side and moves up and down, the head support member has its upper or lower part projected by the sub-arm. Due to tension or tension, the line connecting the distal transverse axes of the support member and the centerline of the finger head are not significantly inclined relative to the vertical line during each tilted state of the arm.

Therefore, the lower end of the rack hooked through the finger head, etc., and the corner of the printed circuit board,
It does not protrude much to the side when rising or descending. Therefore, the width and height of the entire apparatus can be reduced, the amount of processing liquid can be reduced, the stirring efficiency can be improved, and the processing liquid can drain easily.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figures show an embodiment of an automatic printed circuit board conveying device for a processing tank according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the main parts of the device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section when the arm is in a horizontal state. 3 is a longitudinal sectional front view when the arm is raised, FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing the inclination of the head support member/finger head with respect to the vertical line in each tilted state of the arm, and FIG. 5 is another embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic longitudinal sectional front view of a conventional arm rotating lifting device. Drawing code, 1... Processing tank, 2... Conveyor stand, 3
...Arm, 4...Main arm, 5...Secondary arm,
6...Finger head, 7...Rack, 8...
Drive means, 9...Base, 10...Bracket, 1
1...Base side horizontal shaft, 12...Head support member, 1
2a... Upper part, 13... Front side horizontal axis, 14... Base, 15... Base side horizontal axis, 16... Tip side horizontal axis,
17... Printed circuit board, 18... Axial support material, 20
...lower corner, f...head center line, j...line connecting the horizontal axes 13 and 16 on the tip side, s...locus of lower corner, x...vertical line.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. The base of the arm 3, which suspends the substrate holding rack 7 by the finger head 6 at the tip, is placed on the carrier table 2, which is provided so that the side of the processing tank 1 is movable, with the base side horizontal axis. In an automatic printed circuit board transfer device for a processing tank, the arm 3 is rotatably supported on a shaft and provided with a driving means 8 for rotating the arm 3 about the horizontal axis. It has a two-piece structure with a sub-arm 5 and is installed horizontally in a non-parallel manner. 11
The base 14 of the sub arm 5 is rotatably supported at
is rotatably supported by a base-side horizontal shaft 15 for a sub-arm on a shaft supporting member 18 serving as a fixed crank provided upright above the base-side horizontal shaft 11, and on the other hand, the main arm 4 The tip of the arm 5 is rotatably supported near the bottom of a head support member 12 with a finger head 6 by a horizontal shaft 13 on the tip side.
The tip is rotatably supported near the top 12a of the head support member 12 by a horizontal shaft 16 on the tip side with a distance between the two shafts 11 and 15 on the base side. An automatic printed circuit board transport device for processing tanks. 2. The base of the arm 3 that suspends the substrate holding rack 7 by the finger head 6 at the tip is movably pivoted on the horizontal axis of the base side on the carrier table 2, which is provided so that the side of the processing tank 1 can be moved. In an automatic printed circuit board transfer device for a processing tank, which is provided with a driving means 8 for supporting and rotating the arm 3 about the horizontal axis, the arm 3 is divided into two parts: a main arm 4 at the upper stage and a sub-arm 5 at the lower stage. This structure is installed horizontally in a non-parallel manner, and the base 9 of the main arm 4 is connected to the base horizontal shaft 11 for the main arm, which is fixed to the bracket 10 on the machine base 2.
The base 14 of the sub arm 5 is rotatably supported at
is rotatably supported by a base-side horizontal shaft 15 for a sub-arm on a shaft support member 18 serving as a fixed crank provided in a hanging manner below the base-side horizontal shaft 11, and on the other hand, the main arm 4 The tip of the sub arm 5 is rotatably supported near the upper part 12a of the head support member 12 with the finger head 6 on the tip side horizontal shaft 13, and the tip of the sub arm 5 is attached to the lower part of the head support member 12. An automatic printed circuit board conveyance device for a processing tank, characterized in that the printed circuit board automatic conveyance device for a processing tank is rotatably supported on a horizontal shaft 16 on the front side with a distance between the shafts wider than between the two shafts 11 and 15 on the base side.