Apparatus and method for assembling electronic circuits

Abstract

A device for assembling electronic circuits comprises a placing station for placing circuit components on a circuit carrier held at a placing location, a fixing station for fixing the circuit carrier under the effect of heat, and a belt conveyor for conveying a circuit carrier from the placing location to a take-over location of the fixing station. The fixing station comprises a heatable zone and a manipulator for raising the circuit carrier from the take-over location and placing it in the heatable zone. A continuous belt conveyor extends from the placing location up to the take-over location.

1 - 15 . (canceled)  
   
   
       16 . A device for assembling electronic circuits, comprising: a placing station for placing circuit components on a circuit carrier held at a placing location; a fixing station for fixing the circuit components to the circuit carrier under heat; and a belt conveyor means for conveying the circuit carrier from the placing location to a take-over location of the fixing station, the fixing station including a heatable zone and a manipulator for lifting the circuit carrier off the take-over location and placing it in the heatable zone, and the belt conveyor means including a continuous belt conveyor extending from the placing location to the take-over location.  
   
   
       17 . The device for assembling electronic circuits according to  claim 16 , and a first sensor for detecting the conveying of the circuit carrier arranged at the belt conveyor, and a control means connected to the first sensor for braking the belt conveyor after detection of the conveying of the circuit carrier by the first sensor.  
   
   
       18 . The device for assembling electronic circuits according to  claim 17 , and a second sensor for detecting the circuit carrier placed at the belt conveyor downstream of the first sensor, and the control means being operative for bringing the belt conveyor to rest at the moment when the circuit carrier is detected by the second sensor.  
   
   
       19 . The device for assembling electronic circuits according to  claim 16 , wherein the heatable zone is a solder oven.  
   
   
       20 . The device for assembling electronic circuits according to  claim 19 , wherein the solder oven is dimensioned to receive a plurality of circuit carriers, and wherein the manipulator has a range of movement in which there is at least one placing location for a dummy of the circuit carrier.  
   
   
       21 . The device for assembling electronic circuits according to  claim 16 , wherein the heatable zone is a heatable plate.  
   
   
       22 . The device for assembling electronic circuits according to  claim 16 , wherein the placing station is enclosed within a casing, and wherein the belt conveyor extends outwardly through an opening of the casing.  
   
   
       23 . A device for assembling electronic circuits, comprising: a placing station for placing circuit components on a circuit carrier held at a placing location; a fixing station for fixing the circuit components to the circuit carrier under heat; and a belt conveyor means for conveying the circuit carrier from the placing location to a take-over location of the fixing station, the fixing station having a heatable zone and a manipulator for lifting the circuit carrier off the take-over location and placing it in the heatable zone, the belt conveyor means including a first belt conveyor extending between a pickup location where the circuit carrier is placeable on the belt conveyor means and a hand-over location located upstream of the placing location, and a second belt conveyor extending from the hand-over location via the placing location to the take-over location.  
   
   
       24 . The device for assembling electronic circuits according to  claim 23 , and an elevating table for lifting the circuit carrier off the belt conveyor means at the placing location.  
   
   
       25 . The device for assembling electronic circuits according to  claim 24 , wherein the elevating table is vertically linearly guided, and an actuator for raising and lowering the elevating table, the actuator being connected with a clearance to the elevating table.  
   
   
       26 . The device for assembling electronic circuits according to  claim 24 , and an actuator for raising and lowering the elevating table, the actuator being driven by a pressurized fluid, and a throttle associated with the actuator in order to be transited by the pressurized fluid when lowering the elevating table.  
   
   
       27 . The device for assembling electronic circuits according to  claim 26 , and a free cross-section of the throttle being adjustable.  
   
   
       28 . The device for assembling electronic circuits according to  claim 24 , and a double-acting actuator for raising and lowering the elevating table.  
   
   
       29 . A method of assembling an electronic circuit on a circuit carrier, comprising the following cyclically repeated steps: 
 a) placing components on the circuit carrier at a placing location, and subsequently conveying the circuit carrier equipped with circuit components from the placing location to a hand-over location using one belt conveyor;    b) concurrently with step a), conveying an unequipped circuit carrier between a pickup location and the hand-over location using another belt conveyor;    c) handing over the unequipped circuit carrier to the one belt conveyor and conveying it to the placing location; and    d) taking over the equipped circuit carrier at the take-over location and placing it in a heatable zone using a manipulator.    
   
   
       30 . The device for assembling electronic circuits according to  claim 29 , in that the handing over step of the unequipped circuit carrier to the one belt conveyor is carried out after the taking over step of the equipped circuit carrier is performed.