IP Library Granted Patent US 9,332,686
Granted Patent B2
US 9,332,686 · App. 13/978,443 · Granted May 3, 2016

Lower supporting pin layout determination apparatus and lower supporting pin layout determination method

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,332,686
App. No.
13/978,443
Granted
May 3, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A lower supporting pin module 22 is given a shape having a contact surface 26 a . On the occasion of position recognition for determining a position of a pin on the lower supporting pin module 22 , an image of the lower supporting pin module 22 is captured, and the image is subjected to recognition processing, to thus detect an outer shape of an upper shaft 24 B. Even when an extraneous matter on a downside surface of a substrate adheres to the contact surface 26 a , the position of the lower supporting pin module 22 can be stably recognized with superior recognition precision.

Claims (16)

1. A lower supporting pin layout determination apparatus which determines whether or not a lower supporting pin for receiving a downside of substrate is correctly arrayed in an electronic parts mounting apparatus that mounts electronic parts on a substrate held by a substrate holding section,

wherein the lower supporting pin has a shape including a base to be supported by a support plate placed in the substrate holding section, a shaft extending upward from the base, a smaller-diameter section that is on an upper portion of the shaft and in which an outer diameter of the shaft becomes smaller, and a contact surface that is formed on top of the smaller-diameter section and that contacts and receives a downside of the substrate; and

the lower supporting pin layout determination apparatus has:

an imaging unit that captures an image of the lower supporting pin from above, so as to acquire a planar image;

a shaft shape detection section that subjects the image to recognition processing, so as to detect an outer shape of the shaft at a recognition reference position set at a height where a transition occurs from an outer periphery of the shaft to the smaller-diameter section, the smaller-diameter section appearing as an area of the image that is dark in a bright background; and

a pin layout determination section that compares a planar position of the lower supporting pin determined from the detected outer shape with preset pin layout data, thereby determining whether or not the lower supporting pin is correctly arrayed,

wherein the shaft assumes a circular cross sectional profile; and

the smaller-diameter section includes a small diameter portion having an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the shaft and the small diameter portion has on its top the contact surface and a tapered portion in which a periphery of the small diameter portion and a periphery of the shaft are interconnected unit of a conical tapered surface.

2. The lower supporting pin layout determination apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the shaft comprises an upper shaft connected to the smaller-diameter section and a lower shaft connected to the base, and the lower supporting pin further comprises a flange between the upper shaft and the lower shaft, a diameter of the flange is wider than a diameter of the upper shaft or the lower shaft and the diameter of the lower shaft is wider than the diameter of the upper shaft.

3. A lower supporting pin layout determination method for determining whether or not a lower supporting pin which receives a downside of a substrate is correctly arrayed in an electronic parts mounting apparatus that mounts electronic parts on the substrate held by a substrate holding section, wherein the lower supporting pin has a shape including a base to be supported by a support plate placed in the substrate holding section, a shaft extending upward from the base, a smaller-diameter section that is on an upper portion of the shaft and in which an outer diameter of the shaft becomes smaller, and a contact surface that is formed on top of the smaller-diameter section and that contacts and receives a downside surface of the substrate, the method comprising:

an imaging step of capturing an image of the lower supporting pin from above, to thus acquire a planar image;

a shaft shape detection step of subjecting the image to recognition processing, to thus detect an outer shape of the shaft at a recognition reference position set at a height where a transition occurs from an outer periphery of the shaft to the smaller-diameter section, the smaller-diameter section appearing as an area of the image that is dark in a bright background; and

a pin layout determination step of comparing a planar position of the lower supporting pin determined from the detected outer shape with preset pin layout data, thereby determining whether or not the lower supporting pin is correctly arrayed,

wherein the shaft assumes a circular cross sectional profile; and

the smaller-diameter section includes a small diameter portion having an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the shaft and the small diameter portion has on its top the contact surface and a tapered portion in which a periphery of the small diameter portion and a periphery of the shaft are interconnected by a conical tapered surface.

4. The lower supporting pin layout determination method according to claim 3 , wherein the shaft comprises an upper shaft connected to the smaller-diameter section and a lower shaft connected to the base, and the lower supporting pin further comprises a flange between the upper shaft and the lower shaft, a diameter of the flange is wider than a diameter of the upper shaft or the lower shaft and the diameter of the lower shaft is wider than the diameter of the upper shaft.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ERRONEOUSLY FILED APPLICATION NUMBERS 13/384239, 13/498734, 14/116681 AND 14/301144 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 034194 FRAME 0143. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Dec 24, 2020
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 056788/0362 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2014
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 034194/0143 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 30, 2013
From: YAMASHITA, SHIROU; ENDO, TADASHI; OKADA, YASUICHI; NAKASHIMA, MAKOTO; MINAMIDE, YUKI
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 031114/0705 →