Technical Field

The present disclosure generally relates to a method and a device for printing a viscous material onto a substrate, where the viscous material may be, for example, a solder paste, and the substrate may be, for example, a printed circuit board. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a method and a device for replacing a stencil.

Background Art

In typical surface-viscous circuit board production processes, stencil printers are used to print solder paste onto printed circuit boards. The circuit board is also referred to broadly as an electronic substrate, which has a pattern of solder pads or some other conductive surfaces that may deposit a solder paste and is fed to a stencil printer. Some holes or markings on the circuit board, referred to as reference points, are used to align the circuit board with a stencil or mesh board of a stencil printer before printing the solder paste onto the circuit board. The reference points are used as points for reference when aligning the circuit board with the stencil. Once the circuit board is aligned with the stencil of the printer, the circuit board is raised to the stencil by a substrate support and fixed relative to the stencil, and the stencil support may be, for example, a platform having a pin or other item support. The solder paste is then dispensed by moving a scraper or a scraping plate over the stencil such that the solder paste passes through the holes on the stencil and reaches the circuit board. As the scrape moves through the stencil, the solder paste rolls in front of the blade, which causes the solder paste to be mixed and chopped as desired to obtain a desired viscosity to help fill the holes in the mesh board or stencil. The solder paste is typically dispensed on the stencil from a standard solder paste feed cartridge. Upon completion of the printing operation, the circuit board is released, lowered, and detemplated before being conveyed to another location within a printed circuit board production line.

The pattern on the circuit board matches the pattern formed by the mesh holes on the stencil so that the solder paste can be printed accurately on the circuit board from the mesh holes to the desired location on the circuit board. When the pattern changes on a newly replaced circuit board, a new matching stencil needs to be replaced and mounted accordingly. Summary of the Invention

In the prior art, it is necessary to remove the scraper from the print head when replacing the stencil so as to avoid the viscous material on the scraper from dripping onto the printer and destroying the cleanliness of the printing environment, which may further increase the failure rate of the product. However, the additional removal and mounting of the scrapers when replacing the stencils can make the operation of the replacement of stencils more complex and time consuming. The stencil printer is not working during this period, resulting in reduced productivity.

To avoid removing scrapers when replacing the stencils, the present disclosure sets a tray in the stencil printer for carrying a viscous material that drips off the scrapers during the replacement of the stencils.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the present disclosure provides a stencil printer including a stencil holder, a printhead, and a stencil. The stencil holder is defined with a first travel length and a second travel length along a transverse direction thereof. The printhead is disposed above the stencil holder and configured to move back and forth along the stencil holder. The stencil is movably mounted on the stencil holder. The stencil printer further includes a tray and a tray drive mechanism. The tray is disposed in a stencil holder tail position of the stencil holder and is configured to move on the stencil holder. The tray is driven by the tray drive mechanism within the first travel length and the tray is driven by the movement of the printhead within the second travel length.

According to the first aspect described above, the stencil is driven by the movement of the printhead to move on the stencil holder.

According to the first aspect described above, the tray and the stencil move along the same plane.

According to the first aspect described above, the stencil printer further includes a printhead drive mechanism. The printhead is driven by the printhead drive mechanism.

According to the first aspect described above, the stencil holder has a stencil holder head position and a stencil holder tail position. The stencil is mounted on the stencil holder from the stencil holder head position or the stencil is removed from the stencil holder from the stencil holder head position. The starting position of the first travel length is at or near the stencil holder tail position. When the tray is mounted in place, the tray is disposed on the stencil holder tail position. The end position of the second travel length is at or near the stencil holder head position. The boundary of the first travel length and the second travel length is located between the stencil holder head position and the stencil holder tail position.

According to the first aspect described above, the stencil holder has a stencil holder head position and a stencil holder tail position. The tray is mounted on the stencil holder from the stencil holder head position or the tray is removed from the stencil holder from the stencil holder head position. The starting position of the first travel length is at or near the stencil holder tail position. When the tray is mounted in place, the tray is disposed on the stencil holder tail position. The end position of the second travel length is at or near the stencil holder head position. The boundary of the first travel length and the second travel length is located between the stencil holder head position and the stencil holder tail position.

According to the first aspect described above, in a disassembly operation of the stencil, the tray drive mechanism drives the tray to move on the stencil holder to a position under the printhead.

According to the first aspect described above, in the disassembly operation of the stencil, the printhead drive mechanism drives the printhead to move from above the stencil to above the tray such that the stencil is misaligned with the printhead and the tray is aligned with the printhead to receive a viscous material that drips off the printhead.

According to the first aspect described above, during an operation of mounting the stencil, the stencil is moved to an initial mounting position. The printhead drive mechanism drives the printhead such that the printhead is located above the stencil so that the stencil is capable of receiving a viscous material that drips off the printhead.

According to the first aspect described above, a grabbing mechanism is provided on the printhead and configured to grab the stencil and the tray. With the grabbing mechanism on the printhead grabbing the stencil, the movement of the printhead enables the stencil to move on the stencil holder. With the grabbing mechanism on the printhead grabbing the tray, the movement of the printhead enables the tray to move on the stencil holder.

According to the first aspect described above, a scraper and a printing nozzle are mounted on the printhead.

According to the first aspect described above, the stencil printer further includes a control device. The printhead drive mechanism, the tray drive mechanism, and the grabbing mechanism are controlled by the control device. According to the first aspect described above, the stencil printer is used to perform the following methods.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, the present disclosure provides a method for disassembling a stencil from a stencil printer. The stencil printer includes a stencil holder defined with a first travel length and a second travel length along a transverse direction thereof, the first travel length and the second travel length defining a boundary position of the first and second travel lengths. The method includes the following steps (1), (2), and (3). In step (1), a tray is moved by a tray drive mechanism from a starting position of the first travel length on the stencil holder to the boundary position of the first travel length and the second travel length in a first direction. At the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths, the tray is immediately adjacent an edge of the stencil during disassembly. In step (2), a printhead located above the stencil is moved in a second direction opposite the first direction by a printhead drive mechanism such that the printhead is positioned above the tray. In step (3), the stencil is removed from the stencil holder in the first direction.

According to the second aspect described above, the method further includes the following steps. After step (2) and prior to step (3), the tray is grabbed by a grabbing mechanism on the printhead at the boundary position. After step (3), the printhead located above the tray is moved in the first direction by the printhead drive mechanism while driving the grabbed tray to move from the boundary position on the stencil holder to an end position of the second travel length in the first direction.

According to the second aspect described above, the grabbing of the tray by the grabbing mechanism is detected by a sensor.

According to the second aspect described above, the tray drive mechanism includes a cylinder having a piston. Step (1) includes: protruding the piston of the cylinder to move the tray to abut against the edge of the stencil in a first direction from the starting position of the first travel length.

According to the second aspect described above, a scraper and a printing nozzles are mounted on the printhead. That the printhead is located above the stencil includes: the scraper is positioned above the stencil to enable the stencil to receive a viscous material that drips from the scraper, or the scraper and the printing nozzle are positioned above the stencil to enable the stencil to receive a viscous material that drips from the scraper and the printing nozzle. That the printhead is located above the tray includes: the scraper is positioned above the tray to enable the tray to receive a viscous material that drips from the scraper, or the scraper and the printing nozzle are positioned above the tray to enable the tray to receive a viscous material that drips from the scraper and the printing nozzle.

According to the second aspect described above, the printhead is moved to a desired position by controlling the operation of the printhead drive mechanism through a control device.

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, the present disclosure provides a method for mounting a stencil on a stencil printer. The stencil printer includes a stencil holder defined with a first travel length and a second travel length along a transverse direction thereof, the first travel length and the second travel length defining a boundary position of the first and second travel lengths. The method includes the following steps (1), (2), (3), and (4). In step (1), a stencil is inserted into an initial mounting position on the stencil holder, and at the initial mounting position, the stencil is immediately adjacent an edge of a tray located at an end position of the second travel length while the tray is disposed on the stencil holder and under the printhead. In step (2), a printhead is moved from above the tray to above the stencil in a first direction by a printhead drive mechanism. In step (3), the stencil is grabbed by a grabbing mechanism on the printhead. In step (4), the printhead is moved by the printhead drive mechanism in a second direction opposite the first direction and drives the grabbed stencil to move to a mounting position in the second direction on the stencil holder while the edge of the stencil urges the tray on the stencil holder to move from an end position of the second travel length to the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths in the second direction.

According to the third aspect described above, the following steps are performed prior to step (1): grabbing the tray under the printhead by a grabbing mechanism on the printhead; and moving the printhead in the first direction by the printhead drive mechanism and causing the grabbed tray to move in the first direction on the stencil holder to the end position of the second travel length.

According to the third aspect described above, the grabbing mechanism on the printhead releases the grabbing of the tray after step (1) and prior to step (2).

According to the third aspect described above, the method further includes the following step (5): after step (4), moving the tray by the tray drive mechanism on the stencil holder from the boundary position of the first travel length and the second travel length to a starting position of the first travel length in the second direction. According to the third aspect described above, a scraper and a printing nozzle are mounted on the printhead. That the tray is located under the printhead includes: the tray is located under the scraper to enable the tray to receive a viscous material that drips off the scraper, or the tray is located under the scraper and the printing nozzle to enable the tray to receive a viscous material that drips off the scraper and the printing nozzles. That the printhead is located above the stencil includes: the scraper is positioned above the stencil to enable the stencil to receive a viscous material that drips off the scraper, or the scraper and the printing nozzle are positioned above the stencil to enable the stencil to receive a viscous material that drips off the scraper and the printing nozzle.

According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the present disclosure provides a method for disassembling a tray from a stencil printer. The stencil printer includes a stencil holder defined with a first travel length and a second travel length along a transverse direction thereof, the first travel length and the second travel length defining a boundary position of the first and second travel lengths. The method includes the following steps (1), (2), (3), (4), and (5). In step (1), a tray is moved on the stencil holder by a tray drive mechanism from a starting position of the first travel length in a first direction to the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths. In step (2), a printhead is moved above the tray by a printhead drive mechanism in a second direction opposite the first direction. In step (3), the tray is grabbed by a grabbing mechanism on the printhead. In step (4), the printhead is moved in the first direction by the printhead drive mechanism and drives the grabbed tray to move on the stencil holder from the boundary position of the first travel length and the second travel length to an end position of the second travel length in the first direction. In step (5), the tray is removed from the stencil holder in the first direction. There is no scraper mounted on the printhead.

According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, the present disclosure provides a method for mounting a tray on a stencil printer. The stencil printer includes a stencil holder defined with a first travel length and a second travel length along a transverse direction thereof, the first travel length and the second travel length defining a boundary position of the first and second travel lengths. The method includes the following steps (1), (2), (3), (4), and (5). In step (1), a tray is inserted into an end position of the second travel length on the stencil holder. In step (2), a printhead is moved above the tray in a first direction by a printhead drive mechanism. In step (3), the tray is grabbed by a grabbing mechanism on the printhead. In step (4), the printhead is moved by the printhead drive mechanism in a second direction opposite the first direction and drives the grabbed tray to move from an end position of the second travel length on the stencil holder to the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths in the second direction. In step (5), the tray is moved, by the tray drive mechanism, on the stencil holder from the boundary position of the first travel length and the second travel length to a starting position of the first travel length in the second direction. There is no scraper mounted on the printhead.

Brief Description of Drawings

The drawings are not to scale. In the drawings, each of the same or nearly the same components represented in the different drawings are represented by the same reference numerals. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:

Fig. 1A shows a stereoscopic structural diagram of one example of a stencil printer 10 according to the present disclosure;

Fig. IB shows a stereoscopic structural diagram of one example of internal components of the stencil printer 10 according to the present disclosure;

Fig. 1C shows a stereoscopic structural diagram of another angle of the stencil printer 10 of Fig. IB;

Fig. 2A shows a stereoscopic structural diagram of one example of a stencil 13, a tray 19, a stencil holder 14, a stencil fixing mechanism 22, and a tray drive mechanism 20 of Fig. IB;

Figs. 2B to C show a stereoscopic view and a top view of the stencil 13 in Fig. 2A, respectively;

Figs. 2D to E show a stereoscopic view and a top view of the tray 19 in Fig. 2A, respectively;

Figs. 2F to H show a stereoscopic view, a front view, and a bottom view of the stencil holder 14 and the stencil fixing mechanism 22 in Fig. 2A, respectively;

Figs. 3A to B show a stereoscopic view and a front view of one example of the tray drive mechanism 20 (adjacent an end of the stencil holder 14) of Fig. IB;

Figs. 4A to B show a stereoscopic structural diagram and a front view of one example of a grabbing mechanism 16 of Fig. IB, respectively;

Fig. 4C shows a schematic diagram of one example of a piston 1602 of the grabbing mechanism 16 of Fig. 4A grabbing the stencil 13;

Fig. 4D shows a schematic diagram of one example of the piston 1602 of the grabbing mechanism 16 of Fig. 4A grabbing the tray 19;

Fig. 4E shows a schematic diagram of another example of the piston 1602 of the grabbing mechanism 16 of Fig. 4A grabbing the tray 19;

Fig. 5A shows a schematic diagram of movement and locations of a printhead 12, the stencil 13, and the tray 19 in one example of a disassembly operation of the stencil 13;

Fig. 5B shows a schematic diagram of movement and locations of the printhead 12, the stencil 13, and the tray 19 in one example of a mounting operation of the stencil 13;

Fig. 5C shows a schematic diagram of movement and locations of the printhead 12, the stencil 13, and the tray 19 in one example of a disassembly operation of the tray 19;

Fig. 5D shows a schematic diagram of movement and locations of the printhead 12, the stencil 13, and the tray 19 in one example of a mounting operation of the tray 19;

Fig. 6 shows a flowchart of one example of a method of disassembling the stencil 13 from the stencil printer 10;

Fig. 7 shows a flowchart of one example of a method of mounting the stencil 13 on the stencil printer 10;

Fig. 8 shows a flowchart of one example of a method of disassembling the tray 19 from the stencil printer 10;

Fig. 9 shows a flowchart of one example of a method of mounting the tray 19 on the stencil printer 10;

Fig. 10 shows a schematic connection diagram of components in the stencil printer 10; and

Fig. 11 shows a structural block diagram of a control device 24 shown in Fig. 10.

Description of Embodiments

Various specific embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the attached drawings that form a part of the present specification. It should be understood that while terms denoting orientation, such as “front”, “rear”, “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “right”, “inner”, “outer”, etc., are used in the present application to describe various exemplary structural parts and elements of the present application, these terms are used herein for convenience of illustration only and are determined based on the exemplary orientations shown in the appended drawings. Since the examples disclosed in the present application may be disposed in different orientations, these terms denoting orientation are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered as limiting. The same or similar reference numerals used in the present application refer to the same components where possible.

For purposes of illustration, examples of the present disclosure will be described with respect to a stencil printer for printing solder paste onto a printed circuit board. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that examples in the present disclosure are not limited to stencil printers for printing solder paste, but may also include printing other substances such as adhesives, epoxy resins, background adhesive materials and sealing materials. Likewise, the terms mesh board and stencil may be used interchangeably here to describe devices in the printer.

Fig. 1A shows a stereoscopic structural diagram of one example of a stencil printer 10 according to the present disclosure, Fig. IB shows a stereoscopic structural diagram of one example of internal components of the stencil printer 10 according to the present disclosure, and Fig. 1C shows a stereoscopic structural diagram of another angle of the stencil printer 10 of Fig. IB.

As shown in Figs. 1A to C, the components of the stencil printer 10 may include, in part, a rack 11, a printhead 12, a stencil 13, a stencil holder 14, and a printhead drive mechanism 15. As shown in Fig. 1A, the stencil printer 10 includes a left side portion 101, a right side portion, a front portion 102, a rear portion, a top portion 103, and a bottom portion, and the left side portion 101, the front portion 102, and the top portion 103 are visible in the drawing. The orientations described below, such as, left, right, front, rear, top, and bottom, are defined with reference to the orientation of the stencil printer 10. The printhead 12 is movably mounted on a printhead bracket 17, which is mounted on the rack 11. The printhead drive mechanism 15 is in connection with the printhead 12 and is used to drive the printhead 12 to move in X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions on the printhead bracket 17. The printhead 12 may be placed above the stencil

13 and is configured to applying a viscous material (e.g., a solder paste) to the stencil 13. The stencil 13 is movably mounted on the stencil holder 14 and the stencil holder

14 is mounted on the rack 11. During a printing operation, the printhead drive mechanism 15 drives the printhead 12 down in the Z-axis direction to drive a scraper 21 mounted on the printhead 12 down into contact with the stencil 13. The printhead drive mechanism 15 then drives the printhead 12 to move in the Y-axis direction to drive the scraper 21 to move through the stencil 13 such that a solder paste is printed onto a circuit board under the stencil 13. In an example, the print head 12 is disposed to obtain solder from a source, such as a dispenser (for example, a solder paste cartridge), that provides the solder paste to the printhead 12 during the printing operation. As shown in Fig. 1C, a printing nozzle 18 coupled to the solder paste cartridge for outputting the solder paste is mounted on the printhead 12. Other methods of providing solder paste may also be employed to replace the solder paste cartridge. For example, the solder paste may be deposited manually on the scraper 21 or the solder paste may also be from an external source.

The stencil 13 spans between two parallel and oppositely placed stencil holder plates 1401 and 1402 (see Figs. 2A and 2F to H) of the stencil holder 14 and is movable on the stencil holder 14. The stencil holder 14 has a stencil holder head position and a stencil holder tail position. In an example, the stencil holder head position is the leftmost position of the stencil holder 14 and the stencil holder tail position is the rightmost position of the stencil holder 14. The stencil 13 is mounted on and removed from the stencil holder 14 from the stencil holder head position from the left side. The stencil 13 may be manually, semi-automatically or automatically mounted on and removed from the stencil holder 14. In an example, the stencil 13 is driven by the movement of the printhead 12 in the Y-axis direction to move on the stencil holder 14 . The stencil 13 may be grabbed by a grabbing mechanism 16 (see Fig. 4 A) on the printhead 12 such that the captured stencil 13 is driven by the printhead 12. In other examples, an operator may manually insert the stencil 13 onto the stencil holder 14 and remove the stencil 13 from the stencil holder 14. At the time of printing, the stencil 13 is mounted on the stencil holder 14 at a mounting position between the stencil holder head position and the stencil holder tail position. In other examples, the stencil holder head position and the stencil holder tail position are in other positions, such as the rightmost position and the leftmost position, respectively, of the stencil holder 14, which may be, as seen from other perspectives, respectively, the foremost position and the rearmost position of the stencil holder 14, or the rearmost position and the foremost position of the stencil holder 14.

A tray 19 is also provided on the stencil printer 10 of the present disclosure for receiving a viscous material dripping off the scraper 21 on the printhead 12 when the stencil 13 is replaced. As a result, the scraper 21 does not need to be removed when the stencil 13 is replaced. As with the stencil 13, the tray 19 spans between the two parallel and oppositely placed stencil holder plates 1401 and 1402 on the stencil holder 14 and moves back and forth on the stencil holder 14. This setting makes the dimensions of the tray 19 to be approximately the same as the stencil 13 in a longitudinal (X-axis direction), so the tray 19 can adapt to scrapers 21 of all dimensions corresponding to the stencil 13. Those skilled in the art knows that the longitudinal dimension of the scraper 21 working in cooperation with the stencil 13 does not exceed the longitudinal dimension of the stencil 13, and the tray 19 in the above setting is approximately the same as the stencil 13 in the longitudinal dimension. Therefore, the tray 19 in the setting can adapt to the scrapers 21 of all dimensions corresponding to the stencil 13 without changing the longitudinal dimension of the stencil 13.

The tray 19 is arranged in a narrow, elongated shape and its dimension in a transverse direction (Y-axis direction) is set to exceed the transverse dimension of the scraper 21 (e.g., Fig. 4B) to enable the tray 19 to receive a viscous material dripping off from the scraper 21 transversely. The smaller dimensioning of the tray 19 transversely helps reduce normal operation of the tray 19 on the stencil 13 on the stencil holder 14. Moreover, the tray 19 is disposed in the rightmost position (tail position) of the stencil holder 14, while the stencil 13 is in the mounting position between the stencil holder head position and the stencil holder tail position during printing without reaching the tail position of the stencil holder 14, and thus when placed on the stencil holder 14, the tray 19 does not affect the normal operation of the stencil 13. Moreover, this setting of the tray 19 utilizes the original structure of the stencil printer 10 such that no further improvement to the structure of the stencil printer 10, such as adding a new structure to fit and place the tray 19, is necessary. As with the stencil 13, the tray 19 is mounted on and removed from the stencil holder 14 from the stencil holder head position from the left side. The tray 19 is configured to move on the stencil holder 14 on the same horizontal plane as the stencil 13. In other examples, the tray 19 may be disposed on other components of the stencil printer 10 to enable the tray 19 to move to a position under the printhead 12 to receive the viscous material that drips off the scraper 21 on the printhead 12. For example, the tray 19 may be provided to move on a different horizontal plane from that of the stencil 13 and be capable of moving to a position under the printhead 12.

In other examples, the dimensions of the tray 19 in the transverse direction (Y-axis direction) may also be set to cover both the printing nozzle 18 and the scraper 21 on the printhead 12 so that the tray 19 can simultaneously receive solder pastes dripping from the printing nozzle 18 and the scraper 21. As previously described, the tray 19 is configured to move on the stencil holder 14. In an example, at the time of replacing the stencil 13, when the printhead 12 moves in the Y-axis direction (moves laterally along the stencil holder 14), the tray 19 may be moved to a position (or disposed) under the printhead 12 and correspondingly moved on the stencil holder 14 as the printhead 12 moves to receive the viscous material dripping off from the scraper 21 on the printhead 12 such that the viscous material does not drip off onto the stencil printer 10 even when the printhead 12 moves over the stencil holder 14. When disassembling and mounting the tray 19, the tray 19 may be driven to a desired position on the stencil holder 14 by movement of the printhead 12.

In the present disclosure, the stencil holder 14 is defined with a first travel length and a second travel length in a transverse direction thereof. Within the first travel length, the tray 19 is driven to move on the stencil holder 14 by the tray drive mechanism 20. Within the second travel length, the tray 19 is driven to move on the stencil holder 14 by the movement of the printhead 12 (see Figs. 5A to D). The first travel length has a starting position and an end position, and the second travel length has a starting position and an end position, where a boundary position of the first and second travel lengths is at the end position of the first travel length and the starting position of the second travel length. In an example, as shown in Figs. 1A to C, the starting position of the first travel length is at or near the stencil holder tail position (rightmost position), the end position of the second travel length is at or near the stencil holder head position (leftmost position), and the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths (boundary position) is located between the stencil holder head position and the stencil holder tail position. In other examples, other suitable first and second travel lengths may be provided.

By driving the tray 19 to move within a portion of the travel length of the stencil holder 14 by the printhead 12, it is possible to shorten the travel length on the stencil holder 14 that the tray drive mechanism 20 will drive the tray 19 to move, thus reducing the size of the tray drive mechanism 20 for example, simplifying the structure of the tray drive mechanism 20, thereby making it easier to mount the tray drive mechanism 20 on an existing stencil printer 10, or making it possible to mount the tray drive mechanism 20 with minor modifications to the structure of the stencil printer 10.

Also, as previously noted, the tray 19 is disposed in the rightmost position (tail position) of the stencil holder 14 such that the tray 19 placed on the stencil holder 14 will not affect the normal operation of the stencil 13. However, the printhead 12 usually does not reach above the stencil holder tail position due to structural limitations. Therefore, in the present disclosure, the tray 19 is driven by the tray drive mechanism 20 to move within the first travel length of the stencil holder 14 such that the tray 19 can move to a position under the printhead 12 to receive the viscous material dripping off from the scraper 21, thus avoiding the viscous material from dripping off from the scraper 21 to interior components of the stencil printer 10 when the stencil 13 is disassembled.

Within the second travel length, the tray 19 may be grabbed by the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12 such that the grabbed tray 19 is driven by the printhead 12. In an example, the above-described grabbing may be implemented when the tray 19 is aligned with the printhead 12 to receive the viscous material that drips off from the scraper 21, so that the grabbed tray 19 is driven by the printhead 12 to move while ensuring that the tray 19 always receives the viscous material that drips off from the scraper 21. In other examples, the tray 19 may be grabbed by other structures such that the tray 19 is driven by the movement of the printhead 12 to move on the stencil holder 14.

As previously noted, the stencil printer 10 of the present disclosure makes it unnecessary to remove the scraper 21 when the stencil 13 is replaced. In an example, in a disassembly operation of the stencil 13, the tray 19 may be driven by the tray drive mechanism 20 to move on the stencil holder 14 to a position under the printhead 12 to receive a viscous material that drips off the scraper 21. The printhead 12 may also be driven by the printhead drive mechanism 15 to move from above the stencil 13 to above the tray 19 such that the stencil 13 is misaligned with the printhead 12 and the tray 19 is aligned with the printhead 12 to receive a viscous material dripping off from the scraper 21.

During a mounting operation of the stencil 13, the stencil 13 is moved to an initial mounting position. The printhead drive mechanism 15 then drives the printhead 12 such that the printhead 12 is positioned above the stencil 13 so that the stencil 13 can receive the viscous material that drips off from the scraper 21. In an example, by grabbing the stencil 13 by the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12, the printhead 12 moves laterally along the stencil holder 14 to drive the stencil 13 to move on the stencil holder 14 to the mounting position. In other examples, other suitable grabbing mechanisms may be used to grab the stencil 13.

A stencil fixing mechanism 22 is configured to secure the stencil 13 to the stencil holder 14 to prevent the stencil 13 from being moved during printing. As shown in Figs. 1A to B, the stencil fixing mechanism 22 is mounted above the stencil holder 14. Prior to disassembling the stencil 13, the stencil fixing mechanism 22 releases the fixation of the stencil to enable the stencil 13 to move freely on the stencil holder 14. Upon mounting the stencil 13 to the mounting position (or may be referred to as a printing position), the stencil fixing mechanism 22 secures the stencil 13 to the stencil holder 14 to prevent movement of the stencil 13.

As shown in Fig. 1A, the stencil printer 10 also includes an input device 26, a control device 24, a display device 25, a plurality of detection devices 23 (not shown), and a printer cover 27. The detection device 23 may include a sensor for detecting a state of a component to be detected in the stencil printer 10. The input device 26 is used to receive input from a user. For example, the input device 26 includes a keyboard and/or a mouse. In other examples, the input device 26 includes other suitable input devices. The control device 24 is configured to control or adjust related operations of the stencil printer 10 based on an input from a user received by the input device 26. The control device 24 is also configured to control operations of the printhead drive mechanism 15, the tray drive mechanism 20, the grabbing mechanism 16, and the stencil fixing mechanism 22 according to a status signal received from the detection device 23 and/or according to internal programs to implement various operations of the stencil printer 10. The display device 25 is used to provide an interface for an operator to view and operate. In other examples, the control device 24 and the display device 25 are also configured to implement other suitable operations, such as alignment for the stencil 13 and a printed circuit board. The printer cover 27 is used to cover the internal components of the stencil printer 10 and, when the printer cover 27 is opened, a portion of the internal components of the stencil printer 10 is exposed for access by an operator or other device. When closed, the printer cover 27 is located on the left side portion 101 and the top portion 103 of the stencil printer 10. In other examples, the printer cover 27 may be disposed at other positions of the stencil printer 10. Based on the operational security, it is necessary to close the printer cover 27 when the stencil printer 10 (e.g., internal components) is running.

Fig. 2A shows a stereoscopic structural diagram of one example of the stencil 13, the tray 19, the stencil holder 14, the stencil fixing mechanism 22, and the tray drive mechanism 20 of Fig. IB. Figs. 2B to C show a stereoscopic view and a top view of the stencil 13 in Fig. 2A, respectively. Figs. 2D to E show a stereoscopic view and a top view of the tray 19 in Fig. 2A, respectively. Figs. 2F to H show a stereoscopic view, a front view, and a bottom view of the stencil holder 14 and the stencil fixing mechanism 22 in Fig. 2 A, respectively.

As shown in Fig. 2A, the stencil holder 14 and the stencil fixing mechanism 22 are mounted on a portion 1100 of the rack 11 (e.g., a cross-beam), and the stencil 13 and the tray 19 are placed on the stencil holder 14 and are configured to move laterally on the stencil holder 14. The stencil fixing mechanism 22 is configured to secure the stencil 13 to the stencil holder 14 to prevent movement of the stencil 13 during printing.

As shown in Figs. 2B to C, the stencil 13 includes a substantially plate-shaped mesh portion 1301, an inner bezel 1302 and an outer bezel 1303, where the inner bezel 1302 is used to enclose and secure the mesh portion 1301 and the outer bezel 1303 encloses the inner bezel 1302. The outer bezel 1303 is comprised of a left bezel 1304, a right bezel 1305, a front bezel 1306, and a rear bezel 1307, all of which are narrow and long roughly rectangular parallelepiped structures. The mesh portion 1301 includes mesh holes, and the scraper presses the solder paste into and through the mesh holes as the scraper passes through the mesh hole on the stencil 13, thereby applying the solder paste to the circuit board below. When mounted in the stencil printer 10, the left bezel 1304 and the right bezel 1305 are positioned along a longitudinal (X-axis) direction of the stencil holder 14, and the front bezel 1306 and the rear bezel 1307 are positioned along a transverse (Y-axis) direction of the stencil holder 14. In other examples, the stencil 13 includes other suitable shapes and structures.

As shown in Figs. 2D to E, the tray 19 includes a body plate 1901, a left wing 1902, a right wing 1903, a front wing 1904 and a rear wing 1905 that may be integrally formed. In other examples, the various components of the tray 19 may be formed in other suitable ways. The various wings 1902 to 1905 are disposed generally perpendicular to the body plate 1901. When mounted in the stencil printer 10, the left wing 1902 and the right wing 1903 are positioned along the longitudinal direction (X- axis direction) of the stencil holder 14, and the front wing 1904 and the rear wing 1905 are positioned along the transverse direction (Y-axis direction) of the stencil holder 14. In other examples, the tray 19 includes other suitable shapes and structures.

As shown in Figs. 2A and 2F to H, the stencil holder 14 includes two parallel and oppositely placed stencil holder plates 1401 and 1402, which have a substantially identical structure, and only the stencil holder plate 1401 is shown. The stencil holder plate 1401 consists of two narrow and long plates 1403 and 1404 that are generally perpendicular to each other, and the narrow and long plates 1403 and 1404 are connected along their long sides in an L shape. The narrow and long plate 1403 is placed vertically and mounted on an inner side of the portion 1100 of the rack 11 by a plurality of fasteners 2205, and the narrow and long plate 1404 is placed horizontally and used to support the stencil 13 and the tray 19. The stencil holder plate 1402 (not shown) includes a vertical narrow and long plate and a horizontal narrow and long plate that are approximately the same as the narrow and long plates 1403 and 1404. The stencil 13 and the tray 19 span between the stencil holder plates 1401 and 1402 and are supported by the horizontal narrow and long plate 1404 of the stencil holder plate 1401 and the horizontal narrow and long plate of the stencil holder plate 1402. In other examples, the stencil holder 14 includes other suitable structures and arrangements.

As shown in Figs. 2F to H, the stencil fixing mechanism 22 includes a support plate 2201 and a cylinder 2202, and the cylinder 2202 is mounted on the support plate

2201 by a fastener 2203. The support plate 2201 is mounted on an upper surface of the portion 1100 of the rack 11 and a portion of the support plate 2201 protrudes above the horizontal narrow and long plate 1404 of the stencil holder plate 1401. The cylinder

2202 is mounted on the protruding portion of the support plate 2201 and has a piston 2204 disposed toward the horizontal narrow and long plate 1404. Corresponding to the stencil holder plate 1401, the stencil fixing mechanism 22 is also provided at a corresponding position of the stencil holder plate 1402 . The piston 2204 above the horizontal narrow and long plate 1404 of the stencil holder plate 1401 and the horizontal narrow and long plate of the stencil holder plate 1402 is configured to protrude downwardly to abut and press against the rear bezel 1307 and the front bezel 1306, respectively, of the stencil 13, thereby securing the stencil 13 onto the stencil holder 14. The piston 2204 is further configured to retract upwardly to disengage the stencil 13, thereby releasing the fixation of the stencil 13. At this point, the stencil 13 may be moved back and forth on the stencil holder 14, and the tray 19 may also be moved freely on the stencil holder 14. In other examples, the stencil fixing mechanism 22 includes other suitable mechanisms or devices, or includes other forms of arrangement.

As previously noted, the tray 19 moves on the same horizontal plane as the stencil 13 on the stencil holder 14, so the stencil fixing mechanism 22 will restrict movement of the tray 19 on the stencil holder 14 or fix the tray 19 as the stencil fixing mechanism secures the stencil 13 onto the stencil holder 14. Thus, in one example, the stencil fixing mechanism 22 releases the fixation of the module (or the tray 19 included) as the stencil 13 and the tray 19 move on the stencil holder 14. When both the stencil 13 and the tray 19 are mounted in place, for example, when the stencil 13 is mounted onto the mounting position and the tray 19 is mounted onto the stencil holder tail position (rightmost position), the stencil fixing mechanism 22 secures the module (or the tray 19 included).

Figs. 3A to B show a stereoscopic view and a front view of one example of the tray drive mechanism 20 (adjacent to an end of the stencil holder 14) of Fig. IB.

As shown in Figs. 3 A to B, the tray drive mechanism 20 is mounted on the portion 1100 by a bridge member 2007 adjacent an end (for example, a right end) of the stencil holder 14 (for example, the stencil holder plate 1401) and overlaps with the end portion of the stencil holder 14 in the extension direction. The tray drive mechanism 20 includes a cylinder 2001 and a grabbing member 2002. The cylinder 2001 includes a piston 2003, and the grabbing member 2002 includes a stem portion 2004 and a head portion 2005. The piston 2003 of the cylinder 2001 and the stem portion 2004 of the grabbing member 2002 are connected by thread. For example, an end of the piston 2003 has an external thread and the stem portion 2004 has an internal thread that is coupled to the external thread. A fastener 2006 is provided on the stem portion 2004 for securing the connection between the stem portion 2004 and the piston 2003 to prevent the piston 2003 from moving back and forth and resulting in the piston 2003 and stem portion 2004 being disengaged (i.e., the cylinder 2001 and the grabbing member 2002 being disengaged). The bridge member 2007 includes mutually perpendicular and coupled plate members 2008 and 2009. The plate member 2009 is mounted on an interior sidewall of the portion 1100 by a fastener 2011 and the cylinder 2001 is mounted to the plate member 2008 by a fastener 2010, thereby mounting the cylinder 2001 onto the portion 1100 by the bridge member 2007. The head portion 2005 of the grabbing member 2002 is made of a magnetic material for adsorbing the tray 19 (for example, an edge of the tray 19). In an example, the tray 19 is made of aluminum. In other examples, the tray 19 may be made of other suitable materials. The piston 2003 of the cylinder 2001 protrudes and retracts to drive the grabbing member 2002 to protrude and retract, which in turn drives the grabbed tray 19 to move back and forth.

Similar to the stencil holder plate 1401, the tray drive mechanism 20 is also provided at a corresponding position of the stencil holder plate 1402, and the tray drive mechanism 20 corresponding to the stencil holder plate 1401 and the tray drive mechanism 20 corresponding to the stencil holder plate 1402 are arranged symmetrically along a transverse symmetrical axis of the stencil holder 14. The tray drive mechanism 20 is positioned in parallel with the stencil holder plates 1401 and 1402, and the piston 2003 and the grabbing member 2002 of the tray drive mechanism 20 are configured to move laterally along the stencil holder 14. The control device 24 controls the two tray drive mechanisms 20 to operate synchronously to move the tray 19 within the first travel length of the stencil holder 14. In other examples, the tray drive mechanism 20 may include other suitable mechanisms or devices.

As previously noted, within the first travel length of the stencil holder 14, the tray 19 is driven to move back and forth by the tray drive mechanism 20. When the tray 19 is mounted in the tail position of the stencil holder 14 (the starting position of the first travel length), the piston 2003 of the cylinder 2001 retracts. When extending to the left, the piston 2003 of the cylinder 2001 drives the grabbing member 2002 to the left, which in turn causes the adsorbed tray 19 to move to the left on the stencil holder 14 to the end position of the first travel length (or the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths). The piston 2003 of the cylinder 2001 retracting to the right will cause the grabbing member 2002 to move to the right, which in turn will cause the adsorbed tray 19 to move right on the stencil holder 14 to the starting position of the first travel length.

Figs. 4A to B show a stereoscopic structural diagram and a front view of one example of the grabbing mechanism 16 of Fig. IB, respectively. Fig. 4C shows a schematic diagram of one example of the piston 1602 of the grabbing mechanism 16 of Fig. 4A grabbing the stencil 13. Fig. 4D shows a schematic diagram of one example of the piston 1602 of the grabbing mechanism 16 of Fig. 4 A grabbing the tray 19. Fig. 4E shows a schematic diagram of another example of the piston 1602 of the grabbing mechanism 16 of Fig. 4 A grabbing the tray 19.

As shown in Figs. 4A to B, the grabbing mechanism 16 is mounted on the printhead 12 (a portion of which is shown) and is located to the right of the printhead 12, and the grabbing mechanism 16 is located to the right of the scraper 21. The grabbing mechanism 16 is mounted on both ends in the longitudinal direction of a horizontal plate 1201 of the printhead 12. For example, an existing horizontal plate may be extended in a longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) to enable the grabbing mechanism 16 to be mounted on the extended portion. The grabbing mechanism 16 includes a cylinder 1601 mounted perpendicular to the horizontal plate 1201 and the cylinder 1601 includes a piston 1602 disposed downwardly. The piston 1602 of the cylinder 1601 protrudes downwards to grab the tray 19 or the stencil 13, and the piston 1602 of the cylinder 1601 retracts upward to release the grabbing of the tray 19 or the stencil 13. In other examples, the grabbing mechanism 16 may be mounted in other suitable positions on the printhead 12. The grabbing mechanism 16 also includes other suitable mechanisms or devices. Figs. 4A to B also show a structural arrangement of one example of the grabbing mechanism 16 “grabbing” the tray 19 beneath the printhead 12.

As previously noted, the stencil 13 may be grabbed by the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12 such that the captured stencil 13 is moved by the printhead 12. In an example, by grabbing the stencil 13 by the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12, the printhead 12 moves laterally along the stencil holder 14 to drive the stencil 13 to move on the stencil holder 14 to the mounting position.

In operation, in one example, the stencil 13 is inserted from the left side to an initial mounting position on the stencil holder 14 (left side of the stencil holder 14) (see Figs. 1A to C), and the printhead 12 is moved above the stencil 13 to align with the stencil 13, as shown in Fig. 4C, causing the piston 1602 of the cylinder 1601 of the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12 to protrude downwardly to be adjacent or contact the left side of the right bezel 1305 of the stencil 13 and to overlap a portion of the right bezel 1305 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), so that the piston 1602 “grabs” the stencil 13. At this point, when the printhead 12 is moved to the right, the piston 1602 protruding on the printhead 12 contacts and drags the right bezel 1305 of the stencil 13 to move to the right on the stencil holder 14, that is, to urge the stencil 13 to move to the right on the stencil holder 14. In the above-mentioned aligned position of the printhead 12 and the stencil 13, the stencil 13 is located under the scraper 21 on the printhead 12 to receive solder paste dripping off from the scraper 21.

Moreover, the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12 is also used to grab the tray 19. As previously noted, within the second travel length of the stencil holder 14, by grabbing the tray 19 by the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12, the lateral movement of the printhead 12 along the stencil holder 14 can drive the grabbed tray 19 to move laterally along the stencil holder 14.

In an example, when the tray 19 is in the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths, as shown in Figs. 4A to B and 4E, the printhead 12 moves above the tray 19 to align with the tray 19, causing the piston 1602 of the cylinder 1601 of the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12 to protrude downwardly to be adjacent or contact the right side of the right wing 1903 of the tray 19 and to overlap a portion or all of the right wing 1903 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), so that the piston 1602 “grabs” the tray 19. At this point, when the printhead 12 is moved to the left, the piston 1602 protruding on the printhead 12 contacts and drags the right wing 1903 of the tray 19 to move to the left on the stencil holder 14, that is, to urge the tray 19 to move to the left on the stencil holder 14, for example, to the end position of the second travel length. In the above-mentioned aligned position of the printhead 12 and the tray 19, the tray 19 is located under the scraper 21 on the printhead 12 to receive the solder paste dripping off from the scraper 21.

In another example, at the time of mounting the tray 19, the tray 19 is moved from the left side to the initial mounting position (the end position of the second travel length) on the stencil holder 14 and the printhead 12 is moved above the tray 19 to align with the tray 19, as shown in Fig. 4D, causing the piston 1602 of the cylinder 1601 of the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12 to protrude downwardly to be adjacent or contact the right wing 1903 of the tray 19 and to overlap a portion of the right wing 1903 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), so that the piston 1602 “grabs” the tray 19. At this point, when the printhead 12 is moved to the right, the piston 1602 protruding on the printhead 12 contacts and drags the right wing 1903 of the tray 19 to move right on the stencil holder 14, that is, to urge the tray 19 to move right on the stencil holder 14. In the above-mentioned aligned position of the printhead 12 and the tray 19, the tray 19 is located under the scraper 21 on the printhead 12 to receive the solder paste dripping off from the scraper 21.

Fig. 4A exemplarily shows that the grabbing mechanism 16 includes two cylinders 1601, and other suitable numbers of cylinders may be provided in other examples. In other examples, the grabbing mechanism 16 may also include other suitable mechanisms or devices. The grabbing mechanism 16 may also be provided on other components of the stencil printer 10. Using the same grabbing mechanism 16 to grab the stencil 13 and the tray 19 may simplify the structure of the stencil printer 10. In other examples, separate grabbing mechanisms may be used to grab the stencil 13 and the tray 19 respectively.

Fig. 5A shows a schematic diagram of movement and locations of the printhead 12, the stencil 13 and the tray 19 in one example of a disassembly operation of the stencil 13. Fig. 5B shows a schematic diagram of movement and locations of the printhead 12, the stencil 13, and the tray 19 in one example of a mounting operation of the stencil 13. Fig. 5C shows a schematic diagram of movement and locations of the printhead 12, the stencil 13, and the tray 19 in one example of a disassembly operation of the tray 19. Fig. 5D shows a schematic diagram of movement and locations of the printhead 12, the stencil 13, and the tray 19 in one example of a mounting operation of the tray 19.

As previously noted, the stencil holder 14 is defined with a first travel length and a second travel length in a transverse direction thereof. Within the first travel length, the tray 19 is driven to move by the tray drive mechanism 20. Within the second travel length, the tray 19 is driven to move by the movement of the printhead 12. As shown in Figs. IB to C, the starting position of the first travel length is at or near the stencil holder tail position (for example, the rightmost position), the end position of the second travel length is at or near the stencil holder head position (for example, the leftmost position), and the boundary (boundary position) of the first and second travel lengths is located between the stencil holder head position and the stencil holder tail position. The movement and locations of the printhead 12, the stencil 13, and the tray 19 are described in Figs. 5A to D with reference to the first and second travel lengths of the stencil holder 14.

As shown in Fig. 5A, in a disassembly operation of the stencil 13, before the operation starts, the tray 19 is located at the stencil holder tail position (the starting position of the first travel length), the stencil 13 is in the mounting position, and the printhead 12 is above the stencil 13 and aligned with the stencil 13, where the stencil 13 is capable of receiving a viscous material (such as a solder paste) dripping off from the scraper 21 on the printhead 12. Then, the disassembly operation of the stencil 13 starts and the operation proceeds to operation 1-1.

In operation 1-1, the tray 19 is moved on the stencil holder 14 by the tray drive mechanism 20 from the stencil holder tail position (the starting position of the first travel length) to the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths in the first direction (as indicated by the arrow, to the left), and at the boundary position, the tray 19 is immediately adjacent to an edge of the stencil 13. At this point, the printhead 12 is always aligned with the stencil 13 to enable the stencil 13 to receive a viscous material (e.g., solder paste) that drips off of the scraper 21 on the printhead 12. Then, the process proceeds from operation 1-1 to operation 1-2.

In operation 1-2, the printhead 12 located above the stencil 13 is moved in a second direction (as indicated by the arrow, to the right) opposite to the first direction by the printhead drive mechanism 15 such that the printhead 12 is above the tray 19 (at the boundary position) and aligned with the tray 19, and at this point, the tray 19 is capable of receiving a viscous material (e.g., solder paste) dripping off from the scraper 21 on the printhead 12. The process then proceeds from operation 1-2 to operations 1-3.

In operations 1-3, the stencil 13 is removed from the stencil holder 14 in the first direction (as indicated by the arrow, to the left), and at this point, the printhead 12 is always aligned with the tray 19 so that the tray 19 is capable of receiving a viscous material (e.g., solder paste) dripping off from the scraper 21 on the printhead 12. The process then proceeds from operation 1-3 to operation 1-4.

In operation 1-4, the printhead 12 is moved in the first direction (as indicated by the arrow, to the left) by the printhead drive mechanism 15 and causes the tray 19 to move in the first direction (as illustrated by the arrow, to the left) from the boundary position on the stencil holder 14 to the end position of the second travel length. In an example, the tray 19 is grabbed by the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12, thereby enabling the movement of the printhead 12 to induce movement of the tray 19. At this point, the printhead 12 is always aligned with the tray 19, and the tray 19 is capable of receiving a viscous material (e.g., solder paste) dripping off from the scraper 21 on the printhead 12.

Fig. 5B shows a schematic diagram of movement and locations of the printhead

12, the stencil 13, and the tray 19 in one example of a mounting operation of the stencil

13.

During operation of mounting the stencil 13, an operator may insert the stencil 13 directly into the mounting position, and at this point, the above described operation 1- 4 does not need to be implemented when the stencil 13 is being disassembled. However, this raises an issue that the operator fails to insert the stencil 13 in place, resulting in the inability to print the stencil 13 correctly, which is particularly serious for inexperienced operators. In an example of the present disclosure, the stencil 13 is first inserted into an initial mounting position on the stencil holder 14, and then the printhead drive mechanism 15 is controlled by the control device 24 to drive the printhead 12 to move so as to cause the stencil 13 to move on the stencil holder 14 to the mounting position. For example, the control of the control device 24 causes the printhead 12 to move a desired distance to drive the stencil 13 to move to the mounting position. Therefore, the control by the control device 24 provides a better assurance that the stencil 13 is mounted in place and can be easily mounted in place. The insertion of the stencil 13 into the initial mounting position on the stencil holder 14 may be performed by an operator or a suitable automation device such as a robot.

As shown in Fig. 5B, during the mounting operation of the stencil 13, the tray 19 is located at the end position of the second travel length and the printhead 12 is located above the tray 19 in an aligned position with the tray 19 where the tray 19 is capable of receiving a viscous material (e.g., solder paste) dripping off from the scraper 21 on the printhead 12. In an example, the mounting operation of the stencil 13 may begin after operation 1-4 in Fig. 5A. Then, the mounting operation of the stencil 13 begins and the process proceeds to operation 2-1.

In operation 2-1, the stencil 13 (as indicated by the arrow, left to right) is inserted into the initial mounting position on the stencil holder 14 where the stencil 13 is immediately adjacent an edge of the tray 19 located at the end position of the second travel length. Here, the tray 19 is located under the printhead 12 in an aligned position with the tray 19, and at this point, the tray 19 is capable of receiving a viscous material (e.g., solder paste) that drips off of the scraper 21 on the printhead 12. The process then proceeds from operation 2-1 to operation 2-2.

In operation 2-2, the printhead 12 is moved by the printhead drive mechanism 15 to move from above the tray 19 in the first direction (as indicated by the arrow, to the left) to above the stencil 13 to align with the stencil 13, where the stencil 13 is capable of receiving a viscous material (e.g., solder paste) dripping off from the scraper 21 on the printhead 12. The process then proceeds from operation 2-2 to operation 2-3.

In operation 2-3, the printhead 12 is moved in a second direction (as indicated by the arrow, to the right) opposite the first direction by the printhead drive mechanism 15 and drives the stencil 13 to move in the second direction (to the right) on the stencil holder 14 to the mounting position, while the edge of the stencil 13 urges the adjacent tray 19 to move in the second direction (to the right) on the stencil holder 14 from the end position of the second travel length to the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths. Then the process proceeds from operation 2-3 to operation 2-4. In an example, the stencil 13 is grabbed by the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12, thereby enabling the movement of the printhead 12 to induce movement of the stencil 13, where the printhead 12 is always aligned with the stencil 13 to enable the stencil 13 to receive a viscous material (e.g., solder paste) dripping off of the scraper 21 on the printhead 12.

In operation 2-4, the tray 19 is moved on the stencil holder 14 by the tray drive mechanism 20 in a second direction (to the right) from the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths to the starting position of the first travel length, and at this point, the printhead 12 is always aligned with the stencil 13 to enable the stencil 13 to receive a viscous material (e.g., solder paste) dripping off of the scraper 21 on the printhead 12. The process then proceeds from operation 2-4 to operation 2-5.

In operation 2-5, the printhead 12 is moved by the printhead drive mechanism 15 to an initial position above the stencil 13 in the first direction (as indicated by the arrow, to the left) and is still aligned with the stencil 13 to enable the stencil 13 to receive a viscous material (e.g., solder paste) dripping off of the scraper 21 on the printhead 12.

In other examples, the mounting operation of the stencil 13 may also be ended after operation 2-4.

In the disassembly and mounting operations of the tray 19 of Figs. 5C to D, the scraper 21 on the printhead 12 has been removed prior to the commencement of the disassembly and mounting operations. In an example, after the circuit board is replaced, it is sometimes necessary to replace the scraper 21 accordingly, and at this point the old scraper needs to be removed and a new scraper needs to be mounted. Figs. 5C to D show the operations of the disassembly and mounting the tray 19 under this example. In other examples, the tray 19 may be disassembled and mounted by other method processes.

As shown in Fig. 5C, the tray 19 is located in the stencil holder tail position (the starting position of the first travel length) and the printhead 12 is in the initial position prior to starting the disassembly operation of the tray 19. Then, the disassembly operation of the tray 19 is started and the process proceeds to operation 3-1.

In operation 3-1, the tray 19 is moved on the stencil holder 14 by the tray drive mechanism 20 in a first direction (to the left) from the starting position of the first travel length to the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths, and then the process proceeds from operation 3-1 to operation 3-2.

In operation 3-2, the printhead 12 is moved by the printhead drive mechanism 15 in a second direction opposite the first direction (to the right) to above the tray 19 and in an aligned position with the tray 19, and then the process proceeds from operation 3- 2 to operation 3-3.

In operation 3-3, the printhead 12 is moved in the first direction (to the left) by the printhead drive mechanism 15 and drives the tray 19 to move on the stencil holder 14 in the first direction (to the left) from the boundary position of the first travel length and the second travel length to the end position of the second travel length, and the process then proceeds from operation 3-3 to operation 3-4. In an example, the tray 19 is grabbed by the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12 such that movement of the printhead 12 is capable of causing movement of the tray 19.

In operation 3-4, the tray 19 is removed from the stencil holder 14 in the first direction (to the left) (from the stencil holder head position).

As shown in Fig. 5D, the printhead 12 is in the initial position prior to starting the mounting operation of the tray 19. Then, the mounting operation of the tray 19 is started and the process proceeds to operation 4-1.

In operation 4-1, the tray 19 is inserted in a second direction (to the right) opposite the first direction (from the stencil holder head position) into the initial mounting position (end position of the second travel length) on the stencil holder 14, and then the process proceeds from operation 4-1 to operation 4-2.

In operation 4-2, the printhead 12 is moved by the printhead drive mechanism 15 in a first direction (to the left) to a position above the tray 19 and aligned with the tray 19, and the process then proceeds from operation 4-2 to operation 4-3.

In operation 4-3, the printhead 12 is moved in a second direction (to the right) by the printhead drive mechanism 15 and drives the tray 19 to move in the second direction (to the right) from the end position of the second travel length on the stencil holder 14 to the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths, and then the process proceeds from operation 4-3 to operation 4-4. In an example, the tray 19 is grabbed by the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12 such that movement of the printhead 12 is capable of causing movement of the tray 19.

In operation 4-4, the tray 19 is moved on the stencil holder 14 by the tray drive mechanism 20 from the boundary position of the first travel length and the second travel length to the starting position of the first travel length in the second direction ( to the right).

Compared to the end position of the second travel length in Figs. 5A to B, the end position of the second travel length in Figs. 5C to D is closer to the stencil holder head position (leftmost position), for example, the end position of the second travel length in Figs. 5A to B is close to the stencil holder head position, and the end position of the second travel in Figs. 5C to D is at the stencil holder head position. The starting positions of the first travel lengths in Figs. 5A to D are the same. In other examples, the end position of the second travel length in Figs. 5A to B and 5C to D may be in other suitable positions. Fig. 6 shows a flowchart of one example of a method of disassembling the stencil 13 from the stencil printer 10, and it is a detailed flowchart of the disassembly operation of the stencil 13 in Fig. 5A. As shown in Fig. 6, at step 601, the execution of the method of disassembling the stencil 13 from the stencil printer 10 begins. Prior to the start of the method, the tray 19 is located in a library position corresponding to the stencil holder tail position (e.g., rightmost position), the stencil 13 is in the mounting position, and the printhead 12 is above the stencil 13 and aligned with the stencil 13, where the stencil 13 is capable of receiving a viscous material (e.g., solder paste) dripping off from the scraper 21 on the printhead 12. The process then proceeds from step 601 to step 602.

At step 602, the stencil fixing mechanism 22 releases the fixation of the stencil 13. In an example, the piston 2204 of the cylinder 2202 of the stencil fixing mechanism 22 (see Figs. 2F to H) retracts upwardly to disengage the stencil 13, thereby releasing the fixation of the stencil 13. At this point, the stencil 13 may be moved back and forth on the stencil holder 14 and the tray 19 may also move freely on the stencil holder 14. Then, the process proceeds from step 602 to step 603.

At step 603, the tray 19 is moved on the stencil holder 14 by the tray drive mechanism 20 from a library position (the starting position of the first travel length) in the first direction (to the left) to the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths where the tray 19 is immediately adjacent to the edge of the stencil 13 in the disassembly process. At this point, the printhead 12 is always aligned with the stencil 13 such that the stencil 13 is capable of receiving a viscous material (e.g., solder paste) that drips off of the scraper 21 on the printhead 12. In an example, the piston 2003 of the cylinder 2001 of the tray drive mechanism 20 protrudes to the left to cause the grabbing member 2002 to move to the left (see Figs. 3 A to B), thereby urging the tray 19 adsorbed to the grabbing member 2002 to move to the left from the library position (the starting position of the first travel length) to a target position (the boundary position of the first travel length and the second travel length) to abut against the right edge of the stencil 13 located in the mounting position. From the library position to the target position is the first travel length of the tray 19 on the stencil holder 14, and the first travel length is less in length than a rated travel length of the piston 2003 of the cylinder 2001. As a result, when protruding to the left, the piston 2003 is capable of applying pressure to the tray 19 so that the tray abuts against the edge of the stencil 13. This applied pressure is set such that the tray 19 abuts against the edge of the stencil 13 without urging the stencil 13 to move to the left. Then, the process proceeds from step

603 to step 604.

At step 604, the printhead 12 positioned above the stencil 13 is moved by the printhead drive mechanism 15 in a second direction (to the right) opposite the first direction such that the printhead 12 is positioned above the tray 19. In an example, the printhead drive mechanism 15 drives the printhead 12 to move to the right along the Y- axis direction above the tray 19 at the target position to align with the tray 19. In this aligned position, the tray 19 is located under the scraper 21 on the printhead 12 to receive the solder paste that drips off therefrom. Then, the process proceeds from step

604 to step 605.

At step 605, the tray 19 is grabbed by the grabbing mechanism 16. In an example, the movement of the printhead 12 at step 604 causes the piston 1602 of the cylinder 1601 of the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12 at step 605 to protrude downwardly to be adjacent or contact the right side of the right wing 1903 of the tray 19 and to overlap a portion or all of the right wing 1903 in a vertical direction (Z-axis direction), so that the piston “grabs” the tray 19 (see Figs. 4Ato B and 4E). At this point, when the printhead 12 is moved to the left, the piston 1602 protruding on the printhead 12 contacts and drags the right wing 1903 of the tray 19 to move to the left on the stencil holder 14, that is, to urge the tray 19 to move to the left on the stencil holder 14. Then, the process proceeds from step 605 to step 606.

At step 606, the printer cover 27 is opened. Then, the process proceeds from step 606 to step 607.

At step 607, the stencil 13 is removed from the stencil holder 14 in a first direction (to the left). The stencil 13 may be removed by an operator or an automation device. Then, the process proceeds from step 607 to step 608.

At step 608, the printer cover 27 is closed. The process then proceeds from step 608 to step 609.

At step 609, the printed head 12 is moved by the printhead drive mechanism 15 in a first direction (to the left) and causes the grabbed tray 19 to move from the boundary position on the stencil holder 14 in the first direction (to the left) to the end position of the second travel length (e.g., near the leftmost position of the stencil holder). When the tray 19 is grabbed by the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12 at step 605, the movement of the printhead 12 to the left can drive the tray 19 to move to the left.

Then, the process proceeds from step 609 to step 610, and the disassembly of the stencil 13 from the stencil printer 10 ends.

In steps 603 and 604, the tray 19 is moved to an edge of the stencil 13 immediately adjacent the mounting position and then the printhead 12 is moved to misalign with the stencil 13 and align with the tray 19 immediately adjacent the stencil 13, so that the tray 19 can be quickly aligned with the printhead 12 through a shortest distance to receive a solder paste dripping off of the scraper 21. The control of the operation is simple and can reliably ensure that the tray 19 can be immediately aligned with and remain in the aligned position with the printhead 12 when the printhead 12 is misaligned with the stencil 13 so as to prevent the solder paste from dripping onto the stencil printer 10.

As will be described below, operation of mounting the stencil 13 may be implemented after the above-described operations of the disassembly of the stencil 13. As previously noted, when mounting the stencil 13, the present disclosure first inserts the stencil 13 into the initial mounting position and then controls the movement of the printhead 12 by the control device 24 to move the stencil 13 to the mounting position, thereby providing a better guarantee that the stencil 13 is mounted in place and can be easily mounted in place.

Fig. 7 shows a flowchart of one example of a method of mounting the stencil 13 on the stencil printer 10, and it is a detailed flowchart of the mounting operation of the stencil 13 in Fig. 5B. As shown in Fig. 7, the execution of the method of mounting the stencil 13 into the stencil printer 10 begins at step 701. Prior to the start of the method, the tray 19 is located at the end position of the second travel length (e.g., near the leftmost position of the stencil holder), and the printhead 12 is located above the tray 19 in an aligned position with the tray 19, where the tray 19 is capable of receiving a viscous material (e.g., solder paste) that drips off the scraper 21 on the printhead 12. In an example, the mounting operation of the stencil 13 may begin after step 609 of disassembling the stencil 13 of Fig. 6. The mounting operation of the stencil 13 is then started, and the process proceeds from step 701 to step 702.

At step 702, the printer cover 27 is opened. The process then proceeds from step 702 to step 703.

At step 703, the stencil 13 is inserted in a second direction opposite the first direction (to the right) into an initial mounting position on the stencil holder 14, where the stencil 13 is immediately adjacent an edge of the tray 19, wherein the tray 19 is under the printhead 12 and aligned with the printhead 12. In an example, the stencil 13 is inserted from the left side to immediately adjacent an edge of the tray 19, and at this point, the tray 19 is in the end position of the second travel length and is grasped by the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12 (see step 605). As described in step 605, the piston 1602 on the printhead 12 protrudes downwardly to the right side of the tray 19 (see Figs. 4A to B and 4E) to block (“grab”) the tray 19 from the right, so that the movement of the printhead 12 to the left can cause the tray 19 to move the grabbing mechanism 16 to the left. In an example, by the grabbing, when an operator urges the stencil 13 into the stencil holder 14 from left to right to abut against the tray 19 at step 703, it can be judged that the stencil 13 is immediately adjacent the edge of the tray 19 if the stencil 13 is not moved even if the operator pushes the stencil hard. In addition, when the tray 19 is located in the starting position of the first travel length, the operator is able to observe the tray 19 and thus visually judge whether the stencil 13 is immediately adjacent the edge of the tray 19. Therefore, the operator is able to readily determine whether the stencil 13 is inserted in place (immediately adjacent to the edge of the tray 19) by tactile and visual means. When the stencil 13 is inserted in place, the process proceeds from step 703 to step 704.

At step 704, the printer cover 27 is closed. The process then proceeds from step 704 to step 705.

At step 705, the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12 disengages the grabbing of the tray 19. In an example, the piston 1602 of the cylinder 1601 of the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12 retracts upward to release the blocking to the tray 19 by the piston 1602 (see Fig. 4A), and at this point, the tray 19 is free to move on the stencil holder 14. Then, the process proceeds from step 705 to step 706.

At step 706, the printhead 12 is moved by the printhead drive mechanism 15 from above the tray 19 in a first direction (to the left) to above the stencil 13 to align with the stencil 13, where the stencil 13 is capable of receiving a viscous material (e.g., solder paste) dripping off from the scraper 21 on the printhead 12. Then, the process proceeds from step 706 to step 707.

At step 707, the stencil 13 is grabbed by the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12. With the grabbing, the movement of the printhead 12 is able to drive the grabbed stencil 13 to move. The printhead 12 is moved above the stencil 13 to align with the stencil 13 at step 706, causing the piston 1602 of the cylinder 1601 of the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12 to protrude downwardly to be adjacent or in contact with the left side of the right bezel 1305 of the stencil 13 and to overlap with a portion of the right bezel 1305 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) at step 707, so that the piston “grabs” the stencil 13 (see Fig. 4C). At this point, when the printhead

12 is moved to the right, the piston 1602 protruding on the printhead 12 contacts and drags the right bezel 1305 of the stencil 13 to move to the right on the stencil holder 14, that is, to urge the stencil 13 to move to the right on the stencil holder 14. The process then proceeds from step 707 to step 708.

At step 708, the printhead 12 is moved by the printhead drive mechanism 15 in a second direction (to the right) opposite the first direction and drives the grabbed stencil

13 to move in the second direction (to the right) on the stencil holder 14 to the mounting position, while the edge of the stencil 13 urges the adjacent tray 19 to move in the second direction (to the right) from the end position of the second travel length on the stencil holder 14 to the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths. By operation of the piston 1602 of the cylinder 1601 in step 707, when the printhead 12 is moved laterally to the right of the stencil holder 14 in step 708, the piston 1602 of the cylinder 1601 will cause the stencil 13 to move to the right on the stencil holder 14. In an example, the control device 24 controls the distance required for the printhead 12 to move so as to move the stencil 13 to the mounting position, and at this point, the edge of the stencil 13 pushes the tray 19 to the boundary position. The process then proceeds from step 708 to step 709.

At step 709, the tray 19 is moved, by the tray drive mechanism 20, from the boundary position of the first travel length and the second travel length in a second direction (to the right) to the starting position of the first travel length on the stencil holder 14. In an example, as shown in Figs. 3A to B, the piston 2003 of the cylinder 2001 of the tray drive mechanism 20 protrudes to the left and causes the grabbing member 2002 to move to the left to contact (e.g., abut) the tray 19, and at this point, the tray 19 is adsorbed on the grabbing member 2002. The piston 2003 of the cylinder 2001 then retracts to the right to induce the adsorbed tray 19 to move to the right to the library position (the starting position of the first travel length). Then, the process proceeds from step 709 to step 710.

At step 710, the stencil 13 is fixed to the stencil holder 14 by the stencil fixing mechanism 22. In an example, the piston 2204 of the cylinder 2202 of the stencil fixing mechanism 22 protrudes downwardly to secure the stencil 13 to the stencil holder 14 (see Figs. 2F to G). Upon completion of step 709, the stencil 13 is in the mounting position, the tray 19 is in the library position, and the stencil 13 and the tray 19 are mounted in place without further movement. At this point, the stencil fixing mechanism 22 may be activated at step 710 to secure the stencil 13. Then, the process proceeds from step 710 to step 711.

At step 711, the printhead 12 is moved to the initial position in the first direction (to the left) by the printhead drive mechanism 15. Resetting the printhead 12 to the initial position may facilitate control of subsequent printing operations and may also reduce, for example, movement error.

Then, the process proceeds from step 711 to step 712 to end mounting of the stencil 13 on the stencil printer 10.

Prior to mounting of a new stencil 13, the operator enters relevant parameters including the size specifications of the circuit board and the stencil 13, etc., through an input interface on the display device 25, and these parameters are then processed by the control device 24 to adjust (or maintain) control of various components (e.g., the printhead drive mechanism 15, the tray drive mechanism 20, the grabbing mechanism 16) to enable adaptation to the mounting operation of the new stencil 13.

Fig. 8 shows a flowchart of one example of a method of disassembling the tray 19 from the stencil printer 10, and it is a detailed flowchart of the disassembling operation of the tray 19 in Fig. 5C.

At step 801, the execution of the method of disassembling the tray 19 from the stencil printer 10 begins. Prior to the start of the method, the tray 19 is located in a library position (the starting position of the first travel length) to the rightmost side of the stencil holder 14. The process then proceeds from step 801 to step 802.

At step 802, the stencil holder 14 is released by the stencil fixing mechanism 22. In an example, as shown in Figs. 2F to H, the piston 2204 of the cylinder 2202 of the stencil fixing mechanism 22 retracts upwardly to release the stencil holder 14 such that the tray 19 is able to move freely on the stencil holder 14 without being blocked by the protruding piston 2204. The process then proceeds from step 802 to step 803.

At step 803, the tray 19 is moved by the tray drive mechanism 20 to move from the library position (the starting position of the first travel length) to a target position (the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths) in the first direction (to the left) on the stencil holder 14. In an example, as shown in Figs. 3 A to B, the piston 2003 of the cylinder 2001 of the tray drive mechanism 20 protrudes to the left to move the grabbing member 2002 to the left, thereby urging the tray 19 adsorbed on the grabbing member 2002 to move from the library position (the starting position of the first travel length) to the left to the target position (the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths). Then, the process proceeds from step 803 to step 804.

At step 804, the printhead 12 is moved to above the tray 19 in a second direction (to the right) opposite the first direction by the printhead drive mechanism 15. In an example, as shown in Fig. 1C, the printhead drive mechanism 15 drives the printhead 12 to move laterally along the stencil holder 14 to the right to above the tray 19. Then, the process proceeds from step 804 to step 805.

At step 805, the tray 19 is grasped by the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12. In an example, the printhead 12 at step 804 moves such that the piston 1602 of the cylinder 1601 of the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12 at step 805 protrudes downwardly to be adjacent or in contact with the right side of the right wing 1903 of the tray 19 and to overlap a portion or all of the right wing 1903 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), so that the piston 1602 “grabs” the tray 19 (see Figs. 4A to B and 4E). At this point, when the printhead 12 is moved to the left, the piston 1602 protruding on the printhead 12 contacts and drags the right wing 1903 of the tray 19 to move to the left on the stencil holder 14, that is, to urge the tray 19 to move to the left on the stencil holder 14. The process then proceeds from step 805 to step 806.

At step 806, the printhead 12 is moved by the printhead drive mechanism 15 in a first direction (to the left) and drives the grabbed tray 19 to move from a target position (the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths) on the stencil holder 14 to the end position of the second travel length (e.g., the leftmost position of the stencil holder) in the first direction (to the left). By operation of the piston 1602 of the cylinder 1601 in step 805, when the printhead 12 is moved laterally to the left of the stencil holder 14 in step 806, the piston 1602 of the cylinder 1601 will cause the stencil 13 to move to the left on the stencil holder 14. Then, the process proceeds from step 806 to step 807.

At step 807, the printer cover 27 is opened. Then, the process proceeds from step 807 to step 808.

At step 808, the tray 19 is removed from the stencil holder 14 in a first direction (to the left). Then, the process proceeds from step 808 to step 809.

At step 809, the printer cover 27 is closed. Then, the process proceeds from step 809 to step 810.

At step 810, the printhead 12 is moved to an initial position in a second direction (to the right) by the printhead drive mechanism 15. In an example, as shown in Fig. 1C, the printhead drive mechanism 15 drives the printhead 12 to move laterally to the right along the stencil holder 14 to the initial position.

Then, the process proceeds from step 810 to step 811 to end the removal of the tray 19 from the stencil printer 10.

Fig. 9 shows a flowchart of one example of a method of mounting the tray 19 on the stencil printer 10, and it is a detailed flowchart of the mounting operation of the tray 19 in Fig. 5D.

At step 901, the execution of the method of mounting the tray 19 on the stencil printer 10 begins. The printhead 12 is reset to the initial position prior to the start of the method. Then, the process proceeds from step 901 to step 902.

At step 902, the printer cover 27 is opened. Then, the process proceeds from step 902 to step 903.

At step 903, the tray 19 is inserted in a second direction (to the right) opposite the first direction into an initial mounting position (end position of the second travel length) at the leftmost side of the stencil holder 14. Then, the process proceeds from step 903 to step 904.

At step 904, the printer cover 27 is closed. Then, the process proceeds from step 904 to step 905.

At step 905, the printhead 12 is moved to above the tray 19 in the first direction (to the left) by the printhead drive mechanism 15. In an example, as shown in Fig. 1C, the printhead 12 is moved by the printhead drive mechanism 15 to move laterally along the stencil holder 14 to the left to above the tray 19. Then, the process proceeds from step 905 to step 906.

At step 906, the tray 19 is grabbed by the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12. In an example, the movement of the printhead 12 at step 905 causes the piston 1602 of the cylinder 1601 of the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12 at step 906 to protrude downwardly to be adjacent or contact the left side of the right wing 1903 of the tray 19 and to overlap a portion of the right wing 1903 in a vertical direction (Z- axis direction), so that the piston 1602 “grabs” the tray 19 (see Fig. 4D). At this point, when the printhead 12 is moved to the right, the piston 1602 protruding on the printhead 12 contacts and drags the right wing 1903 of the tray 19 to move right on the stencil holder 14, that is, to urge the tray 19 to move right on the stencil holder 14. Then, the process proceeds from step 906 to step 907.

At step 907, the printhead 12 is moved by the printhead drive mechanism 15 to move in a second direction (to the right) opposite the first direction and causes the grabbed tray 19 to move from the initial mounting position (the end position of the second travel length) on the stencil holder 14 to the target position (the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths) in the second direction (to the right). In an example, by operation of the piston 1602 of the cylinder 1601 in step 906, when the printhead 12 is moved laterally to the right along the stencil holder 14 in step 907, the piston 1602 of the cylinder 1601 drives the stencil 13 to move right on the stencil holder 14. Then, the process proceeds from step 907 to step 908.

At step 908, the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12 releases the grabbing of the tray 19. In an example, as shown in Fig. 4 A, the piston 1602 of the cylinder 1601 of the grabbing mechanism 16 on the printhead 12 retracts upward to release the grabbing of the tray 19, and at this point, the tray 19 can move freely on the stencil holder 14. The process then proceeds from step 908 to step 909.

At step 909, the tray 19 is moved by the tray drive mechanism 20 from the target position (the boundary position of the first and second travel lengths) to the library position (the starting position of the first travel length) (e.g., the rightmost position of the stencil holder) in the second direction (to the right) on the stencil holder 14. In an example, as shown in Figs. 3A to B, the piston 2003 of the cylinder 2001 of the tray drive mechanism 20 protrudes to the left and causes the grabbing member 2002 to move to the left to contact (e.g., abut) the tray 19, and at this point, the tray 19 is adsorbed on the grabbing member 2002. The piston 2003 of the cylinder 2001 then retracts to the right to induce the adsorbed tray 19 to move right to the library position (the starting position of the first travel length). Then, the process proceeds from step 909 to step 910.

At step 910, the printhead 12 is moved to the initial position in the first direction (to the left) by the printhead drive mechanism 15.

Then, the process proceeds from step 910 to step 911 to end mounting of the tray 19 on the stencil printer 10.

The execution of the above-described methods in Figs. 6 to 9 is controlled by the control device 24 to enable easy replacement of the stencil 13 and the tray 19. In an example, the removal/insertion of the stencil 13 and the tray 19 in Figs. 6 to 9 is performed by an operator, which also enables the operator to easily replace the stencil 13 and the tray 19. After the tray 19 is removed, the solder paste on the tray 19 can be easily removed and the cleaned tray 19 is then mounted on the printer for reuse.

Fig. 10 shows a schematic connection diagram of a portion of components in the stencil printer 10. As shown in Fig. 10, the input device 26 is connected with the control device 24 for receiving input from a user and providing the input to the control device 24. The display device 25 is in connection with the control device 24 for receiving output from the control device 24 for a user to view. The detection device 23 is connected with a component to be detected in the stencil printer 10 to detect a state of the component and generate a status signal. The control device 24 is in connection with the detection device 23 for receiving the detected status signal from the detection device 23. The control device 24 is also connected with the printhead drive mechanism 15, the tray drive mechanism 20, the grabbing mechanism 16, and the stencil fixing mechanism 22 for controlling the operations of the printhead drive mechanism 15, the tray drive mechanism 20, the grabbing mechanism 16, and the stencil fixing mechanism 22 according to the status signal received from the detection device 23 and/or according to an internal program in the control device 24 to implement various operations of the stencil printer 10. The control device 24 is also configured to control or adjust associated operations of the stencil printer 10 based on input received from a user of the input device 26, such as to control or adjust the operations of the printhead drive mechanism 15, the tray drive mechanism 20, the grabbing mechanism 16, and the stencil fixing mechanism 22. The printhead drive mechanism 15 is in connection with the printhead 12 and is used to drive the printhead 12 to move in the X-axis, Y-axis, Z- axis directions based on control of the control device 24. The tray drive mechanism 20 is connected to the tray 19 and is used to drive the tray 19 to move on the stencil holder 14 based on control of the control device 24. The grabbing mechanism 16 is mounted on the printhead 12 for grabbing the tray 19 or the stencil 13 such that the movement of the printhead 12 causes the tray 19 or the stencil 13 to move on the stencil holder 14. The stencil fixing mechanism 22 is connected to the stencil 13 for controlling fixation and release of the stencil 13. In other examples, the components described above in the stencil printer 10 are also configured to implement other suitable operations.

Fig. 11 shows structural block diagram of the control device 24 shown in Fig. 10. As shown in Fig. 11, the control device 24 includes a bus 1101, a processor 1102, a memory 1103, an input interface 1104, and an output interface 1105. The processor 1102, the memory 1103, the input interface 1104, and the output interface 1105 are connected to the bus 1101. The processor 1102 may read out a program (or instructions) from the memory 1103 and execute the program (or instructions) to process data or signals and control the stencil printer 10; the processor 1102 may also write data or programs (or instructions) into the memory 1103. The memory 1103 may store programs (instructions) or data. By executing the instructions in the memory 1103, the processor 1102 may control the memory 1103, the input interface 1104, and the output interface 1105.

The input interface 1104 is configured to receive signals input by users from the input device 26 through a connection line 1106 and to receive detection signals from the detection device 23 through a connection line 1107 and to convert these signals into signals that are identifiable to the processor 1102. The processor 1102 is configured to receive and process signals from the input interface 1104 and send a control signal to the output interface 1105. The output interface 1105 is configured to receive a control signal from the processor 1102, convert the control signal to a control signal suitable for the stencil printer 10, and transmit the control signal to the printhead drive mechanism 15, the tray drive mechanism 20, the grabbing mechanism 16, and the stencil fixing mechanism 22 via the connection lines 1108, 1109, 1110, 1111, respectively, to control the operations of the printhead drive mechanism 15, the tray drive mechanism 20, the grabbing mechanism 16, and the stencil fixing mechanism 22 and further to drive the printhead 12, the tray 19 and/or the stencil 13 to implement related operations.

Although the present disclosure has been described in connection with examples outlined above, various alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and/or substantial equivalents, whether known or foreseeable now or in the near future, may be apparent to those having at least ordinary skill in the art. In addition, the technical effects and/or technical problems described in the present specification are exemplary and not limiting; therefore, the disclosure in the present specification may be used to solve other technical problems and have other technical effects and/or may solve other technical problems. Therefore, examples of the present disclosure as set forth above are intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is intended to include all known or earlier developed alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements and/or substantial equivalents.

The methods, systems, and devices discussed above are examples. In each configuration, various processes or components may be omitted, replaced, or added as desired. For example, in an alternative configuration, the method may be performed in an order different from that has been described, and/or may add, omit, and/or combine stages. Also, features described for certain configurations may be combined in various other configurations. Different aspects and elements of a configuration may be combined in a similar manner.