Method for positioning at least one electronic component on a circuit board

Abstract

A method for positioning at least one electronic component (3) on a circuit board (1) provided for installation in a vehicle headlamp, wherein the circuit board (1) comprises at least one position mark and the at least one electronic component (3) is positioned relative to the at least one position mark on the circuit board (1), wherein the at least one position mark is detected optically and is used for positioning, wherein the at least one position mark used is at least one alignment mark (5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8) of the circuit board (1) which, in the vehicle headlamp, when the circuit board (1) is installed, interacts mechanically with a positioning means (9, 15) of the vehicle headlamp that is complementary to the alignment mark (5, 6, 7, 8,8, 8).

Claims

1. A method for positioning at least one electronic component (3) on a circuit board (1) intended for installation in a vehicle headlamp, the method comprising: providing the circuit board (1) which comprises at least one position mark; optically detecting the at least one position mark; and positioning, based on the at least one position mark, the at least one electronic component (3) on the circuit board (1), wherein the at least one position mark comprises at least one alignment mark (5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8) on the circuit board (1) which, when the circuit board is installed in the vehicle headlamp, interacts mechanically with a positioning element (9, 15) of the vehicle headlamp that is complementary to the at least one alignment mark (5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8), wherein the at least one alignment mark (5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8) is detected optically from a first side of the circuit board (1) using a camera (12), wherein based on position data of the at least one alignment mark (5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8), a data record with a fitting position for the at least one electronic component (3) is created and is made available to a machine for fitting the at least one electronic component (3), and wherein the circuit board (1) is illuminated from a second side opposite the first side.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least two alignment marks (5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8) on the circuit board (1) are used for positioning the at least one electronic component (3).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least two alignment marks (5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8) are disposed on opposite edges of the circuit board (1).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board (1) has a substantially rectangular shape with short and long edges and the at least two alignment marks (5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8) are disposed on the long edges of the circuit board (1).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board is illuminated using light (13) directed in parallel to one another.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of position marks of the circuit board (1) are detected.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of circuit boards (1) are produced on a common panel and the at least one position mark is detected when the plurality of circuit boards (1) have not yet been separated from one another.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one position mark is detected for each circuit board (1) of the plurality of circuit boards on the common panel.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of position marks for the at least one electronic component (3) to be positioned is detected for each circuit board of the plurality of circuit boards on the common panel and is used to create a data record with a fitting position for the at least one electronic component (3).

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of circuit boards (1) are produced on a common panel and the at least one alignment mark (6, 7, 8, 8, 8) is disposed at an edge of the circuit board (1) only once the circuit board (1) has been separated from the plurality of circuit boards on the common panel.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic component (3) is selected from an SMD component, an LED, a laser diode, and a photodiode.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic component (3) is positioned on the first side of the circuit board.

Description

(1) The invention will be explained in greater detail hereinafter on the basis of an exemplary embodiment illustrated schematically in the drawing, in which

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of a circuit board with a plurality of electronic components and a plurality of conceivable alignment marks, which can be used as position marks for carrying out the method according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a portion of a production line for carrying out the method according to the invention, and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of the method according to the invention.

(5) In FIG. 1 a circuit board is denoted by reference sign 1. The circuit board 1 has a plurality of conducting lines 2 and a plurality of electronic components 3, wherein the conducting lines 2 connect the electronic components 3 to a connector region 4, which in turn is connected to an electrical system (not illustrated) of a vehicle. The printed circuit board 1 can now have a plurality of position marks, wherein the position marks are formed in accordance with the invention by an alignment mark of the circuit board, which alignment mark is provided for interaction with mechanical positioning means for the circuit board on the vehicle headlamp. The hole 5, the slot 6, the notch 7 and the indentations 8, 8, 8 can thus form alignment marks of the circuit board. In order to explain the invention, a plurality of alignment marks of this type are indicated in the example according to FIG. 1. However, it is clear that fewer or more alignment marks of this kind as well as alignment marks of different design can be used as position marks in order to realise the method according to the invention, provided they interact with corresponding mechanical positioning means for the circuit board on the vehicle headlamp only when the circuit board 1 is fixed in position. In FIG. 1 a pin 15 and a stop 9 are illustrated in the section by way of example, wherein the pin 15 and the stop 9 can be formed for example in one piece with a heat sink 10 (not illustrated in greater detail) of a vehicle headlamp. Alternatively, it is also conceivable that a screw (not illustrated) for example interacts with the hole 5 or the slot 6, for which purpose a corresponding threaded opening 11 is provided in the heat sink 10. In accordance with the invention, the alignment marks formed by the hole 5, the slot 6, the notch 7 and/or the indentations 8, 8, 8 are now detected, and the positions of the individual components relative to these alignment marks are defined.

(6) In the method according to the invention at least one electronic component 3 is positioned on a circuit board 1 intended for installation in a vehicle headlamp.

(7) Here, the circuit board 1 comprises at least one position mark, and the at least one electronic component 3 is positioned relative to the at least one position mark on the circuit board 1. The at least one position mark is detected optically and used for positioning.

(8) At least one alignment mark 5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8 of the circuit board 1 is used as at least one position mark and, in the vehicle headlamp, when the circuit board 1 is installed, interacts mechanically with a complementary alignment mark 9, 15 of the vehicle headlamp.

(9) In FIG. 2 for example the alignment mark formed by the hole 5 and the slot 6 is provided with a camera 12 for optical detection, wherein, in order to increase the contrast at the alignment marks, the circuit board 1 is illuminated from the second side, which is opposite the first side.

(10) The light passes through the recesses, which form the alignment marks, so that the camera is provided with optimal contrast values between the light passing through the circuit board and the light shielded by the circuit board for detection of the alignment marks of the circuit board.

(11) The detail A of FIG. 2 on the one hand shows that the edges or the alignment marks of the circuit board in no way have an ideal course and instead can have irregularities, roughnesses and jagged edges, so that light directed in parallel, which is symbolised by the multitude of arrows 13, can be used particularly advantageously to reliably detect the edge of the alignment mark of the circuit board that is actually effective. The light directed in parallel is generated in a production line by the use of a collimator 14.

(12) FIG. 3 again shows an overview of the entire course of the method. For the positioning of the electronic components or the LEDs or laser diodes, the position marks of the circuit board are detected optically, wherein these position marks in accordance with the invention are alignment marks of the circuit board which are provided for interaction with mechanical positioning means of the vehicle headlamp. A data record with a fitting position for the component is created from the position or the position data of the at least one alignment mark, and the data record is forwarded or made available to a fitting machine. A fitting machine can comprise a plurality of fitter stations. At the end of the method, an output check is performed in the form of an automatic optical inspection (AOI).