Method of and device for sensing the presence or absence of an article at the end of a vacuum pick-up means

Claim 1

A method of sensing the presence or absence of an article at the end of a vacuum pick-up means connected to a vacuum source for the pick-up, transport and placement of an article the article being picked up and retained by said pick-up means under the influence of the vacuum created by said vacuum source and being released when said vacuum is interrupted or removed by using the difference in the vacuum occurring in the presence and absence of said article at an end of said pick-up means to generate an acousitc test signal, comprising the steps of: creating a turbulence in the air flow produced by said vacuum in the absence of said article, converting said turbulent air flow into an acoustic signal, amplifying said acoustic signal and then converting said amplified acoustic signal into an optical, electrical or further acoustical signal, said signal being indicative of the absence of said article on the end of said vacuum pick-up means.

Claim 2

A method of sensing the presence or absence of an article at the end of a vacuum pick-up means connected to a vacuum source for the pick-up, transport and placement of an article the article being picked up and retained by said pick-up means under the influence of the vacuum created by said vacuum source and being released when said vacuum is interrupted or removed by using the difference in the vacuum occurring in the presence and absence of said article at an end of said pick-up means to generate an acousitc test signal, comprising the steps of: creating a turbulence in the air flow produced by said vacuum in the absence of said article, converting said turbulent air flow into an acoustic signal, amplifying said acoustic signal and then converting said amplified acoustic signal into an optical, electrical or further acoustical signal, said signal being indicative of the absence of said article on the end of said vacuum pick-up means.

Claim 4

A method of placing an electrical and/or an electronic component on a substrate in which method said component is transferred from a pick-up position to a placement position on the substrate by means of a vacuum pick-up means connected to a vacuum source for the pick-up, said component being picked up and retained by the pick-up means under the influence of the vacuum created by said vacuum source and being released when said vacuum is interrupted or removed, said method including further steps of determining the retention or lack of retention of said component by said pickup-means and therefore the presence or absence of said component at said pick-up position and said placement position on said substrate by creating a turbulence in the air flow produced by said vacuum in the absence of said component being retained by said pick-up means and converting said turbulent air flow into an acoustic signal, amplifying said acoustic signal, processing said acoustic signal to remove undesired components of said acoustic signal, converting said thus amplified and processed acoustic signal into an electronic, visual or acoustic signal indicative of the lack of retention of said component by said pick-up means.

Claim 5

A method of placing an electrical and/or an electronic component on a substrate in which method said component is transferred from a pick-up position to a placement position on the substrate by means of a vacuum pick-up means connected to a vacuum source for the pick-up, said component being picked up and retained by the pick-up means under the influence of the vacuum created by said vacuum source and being released when said vacuum is interrupted or removed, said method including further steps of determining the retention or lack of retention of said component by said pickup-means and therefore the presence or absence of said component at said pick-up position and said placement position on said substrate by creating a turbulence in the air flow produced by said vacuum in the absence of said component being retained by said pick-up means and converting said turbulent air flow into an acoustic signal, amplifying said acoustic signal, processing said acoustic signal to remove undesired components of said acoustic signal, converting said thus amplified and processed acoustic signal into an electronic, visual or acoustic signal indicative of the lack of retention of said component by said pick-up means.

Claim 6

A device for positioning a number of electrical and/or electronic components on a substrate, said device comprising a frame to which are connected a carrier for said substrate and a transfer mechanism, comprising a number of vacuum pick-up means for transferring said components from a component pick-up position to a placement position on said substrate, a drive mechanism connected to said transfer mechanism for removing said tranfer mechanism between said pick-up position and said placement position on said substrate, and a single common valve connecting all of said vacuum pick-up means to a common vacuum source, and a vortex chamber for generating a sound position between said vacuum pick-up means and said common vacuum source.

Claim 7

A device for positioning a number of electrical and/or electronic components on a substrate, said device comprising a frame to which are connected a carrier for said substrate and a transfer mechanism, comprising a number of vacuum pick-up means for transferring said components from a component pick-up position to a placement position on said substrate, a drive mechanism connected to said transfer mechanism for removing said tranfer mechanism between said pick-up position and said placement position on said substrate, and a single common valve connecting all of said vacuum pick-up means to a common vacuum source, and a vortex chamber for generating a sound position between said vacuum pick-up means and said common vacuum source.

Claim 9

A device for sensing the presence or absence of an article at the end of a vacuum pick-up means, which device has at least one displaceable vacuum pick-up means connected to a common vacuum source by means of a flexible connection, and a valve for establishing and interrupting the connection between said pick-up means and said common vacuum source, characterized in that a vortex chamber for generating an audible sound is positioned in said felxible connection.

Claim 10

A device for sensing the presence or absence of an article at the end of a vacuum pick-up means, which device has at least one displaceable vacuum pick-up means connected to a common vacuum source by means of a flexible connection, and a valve for establishing and interrupting the connection between said pick-up means and said common vacuum source, characterized in that a vortex chamber for generating an audible sound is positioned in said felxible connection.