Circuit component mounting system and circuit component mounting method

Abstract

A system for mounting circuit components on a circuit substrate, including a circuit-substrate supporting device which supports the circuit substrate, a circuit-component mounting device which mounts, at a circuit-component mounting position, the circuit components on the circuit substrate supported by the circuit-substrate supporting device, and a circuit-substrate carry-out device which carries out the circuit substrate on which the circuit components have been mounted, the circuit-substrate carry-out device comprising a removing device which removes the circuit substrate from the circuit-substrate supporting device, and a parallel-direction carry-out device which receives the circuit substrate from the removing device and carries out the circuit substrate in a parallel direction substantially parallel to a plane of the circuit substrate, the circuit substrate being transferred from the circuit-substrate supporting device to the removing device in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the circuit substrate, and is transferred from the removing device to the parallel-direction carry-out device in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of mounting circuit components on a circuit substrate, comprising the steps of: 
 mounting the circuit components on an upper surface of the circuit substrate supported by a circuit-substrate supporting device,    removing the circuit substrate on which the circuit components have been mounted, from the circuit-substrate supporting device, in an upward direction substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the circuit substrate,    transferring the removed circuit substrate to a parallel-direction carry-out device in a downward direction opposite to said upward direction, and    carrying out the transferred circuit substrate by moving the circuit substrate extending substantially horizontally, in a parallel direction substantially parallel to the upper surface of the circuit substrate.    
     
     
         2 . A method according to    claim 1   , further comprising, after the removing step and before the downward-direction transferring step, a step of moving the removed circuit substrate in said parallel direction.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to    claim 1   , further comprising steps of: 
 carrying in the circuit substrate in said parallel direction,    transferring the carried-in circuit substrate in said upward direction, and    mounting the transferred circuit substrate onto the circuit-substrate support device, in said downward direction.    
     
     
         4 . A method according to    claim 3   , further comprising, after the upward-direction transferring step and before the mounting step, a step of moving the transferred circuit substrate in said parallel direction.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to    claim 3   , wherein at least one of the removing step and the upward-direction transferring step comprises steps of: 
 holding, with a holding device, the circuit substrate,    moving the holding device in said upward direction, to move the circuit substrate in the upward direction, and    moving the holding device in said parallel direction to move the circuit substrate in the parallel direction.    
     
     
         6 . A method according to    claim 5   , wherein the parallel-direction moving step comprises controlling a speed at which the holding device is moved in said parallel direction, such that a speed of a movement of the holding device holding the circuit substrate is lower than a speed of a movement of the holding device not holding the circuit substrate.