JP2008273712A - Parts feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stably and quickly exclude the parts determined to be defective by each part sorting part even if part sorting parts are formed in a conveying passage at multiple positions. <P>SOLUTION: The operations of air nozzles by the outputs detected by parts sensors at the part sorting parts formed in the conveying passage at multiple positions are controlled by using microprocessors MPU 1, MPU 2, MPU 3 for respective parts sorting parts. Since the delay and variation of the time needed from a time when the outputs detected by the part sensors are input and a time when the control outputs for operating the air nozzles are output are eliminated, the parts determined to be defective by the part sorting parts can be stably and quickly excluded even if the part sorting parts are formed in the conveying passage at multiple positions. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a component supply apparatus that conveys and supplies components along a conveyance path to a discharge end, and eliminates defective components from components being conveyed.

  For a component supply device such as a vibratory bowl feeder, a vibratory linear feeder, a belt conveyor, or a combination of these, a component sensor that detects the quality of the component being transported and a detection output of the component sensor are selectively used. An air nozzle that injects compressed air, and a component sorting unit that activates the air nozzle when the component state detected by the component sensor is determined to be defective and removes the component determined to be defective from the conveyance path. There is something.

  On the other hand, with the recent introduction of IT, the penetration rate of small terminal devices typified by mobile phones and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) has been increasing rapidly. Under these circumstances, in these production factories, the mounting speed of the electronic chip parts on the small terminal device is increased. These electronic chip components are often mounted on a tape reel and supplied to a mounting apparatus. However, as these mounting speeds increase, the electronic chip components are mounted on a taping machine that mounts the electronic chip components on the tape reel. There is also a demand for speeding up the component supply apparatus that supplies the components.

  In order to speed up the supply of parts in such a part supply apparatus, it is necessary to remove parts that have been determined to be defective in posture, etc., from the conveyance path at high speed. It has previously been proposed to open and close a valve of an air nozzle that eliminates a part determined to be defective by a piezoelectric actuator with a piezoelectric actuator having a faster response speed than an electromagnetic valve (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2003-10790 A

  The component supply apparatus described in Patent Document 1 contributes to speeding up of component supply by increasing the response speed of the air nozzle valve. However, the component supply device that supplies electronic chip components and the like includes, for example, a component sorting unit including component sensors and air nozzles at a plurality of locations on a conveyance path by combining a vibration bowl feeder and a vibration linear feeder. There are many things. Conventionally, in such a component supply apparatus, the control of the operation of each air nozzle based on the detection output of the component sensor in the component selection unit at a plurality of locations is collectively controlled by a single controller. The time from when the detection output is input to when the control output for operating the air nozzle is output is delayed by waiting for the sequence, varies depending on the timing of the sequence control, and even if the response speed of the air nozzle valve is increased, each component There is a problem that parts determined to be defective by the sorting unit cannot be stably removed at high speed, which hinders speeding up of parts supply.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to enable stable and high-speed removal of components determined to be defective by each component selection unit even if component selection units are provided at a plurality of locations on the conveyance path.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a component sensor that conveys and supplies a component to a discharge end along a conveyance path, and detects the quality of the state of the component in the middle of conveyance at a plurality of locations on the conveyance path; An air nozzle that selectively injects compressed air based on the detection output of the component sensor. When the component state detected by the component sensor is determined to be defective, the air nozzle is operated to determine that the component is defective. In the component supply apparatus provided with the component sorting unit for removing the component from the conveyance path, the operation of the air nozzle based on the detection output of the component sensor in each of the component sorting units provided at the plurality of locations is performed for each of these component sorting units. Each of them is controlled using a separate microprocessor.

  That is, by detecting the operation of the air nozzle based on the detection output of the component sensor at each of the component selection units provided at a plurality of locations by using an individual microprocessor for each of these component selection units, Eliminates delays and variations in the time from when the output is input until the control output that activates the air nozzle is output, and even if component sorting units are provided at multiple locations on the transport path, each component sorting unit is determined to be defective. Parts can be removed stably at high speed.

  The component sensor provided in at least one component selection unit of the plurality of component selection units may be a posture detection sensor that detects the quality of the component.

  The component sensor provided in at least one component selection unit of the plurality of component selection units may be composed of a plurality of sensors.

  One of the plurality of sensors constituting the component sensor may be a position detection sensor that detects that the component has reached a predetermined position.

  In the component supply apparatus of the present invention, the operation of the air nozzle based on the detection output of the component sensor in each component selection unit provided at a plurality of locations is controlled using an individual microprocessor for each of these component selection units. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the delay and dispersion of the time from when the detection output of each component sensor is input to when the control output for operating the air nozzle is output. Parts determined to be defective by the sorting unit can be stably removed at high speed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, this component supply apparatus uses a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped electronic chip component 1 in which features 1 a having different glosses are provided at the back of the surface so that the front and back and front and rear directions are aligned and used as a taping machine. As shown in FIG. 2, the bowl 2 into which the component 1 is thrown is torsionally vibrated, and the vibratory bowl feeder 4 that conveys the component 1 along the spiral conveyance path 3 and the trough 5 are provided. The reciprocating vibration is used, and the component 1 transferred from the bowl feeder 4 is conveyed along a linear conveying path 6 and is arranged with a vibrating linearly moving feeder 7 that supplies the aligned discharge end 6a.

  In the middle of the conveyance path 3 of the bowl feeder 4, a first component sorting unit 10 that sorts out the component 1 facing up is provided by removing the component 1 that has been determined to have a poor posture. Further, in the middle of the conveyance path 6 of the linear feeder 7, second and third component sorting units 20 and 30 that sort out the forward-facing component 1 by excluding the component 1 that has been determined to have a poor posture in the rearward direction. , Provided in two places in series. The reason why the second and third component sorting units 20 and 30 are provided in series at two locations is to more reliably sort the forward-looking component 1.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the first component sorting unit 10 has a component sensor 11 that detects the front / back orientation of the component 1 that is being transported, and a posture that is face-down based on the detection output of the component sensor 11. An air nozzle 12 that ejects compressed air to the component 1 determined to be defective and excludes it from the conveyance path 3 is provided. The component sensor 11 is a posture detection sensor that optically detects the presence or absence of the characteristic portion 1a on the upper surface of the component 1 conveyed through the conveyance path 3, and the air nozzle 12 is opened and closed by a piezoelectric actuator (not shown). Actuated. The part 1 removed by the first part sorting unit 10 falls to the bottom of the bowl 2 and is transported along the transport path 3 again.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the second and third component sorting units 20 and 30 respectively include position detection sensors 21 a and 31 a that optically detect the tip position of the component 1 conveyed through the conveyance path 6. Attitude detection that optically detects the presence / absence of the characteristic portion 1a provided on the rear side of the surface of the component 1 based on the detection outputs of the position detection sensors 21a and 31a, and detects the attitude of the component 1 in the front-rear direction. Based on the component sensor composed of the sensors 21b and 31b and the detection outputs of the posture detection sensors 21b and 31b, the compressed air is ejected from the conveyance path 6 by injecting the component 1 whose posture is determined to be rearward. The air nozzles 22 and 32 are provided. The air nozzles 22 and 32 are also operated by opening and closing the valves 22a and 32a by piezoelectric actuators, and the parts 1 removed by the second and third parts sorting sections 20 and 30 are returned to the return conveyance path. 8 is returned to the bottom of the bowl 2 and conveyed along the conveying path 3 again.

  FIG. 5 shows a control flowchart of the control device of the component supply device described above. The control device instructs the main microprocessor to start and stop the bowl feeder 4 and the linear feeder 7 and to start and stop the sorting process in each of the component sorting units 10, 20, and 30 based on ON / OFF of the start switch. MPU0 and three sub-microprocessors MPU1, which are connected in parallel to MPU0 and individually control the sorting process in each of the component sorting units 10, 20, and 30 based on the sorting process start and stop commands from MPU0. It consists of MPU2 and MPU3. Each of the MPU1, MPU2, and MPU3 incorporates timers T1, T2, and T3 that are turned on for a predetermined time.

  When the sorting process start command from MPU 0 is turned ON, the MPU 1 that controls the first part sorting unit 10 sequentially checks the detection output of the part sensor 11 (attitude detection sensor), and the detection output of the part sensor 11 is the part. When it is determined to be 1 facing backward and turned ON, the valve 12a of the air nozzle 12 is opened, the timer T1 is started, and the output of the timer T1 is sequentially confirmed. When the output of the timer T1 is turned OFF after a predetermined time has elapsed, the valve 12a of the air nozzle 12 is closed and returned to its original state. Such a control loop is repeated, and the sorting process is stopped when the sorting process start command is turned off.

  The MPU 2 and MPU 3 that control the second and third component sorting units 20 and 30 first detect the tip position of the component 1 when the sorting process start command from the MPU 0 is turned ON. , 31a are sequentially confirmed, and only when the detection outputs of these position detection sensors 21a, 31a are turned on, the detection outputs of the posture detection sensors 21b, 31b are confirmed, and the posture detection sensors 21b, 31b When the detection output is determined to be the rearward direction of the part 1, the valves 22a and 32a of the air nozzles 22 and 32 are opened, and the timers T2 and T3 are started. The subsequent control flow is the same as that of the MPU 1 of the first component sorting unit 10, and the outputs of the timers T2 and T3 are sequentially confirmed. When the predetermined time elapses and the outputs of the timers T2 and T3 are turned off, the control flow is opened. The valves 22a and 32a of the air nozzles 22 and 32 are closed and returned to their original positions.

  In the above-described embodiment, the component supply device is a combination of the vibratory bowl feeder and the vibratory linear advance feeder, and the component selection unit is provided at three locations of these conveyance paths. It is not limited to such a combination, and it is sufficient if the component selection unit is also provided at two or more locations. Moreover, each part selection part is not limited to what sorts the front and back and front-back direction of a part, For example, a different part and a defective part can also be selected. In addition, the valve of the air nozzle of each part selection part is good also as an electromagnetic valve.

1 is an external perspective view showing an electronic chip component supplied by a component supply apparatus according to the present invention. The top view which shows embodiment of a components supply apparatus The perspective view which expands and shows the 1st components selection part of FIG. The perspective view which expands and shows the 2nd and 3rd component selection part of FIG. Control flow chart of the control device of the component supply device of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

MPU Microprocessor T Timer 1 Part 1a Characteristic part 2 Bowl 3 Conveying path 4 Bowl feeder 5 Trough 6 Conveying path 6a Discharge end 7 Straight forward feeder 8 Return conveying path 10, 20, 30 Part selecting part 11 Part sensor 21a, 31a Position detection sensor 21b, 31b Attitude detection sensors 12, 22, 32 Air nozzles 12a, 22a, 32a Valves

Claims (4)

  The parts are transported and supplied to the discharge end along the transport path, and the compressed air is selectively supplied to a plurality of locations on the transport path based on a component sensor for detecting the quality of the part being transported and the detection output of the part sensor. An air nozzle that injects air, and when a state of a component detected by the component sensor is determined to be defective, the air nozzle is operated to provide a component selection unit that removes the determined component from the conveyance path. In the component supply apparatus, the operation of the air nozzle based on the detection output of the component sensor in each of the component sorting units provided at the plurality of locations is controlled using an individual microprocessor for each of these component sorting units. A component supply device characterized by that.   The component supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a component sensor provided in at least one component selection unit of the plurality of component selection units is an attitude detection sensor that detects the quality of the component.   The component supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a component sensor provided in at least one component sorting unit of the plurality of component sorting units includes a plurality of sensors.   The component supply apparatus according to claim 3, wherein one of the plurality of sensors constituting the component sensor is a position detection sensor that detects that the component has reached a predetermined position.

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