JP2015101452A - Direction controller, ferrule transport device, ferrule concentricity measurement device, ferrule transport method, ferrule transport program, and record medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a direction controller capable of directing a work in a predetermined direction quickly, a ferrule transport device, a ferrule concentricity measurement device, a ferrule transport method, a ferrule transport program, and a record medium.SOLUTION: A direction controller 20 comprises: a direction determination part 29 for determining a direction of a ferrule F having a tip end F2 and a rear end F3; and a ferrule movement part 26 for holding the ferrule F by a holding part 26a, and moving the ferrule F to one of a first outlet 24 and a second outlet 25 according to a determination result of the direction determination part 29. The holding part 26a is formed along a vertical direction L1.

Description

  The present invention relates to a direction control device, a ferrule transport device, a ferrule concentricity measuring device, a ferrule transport method, a ferrule transport program, and a recording medium.

Conventionally, ferrules are used as members for connecting optical fibers while aligning the end faces of the cores of the optical fibers. The ferrule is a cylindrical member in which a through hole is formed along its central axis, and is attached to, for example, an optical connector component in a state where the core of the optical fiber is inserted into the through hole. Therefore, in order to connect the optical fibers while accurately aligning the end faces of the core wires, a high concentricity of the inner diameter with respect to the outer diameter of the ferrule is required.
The concentricity is generally defined as the size of the error (positional deviation) of the center of the target circle (for example, the actually measured circle shape) with respect to the center of the reference circle (datum circle). This point is also defined in the JIS standard number (B0021) of the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS).

  Therefore, in general, after a plurality of ferrules are manufactured, the concentricity is measured for each ferrule, and classification (level division) is performed for each quality judgment and finishing accuracy. In particular, the concentricity of the ferrule affects the optical characteristics of the optical fiber and determines the performance as an optical fiber connector. Accordingly, the ferrule is required to have a high level of concentricity. Also, measuring the ferrule concentricity is a particularly important task.

  Conventionally, as an apparatus for measuring the inner diameter of a ferrule, an image measuring unit that images one end of a work (ferrule) with an imaging means and measures the inner diameter of the work based on the image data, and compressed air from the other end of the work The air measurement unit that measures the inner diameter of the workpiece is compared with the inner diameter measurement value by the image measurement unit and the inner diameter measurement value by the air measurement unit. There is known an inner diameter measuring apparatus including a determination unit that sets an inner diameter measurement value as a true inner diameter value (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to Patent Document 1, it is said that stable and accurate measurement can always be performed without being affected by the shape of the inner diameter.

By the way, in order to measure the concentricity, it is necessary to acquire a captured image obtained by capturing the ferrule. Specifically, the ferrule is imaged from the end face side to acquire a captured image of the through hole, and the concentricity is measured based on the captured image in which the through hole is captured.
Here, depending on the type of ferrule, there are cases where the shape of the end face is different on both sides, and depending on the shape, whether it is better to take an image from one end side or the other end side is better There is. Therefore, in this case, the ferrule is required to be transported to the measuring table in a state where it is directed in a predetermined direction.

JP 2003-207327 A

  In the prior art, the determination unit determines whether or not the workpiece being conveyed is in a predetermined direction. For a workpiece that is not in the predetermined direction, it is returned to the stocker from the return port and determined again. It is conveyed to the part. However, in the determination unit again, when the workpiece does not face the predetermined direction, the workpiece is returned again from the return port to the stocker and conveyed to the determination unit three times. That is, since the above process is repeated until the workpiece is directed in a predetermined direction, there is room for improvement in that it takes time to process the workpiece in the predetermined direction.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is a direction control device, a ferrule transport device, a ferrule concentricity measuring device, a ferrule transport method, a ferrule transport program, and a recording capable of quickly directing a workpiece in a predetermined direction. The issue is to provide a medium.

  In order to solve the above problems, the direction control device of the present invention includes a direction determination unit that determines the direction of a workpiece having a front end portion and a rear end portion, and the direction determination unit that holds the workpiece by a holding unit. And a workpiece moving unit that moves the workpiece to either the first carry-out port or the second carry-out port according to the determination result.

  According to the present invention, since the workpiece moving unit that moves the workpiece to either one of the first carry-out port and the second carry-out port according to the determination result of the direction determination unit is provided, The workpiece can be carried out from either the first carry-out port or the second carry-out port. Therefore, it is possible to quickly convey the workpiece in a predetermined direction.

  Further, the holding portion is formed so as to be along the vertical vertical direction.

  According to the present invention, the workpiece can enter the holding portion by its own weight. Therefore, the workpiece can be quickly held by the holding unit.

  In addition, the first carry-out port and the second carry-out port are arranged side by side in the movement direction of the workpiece moving unit, and the holding unit is configured to move the first carry-out port and the second carry-out port before the workpiece moving unit moves. It is provided between the two carry-out ports.

  According to the present invention, since the holding unit is provided between the first carry-out port and the second carry-out port before the work moving unit is moved, the holding unit is provided between the first carry-out port and the second carry-out port. The workpiece can be carried out from either the first carry-out port or the second carry-out port by moving at the shortest distance. Accordingly, it is possible to quickly carry out a work directed in a predetermined direction.

  Moreover, the ferrule conveyance apparatus of this invention is equipped with the above-mentioned direction control apparatus, The said workpiece | work is a ferrule, It is characterized by conveying the said ferrule from a 1st point to a 2nd point.

  According to the present invention, the ferrule can be quickly conveyed from the first point to the second point in a predetermined direction.

  The transport path between the first point and the second point is provided with a standby mechanism that waits for the ferrule being transported. The standby mechanism closes the transport path and moves the ferrule. The regulation wall is characterized by opening the conveyance path at a predetermined timing and releasing the regulation of the movement of the ferrule.

  According to the present invention, the standby mechanism has a restriction wall that blocks the conveyance path and restricts the movement of the ferrule, and the restriction wall opens the conveyance path at a predetermined timing and releases the restriction of the movement of the ferrule. Therefore, the ferrule can be transported to the next process at the set timing. Therefore, the subsequent handling of the ferrule can be facilitated. For example, the ferrule can be imaged with high accuracy.

  The standby mechanism stores the ferrule that is on standby, and is provided so as to be relatively movable with respect to the regulation wall, and a storage section in which a downstream outlet in the transport direction of the ferrule is opened and closed by the regulation wall And an extruding member that is provided upstream of the storage unit in the transport direction and pushes out the ferrule from the storage unit, and the extruding member is moved by relative movement between the restriction wall and the storage unit. After the outlet on the downstream side is opened, the ferrule is pushed out from the storage portion, thereby releasing the restriction on the movement of the ferrule.

  According to the present invention, the standby mechanism includes a storage unit whose downstream outlet is opened and closed by the restriction wall, and an extrusion member that is provided upstream of the storage unit in the transport direction and pushes the ferrule out of the storage unit. Therefore, it can be pushed out of the storage portion by the pushing member and conveyed to the next process. At this time, after the ferrule is temporarily stored in the storage unit, it is pushed out by the pushing member and the ferrule is set in the next process, so that the ferrule in the next process is compared with the case where the ferrule to be conveyed is directly set in the next process. Misalignment can be suppressed. Therefore, for example, the ferrule can be imaged with high accuracy.

  Moreover, the ferrule concentricity measuring apparatus of this invention is provided with the above-mentioned ferrule conveyance apparatus.

  According to the present invention, the ferrule concentricity measuring device capable of quickly measuring the concentricity of the ferrule can be provided because the ferrule conveying device described above is provided.

  Further, the ferrule transport method of the present invention uses the ferrule transport device described above, and a direction determining step for determining the orientation of the ferrule, while holding the ferrule by the holding unit of the work moving unit, And a ferrule moving step of moving the ferrule to one of the first carry-out port and the second carry-out port according to the determination result of the direction determining step.

  According to the present invention, the same operational effects as those of the ferrule transport device described above can be achieved. That is, the ferrule can be quickly conveyed from the first point to the second point in a predetermined direction.

  Further, the ferrule transport program of the present invention includes a direction determination step of determining a direction of the ferrule in the computer of the ferrule transport device described above, and the direction determination while holding the ferrule by the holding unit of the work moving unit. And a ferrule moving step of moving the ferrule to either one of the first carry-out port and the second carry-out port according to a determination result of the step.

  According to the present invention, since the computer of the ferrule transport device can execute the direction determination step and the ferrule movement step, the ferrule can be quickly transported from the first point to the second point in a predetermined direction. .

  The recording medium of the present invention is characterized in that the ferrule transport program according to the present invention is recorded.

  According to the present invention, for example, the ferrule can be quickly transported from the first point to the second point in a predetermined direction by being installed on the computer of the ferrule transport device. In particular, it can cope with the distribution of programs and the like.

  According to the present invention, since the workpiece moving unit that moves the workpiece to either one of the first carry-out port and the second carry-out port according to the determination result of the direction determination unit is provided, The workpiece can be carried out from either the first carry-out port or the second carry-out port. Therefore, it is possible to quickly convey the workpiece in a predetermined direction.

It is a figure which shows embodiment of the ferrule concentricity measuring apparatus which concerns on this invention, Comprising: It is the whole simplified block diagram. It is a whole perspective view of the ferrule concentricity measuring apparatus shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing containing the central axis of a ferrule. It is the figure which looked at the inside of the container of a ferrule supply apparatus. It is a perspective view of a support stand. It is an enlarged view of a direction control apparatus. It is sectional drawing along the AA line of FIG. It is principle explanatory drawing when determining the direction of the edge part of a ferrule. It is sectional drawing corresponding to FIG. 7, Comprising: The state which the workpiece moving part slid to the front is illustrated. It is sectional drawing corresponding to FIG. 7, Comprising: The state which the workpiece movement part slid to the back was illustrated. It is a perspective view of a standby mechanism. It is explanatory drawing which represented typically sectional drawing in alignment with the BB line of FIG. It is a schematic block diagram of the standby mechanism which concerns on other embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a ferrule concentricity measuring apparatus according to the present invention, and is an overall simplified configuration diagram.
As shown in FIG. 1, the ferrule concentricity measuring apparatus 1 of the present embodiment images a plurality of ferrules F (corresponding to “work” in claims) one by one, and the ferrule F of the ferrule F is based on the captured images. It is a device that measures the concentricity and stores it in the storage box 40 while classifying it for each quality rank based on the measurement result.

FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the ferrule concentricity measuring apparatus shown in FIG.
The ferrule concentricity measuring device 1 includes a ferrule supply device 2, a ferrule transport device 3 including a direction control device 20, a ferrule imaging device 4, a ferrule collection device 5, and a control unit 7 that comprehensively controls each device. And. Each device is installed on a base table 6 placed on a horizontal surface such as a floor surface (not shown).

First, the ferrule F will be briefly described.
3 is a cross-sectional view including the central axis C of the ferrule F. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the ferrule F is formed in a cylindrical shape having a through hole F1 through which a core wire of an optical fiber (not shown) is inserted along the central axis C. The end of one side (right side in FIG. 3) of the ferrule F has a tapered shape that gradually decreases in diameter from the other side toward one side (left side to right side in FIG. 3). Hereinafter, one end of the tapered ferrule F is referred to as a front end F2, and the other end opposite to the front end F2 is referred to as a rear end F3. In addition, the through hole F1 is formed in a tapered cross section that gradually increases in diameter toward the end surface of the rear end portion F3 at the rear end portion F3 of the ferrule F. The ferrule imaging device 4 captures the ferrule F from the end face side of the rear end F3, and acquires a captured image.

Next, each component of the ferrule concentricity measuring device 1 will be described.
In this embodiment, the ferrule supply device 2, the ferrule imaging device 4, and the ferrule collection device 5 will be briefly described sequentially, and then the ferrule transport device 3 and the control unit 7 will be described.
In the following, as shown in FIG. 2, the vertical vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane on which the base table 6 is placed is defined as the vertical direction L1, and the directions orthogonal to each other on the horizontal plane are the front-rear direction L2 and the horizontal direction L3. And Moreover, among the front-back direction L2, the opening direction (arrow FW direction) of the container 10 mentioned later is made into the front, and the opposite direction (arrow BA direction) is made into the back.

The ferrule supply device 2 includes a container 10 in which a plurality of ferrules F are accommodated, and is a device that sends out the ferrules F one by one from the container 10.
The container 10 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape that opens upward, and is supported by a support column 11 that rises upward from the upper surface of the base base 6. At this time, the container 10 is inclined forward with respect to the upper surface of the base 6 and the inclination angle can be adjusted to an arbitrary angle.

FIG. 4 is a view of the inside of the container 10 of the ferrule supply device 2.
A rotating plate 12 that is rotatable around the central axis of the container 10 is disposed inside the container 10 so as to overlap the bottom wall portion 10 a of the container 10.
The rotating plate 12 is a member that receives a rotational force from a driving source (not shown) and rotates in a clockwise direction in a front view, and has a diameter such that the outer peripheral edge portion is in sliding contact with or close to the peripheral wall portion 10 b of the container 10. Is formed. Further, in the illustrated example, the rotating plate 12 is formed in a tapered cross section whose upper surface is gradually inclined so that the thickness gradually decreases toward the outer peripheral edge.

One of the plurality of ferrules F accommodated inside the container 10 is inserted and stored in the outer peripheral edge of the rotating plate 12, and the stored ferrule F is rotated around the rotating plate 12. A storage recess 12a that is moved in the direction is formed. In the example illustrated in FIG. 4, a plurality of storage recesses 12 a are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotating plate 12.
Thereby, the container 10 is moving the ferrule F one after another toward the uppermost point side in the bottom wall part 10a of the container 10 inclined forward by rotation of the rotating plate 12.

  Further, the container 10 is formed with a discharge port 13 through which the ferrule F that has been moved to the uppermost point by the rotation of the rotating plate 12 is discharged to the outside of the container 10. Thereby, the ferrule supply apparatus 2 sends out the ferrule F one by one from the container 10 through the discharge port 13 of the container 10.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a discharge tube 14 that constitutes a transport path 200 of the ferrule F is connected to the discharge port 13. The ferrules F are sent out one by one through the discharge tube 14. That is, the discharge port 13 is a starting point P1 (corresponding to “first point” in the claims) in the transport path 200 of the ferrule F transported by the ferrule transport device 3. The starting point P1 is on the most upstream side in the transport direction of the ferrule F.

  The ferrule imaging device 4 includes an imaging unit 50 that images the ferrule F, a support base 51 that supports the ferrule F in a state where the central axis C of the ferrule F is aligned with the optical axis O of the imaging unit 50, The light unit 52 is disposed on the opposite side of the imaging unit 50 with the support base 51 interposed therebetween, and irradiates the ferrule F with illumination light along the optical axis O.

As shown in FIG. 2, the imaging means 50 is disposed along the front-rear direction L <b> 2, and is disposed at a long lens barrel 55 with the lens distal end portion 55 a facing the front side and a base end portion of the lens barrel 55. And an image pickup device 56 provided.
The lens barrel 55 incorporates a plurality of lenses (not shown). The optical axis O of the lens barrel 55 coincides with the front-rear direction L2. In addition, the lens barrel 55 forms an image of the subject imaged from the lens tip 55a on the image sensor 56 using a plurality of optical systems.

The imaging unit 50 images the ferrule F on the support base 51 through the lens barrel 55 with the imaging element 56.
The image sensor 56 is, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor, or the like, and a ferrule F based on an instruction from the control unit 7. And the captured image is output to the control unit 7.

The lens barrel 55 is arranged in a state of being separated upward from the base table 6 by being held by the lens holding member 60.
The lens holding member 60 is mainly composed of a plate-like holding table 62 placed on the upper surface of the base table 6 via an anti-vibration table 61, a vertical wall block 64 erected on the holding table 62, The holding block 65 is attached to the upper end portion of the hanging wall block 64 and holds the lens barrel 55.

  The anti-vibration table 61 is, for example, a rubber plate having a predetermined hardness and damping performance, and a plurality of vibration-proof tables 61 are arranged between the base table 6 and the holding table 62. The holding block 65 includes a C-shaped fixed block 66 attached to the upper end of the vertical wall block 64 and a pressing block 67 that holds the lens barrel 55 so as to sandwich the lens barrel 55 between the fixed block 66. ing.

  The fixed block 66 is located at the same height as the lens barrel 55, and an intermediate portion in the front-rear direction L <b> 2 is attached to the vertical wall block 64. Both ends of the fixed block 66 in the front-rear direction L2 are bent toward the lens barrel 55 side, and semicircular concave portions corresponding to the outer diameter of the lens barrel 55 are formed on the end surfaces. .

  The pressing block 67 is detachable from the end surfaces at both ends of the fixed block 66. A semicircular recess corresponding to the outer diameter of the lens barrel 55 is formed on the mounting surface of the pressing block 67 with respect to the fixed block 66. By attaching the pressing block 67 to the fixed block 66 by, for example, screwing or the like, the lens barrel 55 is sandwiched between the fixed block 66 and the pressing block 67.

The support base 51 is disposed on the front side of the lens front end portion 55 a via a pedestal block 70 erected on the holding base 62.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the support base 51.
As shown in FIG. 5, the support base 51 includes a first support base 51A and a second support base 51B that face each other with a predetermined gap in the front-rear direction L2. Each of the first support base 51A and the second support base 51B is a plate-like member formed so that the thickness direction thereof coincides with the front-rear direction L2, and the first support base is disposed on the lens front end portion 55a (see FIG. 2) side. 51A is located and the 2nd support stand 51B is located in the front side of the 1st support stand 51A.

  The upper end edges of the first support base 51A and the second support base 51B are adjusted so as to be positioned at the same height, and have V-shaped groove portions 75, respectively. The ferrule F is supported by the first support base 51A and the second support base 51B. The shape of the groove 75 is not limited to a V shape, and may be a semicircular shape corresponding to the shape of the ferrule F.

The ferrule F is supported by the first support base 51 </ b> A and the second support base 51 </ b> B by being spanned over the pair of groove parts 75 while being accommodated in the pair of groove parts 75. Thereby, the ferrule F is supported in the state which made the center axis C correspond to the front-back direction L2.
As shown in FIG. 1, the heights of the first support base 51 </ b> A and the second support base 51 </ b> B match the optical axis O of the lens barrel 55 and the central axis C of the ferrule F on the support base 51. Have been adjusted so that.

As shown in FIG. 1, the light unit 52 has a built-in light source 58 that emits illumination light, and is disposed further forward than the second support base 51B. The light unit 52 can irradiate illumination light emitted from the light source 58 toward the support base 51 side. At this time, the height of the light unit 52 is adjusted so as to be positioned at the same height as the optical axis O, and the illumination light is irradiated to the support base 51 side along the optical axis O.
Although the light source 58 is not specifically limited, For example, LED (Light Emitting Diode) etc. are suitable. Further, the illumination light is preferably parallel light, for example, laser light or the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ferrule imaging device 4 includes an endless belt unit 120 that rotates around the optical axis O while pressing the ferrule F supported on the support base 51 with the support base 51. .
The endless belt unit 120 includes a rotating belt 121 that rotates the ferrule F, a driving pulley 122 that rotates the rotating belt 121, a first driven pulley 123a, and a second driven pulley 123b. 124, and a vertically moving cylinder 125 that vertically moves the vertically moving plate 124 within a predetermined stroke range and presses the rotating belt 121 against the ferrule F on the support base 51 from above.

The rotating belt 121 is, for example, an annular endless belt, and is attached to the vertical movement plate 124 by being stretched over the driving pulley 122, the first driven pulley 123a, and the second driven pulley 123b with a predetermined tension.
The drive pulley 122 is provided on the support column 11 side in the left-right direction L3 across the support base 51, is attached to the vertical movement plate 124 via the drive motor 130, and is driven by the drive motor 130. The drive motor 130 is driven and rotated by the control unit 7 described later.
The first driven pulley 123a and the second driven pulley 123b are provided side by side in the vertical direction L1 on the opposite side of the drive pulley 122 with the support base 51 interposed therebetween.

The vertical movement plate 124 is attached to the vertical movement cylinder 125.
The vertical movement cylinder 125 is an air cylinder, for example, and is provided on the rear surface side of the vertical movement plate 124. An air tube (not shown) is connected to the vertical movement cylinder 125. The vertical movement cylinder 125 moves the vertical movement plate 124 up and down by supplying air from an air source (not shown) through the air tube or discharging air from the inside of the vertical movement cylinder 125 through the air tube. As a result, the endless belt unit 120 can press the rotating belt 121 against the ferrule F on the support base 51 from above, or retract the rotating belt 121 upward to separate it from the ferrule F.

The ferrule collection device 5 includes a collection shooter 41, five storage boxes 40 (40A to 40E), and a box moving mechanism 42 that moves the five storage boxes 40.
The ferrule collection device 5 collects the ferrule F conveyed from the support base 51 by the transfer arm 160 of the ferrule transfer device 3 described later, and, for example, in any one of the five storage boxes 40. It is a device for storing.

  The collection shooter 41 is disposed along the left-right direction L3 and is inclined with respect to the upper surface of the base table 6. Specifically, the collection end 41a of the collection shooter 41 is inclined so as to be positioned above the discharge end 41b. At this time, the collection end 41 a of the collection shooter 41 is disposed so as to be positioned at the end point P <b> 2 (corresponding to “second point” in the claims) in the conveyance path 200 of the ferrule conveyance device 3. As a result, the collection shooter 41 collects the ferrule F conveyed by the conveyance arm 160 at the collection end 41a, and then conveys the ferrule F to the discharge end 41b by using the inclination. The end point P2 is on the most downstream side of the transport path 200 of the ferrule F.

As shown in FIG. 1, the storage box 40 is, for example, a box-shaped container that opens upward, and is arranged below the collection shooter 41, for example, along the front-rear direction L <b> 2 (see FIG. 2).
In the illustrated example, the first storage box 40A (40) in which the A-rank ferrule F having the highest quality is stored, and the second storage box in which the B-rank ferrule F having the next highest quality is stored. 40B (40), the third storage box 40C (40) in which the C-rank ferrule F having the next highest quality is stored, and the fourth storage box in which the next-high quality D-rank ferrule F is stored. A fifth storage box 40E (40) in which 40D (40) and then a ferrule F of E rank with excellent quality are stored is arranged in parallel.

The plurality of storage boxes 40 are each mounted on a moving body 44 that moves along the guide rail 43.
The guide rail 43 is fixed to the upper surface of the base base 6 and extends along the front-rear direction L2. The moving body 44 can be reciprocated in the front-rear direction L2 along the guide rail 43 by a drive mechanism (not shown). The drive mechanism appropriately moves the moving body 44 in the front-rear direction L <b> 2 based on an instruction from the control unit 7, and arranges any storage box 40 directly below the discharge end 41 b in the collection shooter 41. Thereby, the ferrule collection | recovery apparatus 5 has accommodated the ferrule F of the same quality in each storage box 40A-40E. The guide rail 43, the moving body 44, and the drive mechanism function as the box moving mechanism 42.

(Ferrule transport device)
The ferrule conveyance device 3 conveys the ferrule F sent out from the discharge port 13 of the container 10 that is the starting point P1 of the conveyance path 200 to the collection end 41a of the collection shooter 41 that is the end point P2, while aligning the ferrule F in the same direction. A direction control device 20, a merging block 17, a standby mechanism 80, and a transfer tube through which the ferrule F passes (the discharge tube 14, the first transfer tube 201, the second transfer tube 202, and A third transfer tube 203) and a transfer arm 160 are mainly provided.

(Direction control device)
FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the direction control device 20.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 6, and illustrates a state in which the direction determination unit 29 determines the direction of the ferrule F.
As shown in FIG. 6, the direction control device 20 includes a housing portion 21, a ferrule moving portion 26 (corresponding to “work moving portion” in the claims), a direction determining portion 29, a first cylinder 31, Two cylinders 32.

The housing portion 21 is a block-shaped member and is attached to the support column portion 11 via the support plate 15.
In the housing part 21, a groove part 22 extending along the front-rear direction L2 is formed on the side surface opposite to the support part 11 in the left-right direction L3.
As shown in FIG. 7, the housing portion 21 has a carry-in port 23 that opens upward. A first carry-out port 24 that opens upward is formed in front of the carry-in port 23. Further, a second carry-out port 25 that opens downward is formed behind the carry-in port 23. Each of the carry-in port 23, the first carry-out port 24, and the second carry-out port 25 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the ferrule F. Therefore, the ferrule F can be inserted through the carry-in port 23, the first carry-out port 24, and the second carry-out port 25.
Further, a through hole 28 a that is larger than the through hole F 1 of the ferrule F and smaller than the outer shape of the ferrule F is formed on the lower surface 28 of the groove portion 22 at a position facing the carry-in port 23.

The ferrule moving part 26 is a prismatic member extending in the front-rear direction L <b> 2 and is disposed in the groove part 22. The ferrule moving part 26 is provided so as to be slidable in the groove part 22 along the front-rear direction L2 by a first cylinder 31 and a second cylinder 32 (both see FIG. 6) described later.
The ferrule moving unit 26 has a holding unit 26 a for holding the ferrule F. The holding part 26a is formed along the up-down direction L1, and before the ferrule moving part 26 moves, is an intermediate part between the first carry-out port 24 and the second carry-out port 25 in the front-rear direction L2, It is arranged at a position corresponding to the carry-in port 23. The holding portion 26a has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the ferrule F, and the ferrule F can be stored in the holding portion 26a.

  The holding part 26a is formed along the up-down direction L1. Therefore, the ferrule F introduced from the carry-in port 23 enters the holding portion 26a by its own weight, and the holding portion 26a is in a state where the front end portion F2 or the rear end portion F3 of the ferrule F is in contact with the lower surface 28 of the groove portion 22. Held by.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the principle when determining the direction of the end portion of the ferrule F. FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating the principle when determining the tip portion F2, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the principle when determining a rear end portion F3.
As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the direction determination unit 29 irradiates the detection light K1 toward the end portion (the front end portion F2 or the rear end portion F3) of the ferrule F and the end portion. Is provided with a light amount sensor 29a for detecting the amount of reflected light K2. As shown in FIG. 7, the direction determination of the end portion of the ferrule F by the light quantity sensor 29a is performed before the ferrule moving unit 26 moves, and the holding unit 26a is connected to the first carry-out port 24 and the second carrying port in the front-back direction L2. It is performed when it is located in the middle of the outlet 25. Hereinafter, the position of the holding unit 26a before the ferrule moving unit 26 moves and the position where the direction of the end of the ferrule F is determined is referred to as a determination position.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, when the detection light K1 is irradiated from the light amount sensor 29a to the tip portion F2 of the ferrule F at the determination position, the tip portion F2 is formed in a tapered shape. The light K1 cannot be reflected efficiently. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the detection light K1 is irradiated from the light amount sensor 29a to the rear end F3 of the ferrule F at the determination position, the rear end F3 is the front end. Since there are more flat surfaces than F2, the detection light K1 can be reflected efficiently. Thus, the light quantity of the reflected light K2 differs in the front-end | tip part F2 and the rear-end part F3. Accordingly, in the direction determination unit 29, the light amount sensor 29a compares the light amount of the reflected light K2 with the reference light amount, so that the tip portion F2 of the ferrule F is in contact with the lower surface 28 (see FIG. 7) of the groove portion 22. Direction (hereinafter referred to as “forward direction”) or a direction in which the rear end F3 of the ferrule F is in contact with the lower surface 28 (see FIG. 7) of the groove 22 (hereinafter referred to as “reverse direction”). Can be determined.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the first cylinder 31 is an air cylinder, for example, and is located behind the ferrule moving unit 26. The first cylinder 31 is attached to an attachment plate 33 that is located behind the housing portion 21 and is movable in the front-rear direction L2. The movable part of the first cylinder 31 is connected to the rear end of the ferrule moving part 26 via a connecting member 34. The first cylinder 31 is moved by moving air from an air source (not shown) to slide the ferrule moving unit 26 forward.

  The second cylinder 32 is an air cylinder, for example, like the first cylinder 31, and is attached to the support plate 15. The movable part of the second cylinder 32 is connected to the mounting plate 33. In the second cylinder 32, the movable portion is moved when air is supplied from an air source (not shown), and the ferrule moving portion 26 is slid back together with the mounting plate 33 and the first cylinder 31.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 7 and illustrates a state where the ferrule moving unit 26 is slid forward.
As shown in FIG. 9, the first cylinder 31 (see FIG. 6) slides the ferrule moving unit 26 forward when the direction determining unit 29 determines that the direction of the ferrule F is the reverse direction. Then, the ferrule F in the holding part 26a is moved from the measurement position to a position corresponding to the first carry-out port 24. As a result, the ferrule F can be discharged from the first carry-out port 24 in a state where the front end portion F2 faces the downstream side in the transport direction.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 7 and illustrates a state in which the ferrule moving unit 26 slides backward.
As shown in FIG. 10, the second cylinder 32 (see FIG. 6) slides the ferrule moving unit 26 backward when the direction determining unit 29 determines that the direction of the ferrule F is the forward direction. Then, the ferrule F in the holding part 26a is moved from the measurement position to a position corresponding to the second carry-out port 25. Thereby, the ferrule F can be discharged from the second carry-out port 25 in a state where the tip end portion F2 faces the downstream side in the transport direction.

  As described above, the ferrule moving unit 26 holds the ferrule F by the holding unit 26a, and causes the first cylinder 31 and the second cylinder 32 to move the ferrule F to the first carry-out port 24 according to the determination result of the direction determining unit 29. And moved to one of the second carry-out port 25. Therefore, the ferrule F is always conveyed with the front end portion F2 facing the downstream side in the conveying direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the merging block 17 includes a first introduction port 17a and a second introduction port 17b that open upward, and a discharge port 17c that opens downward.
The first introduction port 17a, the second introduction port 17b, and the discharge port 17c communicate with each other inside the junction block 17.
The ferrule F carried out from the first carry-out port 24 of the direction control device 20 is introduced into the first introduction port 17a through the first carry tube 201 described later.
The ferrule F carried out from the second carry-out port 25 of the direction control device 20 is introduced into the second introduction port 17b through the second carry tube 202 described later.
From the discharge port 17 c, the ferrule F introduced from the first introduction port 17 a or the second introduction port 17 b is discharged through the inside of the merge block 17.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the standby mechanism 80.
FIG. 12 is an explanatory view schematically showing a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 11, and FIG. 12 (a) shows a state in which the movement of the ferrule F is regulated. FIG. 12B illustrates a state in which the restriction on the movement of the ferrule F is released.
As shown in FIG. 1, the standby mechanism 80 is on the transport path 200 between the start point P1 and the end point P2, and includes a merge block 17 and a receiving unit 161 that the transport arm 160 can receive the ferrule F. The ferrule F is placed in a standby state in order to supply the ferrule F to the receiving unit 161 at a predetermined timing.
As shown in FIG. 12, the standby mechanism 80 includes a storage portion 82, a regulation wall 84, and a pushing member 86.

  The storage portion 82 is a block-like member provided with a through hole 82a along the front-rear direction L2, and can be moved along the up-down direction L1 by an air cylinder, a motor, or the like (not shown). The ferrule F discharged from the merge block 17 can be stored in the through hole 82a.

  The regulation wall 84 is provided on the downstream side of the storage portion 82 in the transport direction so as to be movable relative to the storage portion 82 along the vertical direction L1. The side exit is opened and closed. In this embodiment, the through-hole 82a of the storage part 82 can be opened and closed by the restriction wall 84 by moving the storage part 82 along the vertical direction L1 in a state where the restriction wall 84 is fixed. As shown in FIG. 12 (a), the restriction wall 84 closes the outlet of the through hole 82a when the storage portion 82 is positioned above and receives the ferrule F discharged from the merge block 17 (see FIG. 11). Therefore, the movement of the ferrule F is regulated. Further, as shown in FIG. 12B, the restriction wall 84 releases the outlet of the through hole 82a when the storage portion 82 moves downward and discharges the ferrule F to the receiving portion 161 (see FIG. 1). Therefore, the restriction on the movement of the ferrule F is released.

The pusher member 86 extends along the front-rear direction L2 upstream of the storage unit 82 in the transport direction, and is provided so as to be movable along the front-rear direction L2 by, for example, an air cylinder 87 (see FIG. 11). Yes.
After the outlet of the through-hole 82a is opened by the downward movement of the storage portion 82, the push-out member 86 extends from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction along the front-rear direction L2 (from the left side to the right side in FIG. 12B). Slide toward (). The pushing member 86 releases the restriction of the movement of the ferrule F by pushing the ferrule F out of the storage portion 82 with the tip 86a contacting the rear end F3 of the ferrule F.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the conveyance path 200 includes a discharge tube 14 that connects the discharge port 13 of the container 10 and the carry-in port 23 of the direction control device 20, the first carry-out port 24 of the direction control device 20, and a merge block. 17, the first conveyance tube 201 that communicates with the first introduction port 17 a, the second conveyance tube 202 that communicates between the second carry-out port 25 of the direction control device 20 and the second introduction port 17 b of the merging block 17, And a third transfer tube 203 communicating with the discharge port 17c of the block 17 and the through hole 82a of the storage portion 82 of the standby mechanism 80.

  The discharge tube 14, the first transfer tube 201, the second transfer tube 202, and the third transfer tube 203 constituting the transfer path 200 are arranged downstream from the upstream side in the transfer direction by, for example, air blowing or suction by an unillustrated air pump. Air is flowing to the side. Thereby, the ferrule F can move from the upstream side toward the downstream side along the transport path 200.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transfer arm 160 includes a receiving unit 161 that receives the ferrule F from the standby mechanism 80, a support base 51, and a collection end 41a of the collection shooter 41 that is the end point P2 of the conveyance path 200. Is a long arm extending along the left-right direction L3. The transfer arm 160 is formed with a first holding portion (not shown) that holds the ferrule F at a position corresponding to the receiving portion 161, and at the same time, that holds the ferrule F at a position corresponding to the support base 51. A second holding part is formed.

  The ferrule F is transported to the receiving portion 161 after the tip end portion F2 is directed downstream by the direction control device 20, and then transported from the receiving portion 161 to the support base 51 by the transport arm 160 for further support. It is conveyed from the platform 51 to the collection end 41a of the collection shooter 41, which is the end point P2 of the conveyance path 200. Thus, the ferrule F is conveyed from the 1st carrying-out port 24 or the 2nd carrying-out port 25 of the direction control apparatus 20 to the support stand 51 in the state in which the front-end | tip part F2 faced the downstream side. Therefore, when the ferrule F is supported on the support base 51, the front end F2 always faces the light unit 52 and the rear end F3 always faces the imaging means 50. The concentricity can be measured by imaging F from the same direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 7 includes a recording medium 7 a in addition to a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), various interfaces, and the like (not shown). The CPU executes the various programs recorded on the recording medium as appropriate, thereby comprehensively controlling each of the above-described devices to carry the ferrule F, measure the concentricity, perform classification work, and the like.

In particular, as for an example of the operation of the ferrule transport device 3, the control unit 7 reads out and executes a ferrule transport program stored in the recording medium 7a, for example. The moving process is executed.
The ferrule conveyance program in the present embodiment conveys the ferrule F from the discharge port 13 of the container 10 that is the starting point P1 of the conveyance path 200 to the collection end 41a of the collection shooter 41 that is the end point P2 of the conveyance path 200. When the direction control device 20 determines the direction of the ferrule F, the ferrule F is discharged from either the first carry-out port 24 or the second carry-out port 25 of the direction control device 20 according to the determination result, and the ferrule It is a program for executing the process of transporting the ferrule F so that the front end portion F2 of the F faces the downstream side in the transport direction. The ferrule transport program is recorded on the computer-readable recording medium 7a.

The “computer-readable recording medium” refers to a portable medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, or a semiconductor memory, and a drive device (for example, a CD-ROM drive device) or an interface. (For example, a USB interface).
The “computer-readable recording medium” is not limited to the above-described portable medium, and is a storage unit such as a hard disk built in a computer system (including an OS and hardware such as peripheral devices). Also good.
Furthermore, a “computer-readable recording medium” dynamically holds a program for a short time, like a communication line when transmitting a program via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. It is also possible to include one that holds a program for a certain time, such as a volatile memory inside a computer system that becomes a server or client in that case.

  Further, the control unit 7 of the present embodiment measures the concentricity based on the captured image of the ferrule F sent from the image sensor 56, and further determines the quality of the ferrule F based on the measurement result from A rank to E rank. A quality discriminating unit 7b for discriminating into five levels is provided. Then, the control unit 7 controls the ferrule collection device 5 so that the storage box 40 corresponding to the determined quality rank is positioned directly below the collection shooter 41. As a result, the ferrule F is stored in the storage box 40 corresponding to the quality rank.

(Function)
Then, the effect | action of the ferrule concentricity measuring apparatus 1 comprised as mentioned above is demonstrated. Hereinafter, the direction control device will be described in particular while explaining the overall flow until the ferrule F accommodated in the container 10 is classified for each quality rank and stored in the storage box 40 according to the quality rank. 20 will be described in detail. In addition, when there is no description in particular about the code | symbol of each member in the following description, please refer to FIGS.

First, the operator puts a plurality of ferrules F into the housing 10 and covers the housing 10 with a lid (not shown) for dust prevention. At this time, the inserted ferrules F are gathered in a state of being offset toward the lowermost point side of the container 10 inclined with respect to the upper surface of the base base 6, and one of them is stored in the storage recess 12a. Is done.
Next, the operator operates the control unit 7. Thereby, the control part 7 starts the operation | movement of each apparatus based on the various programs recorded on the recording medium 7a.

The control unit 7 rotates the rotating plate 12 of the container 10 of the ferrule supply device 2. Thereby, the ferrule F is accommodated in the accommodation recessed part 12a, and moves upwards.
Next, the ferrule F is sequentially sent out in a vertical orientation to the discharge tube 14 through the discharge port 13.
Next, the ferrule F moves downward through the discharge tube 14 and is introduced into the holding unit 26 a of the ferrule moving unit 26 through the carry-in port 23 of the direction control device 20. At this time, since the holding part 26a is formed along the vertical direction L1, the ferrule F enters the holding part 26a by its own weight. The ferrule F is held in the holding portion 26a in a state where the front end portion F2 or the rear end portion F3 is in contact with the lower surface 28 of the groove portion 22 of the housing portion 21. In the example illustrated in FIG. 7, the ferrule F is held in a state where the tip end portion F <b> 2 is in contact with the lower surface 28.

Next, the control unit 7 performs a direction determination step of determining the direction of the ferrule F by the direction determination unit 29 of the direction control device 20.
In the direction determination step, the light amount sensor 29a irradiates the detection light K1 toward the end portion of the ferrule F and detects the light amount of the reflected light K2 from the end portion. And the direction determination part 29 determines whether the direction of the ferrule F is a forward direction, or a reverse direction based on the light quantity of the reflected light K2.

Next, the control unit 7 performs a ferrule movement process.
In the ferrule moving step, the ferrule F is held in either the first carry-out port 24 or the second carry-out port 25 according to the determination result in the direction determining step while holding the ferrule F by the holding unit 26a of the ferrule moving unit 26. Move.

  As a result of the direction determination of the ferrule F by the direction determination step, when the direction of the ferrule F is the reverse direction, the ferrule moving unit 26 is slid forward, from the measurement position to the first carry-out port 24 opened upward, The ferrule F in the holding part 26a is moved (see FIG. 9). Thereby, the ferrule F is discharged | emitted from the 1st carrying-out port 24 in the state in which the front-end | tip part F2 faced the downstream of the conveyance direction. Thereafter, the ferrule F is introduced into the merge block 17 from the first introduction port 17 a of the merge block 17 through the first transport tube 201.

  Further, as a result of the direction determination of the ferrule F by the direction determination step, when the direction of the ferrule F is the forward direction, the ferrule moving unit 26 is slid rearward, and the second carry-out port opened downward from the measurement position The ferrule F in the holding part 26a is moved to 25 (see FIG. 10). Thereby, the ferrule F is discharged | emitted from the 2nd carrying-out exit 25 in the state in which the front-end | tip part F2 faced the downstream of the conveyance direction. Thereafter, the ferrule F is introduced into the joining block 17 from the second introduction port 17 b of the joining block 17 through the second transport tube 202.

  Next, the ferrule F introduced into the merge block 17 is discharged from the discharge port 17 c of the merge block 17 and then into the through hole 82 a formed in the storage portion 82 of the standby mechanism 80 through the third transfer tube 203. be introduced. Here, in the through hole 82 a of the storage portion 82, the outlet on the downstream side in the transport direction is closed by the restriction wall 84. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 12A, the ferrule F is blocked from moving downstream in the transport direction by the transport path 200 being blocked by the restriction wall 84 of the standby mechanism 80.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 12B, the storage portion 82 of the standby mechanism 80 moves downward at a predetermined timing in a state where the ferrule F is stored in the through hole 82a. Thereby, the storage part 82 and the control wall 84 move relatively in the up-down direction L1, and the outlet of the through hole 82a is opened. The “predetermined timing” refers to, for example, a desired timing during which the ferrule F transported before the ferrule F in the storage unit 82 is imaged by the ferrule imaging device 4.

  Next, the pushing member 86 disposed on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the storage portion 82 slides forward. At this time, the front end 86a of the pushing member 86 contacts the rear end F3 of the ferrule F. Accordingly, the ferrule F is pushed out from the through hole 82 a of the storage unit 82 and supplied to the receiving unit 161.

Next, the ferrule F is transported to the support base 51 by the first holding portion of the transport arm 160 and is bridged in the groove portions 75 of the support bases 51A and 51B. Thereby, supply of the ferrule F from the receiving part 161 to the support stand 51 is completed.
When the transfer of the ferrule F to the support base 51 is completed, the transfer arm 160 moves to the receiving unit 161 side and temporarily stands by at the original position. As a result, the second holding portion of the transfer arm 160 returns to the receiving portion 161 again, and prepares for the supply of the next other ferrule F. In addition, about the 2nd holding | maintenance part, it will be in the state waited below rather than the groove part 75 of support stand 51A, 51B.

  When the ferrule F is set on the support base 51, the ferrule imaging device 4 starts imaging the ferrule F and acquires a captured image. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a plurality of captured images of the ferrule F are acquired by the imaging unit 50 while irradiating illumination light from the light unit 52.

Next, when the imaging of the ferrule F is completed, the captured image acquired by the imaging unit 50 is output to the control unit 7.
The quality discriminating unit 7b of the control unit 7 measures the concentricity based on the transmitted captured image, and classifies the ferrule F quality rank into five ranks A rank to E rank based on the measurement result.
The control unit 7 controls the collection shooter 41 so that the discharge end 41b of the collection shooter 41 is positioned directly above the storage box 40 corresponding to the classified quality rank. Thereby, for example, when the quality rank of the ferrule F is C rank, the control unit 7 positions the discharge end 41b of the recovery shooter 41 directly above the third storage box 40C (40) for C rank. Thus, the recovery shooter 41 can be set.

  Further, the ferrule transport device 3 supplies the receiving unit 161 with another ferrule F whose concentricity is measured next to the one ferrule F. Accordingly, the receiving unit 161 is in a state of holding another ferrule F whose concentricity is measured next to the one ferrule F. The other ferrule F is moved from the state in which movement is restricted by the standby mechanism 80 to the receiving unit 161 at a predetermined timing (for example, a desired timing during imaging of one ferrule F). .

  Next, when the imaging of the ferrule F is completed, the transfer arm 160 rises and receives one ferrule F on the support base 51 by the second holding unit, and receives the other ferrule F held by the receiving unit 161 for the first time. Receive at one holding part. Then, the transfer arm 160 moves along the left-right direction L3, positions one ferrule held by the second holding unit above the collection end 41a of the collection shooter 41, and holds it by the first holding unit. Another ferrule F is positioned above the support base 51.

  Next, the transfer arm 160 moves down to deliver the one ferrule F (that is, the ferrule F for which the concentricity measurement has been completed) to the recovery shooter 41 and to another ferrule F (that is, after one ferrule F). The ferrule F) for measuring the concentricity is delivered so as to be stored in the groove portion 75 of the support bases 51A and 51B. In this way, the transfer arm 160 transfers one ferrule F from the support base 51 to the collection shooter 41 located at the end point P2 of the transfer path 200, and simultaneously transfers another ferrule F from the receiving portion 161 to the support base 51. doing.

The ferrule F delivered to the collection end 41a of the collection shooter 41 moves so as to slide down the collection shooter 41 toward the discharge end 41b, and the storage box 40 corresponding to each quality rank waiting directly below. Stored inside.
When the transfer is completed, the transfer arm 160 returns to the original position, and the first holding unit and the second holding unit of the transfer arm 160 return to the positions corresponding to the receiving unit 161 and the support base 51, respectively. Ready to transport the next ferrule F. Thereafter, the above operation is repeated.
The ferrule F concentricity measurement and the classification for each quality rank by the ferrule concentricity measuring device 1 are thus completed.

  According to the present embodiment, since the ferrule moving unit 26 that moves the ferrule F to either the first carry-out port 24 or the second carry-out port 25 according to the determination result of the direction determining unit 29 is provided, the ferrule F The ferrule F can be carried out from either one of the first carry-out port 24 and the second carry-out port 25 in correspondence with the direction. Therefore, the ferrule F can be quickly conveyed in a predetermined direction.

  Moreover, since the holding part 26a of the ferrule moving part 26 is formed along the up-down direction L1, the ferrule F can enter into the holding part by its own weight. Therefore, the ferrule F can be quickly held in the holding portion 26a.

  In addition, since the holding portion 26a is provided between the first carry-out port 24 and the second carry-out port 25 before the ferrule moving unit 26 moves, the first carry-out port 24 and the second carry-out port 25 The ferrule F can be carried out from any one of the first carry-out port 24 and the second carry-out port 25 by moving between them at the shortest distance. Therefore, the ferrule F directed in a predetermined direction can be quickly carried out.

  Moreover, since the ferrule conveyance apparatus 3 of this invention is equipped with the above-mentioned direction control apparatus 20, it directs the ferrule F to a predetermined direction from the discharge port 13 of the container 10 which is the starting point P1 of the conveyance path | route 200. FIG. , And can be conveyed to the collection end 41a of the collection shooter 41 which is the end point P2.

  The standby mechanism 80 has a restriction wall 84 that blocks the transport path 200 and restricts the movement of the ferrule F. The restriction wall 84 opens the transport path 200 at a predetermined timing and restricts the movement of the ferrule F. Therefore, for example, another ferrule F can be transported to the next process at a desired timing while one ferrule F is imaged. Therefore, since the subsequent handling of the ferrule F can be facilitated, the ferrule F can be imaged with high accuracy.

  In addition, the standby mechanism 80 is provided at the downstream side of the through-hole 82a with the storage part 82 that is opened and closed by the restriction wall 84, and on the upstream side of the storage part 82 in the transport direction, and pushes out the ferrule F from the storage part 82. The pushing member 86 can be pushed out of the storage portion 82 by the pushing member 86 and conveyed to the next process. At this time, after the ferrule F is temporarily stored in the storage unit 82, it is pushed out by the pushing member 86 and the ferrule F is set in the next process, so that the ferrule F to be conveyed is set directly in the next process, The positional deviation of the ferrule F in the next process can be suppressed. Therefore, the ferrule F can be imaged with high accuracy.

  Further, according to the ferrule transport method and the ferrule transport program of the present embodiment, the direction determination step for determining the direction of the ferrule F, and the determination of the direction determination step while holding the ferrule F by the holding unit 26a of the ferrule moving unit 26 And a ferrule moving step for moving the ferrule F to one of the first carry-out port 24 and the second carry-out port 25 according to the result. It can be conveyed from P1 to end point P2.

  Further, according to the ferrule transport program of the present embodiment, the computer of the ferrule transport device 3 can execute the direction determination process and the ferrule movement process, so that the ferrule F is quickly directed in a predetermined direction, and the transport path 200 Can be conveyed from the start point P1 to the end point P2.

  Further, according to the recording medium of the present embodiment, the ferrule F can be quickly transported from the start point P1 to the end point P2 in a predetermined direction by being installed on the computer of the ferrule transport device 3, for example. In particular, it can cope with the distribution of programs and the like.

  Thus, according to the ferrule concentricity measuring apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, since the ferrule transport apparatus 3 is provided, the concentricity of the ferrule F can be measured quickly.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
In the embodiment, the ferrule F is described as an example of a work whose direction is controlled by the direction control device 20, but the work is not limited to the ferrule F.

FIG. 13 is a schematic configuration diagram of a standby mechanism 80 according to another embodiment, and FIG. 13A illustrates a state in which the movement of the ferrule F is regulated, and FIG. These show the state where the restriction | limiting of the movement of the ferrule F was cancelled | released. FIGS. 13A and 13B correspond to cross-sectional views taken along line BB in FIG. 11, respectively. Further, the third transfer tube 203 is illustrated by a two-dot chain line.
The standby mechanism 80 provided in the transport path 200 is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 13, the standby mechanism 80 according to another embodiment includes a storage portion 82 that stores a ferrule, and a restriction wall 84 that opens and closes the outlet of the through hole 82 a.
The third transport tube 203 is directly connected to the inlet of the through hole 82a, and air always flows from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction.
The restriction wall 84 is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction L1. Thereby, the exit of the through hole 82a can be opened and closed.

As shown in FIG. 13A, the ferrule F that has been transported through the third transport tube 203 is introduced into the through hole 82 a of the storage portion 82. At this time, air flows through the third transfer tube 203 and the through hole 82a from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transfer direction. For this reason, the movement of the ferrule F is restricted by the restriction wall 84 in a state where the tip end portion F2 is in contact with the restriction wall 84.
The restriction wall 84 moves downward at a predetermined timing (for example, a desired timing during imaging of one ferrule F). Thereby, the regulation wall 84 opens the conveyance path 200 and cancels the regulation of the movement of the ferrule F.
According to the standby mechanism 80 according to another embodiment, since the ferrule F can be transported to the next process at a predetermined timing as in the above-described embodiment, the subsequent handling of the ferrule F should be easy. The ferrule F can be imaged with high accuracy.

Moreover, in the ferrule concentricity measuring apparatus 1 in the above-described embodiment, five storage boxes 40 are provided, and the quality rank of the ferrule F is classified into five stages and then stored in any of the storage boxes 40. In this case, It is not limited to. For example, the quality rank of the ferrule F may be classified into 2 to 4 levels, or may be classified into 6 levels or more. In that case, the storage box 40 may be prepared according to the number of classifications.
Moreover, the ferrule supply device 2, the ferrule transport device 3, the ferrule imaging device 4, the ferrule collection device 5 and the like in the embodiment are examples, and are not limited to the above-described configuration.

  In addition, the direction control device 20 according to the embodiment includes the first cylinder 31 and the second cylinder 32 as air cylinders that move the ferrule moving unit 26. On the other hand, the direction control device 20 may move the ferrule moving unit 26 using, for example, a motor or an electromagnetic actuator.

  In addition, it is possible to appropriately replace the components in the above-described embodiments with known components without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Ferrule concentricity measuring apparatus 3 ... Ferrule conveying apparatus 20 ... Direction control apparatus 24 ... 1st carrying-out port 25 ... 2nd carrying-out port 26 ... Ferrule moving part (work moving part) 26a ... Holding part 29 ... Direction determination part 80 ... Standby mechanism 82 ... Storage part 84 ... Restriction wall 86 ... Extrusion member 200 ... Conveyance path F ... Ferrule ( Workpiece) F2 ... Front end F3 ... Rear end P1 ... Start point (first point) P2 ... End point (second point)

Claims (10)

A direction determining unit that determines the direction of a workpiece having a front end and a rear end;
A workpiece moving unit that moves the workpiece to either the first carry-out port or the second carry-out port according to the determination result of the direction determination unit while holding the work by the holding unit;
A direction control device comprising: The direction control device according to claim 1,
The said control part is formed so that the vertical up-down direction may be followed, The direction control apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The direction control device according to claim 1 or 2,
The first carry-out port and the second carry-out port are arranged side by side in the movement direction of the workpiece moving unit,
The direction control device according to claim 1, wherein the holding unit is provided between the first carry-out port and the second carry-out port before the workpiece moving unit moves. Comprising the direction control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The work is a ferrule,
A ferrule transporting device for transporting the ferrule from a first point to a second point. It is a ferrule conveyance apparatus of Claim 4, Comprising:
The transport route between the first point and the second point is provided with a standby mechanism that waits for the ferrule being transported,
The standby mechanism has a regulation wall that blocks the transport path and regulates the movement of the ferrule,
The ferrule transport device according to claim 1, wherein the restriction wall opens the transport path at a predetermined timing and cancels the restriction of movement of the ferrule. It is a ferrule conveyance apparatus of Claim 5, Comprising:
The standby mechanism is
A storage unit that stores the ferrule that is on standby, and is configured to be movable relative to the restriction wall, and a downstream outlet in the transport direction of the ferrule is opened and closed by the restriction wall;
An extrusion member provided upstream of the storage unit in the transport direction, and pushes out the ferrule from the storage unit;
With
The pushing member releases the restriction of the movement of the ferrule by pushing the ferrule out of the storage part after the outlet on the downstream side is opened by the relative movement of the restriction wall and the storage part. A ferrule conveying device characterized by the above.   A ferrule concentricity measuring device comprising the ferrule transport device according to any one of claims 4 to 6. A ferrule transport method using the ferrule transport device according to any one of claims 4 to 6,
A direction determining step for determining the direction of the ferrule;
A ferrule moving step of moving the ferrule to one of the first carry-out port and the second carry-out port according to the determination result of the direction determining step while holding the ferrule by the holding unit of the work moving unit. When,
A ferrule conveying method characterized by comprising: A computer of the ferrule conveyance device according to any one of claims 4 to 6,
A direction determining step for determining the direction of the ferrule;
A ferrule moving step of moving the ferrule to one of the first carry-out port and the second carry-out port according to the determination result of the direction determining step while holding the ferrule by the holding unit of the work moving unit. When,
The ferrule conveyance program characterized by performing this.   A recording medium in which the ferrule conveyance program according to claim 9 is recorded.

Images