JP2560525B2 - Magazine stocker - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application] The present invention supplies an actual magazine in which an IC device is housed in an IC handler for testing and measuring an IC device (integrated circuit element), and The present invention relates to a magazine stocker provided for collecting empty magazines that have been dispensed.

[Prior Art] An IC handler has a loader unit for supplying an IC device, positions the IC device supplied from the loader unit at a predetermined position, mounts the IC device on an IC tester, and performs test measurement. After that, the IC device after the test measurement is sent to the unloader section, and predetermined classification is performed based on the test result. A magazine is used to mount the IC device on the rotor unit and take it out from the unloader unit. This magazine generally contains one IC device.
It can be stored in line.

Moreover, in order to efficiently perform each work of the rotor and the unloader, a large number of magazines are set in the magazine post, and for example, in the loader section, the IC devices are stored in the respective magazines, and the IC devices are loaded from the magazines. The magazines are taken out one by one, and the empty magazines are ejected from the magazine posts to move new magazines to the take-out position. On the other hand, in the unloader section, an empty magazine is set, IC devices are sequentially stored in this empty magazine, and when a predetermined number of IC devices are stored, this magazine is taken out and a new empty device is stored. The magazine is sent to the device compartment.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional technique, an actual magazine containing an IC device is stored in the magazine post of the rotor section, and an empty magazine is stored in the magazine post of the unloader section. There is a drawback in that the work must be mounted one by one, which makes the work extremely complicated. Also, in the loader section, empty magazines after the IC devices have been dispensed are randomly stored in the empty magazine storage section, so the work of organizing the magazines in this empty magazine storage section is extremely troublesome. There are also drawbacks.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to enable common use as a loader section and an unloader section, and to automatically supply an actual magazine and recover an empty magazine. Is to

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a pair of posts provided at a predetermined interval, and a magazine inserted or inserted between the posts from above to supply or recover a magazine. And a magazine cassette for carrying out, the magazine cassette has a pair of front and rear guide frames that can be inserted and removed along the pair of posts, and a magazine in which an IC device is stored is provided between both guide frames. A magazine accommodating space for accommodating in a stacked state is formed, and an opening is formed in the lower part of both guide frames, and a wall part that constitutes each opening provided in each of the guide frames is pivotally supported by a shaft. And an operating position in which the lowermost magazine is locked by protruding into the magazine accommodation space,
A locking claw displaceable between a retracted position that rotates upward from the operating position and retracts from the magazine housing space, and a biasing unit that constantly biases the locking claw in a direction that rotates downward. When,
In order to hold the locking claw in the operating position and to displace it to the retracted position when a force is applied to push the locking claw from below, the lever and the stopper pin that come into contact with the locking claw are used. A stopper mechanism that is vertically displaceable by a cylinder and that protrudes from the posts into the opening of the guide frame. A structure in which finger pieces that engage with the pushing member and displace the locking claw from the operating position to the retracted position when the moving member is pushed up are arranged so as to be located above the pushing member. The feature is that.

[Operation] Posts having the same structure are installed in the loader section and the unloader section. A magazine cassette accommodating an actual magazine is attached to the post on the rotor unit side, but in order to simply collect the empty magazine that has been supplied, a similar post is provided in the collecting unit of the empty magazine, A magazine cassette that does not contain a magazine is installed in the collection unit. Here, the magazine cassette can be mounted from above the post, and when taking out the magazine cassette, it can be pulled up above the post.

Since the locking claw attached to the guide frame is held in the operating position by the stopper mechanism, the magazine does not drop even when the magazine is accommodated in the magazine cassette. With the magazine cassette attached to the post, by displacing the locking claw from the operating position to the retracted position,
It is possible to supply and collect magazines. When the magazine is supplied, the pushing member operated by the cylinder is displaced upward and the finger piece of the lever is pushed to displace the locking claw to the retracted position against the biasing means. You can Further, when collecting the magazine, it is not necessary to operate the cylinder, and if the magazine is pushed up from below, the locking claw is displaced to the retracted position against the biasing means. Whether you supply a magazine or collect it,
When these operations are completed, the locking claw is displaced to the operating position by the biasing means and the stopper mechanism, so that the magazine can be prevented from falling off.

As described above, since this magazine cassette can perform both operations of supplying and collecting magazines, for example, when the magazine cassette for collecting empty magazines installed in the loader section becomes full, This can be used for supplying an empty magazine in the unloader section. Further, in the unloader section, a magazine accommodating the IC device after the test can be collected in a magazine cassette, and the magazine cassette can be stored or carried into the next step. Further, it is necessary to install a magazine cassette that does not house a magazine in the empty magazine collection and categorized storage unit of the unloader unit in the loader unit. You can reuse the paid out ones.

As described above, it becomes possible to handle the magazine extremely easily and smoothly, and it is possible to fully automate the supply and recovery of the magazine in the IC handler, for example.

Embodiments Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

 First, FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of the entire IC handler.

In the figure, 1 is a loader unit, 2 is a test unit, and 3 is an unloader unit, and a magazine M for accommodating an IC device D is installed in the loader unit 1. Then, the IC device D supplied from the magazine M is sent to the test unit 2 via the tilt chute 10 on the loader side. The test section 2 is provided with a vertical chute 11, and a test head 4a of the IC tester 4 faces the midway position of the vertical chute 11. Therefore, by positioning the IC device D sliding along the vertical chute 11 at a predetermined position and mounting it on the test head 4a,
The test measurement is performed. When this test measurement is completed,
The IC device D is carried out from the test section 2 to the tilt chute 12 in the unloader section 3, is sent toward the classification mechanism 13 via the tilt chute 12, and the classification mechanism 13 performs classification based on the test result. The magazine M is installed in the unloader unit 3 again.

As shown in FIG. 2, the loader unit 1 described above is provided with a magazine stocker 20 for accommodating a large number of magazines M in a stacked state. The magazine stocker 20 has a pair of front and rear posts 21 and a magazine cassette 30, and this post 21 is made of a member having a U-shaped cross section, and a cutout portion 21a that allows passage of the magazine M is provided at the lower end portion thereof. ing. Further, the unloader unit 3 is also provided with a magazine stocker having the same configuration.

Here, the magazine M is not directly mounted on the post 21 of the magazine stocker 20, but the magazine cassette 30
Is attached. The magazine cassettes 30 are provided so as to be separated from each other by the length dimension of the magazine M, and as shown by an arrow in FIG. 2, a pair of front and rear guide frames 31, 31 that can be inserted into the post 21 from above. And a connecting plate 32 for connecting the guide frames 31, 31 to each other. The guide frames 31, 31 are fitted into the posts 21, 21 of the magazine stocker 20, respectively. Further, the connecting plate 32 is formed with a through hole 32a for gripping.

A magazine accommodation space 33 for accommodating the magazine M is formed between the guide frames 31, 31. Also, on both guide frames 31,
As is clear from FIG. 3, an opening 34 is formed in the end wall 31a near the lower end thereof. A locking claw 35 for preventing the magazine M from falling downward is attached to a wall part of the opening 34.
Is pivotally fixed to the shaft 36 and is vertically rotatable around the pivot point.

Here, the locking claw 35 has a locking projection 35a that projects inward from the end wall 31a of the guide frame 31, and upper and lower portions of the locking projection 35a are provided to smoothly slide the magazine M. , Is almost arcuate. By projecting the locking claw 35 from the inner surface of the guide frame 31, when the magazine M is accommodated in the magazine accommodation space 33 along the guide frame 31, the magazine M is prevented from dropping downward. Will be able to prevent.

Thus, the locking claw 35 is always the locking projection.
35a is held in an operating position where it projects into the magazine housing space 33. For this reason, a spring 37 as an urging means acts on the engaging pawl 35, and the spring 37 urges the engaging pawl 35 in a direction to rotate downward. Then, the engaging claw 35 is provided with an engaging finger piece 35b, and the engaging finger piece 35b abuts the stopper lever 38. here,
The lever 38 is formed by an L-shaped member, and one finger piece 38a thereof engages with the engaging finger piece 35a of the locking claw 35 and abuts on the stopper pin 39. Also, the other finger
38b extends in a substantially horizontal direction from the guide frame 31 toward the post 21 in a non-projecting state.
35 is held in an operating position where the locking projection 35a faces the magazine housing space 33. Therefore, the finger piece 38 of the lever 38
The a and the stopper pin 39 constitute a stopper mechanism that holds the locking claw 35 in the operating position.

The magazine cassette 30 can accommodate the magazine M in the magazine accommodation space 33 from below. That is, when the magazine M is pushed up from below, the locking claw 35 pivots upward against the spring 37, retracts from the magazine housing space 33, and the magazine M can be passed.

Further, a cylinder 40 is attached to the post 21 so that the magazine M stored in the magazine storage space 33 of the magazine cassette 30 can be taken out. This cylinder
The piston rod 40a in 40 is extended downward, and a pushing member 41 is attached to the tip of the piston rod 40a. Then, the pushing member 41 is connected to the lever 38.
Is arranged below the other finger piece 38b. Therefore, when the cylinder 40 is operated in the direction in which the piston rod 40a of the cylinder 40 is contracted, the pushing member 41 moves the lever 38
When the finger piece 38b is pushed up, the finger piece 38a is rotationally displaced in a direction away from the stopper pin 39, the locking claw 35 is rotated upward, and is housed in the magazine housing space 33. The magazine M can be taken out.

Thus, the magazine cassette 30 is provided with members that hold the magazine M and that can supply and recover the magazine M. All of these members are the ends of the guide frames 31 near the lower ends thereof. When the magazine cassette 30 is not attached to the wall 31a and the magazine cassette 30 is attached to the post 21, the pushing member 41 enters the opening 34 of the guide frame 31, but when the magazine cassette 30 is inserted into the post 21. In addition, the pushing member 41 does not interfere with the member on the magazine cassette 30 side.

The present embodiment is configured as described above, and when the loading mechanism in the IC handler is performed next,
This will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the loading mechanism is composed of a magazine supply section S for supplying a magazine M, a device removal section L and an empty magazine collection section R. Further, the magazine supply unit S is equipped with a magazine receiving stand 50 as a magazine separating mechanism, and the magazine receiving stand 50 can be moved up and down by a cylinder 51. Further, a magazine transport table 52 for transporting the magazine M from the magazine supply unit S to the device removal unit L and from the device removal unit L to the empty magazine collection unit R is provided. Furthermore, the empty magazine collecting unit R is provided with a magazine receiving table 53, and the magazine receiving table 53 is driven to move up and down by a cylinder 54.

Therefore, the magazine M in which the IC device D is stored is stored in the magazine storage space 33 in a state in which the magazine M is stacked in multiple stages on the magazine cassette 30.
30 is installed in the magazine supply section S. Further, an empty magazine cassette 30 that does not house the magazine R is installed in the empty magazine collecting section R on the other side across the device ejecting section L from the magazine supply section S. Here, the magazine cassette 30 can be easily mounted by inserting the guide frames 31, 31 between the posts 21, 21 from above.

From this state, in order to separate and take out one magazine M of the magazine cassette 30 installed in the magazine supply section S, the cylinder 51 is operated and the magazine receiving unit is operated as shown in FIG. 4 (a). The table 50 is lifted to a position lower than the lowermost magazine M in the magazine cassette 30 by the height of one magazine. In this state, the cylinder 40 attached to the post 21 in the magazine stocker 20 is operated to push up the pushing member 41. The finger piece 38b of the lever 38 is located above the pushing member 41, and therefore the pushing member 41 causes the finger piece 38b to rotate upward. The locking claw 35 engaged with 38a is rotated upward. As a result, the locking projection 35a of the locking claw 35
Will enter the inside of the end wall 31a of the guide frame 31,
The locking claw 35 is displaced to the retracted position. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4B, the magazine M in the magazine housing space 33 of the magazine cassette 30 is lowered as a whole, and the lowermost magazine M is transferred onto the magazine receiving table 50. When the pushing portion 41 is lowered in this state, the locking claw 35 rotates against the spring 37 and engages with the magazine one step above the bottommost magazine. After that, when the magazine receiving table 50 is lowered, the lowermost magazine is separated from the others and taken out. Then, as shown in FIG. 7C, the magazine M is transferred onto the magazine transport table 52 at the middle position of the downward stroke of the magazine receiving table 50. In short, the magazine M can be supplied by raising and lowering the magazine cradle 50 and reciprocating the cylinder 40.

Therefore, the magazine carrier 52 is moved in the horizontal direction and fed into the device ejecting section L as shown in FIG. 4 (d). The device ejecting section L is provided with a mechanism for tilting the magazine. The magazine tilting mechanism tilts the magazine M, and the devices D housed therein are sequentially ejected, so that the device on the loader side is ejected. It is sent to the tilt chute 10.

When all the devices D in the magazine M are discharged in this way, the magazine M returns to the horizontal state and is returned to the magazine carrier 52. So, this magazine carrier
52 is moved to the magazine collecting section R. Since the magazine collecting section R is provided with the magazine receiving table 53, when the magazine receiving table 53 is raised by the cylinder 54, the empty magazine M is transferred from the magazine conveying table 52 to the magazine receiving table 53.
Will be supported by. Furthermore, this magazine cradle 53
As shown in FIG. 4 (e), when the magazine M supported by the magazine M is raised, the locking projection 35a of the locking claw 35 of the magazine cassette 30 installed in the magazine recovery unit R is moved upward. And is introduced into the magazine housing space 33 of the magazine cassette 30. When this magazine M is pushed upward by a predetermined amount,
By the action of the spring 37, the locking claw 35 returns to a state in which the locking projection 35a projects from the end wall 31a of the guide frame 31. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4 (f), when the magazine receiving table 53 is lowered, the magazine M is retained in the magazine accommodation space 33. Therefore, at the time of collecting the magazine M, the magazine M can be accommodated in the magazine cassette 30 by an extremely simple operation of raising and lowering the magazine receiving table 53.

By repeating the above operation, the loading operation of the IC device D is performed. Then, the magazines M that have become empty after the IC devices D have been dispensed are sequentially magazine cassettes.
Recovered within 30.

On the other hand, in the unload mechanism, a classification storage unit and an empty magazine are provided in each of the classification storage units for the magazine M.
An empty magazine carry-in section is provided for supplying the. A magazine cassette 30 that does not house a magazine is installed in the classification storage unit, and a magazine cassette 30 that stores an empty magazine is installed in the empty magazine carry-in unit.

Therefore, the empty magazine carry-in section is provided with a mechanism for separating and taking out the empty magazines M one by one from the magazine cassette 30 installed therein, and the classification storage section is provided with a mechanism for accommodating the magazines M. ing. The specific configuration of each of these mechanisms is the same as that already described in the load mechanism.

In this empty magazine carry-in section, the magazine cassette 30 accommodating the empty magazine M collected by the loading mechanism may be mounted. Further, a magazine cassette 30 to which the magazine M has been dispensed by the magazine supply section of the loader mechanism may be mounted in the classified storage section. Further, the magazine cassette 30 in which the magazine M accommodating the test-measured IC devices D is accommodated can be taken out from the classified compartment and brought to the next step as it is, or stored in a predetermined place. it can.

[Effects of the Invention] Since the present invention is configured as described above, the magazine cassette can be installed by inserting it from above into the post, so that the magazine cassette can be easily attached to and detached from the post, and The magazine housed in is held by the locking claws without falling off, and by operating the cylinder, the locking claws can be retracted and the magazines stored in the magazine cassette can be supplied one by one. Also when you push up the magazine from below,
Since the locking claw can be displaced to the retracted position, it can be installed in the loader section and the unloader section, and this magazine cassette can perform both functions of separating and taking out magazines and accommodating magazines. The handling is extremely easy, and various effects such as automating each work of loading and unloading the magazine are exhibited.

[Brief description of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a schematic structure of an IC handler, FIG. 2 is an external view showing the structure of a magazine stocker, FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a main part of a magazine cassette, and FIG. 4 shows a loading mechanism. (B), (c), (d), (e) and (f) are operation explanatory views showing different operations. 1: loader part, 2: test part, 3: unloader part, 4: IC tester, 20: magazine stocker, 21: post, 30: magazine cassette, 31: guide frame, 32: connecting plate, 33: magazine accommodation space, 34: opening, 35: locking claw, 35a: locking projection, 35b: engaging finger, 36: shaft, 37: spring, 38: lever, 40: cylinder, 41: pushing member.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A pair of posts provided at a predetermined interval, and a magazine cassette inserted between the posts from above for supplying or recovering a magazine, wherein the magazine cassette comprises: It has a pair of front and rear guide frames that can be inserted into and removed from a pair of posts, and between the two guide frames, a magazine storage space for storing the magazines for storing IC devices in a stacked state is formed. An opening is formed in a lower portion, and a wall portion constituting each opening provided in each of the guide frames is pivotally supported by a shaft and protrudes into the magazine accommodating space to engage a lowermost magazine. A locking claw displaceable between an operating position for stopping and a retracting position for rotating upward from the operating position and retracting from the magazine accommodating space, and a direction in which the locking claw is always rotated downward. Urge to urge Means for holding the locking claw at the operating position and contacting the locking claw in order to displace the locking claw to the retracted position when a force is applied to push the locking claw from below; A stopper mechanism composed of a stopper pin is mounted, and a pushing member that is vertically displaceable by a cylinder and that protrudes into the opening of the guide frame from the posts is provided on both posts, and the lever is attached to the lever. , A finger piece that engages with the pushing member when the pushing member is pushed up and displaces the locking claw from the operating position to the retracted position so that the finger piece is located above the pushing member. A magazine stocker characterized by being installed.