JP6057746B2 - Ferrule transport device, ferrule classification device, ferrule transport method, ferrule transport program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a ferrule transport device, a ferrule classification device, a ferrule transport method, a ferrule transport program, and a recording medium.

  Conventionally, ferrules have been used as members for connecting optical fibers while accurately aligning the end faces of the cores of the optical fibers. This ferrule is a cylindrical member in which a through hole is formed along its central axis, and is mounted on, 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 surfaces of the core wires, high accuracy is required such as the roundness of the ferrule and the coaxiality (concentricity) of the inner diameter with respect to the outer diameter of the ferrule. Has been.

  Therefore, in general, after manufacturing a ferrule, each of the ferrules is subjected to external dimension measurement, coaxiality measurement, and the like, and is classified according to quality judgment and finished accuracy (level division). Yes. In particular, the coaxiality of the ferrule affects the optical characteristics of the optical fiber and determines the performance as an optical fiber connector. Therefore, the coaxiality measurement is an important task.

Conventionally, a device described in Patent Document 1 below is known as a device for measuring the coaxiality of a ferrule.
According to this apparatus, the ferrule can be transported on the measuring table for measuring the coaxiality using the arm having a plurality of suction portions, and the ferrule whose coaxiality measurement has been completed can be transported from the measuring table. It is possible to measure the coaxiality while exchanging the ferrule. Therefore, the coaxiality measurement of the ferrules manufactured in large quantities can be performed efficiently.

JP-A-10-11124

  By the way, in order to measure the coaxiality, 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 coaxiality is measured based on the captured image in which the through hole is reflected.

However, depending on the type of ferrule, 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 face side or the other end face side is better. There is a case. Therefore, in this case, it is required to transport the ferrule to the measuring table with the same direction.
In this regard, the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 cannot cope with such a request.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a ferrule transport device that can transport the ferrule while aligning the direction of the ferrule in the same direction while transporting the ferrule. It is.
Furthermore, it is to provide a ferrule classification device, a ferrule transport method, a ferrule transport program, and a recording medium on which the program is recorded.

The present invention provides the following means in order to solve the above problems.
(1) A ferrule transport device according to the present invention extends from a first point to a second point, a transport path for transporting a ferrule supplied to the first point to the second point, the first point, Posture adjustment that is provided on the conveyance path between the second point and that determines the direction of the ferrule during conveyance and adjusts the direction of the ferrule according to the determination result to align it with a predetermined direction. And a mechanism.

According to the ferrule transport device of the present invention, the posture adjustment mechanism determines the direction of the ferrule while transporting the ferrule supplied to the first point to the second point using the transport path, and the determination result Since the orientation of the ferrule is adjusted according to the ferrule, the ferrule can be transported to the second point in a state in which it is aligned in a predetermined direction every time, regardless of the posture of the ferrule supplied to the first point. it can.
Accordingly, the subsequent handling of the ferrule can be facilitated. For example, the ferrule can be imaged from a predetermined direction.

(2) In the ferrule conveyance device according to the present invention, the conveyance path includes a first conveyance path in which an upstream side in the conveyance direction is disposed at the first point and an opening is formed on the downstream side in the conveyance direction; A second conveyance path disposed so as to be capable of receiving the ferrule from the first conveyance path through the opening and having a downstream side in the conveyance direction disposed at the second point, and the posture adjustment mechanism includes the first conveyance path. A stopper wall that stops the ferrule being transported and is positioned at the opening, a determination mechanism that determines the orientation of the ferrule stopped by the stopper wall, and movement of the ferrule through the opening And a transport resumption mechanism that releases the restriction and transfers the ferrule to the second transport path side to resume transport, the transport restart mechanism comprising: By based on the determination result by the serial determination mechanism is inverted or non-inverting the ferrule, it is preferable to pass the second conveying path while aligning in a predetermined direction of the ferrule.

In this case, when the ferrule is supplied to the first point, the ferrule is transported through the first transport path, temporarily stopped by the stopper wall, and positioned at the portion where the opening is formed. At this time, since the movement through the opening is restricted by the transport restart mechanism, the ferrule is placed in the opening. When the ferrule stops, the discrimination mechanism discriminates the direction of the ferrule. When the determination is finished, the transport resumption mechanism releases the restriction, passes the ferrule to the second transport path side through the opening, and resumes transport. At this time, the transport resumption mechanism performs transfer to the second transport path while aligning the ferrule in a predetermined direction by inverting or not inverting the ferrule based on the determination result by the determination mechanism.
Thereby, a ferrule can be conveyed to a 2nd point in the state arranged in the direction decided beforehand each time. In particular, since the direction is determined while the ferrule is once stopped, the direction can be determined with high accuracy. Further, the direction of the ferrule can be aligned only by a simple operation of passing through the opening to the second transport path side while reversing or non-reversing the ferrule once stopped. Can be increased.

(3) In the ferrule conveyance device according to the present invention, the conveyance resumption mechanism is movable in a direction approaching and separating from the ferrule stopped by the stopper wall, and is disposed at both ends of the ferrule through the opening. A pair of support members that contact each other to support the ferrule, and a control unit that controls the operation of the pair of support members, the control unit according to a determination result by the determination mechanism It is preferable to deliver the ferrule to the second transport path side by separating one of the support members from the ferrule.

In this case, the direction of the ferrule can be aligned with a simple operation in which the control unit moves the pair of support members appropriately.
For example, when the end on the side in contact with the stopper wall is in the desired direction based on the determination result by the determination mechanism, the support member positioned on the end is separated from the ferrule. Accordingly, the ferrule can be transferred to the second transport path without being inverted (non-inverted), and the transport can be resumed in a state where the end on the side that has been in contact faces the downstream in the transport direction.
On the other hand, when the end on the side in contact with the stopper wall is opposite to the desired direction, the support member positioned on the end opposite to the end is separated from the ferrule. Thereby, it can be transferred to the second transport path while reversing the ferrule, and transport can be resumed with the end opposite to the abutting side facing downstream in the transport direction.

  Thus, the direction of the ferrule can be reliably aligned with a simple configuration in which the pair of support members are appropriately moved. In particular, since a simple configuration that only requires a pair of supporting members to reciprocate without requiring a complicated mechanism is required, the configuration can be further simplified and the cost can be easily reduced.

(4) In the ferrule conveyance device according to the present invention, the conveyance resumption mechanism is disposed on the gravity direction side of the ferrule stopped by the stopper wall, is movable in the longitudinal direction of the ferrule, and A support member that contacts the ferrule through the opening and supports the ferrule; and a control unit that controls the operation of the support member, the control unit according to a determination result by the determination mechanism. It is preferable that the ferrule is transferred to the second transport path side by moving a member to one end side of the ferrule.

In this case, the direction of the ferrule can be aligned by a simple operation in which the control unit appropriately moves the support member along the ferrule in the longitudinal direction of the ferrule.
For example, when the end on the side in contact with the stopper wall is in the desired direction based on the determination result by the determination mechanism, the support member is moved to the end opposite to the end. Accordingly, the ferrule can be transferred to the second transport path without being inverted (non-inverted), and the transport can be resumed in a state where the end on the side that has been in contact faces the downstream in the transport direction.
On the other hand, when the end on the side in contact with the stopper wall is opposite to the desired direction, the support member is moved to the end. Thereby, it can be transferred to the second transport path while reversing the ferrule, and transport can be resumed with the end opposite to the abutting side facing downstream in the transport direction.

  Thus, the direction of the ferrule can be reliably aligned with a simple configuration in which the support member is simply moved in the longitudinal direction of the ferrule. In particular, since a simple structure that only reciprocates the support member is required without requiring a complicated mechanism, the structure can be further simplified and the cost can be easily reduced.

(5) In the ferrule conveyance device according to the present invention, the determination mechanism irradiates detection light toward an end surface of the ferrule that is in contact with the stopper wall, and the light is reflected based on the amount of reflected light from the end surface. It is preferable to determine the direction of the ferrule.

  In this case, the direction of the ferrule is determined based on the amount of reflected light from the end face of the ferrule. Particularly, since the difference in the end face shape of the ferrule is likely to appear in the amount of reflected light, the orientation of the ferrule can be easily determined with high accuracy. In addition, since the direction can be determined without contact, the determination operation can be performed quickly and efficiently, and the ferrule is hardly damaged. Accordingly, the conveyance efficiency can be further increased and the quality of the ferrule can be easily maintained.

(6) The ferrule classification device according to the present invention includes the ferrule transport device according to the present invention and a container in which the plurality of ferrules are accommodated, and the ferrules from the container to the first point one by one. A ferrule supply device that sends out, a ferrule imaging device that images the ferrule supplied to a processing point, and after the completion of imaging, collects the ferrule transported from the processing point to a delivery point, and includes a plurality of storage bodies A ferrule collection device that is housed in any one of the housings, wherein the ferrule transport device includes a transport arm that extends along a transport path from the second point to the transfer point through the processing point and the transport point. An arm moving mechanism that moves the arm for movement along the conveyance path, and the ferrule collection device is configured to capture the ferrule. With classifying the ferrule for each of a plurality of quality ranks on the basis of an image captured by device, the ferrule of the same quality rank is characterized in that it accommodated in said same container.

According to the ferrule classification device according to the present invention, when the ferrule supply device sends the ferrules one by one from the container to the first point, the ferrule transport device changes the direction of the ferrule from the first point to the second point. Transport while aligning. Then, the ferrules having the same orientation are transported to the processing point using the transport arm. Then, the ferrule imaging device captures the ferrule and acquires a captured image. At this time, since the directions of the ferrules are aligned in the same direction, a desired captured image can be reliably acquired.
When this imaging is completed, the ferrule transport device transports the ferrule from the processing point to the delivery point, and transports a new ferrule from the second point to the processing point. In this way, ferrule imaging is repeated.
On the other hand, when the ferrule is transported to the delivery / reception point, the ferrule collection device collects the ferrule, and then stores the ferrule while sorting it in a storage body corresponding to the quality rank.

  Thereby, the ferrules classified into the same quality rank are stored one after another in the plurality of storage bodies. As described above, since the plurality of ferrules accommodated in the container can be stored in the container while finally being classified for each quality rank, it is easy to use and can be provided with high added value.

(7) The ferrule transport device according to the present invention is a ferrule transport method using the ferrule transport device according to the present invention, wherein the ferrule supplied to the first point is used by using the transport path. A determining step for determining the orientation of the ferrule during the transporting step for transporting to the second point, and a posture adjusting step for adjusting the orientation of the ferrule in accordance with the determination result of the determining step and aligning it with a predetermined orientation And performing.

  According to the ferrule transport method of the present invention, the same operational effects as those of the ferrule transport device described above can be achieved. In other words, no matter how the ferrule is supplied to the first point, the ferrule can be transported to the second point in a state where it is aligned in a predetermined direction every time. Accordingly, the subsequent handling of the ferrule can be facilitated. For example, the ferrule can be imaged from a predetermined direction.

(8) The ferrule transport program according to the present invention transports the ferrule supplied to the first point to the second point using the transport path to the computer of the ferrule transport device according to the present invention. Performing a determination step of determining the orientation of the ferrule during the transporting step, and an attitude adjustment step of adjusting the orientation of the ferrule according to the determination result of the determination step to align with a predetermined direction. Features.

  According to the ferrule transport program according to the present invention, the computer of the ferrule transport device can surely execute the determination process and the posture adjustment process during the transport process. Transport can be performed.

(9) A recording medium according to the present invention is a computer-readable recording medium, wherein the ferrule transport program according to the present invention is recorded.

  According to the recording medium of the present invention, for example, the ferrule transport described above can be reliably executed by installing it on a computer of the ferrule transport apparatus. In particular, it can cope with the distribution of programs and the like.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it can convey reliably from a 1st point to a 2nd point, aligning the direction of a ferrule in the same direction, utilizing a conveyance path.

It is a figure which shows embodiment of the ferrule classification | category apparatus which concerns on this invention, Comprising: It is the whole simplified block diagram. It is a whole perspective view of the ferrule classification | category apparatus shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing of a ferrule. It is the figure which looked at the inside of the container in the ferrule supply apparatus which comprises the ferrule classification | category apparatus shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of the support stand which comprises the ferrule classification | category apparatus shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing of the ferrule conveyance apparatus which comprises the ferrule classification | category apparatus shown in FIG. It is the side view which looked at the ferrule conveyance apparatus shown in FIG. 6 from the arrow B direction. It is a figure which shows the state which the ferrule contact | abutted and stopped on the stopper wall shown in FIG. 6, (a) shows the state which one end surface side is contacting the stopper wall, (b) shows the other end surface side on the stopper wall. The state which is contacting is shown. It is a figure which shows the state which is conveying the ferrule which contact | abutted to the stopper wall and stopped without reversing to the 2nd conveyance path side through an opening part. It is a figure which shows the state which is conveying the ferrule which contact | abutted and stopped to the stopper wall, reversing to the 2nd conveyance path side through an opening part. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the ferrule conveying apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is the side view which looked at the ferrule conveyance apparatus shown in FIG. 11 from the arrow C direction.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
<Configuration of ferrule classification device>
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ferrule classification device 1 of the present embodiment images a plurality of ferrules F one by one, and performs coaxiality measurement (quality inspection) of the ferrule F based on the captured images. Further, the apparatus stores in the storage box (storage body in the present invention) 40 while classifying by quality rank based on the measurement result, and includes a ferrule supply device 2, a ferrule transport device 3, and a ferrule imaging device 4. , A ferrule collecting device 5, a base stand 6 installed on a floor surface (not shown) on which each of the above devices is installed, and a control unit 7 that comprehensively controls each of the above devices.

[Ferrule]
First, the ferrule F will be briefly described.
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 through-hole F1 is a tapered portion F4 formed in a tapered shape in which a part of one end surface F2 of the ferrule F gradually increases in diameter from the other end surface F3 side toward the one end surface F2 side. .
Therefore, the ferrule F of this embodiment differs in the shape of one end surface F2 and the shape of the other end surface F3. Note that the ferrule imaging device 4 captures the ferrule F from the other end face F3 side to obtain a captured image.

Subsequently, each component of the ferrule classification device 1 described above will be described.
In the present embodiment, the ferrule supply device 2, the ferrule imaging device 4, and the ferrule collection device 5 will be briefly described in order, and then the ferrule transport device 3 will be described in detail.
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the direction perpendicular to the upper surface (horizontal plane) of the base table 6 is the vertical direction L1, and the directions perpendicular to each other on the upper surface of the base table 6 are the front-rear direction L2 and the left and right directions. The direction is L3. Further, in the front-rear direction L2, the opening direction (arrow FW direction) of the container 10 to be described later in the ferrule supply device 2 is the front, and the opposite direction (arrow BA direction) is the rear.

[Ferrule supply device]
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the ferrule supply device 2 includes a container 10 in which a plurality of ferrules F are accommodated, and a device that sends out the ferrules F one by one from the container 10. Has been.
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.

   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 rotates in one direction (arrow direction shown in FIG. 4) in response to a rotational force from a driving source (not shown), and the outer peripheral edge portion is in sliding contact with or close to the peripheral wall portion 10 b of the container 10. It is formed in the diameter of the grade. Further, in the illustrated example, the rotary plate 12 is formed in a tapered cross section whose upper surface is gradually inclined downward so that the thickness gradually decreases toward the outer peripheral edge.

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

   As shown in FIG. 4, 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 F can be sent out one by one from the container 10 through the discharge port 13.

   By the way, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the discharge port 13 is located at the first point P <b> 1 in the ferrule transport device 3, and a discharge tube 14 in the ferrule transport device 3 is connected to the discharge port 13. Yes. Accordingly, the ferrules F are sent out one by one in the vertical orientation through the discharge tube 14.

[Ferrule imaging device]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ferrule imaging device 4 supports the ferrule F in a state where the center axis C of the ferrule F coincides with the imaging unit 50 that images the ferrule F and the optical axis O of the imaging unit 50. And a light unit 52 disposed on the opposite side of the imaging means 50 on the optical axis O across the support base 51 and irradiating the ferrule F with illumination light along the optical axis O. ing.

  The imaging means 50 is disposed along the front-rear direction L2 and has a long lens barrel 55 with the lens tip 55a facing the front side, and an imaging element disposed at the base end of the lens barrel 55. 56.

The lens barrel 55 incorporates a plurality of optical systems (lenses and the like) (not shown) inside, and its optical axis O coincides with the front-rear direction L2. 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. As a result, the ferrule F on the support base 51 can be imaged by the imaging element 56 via the lens barrel 55.
The imaging element 56 is, for example, a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor, and images the ferrule F based on an instruction from the control unit 7 and outputs the captured image to the control unit 7.

The lens barrel 55 is disposed in a state of being spaced upward from the base table 6 by being held by the lens holding member 60.
The lens holding member 60 is erected on a plate-like holding table 62 placed on the upper surface of the base table 6 via an anti-vibration table 61, and a plate-like intermediate table 63 on the holding table 62. The hanging wall block 64 and a holding block 65 which is attached to the upper end portion of the hanging wall block 64 and holds the lens barrel 55 are mainly configured.

  The anti-vibration table 61 is, for example, a rubber plate having a predetermined hardness and damping performance, and a plurality of the vibration-proof tables 61 are disposed between the base table 6 and the holding table 62. The holding block 65 has a C-shaped fixed block 66 attached to the upper end of the vertical wall block 64 and two pressing blocks 67 that hold the lens barrel 55 between the fixed block 66 and the holding block 65. It is equipped with.

The fixed block 66 is positioned at the same height as the lens barrel 55 and extends in the front-rear direction L2 in parallel with the lens barrel 55 in a state of being separated from the lens barrel 55 in the left-right direction L3. An intermediate portion in the direction L2 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. .
On the other hand, the holding block 67 is detachable from the end surfaces at both ends of the fixed block 66 described above, and a semicircular recess corresponding to the outer diameter of the lens barrel 55 is formed on the mounting surface. Yes.

Therefore, by attaching the two pressing blocks 67 to the fixed block 66 by, for example, screwing or the like, the lens barrel 55 can be held between the fixed block 66 and the pressing block 67 and held.
Since the lens barrel 55 is held at two positions spaced in the front-rear direction L2, the lens barrel 55 is held stably without rattling. Further, by removing the two pressing blocks 67 from the fixed block 66, it is possible to remove the lens barrel 55 and perform maintenance or replacement. Further, an image sensor support 68 that supports the image sensor 56 is attached to the fixed block 66.

The support base 51 is disposed at the processing point P3 in the ferrule transport device 3, and specifically, is disposed on the front side of the lens front end portion 55a via a pedestal block 70 erected on the holding base 62. ing.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the support base 51 includes a first support base 51 </ b> A and a second support base 51 </ b> B that face each other with a predetermined gap in the front-rear direction L <b> 2. The first support base 51A and the second support base 51B are plate members formed so that the thickness direction thereof coincides with the front-rear direction L2, and the first support base 51A is located on the lens tip 55a side, The second support base 51B is located on the front side of the first support base 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 V-shaped groove portions 75 are formed on these upper end edges, respectively. The ferrule F can be supported by using both the groove portions 75.

Specifically, in a state where the ferrule F is housed in both the groove portions 75, the ferrule F can be supported so as to be bridged over the first support base 51A and the second support base 51B. Thus, the ferrule F can be supported in a state where the central axis C of the ferrule F is aligned with the front-rear direction L2.
In addition, the height of the first support base 51A and the second support base 51B is such that the optical axis O in the lens barrel 55 and the center axis C of the ferrule F on the support base 51 coincide (see FIG. 1). It has been adjusted.
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.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the light unit 52 includes a light source 80 that emits the illumination light, and is further forward than the second support base 51 </ b> B in the support base 51 via a light support member 85. Arranged on the side. The light unit 52 can irradiate the illumination light emitted from the light source 80 toward the support base 51 side.
At this time, the height is adjusted so that the light unit 52 is positioned at the same height as the optical axis O, and it is possible to irradiate the illumination light to the support base 51 side along the optical axis O.

  The light source 80 is not particularly limited, and for example, an LED or the like can be employed. The illumination light is preferably parallel light, for example, laser light. The light support member 85 is connected to a pedestal block 70 that supports the support base 51.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the ferrule imaging device 4 of the present embodiment is a rotation pressing unit that rotates around the optical axis O while pressing the ferrule F supported on the support base 51 between the support base 51. 120.
The rotation pressing means 120 includes a rotating belt 121 that rotates the ferrule F, a driving pulley 122 and a driven pulley 123 that rotate the rotating belt 121, and a vertically moving plate 124 that can move up and down, and the vertically moving plate 124. A vertical movement cylinder 125 is provided that moves the plate 124 up and down within a predetermined stroke range and presses the rotating belt 121 against the ferrule F on the support base 51 from above.

  The vertical movement plate 124 is formed with a notch 124a for avoiding interference with the lens tip 55a of the lens barrel 55, and the notch 124a opens downward. The vertical movement plate 124 is disposed at a position substantially flush with the lens front end portion 55a in a state where the lens front end portion 55a is disposed in the cutout portion 124a. Therefore, even if the vertical movement plate 124 is moved up and down within a predetermined stroke, interference between the lens tip 55a and the vertical movement plate 124 is avoided.

The driving pulley 122 and the driven pulley 123 are arranged on the front surface of the vertical movement plate 124 on the support base 51 side so as to be aligned in the left-right direction L3 with the notch 124a interposed therebetween. The drive pulley 122 is connected to an output shaft of a drive motor 130 attached to the rear surface of the vertical movement plate 124 on the lens barrel 55 side.
That is, the drive pulley 122 is attached to the vertical movement plate 124 via the drive motor 130 and rotates as the drive motor 130 is driven. The operation of the drive motor 130 is controlled by the control unit 7.

  On the other hand, the driven pulley 123 is located at the same height as the drive pulley 122 and is connected to the front surface of the vertical movement plate 124 via a shaft portion (not shown) and is rotatably supported by the shaft portion. Yes.

The rotating belt 121 is an endless belt, and is wound around the pulleys 122 and 123 so as to be spanned between the driving pulley 122 and the driven pulley 123 with a predetermined tension.
Accordingly, the rotating belt 121 is moved in the left-right direction L3 as the driving pulley 122 rotates, and the ferrule F supported on the support base 51 is rotated around the optical axis O while being accommodated in the groove 75. Is possible.

  The vertical movement cylinder 125 is, for example, an air cylinder, and can move up and down (movable back and forth in the vertical direction L1), supports the movable body 131 movably, and uses the pressure of the supplied air. And a cylinder main body 132 that moves the movable body 131 up and down, and has a thin box shape as a whole.

  The cylinder body 132 is attached to a vertical plate 133 erected on the holding table 62 with the movable body 131 facing forward. In addition, two air supply joints 109 for supplying air of a predetermined pressure are attached to the cylinder body 132, and the pressure of the air supplied from one of these two air supply joints 109 is used. The movable body 131 can be moved up and down.

That is, the movable body 131 is raised by supplying air from one air supply joint 109 into the cylinder body 132, and the movable body 131 is supplied by supplying air from the other air supply joint 109 into the cylinder body 132. Can be lowered.
Note that an air tube (not shown) is connected to the two air supply joints 109, and air is supplied from an air source (not shown) through the air tube.

  The movable body 131 is attached to the rear surface of the vertical movement plate 124. Accordingly, the vertical movement plate 124 can be moved up and down as the movable body 131 moves up and down, and the rotary belt 121 is pressed against the ferrule F on the support base 51 from above, or the rotary belt 121 is moved upward. It can be retracted and separated from the ferrule F.

[Ferrule collection device]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ferrule collection device 5 collects the ferrule F conveyed from the support base 51 located at the processing point P3 to the delivery point P4 by a transfer arm 160 described later, and 5 The device is stored in any one of the storage boxes 40.
The ferrule collection device 5 includes a collection shooter 41, five storage boxes 40, and a box moving mechanism 42 that moves these five storage boxes 40.

   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 shooter 41 is arranged such that the collection end 41a is located at the delivery point P4. As a result, the recovery shooter 41 collects the ferrule F that has been transported to the transfer point P4 by the transport arm 160 at the recovery end 41a, and then slides the ferrule F to the discharge end 41b by using the inclination. It can be transported.

The five storage boxes 40 are bottomed cylindrical containers that open upward, are disposed below the discharge end 41b of the collection shooter 41, and are arranged in a line in the front-rear direction L2.
In the illustrated example, the first storage box 40A (40) in which the A-rank ferrule F having the highest quality is stored, and then the second storage box 40B (in which the B-rank ferrule F having the highest quality is stored) 40), a third storage box 40C (40) in which a C-rank ferrule F having the next highest quality is stored, and a fourth storage box 40D (40) in which a ferrule F having the next highest quality D-rank is stored. 40) Next, a fifth storage box 40E (40) in which the E-rank ferrule F having the next highest quality is stored is disposed in order from the front side to the rear side, for example.

These five storage boxes 40 are 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 driving mechanism (not shown). The drive mechanism can appropriately move the moving body 44 in the front-rear direction L2 based on an instruction from the control unit 7 and arrange any storage box 40 directly below the discharge end 41b of the collection shooter 41. ing.
Thus, the same quality ferrule F can be stored in each storage box 40. The guide rail 43, the moving body 44, and the drive mechanism function as the box moving mechanism 42.

[Ferrule transfer device]
As shown in FIGS. 1, 6, and 7, the ferrule conveying device 3 is arranged at the second point P <b> 2 while aligning the ferrule F sent out from the discharge port 13 of the container 10 in the ferrule supply device 2 in the same direction. A transport path 200 that extends from the discharge port 13 located at the first point P1 to the second point P2 and transports the ferrule F supplied to the discharge port 13 to the second point P2, It is provided on the transport path between the first point P1 and the second point P2, and the direction of the ferrule F being transported is determined, and the direction of the ferrule F is adjusted according to the determination result to be determined in advance. And an attitude adjustment mechanism 201 that aligns the directions.

(Conveyance path)
The transport path 200 includes a first transport path 200A configured by the discharge tube 14 and a connecting pipe 205 connected to a terminal portion of the discharge tube 14, and a ferrule transported through the first transport path 200A. A second transport path 200B that receives F and transports it to the second point P2.

The discharge tube 14 is positioned at the discharge port 13 on the upstream side in the transport direction, and guides the ferrule F supplied through the discharge port 13 to the connecting tube 205. The connecting pipe 205 is disposed in an inclined state with respect to the upper surface of the base base 6, and an opening 205 a that is slightly larger than the outer shape of the ferrule F is formed on a part of the peripheral surface on the downstream side in the transport direction. ing.
As described above, the discharge tube 14 and the connecting tube 205 function as the first transport path 200A.
The second transport path 200B is a discharge shooter whose upstream side in the transport direction is disposed below the opening 205a and whose downstream side in the transport direction is disposed at the second point P2. From the first transport path 200A through the opening 205a, the ferrule F , The ferrule F is finally transported to the second point P2 in a horizontal posture.

(Attitude adjustment mechanism)
The posture adjusting mechanism 201 is provided in the connecting pipe 205 in the first transport path 200A, stops the ferrule F being transported and is positioned at the opening 205a, and the direction of the ferrule F stopped by the stopper wall 210 And the movement of the ferrule F through the opening 205a is restricted, and the restriction is released, and the ferrule F is transferred to the second conveying path 200B side by using gravity to resume conveyance. A transport resumption mechanism 212.

The stopper wall 210 is provided so as to close the connecting pipe 205, and a through hole 210a that is larger than the through hole F1 of the ferrule F and smaller than the outer shape of the ferrule F is formed at the center thereof.
Therefore, when the ferrule F is stopped by the stopper wall 210, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, one end face F2 of the ferrule F that contacts the stopper wall 210 through the through hole 210a or the other end of the ferrule F It is possible to expose a part of the end face F3.

As shown in FIG. 6, the determination mechanism 211 irradiates the detection light K1 toward the end surface (one end surface F2 or the other end surface F3) of the ferrule F that is in contact with the stopper wall 210, and also reflects the reflected light from the end surface. A light amount sensor 211a that detects the amount of light K2, and a direction determination unit 211b that determines the direction of the ferrule F based on the light amount detected by the light amount sensor 211a.
The direction determination unit 211b is incorporated in the control unit 7 described later (see FIG. 2). For example, the direction determination unit 211b compares the preset light amount reference value (threshold value) with the detected light amount. The direction is determined.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 8A, when one end face F2 of the ferrule F comes into contact with the stopper wall 210, the tapered portion F4 is exposed through the through hole 210a. Therefore, the detection light K1 is not efficiently reflected. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the other end face F3 of the ferrule F comes into contact with the stopper wall 210, most of the remaining faces except the through hole F1 block the through hole 210a. Thus, the detection light K1 can be reflected efficiently.
Accordingly, the amount of reflected light K2 differs between the case where one end face F2 is in contact with the stopper wall 210 and the case where the other end face F3 is in contact, and the orientation of the ferrule F is determined by comparing with the reference value. It becomes possible to do.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the transport restart mechanism 212 reverses or non-inverts the ferrule F based on the determination result by the determination mechanism 211, thereby aligning the ferrule F in a predetermined direction. This is a mechanism for delivering to the conveyance path 200B side, and includes a pair of air cylinders (support members in the present invention) 220.
In the present embodiment, the predetermined direction is a posture in which the other end face F3 faces the downstream side in the transport direction, that is, the second point P2 side.

The pair of air cylinders 220 includes a movable rod 220a that can reciprocate, and a cylinder body 220b that supports the movable rod 220a so as to be movable and moves the movable rod 220a using the pressure of the supplied air. Each has.
The pair of air cylinders 220 are movable in the horizontal direction in which the movable rod 220a approaches and separates from the ferrule F stopped by the stopper wall 210, and abuts against both ends of the ferrule F through the opening 205a. The ferrule F is disposed so as to be supported from below.
At this time, the movable rod 220a of the air cylinder 220 disposed near the stopper wall 210 is disposed so as to be disengaged from the virtual vertical line Q passing through the gravity center position G of the ferrule F stopped by the stopper wall 210.

The cylinder body 220b is supported by a support member (not shown). In addition, two air supply joints 109 for supplying air of a predetermined pressure are attached to the cylinder body 220b, and the pressure of the air supplied from either of the two air supply joints 109 is used. Thus, the movable rod 220a can be reciprocated.
That is, by supplying air from one air supply joint 109 into the cylinder body 220b, the movable rod 220a can be moved to extend to support the ferrule F, and the other air supply joint 109 can support the cylinder body. By supplying air into 220b, the movable rod 220a can be moved so as to be shortened and separated from the ferrule F.
Note that an air tube (not shown) is connected to the two air supply joints 109, and air is supplied from an air source (not shown) through the air tube.

   Then, the control unit 7 separates the movable rod 220a of one air cylinder 220 from the ferrule F according to the determination result by the determination mechanism 211, so that the second transport path 200B is reversed or non-inverted. Control to pass to the side.

   Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ferrule transport device 3 of the present embodiment is disposed at the processing point P3 after receiving the ferrule F transported to the second point P2 by the second transport path 200B. A transfer arm 160 for transferring the ferrule F from the support base 51 to the transfer point P4 after the completion of imaging, and an arm movement for moving the transfer arm 160. Mechanism 161.

(Transfer arm)
The transfer arm 160 is along a left-right direction L3 that is a direction connecting the second point P2, the support base 51, and the transfer point P4 (along a transfer path from the reception point P1 to the transfer point P4 via the processing point P3). E) It is an elongated arm. The transfer arm 160 is formed with a first holding portion (not shown) that holds the ferrule F at a position corresponding to the second point P2, and is not shown that holds the ferrule F at a position corresponding to the support base 51. A second holding part is formed.

(Arm moving mechanism)
The arm moving mechanism 161 includes a moving cylinder 170 that reciprocates the transfer arm 160 in the left-right direction L3, and an elevating cylinder 180 that moves the transfer arm 160 up and down.
The moving cylinder 170 and the lifting cylinder 180 are, for example, air cylinders, and move the transfer arm 160 by the pressure of the supplied air.

  Then, the arm moving mechanism 161 moves up and down while reciprocating the transfer arm 160 along the left-right direction L3 by appropriately operating the moving cylinder 170 and the lifting cylinder 180 in response to an instruction from the control unit 7. Let As a result, the ferrule F that has been transported in the state of being aligned to the second point P2 is transported onto the support base 51 using the first holding portion, and the ferrule F on the support base 51 is It can be conveyed to the delivery point P4 using the holding unit.

That is, the ferrule transport device 3 of the present embodiment transports the ferrule from the second point P2 to the support base using the transport arm 160 after transporting the ferrule F to the second point P2 with the orientation of the ferrule F aligned. In addition to being conveyed to 51, it can be conveyed from the support base 51 to the delivery point F4.
In addition, since the ferrule F is conveyed in the state in which the direction of the ferrule F is aligned, when the ferrule F is supported on the support base 51, the one end face F2 side of the ferrule F faces the light unit 52 side. It is possible to make the other end face F3 side face the imaging means 50 side.

(Control part)
As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 7 includes a recording medium 7a to be described later 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). Therefore, the CPU executes the various programs recorded on the recording medium 7a as appropriate, so that the above-described various components are comprehensively controlled and the ferrule F is classified.

  In particular, as for an example of the operation of the ferrule transport device 3, the control unit 7 reads and executes a ferrule transport program according to the present invention stored in the recording medium 7a, for example, so that the transport process according to the present invention described later is performed. The discrimination process and the attitude adjustment process are executed.

  The ferrule transport program determines the orientation of the ferrule F when the ferrule transport device 3 transports the ferrule F supplied to the first point P1 to the second point P2 using the transport path 200, It is a program for executing a step of adjusting the direction of the ferrule F according to the determination result to align it with a predetermined direction. The ferrule transport program is recorded on the computer-readable recording medium 7a.

The “computer-readable recording medium” is a portable medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, or a semiconductor memory, and includes a drive device (for example, a CD-ROM drive device) or an interface ( For example, it is read via a USB interface or the like.
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” means that a program is dynamically held for a short time, like a communication line when a program is transmitted 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.

  In addition to the above-described direction discriminating unit 211b, the control unit 7 of the present embodiment measures the coaxiality based on the captured image of the ferrule F sent from the imaging element 56, and further, based on the measurement result, the ferrule A quality discriminating unit 7b that discriminates the quality of F into five levels from A rank to E rank 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. Thereby, the ferrule F can be stored in the storage box 40 corresponding to the quality rank.

<Operation of ferrule classification device>
Next, the operation of the ferrule classification device 1 configured as described above will be described.
In the present embodiment, the ferrule F accommodated in the container 10 is classified for each quality rank, and the entire flow until the ferrule F is accommodated in the storage box 40 corresponding to the quality rank is described. The operation related to the above will be described in detail.

First, as an advance preparation, the operator inserts a plurality of ferrules F into the container 10 as shown in FIG. 2, and covers the container 10 with a cover (not shown) to prevent dust and the like from entering the container 10. Keep it. The introduced ferrules F are gathered in a state of being offset toward the lowest 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. .
Further, the ferrule F is not stored in the five storage boxes 40, the first holding portion of the transfer arm 160 in the ferrule transfer device 3 is located at the second point P2, and the vertical movement plate 124 is at the maximum. The advance preparation is completed after confirming that the rotary belt 121 is positioned at the ascending position and is largely separated above the support base 51 and waiting.
After these preliminary preparations are completed, the operator operates the control unit 7. Then, the control part 7 starts the operation | movement of each component based on the various programs recorded on the recording medium 7a.

First, in the ferrule supply device 2, the rotating plate 12 disposed on the bottom wall portion 10a of the container 10 is rotated as shown in FIG. Thereby, the ferrule F stored in the storage recess 12a can be moved with the rotation of the rotating plate 12, and the ferrule F is directed upward in a state where only one ferrule F is taken out from the plurality of ferrules F. Can be moved.
At this time, the remaining ferrule F tries to move upward in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating plate 12, but the rotating plate 12 is inclined, so that it slides along the upper surface of the rotating plate 12 using gravity. Can be dropped. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the extra ferrule F from moving upward. Accordingly, only the ferrule F stored in the storage recess 12 a can be moved to the discharge port 13.

  As a result, only the ferrule F stored in the storage recess 12a can be moved one by one to the discharge port 13 located at the first point P1 at a constant time interval and discharged through the discharge port 13. The tube 14 can be sent out in a vertical orientation. And the ferrule F sent out to the discharge tube 14 is conveyed through the inside of the discharge tube 14 and the connecting pipe 205, and then comes into contact with the stopper wall 210 and temporarily stops as shown in FIG. Thereby, the ferrule F is located in the part in which the opening 205a of the connecting pipe 205 is formed. At this time, since the movement through the opening 205a is restricted by the movable rod 220a of the pair of air cylinders 220 by the transport resuming mechanism 212, the state in which the ferrule F is positioned in the opening 205a is maintained.

  As described above, once the ferrule F stops, the light quantity sensor 211a irradiates the detection light K1 toward the end surface of the ferrule F that is in contact with the stopper wall 210 through the through hole 210a of the stopper wall 210, and the reflected light thereof. K2 is detected. Then, the direction determination unit 211b determines the direction of the ferrule F based on the amount of the reflected light K2. That is, the direction of the ferrule F is the direction in which one end face F2 is in contact with the stopper wall 210 as shown in FIG. 8A, or the other end of the stopper wall 210 as shown in FIG. 8B. It is discriminated whether the end face F3 is in a contact direction.

  When the determination is completed, the transport resumption mechanism 212 releases the restriction, transfers the ferrule F to the second transport path 200B side through the opening 205a, and restarts the transport. At this time, the transport restart mechanism 212 performs delivery to the second transport path 200B while aligning the ferrule F in a predetermined direction by inverting or not inverting the ferrule F based on the determination result by the determination mechanism 211. .

This point will be described in detail.
When the direction of the ferrule is in the state shown in FIG. 8B based on the result of determination by the determination mechanism 211, the ferrule F is directed in the desired direction, so that the air cylinder 220 closer to the stopper wall 210 can be moved. The rod 220a is shortened, and the movable rod 220a is separated from the ferrule F. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, the ferrule F is transferred to the second conveyance path 200B without being inverted (non-inverted), and the other end surface F3 side that is in contact with the stopper wall 210 faces the downstream side in the conveyance direction. The transport can be resumed.

  On the other hand, when the direction of the ferrule F is in the state shown in FIG. 8A according to the determination result by the determination mechanism 211, the direction of the ferrule F is opposite to the desired direction. The movable rod 220a of the far side air cylinder 220 is shortened, and the movable rod 220a is separated from the ferrule F. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, the ferrule F is transferred to the second transport path 200B while being inverted, and the other end face F3 side opposite to the side in contact with the stopper wall 210 faces the downstream side in the transport direction. The transport can be resumed.

In this manner, the ferrule F can be transported to the second point P2 through the second transport path 200B in a state where the ferrule F is aligned in a predetermined direction every time.
By the way, as shown in FIG. 2, the 1st holding | maintenance part of the arm 160 for conveyance is waiting in the 2nd point P2. Therefore, the ferrule F supplied to the second point P2 in a state where the directions are aligned is held by the first holding unit. When the ferrule F is held, the arm moving mechanism 161 raises the transfer arm 160, and then moves it along the left-right direction L3 to position the first holding portion above the support base 51.

  Subsequently, the arm moving mechanism 161 lowers the transfer arm 160 and passes the transfer arm 160 between the first support base 51A and the second support base 51B, as shown in FIG. The ferrule F held by the one holding part is delivered so as to be accommodated in the groove part 75 of both support bases 51A and 51B. Thereby, conveyance of the ferrule F from the 2nd point P2 to the support stand 51 is completed.

  When the transfer of the ferrule F to the support base 51 is completed, the arm moving mechanism 161 moves the transfer arm 160 to the second point P2 side with the same height and temporarily stands by at the original position. As a result, the first holding portion of the transfer arm 160 returns to the second point P2 again and prepares for the next ferrule F. In addition, about a 2nd holding | maintenance part, it will be in the state waited below rather than the groove part 75 of both 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, the rotation pressing means 120 rotates the ferrule F around the optical axis O while pressing the ferrule F with the support base 51, and the illumination irradiated from the light unit 52 during the rotation as shown in FIG. A plurality of captured images of the ferrule F are acquired by the imaging means 50 with the light back.

Then, when the imaging of the ferrule F is completed, the acquired captured image is output to the control unit 7. Then, the quality discriminating unit 7b in the control unit 7 measures the coaxiality 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. . Then, the control unit 7 controls the box moving mechanism 42 so that the storage box 40 corresponding to the classified quality rank is positioned directly below the collection end 41a of the collection shooter 41.
Thus, for example, if the quality rank of the ferrule F is C rank, the third storage box 40C (40) for C rank is set directly below the collection end 41a of the collection shooter 41 as shown in FIG. can do.

  On the other hand, during the imaging of the ferrule F, the ferrule transport device 3 supplies the next ferrule F to the first holding portion of the transport arm 160 waiting at the second point P2. Thereby, the 1st holding | maintenance part is made into the state which hold | maintained the next ferrule F. FIG.

  When the imaging of the ferrule F is completed, the arm moving mechanism 161 raises the transfer arm 160. Thereby, while raising the ferrule F hold | maintained by the 1st holding | maintenance part from the 2nd point P2, the ferrule F on the support stand 51 is received and hold | maintained by the 2nd holding | maintenance part, and is raised. Then, the arm moving mechanism 161 moves the transfer arm 160 again in the left-right direction L3 to position the first holding unit above the support base 51, and is positioned at the delivery point P4. The collection shooter 41 is positioned above the collection end 41a.

  Subsequently, the arm moving mechanism 161 lowers the transfer arm 160. Thus, as described above, the ferrule F held by the first holding unit (the ferrule F to be imaged from now on) can be transferred so as to be stored in the groove portions 75 of both support bases 51A and 51B, and the second holding unit. Can be transferred to the collection shooter 41.

  In this way, with one transfer arm 160, the transfer of the ferrule F from the second point P2 to the support base 51 and the transfer of the ferrule F from the support base 51 to the recovery shooter 41 located at the transfer point P4 are performed. Can be done simultaneously.

  When the transfer is completed, the arm moving mechanism 161 moves the transfer arm 160 to the second point P2 side with the same height and temporarily stands by at the original position. As a result, the first holding part and the second holding part of the transfer arm 160 return to the second point P2 and the support base 51, respectively, and prepare for the next ferrule F. Thereafter, the above conveyance is repeatedly performed.

  In addition, the ferrule F transferred to the collection shooter 41 moves so as to slide down the collection shooter 41 toward the discharge end 41b side, and stands in the storage box 40 corresponding to the quality rank, which is waiting directly below. Stored.

As described above, according to the ferrule classification device 1 of the present embodiment, a plurality of ferrules F are imaged one by one, the coaxiality measurement (quality inspection) of the ferrule F is performed from the captured images, and each quality rank is determined. Can be stored in a dedicated storage box 40.
Thereby, the operator can collect the ferrules F of the same quality easily, and can selectively use the ferrules F according to the quality rank. Therefore, it is easy to use and excellent in convenience, and can have high added value.

In particular, according to the ferrule transport device 3 of the present embodiment, the following effects can be further achieved.
In other words, the posture adjusting mechanism 201 uses the transport path 200 including the first transport path 200A and the second transport path 200B to transport from the first point P1 to the second point P2 (transport process in the present invention). The direction of the ferrule F is discriminated (the discriminating step in the present invention), and the direction of the ferrule F can be adjusted according to the discrimination result (the posture adjusting step in the present invention). Therefore, no matter how the ferrule F is supplied from the ferrule supply device 2 to the first point P1, the ferrule F can be transported to the second point P2 in a state where it is aligned in a predetermined direction every time. it can.
Accordingly, by using the transfer arm 160 to transfer the ferrule F from the second point P2 to the support base 51, the other end face F3 side can be surely turned to the imaging means 50 side, A desired captured image can be acquired. As a result, it is easy to measure the coaxiality of the ferrule F with high accuracy.

Further, after the orientation of the ferrule F is determined, the orientation of the ferrule F is aligned only by a simple operation of transferring to the second transport path 200B through the opening 205a while inverting or not inverting the stopped ferrule F. be able to.
That is, the direction of the ferrule F can be reliably aligned with a simple configuration in which the movable rod 220a of the pair of air cylinders 220 is appropriately moved. Therefore, a complicated mechanism (for example, a rotary actuator or the like) is not required, and a simple configuration is sufficient in which the movable rod 220a is reciprocated. This simplifies the configuration and facilitates cost reduction.

Further, when determining the direction of the ferrule F, since the ferrule F is temporarily stopped by the stopper wall 210, it is easy to determine the direction with high accuracy.
In particular, in the case of the above embodiment, the direction is determined based on the amount of the reflected light K2. Since the difference in the end face shape of the ferrule F is likely to appear in the light quantity of the reflected light K2, the orientation of the ferrule F can be easily determined with high accuracy. In addition, since the direction can be determined without contact, the determination operation can be performed quickly and efficiently, and the ferrule F is hardly damaged. Therefore, the conveyance efficiency can be further increased and the quality of the ferrule F can be easily maintained.

  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.

For example, in the ferrule classification device 1 according to the above-described embodiment, five storage boxes 40 are provided, and the quality rank of the ferrule F is classified into five levels and then stored in any of the storage boxes 40. However, the present invention is limited to this case. Is not to be done. For example, you may classify | categorize into 2-4 steps or 6 steps or more. In that case, the storage box 40 may be prepared according to the number of classifications.
Moreover, the ferrule supply apparatus 2, the ferrule conveyance apparatus 3, and the ferrule collection | recovery apparatus 5 are examples, and are not limited to the structure mentioned above.

In the ferrule imaging device 4 in the above embodiment, the rotation pressing unit 120 is provided. However, the rotation pressing unit 120 is not essential and may not be provided.
However, since it is possible to obtain a plurality of captured images while rotating the ferrule F around the optical axis O, for example, the center point of the ferrule F is calculated from each captured image, and the calculated center points Based on the rotation trajectory, it is possible to perform more accurate coaxiality measurement. In this respect, it is preferable to have.

  Moreover, in the ferrule conveyance apparatus 3 in the said embodiment, using the pair of air cylinders 220, the ferrule F is transferred to the second conveyance path 200B side while being reversed or not reversed as appropriate, so that the direction of the ferrule F is aligned. However, the present invention is not limited to this case.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the direction of the ferrule F may be aligned using one air cylinder 220. In the air cylinder 220 in this case, for example, the movable rod 220a is bent by approximately 90 degrees, and is movable along the ferrule F in the longitudinal direction of the ferrule F.
Therefore, the movable rod 220a can be moved closer to or away from the stopper wall 210, and the same effect as the above embodiment can be obtained. In this case, since only one air cylinder 220 has to be provided, the configuration can be further simplified.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the case where the air cylinder 220 is used. For example, the ferrule F may be reversed or non-reversed by using a pair of shutter members that can be opened and closed, and is temporarily stopped by the stopper wall 210. The ferrule F may be reversed or non-reversed by appropriately blowing air to the ferrule F.
In any case, after determining the direction of the ferrule F, it is only necessary to adjust the direction of the ferrule F so as to align with the predetermined direction.

F ... Ferrule P1 ... First point P2 ... Second point P3 ... Processing point P4 ... Delivery point K1 ... Detection light K2 ... Reflected light 1 ... Ferrule classification device 2 ... Ferrule supply device 3 ... Ferrule transport device 4 ... Ferrule imaging device 5 ... Ferrule collection device 7 ... Control unit 7a ... Recording medium 10 ... Housing 40 ... Storage box (housing)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 160 ... Transfer arm 161 ... Arm moving mechanism 200 ... Transfer path 200A ... 1st transfer path 200B ... 2nd transfer path 201 ... Attitude adjustment mechanism 205a ... Opening part 210 ... Stopper wall 211 ... Discrimination mechanism 212 ... Transfer restart mechanism 220 ... Air cylinder (support member)

Claims (7)

A transport path extending from the first point to the second point and transporting the ferrule supplied to the first point to the second point;
It is provided on the conveyance path between the first point and the second point, and determines the direction of the ferrule during conveyance, and adjusts the direction of the ferrule according to the determination result, and is determined in advance. A posture adjustment mechanism that aligns the orientation,
Equipped with a,
The transport path is
A first conveyance path in which an upstream side in the conveyance direction is disposed at the first point and an opening is formed on the downstream side in the conveyance direction;
A second conveyance path arranged so as to be able to receive the ferrule from the first conveyance path through the opening, and arranged downstream in the conveyance direction at the second point;
The posture adjustment mechanism is
A stopper wall that is provided in the first transport path and stops the ferrule being transported and is positioned at the opening;
A discriminating mechanism for discriminating the direction of the ferrule stopped by the stopper wall;
A transfer resumption mechanism that regulates movement of the ferrule through the opening, releases the restriction, and transfers the ferrule to the second conveyance path side to resume conveyance;
The transport resumption mechanism, by reversing or non-reversing the ferrule based on the determination result by the determination mechanism, delivers the ferrule to the second transport path side while aligning in a predetermined direction,
The transport restart mechanism
A pair of support members which are movable in a direction approaching and separating from the ferrule stopped by the stopper wall, and which respectively support the ferrule by abutting against both end portions of the ferrule through the opening;
A control unit for controlling the operation of the pair of support members,
The control unit transfers the ferrule to the second transport path side by separating one support member of the pair of support members from the ferrule according to a determination result by the determination mechanism. Ferrule transport device. A transport path extending from the first point to the second point and transporting the ferrule supplied to the first point to the second point;
  It is provided on the conveyance path between the first point and the second point, and determines the direction of the ferrule during conveyance, and adjusts the direction of the ferrule according to the determination result, and is determined in advance. A posture adjustment mechanism that aligns the orientation,
  With
  The transport path is
  A first conveyance path in which an upstream side in the conveyance direction is disposed at the first point and an opening is formed on the downstream side in the conveyance direction;
  A second conveyance path arranged so as to be able to receive the ferrule from the first conveyance path through the opening, and arranged downstream in the conveyance direction at the second point;
  The posture adjustment mechanism is
  A stopper wall that is provided in the first transport path and stops the ferrule being transported and is positioned at the opening;
  A discriminating mechanism for discriminating the direction of the ferrule stopped by the stopper wall;
  A transfer resumption mechanism that regulates movement of the ferrule through the opening, releases the restriction, and transfers the ferrule to the second conveyance path side to resume conveyance;
  The transport resumption mechanism, by reversing or non-reversing the ferrule based on the determination result by the determination mechanism, delivers the ferrule to the second transport path side while aligning in a predetermined direction,
  The transport restart mechanism
  A support member disposed on the gravity direction side of the ferrule stopped by the stopper wall, movable in the longitudinal direction of the ferrule, and supporting the ferrule by contacting the ferrule through the opening;
  A control unit for controlling the operation of the support member,
  The control unit transfers the ferrule to the second transport path side by moving the support member to any one end side of the ferrule according to a determination result by the determination mechanism. Ferrule transport device. In the ferrule conveyance apparatus of Claim 1 or 2 ,
The discriminating mechanism irradiates detection light toward an end face of the ferrule that is in contact with the stopper wall, and discriminates the direction of the ferrule based on the amount of reflected light from the end face. apparatus. A ferrule carrier device according to claim 1;
A ferrule supply device that includes a container that accommodates a plurality of the ferrules, and that sends out the ferrules one by one from the container to the first point;
A ferrule imaging device that images the ferrule supplied to the processing point;
A ferrule collection device for collecting the ferrule transported from the processing point to the delivery point after the imaging is completed and storing the ferrule in any one of a plurality of storage bodies;
The ferrule conveying device is:
A transfer arm extending along a transfer path from the second point to the transfer point through the processing point;
An arm moving mechanism for moving the transfer arm along the transfer path,
The ferrule collection device is
A ferrule classification device, wherein the ferrules are classified into a plurality of quality ranks based on images captured by the ferrule imaging device, and the ferrules having the same quality rank are stored in the same storage body. A ferrule transport method using the ferrule transport device according to claim 1,
During the transport process of transporting the ferrule supplied to the first point to the second point using the transport path,
A determining step of determining the orientation of the ferrule;
A ferrule conveying method comprising: performing an attitude adjustment step of adjusting a direction of the ferrule in accordance with a determination result of the determination step to align with a predetermined direction. In the computer of the ferrule conveyance device according to claim 1,
During the transport process of transporting the ferrule supplied to the first point to the second point using the transport path,
A determining step of determining the orientation of the ferrule;
A ferrule conveyance program, comprising: performing an attitude adjustment step of adjusting a direction of the ferrule in accordance with a determination result of the determination step and aligning the ferrule with a predetermined direction. A computer-readable recording medium on which the ferrule transport program according to claim 6 is recorded.

Images