JP7205846B2 - CONVEYING DEVICE, CONVEYING METHOD, AND APPEARANCE INSPECTION DEVICE - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the present invention relate to a conveying device, a conveying method, and an appearance inspection device.

2. Description of the Related Art Appearance inspection apparatuses are known for inspecting the appearance of chip-type electronic components (hereinafter referred to as "workpieces") such as hexahedral resistors and capacitors. In this visual inspection apparatus, a workpiece is placed on a conveying table made of a transparent material such as glass, and the conveying table is rotated to convey the workpiece while imaging each surface with a plurality of cameras for visual inspection. This work is placed on a carrier table via a linear feeder and electrostatically attracted to the carrier table (see Patent Document 1).

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing how a prismatic base chip in a multilayer capacitor rotates due to centrifugal force. As shown in FIG. 12, the pressing surface corresponding to the upper and lower surfaces of a prismatic base chip often bulges in the central portion. Even if it is sucked, it will easily rotate due to the centrifugal force on the table and the wind pressure due to transportation.

JP 2017-44579 A

As a result, the placement positions and orientations of the workpieces on the transport table become irregular, and the size, position, and orientation of the images captured by each camera fluctuate. There is fear.

In particular, since the multilayer capacitor base chip is a prismatic product, the linear feeder randomly places workpieces with different vertical and horizontal directions on the transport table, so each camera captures workpieces with irregular positions and orientations. As a result, there is a risk that the accuracy of determining whether the workpiece is good or bad may deteriorate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a conveying apparatus, a conveying method, and an appearance inspection apparatus capable of aligning the orientation of an electronic component in which a plurality of electrodes are stacked.

A conveying device according to one aspect of the present invention is a conveying device that conveys an electronic component in which a plurality of electrodes are stacked,
a first transport path for transporting the electronic component;
a second transport path arranged below the first transport path via a step and transporting the electronic component transported on the first transport path;
a magnetic field generator that generates a magnetic field on the second transport path;
Prepare.

A conveying surface of the second conveying path may have two flat surfaces for conveying the electronic component in a predetermined direction, and a curved surface that is flush with and continues between the two flat surfaces.

further comprising a third transport path arranged below the second transport path, having two flat surfaces for suppressing rotation of the electronic component, and transporting the electronic component transported on the second transport path; well,
A conveying surface of the first conveying path may have two flat surfaces that suppress rotation of the electronic component.

The first transport path, the second transport path, and the third transport path may be weak magnetic materials,
The magnetic field generating section generates the magnetic field in the first conveying path, the second conveying path, and the third conveying path. It may be a direction inclined by 60 to 90 degrees with respect to the planar direction of the two flat surfaces forming the path, the second transport path, and the third transport path.

The magnetic field generator may have an electromagnet or a permanent magnet.

A transport method according to an aspect of the present invention is a transport method for transporting an electronic component in which a plurality of electrodes are stacked,
a first conveying step of conveying the electronic component through a first conveying path;
a second conveying step of conveying the electronic component conveyed on the first conveying path by a second conveying path disposed below the first conveying path via a step;
a magnetic field generating step of generating a magnetic field in the second transport path;
Prepare.

A visual inspection apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a visual inspection apparatus for inspecting the appearance of an electronic component in which a plurality of electrodes are stacked,
a first transport path for transporting the electronic component;
a second transport path disposed below the first transport path via a step and made of a magnetic material for transporting the electronic component transported on the first transport path;
a magnetic field generator that generates a magnetic field on the second transport path;
a rotatable transport table on which the electronic component is transferred via the second transport path and transports the electronic component placed on the transport arc;
an imaging unit that captures an image of the electronic component on the carrier table;
Prepare.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a workpiece visual inspection apparatus for workpieces. FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing a region S in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the region S in FIG. 1 as viewed in the direction of arrow Y; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a prismatic base chip in a multilayer capacitor; The perspective view which shows the detailed structure of a conveying apparatus. Explanatory drawing which shows the principle of rotation of a workpiece|work. Sectional drawing of a 1st conveyance path. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a cross section of the bottom portion on the transport surface of the first transport path, the second transport path, and the third transport path; Sectional drawing of boundary surface vicinity of a 2nd conveyance path. (A) to (D) are diagrams showing examples of rotational moments generated in the second conveying path. Sectional drawing of a 3rd conveyance path. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing how a prismatic base chip of a multilayer capacitor rotates due to centrifugal force.

A visual inspection apparatus 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments shown below are examples of embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention should not be construed as being limited to these embodiments. In addition, in the drawings referred to in this embodiment, the same reference numerals or similar reference numerals are given to the same portions or portions having similar functions, and repeated description thereof may be omitted. Also, the dimensional ratios in the drawings may differ from the actual ratios for convenience of explanation, and some of the configurations may be omitted from the drawings.

First, based on FIGS. 1 to 3, the overall configuration of a visual inspection apparatus 30 according to one embodiment will be described. 1 is a plan view of a work visual inspection apparatus for a work W, FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a dashed line area S in FIG. 1, and FIG. 1 is a perspective view seen from the direction of .

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the appearance inspection device 30 is a device for inspecting the appearance of the work W, and includes a conveying device (linear feeder) 1, a conveying table 2, a linear tip portion 4, and a charging portion. 6, a guide 7, a side camera section 8, an inner camera section 9, a top camera section 10, a bottom camera section 11, a front camera section 12, a rear camera section 13, and an ejection section 14. configured as follows. An imaging section 20 is configured by the side camera section 8 , the inner camera section 9 , the upper camera section 10 , the lower camera section 11 , the front camera section 12 and the rear camera section 13 . Furthermore, the linear tip portion 4 and the guide 7 constitute an alignment portion 21 .

The conveying apparatus 1 conveys the work W in which a plurality of electrodes are laminated in the direction of the arrow N while aligning the stacking direction of the work W by a magnetic force. The conveying surface of the conveying device 1 is inclined downward toward the conveying table 2, as shown in FIG. The conveying surface is vibrated by a driving source, and a workpiece W fed from a parts feeder located upstream to the conveying surface is conveyed obliquely downward toward the conveying table 2 by the vibration of the conveying surface. A detailed configuration of the transport device 1 will be described later.

The conveying table 2 is, for example, transparent glass that is horizontally installed, and rotates in the direction of the arrow X around the rotating shaft 3 . A work W conveyed by the conveying device 1 is transferred onto the conveying table 2 . A workpiece W is conveyed along a workpiece conveying arc 5 centered on a rotating shaft 3 indicated by a dashed line in FIG.

The linear tip 4 is connected to the outlet of the transport device 1 . The inclination of the conveying surface of the linear tip portion 4 is the same as the inclination of the conveying surface of the conveying device 1 . As a result, the workpiece W is transferred from the transfer device 1 to the transfer table 2 via the transfer point 4 x of the linear tip portion 4 .

Thus, the work W is placed on the transport table 2 so that the transport direction by the transport device 1 and the linear tip portion 4 and the transport direction by the transport table 2 are both the longitudinal direction of the work W. FIG. One surface of the workpiece W that contacts the upper surface of the conveying table 2 is attracted to the upper surface of the conveying table 2 by the action of holding means (not shown). As a result, the work W is conveyed by the rotation of the conveying table 2 while its attitude is fixed.

A guide 7 is provided on the downstream side of the linear tip portion 4 and aligns the work W on the work conveying arc 5 . The guide 7 has a linear guide surface 7a in contact with the work conveying arc 5, and aligns the work W on the work conveying arc 5 by advancing the work W along the guide surface 7a. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the guide surface 7a forms an acute angle .alpha. , and the guide surface 7a is tangential to the arc 5 for conveying the workpiece at the junction 7x. That is, when a straight line connecting the confluence point 7x and the rotary shaft 3 of the conveying table 2 is represented by a broken line L, the angle β formed by the broken line L and the guide surface 7a is 90°.

As a result, the workpiece W is accelerated to the conveying speed due to the rotation of the conveying table 2 in the manner of W2→W3→W4 while being adsorbed on the upper surface of the conveying table 2 in the section P in FIG. For example, it becomes wider, such as between W4 and W5. The work W5 is conveyed while being pressed against the guide surface 7a as in the section P, and gradually approaches the work conveying arc 5. As shown in FIG. The conveying direction of the work W6 that has reached the confluence point 7x where the guide surface 7a contacts the work conveying arc 5 coincides with the direction of the work conveying arc 5 in the section R, and the work W6 moves away from the guide surface 7a. Conveyed along the conveying arc 5 .

The side camera unit 8 shown in FIG. 1 images one side surface of the work W, and the side camera unit 9 images the other side surface of the work W. As shown in FIG. The top camera section 10 captures an image of the top surface of the work W, the bottom camera section 11 captures an image of the bottom surface of the work W, the front camera section 12 captures an image of the front surface of the work W, and the rear camera section 13 captures an image of the work W. Take an image of the rear surface of the In this manner, six surfaces of the workpiece W are captured by the side camera section 8, the inner camera section 9, the upper camera section 10, the lower camera section 11, the front camera section 12, and the rear camera section 13.

The discharge unit 14 is provided downstream of the imaging unit 20 in the rotation direction of the transport table 2 . The discharge unit 14 discharges the work W into a storage box according to the result of the appearance inspection of the work W.

The magnetic field generator 40 shown in FIG. 3 is provided in the conveying device 1 . The details of the magnetic field generator 40 will be described later. 1 and 2, the illustration of the magnetic field generator 40 is omitted.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a prismatic base chip in a multilayer capacitor. As shown in FIG. 4, the work W according to this embodiment is, for example, a prismatic base chip of a multilayer capacitor. In the prismatic base chip of the multilayer capacitor, thin-film electrodes 200 and dielectrics 202 are alternately laminated. Electrode 200 is a ferromagnetic material such as nickel. These electrodes 200 and dielectrics 202 are alternately laminated along the normal direction of each thin film. In FIG. 4, the stacking direction is Z, and the planar direction of each thin film is the XY plane.

In a multilayer capacitor, for example, 100 to 1000 electrodes 200 are stacked with dielectrics 202 interposed therebetween. In the manufacturing process of such a multilayer capacitor, for example, sheets of the electrodes 200 and sheets of the dielectric 202 are alternately laminated and pressure is applied to integrally mold the dielectric block. The integrally molded block of dielectric is then cut into blank chips of a predetermined size.

A cut surface 204, a cut surface 206, a laminated pressed surface 208, and a laminated pressed surface 210 are formed during the manufacturing process of such a base chip. That is, the cut surfaces 204 and 206 are cut surfaces for cutting the dielectric block (pad) into chips. Each of the cut surface 204 and the cut surface 206 is a flat surface.

The lamination press surface 208 is a press surface when applying pressure to integrally mold the dielectric block. Each of the lamination press surface 208 and the lamination press surface 210 bulges out more at the central portion than at the outside. As for the size of the finished multilayer capacitor, for example, a multilayer capacitor called 0402 size is prism-shaped with a length of 0.4 mm, a width of 0.2 mm, and a thickness of 0.2 mm. For example, a multilayer capacitor called 3225 size has a prism shape of 3.2 mm long, 2.5 mm wide and 2.5 mm thick. In this embodiment, instead of the base chip, a multilayer capacitor as a finished product packaged with the base chip may be inspected.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the detailed configuration of the conveying device 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the conveying apparatus 1 includes a magnetic field generator 40, a first conveying path 100, a second conveying path 102, and a third conveying path 104. As shown in FIG.

The magnetic field generator 40 has an electromagnet or a permanent magnet arranged at a predetermined distance from the conveying surface. The magnetic field generator 40 generates magnetic fields in the first conveying path 100 , the second conveying path 102 and the third conveying path 104 . The direction of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator 40, that is, the direction of the magnetic lines of force, is the direction of one of the two flat surfaces of each of the first transport path 100, the second transport path 102, and the third transport path 104. 60 to 90 degrees with respect to

As described above, the first transport path 100 transports the work W input to the upstream parts feeder by placing the work W on the transport surface and vibrating the transport surface. The conveying surface of the first conveying path 100 has two flat surfaces 106, 108 that suppress rotation of the electronic component. Each of these two flat surfaces 106 and 108 has an inclination of, for example, 45 degrees with respect to the plane direction of the reference plane, and also functions as a two-plane guide for the workpiece W. As shown in FIG. Here, the reference surface is the surface of the substrate on which the conveying device 1 is placed. The first transport path 100 is made of, for example, a paramagnetic material such as austenitic stainless steel or aluminum alloy, and magnetic poles are formed on the transport surface by the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator 40 . As a result, the conveying surface of the first conveying path 100 has a holding function of holding the work W to such an extent that the conveying speed of the work W is not affected. A paramagnetic material here means a magnetic material that does not have magnetization in the absence of an external magnetic field and is magnetized in that direction when a magnetic field is applied.

The second transport path 102 is arranged below the first transport path 100 via a step, and transports the work W transported on the first transport path 100 . That is, there is a step on the boundary surface 110 between the first transport path 100 and the second transport path 102 . The conveying surface of the second conveying path 102 has two flat surfaces 112 and 114 for conveying the electronic component in a predetermined direction, and a curved surface 116 that is flush with and continues between the two flat surfaces 112 and 114 . Each of these two flat surfaces 112, 114 has an inclination of, for example, 45 degrees with respect to the plane direction of the reference plane. The curved surface 116 is rounded, for example. The second transport path 102 is, like the first transport path 100, made of a paramagnetic material such as austenitic stainless steel or aluminum alloy, and magnetic poles are formed on the transport surface by the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator 40. be done. As a result, the conveying surface of the second conveying path 102 has a holding function of holding the work W to the extent that the conveying speed of the work W is not affected, and also aligns the electrodes 200 in the work W in a predetermined direction. Generates magnetic force.

The third transport path 104 is arranged below the second transport path 102 via a step, and transports the work W transported on the second transport path 102 . That is, there is a step on the boundary surface 118 between the second transport path 102 and the second transport path 104 according to this embodiment. The conveying surface of the second conveying path 102 has two flat surfaces 120, 122 that suppress rotation of the electronic component. Each of these two flat surfaces 120 and 122 has an inclination of, for example, 45 degrees with respect to the plane direction of the reference plane, and also functions as a two-plane guide for the workpiece W. As shown in FIG. Note that the conveying surface of the second conveying path 102 may be gently deformed to be continuously connected to the conveying surface of the third conveying path 104 .

The third transport path 104, like the first transport path 100, is made of a paramagnetic material such as austenitic stainless steel or aluminum alloy, and magnetic poles are formed on the transport surface by the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator 40. be done. Thereby, the conveying surface of the third conveying path 104 has a holding function of holding the work W to the extent that the conveying speed of the work W is not affected. That is, the conveying surface of the third conveying path 104 generates a magnetic force that holds the orientation of the electrode 200 inside the workpiece W in a predetermined direction. Further, the conveying surfaces of the first conveying path 100, the second conveying path 102, and the third conveying path 104 are mirror-finished and subjected to low-friction treatment such as DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) treatment. Since this DLC treatment does not hinder the generation of magnetic fields, it is suitable as a low-friction treatment for the conveying surfaces of the first conveying path 100 , the second conveying path 102 and the third conveying path 104 . The material of the first conveying path 100, the second conveying path 102, and the third conveying path 104 may be a non-magnetic material, such as plastic, which is not attracted to magnets.

Next, the rotation of the work W using the conveying apparatus 1 for the work W configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 11. FIG.

6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams showing the principle of rotation of the workpiece W. FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the electrodes of the work W placed in the magnetic field are polarized by the action of the magnetic field. If the direction of the magnetic lines of force is the direction from the magnetic field generator 40 toward the work W, the plate-shaped electrode 200 inside the work W will have an S pole near the magnetic field generator 40 and an S pole near the magnetic field generator 40 . A north pole is generated at That is, at one end of the plate-shaped electrode 200 closer to the magnetic field generation unit 40, an attractive force acts on the magnetic field generation unit 40, and at the other end of the plate-shaped electrode 200 farther from the magnetic field generation unit 40, a magnetic field generation A repulsive force acts on the portion 40 . These magnetic forces generate a rotational moment in the plate-shaped electrode 200, and act so that the stacking direction of the electrodes 200 is orthogonal to the magnetic lines of force. Thus, in the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator 40, the state in which the magnetic lines of force are orthogonal to the stacking direction of the electrodes 200 is the stable state. Even if the direction of the magnetic lines of force is reversed, the magnetic force acts so that the stacking direction of the electrodes 200 is perpendicular to the magnetic lines of force.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the first transport path 100. As shown in FIG. FIG. 7 shows an example in which the stacking direction of the electrodes 200 in the workpiece W is substantially parallel to the direction of the magnetic lines of force. In such a case, the workpiece W is conveyed while being shaken by the vibration of the drive source with the central portion of the laminate press surface 210 or laminate press surface 208 of the workpiece W as a fulcrum. For example, even if a counterclockwise rotation moment acts due to vibration, the work W is prevented from rotating because the cut surface 206 of the work W is in contact with the flat surface 106 . Conversely, even if a clockwise rotational moment acts on the work W due to vibration, the work W is still prevented from rotating because the lamination pressing surface 210 of the work W is in contact with the flat surface 108 . For this reason, the work W is conveyed in the first conveying path 100 in a state in which it does not substantially rotate.

On the other hand, even when the stacking direction of the electrodes 200 of the work W is perpendicular to the lines of magnetic force, the work W is prevented from rotating within the first transport path 100 for the same reason. In this way, no matter what orientation the work W is conveyed to the first conveying path 100, the work W is conveyed up to the step between it and the second conveying path 100 while maintaining its orientation.

FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing cross sections of the first transport path 100, the second transport path 102, and the third transport path 104 shown in FIG. Here, the lines of magnetic force generated by the magnetic field generator 40 are indicated by dashed-dotted lines. FIG. 8 shows an example in which the lower side of the magnetic field generator 40, that is, the side closer to the conveying surface, is the N pole.

As shown in FIG. 8 , the work W conveyed along the first conveying path 100 is placed on the conveying surface of the second conveying path 102 after floating in the air due to the steps when passing over the boundary surface 110 . As can be seen from this, the workpiece W floating in the air rotates in the direction in which the lines of magnetic force and the stacking direction of the electrodes 200 are perpendicular to each other due to the rotational moment caused by the magnetic force. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, even the work W whose stacking direction of the electrodes 200 of the work W is substantially parallel to the lines of magnetic force rotates in the direction in which the stacking direction of the electrodes 200 of the work W is perpendicular to the lines of magnetic force. On the other hand, the work W whose stacking direction of the electrodes 200 of the work W is perpendicular to the lines of magnetic force is placed on the conveying surface of the second conveying path 102 while maintaining the state in which the stacking direction of the electrodes 200 is perpendicular to the lines of magnetic force due to the magnetic force. be.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the boundary surface 110 of the second transport path 102. As shown in FIG. As described above, the conveying surface of the second conveying path 102 includes the two flat surfaces 112 and 114 that are low-friction processed and have different normal directions, and the curved surface that is flush with and continues between the two flat surfaces 112 and 114. 116. Therefore, in the second transport path 102, the work W is freely rotated by the rotational moment generated by the magnetic field.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of rotational moment generated in the second conveying path 102. As shown in FIG. While the work W is floating in the air, the orientation of the work W is rotated so that the lamination surface of the electrode 200 is parallel to the lines of magnetic force.

On the other hand, there is also a workpiece W in which the lamination plane of the electrodes 200 is not parallel to the lines of magnetic force. In such a workpiece W, a rotational moment due to the magnetic field is generated in the direction in which the lamination plane of the electrodes 200 is parallel to the lines of magnetic force.

FIG. 10A is a diagram showing an example in which the stacking direction of the electrodes 200 of the workpiece W is oblique to the lines of magnetic force and a counterclockwise rotational moment is generated. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 10A, the magnetic poles generated on the cut surface 206 side of the workpiece W are subjected to an attractive force in the direction of the magnetic field generation unit 40, and the magnetic poles generated on the cut surface 204 side are generated by the magnetic field generation unit Since a repulsive force acts in the direction of 40, a counterclockwise rotational moment is generated in the workpiece W.

FIG. 10B is a diagram showing an example in which the stacking direction of the electrodes 200 of the workpiece W is oblique to the lines of magnetic force and a clockwise rotational moment is generated. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 10(B), the magnetic poles generated on the cut surface 206 side of the workpiece W are subjected to an attractive force in the direction of the magnetic field generation unit 40, and the magnetic poles generated on the cut surface 204 side are generated by the magnetic field generation unit Since a repulsive force acts in the direction of 40, a clockwise rotational moment is generated in the workpiece W. In this way, when the stacking direction of the electrodes 200 of the workpiece W is oblique to the lines of magnetic force, a rotational moment is generated so that the stacking direction of the electrodes 200 in the workpiece and the lines of magnetic force are perpendicular to each other.

On the other hand, FIG. 10C is a diagram showing an example in which the lamination surface of the electrode 200 of the workpiece W and the magnetic lines of force of the magnetic field generator 40 are parallel, and no rotational moment is generated. As described above, the state shown in FIG. 10C is the most stable state. That is, the work W shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B stops rotating when it reaches the state of FIG. 10C. Further, even when the workpiece W shakes due to the vibration of the vibrating portion, a rotational moment is generated by the magnetic field so as to restore the state shown in FIG. 10(C). In this way, when the lamination surface of the electrodes 200 of the workpiece W and the lines of magnetic force of the magnetic field generator 40 are parallel, the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator 40 and the magnetic field generated by the second transport path 102 change the direction of the electrodes 200. act to hold.

FIG. 10D is a diagram showing an example in which the laminated surface of the electrode 200 of the workpiece W and the magnetic lines of force of the magnetic field generator 40 are perpendicular to each other. In this example, the distance between the edge of the electrode 200 on the cut surface 204 side of the workpiece W and the magnetic field generator 40 is equivalent to the distance between the edge of the electrode 200 on the cut surface 206 side and the magnetic field generator 40. , no rotational moment occurs. However, this is an unstable state, and the work W rotates in the direction of rotation when the work W shakes until it reaches the state shown in FIG. 10(C).

In this way, the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator 40 is applied to the workpiece W so that the layered surface of the electrodes 200 of the workpiece W on the conveying surface of the second conveying path 102 and the magnetic lines of force of the magnetic field generator 40 are parallel to each other. to rotate. As a result, the work W is transferred to the third transport path 104 with the electrodes 200 oriented in the same direction.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the third transport path 104. As shown in FIG. The direction of the work W transferred from the second transport path 102 to the third transport path 104 is aligned so that the stacking surface of the electrodes 200 and the magnetic lines of force of the magnetic field generator 40 are parallel. On the other hand, the workpieces W whose orientation is not aligned for some reason are transferred from the second conveying path 102 to the third conveying path 104 at a step, as shown in FIGS. 10A to 10D. The directions are aligned according to the principle described.

In the third transport path 104 , the laminated surface of the electrode 200 of the workpiece W is aligned parallel to the magnetic lines of force, so the cut surface 204 or the cut surface 206 ( FIG. 4 ) is in contact with the flat surface 122 . Therefore, the flat surface 122 suppresses the shaking of the workpiece W due to vibration. Further, even when the work W is swayed by vibration, the magnetic field acts so that the lamination surface of the electrode 200 of the work W becomes parallel to the lines of magnetic force. Furthermore, the flat surface 120 limits the rotation of the work W. Thus, in the third transport path 104, the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator 40 and the transport surface of the third transport path 104 acts to maintain the orientation of the workpiece W, and the flat surface 120 and the flat surface 122 It functions as a two-sided guide. As a result, the third conveying path 104 transfers the work W to the linear tip portion 4 while maintaining the orientation of the work W. As shown in FIG. Then, the linear tip portion 4 transfers the work W so that the cut surface 204 or the cut surface 206 (FIG. 4) of the work W is in contact with the conveying table 2 (FIG. 1).

More specifically, the linear tip 4 described above is connected to the third transport path 104 of the transport device 1 . The conveying surface of this linear tip 4 has two flat surfaces with different normal directions. For example, one flat surface of the linear tip 4 is continuously connected to the flat surface 120 and becomes vertical as it goes downstream, the other flat surface of the linear tip 4 is continuously connected to the flat surface 122, It is configured so that it becomes horizontal as it goes downstream. As a result, the work W is transferred so that the cut surface 204 or the cut surface 206 (FIG. 4) is in contact with the conveying table 2 (FIG. 1).

Since the cut surface 204 or the cut surface 206 of the multilayer capacitor with high flatness is transferred so as to be in contact with the carrier table 2 in this manner, the posture of the workpiece W on the carrier table 2 is stabilized. In addition, since the orientation of the work W on the transport table 2 is aligned, the imaging unit 20 can image the side surface and upper and lower surfaces of the work W from the same direction. As a result, the accuracy of determining whether the work W is good or bad is improved.

Since the magnitude of the moment acting on the workpiece W differs depending on the number of stacked electrodes and the size of the electrodes in the workpiece W, it is desirable to optimize the position of the magnetic field generator for each type of workpiece W. .

As described above, according to the appearance inspection apparatus 30 according to the present embodiment, the second transport path 102 is arranged below the first transport path 100 via a step, and the work W having the electrodes 200 stacked thereon is inspected. A magnetic field is generated in the second conveying path 102 for conveying. This makes it possible to rotate the work W in the direction in which the stacking direction of the electrodes 200 of the work W and the lines of magnetic force are perpendicular to each other while the work W stays in the air due to the steps.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

1: Conveying device, 2: Conveying table, 6: Charging unit, 20: Imaging unit, 30: Appearance inspection device, 40: Magnetic field generating unit, 100: First conveying path, 102: Second conveying path, 104: Third transport path

Claims (4)

A transport device for transporting an electronic component in which a plurality of electrodes are stacked,
With a plane inclined with respect to a horizontal plane as a reference plane, having two flat surfaces having a line of intersection along the vertically downward direction of the reference plane and having a cross section inclined with respect to the reference plane , a paramagnetic first transport path that suppresses rotation of the electronic component and transports the electronic component in the vertically downward direction ;
two flat surfaces arranged vertically downward from the first conveying path via a step in the vertical direction and having a cross section inclined with respect to the reference surface ; and a paramagnetic second transport path for transporting the electronic component vertically downward ;
Two flat surfaces arranged below the second conveying path via a step in the vertical direction, having a line of intersection along the vertically downward direction of the reference plane, and having a cross section inclined with respect to the reference plane. a paramagnetic third transport path that has a surface, suppresses rotation of the electronic component, and transports the electronic component transported on the second transport path in a vertically downward direction ;
The first conveying path, the second conveying path, and the third conveying path are arranged at predetermined distances from the first conveying path, the second conveying path, and the third conveying path, and include the step region. a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field having a direction within an angular range of 0 to 30 degrees with respect to a normal to one of the two flat surfaces on which the paths are respectively formed;
with
The conveying device, wherein the line of intersection of the two flat surfaces of the first conveying path and the line of intersection of the two flat surfaces of the third conveying path are formed in a straight line. 2. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said magnetic field generator has an electromagnet or a permanent magnet arranged at a predetermined distance from said second conveying path. A transport method for transporting an electronic component in which a plurality of electrodes are stacked,
A plane that suppresses rotation of the electronic component and that is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane is defined as a reference plane. A first conveying step of conveying in the vertically downward direction by a first conveying path of a paramagnetic body having a conveying surface composed of two flat surfaces;
two flat surfaces arranged below the first conveying path via a step in the vertical direction and having a cross section inclined with respect to the reference surface ; a second conveying step of conveying the electronic component conveyed on the first conveying path in the vertically downward direction by a second conveying path of a paramagnetic body;
arranged below the second conveying path via a step in the vertical direction, suppresses rotation of the electronic component , has a line of intersection along the vertically downward direction of the reference plane, and is with respect to the reference plane a third conveying step of conveying the electronic component conveyed on the second conveying path in the vertically downward direction by a third conveying path of a paramagnetic material having two flat surfaces whose cross sections are inclined ;
a conveying step having
A direction within an angle range of 0 to 30 degrees with respect to a normal to one of two flat surfaces on which the first, second, and third conveying paths including the step region are respectively formed. a magnetic field generating step for generating a magnetic field having
with
The conveying method, wherein the line of intersection of the two flat surfaces of the first conveying path and the line of intersection of the two flat surfaces of the third conveying path are formed linearly. A visual inspection apparatus for inspecting the appearance of an electronic component in which a plurality of electrodes are laminated,
With a plane inclined with respect to a horizontal plane as a reference plane, having two flat surfaces having a line of intersection along the vertically downward direction of the reference plane and having a cross section inclined with respect to the reference plane , a paramagnetic first transport path for suppressing rotation of the electronic component and transporting the electronic component in a predetermined direction;
two flat surfaces arranged vertically downward from the first conveying path via a step in the vertical direction and having a cross section inclined with respect to the reference surface ; a paramagnetic second transport path for transporting the electronic component in the vertically downward direction ;
Two devices arranged vertically below the second conveying path via a step in the vertical direction, have a line of intersection along the vertically downward direction of the reference plane, and have a cross section inclined with respect to the reference plane. a transport path having a flat surface and a paramagnetic third transport path for suppressing rotation of the electronic component and transporting the electronic component in the predetermined direction; Two transport paths are arranged at a predetermined distance from the second transport path and the third transport path, and the first transport path, the second transport path, and the third transport path including the step area are respectively formed. a magnetic field generator that generates a magnetic field having a direction in an angular range of 0 to 30 degrees with respect to the normal to one surface of the flat surface;
a rotatable transport table on which the electronic component is transferred via the second transport path and transports the electronic component placed on the transport arc;
an imaging unit that captures an image of the electronic component on the carrier table;
with
The visual inspection apparatus, wherein the line of intersection of the two flat surfaces of the first transport path and the line of intersection of the two flat surfaces of the third transport path are formed linearly.

Images