JP7492221B1 - Conveyor - Google Patents

Abstract

A conveying device that conveys electronic components efficiently and reliably is provided.
[Solution] The conveying device includes a first rotary conveying unit that moves a first holding unit that adsorbs and holds an electronic component along a circular orbit, a second rotary conveying unit that moves a second holding unit that adsorbs and holds an electronic component along the circular orbit, and a position correction unit that is provided between the first rotary conveying unit and the second rotary conveying unit on a conveying path of the electronic components and corrects the position of the electronic component received from the first holding unit and transfers it to the second holding unit. The position correction unit includes an adsorption holding unit having an adsorption surface that adsorbs and holds the electronic component and that transfers the electronic component between the first holding unit and the second holding unit, a rotary conveying table that moves the adsorption holding unit along the circular orbit, and a parallel driving unit that translates the rotary conveying table to correct the planar position of the electronic component adsorbed and held by the adsorption holding unit. The adsorption surface of the adsorption holding unit and the adsorption surface of the second holding unit that face each other at the second transfer position are parallel to each other.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a transport device for electronic components.

After manufacturing, electronic components such as semiconductor elements undergo processes such as visual inspection, electrical property inspection, and marking before being shipped. During these processes, the electronic components must be in the correct position, and the position of the electronic components is corrected before each process is carried out.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic component processing device that includes a first rotary conveying unit having a first holding unit that holds an electronic component and that moves the first holding unit along a first circular orbit, a second rotary conveying unit having a second holding unit that holds an electronic component and that moves the second holding unit along a second circular orbit that passes through a transfer area where electronic components can be transferred between the first holding unit and the second holding unit, and a position adjustment unit that adjusts the position of the second holding unit in the transfer area.

JP 2021-187598 A

In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the second rotary conveying unit moves the electronic components received from the first rotary conveying unit to a position in an intermediate processing unit where processing such as visual inspection is performed, and moves the electronic components processed by the intermediate processing unit to a transfer position to the first rotary conveying unit. For this reason, the position adjustment unit cannot adjust the position of the second holding unit while processing is being performed by the intermediate processing unit, and it is necessary to secure additional time to perform alignment processing when transferring the electronic components.

The electronic components are transported by a holder, such as a suction collet, that suctions and holds the electronic components on its suction surface. In order to transport the electronic components stably without dropping them, it is important that the electronic components are held without tilting relative to the suction surface of the holder. For example, if the electronic components are relatively large (e.g., the long side is about 5 to 10 mm long), they are unlikely to tilt relative to the suction surface in the first place. However, if the electronic components are relatively small (e.g., the long side is about 0.5 to 1 mm long), when the electronic components being transported by the holder are picked up from the wafer sheet, the bumps (electrodes) of the electronic components may get caught in the suction holes of the suction surface, causing the electronic components to be held on the suction surface at an angle.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and the object of the present invention is to provide an electronic component transport device that can transport electronic components efficiently and reliably.

In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, a first rotary conveying unit has a first holding unit that adsorbs and holds an electronic component on its adsorption surface and moves the first holding unit along a circular orbit, a second rotary conveying unit has a second holding unit that adsorbs and holds an electronic component on its adsorption surface and moves the second holding unit along a circular orbit, and a position correction unit is provided between the first rotary conveying unit and the second rotary conveying unit on the conveying path of the electronic components and corrects the position of the electronic component received from the first holding unit and transfers it to the second holding unit, and the position correction unit adsorbs and holds the electronic component. The conveying device includes an adsorption holding unit having an adsorption surface that transfers electronic components to the first holding unit at a first transfer position and transfers electronic components to the second holding unit at a second transfer position, a rotary conveying table on which the adsorption holding unit is provided and that moves the adsorption holding unit along a circular orbit centered on a rotation axis, and a parallel driving unit that translates the rotary conveying table to correct the planar position of the electronic component that is adsorbed and held by the adsorption holding unit, and at the second transfer position, the adsorption surface of the opposing adsorption holding unit and the adsorption surface of the second holding unit are parallel.

The rotating conveying table may move intermittently at a predetermined rotational pitch while stopping at the first transfer position and the second transfer position, and the parallel drive unit may translate the rotating conveying table while the rotating conveying table is rotating to correct the planar position of the electronic component that is adsorbed and held by the adsorption holding unit.

In the operation of the conveying device, the timing of transferring the electronic component from the first holding unit to the suction holding unit at the first transfer position may be made to coincide with the timing of transferring the electronic component from the suction holding unit to the second holding unit at the second transfer position.

Alternatively, in the operation of the conveying device, the timing of transferring the electronic component from the first holding unit to the suction holding unit at the first transfer position may be different from the timing of transferring the electronic component from the suction holding unit to the second holding unit at the second transfer position.

As described above, the present invention allows the transport of electronic components to be carried out efficiently and reliably.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the upper side shows a plan view and the lower side shows a side view. 11 is a partial side view showing a state in which an electronic component is transferred between a first holding portion and a suction holding portion; FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the configuration of a position correction unit. 11 is a timing chart showing the operation of the conveying device in operation pattern 1. 13 is a timing chart showing the operation of the conveying device in operation pattern 2. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example (modified example 1) of the configuration of the conveying device. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example (modified example 2) of the configuration of the conveying device. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example (modification example 3) of the configuration of the transport device, in which the suction surface of the second holding part and the suction surface of the suction holding part are parallel to the vertical direction. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example (modification 3) of the configuration of the transport device, in which the suction surface of the second holding part and the suction surface of the suction holding part are parallel to the horizontal direction. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing another modified example of the configuration of the conveying device, in which a position correction mechanism for correcting the planar position of an electronic component is provided in the second rotary conveying section; 11 is a schematic diagram showing a second rotary conveying unit and a position correction mechanism of the conveying device shown in FIG. 10, showing the state shown in the upper part of FIG. 10 as viewed from the X direction. FIG.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that in this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.

[1. Conveyor device]
First, the configuration of a conveying device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment, with the upper side showing a plan view and the lower side showing a side view. Fig. 2 is a partial side view showing a state when an electronic component W is transferred between a first holding unit 110 and a suction holding unit 210. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the configuration of a position correction unit 20. In Figs. 1 to 3, the X direction and the Y direction are horizontal directions, and the XY plane is also called the horizontal plane. The Z direction is a vertical direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Y direction. The ZX plane is also called the vertical plane.

The conveying device 1 according to this embodiment is a device that adsorbs and holds electronic components W one by one and conveys them along a conveying path. The electronic components W are components used in electrical products. For example, the electronic components W are semiconductor elements, resistors, capacitors, etc. The semiconductor elements may be integrated circuits such as ICs (Integrated Circuits) and LSIs (Large Scale Integration), or may be discrete semiconductors such as transistors, diodes, LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), capacitors, and thyristors.

As shown in FIG. 1, the conveying device 1 has a first rotary conveying unit 11, a second rotary conveying unit 12, and a position correction unit 20. The first rotary conveying unit 11 and the second rotary conveying unit 12 are arranged in parallel along the X direction as shown in the upper part of FIG. 1, and rotate around rotation axes A1 and A2 parallel to the Y direction as shown in the lower part of FIG. 1. As shown in the lower part of FIG. 1, the position correction unit 20 is provided between the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the second rotary conveying unit 12 on the conveying path of the electronic component W, and rotates around a rotation axis A0 parallel to the Z direction.

(First Rotary Conveyor Unit)
The first rotary conveying unit 11 has a first holding unit 110 that suctions and holds the electronic component W on an suction surface, and moves the first holding unit 110 along a circular orbit C1. As shown in the lower part of FIG. 1, the first rotary conveying unit 11 includes a rotating body 101 that rotates together with a rotation axis A1 parallel to the Y direction, and a plurality of first holding units 110 provided radially from the rotating body 101 in a ZX plane perpendicular to the Y direction.

The rotating body 101 is rotated by a driving unit (not shown) such as a motor. A plurality of first holding parts 110 are provided on the rotating body 101 at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of a virtual circle centered on the rotation axis A1. For example, the first rotary conveying unit 11 shown in FIG. 1 has eight first holding parts 110 provided on the rotating body 101 at equal intervals (i.e., installation intervals of 45°). The driving unit rotates the rotating body 101 by the installation interval of the first holding parts 110, causing it to move intermittently. The rotation angle at which the rotating body 101 moves intermittently is defined as the rotation pitch of the first rotary conveying unit 11.

As shown in FIG. 2, each of the first holding units 110 has an adsorption collet 111 and a forward/backward drive mechanism 112.

The suction collet 111 suctions and holds the electronic component W on the suction surface 111a at the tip. The suction collet 111 is a roughly conical member made of, for example, rubber, resin, metal, etc. The suction surface 111a is a flat surface, and a suction hole (not shown) that communicates with the internal passage of the first holding part 110 is formed in the surface. The internal passage of the first holding part 110 communicates with the pneumatic circuit of a negative pressure generating device such as a vacuum pump or an ejector. The negative pressure generating device generates negative pressure in the pneumatic circuit, so that the suction collet 111 can hold the electronic component W on the suction surface 111a. In addition, when the negative pressure generating device releases the suction force due to the negative pressure by breaking the vacuum or releasing the atmosphere, the suction collet 111 releases the electronic component W that was being held on the suction surface 111a.

The forward/backward drive mechanism 112 is a drive mechanism that moves the suction collet 111 in the radial direction of a circle centered on the rotation axis A1 (hereinafter also referred to as the "forward/backward direction"). The forward/backward drive mechanism 112 has a shaft 113, a connecting member 114, and a coil spring 115.

The shaft 113 is a rod-shaped member extending in the forward and backward directions. The shaft 113 is connected to the rotating body 101 on the rotation axis A1 side (hereinafter also referred to as the "inner side") via the connection member 114. The shaft 113 also has an adsorption collet 111 at the tip on the side opposite the rotation axis A1 (hereinafter also referred to as the "outer side"). An internal passage communicating with the suction hole of the adsorption collet 111 is formed inside the shaft 113. The connection member 114 is a member for fixing the forward and backward drive mechanism 112 to the rotating body 101. A motor (not shown) for moving the shaft 113 in the forward and backward directions is provided inside the connection member 114. With the shaft 113 inserted inside, the coil spring 115 has an inner end fixed to the connection member 114 and an outer end fixed to the outer surface of the shaft 113.

When the motor (not shown) of the advance/retract drive mechanism 112 is not driven and the suction collet 111 is positioned at its innermost position as a reference, the advance/retract drive mechanism 112 drives the motor (not shown) to move the shaft 113 outward from the rotating body 101, thereby moving the suction collet 111 outward. In addition, by stopping the drive of the motor (not shown), the advance/retract drive mechanism 112 moves the shaft 113, which had been moving outward, inward by the compression force of the coil spring 115, and moves the suction collet 111 to the reference position.

(Second Rotary Conveyor Unit)
The second rotary conveying unit 12 has a second holding unit 120 that suctions and holds the electronic component W on its suction surface, and moves the second holding unit 120 along a circular orbit C2. The second rotary conveying unit 12 may have the same configuration as the first rotary conveying unit 11.

1, the second rotary conveying unit 12 includes a rotary body 102 that rotates together with the rotary axis A2 parallel to the Y direction, and a plurality of second holding parts 120 that are provided radially from the rotary body 102 in a ZX plane perpendicular to the Y direction. The plurality of second holding parts 120 are provided on the rotary body 102 at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of a virtual circle centered on the rotary axis A2. For example, the second rotary conveying unit 12 shown in FIG. 1 has eight second holding parts 120 provided on the rotary body 102 at equal intervals (i.e., 45° installation intervals). A driving unit such as a motor that rotates the rotary body 102 intermittently moves the rotary body 102 by the installation interval of the second holding parts 120. The rotation angle at which the rotary body 102 moves intermittently is defined as the rotation pitch of the second rotary conveying unit 12.

The second holding unit 120 is configured similarly to the first holding unit 110 shown in FIG. 2, and each has an adsorption collet and an advance/retract drive mechanism. Since the second holding unit 120 has the same configuration as the first holding unit 110, a detailed description is omitted here. The second holding unit 120 moves the adsorption collet provided at the tip in the advance/retract direction by the advance/retract movement mechanism.

(Position correction unit)
The position correction unit 20 is provided between the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the second rotary conveying unit 12 on the conveying path of the electronic components W, and corrects the position of the electronic components W received from the first holding unit 110 and transfers them to the second holding unit 120. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the position correction unit 20 has a suction holding unit 210 that transfers the electronic components W between the first holding unit 110 and the second holding unit 120, a rotary conveying table 220, and a parallel driving unit 230 that translates the rotary conveying table 220.

The suction holding unit 210 has an adsorption surface 211a for adsorbing and holding the electronic component W, and transfers the electronic component W to the first holding unit 110 at the first transfer position Q1, and transfers the electronic component W to the second holding unit 120 at the second transfer position Q2. As shown in the upper part of FIG. 1, the suction holding units 210 are provided at predetermined intervals on the upper surface 221a of the table 221 of the rotary conveying table 220 described later along the circumferential direction of a virtual circle centered on a rotation axis A0 parallel to the Z direction. For example, the position correction unit 20 shown in FIG. 1 has 18 suction holding units 210 provided on the table 221 at equal intervals (i.e., 20° installation intervals). The suction holding units 210 move along a circular orbit C0 centered on the rotation axis A0 as the rotary conveying table 220 rotates.

The suction holding unit 210 is composed of a suction collet 211 and a fixing member 213, as shown in FIG. 2, for example.

The suction collet 211 suctions and holds the electronic component W with the suction surface 211a at the tip. The suction collet 211 may be the same as the suction collet 111 of the first holding unit 110 and the suction collet of the second holding unit 120. That is, the suction collet 211 is a substantially conical member made of, for example, rubber, resin, metal, etc. The suction surface 211a is a flat surface. The suction collet 211 is arranged so that the suction surface 211a is perpendicular to the rotation axis A0.

A suction hole (not shown) that communicates with the internal passage of the suction holding part 210 is formed in the surface of the suction surface 211a. The internal passage of the suction holding part 210 communicates with the air pressure circuit of the negative pressure generator. The negative pressure generator generates negative pressure in the air pressure circuit, allowing the suction collet 211 to hold the electronic component W on the suction surface 211a. In addition, when the negative pressure generator releases the suction force caused by the negative pressure by breaking the vacuum or releasing it to the atmosphere, the suction collet 211 releases the electronic component W that was being held on the suction surface 211a.

The fixing member 213 is a member for fixing the suction collet 211 to the upper surface 221a of the table 221 of the rotary conveying table 220. The suction collet 211 is provided on the surface of the fixing member 213 opposite to the surface that contacts the upper surface 221a of the table 221. An internal passage that communicates with the suction hole of the suction collet 211 is formed inside the fixing member 213.

The rotary conveying table 220 moves the suction holding unit 210 along a circular orbit C0 centered on the rotation axis A0. As shown in FIG. 3, the rotary conveying table 220 has a table 221 on which the suction holding unit 210 is provided, and a rotation drive unit 223 that rotates the table 221 around the rotation axis A0. The top surface 221a of the table 221 is flat and perpendicular to the rotation axis A0. The rotation drive unit 223 is, for example, a motor, and rotates the table 221 around the rotation axis A0 together with the rotation axis A0. The rotation drive unit 223 moves the table 221 intermittently at the installation interval of the suction holding unit 210. The rotation angle by which the table 221 moves intermittently is defined as the rotation pitch of the rotary conveying table 220.

The parallel drive unit 230 translates the rotary conveyor table 220 in the XY plane. As shown in FIG. 3, the parallel drive unit 230 has a base 231 on which the rotary conveyor table 220 is placed, a first drive mechanism 233 that moves the base 231 in the X direction, and a second drive mechanism 235 that moves the base 231 in the Y direction.

The rotary drive unit 223 of the rotary conveying table 220 is fixed to the base 231. The first drive mechanism 233 has a pair of guides 233a parallel to the X direction fixed on the installation table B on which the position correction unit 20 is installed, a slide unit 233b that moves in the X direction along the guides 233a, and a top plate 233c that is fixed on the slide unit 233b and moves in the X direction together with the slide unit 233b. The second drive mechanism 235 has a pair of guides 235a parallel to the Y direction fixed on the top plate 233c of the first drive mechanism 233, and a slide unit 235b that moves in the Y direction along the guides 235a. The base 231 is fixed to the slide unit 235b of the second drive mechanism 235. The first drive mechanism 233 and the second drive mechanism 235 may be configured as electric actuators that move the slide units 233b and 235b by a motor (not shown).

The parallel drive unit 230 translates the rotary conveyor table 220 placed on the base 231 in the XY plane using the first drive mechanism 233 and the second drive mechanism 235. This adjusts the planar position of the electronic component W that is adsorbed and held by the adsorption holding unit 210 of the rotary conveyor table 220.

The position correction unit 20 may also have an imaging unit 250 that captures an image for checking the position of the electronic component W to be transported. The imaging unit 250 is installed above the transport path of the electronic component W between the first transfer position Q1 and the second transfer position Q2, for example, as shown in the upper side of FIG. 1 and FIG. 3. The imaging unit 250 may be, for example, a camera equipped with an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor. The image captured by the imaging unit 250 is output to the control unit 70 that controls the transport device 1. The control unit 70, for example, controls the parallel drive unit 230 based on the image captured by the imaging unit 250 to adjust the planar position of the electronic component W.

The conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 1 first uses the first rotary conveying unit 11 to adsorb and hold electronic components W attached to, for example, a wafer sheet S one by one, and conveys them to the position correction unit 20. The first rotary conveying unit 11 rotates the rotating body 101 in one direction (for example, counterclockwise when viewed from the side as shown in the lower part of FIG. 1), and adsorbs and holds one electronic component W from the wafer sheet S by the first holding unit 110 at the pick-up position Q0.

For example, at the pickup position Q0, an ejection device 30 is installed on the opposite side of the wafer sheet S from the first rotary conveying unit 11, which ejects the electronic components W attached to the wafer sheet S toward the first rotary conveying unit 11. The ejection device 30 includes a pin 35 that ejects the electronic components W from the rear surface of the wafer sheet S, and a motor (not shown) that moves the pin 35 in the ejection direction. The ejection direction is perpendicular to the suction surface 111a of the first holding unit 110 at the pickup position Q0. The wafer sheet S is also installed perpendicular to the ejection direction. In the conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 1, the ejection direction is the horizontal direction (X direction).

The pushing device 30 operates the pin 35 to push the electronic component W to be transported from the back side of the wafer sheet S toward the first holding unit 110 when the first holding unit 110 of the first rotating conveying unit 11 is located at the pick-up position Q0. The first holding unit 110 suctions and holds the protruding electronic component W on the suction surface 111a. The suction surface 111a of the first holding unit 110 and the wafer sheet S are parallel to each other at the pick-up position Q0, and the pin 35 protrudes the electronic component W from a direction perpendicular to these, so that the electronic component W can be sucked onto the suction surface 111a of the first holding unit 110.

The first holding unit 110 holding the electronic component W moves in a vertical plane along the circular orbit C1 due to the rotation of the rotor 101. The first holding unit 110 holding the electronic component W transfers the electronic component W to the suction holding unit 210 of the position correction unit 20 at the first transfer position Q1. At the first transfer position Q1, the suction surface 111a of the first holding unit 110 and the suction surface 211a of the position correction unit 20 are parallel. This allows the suction surface 211a of the position correction unit 20 to hold the electronic component W received from the first holding unit 110 in the correct posture without tilting.

The electronic component W attached to the wafer sheet S has a flat surface opposite the bumps (electrodes) in contact with the wafer sheet S. Therefore, the first holding unit 110 adsorbs and holds the bump side surface on the adsorption surface 111a, and the surface opposite the bumps faces the outside. Therefore, when the first holding unit 110 and the adsorption holding unit 210 of the position correction unit 20 transfer the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1, the adsorption holding unit 210 adsorbs and holds the flat surface opposite the bumps of the electronic component W. Therefore, even if the size of the electronic component is small, the bumps of the electronic component will not enter the suction holes of the adsorption surface 211a, and the posture of the electronic component W is corrected when it is held on the adsorption surface 211a of the adsorption holding unit 210. When the suction surface 111a of the first holding part 110 suctions and holds the electronic component W at the pickup position Q0, even if the bumps enter the suction holes and cause the electronic component W to tilt, at the first transfer position Q1, the suction holding part 210 holds the flat surface of the electronic component W opposite the bumps with the suction surface 211a, so the tilt that has occurred is corrected.

In this way, the electronic component W that is sucked and held on the suction surface 211a of the suction holding unit 210 is in the correct posture without tilt. Because the posture of the electronic component W is corrected at the first transfer position Q1, if the suction surface 211a of the suction holding unit 210 and the suction surface of the second holding unit 120 are parallel at the second transfer position Q2, the electronic component W can be transferred between them while maintaining the correct posture of the electronic component W.

The suction holding unit 210, which has suctioned and held the electronic component W, moves in the horizontal plane along the circular orbit C0 from the first transfer position Q1 to the second transfer position Q2 by the rotation of the table 221. The suction holding unit 210, which has held the electronic component W, transfers the electronic component W to the second holding unit 120 of the second rotating conveying unit 12 at the second transfer position Q2. At the second transfer position Q2, the suction surface of the second holding unit 120 and the suction surface 211a of the position correction unit 20 are parallel. This allows the suction surface of the second holding unit 120 to suction and hold the electronic component W in the correct position without tilting it from the suction surface 211a of the position correction unit 20.

The second holding section 120 holding the electronic component W moves in a vertical plane along the circular orbit C2 due to the rotation of the rotor 102. The second holding section 120 holding the electronic component W transports the electronic component W to a processing device that performs the next process, and passes the electronic component W to the processing device. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the second rotating conveying section 12 may further pass the electronic component W to a third rotating conveying section 13, and the third rotating conveying section 13 may then transport the electronic component W to a taping unit 50 that contains a carrier tape (not shown).

The third rotary conveying unit 13 is arranged in parallel with the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the second rotary conveying unit 12 along the X direction as shown in the upper part of FIG. 1, and rotates about a rotation axis A3 parallel to the Y direction as shown in the lower part of FIG. 1. The third rotary conveying unit 13 can be configured in the same manner as the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the second rotary conveying unit 12.

That is, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 1, the third rotary conveying unit 13 includes a rotating body 103 that rotates together with a rotation axis A3 parallel to the Y direction, and a plurality of third holding units 130 that are provided radially from the rotating body 103 in a ZX plane perpendicular to the Y direction. The plurality of third holding units 130 are provided on the rotating body 103 at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of a virtual circle centered on the rotation axis A3. The third holding units 130 are configured similarly to the first holding unit 110 shown in FIG. 2, and each has an adsorption collet and an advance/retract drive mechanism. The third holding units 130 move the adsorption collet provided at the tip in the advance/retract direction by the advance/retract movement mechanism.

1, the third rotating conveying unit 13 transfers the electronic component W to and from the second rotating conveying unit 12 at a third transfer position Q3 where the second holding unit 120 and the third holding unit 130 correspond to the X direction. At the third transfer position Q3, the suction surface of the second holding unit 120 and the suction surface of the third holding unit 130 are parallel. When the second holding unit 120, which is holding the electronic component W by suction, is positioned at the third transfer position Q3, it moves the second holding unit 120 outward to bring the electronic component W closer to the suction surface of the third holding unit 130. The third holding unit 130 suctions and holds the electronic component W brought closer with its suction surface, and receives the electronic component W from the second holding unit 120.

The third holding section 130 holding the electronic component W moves along the circular orbit C3 by the rotation of the rotor 103 in a vertical plane from the third transfer position Q3 to a supply position Q4 where the electronic component W is supplied to the taping unit 50. The taping unit 50 is installed, for example, below the third rotary transport section 13, and at the supply position Q4, the suction surface of the third holding section 130 and the taping unit 50 face each other in the vertical direction (Z direction). When the third holding section 130 holding the electronic component W is positioned at the supply position Q4, it releases the electronic component W that it has been suction-holding. The released electronic component W is accommodated in a pocket (not shown) of the carrier tape in the taping unit 50.

The configuration of the conveying device 1 has been described above.

[2. motion]
The conveying device 1 conveys the electronic component W to be conveyed by coordinating the timing of the operation of the first rotary conveying unit 11, the operation of the second rotary conveying unit 12, and the operation of the position correction unit 20. In the conveying device 1 according to the embodiment, a position correction unit 20 for correcting a planar position of the electronic component W is provided between the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the second rotary conveying unit 12 on the conveying path of the electronic component W. By providing the conveying device 1, the alignment process of the electronic components W is performed during the conveying process of the electronic components W. This reduces the time required for the alignment process of the electronic components W. The operation of the conveying device 1 will be described below.

[2-1. Operation pattern 1]
First, referring to Fig. 4, a case where the transfer of the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1 and the transfer of the electronic component W at the second transfer position Q2 are performed at the same timing (operation pattern 1) will be described as an example of an operation pattern of the conveying device 1. Fig. 4 is a timing chart showing the operation of the conveying device 1 in operation pattern 1.

Figure 4 shows the operation of the first rotary conveying unit 11, which is a rotational movement operation and an advance/retract movement along a circular orbit C1, and the operation of the second rotary conveying unit 12, which is a rotational movement operation and an advance/retract movement along a circular orbit C2. Figure 4 also shows the operation of the position correction unit 20, which is a rotational movement operation that moves the suction holding unit 210 along the circular orbit C0 and a parallel movement operation of the parallel drive unit 230. In Figure 4, the horizontal axis shows time t, and the vertical axis shows the operating speed V. When the operating speed V is 0, the operation is stopped, and when it exceeds 0, it indicates that the operation is in progress. Note that the parallel movement operation of the position correction unit 20 is shown collectively as the position correction operation in the X direction and the position correction operation in the Y direction.

In operation pattern 1, the conveying device 1 operates by synchronizing the rotational pitch of the first rotary conveying unit 11, the rotational pitch of the second rotary conveying unit 12, and the rotational pitch of the rotary conveying table 220 of the position correction unit 20.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the first rotary conveying unit 11 rotates the rotating body 101 and moves the first holding unit 110 by one pitch, at the same timing, the rotary conveying table 220 of the position correction unit 20 moves by one pitch, and the second holding unit 120 of the second rotary conveying unit 12 also moves by one pitch. At this time, the position correction unit 20 performs a parallel movement operation from when the rotary movement operation of the position correction unit 20 starts until it stops.

In this parallel movement operation, the planar position of the electronic component W transferred from the suction holding unit 210 of the position correction unit 20 to the second holding unit 120 at the second transfer position Q2 is corrected. The amount of correction in the X and Y directions from the origin position of the electronic component W can be obtained, for example, by comparing the position of the electronic component W in the image captured by the imaging unit 250 with the position where the electronic component W would appear if there was no deviation from the origin position. The control unit 70 calculates the amount of correction in the X and Y directions from the origin position of the electronic component W, and translates the rotary conveying table 220 during the period from when the rotary movement operation of the rotary conveying table 220 by the position correction unit 20 starts to when it stops, thereby correcting the planar position of the electronic component W at the second transfer position Q2.

When the rotational movement operation of the first rotary conveying unit 11, the rotational movement operation of the second rotary conveying unit 12, and the rotational movement operation of the position correction unit 20 and the parallel movement operation of the position correction unit 20 are completed, the electronic component W is transferred at the first transfer position Q1 and the second transfer position Q2.

In the forward/backward movement at the first transfer position Q1, first, the suction collet 111 of the first holder 110, which has adsorbed and held the electronic component W, is moved closer to the suction holding section 210 of the position correction section 20, and the suction collet 211 of the suction holding section 210 adsorbs and holds the electronic component W. After that, the suction collet 111 releases the suction and holding of the electronic component W and retreats to its original position. Similarly, in the forward/backward movement at the second transfer position Q2, first, the suction collet of the second holder 120 is moved closer to the suction holding section 210 of the position correction section 20, and the suction and holding section 210 adsorbs and holds the electronic component W, the planar position of which has been corrected by the translation operation of the position correction section 20. After that, the suction and holding of the electronic component W by the suction holding section 210 is released, and the second holder 120, which has adsorbed and held the electronic component W by the suction collet, retreats to its original position.

After the forward and backward movements of the first holding unit 110 and the second holding unit 120 are completed, the position correction unit 20 performs a parallel movement operation. In this parallel movement operation, the rotary conveying table 220, which has been moved to correct the planar position of the electronic component W transferred to the second holding unit 120 at the second transfer position Q2, is moved to the origin position. This positions the rotary conveying table 220 at the initial position for correcting the planar position of the electronic component W to be transferred next between the suction holding unit 210 and the second holding unit 120 at the second transfer position Q2. When this parallel movement operation is completed, the operation at one pitch is completed.

In this way, by correcting the planar position of the electronic component W during the rotation pitch of the rotary conveying table 220 of the position correction unit 20, the alignment process of the electronic component W can be performed efficiently.

[2-2. Operation pattern 2]
Next, with reference to Fig. 5, a case where the transfer of the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1 and the transfer of the electronic component W at the second transfer position Q2 are performed at different timings (operation pattern 2) will be described as an example of an operation pattern of the transport device 1. Fig. 5 is a timing chart showing the operation of the transport device 1 in operation pattern 2.

As with FIG. 4, FIG. 5 shows the operation of the first rotary conveying unit 11 as a rotational movement operation and an advance/retract movement along a circular orbit C1, and the operation of the second rotary conveying unit 12 as a rotational movement operation and an advance/retract movement along a circular orbit C2. Also, FIG. 5 shows the operation of the position correction unit 20 as a rotational movement operation that moves the suction holding unit 210 along the circular orbit C0 and a parallel movement operation by the parallel drive unit 230.

In operation pattern 2, the conveying device 1 shifts the rotation pitch of the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the rotation pitch of the second rotary conveying unit 12 by 1/2 pitch, shifting the timing of the transfer of the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1 and the timing of the transfer of the electronic component W at the second transfer position Q2. The rotary conveying table 220 of the position correction unit 20 operates in synchronization with the rotary movement operation of the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the rotary movement operation of the second rotary conveying unit 12.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the first rotary conveying unit 11 rotates the rotating body 101 to move the first holding unit 110 by one pitch, the rotary conveying table 220 of the position correction unit 20 is moved by one pitch at the same timing. At this time, the position correction unit 20 performs a translation operation between the start and stop of the rotary movement operation of the position correction unit 20. In this translation operation, the rotary conveying table 220, which was moved to correct the planar position of the electronic component W delivered to the second holding unit 120 at the second transfer position Q2 at the previous timing, is moved to the origin position. As a result, the rotary conveying table 220 is positioned at the initial position for correcting the planar position of the electronic component W to be delivered between the suction holding unit 210 and the second holding unit 120 at the second transfer position Q2 next. The position correction unit 20 translates the rotary conveying table 220 to the origin position between the start and stop of the rotary movement operation of the rotary conveying table 220.

When the rotational movement operation of the first rotary conveying unit 11, the rotational movement operation of the position correction unit 20, and the parallel movement operation of the position correction unit 20 are completed, the electronic component W is transferred at the first transfer position Q1. As with operation pattern 1, the forward and backward movement at the first transfer position Q1 is performed by first moving the suction collet 111 of the first holding unit 110, which has adsorbed and held the electronic component W, closer to the suction holding unit 210 of the position correction unit 20, and causing the suction collet 211 of the suction holding unit 210 to adsorb and hold the electronic component W. Thereafter, the suction collet 111 releases the suction and holding of the electronic component W and retreats to its original position.

After the first holding unit 110 has completed its forward and backward movement, the second rotary conveying unit 12 rotates the rotating body 102 to move the second holding unit 120 by one pitch. At the same timing as the rotary movement operation of the second rotary conveying unit 12, the rotary conveying table 220 of the position correction unit 20 moves by one pitch. At this time, a parallel movement operation of the position correction unit 20 is performed between the start and stop of the rotary movement operation of the position correction unit 20. In this parallel movement operation, the planar position of the electronic component W to be transferred from the suction holding unit 210 of the position correction unit 20 to the second holding unit 120 at the second transfer position Q2 is corrected. In this parallel movement operation, similar to operation pattern 1, the control unit 70 calculates the amount of correction in the X and Y directions from the origin position of the electronic component W using the image captured by the imaging unit 250, and translates the rotary conveying table 220 between the start and end of the rotary movement operation of the rotary conveying table 220 by the position correction unit 20, thereby correcting the planar position of the electronic component W at the second transfer position Q2.

When the rotational movement operation of the second rotary conveying unit 12, the rotational movement operation of the position correction unit 20, and the parallel movement operation of the position correction unit 20 are completed, the electronic component W is transferred at the second transfer position Q2. As with operation pattern 1, the forward and backward movement at the second transfer position Q2 is performed by first moving the suction collet of the second holding unit 120 closer to the suction holding unit 210 of the position correction unit 20, and then suctioning and holding the electronic component W, whose planar position has been corrected by the parallel movement operation of the position correction unit 20, which is held by the suction holding unit 210. After that, the suction holding of the electronic component W by the suction holding unit 210 is released, and the second holding unit 120, which has suctioned and held the electronic component W by the suction collet, is retreated to its original position.

When the second holding unit 120 has finished moving forward and backward, the transfer of the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1 and the transfer of the electronic component W at the second transfer position Q2 are each completed once. In operation pattern 2, the above operations are repeated.

In this way, even in operation pattern 2, the correction of the planar position of the electronic component W is performed during the rotation pitch of the rotary conveying table 220 of the position correction unit 20, so that the alignment process of the electronic component W can be performed efficiently. In operation pattern 2, by shifting the timing of the transfer of the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1 from the timing of the transfer of the electronic component W at the second transfer position Q2, a parallel movement operation is performed to translate the rotary conveying table 220 to position it at the origin position during the rotational movement of the first rotary conveying unit 11. This allows the parallel movement operation of the position correction unit 20 to be performed efficiently, and makes it possible to speed up the transport of the electronic component W by the transport device 1.

3. Modifications
[3-1. Changing the layout of components]
In the transport device 1 according to the present invention, the arrangement of the components of the transport device 1 including the first rotary transport unit 11, the second rotary transport unit 12, and the position correction unit 20 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 1. For example, the transport device 1 may be configured as shown in Figs. 6 to 9.

(Variation 1)
The conveying device 1 shown in Fig. 6 is different from the conveying device 1 shown in Fig. 1 in the arrangement of the third rotary conveying unit 13, and the third rotary conveying unit 13 is provided so that the rotation axis A3 is along the Z direction. The third rotary conveying unit 13 receives the electronic component W from the second holding unit 120 holding the electronic component W at the third transfer position Q3 by the third holding unit 130, and conveys the electronic component W along the circular orbit C3. Then, the third holding unit 130 stores the conveyed electronic component W in the wafer sheet S, for example, at a supply position Q4 facing the wafer sheet S on the storage side. In this way, the conveying device 1 may be configured by changing the arrangement direction of the third rotary conveying unit 13.

(Variation 2)
The conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 7 is different from the conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 1 in the arrangement of the first rotary conveying unit 11, and the first rotary conveying unit 11 is arranged in a state rotated 90° with respect to the rotation axis A0 of the position correction unit 20. The rotation axis A1 of the first rotary conveying unit 11 is parallel to the X direction. When the conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 7 is viewed in a plan view to see the conveying path of the electronic component W, the electronic component W is moved along the Y direction by the first rotary conveying unit 11, then moved 270° in the horizontal plane (XY plane) by the position correction unit 20, and then moved along the X direction by the second rotary conveying unit 12. In this way, the conveying direction of the electronic component W can be changed by changing the positions of the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the second rotary conveying unit 12 with respect to the rotation axis A0 of the position correction unit 20.

In the conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 7, the first rotary conveying section 11 and the second rotary conveying section 12 are arranged at an angle of 90° in plan view. Therefore, if the suction holding sections 210 are provided at an installation interval of 20° on the rotary conveying table 220, the timing of the transfer of the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1 and the timing of the transfer of the electronic component W at the second transfer position Q2 cannot be made to coincide. In such a case, the conveying device 1 can be operated by shifting the timing of the transfer of the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1 and the timing of the transfer of the electronic component W at the second transfer position Q2, as in the operation pattern 2 shown in FIG. 5.

(Variation 3)
In the conveying device 1 shown in Figure 1, the suction holding unit 210 of the position correction unit 20 is arranged so that the suction surface 211a is always parallel to the horizontal plane (XY plane), but the suction surface 211a only needs to be parallel to the suction surface of the opposing second holding unit 120 at the second transfer position Q2.

As described above, when the first holding unit 110 and the suction holding unit 210 of the position correction unit 20 transfer the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1, the suction holding unit 210 suctions and holds the surface of the electronic component W opposite to the bumps. At this time, the bumps do not enter the suction holes of the suction surface 211a, so the posture of the electronic component W is corrected when it is held on the suction surface 211a of the suction holding unit 210. In other words, the electronic component W suctioned and held on the suction surface 211a of the suction holding unit is in a correct posture without tilt. Therefore, if the suction surface 211a of the suction holding unit 210 and the suction surface of the second holding unit 120 are parallel at the second transfer position Q2, the electronic component W can be transferred between them while maintaining the correct posture of the electronic component W.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the position correction unit 20 may be installed at an angle of 45° with respect to the horizontal plane (XY plane), so that the suction surface 111a of the first holding unit 110 and the suction surface 211a of the suction holding unit 210 are parallel to the horizontal direction at the first transfer position Q1, and the suction surface of the second holding unit 120 and the suction surface 211a of the suction holding unit 210 are parallel to the vertical direction at the second transfer position Q2. In this case, the posture of the electronic component W is corrected when the electronic component W is held on the suction surface 211a of the suction holding unit 210 at the first transfer position Q1. Then, the electronic component W moved by the rotation of the rotary conveyor table 220 is suction-held on the suction surface of the second holding unit 120 at the second transfer position Q2. At the second transfer position Q2, the suction surface of the second holding part 120 and the suction surface 211a of the suction holding part 210 are parallel, so that the electronic component W can be transferred while maintaining the correct posture of the electronic component W.

9, the position correction unit 20 may be installed at an angle of 45° with respect to the horizontal plane (XY plane), so that the suction surface 111a of the first holding unit 110 and the suction surface 211a of the suction holding unit 210 are parallel to the vertical direction at the first transfer position Q1, and the suction surface of the second holding unit 120 and the suction surface 211a of the suction holding unit 210 are parallel to the horizontal direction at the second transfer position Q2. In this case, too, the posture of the electronic component W is corrected when the electronic component W is held on the suction surface 211a of the suction holding unit 210 at the first transfer position Q1. Then, the electronic component W moved by the rotation of the rotary conveyor table 220 is suction-held on the suction surface of the second holding unit 120 at the second transfer position Q2. At the second transfer position Q2, the suction surface of the second holding part 120 and the suction surface 211a of the suction holding part 210 are parallel, so that the electronic component W can be transferred while maintaining the correct posture of the electronic component W.

[3-2. Position correction of electronic components in the rotary conveyor]
Furthermore, in the conveying device 1 according to the present invention, instead of providing the position correction unit 20, the second rotary conveying unit 12 between the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the third rotary conveying unit 13 may be provided with a function of correcting the position of the electronic component W. That is, the second rotary conveying unit 12 is made to function as the position correction unit 20 in the above-mentioned embodiment.

Figures 10 and 11 show an example of the configuration of a conveying device 1 according to the present invention, in which a position correction mechanism 300 that corrects the position of electronic components W is provided in the second rotary conveying section 12. In Figure 10, the upper side shows a plan view of the conveying device 1, and the lower side shows a side view of the conveying device 1. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing the second rotary conveying section 12 and the position correction mechanism 300, and shows the state shown in the upper part of Figure 10 as viewed from the X direction.

The conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 10 has a first rotary conveying unit 11, a second rotary conveying unit 12, and a third rotary conveying unit 13. The first rotary conveying unit 11, the second rotary conveying unit 12, and the third rotary conveying unit 13 are arranged in parallel along the X direction as shown in the upper part of FIG. 10, and rotate around the rotation axes A1, A2, and A3 of the drive units 61, 62, and 63 that are parallel to the Y direction as shown in the lower part of FIG. 10. The configurations of the first rotary conveying unit 11, the second rotary conveying unit 12, and the third rotary conveying unit 13 are the same as those of the conveying device 1 in FIG. 1.

The second rotary conveying unit 12 in this modified example is equipped with a position correction mechanism 300 to correct the position of the electronic component W received from the first holding unit 110 of the first rotary conveying unit 11 and transfer it to the third holding unit 130 of the third rotary conveying unit 13. The position correction mechanism 300 is a mechanism for translating the second rotary conveying unit 12. The translation of the second rotary conveying unit 12 by the position correction mechanism 300 is performed in a plane parallel to the suction surface of the second holding unit 120 at the first transfer position Q1 where the electronic component W is transferred from the first holding unit 110 to the second holding unit 120, or at the second transfer position Q2 where the electronic component W is transferred from the second holding unit 120 to the third holding unit 130.

For example, in the conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 10, the suction surface of the second holding unit 120 is parallel to the YZ plane at the first transfer position Q1 and the second transfer position Q2. Therefore, the position correction mechanism 300 shown in FIG. 11 has a first drive unit 310 that moves the second rotating conveying unit 12 in the Y direction, which is a direction parallel to the rotation axis, and a second drive unit 320 that moves the second rotating conveying unit 12 in the Z direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis.

The second rotary conveying unit 12 is attached to a support base 305 on which the second rotary conveying unit 12 is installed via a motor support plate 62a, a bracket 72, and a position correction mechanism 300. The motor support plate 62a is fixed to a drive unit 62 such as a motor that rotates the rotating body 102, and moves parallel to the YZ plane together with the second rotary conveying unit 12. The bracket 72 is an L-shaped member consisting of a first surface 72a parallel to the XY plane and a second surface 72b parallel to the ZX plane. The bracket 72 moves in the Y direction together with the second rotary conveying unit 12.

The first drive unit 310 is fixed to the support base 305. The first drive unit 310 has a motor 311, a ball screw 313, a pair of guides 315, and slide units 317a and 317b. The motor 311 is fixed to the support base 305 using a motor bracket 312. The ball screw 313 converts the rotational motion of the motor 311 into linear motion. The pair of guides 315 are fixed on the support base 305 in a state parallel to the Y direction. The slide units 317a and 317b move in the Y direction along the pair of guides 315 by the linear motion of the ball screw 313.

The first surface 72a of the bracket 72 is fixed to the slide parts 317a and 317b. Therefore, the bracket 72 moves in the Y direction together with the slide parts 317a and 317b. As the bracket 72 moves in the Y direction, the second rotary conveying part 12 supported by the bracket 72 via the motor support plate 62a and the second drive part 320 described later also moves in the Y direction.

The second drive unit 320 is fixed to the bracket 72. The second drive unit 320 has a motor 321, a ball screw 323, a pair of guides 325, and slide units 327a, 327b. The motor 321 is fixed to the first surface 72a of the bracket 72 using a motor bracket 322. The ball screw 323 converts the rotational motion of the motor 321 into linear motion. The pair of guides 325 are fixed to the second surface 72b of the bracket 72 in a state parallel to the Z direction. The slide units 327a, 327b move in the Z direction along the pair of guides 325 due to the linear motion of the ball screw 323.

A motor support plate 62a is fixed to the slide portions 327a and 327b, and moves in the Z direction together with the slide portions 327a and 327b. Here, a through hole large enough to allow the drive unit 62 to pass through is provided in the second surface 72b of the bracket 72, and the drive unit 62 is not directly fixed to the bracket 72. Therefore, the motor support plate 62a can move in the Z direction relative to the bracket 72 together with the slide portions 327a and 327b. As the motor support plate 62a moves in the Z direction, the second rotary conveying unit 12 fixed to the motor support plate 62a also moves in the Z direction.

The position correction mechanism 300 translates the second rotary conveyor 12 in the YZ plane by the first drive unit 310 and the second drive unit 320. This adjusts the planar position of the electronic component W that is sucked and held by the second holder 120 of the second drive unit 320. The second rotary conveyor 12 may be provided with an imaging unit (not shown) that captures an image for confirming the position of the electronic component W to be conveyed on the conveying path of the electronic component W between the first transfer position Q1 and the second transfer position Q2. This allows, for example, a control unit (not shown) that controls the conveying device 1 to control the position correction mechanism 300 based on the image captured by the imaging unit to adjust the planar position of the electronic component W.

In the conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 10, the first rotary conveying unit 11 first adsorbs and holds the electronic components W attached to, for example, a wafer sheet S one by one, and conveys them to the second rotary conveying unit 12. The first rotary conveying unit 11 rotates the rotating body 101 in one direction (for example, counterclockwise when viewed from the side as shown in the lower part of FIG. 10), and adsorbs and holds one electronic component W from the wafer sheet S by the first holding unit 110 at the pick-up position Q0. The electronic component W may be picked up, for example, by protruding the electronic component W attached to the wafer sheet S toward the first rotary conveying unit 11 side by the protruding device 30, and adsorbing it to the adsorption surface 111a of the first holding unit 110, as in the conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 10, the protruding direction is horizontal (X direction).

The first holding unit 110 holding the electronic component W moves in a vertical plane along the circular orbit C1 due to the rotation of the rotating body 101. The first holding unit 110 holding the electronic component W transfers the electronic component W to the second holding unit 120 of the second rotary conveying unit 12 at the first transfer position Q1. At the first transfer position Q1, the suction surface 111a of the first holding unit 110 and the suction surface 121a of the second holding unit 120 are parallel. This allows the suction surface 121a of the second holding unit 120 to hold the electronic component W received from the first holding unit 110 in the correct position without tilting.

The electronic component W attached to the wafer sheet S has a flat surface opposite the bumps (electrodes) in contact with the wafer sheet S. Therefore, the first holding unit 110 adsorbs and holds the bump side surface on the suction surface 111a, and the surface opposite the bumps faces the outside. Therefore, when the first holding unit 110 and the second holding unit 120 transfer the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1, the second holding unit 120 adsorbs and holds the flat surface opposite the bumps of the electronic component W. Therefore, even if the size of the electronic component is small, the bumps of the electronic component will not enter the suction holes of the suction surface 121a, and the posture of the electronic component W is corrected when it is held on the suction surface 121a of the second holding unit 120. When the suction surface 111a of the first holding part 110 suctions and holds the electronic component W at the pickup position Q0, even if the bumps enter the suction holes and cause the electronic component W to tilt, at the first transfer position Q1, the second holding part 120 holds the flat surface of the electronic component W opposite the bumps with the suction surface 121a, so the tilt that has occurred is corrected.

In this way, the electronic component W that is sucked and held on the suction surface 121a of the second holding unit 120 is in the correct posture without tilt. Because the posture of the electronic component W is corrected at the first transfer position Q1, if the suction surface 121a of the second holding unit 120 and the suction surface 131a of the third holding unit 130 are parallel at the second transfer position Q2, the electronic component W can be transferred between them while maintaining the correct posture of the electronic component W.

The second holding unit 120 holding the electronic component W moves in the vertical plane along the circular orbit C2 from the first transfer position Q1 to the second transfer position Q2 by the rotation of the rotor 102. While the second holding unit 120 is moving, the position correction mechanism 300 translates the second rotating conveying unit 12 to correct the planar position of the electronic component W that is adsorbed and held by the second holding unit 120. Then, the second holding unit 120 holding the electronic component W transfers the electronic component W to the third holding unit 130 of the third rotating conveying unit 13 at the second transfer position Q2.

At the second transfer position Q2, the suction surface 121a of the second holding section 120 and the suction surface 131a of the third holding section 130 are parallel. This allows the suction surface 131a of the third holding section 130 to suction and hold the electronic component W in the correct position without tilting it from the suction surface 121a of the second holding section 120. The third rotating transport section 13 transports the electronic component W, for example, to a taping unit 50 that contains a carrier tape (not shown), and releases the electronic component W that was suctioned and held at the supply position Q4.

In the conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the second rotating conveying unit 12 functions as the position correction unit 20 in the above embodiment, and the planar position of the electronic component W that is sucked and held in the second rotating conveying unit 12 is corrected by the position correction mechanism 300. In this conveying device 1, as in the conveying device 1 in the above embodiment, the posture of the electronic component W is corrected when the electronic component W is held on the suction surface 121a of the second holding unit 120 at the first transfer position Q1. Then, the electronic component W moved by the rotation of the rotating body 102 of the second rotating conveying unit 12 is sucked and held on the suction surface 131a of the third holding unit 130 at the second transfer position Q2. Since the suction surface 121a of the second holding unit 120 and the suction surface 131a of the third holding unit 130 are parallel to each other at the second transfer position Q2, the electronic component W can be transferred while maintaining the correct posture of the electronic component W.

[4. Summary]
The configuration and operation of the conveying device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention have been described above. The conveying device 1 according to this embodiment includes a position correction unit 20 between the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the second rotary conveying unit 12 on the conveying path of the electronic component W, which corrects the position of the electronic component W received from the first holding unit 110 and transfers it to the second holding unit 120. The position correction unit 20 translates the rotary conveying table 220 by the parallel driving unit 230 while the rotary conveying table 220 is rotating, thereby correcting the planar position of the electronic component W adsorbed and held by the suction holding unit 210. This makes it possible to efficiently perform the alignment process of the electronic component W. In addition, at the second transfer position Q2, the suction surface 211a of the opposing suction holding unit 210 and the suction surface of the second holding unit 120 are made parallel to each other. This makes it possible to transfer the electronic component W while maintaining the correct posture of the electronic component W that was corrected when the suction holding unit 210 adsorbed the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1.

The above describes in detail preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can conceive of various modified or revised examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the conveying device corrects the planar position of the electronic component being conveyed, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the conveying device may perform rotational correction in addition to correcting the planar position of the electronic component being conveyed. The rotational correction of the electronic component can be performed by rotating the suction collet that suctions and holds the electronic component around an axis perpendicular to the suction surface. The rotational correction of the electronic component may be performed by either the first rotating conveying unit, the second rotating conveying unit, or the position correction unit.

LIST OF SYMBOLS 1 Conveying device 11 First rotary conveying section 12 Second rotary conveying section 13 Third rotary conveying section 20 Position correction section 30 Push-out device 35 Pin 50 Taping unit 70 Control section 101, 102, 103 Rotating body 110 First holding section 111 Adsorption collet 111a, 121a, 131a Adsorption surface 112 Advance/retreat drive mechanism 113 Shaft 114 Connection member 120 Second holding section 130 Third holding section 210 Adsorption holding section 211 Adsorption collet 211a Adsorption surface 213 Fixed member 220 Rotary conveying table 221 Table 223 Rotation drive section 230 Parallel drive section 231 Base 233 First drive mechanism 233a, 235a Guide 233b, 235b Slide section 233c Top plate 235 Second driving mechanism 250 Imaging section Q0 Pickup position Q1 First transfer position Q2 Second transfer position Q3 Third transfer position Q4 Supply position S Wafer sheet W Electronic component

Claims (4)

a first rotary conveying unit having a first holding unit that sucks and holds an electronic component by a sucking surface, the first holding unit moving along a circular orbit;
a second rotary conveying unit having a second holding unit that suctions and holds the electronic component by a suction surface, the second holding unit moving along a circular orbit;
a position correction unit that is provided between the first rotary conveyor unit and the second rotary conveyor unit on a conveying path of the electronic components, and that corrects a position of the electronic components received from the first holding unit and transfers the electronic components to the second holding unit;
Equipped with
The position correction unit is
a suction holding unit having a suction surface for suction-holding the electronic component, the suction holding unit transferring the electronic component to and from the first holding unit at a first transfer position and transferring the electronic component to and from the second holding unit at a second transfer position;
a rotary conveying table on which the suction holding unit is provided and which moves the suction holding unit along a circular orbit centered on a rotation axis;
a parallel drive unit that translates the rotary conveying table to correct a planar position of the electronic component that is sucked and held by the sucking and holding unit;
having
A conveying device, wherein at the second transfer position, an adsorption surface of the opposing adsorption holding portion and an adsorption surface of the second holding portion are parallel to each other. the rotary conveying table moves intermittently at a predetermined rotational pitch while stopping at the first transfer position and the second transfer position;
2. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the parallel drive section translates the rotary conveying table while the rotary conveying table is rotating, thereby correcting a planar position of the electronic component sucked and held by the suction holding section. The conveying device according to claim 2, wherein the timing of transferring the electronic component from the first holding unit to the suction holding unit at the first transfer position coincides with the timing of transferring the electronic component from the suction holding unit to the second holding unit at the second transfer position. 3. The conveying device according to claim 2, wherein a timing of transferring an electronic component from the first holding unit to the suction holding unit at the first transfer position is different from a timing of transferring an electronic component from the suction holding unit to the second holding unit at the second transfer position.

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