JPH0243623Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (a) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a device that performs pick-and-place work on small, lightweight parts using a vacuum chuck. It is used for assembling various articles.

(b) Conventional technology Vacuum chucks are often used for pick-and-place of small and lightweight parts. This vacuum chuck is often combined with a centering claw. When a vacuum chuck picks up parts lined up on a tray or the like, it is not certain which part of the parts the chuck sticks to, so the parts are shifted and centered. Many devices for chip-shaped electronic components that require accurate placement are provided with such centering claws. An example of this can be found in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 107897/1983.

(c) Problems that the invention aims to solve In previous devices, centering was performed while the parts were still attached to the vacuum chuck. Therefore, the parts and vacuum chuck will rub against each other. There is no problem with things like chip-shaped electronic parts being rubbed a little, but you want to avoid this for parts that are easily damaged or whose appearance is a concern.

The present invention was developed in view of this point.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems In the present invention, the vacuum chuck is moved up and down by passing between two pairs of centering claws that open and close in directions perpendicular to each other. Each pair of centering pawls defines a hook portion on opposing surfaces. All hooks are on the same level. The vacuum chuck protrudes downward from the centering claw and picks up the parts by suction.
After raising the part to a level above the hook,
The suction is cut off, the holding of the part is left to the centering claw, and after the centering is completed, the suction of the part is resumed.

(E) Effect Since centering is performed with the parts separated from the vacuum chuck, there is no possibility of strong rubbing between the parts and the vacuum chuck. Therefore, damage to parts can be prevented.

(f) Example In the figure, 1 indicates a component, and 2 indicates a tray for supplying the component 1. Component 1 is a solar cell formed by forming an amorphous silicon film on the lower surface of a glass substrate, and there is a need to prevent scratches from being caused by other objects on the surface of the glass substrate. 1
0 is a mounting head that places part 1 at the target position.
The mounting head 10 is supported as follows. That is, an elevator 12 that is moved up and down by an air cylinder 13 is attached to the tip of a robot arm 11 shown in FIG. 6, and a mounting head 10 is attached to this elevator 12. The robot arm 11 controls movement in the horizontal plane, and the air cylinder 13 controls movement in the vertical direction.

The configuration of the mounting head 10 is as follows. 14 is a vacuum chuck (vacuum piping is not shown) equipped with two suction nozzles. The vacuum chuck 14 is supported by a pipe 1 passing through the elevator 12.
An elevator 17 is connected to an air cylinder 16 by a pair of rods 15. A pair of rods 18 hangs down from the elevator 17.
A vacuum chuck 14 is supported vertically. The vacuum chuck 14 has its lower limit of movement at a stop ring 20 at the lower end of the rod 18, and is biased by a spring 19 to that position. Vacuum chuck 1
A pair of centering claws 21 are arranged on the left and right sides of 4. The centering pawls 21 can rotate in a vertical plane about a shaft 22, and are biased by a spring 23 in a direction that brings their lower ends closer to each other. 24 is a stopper that limits rotation of the centering pawl 21. The centering pawl 21 has a hook part 25 for supporting parts bent toward the vacuum chuck 14 at the lower end of the surface facing the mating pawl, and a roller 26 is projected from the upper part. As can be seen in FIG. 6, before and after the vacuum chuck 14,
A pair of centering claws 27 that open and close in a direction perpendicular to the pair of centering claws 21 are arranged. Like the centering pawl 21, the centering pawl 27 can also rotate in a vertical plane about a shaft 28, is biased by a spring 29 in a direction to bring their lower ends closer to each other, and is restricted from rotation by a stopper 30. . Further, a hook portion 31 is provided at the lower end of the opposing surface, and a roller 32 is provided at the upper portion. The hook parts 25 and 31 are on the same level, and the roller 26
and 32 are also on the same level. In order to make the drawings easier to read, the centering pawl 27 is omitted in FIGS. 1 to 5, and the centering pawl 21 is omitted from FIG. 6, respectively. An elevator 33 is supported by the rod 15 and controls opening and closing of the centering claws 21 and 27. The elevator 33 is raised and lowered by an air cylinder 34 shown in FIG.

The above device operates as follows. First, as shown in Fig. 1, the mounting head 10 is stopped on the tray 2.
causes the elevator 33 to descend. Then roller 2
6, 32 are pushed by the elevator 33, and the centering claws 21, 27 open in the direction in which their lower ends are separated from each other. At the same time, the elevator 17 is lowered by the air cylinder 16, and the vacuum chuck 14 is pressed against the part 1. Since the position of the component 1 on the tray 2 varies, the position where the vacuum chuck 14 picks up the component 1 is not constant. In the state shown in the figure, the component 1 is deviated to the left and is attracted. Next, when the vacuum chuck 14 rises and picks up the part 1, the elevator 33
also rises to gather the centering claws 21 and 27 around the component 1. This is the situation shown in FIG. Part 1
is raised higher than the hook portions 25 and 31. The air cylinder 16 connects to the vacuum chuck 1 from here.
4 is slightly pushed down to allow the hook portions 25, 31 of the centering claws 21, 27 to receive the component 1. This is the state shown in Figure 3. At this point, the vacuum chuck 14 temporarily cuts off suction, and at the same time, the air cylinder 16 pulls back the vacuum chuck 14 to the height shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the vacuum chuck 14 separates from the part 1, and the centering claw 21 on the left side, which had been pushed outward due to the deviation of the part 1, moves to a position where it competes with the centering claw 21 on the right side. Recover. This allows the part 1 to be centered. At this point, as shown in FIG. 5, the vacuum chuck 14 descends to pick up the correct part of the part 1 again. The centering claws 21 and 27 are also opened again.
A vacuum chuck 14 makes it possible to place the part 1 in the target position.

(g) Effects of the invention According to the invention, centering is performed by first separating the vacuum chuck from the part and completely entrusting the part to the centering claw, without forcibly shifting the part attracted to the vacuum chuck. After that, the vacuum chuck is attached to the parts again.
There is no concern that scratch marks from the vacuum chuck will remain on the surface of the parts, and parts that are sensitive to scratches can be handled with confidence.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figures show one embodiment of the present invention, and Figs.
The figure is a front view in a different operating state, and FIG. 6 is a side view in the same operating period as FIG. 2. 1...Parts, 14...Vacuum chuck, 21,2
7... Centering claw, 25, 31... Hook part.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] Two pairs of centering claws that open and close in directions perpendicular to each other, and hooks for supporting parts formed on opposing surfaces of each pair of centering claws, all at the same level. and a device that moves up and down passing between the centering claws, picks up the component by suction while protruding downward from the centering claw, raises the component to a level above the hook portion, and then picks up the component. A component mounting head equipped with a vacuum chuck that allows the centering claw to take hold of the component by releasing it, and resumes component suction after centering is completed.