JPH0680926B2 - Electronic component chip aligner - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application] The present invention aligns a plurality of electronic component chips (including passive components, active components, and other electrical components) in predetermined directions. The present invention relates to an electronic component chip aligning device for setting a state, and particularly to an improvement for smooth movement of a plurality of electronic component chips in such an electronic component chip aligning device.

[Related Art] In the applications such as Japanese Patent Application No. 61-257926, Japanese Patent Application No. 62-96925, etc., which have been previously filed, the applicant of the present invention has disclosed a plurality of devices for supplying electronic component chips. An electronic component chip storage cassette used to supply electronic component chips has been proposed.

The above-described electronic component chip storage cassette basically includes a plurality of electronic component chips and a storage space for storing these electronic component chips, and an outlet for discharging the electronic component chips is provided in the storage space. A case and a lid that can be opened to close the discharge port are formed so as to communicate with each other. Such an electronic component chip storage cassette is not only applied as it is as a packaging form when the electronic component manufacturer ships the electronic component chip, but also on the consumer side of the electronic component chip, the electronic component chip storage cassette can be used as it is. It can be mounted on a mounting machine and applied to supply a plurality of electronic component chips to a chip counting process.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a state where the chip mounting process is performed using the electronic component chip storage cassette 1 (shown by an imaginary line). The cassette 1 is mounted as it is on the hopper 2 of the chip mounting machine. More specifically, with the discharge port of the cassette 1 facing the opening 3 of the hopper 2, the cassette 1 is fixed to the hopper 2 and the lid of the cassette 1 is opened, whereby the inside of the storage space of the cassette 1 is opened. The plurality of electronic component chips 4 stored in the hopper 2 are supplied into the hopper 2 from the outlet.

The hopper 2 is normally tilted, and the tilt angle 5 thereof is selected to be, for example, about 45 degrees. The electronic component chips 4 supplied into the hopper 2 first flow into the large chamber 6, then into the small chamber 7, and finally reach the alignment passage 8. The alignment passage 8 has a function of guiding the plurality of electronic component chips 4 so as to move in an aligned state in a predetermined direction, as shown in the drawing. In order to achieve this function, the cross-sectional dimension of the alignment passage 8 is selected in relation to the cross-sectional dimension of each electronic component chip 4.

The small chamber 7 communicates with the alignment passage 8 and is located on the inlet 9 side of the alignment passage 8 and defines a space 10 having a larger cross section than the alignment passage 8. Also, large room 6
Defines a space 11 communicating with the space 10 of the small room 7, and the cross section of the space 11 is selected to be larger than the cross section of the space 10 of the small room 7.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing the structure from the small chamber 6 to the vicinity of the entrance 9 of the alignment passage 8. As can be seen from FIGS. 5 and 4, one wall surface 12 defining the inlet 9 of the alignment passage 8 extends flush with one wall surface 13 defining the space 10 of the small chamber 7. The wall surface 13 extends to the large chamber 6 in a state of forming the bottom surface of the groove.

In addition, in the vicinity of the inlet 9 of the alignment passage 8, a blow passage 14 is provided for introducing compressed air from the outside, for example, intermittently. The compressed air introduced through this blow passage 14 is
The electronic component chips 4 in the vicinity of the inlet 9 of the alignment passage 8 are blown off, and a stirring action is exerted on the electronic component chips 4. That is, when the flow of the electronic component chips 4 in the hopper 2 is taken into consideration, for example, when the space 10 of the small chamber 7 reaches the inlet 9 of the alignment passage 8, the cross-sectional area of the path through which the electronic component chips 4 pass is sharply increased. You can see that it will decrease. Therefore, the electronic component chip 4 tends to block the inlet 9 of the alignment passage 8 and may hinder the smooth flow of the electronic component chip 4, but in order to prevent this, for example, from the blowing passage 14, an intermittent flow is generated. Therefore, compressed air is introduced.

In this way, when the plurality of electronic component chips 4 provided from the cassette 1 reach the alignment passage 8 through the large chamber 6 and the small chamber 7 and enter the entrance 9 of the alignment passage 8,
They are aligned in a predetermined direction, guided by the alignment passage 8 and discharged from the outlet 15 of the alignment passage 8. exit
Since the electronic component chips 4 discharged from 15 are aligned in a predetermined direction, if the electronic component chips 4 are handled so as not to disturb the aligned state thereafter, the chip mounting process can be efficiently advanced. .

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] FIG. 5 is shown with the wall surface in front of it removed. That is, in FIG. 5, reference numeral "16"
A wall surface (not shown) is actually located along the wall surface shown by, and the small room 7, the alignment passage 8 and the large room 6 are closed by this wall surface. Therefore, the space 10 of the small room 7 has the widthwise dimension indicated by reference numeral "17".

In FIG. 5, three electronic component chips 4 are illustrated in a state of being arranged side by side. By chance, the sum of the widthwise dimensions of these electronic component chips 4 coincides with the widthwise dimension 17 of the space 10. Therefore, the wall surfaces defining the widthwise dimension 17 are in a state of sticking to each other and their movements. It is in a blocked state. Once such a so-called "bridge phenomenon" occurs, even if compressed air is introduced from the blowing passage 14, it is difficult to easily break the chain of the electronic component chips 4 that is causing the bridge phenomenon.

The above-mentioned "bridge phenomenon" is not limited to the mode shown in FIG. 5, but various modes may occur depending on the relationship between the width direction dimension 17 and the dimension of the electronic component chip 4. That is, when a combination of the lengthwise dimension, the widthwise dimension, and the thicknesswise dimension of the plurality of electronic component chips 4 happens to coincide with the widthwise dimension 17, it is likely to occur. Further, such a “bridge phenomenon” does not always occur only in relation to the width-direction dimension 17 of the space 10, but the height-direction dimension 18 or 19
Can also occur in the context of

However, the above-mentioned "bridge phenomenon" does not occur so frequently, and usually occurs only in the order of ppm. However, once such "bridge phenomenon" occurs, electrons to the alignment passage 8 are generated. In order to make the supply of the component chips 4 impossible or difficult, and in order to improve the operating rate and reliability of the chip mounter or the like, it is desired that the probability that the "bridge phenomenon" occurs is substantially zero.

Therefore, the present invention provides a "bridge phenomenon" in the electronic component chip aligning apparatus represented by the above-mentioned hopper.
The present invention is intended to be improved so as to eliminate the occurrence of

[Means for Solving the Problems] According to the present invention, an alignment passage that guides a plurality of electronic component chips so as to move in an aligned state in a predetermined direction, and communicates with the alignment passage, Further, the invention is directed to an electronic component chip aligning device, which defines a space having a cross section larger than that of the aligning passage on the inlet side of the aligning passage, and a room for storing a plurality of electronic component chips. In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the following features are provided.

That is, at least one of the wall surfaces defining the space is provided with a slope so as not to be parallel to the wall surface facing the wall surface.

[Operation] According to the present invention, when the electronic component chip tries to cause the “bridge phenomenon” between the wall surface having the slope and the wall surface facing the wall surface, at least one wall surface is not provided. , Not in surface contact, but in line contact or point contact.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, when the electronic component chip attempts to cause the "bridge phenomenon" between the wall surface having the slope and the wall surface facing the wall surface, at least one of Since the electronic component chip is in a state of line contact or point contact with the wall surface, first, the "bridge phenomenon" itself is less likely to occur, and even if a "bridge phenomenon" -like thing occurs, For example, it can be easily broken by compressed air from the blow passage or other external force.

Therefore, the plurality of electronic component chips can be smoothly moved in the electronic component chip aligning device, and the electronic component chips can be smoothly supplied through the alignment passage. Therefore, when the electronic component chip aligning device according to the present invention is applied to, for example, a chip mount machine,
The chip mounting process can be advanced with high operation rate and high reliability.

Further, in order to obtain the effects of the present invention, it is only necessary to make at least one of the plurality of wall surfaces defining the space a slope. Therefore, there is no particular increase in cost for implementing the present invention.

[Embodiment] FIGS. 1 to 3 show first to third embodiments of the present invention, respectively. These drawings correspond to FIG. 5 described above, and corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted.

In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the back wall surface 20 of the plurality of wall surfaces defining the space 10 of the small room 7 is provided with a slope. This gradient is preferably oriented such that the cross-sectional area of the space 10 becomes narrower as it approaches the inlet 9 of the alignment passage 8.

In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2, of the plurality of wall surfaces that define the space 10, the upper wall surface 21 has a slope. The slope given to this wall surface 21 is also the cross-sectional area of the space 10 at the entrance 9
It is preferable that the direction is narrower as it approaches.

In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 3, of the plurality of wall surfaces that define the space 10, both the inner wall surface 20 and the upper wall surface 21 are sloped. These gradients are also oriented so that the cross-sectional area of the space 10 becomes narrower as it approaches the inlet 9. In the third embodiment, it is possible to prevent the "bridge phenomenon" from occurring in the electronic component chip in both the width direction and the height direction of the space 10 and to easily break the "bridge phenomenon". be able to.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the illustrated embodiments, various other modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention.

For example, in the illustrated embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the alignment passage 8 extends in an inclined state so that the inlet 9 thereof is located above, and the electronic component chip 4 in the alignment passage 8 is subjected to natural gravity. Although configured to move towards the outlet 15 with the help, the alignment passage 8 is oriented, for example, to extend horizontally so that the electronic component chip 4 can be pulled out of the outlet 15 by vacuum suction or the like. Good.

Further, in the illustrated embodiment, the case where the electronic component chip aligning apparatus according to the present invention is applied to the hopper 2 shown in FIG. 4 has been described, but for example, the electronic component chip storing cassette 1 itself has an alignment passage. It is also possible to use a thing and employ the configuration which is the feature of the present invention in relation to the room communicating with this alignment passage.

Further, in the illustrated embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, as a room communicating with the alignment passage 8, there is a small room 7 first, and a room having a large room 6 communicating with the small room 7 is illustrated. However, the small room 7 and the large room 6 may be directly connected to the entrance of the alignment passage from one room without being divided into the small room 7 and the large room 6.

Further, in the illustrated embodiment, the electronic component chip 4 is intended to have a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but the electronic component chip may have any shape, for example, a disc shape, a cylindrical shape, or the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view showing a main part of a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the main part of the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing a main part of a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the hopper 2 as an example of the electronic component chip aligning device according to the present invention. Figure 5 shows
It is a figure corresponding to FIG. 1 thru | or 3 and is for demonstrating the problem which this invention tends to solve. In the figure, 2 is a hopper (electronic component chip aligning device),
4 is an electronic component chip, 7 is a small room (room), 8 is an alignment passage, 9 is an entrance, 10 is a space, 12 is one wall defining the entrance 9, 13 is one wall defining the space 10, 14 is a blow Aisle, 20,2
1 is a wall with a slope.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An alignment passage that guides a plurality of electronic component chips so as to move in alignment with each other in a predetermined direction, and the alignment passage communicates with the alignment passage and is aligned on the inlet side of the alignment passage. In an electronic component chip alignment device, which defines a space having a cross section larger than that of a passage, and a chamber for accommodating a plurality of electronic component chips, at least one of a plurality of wall surfaces defining the space Is an electronic component chip aligning device, characterized in that it is provided with a slope so as not to be parallel to the wall surface facing this. 2. A wall surface defining an entrance of the alignment passage,
The electronic component chip aligning device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic component chip aligning device extends flush with one wall surface defining the space. 3. The electronic component chip aligning device according to claim 1, wherein the gradient is oriented in a direction in which the cross-sectional area of the space becomes narrower as it approaches the inlet. 4. The electronic component chip alignment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a blow-in passage for introducing compressed air from the outside is provided near an inlet of the alignment passage. apparatus. 5. The electronic component chip alignment device according to claim 1, wherein the alignment passage extends in an inclined state such that the inlet is located above.