JPH08194802A - Method and device for counting up sheet-like object - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To enable anybody to quickly and accurately count up sheet-like objects such as lead frames mounted on an IC and to easily carry a counting device by moving a light projecting/receiving part in a reflection type optical sensor in the laminated direction of sheet-like objects and counting up the end parts of the objects. CONSTITUTION: In the case of using a sheet-like object counting device 10, a power supply switch 15 is turned on, the lighting of a display lamp 17 is checked and then a reset button 19 is depressed to reset a counter 18 to '0'. When the end part of a sheet-like object, e.g. a lead frame mounted on an IC, stored in a rocket case while pressing a guide plate 12 to the end part from its lower or upper part, an optical signal from the end face of an optical fiber forming a projection part strikes the end face of the lead frame when the end face exists. While driving a light reception control part, a signal is sent to a photocoupler and the counter 18 counts up the number of lead frames and displays the count value.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thin plate counting method and a thin plate counting apparatus used in the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a thin plate-shaped object such as a lead frame on which an integrated circuit is mounted, a large number of thin plate-shaped objects are housed in a case (for example, a lot case) and transported or stored. When counting the sheet-like objects stored in this case, the worker counts them visually as they are, or takes out the sheet-like objects one by one from the case and counts them.

[0003]

However, if the worker counts by eye measurement, there may be a mistake, and the number is enormous, requiring an extremely large amount of labor. Therefore, it is preferable to count the number of sheets by an automatic counting device using an electric or mechanical device. However, when the thickness is 1 mm or less and the interval between adjacent thin plate-like objects is small, it is extremely difficult to measure accurately. There was a problem that it was difficult. Furthermore, in the case of the conventional automatic counting device, since the device is fixed, it is necessary to arrange the object at a predetermined position to perform counting, and there is a problem that preparation for counting is required. . The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and anyone can easily and quickly count thin plate-shaped objects such as a lead frame having an IC mounted thereon, and the thin plate-shaped objects can be easily carried. It is an object of the present invention to provide a counting method and device therefor.

[0004]

A method according to the above-mentioned object.
The method for counting thin plate-like objects described above is a method for counting thin plate-like objects stacked with a gap, wherein the reflection-type optical sensor is arranged at a constant distance from the end of the thin plate-like object. Of the thin plate-like material is moved in the stacking direction of the thin plate-like material to count the end portions of the thin plate-like material. The thin plate-like object counting method according to claim 2 is the method according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting / receiving unit of the reflection-type photosensor is provided at a center of a guide plate that abuts an end of the thin plate-like object. It is arranged with a small gap from the contact surface of the plate. The thin plate-like object counting method according to claim 3 is the method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the light emitting / receiving portion of the reflective photosensor is an end portion of an optical fiber arranged coaxially.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a thin plate counting device having a support rod at the center, a guide plate mounted on a mounting seat of the main body of the device so as to be swingable in a direction of 360 degrees, and mounted on the support rod. An elastic member for orienting the guide plate in a fixed direction with respect to the mounting seat; a light emitting / receiving unit of a reflection type photosensor mounted in the center of the guide plate with a slight gap from the surface; It is configured to have a control device of a reflection type optical sensor built in the main body, a counter and a power source connected to the control device. The thin plate-like object counting device according to claim 5 is the thin plate-like object counting device according to claim 4, wherein the guide plate has a circular shape or a rectangular shape, and an end-side cross section of the contact side is arc-shaped. Has been done. The thin plate-like object counting device according to claim 6 is the thin plate-like object counting device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the control device of the reflection-type photosensor transmits and receives an optical signal through an optical fiber. Has been done. In the above description, the reflection type optical sensor is a portion that actually emits predetermined light and receives light applied to an object.

[0006]

In the thin plate-like object counting method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the projecting / receiving part of the reflection type photosensor arranged with a certain gap from the end of the thin plate-like object is moved. The number of thin plate-like objects can be counted by detecting the end of the thin plate-like object by the reflective optical sensor and counting the output. Particularly, in the thin plate-like object counting method according to claim 2, a guide plate that abuts against an end of the thin plate-like object is provided,
Since the light emitting and receiving portion of the reflection type optical sensor is arranged in the center of the guide plate with a small gap from the contact surface, keep the distance between the end of the thin plate and the reflection type optical sensor constant. This makes it possible to count thin plate-like objects more stably.
In the thin plate-like object counting method according to claim 3, since the light projecting / receiving unit of the reflective optical sensor is formed from the end of the optical fiber arranged coaxially, the reflective optical sensor can be made smaller and lighter. Further, the number of thin plate-like objects can be measured by moving in any direction of 360 degrees.

Further, in the thin plate-like object counting device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, the guide plate having the projecting / receiving part of the reflection type photosensor in the center thereof can be swung in the direction of 360 degrees. Moreover, since the elastic member is oriented in a fixed direction, the number of sheets can be counted by pressing the guide plate against the end of the thin plate-like object. And since the reflection type optical sensor is arranged with a small gap in the center of the guide plate, it is only necessary to press the guide plate against the end of the thin plate and move the guide plate in the direction of layering of the thin plate. In addition, the number of sheets can be counted. Particularly, in the thin plate-like object counting device according to claim 5, since the guide plate has a circular shape or a rectangular shape, and the end section has an arc shape, the thin plate-like object has sharp corners. The guide plate can be brought into contact with the end portion of the thin plate-like object and slid without contacting the guide plate. Further, in the thin plate counting device according to the sixth aspect, since the signals are transmitted and received by the optical fiber, the detection portion of the reflection type optical sensor can be downsized, and the control device can be arranged at another place. .

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide an understanding of the present invention. Here, FIG. 1 is a side view of a sheet-like object counting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view thereof, FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram thereof, FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the method of use.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a thin plate counting apparatus 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a portable apparatus main body 11 and one of the apparatus main bodies 11 so as to be swingable. A guide plate 12, a spring 14 mounted on a support rod 13 of the guide plate 12, a power switch 15, display lamps 16, 17, a counter 18, a reset button 19, and a reflection type optical sensor provided in the apparatus main body 11. (Amplifier) 20 and a replaceable battery 21 which is an example of a power supply. These will be described in detail below.

The guide plate 12 is made of a circular metal or synthetic resin plate, has an arc shape at the front peripheral end, and has a small hole 22 formed at the center thereof. A light emitting unit and a light receiving unit 23 are attached as shown in FIG. A boss 24 is provided at the rear of the guide plate 12.
And a male screw part 25, and the support rod 13 having an enlarged diameter part 26 at the end is screwed. The support rod 13 is mounted with a gap in a central hole 29 of a mounting seat 28 screwed to an outer case of the apparatus main body 11. Is getting smaller. The spring 14 is mounted between the recess 30 of the mounting seat 28 and the boss 24 so that the guide plate 12 faces a certain direction in a natural state. When pressed against the end surface of the thin plate-shaped object to be measured, the guide plate 12 freely swings its neck along the end surface.

The light emitting and receiving section 23 comprises optical fibers 32 and 33 coaxially arranged at the center of a mounting screw 31. The central optical fiber 32 forms a light emitting section 34 and the outer optical fiber 33 forms a light receiving section 35. ing. The end faces of the optical fibers 32 and 33 are aligned, and are arranged with a certain gap (about 0.3 to 2 mm) from the surface of the guide plate 12. The other ends of the optical fibers 32 and 33 are connected to the control device 20 as shown in FIG. 3, and the light emission control unit 3 is provided with a light emitting diode for emitting an optical signal in the center.
6, a light receiving control section 37 including a phototransistor (or a photodiode) for receiving an optical signal is connected to the outside thereof, and performs conversion between an optical signal and an electric signal. In FIG. 4, 38 is a mounting nut and 39 is a mounting screw.

As shown in FIG. 3, a light emitting diode forming the display lamp 16 and a photocoupler 40 composed of a combination of a light emitting diode and a phototransistor are connected to the output terminal of the control device 20.
When a reflection type optical sensor provided with the control device 3 and the control device 20 detects an object, the reflection type light sensor is activated, the display lamp 16 is turned on, and a signal is sent to the counter 18. The reset terminal of the counter 18 is connected to a reset button 19 composed of a push button switch. When the reset button 19 is pressed, the count value of the counter 18 becomes zero. On the other hand, the battery 21 is a 2
The power switch 15 is connected in series, and the light emitting diode forming the display lamp 17 and the limiting resistor 41 are connected in parallel.

Therefore, when using the counting apparatus 10 for a thin plate, the power switch 15 is turned on to check the lighting of the display lamp 17, and then the counter 18 is set to 0 by pressing the reset button 19. deep. Next, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, when the guide plate 12 is moved from the lower or upper part while being pressed against the end of the lead frame 44 on which an IC, which is an example of the thin plate-like object stored in the lot case 43, is mounted, there is an end face. In this case, an optical signal from the end face of the optical fiber 32 forming the light projecting section hits the end face of the lead frame 44, is reflected and enters the optical fiber 33, and the light receiving control section 37 is operated to operate the photo coupler 40.
The counter 18 counts and displays the number of lead frames 44. When the measurement is performed again, the counter 18 is reset by pressing the reset button 19.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above.
The present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and an interface function may be separately provided in the thin plate counting device, and the counting data may be transmitted by connecting to an external computer. . Further, the light emitting / receiving sections of the reflection type optical sensor need not always be arranged coaxially, but may be arranged side by side. Although the guide plate is circular, the present invention can be applied to a square plate or any other free plate shape.

[0015]

The thin plate-like object counting method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and the thin plate-like object counting device according to any one of claims 4 to 6 slide the thin plate-like object counting device along the thin plate-like object. Since it is possible to count the number of sheets by simply performing it, anyone can easily and quickly count thin plate-like objects such as IC lead frames, which depended on a skilled person, and shorten the counting time.
It is possible to reduce the number of workers in the counting process, introduce a part-time job, and the like, thereby achieving economic effects in the counting process. Particularly, in the thin plate-like object counting method according to the second aspect, since the light emitting and receiving portion of the reflection type optical sensor is installed in the concave portion of the guide plate, the light emitting and receiving portion may be touched and damaged by the object to be measured. Also, since the guide plate is brought into contact with the measurement object to perform measurement, the distance between the light emitting / receiving unit and the measurement object is kept constant regardless of who measures, and the number of measurement objects varies depending on the measurer. Does not occur. Further, in the thin plate-like object counting method according to the third aspect, since the light emitting and receiving portion of the reflection type photosensor is formed from the end portion of the optical fiber arranged coaxially, it is possible to perform measurement with the same sensitivity in the direction of 360 degrees. . In the thin plate counting device according to claim 4, since the guide plate is oriented in a certain direction by the elastic member, the reflection type light is reflected even when the laminated surface of the thin plate is tilted or the wrist is moved. The distance between the sensor and the thin plate-like object does not change, and stable counting is possible. Further, in the thin plate-like object counting device according to claim 5, since the guide plate has a circular shape or a rectangular shape and the end section has an arc shape, even if the multi-layered surface has some irregularities, The guide plate can be moved smoothly. Further, in the thin plate-like object counting device according to the sixth aspect, since the signals are transmitted and received by the optical fiber, the detection portion can be downsized, and the guide plate can be freely swung. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an apparatus for counting a thin plate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of the same.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the detection unit.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the same usage state.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Thin Plate Counter 11 Device Main Body 12 Guide Plate 13 Support Rod 14 Spring 15 Power Switch 16 Display Lamp 17 Display Lamp 18 Counter 19 Reset Button 20 Control Device 21 Battery (Power) 22 Small Hole 23 Emitter / Receiver 24 Boss 25 Male screw part 26 Expanding part 28 Mounting seat 29 Central hole 30 Recessed part 31 Mounting screw 32 Optical fiber 33 Optical fiber 34 Light emitting part 35 Light receiving part 36 Light emission control part 37 Light receiving control part 38 Mounting nut 39 Mounting screw 40 Photo coupler 41 Limiting resistance 43 Lot case 44 lead frame

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A method of counting thin plate-like objects stacked with a gap, comprising: a light emitting / receiving part of a reflection type photosensor arranged at a constant distance from an end of the thin plate-like object. A method of counting thin plate-shaped objects, comprising: moving the thin plate-shaped objects in a stacking direction to count the end portions of the thin plate-shaped objects. 2. The light emitting / receiving part of the reflection type optical sensor is arranged at a center of a guide plate abutting on an end of the thin plate-shaped member with a small gap from a contact surface of the guide plate. 2. The method for counting a thin plate according to claim 1. 3. The thin plate-like object counting method according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting / receiving unit of the reflection type optical sensor is an end of an optical fiber arranged coaxially. 4. A guide plate having a support rod in the center, which is attached to a mounting seat of the main body of the apparatus so as to be swingable in a direction of 360 degrees; and a guide plate mounted on the support rod, the guide plate being attached to the mounting seat. And an elastic member directed in a fixed direction, a light emitting / receiving unit of a reflection type optical sensor attached to the center of the guide plate with a slight gap from the surface, and a control of the reflection type optical sensor built in the device body. A thin plate-like object counting device comprising a device, a counter connected to the device, and a power source. 5. The guide plate has a circular shape or a rectangular shape,
The thin plate-like object counting device according to claim 4, wherein an end-side cross section of the contact side has an arc shape. 6. The thin plate-like object counting device according to claim 4, wherein the control device of the reflection type optical sensor transmits and receives an optical signal through an optical fiber.