JPS62240206A - Magazine stocker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily cope with a change in width of magazines, in a magazine stocker for an IC handler, by moving a movable base supporting magazine guide angles widthwise of a magazine to adjust the intervals of magazines. CONSTITUTION:When the positions of a pair of connecting rods 11a, 11b are displaced in the direction X by manipulating a connecting rod drive section 12, the intervals (w1) of guide angles 10a, 10b secured to the connecting rods are simultaneously changed to loosely receive magazines 3 having a width (w). At this time the intervals (w2) of the magazines are not altered. With this arrangement, it is possible to easily cope with changes in width of the magazines, thereby it is possible to improve the handling of the magazines.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a magazine stocker in an IC handler, which has a function of stacking magazines containing ICs and sequentially lowering them by their own weight to send them out.

[Prior art]

The IC handler is an automated system that sequentially transports a large number of ICs, attaches them to an IC measurement socket, tests their electrical performance, and sorts the ICs removed from the measurement socket into patterns according to the test results for transport. It is a device.

Chute rails are mainly used to transport ICs within the IC handler.
An IC magazine is used when supplying or unloading.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view comparing the IC 1 and the magazine 2.

In order to sequentially supply a large number of the magazines 2 to the IC handler, a magazine stocker as shown in FIG. 3 is used. In the magazine stocker, a pair of guide columns 3, which are columnar members each having a U-shaped cross section, are installed, and the U-shaped recesses are opposed to each other. Both ends of the magazines 2 are fitted into the recesses, and the magazines 2 are stacked and stored. Then, when the lowest magazine τ is sent to the next process, the magazines above it slide down by their own weight.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a state where the ICI is being transported by the chute rail 4.

Therefore, there are various types of ICs, large and small. The magazine 2 shown in FIG. 2 is constructed in two shapes and sizes of various sizes depending on the dimensions of the ICI.

Furthermore, in order to transport ICs of various sizes using one chute rail, a chute rail 5 having an E-shaped cross section as shown in FIG. 5 is used.

FIG. 5(A) shows a state in which a large IC1a is being transported.
FIG. 5(B) shows a state in which a medium-sized IC1b is being transported.
FIG. 5(C) is an explanatory diagram of a state in which a small ICLc is being transported.

In addition, in order to construct a guide column that can be applied to magazines of various sizes, as shown in FIG. A configuration in which they are supported in parallel and moved toward and away from each other as shown by arrows a, a', and arrows S and b' is conceivable (
(hereinafter referred to as the draft guide column). However, when a magazine stocker is constructed using the guide columns 3a and 3b of this draft, the following problems occur.

In FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C, M indicates the center line of the chute rail 5.

When transporting a large IC1a (Fig. 5 (8)),
The center line of the IC1a coincides with the above-mentioned M.

However, when transporting a medium-sized IC1b (Fig. 5 (B)
)), the center line mb of the IC1b does not coincide with the above-mentioned M. When transporting a small IC1c (Fig. 5 (C)
)) also, the center line m, does not coincide with M.

As mentioned above, depending on the size of the IC to be transported, its center line moves with respect to the center line of the chute rail 5. Therefore, in the draft plan shown in FIG. The magazine 2 that has been guided down and the ICI transported by the chute rail (E-shaped cross section) 5
are not necessarily directly opposite.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and to smoothly and quickly adapt the magazine to the magazine and insert/remove the IC into/from the magazine, regardless of the size of tC, in the example shown in FIG.
Pair of guide angles 3a.

It is necessary to move the pair of guide angles 3a, 3b and the chute rail 5 relative to each other in the X-axis direction as well as to move the guide angles 3a, 3b toward and away from each other in the X-axis direction.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a magazine stocker that can adapt to the width dimension W of the magazine and that can also adjust the position of the magazine in the width direction with respect to the chute rail. It is something.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the stocker of the present invention reciprocates movable bases supporting a guide angle and facing each other so as to slidably sandwich the magazine in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the magazine. The present invention is characterized in that it is provided with an adjusting means and a means for adjusting the interval between the guide angles supported oppositely.

[Effect]

The magazine stocker configured as described above can adjust the feeling of the opposingly supported guide columns to adapt to the width dimension of the magazine, and can also move the movable base to move the center line of the guide column ( The center line in the width direction of the magazine guided by the guide column can be adjusted in the width direction with respect to the chute rail.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the magazine stopper of the present invention,
This is a schematic drawing of a partially cutaway plan view.

A bracket 7.7' is fixed to the stationary member 6 to support a pair of rails 8 in the X-axis direction, and a movable base 9 to be slidably supported in the X-axis direction. In this Figure 1, for convenience of reading,
The cross-sections of the members fixed to the stationary member are marked with cross hatching. Among the components depicted in this figure, the stationary member 6, the bracket 7, 7', and the rail 8 are the IC
It is a member that does not move with respect to the floor surface where the handler is installed.

A movable base 9 is configured and guided by the rails 8 to be slidable in the X-axis direction.

In FIG. 1, the movable base 9 is broken into three parts, the central part (M) is removed, and the right end part (R) of the figure schematically depicts the mounted equipment, which will be described later. Although not shown in the left end (L) of the figure, the same equipment as the above-mentioned (R) part is mounted and is configured symmetrically.

Three pairs of guide angles 10a and 10b each having an angular cross-section are constructed, and each pair of guide angles 10a and 10b are opposed to each other to sandwich a magazine 2 (indicated by imaginary lines). In FIG. 1, a horizontal section of the guide angles 10a, 10b appears. These guide angles lQa and 10b stand upright in the X-axis direction (perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 1) like the guide angles 3a and 3b of the prototype shown in FIG.

A pair of connecting rods 11a and 11b are formed, and are arranged aligned in the X-axis direction, and the three guide angles 10a are fixed to the connecting rod tia, and the three guide angles 10b are fixed to the connecting rod 11b. stick.

configuring the connecting rod drive unit 12 and installing it on the moving base 9;
The pair of connecting rods 11a and llb are configured to be movable in the X-axis direction. The movement in the X-axis direction (ie, position adjustment) is performed with the movement base 9 as a reference.

On the other hand, a base driving means 13 is provided between the bracket 7, which is a stationary member, and a driving part 12 installed and fixed on the movable base, so that the movable base 9 can be moved in the X-axis direction.

By operating the connecting rod drive unit 12, the pair of connecting rods 11
When the positions of a and llb are moved in the X-axis direction, the distance W1 between the guide angles 10a and 10b fixed thereto changes all at once. Thereby, the above-mentioned interval W can be adjusted so that the magazine 3 is loosely fitted to the width dimension W of the magazine 3. Even if this adjustment is made, the interval dimension W2 between the three magazines 3 does not change.

Although not shown, the above-mentioned guide angles lQa, 10b and the connecting rod 11a are provided at the left end (L) of the moving base 9.

11b, the connecting rod drive section 12, and the base drive means 13 are installed symmetrically to the right end (R).

Therefore, in this embodiment, 4x3=12 guide angles are arranged to support three rows of magazines 3. When carrying out the present invention, the installation unit of the above guide angles is four (in this example, 10 guide angles are installed).
(2 each of a and 10b, 4 in total).

Therefore, in order to support N rows of magazines, 4N guide angles must be arranged.

The three U shown in FIG.
This is a schematic representation of the transportation equipment that transfers the
It is installed on the stationary member 6 (not mounted on the movable base 9) with its interval dimension W3 matching the aforementioned dimension W2.

When transferring an IC between the above-mentioned transport device U and the magazine 3, for the reason explained with reference to FIG.
The transport line U1 may be shifted in the X direction. However, the amount of deviation is the same for the three transport devices U, and the interval dimension W3 does not change.

When the three transport lines u1 shift in the X-axis direction (without changing the interval W3) due to a change in the format dimensions of the IC,
As the format and dimensions of the IC change, the width of the magazine 3 also changes.

Therefore, by operating the connecting rod drive unit 12, the guide angle interval W1 is adjusted to have an appropriate clearance with respect to the magazine hole, and at the same time, by operating the base drive unit 13, the entire movable base 9 is It is moved in the axial direction to align the center line of the supported magazine 3 with the IC transport line u1. At this time, since the above-mentioned distance dimensions W"r and Wz are unchanged and equal, the alignment operation can be performed quickly and easily.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described in detail above, the magazine stocker of the present invention can quickly and easily adapt to changes in the width of the magazine due to changes in the size of the IC being transported.
Moreover, it has an excellent practical effect of being able to quickly and easily adapt to shifts in the conveyance line due to changes in IC type 9 dimensions, and greatly contributes to improving the versatility of IC handlers.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic partially cutaway plan view. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a magazine in the prior art, Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a guide column, Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a chute rail, and Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a chute rail with an E-shaped cross section. . FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a tentative magazine stocker. 10a, 10b--Guide angle, 112.1
1b--Connecting rod of guide angle.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Adjustment means for reciprocating movable bases supporting guide angles and facing each other so as to slidably hold the magazine in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the magazine; A magazine stocker comprising means for adjusting the interval between guide angles supported oppositely. 2. The magazine stocker according to claim 1, wherein 4N guide angles are installed for one moving base. However, N is an integer of 2 or more.