JPS633805B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a parts sorting device in a vibrating parts feeder, a so-called parts feeder.

As is well known, a parts feeder is equipped with a ball (saucer) formed with a spiral track and a drive unit that applies torsional vibration force to the ball.
The parts fed into the ball move up the spiral track under the force of torsional vibration, and are discharged one by one from the discharge end of the track. Parts discharged to one piece are led to the next process through a chute, for example, but in order to discharge parts to one piece,
If parts are being transported in overlap, it is necessary to eliminate this overlap. The parts fed to the center of the ball move up the track under the torsional vibration force, and as they move upward, the amplitude of the torsional vibration force increases, so the transport speed increases. For this reason, the density of parts on the track is high at the beginning of the climb, but gradually becomes smaller. However, depending on the amount of parts supplied to the ball, the parts may be transferred in an overlapping manner even close to the discharge end of the track. To eliminate this overlap, a device called a wiper has traditionally been used, but this is a separate part from the ball, and requires tedious adjustment work when installing it depending on the height or thickness of the part. Needed. This adjustment work is particularly troublesome for small electronic components such as chip resistors and chip capacitors, and since they are separate parts, not only the ball but also the wiper require considerable processing precision.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a component feeding device for a vibrating component feeder that is easy to process and does not require troublesome adjustment work. According to the present invention, there is provided a parts handling device for a vibrating parts feeder, which includes a receiving tray formed with a spiral track and a drive unit for torsionally vibrating the receiving tray. A part in which a recess with an arcuate cross section is formed in part, and the bottom of the recess is a stepped part having a height smaller than the thickness of the plate-shaped part to be processed with respect to the transport surface of the truck. This is achieved by a component sorting device in a vibrating component feeder, characterized in that the components are guided into the recess, and the components below are transferred while coming into contact with the stepped portion.

Hereinafter, details of the present invention will be explained based on illustrated embodiments.

As is clear from FIGS. 1 and 2, the parts feeder according to this embodiment consists of a dish-shaped ball 1 and a known drive section 2, and this drive section 2 is covered by a case 3. The entire parts feeder is supported on the foundation by vibration isolating rubber 4. The drive unit 2 is composed of an armature 5 fixed to a ball 5, a base 6, a plurality of inclined leaf springs 7 connecting the armature 5 and the base 6, and an electromagnet 8, as is known in the art. When half-rectified alternating current is passed through the coil, a torsional vibration force is generated, and ball 1
receives this vibrational force and performs torsional vibration as shown by arrow A.

The ball 1 is fixed to the armature 5 of the drive unit 2 by welding or by inserting a bolt into a hole 9a formed in the center of the bottom 9 of the ball 1. A spiral track 10 is formed in the ball 1 in a counterclockwise direction, and the parts inserted into the bottom 9 of the ball 1 rise from the starting end 10a of the track 10 under the torsional vibration force and are transported along the track 10. , discharge end 1
Ejected from 0b. A chute is connected to this discharge end 10b, but is not shown.

The track 10 is provided with four single-row sorting sections 11, two single-layer sorting sections 12, and a single-layer/single-row sorting section 13 near the discharge end 10b, spaced apart from each other at appropriate intervals. As particularly shown in FIG. 4, the single-row sorting section 11 is constituted by an arcuate and step-like notch formed in the transport path of the track 10.
According to this embodiment, this notch 11 has two stages 11
It is composed of a and 11b.

As particularly shown in FIG.
2b. The height of this stepped portion 12b from the transport path of the truck 10 is configured to be smaller than the height of the part m to be supplied.

The single-layer/single-row alignment section 13 includes the above-mentioned notch 11 and an auxiliary arc-shaped notch 1 formed integrally therewith.
1c, and block 14. The block 14 has a substantially semicircular shape and fits into a recess 1a formed in the peripheral wall of the ball 1.
It is fixed to the ball 1 by. Further, step portions 14a and 14b are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the block 14, and the heights of these portions are different. Therefore, when this block 14 is turned upside down and fixed to the ball 1 with the screw 15, the distance h from the transfer surface of the track 10 to the surface of this stepped portion will be different as shown in FIG. As a result, this single layer/single row sorting section 13
This increases the number of types of parts that can be processed. The step portions 14a and 14b described above are formed on the arcuate surface side of the block 14, and the block 14 is fixed to the balls 1 so that this surface side faces the single-row alignment section 11. Furthermore, the transport surface of the track 10 is directed outwardly and slopes slightly downward, as shown in FIG.

The parts feeder according to the embodiment of the present invention is constructed as described above, and its operation will be explained next.

Assume that the part to be sorted is, for example, a chip resistor m, which is extremely small and has a size of about 2 x 1 x 0.5 mm. First, the single-row sorting section 11 will be explained with reference to FIG. 4. The parts m are transferred in the direction of the arrow, and when they reach the single-row sorting section 11, the parts m in the inner row are cut into the upper arcuate notch. However, the parts m of the outer row advance further through the bottleneck 10c of the track 10. Note that the parts m in the outer row are in contact with the side walls of the track 10, and the parts m in the inner row are in contact with the side walls of the track 10, and the parts m in the inner row are in contact with the side walls of the track 10. Component m is in contact with component m in the outer row.

The part m that has fallen into the upper notch 11a further falls into the lower notch 11b, and then onto the track 10 in the lower part. In this way, the part m falls in stages, so it falls relatively quietly onto the track 10 in the lower part, bounces due to a collision with the transfer surface, and then falls further onto the track 10 in the lower part. do not have. That is, the stairs 11a, 11
b functions as a cushion, suppressing the energy of the fall to a small level, and allowing the part m to fall onto the track 10 in the lower part. In addition, in the upper and lower notches 11a and 11b, the centrifugal force caused by the torsional vibration force causes the parts m to form on the arc-shaped side walls.
While being pushed, it receives this guide action and falls to the lower tier without stopping at this tier.

As described above, the parts m are
will be fed in one line, but track 10
Depending on the length of the stroke and the feed rate of the parts, there may be two rows again. This is because each part m does not necessarily receive an equal conveying force, and parts m may interfere with each other in the same row. Therefore, depending on the case, the number of single-row alignment sections 11 may be further increased, or may be one.

Next, the single layer sorting device 12 will be explained with reference to FIG. 5. This sorting device 12 eliminates overlapping of parts m, but when the parts m in the outer row are transferred in contact with the side wall of the truck and reach this sorting device 12, the overlapping upper part The part m is guided into the arcuate notch 12a. That is,
It is further guided outward under the action of centrifugal force due to torsional vibration force. On the other hand, the lower part m is also in contact with the side wall of the stepped part 12b in this sorting device 12, and its outward movement is restricted, so that it continues to move forward on the track 10. In this way, the overlapping upper part m bypasses the arc-shaped notch 12a and returns to the track 10, thereby eliminating the overlapping of the parts m. In addition, if parts m are being transported in close contact with each other, it is possible that they will overlap another part m even if the detour is made as described above, but in a parts feeder, it is generally located on the upper or outer track part. As one moves up the track 10, the density of the parts m on the track 10 decreases, since the parts are subjected to greater vibratory forces than those on the lower or inner track parts. Therefore, in consideration of this, it is desirable that the single-layer sorting device 12 be formed in a relatively upper portion of the track 10. Note that the number of single-layer sorting sections 12 may be further increased in this embodiment for the same reason as described for the single-layer sorting device 11, or may be one in some cases.

Next, the single layer/single row sorting section 13 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. Here, overlapping parts m are eliminated and multiple rows are sorted into a single row. The parts m transferred as the inner row fall into the auxiliary cutout 11c, and then fall into the upper cutout 11a, the lower cutout 11b, and the track 10 in the lower part. In this case, the number of steps to fall increases by one more than in the straightening section 11, and the object falls more quietly onto the lower track 10.

As an example of the outside, parts m that have been transferred in an overlapping manner come into contact with the arcuate peripheral wall of the block 14 and are prevented from moving forward, but are guided by this arcuate surface and dropped into the upper notch 11a. . Then, under the action of torsional vibration force, it is dropped into the lower notch 11b and the lower track 10 as described above. On the other hand, the lower part m continues to advance through the gap h between the block diagram 14 and the track 10, as shown in FIG. In this way, overlapping of the parts m is eliminated, and the parts m are further sorted and fed in a single file. Track 1 from single layer/single row sorting section 13
0 up to the discharge end 10b, the parts m advance at desired intervals and are supplied one by one from the discharge end to the next process at a substantially uniform speed.

Note that even when the part m is transferred in an upright state as shown by m' in FIG. 5, the desired alignment effect can be obtained because it falls down into the arc-shaped notch 12a. This action is carried out by the single-layer/single-row alignment section 13.
But the gains are clear.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but of course the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made based on the technical idea of the present invention. Furthermore, as is clear from the above description and drawings, each part can be constructed in an arcuate shape, which has the advantage that it can be easily and quickly machined from a single round bar using, for example, an end mill. That is, it can be said that the shape of the notch portion 12a is desirably an arcuate shape from the point of view of processing efficiency.

As described above, the present invention is particularly effective for small-sized parts, so-called mini parts, but it is of course applicable to general parts as well.

The component sorting device in the vibrating component feeder of the present invention has a recess with an arcuate cross section formed in at least a part of the side wall of the track, and the bottom of the recess should be processed against the transfer surface of the track. The step part has a height smaller than the thickness of the plate-shaped part, and the overlapping parts are guided into the recess, and the lower part is transferred by contacting the step part, so that
It is easier to process than before, does not require any adjustment work after processing, and can reliably eliminate overlapping of transferred parts while guiding the parts smoothly. Furthermore, it can also perform functions that conventional devices do not have, such as being able to collapse standing parts.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway side view of a vibrating parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 4 is a single-row sorting section of the feeder. Fig. 5 is a partially enlarged perspective view to explain the action of the single-layer sorting device in the same feeding machine, and Fig. 6 is a partially enlarged perspective view to explain the action of the single-layer sorting device in the same feeding machine. FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged perspective view for explaining the operation of the feeding section, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view in the - line direction of FIG. 6. In the figure, 1... ball, 2... drive section, 10... track, 12... single layer sorting device,
12a...A circular notch, 12b...A step.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a parts handling device for a vibrating parts supply machine, which is equipped with a receiving tray formed with a spiral track and a drive unit that torsionally vibrates the receiving tray, at least a part of the side wall of the track is provided with a recess having an arcuate cross section. The bottom of this recess is a step having a height smaller than the thickness of the plate-shaped parts to be processed with respect to the transport surface of the track, and the overlapping parts are guided into the recess and downwardly A device for sorting and transporting components in a vibrating component feeder, characterized in that the components are transferred while coming into contact with the stepped portion.