TWI620701B - Component feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a member that allows a force acting from a removal means or a posture correcting means to be a desired position in a conveyance direction of the workpiece even when the conveyance speed of the workpiece is changed from a set value. Feeder.

The component feeder (100) of the present invention is configured to include a component feeder main body (1) having a transport path (10) for transporting the workpiece (3), and a removing means (5) for performing Excluding the exclusion of the workpiece (3) located at the exclusion position (P2) set on the transport path (10) from the transport path (10): and the posture discriminating means (44) The position (P2) is further on the upstream side and the posture of the workpiece (3) being transported; and the command output means (45) is that the posture determining means (44) determines that the workpiece (3) is in a predetermined posture In the other posture, the command for causing the exclusion means (5) to perform the above-described exclusion processing is output; and the component feeding speed detecting means (7) detects the workpiece to be transported on the transport path (10) (3) And the timing control means (46) controls the timing at which the command output means (45) outputs the command based on the detection result of the component feeding speed detecting means (7).

Description

Component feeder

According to the present invention, it is possible to control the timing at which the workpiece having an inappropriate appearance or posture is excluded from the transport path or the posture correction on the transport path, and the inappropriate appearance or posture is associated with the transport speed of the workpiece. The workpiece is appropriately applied to the component feeder for eliminating or for correcting the posture.

In the prior art, as a component feeder, a workpiece that is an object to be transported, such as an electronic component, is transported to a predetermined supply target along the transport path, and is disclosed in Patent Document 1. There is a component feeder that can determine the posture of the workpiece and exclude the workpiece in an inappropriate posture (incorrect posture) from the transport path on the way. More specifically, the component feeder disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured to image a plurality of workpieces that are transported at a predetermined interval on the transport path by the imaging device, and acquire image data. Then, the image data is processed and the posture of the workpiece is determined, and the workpiece in an inappropriate posture (uncorrect posture) is removed from the transport path by the compressed air ejected from the air ejecting device.

[Previous Technical Literature]

[Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-197749

However, in the component feeder disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the shutter timing of the normal area camera synchronizes the imaging area and the workpiece position with each other by the laser sensor, it is necessary to empty the plurality of workpieces. There is a problem that the number of conveyances per unit time is small and the discharge capacity to the workpiece to be supplied is low.

In order to solve this problem, a component feeder 250 of a general configuration as shown in Fig. 8 can be considered. In the component feeder 250, the plurality of workpieces 3 are conveyed in a state in which they are in close contact with each other in the conveyance direction, and the image pickup by the area camera 202 is continuously performed. Then, the image data obtained by the image pickup by the area camera 202 is imported by the image introduction means 254a, and the image data to be imported is binarized by the pre-processing means 254b. Wait for the pre-processing. Thereafter, the posture determining means 254c determines the posture of the workpiece based on the image data after the pre-processing. Further, the component feeder 250 is provided with an excluding means 5 having an air jet nozzle 50 that ejects compressed air toward a predetermined excluded position, and is configured to be borrowed. When it is determined that the workpiece 3 is located at a predetermined position in the imaging region by the position detecting means 254d that detects the position of the workpiece 3 with respect to the imaging region, the air ejection nozzle is ejected after a predetermined time has elapsed since the determination. 50 and compressed air is injected. Further, in order to prevent the compressed air from being continuously ejected to the workpiece 3 existing adjacent to the workpiece 3 which is the object to be excluded, the injection range of the air injection nozzle 50 is narrowed, and the predetermined time is set. When the workpiece is transported at the set transport speed, the compressed air is ejected toward the center of the transport direction of the side surface of the workpiece 3 for a general period of time.

Further, in such a component feeder including the above-described component feeder 250, although the conveyance speed of the workpiece is roughly determined by the amplitude and vibration angle of the component feeder body and the driving frequency, actually, the conveyance is performed. The speed system depends on the difference between the workpiece, the manufacturing variation in the same workpiece manufacturing process, the shape of the transport path 10, the surface treatment of the transport path 10, and the friction coefficient and humidity between the workpiece 3 and the transport path 10. In addition to these factors, in addition to these factors, there are cases in which the workpieces 3 collide with each other on the transport path 10, and the transport speed of the workpiece 3 is changed from the set value. In the case of the deviation, in this case, the compressed air is not sprayed toward the center of the conveyance direction of the side surface of the workpiece 3 but toward the end portion, and the workpiece 3 that is to be excluded is horizontally rotated while being transported from the conveyance path 10 exclude. Therefore, the workpiece 3 and the adjacent workpiece 3 interfere with each other due to the workpiece 3 as the object to be excluded, and the posture of the adjacent workpiece 3 is changed, and there is a work for making an inappropriate posture. Piece 3 has been transported to the point of supply to the target. In order to prevent this, it is conceivable that the workpieces 3 are transported at intervals with each other, so that even if the workpiece 3 as the object to be excluded is horizontally rotated, the rotational momentum of the adjacent workpieces 3 is not imparted. However, in this case, as described above, the number of conveyance of the workpiece 3 per unit time is reduced, and there is a problem that the discharge efficiency of the workpiece to the supply target is lowered.

Further, in the component feeder of the prior art, there is a posture in which a workpiece to be judged to be in an inappropriate posture is corrected without being excluded, and thereby, for an inappropriate workpiece, for example, The posture is corrected by injecting compressed air from below and inverting the workpiece. In such a component feeder, if the conveyance speed of the workpiece deviates from the set value, the compressed air cannot be ejected to a desired position on the workpiece, and the posture can be corrected without stability.

The present invention has an object of effectively solving such a problem, and provides a possibility that the workpiece can be conveyed in the direction of conveyance even when the conveyance speed of the workpiece is changed from the set value. The purpose is to properly use the component feeder for performing the force of exclusion or posture correction for the purpose.

The present invention has the following general means in view of the above general problems.

In other words, the component feeder of the present invention is characterized in that: the component feeder main body has a transport path for transporting the workpiece by vibration; and the workpiece processing means is set for passage The workpiece is removed from the conveyance path or the posture correction is performed on the conveyance path at the workpiece processing position on the conveyance path; and the workpiece quality determination means is performed on the upstream side of the workpiece processing position. And the instruction output means, when the workpiece quality determination means determines that the workpiece is not a predetermined appearance or posture, outputs an instruction for causing the workpiece processing means to perform the processing; and The detection means detects the conveyance speed of the workpiece conveyed on the conveyance path, and the timing control means considers the delay element changed in response to the conveyance speed based on the detection result of the speed detection means The timing at which the aforementioned command output means outputs the aforementioned command is controlled.

The determination of the quality of the workpiece herein means determining whether the appearance or posture of the workpiece is a predetermined appearance or posture.

According to this configuration, the workpiece conveyed on the transport path of the component feeder main body is determined by the workpiece processing means whether or not it is a predetermined appearance or posture, and is detected by the speed detecting means. The transport speed was detected. Further, if the workpiece processing means determines that the workpiece is not a predetermined appearance or posture, it is controlled by the timing control means based on the conveyance speed of the workpiece detected by the speed detecting means. The command output means outputs an instruction to perform the aforementioned processing. In this manner, since the timing of the output command can be controlled in accordance with the conveyance speed of the workpiece that is transported on the upstream side of the workpiece processing means, even if the conveyance speed of the workpiece deviates from the set value, Able to make the desired force from the workpiece processing means to the desired position of the workpiece Let it work. Therefore, even when a plurality of workpieces are transported in a state in which they are in close contact with each other, it is possible to perform correlation on the workpiece which is the object to be excluded without affecting the posture of the workpiece adjacent to the position. The aforementioned treatment for exclusion or posture correction.

In a specific embodiment, the workpiece processing means includes a pressing force applying means for applying a pressing force to the workpiece at the workpiece processing position, and A target position for causing the pressing force to be applied to the workpiece is provided, and the component feeding machine further includes a line camera having a plurality of image pickup elements arranged in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the workpiece, and The imaging is performed at a predetermined interval by the workpiece set at the imaging position on the transport path, and the image introduction means is intermittent for the area of the line camera from the front end to the rear end of the workpiece. The image of the image is introduced in an instant, and the delay element includes at least a delay time of the image processing time, the standby time, and the mechanical transmission time, and the image processing time passes the workpiece through the image capturing position. The point in time is considered to have been completed until the end of the workpiece, and from the foregoing The time required from the end of the introduction by the introduction means until the completion of the above-mentioned good or bad determination process by the workpiece quality determination means, the waiting time is determined by the workpiece quality determination means not being a predetermined one. The appearance or the position of the posture until the command output means outputs the command, and the mechanical conduction time is such that the workpiece processing means that receives the command applies the pressing force to the workpiece via the processing. The time required for the timing control means is that the workpiece is moved from the imaging position during the period of the delay time to be moved by the speed detected by the speed detecting means. The standby time is set in such a manner as to be at a timing set at a target position on the workpiece.

The configuration that is more specific to the timing control means is a configuration in which the image processing time is tp (sec) and the standby time is tα (sec). The transfer time is set to td (sec), and the conveyance speed of the workpiece detected by the speed detecting means is Vw (m/s), and the distance from the image pickup position to the workpiece processing position is set. When L (m) and the distance from the rear end of the workpiece to the target position are Lw (m), the timing control means is based on the following equation tα = {(L - Lw) / Vw} -tp-td, and set the aforementioned standby time tα.

In order to configure the speed detecting means to calculate the transport speed by the line camera, it is preferable to further include an imaging number acquisition means for obtaining the line camera from the front end side to the rear end side of the workpiece. The number of times of imaging that has been captured by the ground is set by the length of the transport direction of the workpiece and the imaging interval of the line camera, and the number of times of the image pickup obtained by the image capturing count acquisition means is given. And the time required for imaging based on the number of times of imaging and the imaging interval of the aforementioned line camera is regarded as the time required for the workpiece to pass through the imaging position, and based on the time required for the imaging and the length of the transport direction of the workpiece, Calculate the transfer speed of the workpiece degree.

In particular, in order to share the data used in the speed detecting means and the workpiece quality determining means, it is preferable to shorten the time from the start of imaging by the line camera until the standby time tα is set. Further, the pre-processing means is configured to connect the image data introduced by the image introduction means to each other in accordance with the imaging sequence, and to generate a slightly overall composite image data in which a single workpiece appears. The acquisition means obtains the number of times of imaging based on the number of pixels of the synthesized image data and the number of pixels of the image data obtained by the imaging of the first time, and the method for determining the quality of the workpiece is based on the synthetic image data. Discriminant processing.

According to the present invention described above, it is possible to provide a timing in which an instruction for outputting a process related to the elimination or posture correction of the workpiece is output in accordance with the conveyance speed of the workpiece, even if it is The conveying speed of the workpiece is changed from the set value, and the pressing force from the eliminating means or the posture correcting means can be applied to the component feeder at the desired position of the workpiece.

1‧‧‧Parts feeder body

2‧‧‧ line camera

3‧‧‧Workpiece

3a‧‧‧ front end of the workpiece

3b‧‧‧The back end of the workpiece

5‧‧‧Workpiece handling methods (excluding means)

7‧‧‧Speed detection means (speed detection device for component feeding)

10‧‧‧Transportation path

40‧‧‧Portrait introduction means

41‧‧‧Pre-processing

41c‧‧‧ means for generating synthetic image data (synthetic image data generation unit)

42a‧‧‧ means of obtaining the number of times of imaging (camera acquisition unit)

44‧‧‧The correctness of the workpiece

45‧‧‧Command output means

46‧‧‧Sequence control means

50‧‧‧Pushing pressure means (air jet nozzle)

100‧‧‧Part feeder

P1‧‧‧ Camera location

P2‧‧‧Workpiece processing position (excluded position)

Pw‧‧‧target location

Fig. 1 is a side view showing a component feeder of one embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 2] is an exhibition for the measurement methods of the component feeder. Show the plan.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a timing control process performed by the component feeder.

[Fig. 4] is a time chart for explaining the operation of the component feeder.

Fig. 5 is a side view showing a modification of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a side view showing a modification of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a side view showing a modification of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a side view showing a component feeder for solving the problem of the prior art component feeder.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a component feeder 100 which is one of the embodiments of the present invention is a workpiece 3 which is a plurality of conveyed objects along the transport path 10 of the component feeder body 1 as shown in FIG. The supply target is transported at a relatively high speed, and the workpiece 3 is transported in a state of being in close contact with each other from the left side to the right side in Fig. 1 .

The component feeder main body 1 is configured to include the transport path 10 and the drive means 11, and to transport the plurality of workpieces 3 located on the transport path 10 by the drive means 11 to vibrate the transport path 10. The workpiece 3 is oriented in the longitudinal direction or the short side direction of the workpiece 3 The transport directions are transported in parallel.

The wired camera 2 is provided above the imaging position (photographing point) P1 set on the transport path 10. The line camera 2 is provided with a high-sensitivity image sensor that is arranged in a row in a row in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the workpiece 3 (the direction in which the conveyance path 10 extends), and is carried on the conveyance path 10 The image of the workpiece 3 being transported. When the longitudinal direction of the workpiece 3 is parallel to the transport direction, the imaging range (imaging region) of the line camera 2 is set to image a part of the longitudinal direction of the workpiece 3 in the transport direction of the workpiece 3. The range is set to a range in which the entire short side direction of the workpiece 3 is imaged in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the workpiece 3, and when the short side direction of the workpiece 3 is parallel to the conveyance direction, In the conveyance direction of the workpiece 3, a range in which a part of the short side direction of the workpiece 3 is imaged is set, and the longitudinal direction of the workpiece 3 is set in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the workpiece 3. The scope of all the cameras.

It is important to set the position of the line camera 2 for the timing of setting the workpiece 3 in an inappropriate posture, in order to set the line camera 2 at a desired position with good precision, At the transport path 10, a measuring means (a line camera measuring device) 10a shown in Fig. 2 is provided. The measurement means 10a is provided with a first scale 10ab extending in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the workpiece 3, and a second dot representation of a dot presentation of 2 digits per fixed distance. The scale 10ac is aligned with the excluded position (excluding the action point) P2, which will be described later, by the line 10ac In the image data acquired by the camera 2, the second scale 10ac extending from the excluded position P2 toward the lower side of the line camera 2 is confirmed, and the desired distance can be set from the excluded position P2. Camera position P1.

The image data obtained by the line camera 2 shown in FIG. 1 is an area camera in which the imaging element is arranged in a mesh shape and the entire workpiece 3 is used as an imaging range. The number system is less, and the amount of data is less. In the line camera 2, the image is moved continuously at a predetermined interval from the front of the workpiece 3 to the imaging position P1, and the workpiece 3 that is transported toward the downstream side passes through the imaging position P1. The imaging is performed a plurality of times to obtain the workpiece end from the front end 3a of the workpiece 3 (the workpiece end on the downstream side in the transport direction, refer to FIG. 3) to the rear end 3b (the workpiece end on the upstream side in the transport direction, refer to FIG. 3) Image data of a plurality of positions at which the workpieces 3 differ from each other appears on the ground. The image data obtained is transmitted to the control device (controller) 4, which will be described later, every time the image is taken.

In addition, the line camera 2 usually acquires an image to be imaged using an encoder or the like even when the image pickup speed of the object to be imaged is constant, or even if the conveyance speed is not constant. In the case where the speed or the position is synchronized and the image is taken, the user is generally difficult to use the conveyance speed of the workpiece 3 which is the object to be imaged because the conveyance is performed by the vibration of the conveyance path 10. In the case of a component feeder that is difficult to stabilize, in the present embodiment, by grasping the front end 3a and the rear end 3b of the workpiece 3, This solves the problem that it is difficult to use the line camera 2 due to the unevenness of the transport speed. For this matter, it will be described later.

The control device 4 shown in FIG. 1 is composed of a general microcomputer unit including a CPU, a memory, and an interface (not shown), and an appropriate program is stored in the memory, and the CPU system successively The program reads in and cooperates with the peripheral hardware resources, and is responsible for the image importing means 40, the preprocessing means 41, the posture discriminating means 44, the speed calculating means 42, the command output means 45, and the timing control means 46. .

The image introduction means 40 is to introduce the image data acquired by the line camera 2 into the control device 4 in an instant when imaging is performed each time. The pre-processing means 41 includes a binarization processing unit 41a as a binarization processing means, an end portion detecting unit 41b as an end detecting means, and a synthetic image data generating portion 41c as a synthetic image data generating means. When the image data is introduced via the image introduction means 40, the binarization processing unit 41a instantaneously performs a predetermined pre-processing such as binarization processing for each of the image data. Further, the end detecting unit 41b discriminates the front end 3a and the rear end 3b of the workpiece 3 from the image data by appropriate image processing (refer to FIG. 3). For example, in the image data, at the portion where the workpiece 3 is present and the portion where the workpiece 3 is present (specifically, the transport path 10), the colors thereof are different, and even if When the workpieces 3 are transported to each other in close contact with each other in the transport direction, there is a slight gap between the workpieces 3, and therefore, the front end 3a or the rear end 3b is photographed before the workpiece 3 is imaged. In the image data, a portion that is orthogonal to the direction in which the workpiece 3 is transported and that has a difference in color and shade is present. The end detecting unit 41b detects (images) the front end 3a and the rear end 3b of the workpiece 3 appearing in the image data based on the difference in the shading of the color or the like. Alternatively, the end detecting portion 41b may be configured to detect the front end 3a and the rear end 3b by discriminating the R shape located at the corner 工件 of the workpiece 3 in the image data. Further, the synthetic image data generating unit 41c connects the image data from the image data of the front end 3a of the workpiece 3 until the image data of the rear end 3b of the workpiece 3 appears, and the image data are connected to each other in the imaging order. As a result of the two-dimensional image data of the entire workpiece 3, a composite image data is generated.

The posture discriminating means 44, which is a means for determining the quality of the workpiece, is a posture discriminating process for determining the posture (image discrimination) of the workpiece 3 based on the composite image data. For example, the image data of the workpiece 3 in an appropriate posture is memorized in the aforementioned memory, and the image data is compared with the image data memorized in the memory by pattern matching, thereby judging the workpiece. 3 poses. In addition, as a posture other than the predetermined posture, for example, the front and back sides may be reversed or the front-rear direction may be reversed. In this manner, the image introduction means 40, the pre-processing means 41, and the posture discriminating means 44 are the component-feeding image processing apparatuses 8 of the present invention which are configured to determine the posture of the workpiece 3. In the present embodiment, since the structure of the front end 3a and the rear end 3b of the workpiece 3 is detected in the above-described general image data, even if the conveyance speed of the workpiece 3 is changed, It is also possible to connect the image data from the image data in which the front end 3a of the workpiece 3 appears until the image data of the rear end 3b of the workpiece 3 appears in accordance with the imaging sequence, and obtain a slight total of the workpiece 3 in which one workpiece appears. For the above-described reasons, the synthetic image data can be used to determine the posture of the workpiece 3 using the line camera 2 which is generally not used in the component feeder of the prior art.

The speed calculation means 42 is a speed calculation processor that calculates the conveyance speed of the workpiece 3 by using the composite image data in the posture determination, and specifically calculates the workpiece based on the following formula (1). 3 transport speed Vw (m / s).

Vw=Lw1/S‧A‧‧‧(1)

Here, S is the scanning rate of the line camera 2, that is, the imaging interval (sec) of the line camera 2, and A is a slight total of the line camera 2 for the single workpiece 3, that is, for the workpiece 3. The number of times of imaging (times) required for imaging from the front end side to the rear end side, and Lw1 is the length (m) of the conveyance direction of the workpiece 3. The speed calculation means 42 regards the imaging required time which is the product of the imaging interval S of the line camera 2 and the imaging number A as the time required for the workpiece 3 to pass through the imaging position P1, and based on the time required for the imaging. The conveyance speed of the workpiece 3 is calculated in the conveyance direction length Lw1 of the workpiece 3. The length Lw1 of the conveyance direction of the workpiece 3 is the length of the workpiece 3 in which the object is set in advance. Further, the transport direction length Lw1 of the workpiece 3 and the imaging interval S of the line camera 2 are input via the input means 48. Further, the speed calculation means 42 is provided with an imaging number acquisition unit 42a as an imaging number acquisition means. The image acquisition frequency acquisition unit 42a calculates the imaging frequency A based on the number of pixels of the image data obtained in one imaging and the number of pixels of the composite image data.

In this manner, the image introduction means 40, the pre-processing means 41, and the speed calculation means 42 constitute the component feeding speed detecting means 7 of the present invention which detects the conveyance speed of the workpiece 3. The conveyance speed of the workpiece 3 calculated by the component body speed detecting device 7 is used in the timing control for eliminating the workpiece 3 which is an irregular posture to be described later, and is displayed in FIG. The display means 47 is shown. Moreover, the conveyance speed of the workpiece 3 calculated as such can be used as a basis for judging whether the workpiece 3 is being conveyed or stopped.

When the posture determining means 44 determines that the posture is an inappropriate posture (incorrect posture), the command output means 45 outputs the removal means 5 as the workpiece processing means shown in FIG. The instruction for the exclusion process (excluding operation) that is excluded from the conveyance path 10 by the workpiece 3 set at the exclusion position P2 of the workpiece processing position set in the conveyance path 10 is set. The removal means 5 includes an air injection nozzle 50 as a pressing force applying means for injecting compressed air toward the exclusion position P2 which is set to the downstream side of the conveyance direction of the workpiece 3, and is provided. The compressed air jetted from the air jet nozzle 50 is used to apply a pressing force to the workpiece 3 and to remove the workpiece 3 from the transport path 10. The air injection nozzle 50 injects compressed air by being input with an energization command as the above command. On the workpiece 3, the target position Pw for which the pressing force acts is set in advance (see In the present embodiment, the center of the conveyance direction of the side surface of the workpiece 3 facing the removal means 5 is set as the target position Pw. By applying the pressing force to the target position Pw, it is possible to suppress the movement of the workpiece 3 which is the object of exclusion when the workpiece 3 is removed from the transport path 10 while horizontally rotating. Further, in the process of the present invention, the process of dropping the workpiece 3 from the conveyance path 10 to the workpiece accommodating portion or the like below the conveyance path 10 is included, or the workpiece 3 is distributed to be excluded. The processing of the other transport path 10 and the like which are different from the position P2.

The timing control means 46 controls the timing at which the command output means 45 outputs the energization command to the injection nozzle 50 based on the conveyance speed of the workpiece 3 calculated by the speed calculation means 42. Specifically, based on the following formula (2), the standby time tα (sec) until the command output means 45 outputs the energization command from the posture determination means 44 is determined. 4), based on the standby time tα, the timing of outputting the energization command to the air injection nozzle 50 by the command output means 45 is controlled, whereby even the transfer speed of the workpiece 3 and the set value are obtained. In the case of a change, the pressing force can also be applied to the aforementioned target position Pw.

Tα={(L-Lw2)/Vw}-tp-td‧‧‧(2)

Here, Vw is a conveyance speed (m/s) of the workpiece 3 conveyed on the conveyance path 10 (refer to FIG. 3), and L is a distance (m) from the imaging position P1 to the exclusion position P2 ( Referring to FIG. 3), Lw2 is from the rear end 3b of the workpiece 3 until the target position Pw is The distance (m) (see FIG. 3), tp is the image processing time (sec) required from the end of the introduction by the image introduction means 40 until the posture determination by the posture determination means 44 is completed ( Refer to Figure 4). When the image processing time tp is configured such that the time taken in the pre-processing, the posture determination processing, and the speed calculation processing is always constant, the image processing time tp is a fixed value or a set value. On the other hand, when the image processing time tp is changed in accordance with the increase or decrease in the number of pixels of the composite image data due to the change in the transport speed, the image processing time tp is performed in the control device 4. Count. Td is the mechanical conduction time (sec) required when the pressing force is applied to the workpiece 3 by the exclusion processing of the removal means 5 of the energization command (refer to FIG. 4), and is a means for elimination. 5 unique parameter settings for each. The above-described distance L, conduction time td, and the like are input via the input means 48. Further, in the present embodiment, the distance L from the imaging position P1 to the exclusion position P2 is obtained by using the above-described measuring means, but it may be obtained based on the actual object.

The operation in the component feeder 100 of the above-described general configuration will be described with reference to the timing chart shown in FIG. In the following, an operation from the case where one of the workpieces 3 in an inappropriate posture is imaged by the line camera 2 until the workpiece 3 is removed by the removal means 5 will be described.

If the workpiece 3 that has been transported on the transport path 10 is imaged at time t01, the image data obtained thereby is obtained. The image forming means 40 is introduced (transferred) in a timely manner, and the binarization processing unit 41a performs pre-processing such as binarization on the image data. Further, the end detecting portion 41b detects the front end 3a and the rear end 3b of the workpiece 3, and the front end 3a of the workpiece 3 is detected in the image data acquired at the time t01. After the imaging at time t01, the imaging is sequentially performed at predetermined intervals, and the image data is introduced and preprocessed in a timely manner for each imaging. Then, when the end portion 3b of the workpiece 3 is recognized by the end detecting portion 41b in the image data acquired at the time of the image capturing at time t02, the synthetic image data generating unit 41c starts the composite image data at time t03. The gesture determination processing by the posture determination means 44 and the speed calculation processing by the speed calculation means 42 are performed based on the composite image data. Further, the processing up to the time t03 is performed by a hardware (for example, an FPGA (field-programmable gate array), and the processing after the time t03 is performed by executing a program stored in the memory, and the software is executed. After that, the sequence control means 46 calculates the standby time tα, and the timing control means 46 outputs the power to the command output means 45 at the time t05 after the standby time tα has elapsed from the time t04. The command is used for control. Thereafter, the compressed air is ejected from the air injection nozzle 50 of the removal means 5, at the time t06 after the transmission time td has elapsed from the time t05, at the workpiece 3. The actual action is the pressing force caused by the air. It is assumed that the workpiece 3 subjected to the posture determination processing is in an appropriate posture, and the posture determination processing determines that the body is in a predetermined posture. In the case of the process, the process for excluding the workpiece 3 from the conveyance path 10 (the output of the energization command and the injection from the air injection nozzle 50) is not performed. In the present description, the operation is described by one workpiece 3 for the sake of easy understanding. However, in actuality, since the workpieces 3 are continuously conveyed in a state of being in close contact with each other, the workpieces 3 are continuously conveyed. The processing up to the imaging, the introduction of the image data, and the pre-processing is performed continuously, and the processing after the time t03 is performed after the image data of the workpiece 3 is acquired. Each is performed once (intermittent action).

In this manner, the workpiece 3 in an inappropriate posture is excluded, and the workpiece 3 having only an appropriate posture is supplied to the supply target.

As described above, the component feeder 100 of the present embodiment is configured to include a component feeder main body 1 having a transport path 10 for transporting the workpiece 3, and a removal means 5 as a workpiece processing means. The process of eliminating the workpiece 3 from the transport path 10 by the workpiece 3 set as the workpiece processing position at the excluded position P2 on the transport path 10; and the posture discriminating means 44 as the means for determining the quality of the workpiece 3, The posture determination processing of the workpiece 3 is performed as the quality determination processing on the upstream side of the exclusion position P2, and the command output means 45 determines that the workpiece 3 is not in the predetermined posture. In the posture, the power-on command is output as a command for causing the above-described removal means 5 to perform the above-described exclusion processing; and the component-feeding speed detecting means 7 as a speed detecting means is used for checking The transport speed of the workpiece 3 transported on the transport path 10 is measured; and the timing control means 46 outputs the timing of the energization command to the command output means 45 based on the detection result of the component feed speed detecting means 7. control.

With this configuration, the workpiece 3 conveyed on the transport path 10 of the component feeder main body is discriminated by the excluding means 5, and is calculated by the component feeding speed detecting means 7. Its transport speed. In addition, if the exclusion means 5 determines that the body is in an incorrect posture, the sequence control means 46 controls the timing based on the conveyance speed of the workpiece 3 detected by the component feeding speed detecting means 7. The energization command for performing the exclusion processing is output by the command output means 45. In this manner, since the timing of the output energization command can be controlled by the conveyance speed of the workpiece 3 that is transported at the upstream side of the removal means 5, the conveyance speed of the workpiece 3 is set from the set value. The deviation can also cause the pressing force from the removing means 5 to act on the desired position of the workpiece 3. Therefore, even when the plurality of workpieces 3 are transported in a state of being in close contact with each other, the workpiece 3 which is the object to be excluded can be affected, and the posture of the workpiece 3 adjacent to the position 3 can be affected. To perform the exclusion process.

Specifically, the removal means 5 is provided with an air injection nozzle 50 as a pressing force applying means for applying a pressing force to the workpiece 3 at the excluded position P2, and is provided in advance on the workpiece. The target position Pw of the pushing force is applied, and the component feeding machine is further provided with a line camera 2 having a An image pickup element that is arranged in a plurality of rows orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the workpiece 3, and images are imaged at predetermined intervals by the workpiece 3 set at the image pickup position P1 on the conveyance path 10; The means 40 introduces an image in which the line camera 2 intermittently images the area from the front end 3a of the workpiece 3 to the rear end 3b, and the timing control means 46 applies the workpiece. 3, when the time point of the aforementioned imaging position P1 is passed, it is considered that the introduction until the rear end 3b of the workpiece 3 has been completed, and the workpiece 3 is lifted from the aforementioned imaging position P1 during the period of the lapse of the delay time to be fed by the component. As a result of the movement by the speed detected by the speed detecting device 7, the pressing force acts on the target position Pw set on the workpiece 3, and the standby time tα (sec) is set, and the delay time is At least the image processing time tp (sec) and the standby time tα (sec) and the mechanical transmission time td (sec) are included, and the image processing time tp is introduced from the image. The time required from the end of the introduction by the segment 40 until the posture determination process by the posture determination means 44 is completed, and the waiting time tα is determined by the posture determination means 44 to be an incorrect posture. The time until the command output means 45 outputs the energization command, the mechanical conduction time td is obtained by the removal means 5 that has received the energization command by applying the pressing force to the workpiece 3 via the exclusion process. The time required, therefore, is an appropriate correspondence that can be considered as well as the delay element.

More specifically, because when the speed is to be fed by the component The conveyance speed of the workpiece 3 calculated by the detecting device 7 is Vw (m/s), and the distance from the imaging position P1 to the exclusion position P2 is L (m), and will be from the rear end of the workpiece 3. When the distance from the target position Pw is Lw2 (m), the timing control means 46 sets the standby time tα based on the following equation tα = {(L - Lw2) / Vw} - tp - td. Therefore, it is possible to instantaneously correspond to the variation of the conveying speed of each workpiece 3 by simple calculation.

In addition, the imaging number acquisition unit 42a, which is the imaging number acquisition means, acquires the number of times of imaging that the line camera 2 has taken since the front end side of the workpiece 3 from the front end side to the rear end side. The component feeding speed detecting device 7 is provided with the imaging direction length of the workpiece 3 and the imaging interval of the line camera 2, and is provided with the number of imaging times acquired by the imaging number acquisition unit 42a. The time required for imaging based on the number of times of imaging and the imaging interval of the line camera 2 is regarded as the time required for the workpiece 3 to pass through the imaging position P1, and based on the time required for the imaging and the length of the transport direction of the workpiece 3, Since the conveyance speed Vw of the workpiece 3 is calculated, it is not necessary to separately provide a device for detecting the conveyance speed of the workpiece 3, and it is possible to detect the conveyance speed and also accompany the The resulting increase in cost is suppressed.

In particular, the pre-processing means 41 is provided with the image data introduced by the image introduction means 40 in accordance with the imaging sequence, and a slight overall occurrence of the single-piece workpiece 3 occurs. The combined image data, the imaging number acquisition unit 42a, The number of pixels of the combined image data and the number of pixels of the image data acquired by the imaging of the first time are obtained, and the posture determining means 44 determines the posture of the workpiece 3 based on the combined image data. Therefore, it is possible to share the data used by the component feeding speed detecting device 7 and the posture discriminating means 44, and it is possible to start from the start of imaging by the line camera 2 until the standby time tα is set. Time is shortened.

Although the above description has been made on one embodiment of the present invention, the specific configuration of each unit is not limited to the above embodiment.

For example, in the present embodiment, the process of removing the workpiece 3 that is determined to be in an inappropriate posture and excluding it from the transport path 10 is performed. However, as shown in FIG. 5, Instead of the removal means 5, the posture correction means 6 is provided as a workpiece processing means, and the posture of the workpiece 3 which is determined to be in an inappropriate posture is determined at the correction position P3 set on the conveyance path 10. The composition of the correction. The posture correcting means 6 includes an air jet nozzle 60 that ejects compressed air toward the workpiece 3 via a hole (not shown) provided at the posture correcting position P3 of the transport path 10, and ejects compression from the air jet nozzle 60. The air is reversed or rotated by the workpiece 3 positioned at the correction position P3, thereby correcting the posture. Further, the posture correcting means 6 is not limited to this configuration as long as it can correct the posture of the workpiece. The posture correcting means 6 is configured such that when an energization command is output from the command output means 45, the air injection nozzle is configured. The timing at which the compressed air is injected and the energization command is output is controlled by the timing control means 46 based on the detection results of the component feeding image processing device 8 and the component feeder speed detecting device 7.

In the present embodiment, the component feeding image processing device 8 is used to determine the posture of the workpiece 3. However, the shape or color of the workpiece 3, the printed characters on the workpiece 3, and the like may be used. The appearance of the workpiece 3 is checked. In this case, the image processing device for image feeding is configured to appropriately detect the appearance of the workpiece 3 instead of the posture determining means 44 for determining the posture of the workpiece 3.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the control device 154 may be configured to include the drive control means 43 for controlling the drive means 11 based on the conveyance speed of the workpiece 3 calculated by the speed calculation means 42. . The drive control means 43 compares the calculated conveyance speed of the workpiece 3 with the set value, and performs feedback control of the conveyance speed of the workpiece 3 by adjusting the amplitude and frequency of the drive means 11. According to the component feeder 151 having such a configuration, even if the conveyance speed of the workpiece 3 is changed, it can be adjusted to a set value, and the conveyance speed of the workpiece can be stabilized.

Further, in the present embodiment, the imaging number acquisition means 42a uses the number of pixels of the composite image data in the calculation of the imaging number A applied to the above formula (1), but instead of the composite image data. The number of pixels can also be used in the portrait material from the image data at the front end 3a where the workpiece 3 appears until the end 3b of the workpiece 3 appears. The total value of the number of pixels in the image data of the plural number. Moreover, in order to acquire the imaging number A, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the number of times of imaging by the line camera 2 is directly counted. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the control device 161 is provided with a counting means 162 for counting the number of times of imaging by the line camera 2, and the imaging number obtaining means 142a is based on The result of the detection by the end detecting means 41a is obtained by the count value of the counting means 162 corresponding to the image data of the front end 3a of the workpiece 3 detected and the image data corresponding to the rear end 3b of the workpiece 3 being detected. The count value of the counting means 162 is obtained based on the count values. Even in the component feeder 160 of such a configuration, the same effects as the component feeder 100 described above can be exerted.

Further, in the present embodiment, the plurality of workpieces 3 are transported on the transport path 3 in a state in which they are in close contact with each other, but they may be arranged at a predetermined interval. The composition of the transfer. In addition, as the line camera 2, the image pickup elements are arranged in a row. However, in the range in which the effects of the present invention can be exhibited, it is also possible to use two or more array elements of the image pickup device.

Further, in the present embodiment, the line camera 2 is used for imaging the workpiece 3, but instead of this, an area camera may be used. When the line camera 2 is used, it is possible to grasp the distance of the workpiece 3 up to the exclusion position P2 by imaging the workpiece 3 with the line camera 2, but when using the area camera, Ideally, it is additionally set to detect relative to the imaging range. The position detecting means of the position of the workpiece 3, by detecting the position of the workpiece 3 in the imaging range by the position detecting means, grasps the distance from the workpiece 3 up to the excluded position P2. In the case of such a configuration, it is preferable to output the power to the command output means 45 based on the position of the workpiece 3 detected by the position detecting means and the detection result of the component feeding speed detecting means 7. The timing of the instructions is controlled.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the component feeding speed detecting device 7 is used as the speed detecting means. Alternatively, a speed detecting device of the prior art such as a speed sensor may be used.

Other configurations are also possible, and various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

A component feeder characterized by comprising: a component feeder main body having a transport path for transporting a workpiece by vibration; and a workpiece processing means for processing the workpiece by the set on the transport path The workpiece at the position is removed from the transport path or the posture correction is performed on the transport path; and the workpiece quality determination means is performed on the upstream side of the workpiece processing position to perform the workpiece quality determination processing; And the command output means, when the workpiece quality determining means determines that the workpiece is not a predetermined appearance or posture, outputs an instruction for causing the workpiece processing means to perform the processing; and the speed detecting means detects the a transport speed of the workpiece that is transported on the transport path; and a timing control means that, based on the detection result of the speed detecting means, considers a delay element that changes in response to the transport speed, and outputs the foregoing to the command output means The timing of the instructions is controlled. The component feeding device according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the workpiece processing means includes a pressing force applying means for applying a pressing force to the workpiece at the workpiece processing position, and presetting the workpiece There is a target position for causing the pushing force to be applied, and the component feeding machine further includes: a line camera having a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the workpiece Providing a plurality of imaging elements arranged in a predetermined interval with respect to the workpiece passing through the imaging position set on the transport path; and the image introduction means for covering the workpiece from the workpiece The image that is intermittently imaged from the front end to the rear end is introduced in an instant, and the delay element includes at least an image processing time, a standby time, and a mechanical transmission time delay time, and the image processing time is When the workpiece passes through the imaging position, it is regarded as having been introduced until the rear end of the workpiece, and the end of the introduction by the image introducing means is performed until the workpiece quality determining means In the time required for the completion of the above-described quality determination processing, the standby time is a time period from the workpiece quality determining means determining that the workpiece is not a predetermined appearance or posture until the command output means outputs the command. The aforementioned mechanical conduction time is to receive the aforementioned instruction The workpiece processing means is configured to cause a pressing force to be applied to the workpiece via the processing, and the timing control means sets the workpiece from the imaging position by the speed during the period of the delay time As a result of the movement of the speed detected by the detecting means, the timing of the pressing force acting on the target position set on the workpiece is set, and the waiting time is set. The component feeder according to the second aspect of the invention, wherein the image processing time is tp (sec), the standby time is tα (sec), and the transmission time is td (sec). , The conveyance speed of the workpiece detected by the speed detecting means is Vw (m/s), and the distance from the imaging position to the workpiece processing position is L (m), and the workpiece is removed from the workpiece. When the distance from the target position is Lw (m), the timing control means sets the standby time based on the following equation tα={(L-Lw)/Vw}-tp-td. Tα. The component feeder according to the second aspect or the third aspect of the invention, further comprising: an imaging number acquisition means for obtaining the line camera from a front end side to a rear end side of the workpiece The number of times of imaging is performed, and the speed detecting means is provided with the number of imaging times obtained by the imaging number acquisition means by the length of the transport direction of the workpiece and the imaging interval of the line camera. The time required for imaging based on the number of times of imaging and the imaging interval of the line camera is regarded as the time required for the workpiece to pass through the imaging position, and is calculated based on the time required for the imaging and the length of the transport direction of the workpiece. The conveying speed of the workpiece. The component feeder according to the fourth aspect of the invention, further comprising: a preprocessing means for connecting the image data introduced by the image introduction means to each other in accordance with an imaging sequence; A composite image data of a single whole of the single workpiece, and the image capturing means is based on the image of the synthetic image data. The number of pixels of the image data acquired by the imaging of the first time is used to obtain the number of times of imaging, and the method for determining the quality of the workpiece is based on the synthesized image data.