TWI836010B - Parts feeder and air blowing device for parts feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a parts feeder and an air blowing device for the parts feeder, which can prevent workpieces from falling and their postures being scattered at a transition portion between a hopper feeder and a linear feeder. The parts feeder of the present invention includes a hopper and an outlet member that transmit vibrations from a hopper side vibration source, and a trough that transmits vibrations from a linear side vibration source that is different from the hopper side vibration source. The hopper, the outlet member, and the trough each include a vibration transmitted through In a conveyance trough that conveys workpieces, the downstream end of the exit member in the conveyance direction is located above the upstream end of the trough in the conveyance direction. The hopper, the outlet member, and the trough are arranged with a gap for insulating vibration. The workpiece is conveyed from the end of the outlet member to the end of the trough, and the thickness of the end portion corresponding to the bottom of the conveyance trough is smaller than the thickness around the portion corresponding to the bottom.

Description

Parts feeder and air ejection device for parts feeder

The present invention relates to a parts feeder that conveys an object (workpiece) such as electronic components by vibration, and an air blowing device for the parts feeder.

Examples of the parts feeder include a parts feeder that combines a hopper feeder that conveys the workpieces in a circular shape and a linear feeder that conveys the workpieces in a straight line. Hopper feeders and linear feeders contain different sources of vibration.

In the parts feeder, since the vibrations (amplitude, frequency, etc.) generated in the hopper feeder and the linear feeder are different, if these feeders are directly connected, there is a possibility that, for example, vibration interference will occur, causing a failure in the transportation of the workpiece, or a failure of the parts feeder due to stress concentration. Therefore, in the parts feeder of Patent Document 1, a gap is formed between the feeders to a degree that can insulate the vibrations in such a way that the vibration of one feeder does not have an adverse effect on the other feeder.

However, if the gap between the feeders is large, there is a possibility that the workpiece will fall through the gap. Therefore, the gap between the feeders is designed to be extremely small, but in recent years, workpieces have become increasingly smaller, and even if the gap between the feeders is reduced, there is still a possibility that the workpiece will fall through the gap.

In addition, the parts feeder has the following requirements: A group of conveyed workpieces are arranged so as to overlap, and a predetermined posture of each workpiece is determined in advance, and then sent to the next process.

Therefore, in the parts feeder, there is a configuration such that an air ejection device is provided near the transport path for transporting workpieces, and air is ejected toward overlapping workpieces, so that the upper workpiece is blown away from the transport path, or air is ejected toward workpieces in an inappropriate posture to promote their rotation (e.g., Patent Document 2).

existing technical documents

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-284336

Patent document 2: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-114651

Regarding the problem of workpieces falling from the gap between the feeders as described above, a solution is considered to position the downstream end of the hopper feeder above the upstream portion of the linear feeder. In this parts feeder, since there is no gap between the hopper feeder and the linear feeder where the workpieces can fall, it is possible to prevent the workpieces from falling into the gap.

However, in such a structure in which the downstream end of the hopper feeder is located above the upstream part of the linear feeder, it is unavoidable that a vertical gap is formed at the transition portion (overlapping portion) between the hopper feeder and the linear feeder. . Therefore, when the workpiece passes through the gap between the hopper feeder and the linear feeder, the workpiece falls on the gap and becomes scattered. If the posture of the workpiece is scattered in this way, a mechanism for correcting the posture of the workpiece is required on the linear feeder or on the downstream side of the linear feeder.

In addition, in order to reduce the height difference between the hopper feeder and the linear feeder, it is considered to reduce (thinner) the thickness of the downstream end of the hopper feeder. However, if this is done, the strength of the component will decrease, so there is a problem with the hopper feeder. The downstream end of the machine vibrates and cannot handle the workpiece properly.

An air blowing device for blowing unarranged workpieces and the like away from a conveyance path typically blows air in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance path when viewed from above. In order to be able to blow out such air, in this type of air blowing device, an elongated nozzle with a discharge port formed at the front end is disposed on the side of the conveying path in an attitude in which the longitudinal direction is orthogonal to the conveying path when viewed from above. For example, this type of air blowing device is provided in a hopper feeder (that is, a hopper feeder that conveys workpieces along a spiral conveyance path by vibrating a hopper formed on the inner surface of the side wall portion). The elongated nozzle is embedded in the side wall of the hopper with its front end on the discharge port side facing the inner surface of the side wall of the hopper, and with its length direction along the radial direction of the hopper in plan view. Furthermore, a supply pipe is connected to the rear end of the nozzle in the axial direction.

However, with this structure, the supply pipe for supplying air extends axially from the rear end of the nozzle extending radially of the hopper in a top view, so that the supply pipe protrudes radially from the side wall of the hopper. Therefore, in addition to the poor appearance, there is a possibility that the supply pipe hinders the operator and interferes with surrounding equipment.

In addition, an air spraying device for promoting the rotation of a workpiece in an inappropriate posture typically sprays air in the direction of the transport path when viewed from above. In order to spray such air, in this type of air spraying device, a nozzle formed by a freely bendable tube (e.g., a tube made of SUS) is arranged above the transport path in a posture extending along the transport path when viewed from above. Furthermore, by the operator appropriately bending the tubular nozzle and changing the position and posture of the discharge port, the position and angle of the discharged air can be appropriately fine-tuned.

However, with this structure, the tubular nozzle is arranged above the conveying path and extends along the conveying path, so there are still problems such as poor appearance and the nozzle hindering the operator.

The present invention provides a parts feeder that can prevent objects to be conveyed (workpieces) from falling at transition portions between feeders and suppress the posture of the objects to be conveyed from being scattered.

In addition, the present invention provides a technology in which the air blowing device is less likely to interfere with the operator and can make the parts feeder as a whole compact and beautiful.

A parts feeder of an embodiment of the present invention includes a first vibration component to which vibration is transmitted from a first vibration source and a second vibration component to which vibration is transmitted from a second vibration source different from the first vibration source. The first vibration component and the second vibration component respectively include a first conveying groove and a second conveying groove for conveying a conveyed object by the transmitted vibration. The first end of the first vibration component on the downstream side in the conveying direction is located above the second end of the second vibration component on the upstream side in the conveying direction. The first end and the second end are arranged with a gap for insulating vibration, and are configured to convey a conveyed object from the first end to the second end. The thickness of a portion of the first end corresponding to the bottom of the first conveying groove is smaller than the thickness of the surrounding portion corresponding to the bottom.

Thus, in the above-mentioned parts feeder, by making the thickness of the portion of the first end of the above-mentioned first vibration member corresponding to the bottom of the first conveying groove smaller than the thickness of the surrounding portion, the height difference of the transition portion between the first vibration member and the second vibration member can be reduced. Therefore, in the transition portion between the first vibration member and the second vibration member, the conveyed object (workpiece) can be prevented from falling and the posture of the conveyed object can be suppressed from being disordered.

In the above-mentioned parts feeder, the thickness of the cross section perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the first end portion gradually becomes smaller toward a portion corresponding to the bottom of the first conveyance chute.

Thus, in the above-mentioned parts feeder, by forming the first end of the first vibration member so that the thickness of the cross section perpendicular to the transport direction gradually decreases toward the portion corresponding to the bottom of the first transport groove, even when the thickness of the first end of the first vibration member corresponding to the bottom of the first transport groove is reduced, the strength of the first end of the first vibration member can be suppressed from decreasing.

In the above-mentioned parts feeder, the thickness of the cross section of the above-mentioned first end portion parallel to the conveying direction gradually decreases toward the front end of the above-mentioned first end portion.

Therefore, in the above-mentioned parts feeder, by forming the thickness of the cross section parallel to the conveyance direction of the first end portion gradually smaller toward the front end of the first end portion, even at the first end portion of the first vibrating member Even when the thickness of the portion corresponding to the bottom of the first conveyance tank is reduced, a decrease in the strength of the first end portion of the first vibrating member can be suppressed.

In the above-mentioned parts feeder, the above-mentioned first end portion is formed into a tapered shape in such a way that the thickness gradually decreases toward the portion corresponding to the bottom of the above-mentioned first transfer groove.

In the above-mentioned parts feeder, at least one of the lower surface of the cross section of the first end perpendicular to the conveying direction and the lower surface of the cross section of the first end parallel to the conveying direction is formed into a tapered shape, and the first end can be easily processed to have a thickness that becomes smaller toward the portion corresponding to the bottom of the first conveying groove.

An air blowing device according to another embodiment of the present invention is an air blowing device for a parts feeder, and includes a nozzle and a supply pipe for supplying air to the nozzle. The nozzle is disposed so that its axial direction is along a direction intersecting the conveyance path in plan view. A cylindrical main body on the side of the conveyance path, a discharge port formed in an end surface of the main body at a position offset from the center, a long groove formed on the circumferential surface of the main body along the circumferential direction, and the communication The supply pipe communicates with the internal space of the groove part from a direction intersecting the axial direction of the main body part at the communication part between the groove part and the discharge port, and supplies air to the internal space.

According to this structure, the supply pipe that supplies air to the nozzle is connected to the main body of the nozzle. Air is supplied in a direction where the axial directions intersect, so the supply pipe does not protrude in the axial direction of the main body. Therefore, the supply piping is less likely to interfere with the operator, and the overall appearance of the parts feeder is small and beautiful. In addition, in this structure, the discharge port is formed at a position offset from the center of the end surface of the main body. Therefore, the position of the discharge port, that is, the air ejection position can be changed by rotating the main body around its axis. In addition, according to this structure, even if the main body part rotates around its axis, the supply of air to the discharge port can be maintained within a range corresponding to the length of the groove part. In this case, there is no need to adjust the main body part according to the rotation of the main body part. Since the supply pipe moves, the retrieval structure of the supply pipe can be simplified.

In the above air blowing device for parts feeder, it is preferable that the main body portion is disposed in the hopper having a spiral conveyance path formed on the inner surface of the side wall portion in an attitude such that the axial direction is along the radial direction of the hopper in plan view.

According to this structure, the main body of the nozzle is arranged in an attitude such that the axial direction is along the radial direction of the hopper in plan view. As a result, the supply pipe that supplies air to the nozzle supplies air from a direction intersecting the axial direction of the main body. The middle supply pipe does not protrude in the radial direction of the hopper. Therefore, the supply pipe is particularly unlikely to interfere with the operator, and the overall appearance of the parts feeder is particularly compact and beautiful.

In addition, the air spraying device of another embodiment of the present invention is an air spraying device for a parts feeder, comprising a nozzle, a support portion supporting the nozzle, and a supply pipe for supplying air to the nozzle, wherein the nozzle comprises a cylindrical main body and a discharge port formed in a part of the circumferential direction of the peripheral surface of the main body, and the support portion supports the main body in a manner that allows the axis to be rotated around the axis of the axis in a direction intersecting the transport path in a top view.

According to this structure, the nozzle includes a main body having a discharge port formed on the circumferential surface, and the main body is supported in a posture in which the axial direction is along the direction intersecting the transport path in a top view. Therefore, compared with the conventional tubular nozzle arranged along the transport path in a top view, the nozzle is less likely to hinder the operator, and the overall appearance of the parts feeder is small and beautiful. In addition, in this structure, since the discharge port is formed in a part of the circumferential direction of the circumferential surface of the main body, the position of the discharge port, that is, the air ejection position can be changed by rotating the main body around its axis. Compared with the conventional scheme of changing the air ejection position by changing the posture of the front end of the tubular nozzle, the scheme of changing the air ejection position by changing the rotation angle of the main body has high reproducibility of position adjustment. Therefore, even without skilled operators, the air ejection position can be adjusted easily and with high precision.

Preferably, the air ejection device for the parts feeder is used, wherein the ejection nozzle includes a long groove formed along the circumferential direction of the peripheral surface of the main body and a connecting portion connecting the groove and the discharge port, and the supply pipe is connected to the inner space of the groove from a direction intersecting the axial direction of the main body to supply air to the inner space.

According to this structure, since the supply piping that supplies air to the nozzle supplies air from a direction intersecting the axial direction of the main body of the nozzle, the supply piping does not protrude in the axial direction of the main body. Therefore, the supply piping is less likely to interfere with the operator, and the overall appearance of the parts feeder is particularly compact and beautiful. In addition, according to this structure, even if the main body rotates around its axis, the supply of air to the discharge port can be maintained within a range corresponding to the length of the groove. In this case, there is no need to adjust the supply according to the rotation of the main body. The pipe is moved, so the retrieval structure of the supply pipe can be simplified.

Preferably, the air spraying device of the parts feeder sprays air toward the transported object passing through the drop portion where the shape of the transport path changes from a V-shaped cross section to an arc-shaped cross section.

In this structure, the rotation of the workpiece can be promoted by blowing air against the workpiece at the timing when the workpiece falls onto the conveyance path having an arc-shaped cross section. A workpiece that is falling while rotating has the most stable rotation posture (that is, the rotation posture with the lowest center of gravity) when it lands on the conveyance path with an arc-shaped cross section. Therefore, by promoting the rotation of the workpiece when it falls, the posture of the workpiece is aligned to The rotation pose. This structure example This is effective when aligning long workpieces in the conveying direction.

In addition, a parts feeder according to another embodiment of the present invention includes the air blowing device having each of the above-mentioned structures.

The effects of the present invention are as follows.

According to the present invention, a parts feeder can be provided, which can prevent the transported object (workpiece) from falling and suppress the disorder of the transported object at the transition part between the first vibration component and the second vibration component.

In addition, according to the present invention, the air ejection device is unlikely to interfere with the operator, and the overall appearance of the parts feeder can be made small and beautiful.

1, 1 ' : Hopper feeder

11, 11 ' : Hopper

111:Transportation path

111a: Drop part

111b: V-shaped groove part

111c: Arc groove part

112:Through hole

113:Pipe insertion hole

115: Fixed component insertion hole

12: Conveying chute (first conveying chute)

121: Supporting part

121a:Fixed parts

121b: Movable parts

122: Electromagnetic drive unit

123:leaf spring

16, 16 ' : Vibration source on the hopper side

2: Linear feeder

21: Groove (second vibration component)

3: Exit part (first vibration part)

31: Conveying chute (first conveying chute)

31a: Driving surface

32: End of outlet part (first end)

4: First air ejection device

41:Nozzle

411:Main part

411a: End surface

411b: Circumference

412:Discharge outlet

413: Groove

414: Communication Department

415: Clamp insertion hole

42:Supply piping

43:Fixed parts

5: Second air ejection device

51:Nozzle

511: Main body

511a: Surround surface

513: Exhaust port

514: Groove

515: Communication Department

52: Support part

521: Long hole

522:Through hole

523: Pipe insertion hole

524: Fixed component insertion hole

53:Supply piping

54: Fixed parts

56: Straight line side vibration source (second vibration source)

6: Base

72: Transport trough (second transport trough)

100, 100 ' : Parts feeder

FIG1 is a perspective view of a parts feeder according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG2 is an enlarged perspective view of the main parts of the downstream end portion of the hopper feeder and the upstream end portion of the linear feeder in the parts feeder of FIG1.

FIG3 is an enlarged side view showing the main parts of the downstream end portion of the hopper feeder and the upstream end portion of the linear feeder in the parts feeder of FIG1.

FIG. 4(a) is a perspective view of the outlet member viewed from above, and FIG. 4(b) is a perspective view of the outlet member viewed from below.

Figure 5(a) is a schematic side view of the outlet component, and Figure 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the A-A line of Figure 5(a).

Figure 6 is a partial top view of the hopper in the hopper screening program.

Figures 7(a) to 7(c) show the layer limiting handles in the hopper of the hopper feeder of Figure 6. Cross-sectional views of the vicinity of the entrance, the middle, and the exit of the transport tank.

FIG. 8 is a diagram explaining layer restriction of workpieces in the hopper feeder of FIG. 6 .

FIG9 is a perspective view showing the structure of the parts feeder of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a top view of the hopper feeder of FIG. 9 .

FIG. 11(a) is a side view of the main part of the hopper feeder in FIG. 9 , and FIG. 11(b) is a bottom view of the main part of the hopper feeder in FIG. 9 .

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a portion where the air blowing device is disposed.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a step formed in the middle of the conveyance path.

Figure 14 is a side sectional view of the first air ejection device.

FIG. 15 is an exploded side cross-sectional view showing each element included in the first air blowing device.

Figure 16(a) is a three-dimensional view of the nozzle included in the first air ejection device, and Figure 16(b) is a front view of the nozzle included in the first air ejection device.

FIG. 17 is a three-dimensional diagram showing the components included in the second air ejection device after being decomposed.

Figure 18 is a side sectional view of the second air ejection device.

FIG. 19 is an exploded side cross-sectional view showing each element of the second air blowing device.

Below, the implementation of the present invention is described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in the following description, upstream and downstream are expressed based on the conveying direction of the conveyed object (workpiece) in the parts feeder (the direction of conveying from the hopper feeder 1 to the linear feeder 2).

[First Embodiment]

Below, the first embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to the drawings.

<1. Overall structure of parts feeder 100>

As shown in FIG. 1 , the parts feeder 100 of this embodiment includes a hopper feeder 1 that arranges workpieces such as IC wafers and minute coils, and a linear feeder that further conveys the workpieces conveyed by the hopper feeder 1 in a constant direction. Device 2. The hopper feeder 1 and the linear feeder 2 are arranged on the base 6 .

The hopper feeder 1 includes a hopper 11 capable of accommodating workpieces supplied from a supply mechanism (not shown), and a hopper-side vibration source 16 as a first vibration source located below the hopper 11 . The hopper 11 includes a centrally bulging bottom portion 11a that is circular in plan view, and a wall surface (side wall portion) 11b that is inclined upward from the peripheral portion of the bottom portion 11a. In this embodiment, the case where a substantially rectangular parallelepiped workpiece is conveyed is demonstrated, for example.

A spiral conveyance groove 12 formed in the circumferential direction is formed on the wall surface 11b. The conveyance trough 12 is formed in a V-shape in the longitudinal cross section at the downstream end in the conveyance direction (the end near the linear feeder 2), as shown in FIG. 2 . The conveyance chute 12 is formed by the traveling surface 12a which is a gentle slope, and the wall surface 12b which is a sharp slope. The wall surface 12b is a surface orthogonal to the width direction end portion (the right edge portion in FIG. 2 ) of the running surface 12a. Therefore, the workpiece conveyed along the conveyance chute 12 is guided by the wall surface 12b while being in contact with the traveling surface 12a and the wall surface 12b, and moves on the traveling surface 12a.

The hopper side vibration source 16 includes an electromagnet and a leaf spring supporting the hopper 11 from below. Vibration is transmitted from the hopper side vibration source 16 to the hopper 11 through the magnetization of the electromagnet, and the hopper 11 performs torsional vibration. By driving the hopper side vibration source 16, the hopper 11 is vibrated and the workpieces are transported sequentially in the circumferential direction.

The outlet component 3 as a part of the hopper feeder 1 is connected to the downstream end of the hopper 11 in the conveying direction. The outlet component 3 can be loaded and unloaded relative to the downstream end of the hopper 11 in the conveying direction. In addition, in this embodiment, the hopper 11 and the outlet component 3 of the hopper feeder 1 correspond to the "first vibration component" of the present invention. As shown in FIG2, the outlet component 3 is bolted to the hopper 11 and vibrates together with the hopper 11 through the hopper side vibration source 16. The position of the outlet component 3 relative to the linear feeder 2 is adjusted by moving the hopper 11 and the outlet component 3 relative to the base 6.

A conveying trough 31 extending approximately in the horizontal direction is formed at the upper portion of the outlet component 3. The conveying trough 31 is formed in a V-shape in the longitudinal section as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5. The conveying trough 31 is formed by a running surface 31a as a gentle slope and a wall surface 31b as a steep slope, similar to the conveying trough 12 of the hopper 11. The wall surface 31b is a surface orthogonal to the end portion of the running surface 31a in the width direction (the right side edge portion in FIG. 2), and the bottom 31t of the conveying trough 31 is formed by the running surface 31a and the wall surface 31b. Therefore, the workpiece conveyed along the conveying trough 31 is guided by the wall surface 31b and moves on the running surface 31a while being in contact with the running surface 31a and the wall surface 31b.

The linear feeder 2 is disposed downstream of the hopper feeder 1 in the conveyance direction, and the workpiece is conveyed from the hopper 11 through the outlet member 3 to the groove 21 of the linear feeder 2 in the horizontal direction. The linear feeder 2 includes a groove 21 extending linearly in the conveyance direction and a linear side vibration source 56 located below the groove 21 as a second vibration source (a vibration source different from the first vibration source). The end portion 51 a of the groove 21 on the upstream side in the conveyance direction is adjacent to the outlet member 3 with an interval that does not transmit vibration. In addition, in this embodiment, the groove 21 of the linear feeder 2 corresponds to the "second vibrating member" of the present invention.

A conveyance trough 72 extending substantially in the horizontal direction is formed in the upper part of the trough 21 . The conveyance trough 72 is formed in a V-shape in the longitudinal cross section as shown in FIG. 2 . Like the conveyance chute 12 of the hopper 11 and the conveyance chute 31 of the outlet member 3 , the conveyance chute 72 is formed of a running surface 72 a that is a gentle slope and a wall surface 72 b that is a sharp slope. The wall surface 72b is a surface orthogonal to the width direction end portion (the right end edge portion in FIG. 2 ) of the running surface 72a. Therefore, the workpiece conveyed along the conveyance chute 72 is guided by the wall surface 72b while being in contact with the traveling surface 72a and the wall surface 72b, and moves on the traveling surface 72a.

The linear side vibration source 56 includes an electromagnet and a leaf spring supporting the groove 21. Vibration is transmitted from the linear side vibration source 56 to the groove 21 through excitation of the electromagnet, and the groove 21 vibrates reciprocally. By driving the linear side vibration source 56 and vibrating the groove 21, the workpiece conveyed from the outlet member 3 is sequentially conveyed to the downstream side in the conveyance direction.

An end portion 32 protruding toward the linear feeder 2 is formed at the downstream end in the transport direction of the outlet component 3. The end portion 32 includes a plate-like portion 32a disposed at the downstream end in the transport direction of the running surface 31a and a plate-like portion 32b disposed at the downstream end in the transport direction of the wall surface 31b. The plate-like portion 32b is positioned above (vertically above) in a manner overlapping the running surface 72a of the groove 21, and the plate-like portion 32b is positioned in a manner overlapping the wall surface 72b of the groove 21. Therefore, a portion of the downstream side end portion of the end portion 32 in the transport direction corresponding to the bottom 31t of the transport groove 31 is positioned above (vertically above) in a manner overlapping the groove 21. The plate-like portion 32a is disposed above the upstream end in the transport direction of the running surface 72a of the groove 21 with a gap therebetween. Therefore, the vibration is insulated between the end 32 of the outlet component 3 and the groove 21 of the linear feeder 2. That is, the vibration of the hopper 11 and the hopper side vibration source 16 of the outlet component 3 will not be transmitted to the groove 21, and the vibration of the linear side vibration source 56 will not be transmitted to the hopper 11 and the outlet component 3. This can reduce the possibility of, for example, vibration interference causing obstacles in the transportation of workpieces or causing failure of the parts feeder 100 due to stress concentration.

The thickness of the portion corresponding to the bottom 31t of the transport groove 31 in the plate-shaped portion 32a and the plate-shaped portion 32b of the end portion 32 (the portion corresponding to the bottom 31t of the transport groove 31 in the downstream end portion of the end portion 32 in the transport direction) is smaller than the thickness of the periphery of the portion corresponding to the bottom 31t. That is, the periphery of the portion corresponding to the bottom 31t is the portion located in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the portion corresponding to the bottom 31t and the portion located in the transport direction upstream of the portion corresponding to the bottom 31t. In this embodiment, the thickness of the cross section perpendicular to the transport direction of the end portion 32 gradually decreases toward the portion corresponding to the bottom 31t of the transport groove 31. That is, the thickness of the plate-shaped portion 32a and the plate-shaped portion 32b gradually decreases toward the portion corresponding to the bottom 31t of the transport groove 31 as shown in Figs. 4(a) and 4(b). In addition, the thickness of the section parallel to the transport direction of the end portion 32 gradually decreases toward the front end of the end portion 32. That is, the thickness of the portion corresponding to the bottom 31t of the transport groove 31 gradually decreases toward the front end of the end portion 32 as shown in the section on the A-A line of FIG. 5(a), that is, FIG. 5(b). Thus, the plate-shaped portion 32b of the end portion 32 and the plate-shaped portion 32b are formed in a tapered shape in a manner that the thickness decreases toward the portion corresponding to the bottom 31t of the transport groove 31.

As described above, in the hopper feeder 1, the spiral conveyance groove 12 formed in the circumferential direction is formed on the wall surface 11b of the hopper 11. However, as shown in FIG. 6, on the outside (diameter) of the spiral conveyance groove 12 A plurality of layer-limiting conveyance troughs 60 are formed outward). The plurality of layer-limiting conveyance troughs 60 are formed at a plurality of positions spaced apart along the spiral conveyance trough 12 . However, FIG. 6 illustrates one layer-limiting conveyance trough 60 formed outside a part of the spiral conveyance trough 12 .

In this embodiment, by forming the layer restricting conveyance chute 60 on the outside of the spiral conveyance chute 12, in the hopper feeder 1, when the workpiece is conveyed along the spiral conveyance chute 12 in the hopper 11, both sides When the workpieces are in a state where the upper and lower layers are overlapped, the layer restriction of the workpieces in the hopper feeder 1 can be performed (the two workpieces in the upper and lower layers are overlapped so that the two workpieces are not overlapped).

The layer restriction conveyance trough 60 for layer restriction is formed along a part of the spiral conveyance trough 12 outside the spiral conveyance trough 12 . The layer-limiting conveyance trough 60 is formed outside the spiral conveyance trough 12 at a distance of one or more workpieces, and then the distance from the spiral conveyance trough 12 gradually becomes smaller. The layer regulating conveyance chute 60 is inclined in the entire area from the vicinity of the end on the upstream side in the conveying direction to the vicinity of the end on the downstream side in the conveying direction so as to gradually become higher toward the downstream side in the conveying direction. The downstream end merges with the spiral conveying channel 12 .

7(a) to 7(c) are cross-sectional views of the vicinity of the entrance, the vicinity of the middle portion, and the vicinity of the exit of the layer-limiting conveyance chute 60 in the hopper 11. Specifically, Figure 7(a)~Figure 7(c) respectively This is a cross-sectional view taken along lines A1-A1, A2-A2, and A3-A3 in FIG. 6 .

The layer-limiting transport groove 60 is the same as the spiral transport groove 12, and is formed into a V-shape in the longitudinal section as shown in Figures 7(a) to 7(c). The layer-limiting transport groove 60 is formed by a running surface 60a as a gently inclined surface and a wall surface 60b as a steeply inclined surface. The wall surface 60b is a surface orthogonal to the end of the width direction of the running surface 60a (the right side edge of Figure 7). Therefore, the workpiece transported along the layer-limiting transport groove 60 is guided by the wall surface 60b and moves on the running surface 60a while abutting against the running surface 60a and the wall surface 60b.

As shown in FIG. 7( a), near the entrance of the layer-limiting transport groove 60 (the A1-A1 line section of FIG. 6 ), the bottom 60t of the layer-limiting transport groove 60 is arranged at a position lower than the bottom 12t of the spiral transport groove 12. Therefore, at the end of the layer-limiting transport groove 60 on the upstream side in the transport direction, a step portion 61 is formed between the spiral transport groove 12 and the layer-limiting transport groove 60. The step portion 61 is a portion connecting the running surface 60a of the layer-limiting transport groove 60 and the running surface 12a of the spiral transport groove 12, and is a portion of the running surface 60a of the layer-limiting transport groove 60 that protrudes upward relative to the running surface 12a of the spiral transport groove 12. As shown in FIG. 7(b) and FIG. 7(c), the height of the bottom 12t of the spiral transport groove 12 changes gradually from the entrance to the middle (the A2-A2 line section of FIG. 6) and the exit (the A3-A3 line section of FIG. 6) of the layer-limiting transport groove 60.

The distance between the bottom 12t of the spiral transport groove 12 and the bottom 60t of the layer-limiting transport groove 60 gradually decreases from the upstream side in the transport direction to the downstream side in the transport direction. The height of the bottom 60t of the layer-limiting transport groove 60 gradually increases from the upstream side in the transport direction to the downstream side in the transport direction over the entire region of the layer-limiting transport groove 60. The slope of at least a portion of the layer-limiting transport groove 60 along the transport direction is smaller than the slope of the spiral transport groove 12 along the transport direction. The distance between the bottom 60t of the layer-limiting transport groove 60 and the bottom 12t of the spiral transport groove 12 gradually decreases from the entrance of the layer-limiting transport groove 60 to the middle and exit of the layer-limiting transport groove 60, and the height of the step 61 between the spiral transport groove 12 and the layer-limiting transport groove 60 gradually decreases. Therefore, near the end of the layer-limiting transport groove 60 on the downstream side of the transport direction, there is no step 61 between the spiral transport groove 12 and the layer-limiting transport groove 60 (the height of the step 61 is 0), and the running surface 12a of the spiral transport groove 12 and the running surface 60a of the layer-limiting transport groove 60 are arranged on the same plane.

In this way, by forming the layer-limiting conveyance groove 60 outside the spiral conveyance groove 12, as shown in FIG. 8(a), when two workpieces are overlapped into upper and lower layers in the spiral conveyance groove 12, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 8(b) and 8(c) , the upper workpiece moves to the layer regulating conveyance chute 60 , and then, as shown in FIG. 8(d) , as it is conveyed in the layer regulating conveyance chute 60 , the workpiece spirally The height of the step portion 61 between the spiral conveying chute 12 and the layer-limiting conveying chute 60 becomes low. If the running surface 12a of the spiral conveying chute 12 and the running surface 60a of the layer-limiting conveying chute 60 are arranged on the same plane, , the workpiece conveyed on the spiral conveyance chute 12 moves to the layer-limiting conveyance chute 60 outside the spiral conveyance chute 12 .

In a plan view, at the downstream end of the layer-limiting conveyance chute 60 in the conveyance direction, the position of the bottom 12t of the spiral conveyance chute 12 is switched radially outward to the position of the bottom 60t of the layer-limiting conveyance chute 60 . That is, a spiral conveyance chute is arranged on the conveyance direction downstream side of the end portion of the layer regulating conveyance chute 60 downstream in the conveyance direction, and at a portion extending the bottom 60t of the layer regulating conveyance chute 60 toward the conveyance direction downstream side. 12 bottom of 12t. Therefore, if the workpieces conveyed on the spiral conveyance chute 12 merge with the workpieces conveyed on the layer-limiting conveyance chute 60 , the overlapping of the workpieces on the spiral conveyance chute 12 is eliminated as shown in FIG. 8(e) The state becomes a state where the workpieces do not overlap.

<2. Effect>

The parts feeder 100 of this embodiment includes the hopper 11 and the outlet member 3 that transmit vibration from the hopper side vibration source 16 , the tank 21 that transmits vibration from the linear side vibration source 56 that is different from the hopper side vibration source 16 , the hopper 11 and the outlet member. 3 and groove 21 respectively include the vibrations transmitted through the conveyor of the workpiece The conveyance chute 12, 31 and the conveyance chute 72, the conveyance direction downstream end 32 of the outlet member 3 is located above the conveyance direction upstream end 51a of the chute 21, and the hopper 11, the outlet member 3, and the chute 21 are separated by The workpiece is conveyed from the end 32 of the outlet member 3 to the end 51a of the tank 21 with a gap that is insulated from vibration. The thickness ratio of the portion of the end 32 corresponding to the bottom 31t of the transport tank 31 corresponds to the bottom 31t. The thickness around the part is small.

Thus, in the parts feeder 100 of the present embodiment, the thickness of the portion corresponding to the bottom 31t of the transport groove 31 in the end portion 32 on the downstream side of the transport direction of the outlet component 3 is made smaller than the thickness of the surrounding portion, so that the drop portion of the transition portion between the outlet component 3 and the groove 21 can be reduced. Therefore, at the transition portion between the outlet component 3 and the groove 21, the workpiece can be prevented from falling and the posture of the workpiece can be suppressed from being disordered.

In the parts feeder 100 of the present embodiment, the thickness of the cross section perpendicular to the conveying direction of the end portion 32 on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the outlet component 3 gradually decreases toward the portion corresponding to the bottom of the conveying groove 31.

Therefore, in the parts feeder 100 of the present embodiment, the thickness of the cross section perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the end portion 32 on the conveyance direction downstream side of the outlet member 3 is directed toward the portion corresponding to the bottom 31t of the conveyance chute 31 Even if the thickness of the end portion 32 of the outlet member 3 on the downstream side in the conveyance direction is reduced gradually, the thickness of the portion corresponding to the bottom 31t of the conveyance chute 31 can be suppressed. .

In the parts feeder 100 of this embodiment, the thickness of the end portion 32 on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the outlet member 3 in a cross section parallel to the conveyance direction gradually becomes smaller toward the front end of the end portion 32 .

Therefore, in the parts feeder 100 of the present embodiment, the end portion 32 of the outlet member 3 on the downstream side in the conveyance direction is formed so that the thickness of the cross section parallel to the conveyance direction gradually becomes smaller toward the front end of the end portion 32 . In the end portion 32 of the outlet member 3 on the downstream side in the conveyance direction, even if it is toward the front end Even when the thickness is reduced, a decrease in the strength of the end portion 32 of the outlet member 3 can be suppressed.

In the parts feeder 100 of this embodiment, the downstream end 32 of the outlet member 3 in the conveyance direction is formed in a tapered shape so that the thickness becomes smaller toward a portion corresponding to the bottom 31 t of the conveyance chute 31 .

In the parts feeder 100 of the present embodiment, the lower surface of the end portion 32 on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the outlet member 3 in the cross section perpendicular to the conveyance direction and the lower surface of the end portion 32 in the cross section parallel to the conveyance direction are respectively formed as The end portion 32 can be easily processed in a tapered shape so that the thickness becomes smaller toward the portion corresponding to the bottom 31t of the conveyance chute 31 .

[Second implementation method]

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in the description and drawings related to the second embodiment, about the structures that are substantially the same as those in the above-described first embodiment, the same reference numerals are used to omit repeated descriptions.

<1. Overall Structure of Parts Feeder 100 ' >

The structure of the parts feeder according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9 . FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the structure of the parts feeder 100 ' according to the embodiment.

The parts feeder 100 ' is a device for transporting workpieces such as IC chips and tiny coils by vibration. In this embodiment, it is roughly in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.

The parts feeder 100 ' includes a hopper feeder 1 ' that conveys the workpieces in a spiral shape and arranges them, and a linear feeder 2 that is arranged on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the hopper feeder 1 and conveys the workpieces supplied from the hopper feeder 1 ' in a straight line shape, arranges them in a determined direction, and supplies them to the next process. The hopper feeder 1 ' and the linear feeder 2 are arranged on a base 6.

The hopper feeder 1 ' includes a hopper 11 ' for storing workpieces supplied from a supply mechanism (not shown) and a vibration source (hopper side vibration source) 16 ' arranged below the hopper 11 ' . A spiral conveying path 111 is formed on the inner side surface of the hopper 11 ' , and the workpieces are conveyed along the conveying path 111 by torsionally vibrating the hopper 11 ' using the hopper side vibration source 16 ' .

The linear feeder 2 includes a groove 21 extending in a straight line and a vibration source (linear side vibration source) 22 disposed below the groove 21. The linear side vibration source 22 is used to vibrate the groove 21, and the workpiece is transported along the groove 21.

Next, in addition to Fig. 9, the hopper feeder 1 ' is described in more detail with reference to Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. Fig. 10 is a top view of the hopper feeder 1 ' . Fig. 11(a) is a side view of the main part of the hopper feeder 1 ' , and Fig. 11(b) is a side view of the main part of the hopper feeder 1 ' .

The hopper 11 ' includes a bottom 11a with a central bulge and a circular shape when viewed from above, and a side wall portion 11b extending from the peripheral portion of the bottom 11a and tilting outward as it goes upward. A conveying path 111 is formed in a spiral groove shape on the inner surface of the side wall portion 11b. In addition, two types of air ejection devices (a first air ejection device 4 and a second air ejection device 5) are provided near the conveying path 111. The structures of each of the air ejection devices 4 and 5 will be described in detail later.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the hopper side vibration source 16 ′ includes a support portion 121 including a fixed member 121a and a movable member 121b and an electromagnetic drive portion 122 housed in the support portion 121.

As shown in FIG. 11(a), a recess is formed in the center of the fixed part 121a, and the electromagnetic drive part 122 is arranged therein and the movable part 121b is arranged in such a manner as to block the recess from the upper side. The movable part 121b is a movable part that vibrates according to the action of the electromagnetic drive part 122, and is connected to the fixed part 121a by means of four leaf springs 123 arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the fixed part 121a, and is elastically supported relative to the fixed part 121a. All the leaf springs 123 are tilted in the same direction, and if the electromagnetic drive part 122 is in action, a skew occurs on each leaf spring 123, and a vibration accompanied by a displacement in a combined torsional direction and a vertical direction occurs on the movable part 121b.

As shown in FIG. 11( b ), the movable member 121 b is shaped like a swastika in a top view (i.e., each side of the square has an extension portion extending at right angles from the vicinity of the vertex of the same side). Insertion holes H are provided on each protruding portion of the movable member 121 b, and bolts or other fixing members (not shown) are inserted through each insertion hole H. These fixing members are threadedly engaged with bolt insertion holes (not shown) provided on the bottom surface of the hopper 11 ' , thereby connecting the movable member 121 b and the bottom surface of the hopper 11 ' . Thus, the hopper 11 ' is installed relative to the hopper side vibration source 16 ' . In this state, when the electromagnetic drive unit 122 operates, vibration is transmitted to the hopper 11 ' via the movable member 121b, and the workpiece is transported along the transport path 111 formed in the side wall portion 11b of the hopper 11 ' .

Thus, here, the movable part 121b not only has the function of being a movable part that vibrates according to the action of the electromagnetic drive unit 122, but also has the function of being a mounting part that mounts the hopper 11 ' relative to the hopper side vibration source 16 ' . In the existing ordinary structure, the outer peripheral side connection structure of the part (movable part) that vibrates according to the action of the electromagnetic drive unit is formed into a mounting part that is different from it, and the hopper is mounted on the hopper side vibration source by fixing the mounting part to the bottom of the hopper. However, if it is this structure, it is necessary to bear both the tightness between the movable part and the mounting part (tightness in the vertical direction) and the tightness between the mounting part and the hopper (tightness in the horizontal direction). If the tightness of both sides cannot be fully ensured, the vibration cannot be properly transmitted, and the handling performance is reduced. In contrast, in this embodiment, when the movable member 121b as a movable member functions as a mounting member, there is no need to consider the tightness in the vertical direction as in the prior art, and only the tightness in the horizontal direction between the movable member 121b and the hopper 11 ' is required. Therefore, it is easier to ensure the handling performance than in the conventional ordinary structure. In addition, since a mounting member different from the movable member 121b is not required, the number of parts and the number of assembly steps can be reduced. In addition, compared with the case where the movable member 121b and the mounting member are composed of different bodies, the overall rigidity of the hopper side vibration source 16 ' is also increased.

<2. Air ejection device>

<2.1 Installation location of air ejection device>

Next, the arrangement positions of the air ejection devices 4 and 5 are described with reference to Fig. 10, Fig. 12 and Fig. 13. Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the portion of the hopper 11 ' where the air ejection devices 4 and 5 are arranged. Fig. 13 is a view for explaining the step portion 111a formed in the middle of the conveying path 111.

As shown in Fig. 10, two types of air ejection devices (a first air ejection device 4 and a second air ejection device 5) are provided on the hopper 11 ' .

The first air ejection device 4 is a device for ejecting air in a direction intersecting the transport path 111 relative to the upper workpiece among the vertically overlapping workpieces, when viewed from above (i.e., viewed from above), to blow the workpiece away from the transport path 111. In this embodiment, two first air ejection devices 4, 4 are arranged in a spaced manner near the transport path 111 and in the extension direction of the transport path 111.

The second air ejection device 5 is a device for blowing air toward the workpiece in the direction along the transport path 111 from above and promoting its rotation. In this embodiment, two second air ejection devices 5, 5 are arranged at intervals near the transport path 111 in the extension direction of the transport path 111.

Here, as shown in FIG. 13 , a step portion 111 a that is relatively lower on the downstream side in the conveyance direction AR1 is formed in the middle of the conveyance path 111 formed in the hopper 11 ′ . Furthermore, with this step portion 111a as a boundary, the shape of the vertical cross-section (a cross-section orthogonal to the conveyance direction) on the upstream side of the conveyance direction AR1 is a conveyance path portion (V-shaped groove portion) 111b composed of a V-shaped groove. The shape of the longitudinal cross section on the downstream side of the conveyance direction AR1 is a conveyance path portion (arc-shaped groove portion) 111c formed of an arc-shaped groove.

The V-shaped groove portion 111b is composed of a running surface Q1 as a gentle slope and a wall surface Q2 as a steep slope. The wall surface Q2 is a surface orthogonal to the running surface Q1, and the workpiece transported along the V-shaped groove portion 111b is guided by the wall surface Q2 and moves on the running surface Q1 while abutting against the running surface Q1 and the wall surface Q2. On the other hand, the arc-shaped groove portion 111c is composed of a surface bent into an arc shape, and the workpiece 9 being transported moves while the two sides of its bottom surface along the transport direction abut against the arc-shaped groove portion 111c.

The first air ejection device 4 is arranged near the V-shaped groove portion 111b in the transport path 111, and ejects air toward the workpiece transported in the V-shaped groove portion 111b (see FIG. 14). On the other hand, the second air ejection device 5 is arranged near the drop portion 111a in the transport path 111, and ejects air toward the workpiece passing through the drop portion 111a (i.e., the workpiece falling from the V-shaped groove portion 111b to the arc-shaped groove portion 111c) (see FIG. 13).

<2.2. First air ejection device>

Next, the structure of the first air ejection device 4 is specifically described with reference to Figures 14 to 16 in addition to Figure 12. Figure 14 is a side sectional view of the first air ejection device 4. Figure 15 is a diagram showing the various elements included in the first air ejection device 4 by decomposing them in Figure 14. Figure 16 (a) is a three-dimensional view of the nozzle 41 included in the first air ejection device 4, and Figure 16 (b) is a front view of the nozzle 41 included in the first air ejection device 4.

The first air blowing device 4 includes a nozzle 41 and a supply pipe 42 that supplies air to the nozzle 41 .

字狀而形成。 The nozzle 41 includes a cylindrical main body 411. A discharge port 412 is formed on one end surface 411a of the main body 411. Specifically, a portion of the periphery of the end surface 411a of the discharge port 412 is cut into

It is formed in the shape of a letter.

A long groove portion 413 is formed on the peripheral surface 411b of the main body portion 411 along the circumferential direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 16( b ), the groove portion 413 is a long groove extending in an arc shape when viewed from the axial direction of the main body portion 411 . The groove portion 413 is formed such that a central portion (the center of the arc) substantially coincides with the discharge port 412 when viewed from the axial direction of the main body portion 411 . In addition, the center angle θ of the arc of the groove portion 413 when viewed from the axial direction of the main body portion 411 is a sufficiently large value (for example, 120 degrees or more). In addition, both ends of the groove portion 413 in the longitudinal direction are formed in an arc-shaped oval shape in a plan view.

The main body 411 is formed with a communication portion 414 that communicates the groove portion 413 and the discharge port 412 . The communication portion 414 is specifically an elongated groove formed along the axial direction on the peripheral surface 411 b of the main body portion 411 . One end thereof communicates with the groove portion 413 and the other end communicates with the discharge port 412 .

A clip insertion hole 415 is formed in the main body 411 near the end surface on the opposite side to the end surface 411 a on which the discharge port 412 is formed, which penetrates the peripheral surface 411 b of the main body 411 in the radial direction. The clamp insertion hole 415 is used for inserting a rod-shaped clamp therethrough.

On the other hand, the side wall portion 11b of the hopper 11 ' is formed with a cylindrical through hole 112 extending in the radial direction of the hopper 11 ' in a plan view on the side of the conveyance path 111. The through hole 112 is inclined downward from the inside to the outside of the hopper 11 ' , and its axial direction is substantially parallel to the running surface Q1 of the V-shaped groove portion 111b.

The through hole 112 is used to allow the main body 411 of the nozzle 41 to be inserted therethrough. That is, the main body 411 is inserted into the through hole 112 until the end surface 411a on one side where the discharge port 412 is formed faces the conveying path 111, thereby disposing the main body 411 in the hopper 11 ' . As described above, the through hole 112 is disposed on the side of the conveying path 111 so as to extend along the radial direction of the hopper 11 ' in a plan view. Therefore, the main body 411 is disposed on the side of the conveying path 111 (the double-dotted line in FIG. 10) with its axial direction extending along the radial direction of the hopper 11 ' in a plan view (i.e., a direction orthogonal to the conveying path 111). In addition, as described above, the through hole 112 is axially substantially parallel to the running surface Q1. Therefore, the main body 411 is disposed in a posture in which the axial direction is substantially parallel to the running surface Q1.

The inner diameter of the through hole 112 is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the main body portion 411 . When the through hole 112 is inserted, the peripheral surface 411 b of the main body portion 411 and the inner surface of the through hole 112 are in airtight contact. That is, the main body part 411 is airtightly inserted into the through hole 112, thereby closing the internal space of the groove part 413, and the internal space and the discharge port 412 are airtightly communicated through the communication part 414.

The main body 411 inserted into the through hole 112 is allowed to rotate around its axis. For example, the operator inserts a rod-shaped clamp through the clamp insertion hole 415 provided in the main body 411, and by applying force to one end thereof, the main body 411 can be easily rotated around its axis using the principle of a lever. On the other hand, on the hopper 11 ' , a fixing component insertion hole 115 is formed above the through hole 112, one end of which is connected to the through hole 112 and extends approximately at a right angle to the through hole 112. A fixing component (such as a small fixing screw) is inserted into the fixing component insertion hole 115, and one end of the fixing component is pressed against the peripheral surface of the main body 411 inserted into the through hole 112, thereby restricting the main body 411 from rotating around its axis.

On the hopper 11 ' , a pipe insertion hole 113 extending in a direction intersecting with the extension direction thereof (approximately vertically in this case) is formed below the through hole 112, and one end of the supply pipe 42 is inserted into the pipe insertion hole 113. That is, the front end of the supply pipe 42 is arranged to extend in a direction intersecting with the axial direction of the main body 411 inserted into the through hole 112. The upper end of the pipe insertion hole 113 is connected to the through hole 112 through the supply hole 114. However, the supply hole 114 is formed at a position connected to the internal space of the groove 413 when the main body 411 is inserted into the through hole 112. Therefore, the air supplied from the supply pipe 42 inserted into the pipe insertion hole 113 fills the internal space of the groove 413 through the supply hole 114, and is discharged from the discharge port 412 through the connecting portion 414.

In this way, here, the supply pipe 42 communicates with the internal space of the groove part 413 from the direction intersecting the axial direction of the main body part 411, and supplies air to the internal space. Therefore, the supply pipe 42 does not protrude in the axial direction of the main body part 411. . In addition, here, a long pipe is included between the supply pipe 42 and the discharge port 412. Therefore, even if the main body 411 rotates around its axis, the supply of air to the discharge port 412 can be maintained as long as the length of the groove 413 is within a range.

Next, the operation of the first air ejection device 4 is described with reference to Figures 12, 14, and 16.

As described above, the main body 411 of the nozzle 41 is airtightly inserted into the through hole 112 formed in the hopper 11 ' in a state where the discharge port 412 faces the transport path 111. The operator first inserts a rod-shaped clamp through the clamp insertion hole 415 formed in the main body 411, applies force to one end thereof, rotates the main body 411 around its axis, and adjusts the height of the discharge port 412 (arrow AR2 in Figure 12). Here, the rotation position of the main body 411 is adjusted in such a way that the height of the discharge port 412 is higher than the workpiece transported on the transport path 111 in an appropriate posture.

Once the rotation position of the main body 411 is determined, the operator screws the fixing member 43 into the fixing member insertion hole 115 and presses one end thereof against the peripheral surface of the main body 411 . Thereby, the main body part 411 is restricted so that it may not rotate about its axis.

After that, when the workpiece transportation is started, the supply of air from the supply pipe 42 is started by controlling a valve (not shown) provided in the supply pipe 42 . The air supplied from the supply pipe 42 fills the internal space of the groove portion 413 through the supply hole 114 and is discharged from the discharge port 412 through the communication portion 414 . Here, while the workpiece is being conveyed, the supply of air to the supply pipe 42 is continued, and the air is continuously ejected from the discharge port 412 at a predetermined pressure.

As described above, here, the rotational position of the main body 411 is adjusted so that the height of the discharge port 412 is higher than the height of the workpiece conveyed on the conveyance path 111 in an appropriate posture. Therefore, if the conveyance path 111 includes workpieces conveyed in a vertically overlapping state, the upper workpieces will be blown away by the air ejected from the discharge port 412 . This eliminates the overlapping state of the workpieces.

<2.3. Second air ejection device>

Next, the structure of the second air blowing device 5 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 17 to 19 in addition to FIGS. 12 and 13 . 17 and 12 are perspective views showing each element included in the second air blowing device 5 in an exploded manner. FIG. 18 is a side cross-sectional view of the second air blowing device 5 . FIG. 19 is an exploded view showing each element included in the second air blowing device 5 in FIG. 18 .

The second air ejection device 5 includes a nozzle 51, a support portion 52 for supporting the nozzle 51, and a supply pipe 53 for supplying air to the nozzle 51.

The nozzle 51 includes a cylindrical main body 511. A hollow space V with one end open and the other end closed is formed inside the main body 511, and the open end of the hollow space V is closed by providing a fixing screw (e.g., a fixing screw with a hexagonal hole) 512 at the end of the opening.

A discharge port 513 serving as a through hole communicating with the hollow space V is formed in a portion of the circumferential surface 511 a of the main body 511 in the circumferential direction. The discharge port 513 is formed near the end on the closed side in the hollow space V of the main body 511 .

On the peripheral surface 511a of the main body 511, a long groove 514 is formed along the circumferential direction thereof. The groove 514 is a ring-shaped groove formed along the entire circumference of the main body 511. A connecting portion 515 is formed at the bottom of the groove 514, and the inner space of the groove 514 is connected to the hollow space V through the connecting portion 515. That is, the groove 514 is connected to the discharge port 513 through the connecting portion 515 and the hollow space V.

The support part 52 is an L-shaped member in a side view, and includes a base part 52a extending in a straight line and a hanging part 52b bent downward from one end thereof. The support part 52 is fixed to the upper end surface of the side wall part 11b of the hopper 11 ' by a bolt B inserted into a long hole 521 formed in the base part 52a. However, at this time, the base part 52a is in a posture extending along the radial direction of the hopper 11 ' in a top view above the conveying path 11.

A cylindrical through hole 522 extending parallel to the base portion 52a is formed on the hanging portion 52b. The through hole 522 is used for the main body 511 of the nozzle 51 to be inserted therethrough. That is, the main body 511 is arranged at a portion where the discharge port 513 is formed above the transport path 111, and is inserted into the through hole 522 until the groove 514 is accommodated inside the through hole 522. Thus, the main body 511 is supported relative to the hopper 11 ' by the supporting portion 512. As described above, the supporting portion 52 is fixed to the hopper 11 ' in a posture where the base portion 52a extends radially of the hopper 11 ' in a plan view, and the through hole 522 extends parallel to the base portion 52a. Therefore, the main body 511 is supported above the conveying path 111 (the double-dotted line in FIG. 10 ) in a posture in which its axial direction is along the radial direction of the hopper 11 ′ (that is, the direction orthogonal to the conveying path 11 ) in a plan view.

The inner diameter of the through hole 522 is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the main body portion 511 . When inserted into the through hole 522 , the peripheral surface 511 a of the main body portion 511 and the inner surface of the through hole 522 are in airtight contact with each other. That is, the main body part 511 is inserted into the through hole 522 in an airtight manner, thereby closing the internal space of the groove part 514, and the internal space and the discharge port 513 are connected in an airtight manner through the communication part 515 and the hollow space V.

The main body 511 inserted into the through hole 522 is allowed to rotate about its axis. That is, the support portion 52 supports the main body 511 so as to allow the main body 511 to rotate about its axis. For example, an operator inserts a clamp through a hexagonal hole with a hexagonal screw 512 provided in the main body 511 supported by the support portion 52 and rotates one end thereof, thereby enabling the main body 511 to rotate about its axis. On the other hand, a fixing component insertion hole 524 is formed on the side of the through hole 522, one end of which is connected to the through hole 522 and extends approximately at a right angle to the through hole 522. A fixing component (e.g., a small fixing screw) 54 is inserted into the fixing component insertion hole 524, and one end of the fixing component is pressed against the peripheral surface of the main body 511 inserted into the through hole 522, so that the main body 511 is restricted from rotating around its axis.

On the support portion 52, a pipe insertion hole 523 extending in a direction intersecting with the extension direction (roughly perpendicularly in this case) is formed above the through hole 522, and one end of the supply pipe 53 is inserted into the through hole. That is, the front end of the supply pipe 53 is arranged to extend in a direction intersecting with the axial direction of the main body 511 inserted into the through hole 522. The lower end of the pipe insertion hole 523 is connected to the through hole 522. However, the pipe insertion hole 523 is formed at a position that is connected to the internal space of the groove 514 when the main body 511 is inserted into the through hole 522. Therefore, the air supplied from the supply pipe 53 inserted into the pipe insertion hole 523 fills the internal space of the groove 514, and is filled into the hollow space V through the connecting portion 515, and is discharged from the discharge port 513.

Thus, here, the supply pipe 53 is connected to the inner space of the groove 514 from the direction intersecting the axial direction of the main body 511, and since air is supplied to the inner space, the supply pipe 53 does not protrude in the axial direction of the main body 511. In addition, here, the long groove 514 is included between the supply pipe 53 and the discharge port 513, so even if the main body 511 rotates around its axis, as long as it is within the range equivalent to the length of the groove 514, the supply of air to the discharge port 513 can be maintained.

Next, the operation of the second air blowing device 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 , 13 , and 17 to 19 .

As mentioned above, the support part 52 is fixed to the hopper 11 ' by the bolt B inserted into the elongated hole 521 along the extending direction of the base part 52a. The operator loosens the bolt B and slides the support part 52 to adjust the installation position of the support part 52, that is, the position of the main body part 511 in the radial direction of the hopper 11 ' (arrow AR3 in Fig. 12). Here, the discharge port 513 adjusts the position of the main body 511 in the radial direction of the hopper 11 ' so as to be directly above the conveyance path 111.

In addition, as described above, the main body 511 of the nozzle 51 is airtightly inserted into the through hole 522 formed in the support part 52 in such a manner that the discharge port 513 faces the conveying path 111. The operator inserts the clamp through the hexagonal hole with the hexagonal fixing screw 512, rotates the main body 511 around its axis, and adjusts the height and direction of the discharge port 513 (arrow AR4 in Figure 12). Here, the rotation position of the main body 511 is adjusted by blowing the air discharged from the discharge port 513 toward the position on the track of the workpiece falling on the drop portion 111a (Figure 13). In particular, it is preferable to fine-tune the rotation position of the main body 511 by blowing air as far away from the center of gravity of the workpiece as possible (for example, in the case of a rectangular solid, the corner portion in this embodiment).

If the rotation position of the main body 511 is determined, the operator pushes the fixing member 54 into the fixing member insertion hole 524 and presses one end of the fixing member 54 against the peripheral surface of the main body 511. Thus, the main body 511 is restricted in a manner that does not rotate around its axis.

After that, when the workpiece starts to be transported, the valve (not shown) provided on the supply pipe 53 is controlled to start supplying air from the supply pipe 53. The air supplied from the supply pipe 53 fills the hollow space V through the inner space of the groove 514 and the connecting portion 515, and is discharged from the discharge port 513. Here, during the transport of the workpiece, the supply of air to the supply pipe 53 continues, and the air is continuously ejected from the discharge port 513 at a predetermined pressure.

As described above, here, the rotation position of the main body 511 is adjusted in such a manner that the air discharged from the discharge port 513 is discharged toward the position on the track of the workpiece falling on the drop portion 111a. Therefore, by blowing air toward the workpiece falling on the drop portion 111a, the rotation of the workpiece is promoted, and the workpiece falls while rotating. When the workpiece falls while rotating, in order to become the most stable posture (that is, the rotation posture with the lowest center of gravity, in this embodiment, the posture with the longitudinal direction along the conveying direction), the rotation of the workpiece is promoted when falling, and the posture of the workpiece becomes the rotation posture.

<3.Effect>

The first air blowing device 4 included in the parts feeder 100 ' of the above embodiment includes a nozzle 41 and a supply pipe 42 that supplies air to the nozzle 41. Furthermore, the nozzle 41 includes a cylindrical main body portion 411 disposed on the side of the conveyance path 111 with its axial direction extending in a direction intersecting the conveyance path 111 in plan view, and an end surface 411 a of the main body portion 411 deviated from the center. The discharge port 412 is located at a position of , a long groove portion 413 formed along the circumferential direction of the main body portion 411, and a communication portion 414 that communicates the groove portion 413 and the discharge port 412. Moreover, the supply pipe 42 communicates with the internal space of the groove part 413 from the direction intersecting the axial direction of the main body part 411, and supplies air to this internal space.

According to this structure, the supply pipe 42 for supplying air to the nozzle 41 supplies air from a direction intersecting the axial direction of the main body 411 of the nozzle 41, so the supply pipe 42 does not protrude in the axial direction of the main body 411. Therefore, the supply pipe 42 is unlikely to hinder the operator, and the overall appearance of the parts feeder 100 ' is small and beautiful.

In addition, in this structure, the discharge port 412 is formed at a position deviated from the center in the end surface 411a of the main body part 411. Therefore, by rotating the main body part 411 around its axis, the position of the discharge port 412, that is, the ejection position of the air can be changed. .

In addition, according to this structure, even if the main body part 411 rotates about its axis, the supply of air to the discharge port 412 can be maintained as long as it is within a range corresponding to the length of the groove part 413. In this case, there is no need to use the supply pipe 42 Since it operates based on the rotation of the main body part 411, the retrieval structure of the supply pipe 42 can be simplified.

In the first air ejecting device 4, the main body 411 is disposed in the hopper 11' having the spiral conveying path 111 formed on the inner side surface of the side wall 11b with the axial direction along the radial direction of the hopper 11 ' in a plan view.

According to this structure, the main body 411 of the nozzle 41 is arranged in a posture that the axial direction is along the radial direction of the hopper 11 ' in a plan view. As a result, the supply pipe 42 that supplies air to the nozzle 41 supplies air from a direction intersecting the axial direction of the main body 411, so the supply pipe 42 does not protrude in the radial direction of the hopper 11 ' in a plan view. Therefore, the supply pipe 42 is particularly unlikely to interfere with the operator, and the overall appearance of the parts feeder 100 ' is particularly small and beautiful.

In addition, in the first air blowing device 4, the main body portion 411 is airtightly inserted into the through hole 112 formed in the side wall portion 11b of the hopper 11 ' , thereby closing the internal space of the groove portion 413, and the internal space and the discharge port are closed. 412 are airtightly communicated through the communication portion 414 .

According to this structure, the structure of the first air blowing device 4 can be simplified.

In addition, the second air blowing device 5 included in the parts feeder 100 ′ of the above embodiment includes a nozzle 51 , a support portion 52 that supports the nozzle 51 , and a supply pipe 53 that supplies air to the nozzle 51 . Furthermore, the nozzle 51 includes a cylindrical main body part 511 and a discharge port 513 formed in a part of the circumferential surface 511 a of the main body part 511 in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, the support portion 52 supports the main body portion 511 in a state in which the axial direction is aligned with a direction intersecting the conveyance path 111 in a plan view, allowing rotation about the axis of the axis.

According to this structure, the nozzle 51 includes the main body 511 in which the discharge port 513 is formed on the peripheral surface 511a. The main body 511 is supported in an attitude such that the axial direction is along the direction intersecting the conveyance path 111 in plan view. Therefore, as in the past, compared with the case where the tubular nozzle is arranged along the conveyance path in plan view, the nozzle 51 is less likely to interfere with the operator, and the overall appearance of the parts feeder 100 ' is small and beautiful.

In addition, in this structure, the discharge port 513 is formed in a part of the circumferential surface 511a of the main body part 511 in the circumferential direction. Therefore, by rotating the main body part 511 around its axis, the position of the discharge port 513, that is, the ejection of air, can be changed. Location. In addition, by sliding the main body portion 511 along its axis, the position of the discharge port 513 in the direction intersecting the conveyance path 111 can also be changed. The method of changing the rotational position of the main body 511 about the axis and the position in the axial direction to change the air ejection position is more reproducible than the conventional method of changing the attitude of the tip of the tubular nozzle to change the air ejection position. High sex. Therefore, even an unskilled operator can easily and accurately adjust the air ejection position.

In addition, conventionally, the discharge port is limited by the posture of the tip of the tubular nozzle. In the position and angle scheme, there is a possibility that the position and angle of the discharge port may deviate simply by applying a small external force to the tip of the nozzle. On the other hand, in this structure, compared with a tubular nozzle, the position and angle of the discharge port 513 can be limited by the rotation position about the axis and the position in the axial direction of the highly rigid cylindrical main body 511. Therefore, this structure Nor will it simply deviate.

In the second air blowing device 5 , the nozzle 51 includes an elongated groove portion 514 formed in the circumferential direction of the main body portion 511 on the peripheral surface 511 a and a communication portion 515 that communicates the groove portion 514 with the discharge port 513 . Furthermore, the supply pipe 53 communicates with the internal space of the groove part 514 from the direction intersecting the axial direction of the main body part 511, and supplies air to this internal space.

According to this structure, the supply pipe 53 that supplies air to the nozzle 51 supplies air from a direction intersecting the axial direction of the main body 511 of the nozzle 51 . Therefore, the supply pipe 53 does not protrude in the axial direction of the main body 511 . Therefore, the supply pipe 53 is less likely to interfere with the operator, and the overall appearance of the parts feeder 100 ' is particularly compact and beautiful.

In addition, according to this structure, even if the main body part 511 rotates around its axis, the supply of air to the discharge port 513 can be maintained within a range corresponding to the length of the groove part 514. In this case, since there is no need to adjust the main body part 511 The rotation of the supply pipe 53 moves the mouth, so the retrieval structure of the supply pipe 53 can be simplified.

In addition, in the second air ejection device 5, the internal space of the groove portion 514 is closed by inserting the main body portion 511 airtightly into the through hole 522 formed in the support portion 52, and the internal space and the discharge port 513 are airtightly connected through the connecting portion 515 and the hollow space V.

According to this structure, the structure of the second air blowing device 5 can be simplified.

In addition, the second air blowing device 5 blows air toward the workpiece passing through the step member 111 a whose cross-sectional shape is changed from a V-shaped shape to a cross-sectional arc shape of the conveyance path 111 .

In this structure, when the workpiece falls onto the conveyance path portion (arc-shaped groove portion) 111c with an arcuate cross section, the rotation of the workpiece can be promoted by blowing air against the workpiece. When the workpiece falling while rotating touches the arc-shaped groove portion 111c, in order to enter the most stable rotation posture (that is, the rotation posture with the lowest center of gravity, in the above embodiment, the longitudinal direction is directed toward the conveyance direction), the workpiece passes through The rotation of the workpiece when dropped is promoted, and the posture of the workpiece becomes the rotation posture.

[Modification]

The structure of an implementation method of this application is not limited to the above implementation method.

In the first embodiment, the thickness of the cross section perpendicular to the conveying direction of the end portion 32 on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the outlet component 3 gradually decreases toward the portion corresponding to the bottom of the conveying groove 31, and the thickness of the cross section parallel to the conveying direction of the end portion 32 on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the outlet component 3 gradually decreases toward the front end of the end portion 32, but the effect of the present invention is obtained in at least one of the structures in which the thickness of the cross section perpendicular to the conveying direction of the end portion 32 on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the outlet component 3 gradually decreases toward the portion corresponding to the bottom of the conveying groove 31, and the thickness of the cross section parallel to the conveying direction of the end portion 32 on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the outlet component 3 gradually decreases toward the front end of the end portion 32. In addition, the end portion 32 on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the outlet component 3 is not limited to being formed in a tapered shape in a manner in which the thickness decreases toward the portion corresponding to the bottom 31t of the conveying groove 31.

In the second embodiment, air is continuously ejected from each of the air ejection devices 4 and 5 during the transport of the workpiece, but the discharge of air from the first air ejection device 4 or (and) the second air ejection device 5 may be intermittent. For example, a detection unit for detecting the state of the workpiece is provided on the upstream side of the first air ejection device 4, and when a workpiece in an inappropriate posture or an overlapping workpiece is detected, air may be ejected from the first air ejection device 4. When such a structure is adopted, the timing of ejecting air (specifically, the timing of switching the valve inserted into the supply pipe 42 from the closed state to the open state) is determined according to the distance from the position where the state of the workpiece is detected to the discharge port 412 and the transport speed of the workpiece. As described above, in the first air ejection device 4, the position of the outlet 412 can be changed, and the distance varies according to the position of the outlet 412. Therefore, the timing of ejecting the air is preferably determined in consideration of the position of the outlet 412 after adjustment. This is also the case in the second air ejection device 5.

In the second embodiment, the main body 411 of the nozzle 41 included in the first air ejection device 4 is configured so that the axis is arranged along a direction orthogonal to the transport path 111 in a top view, but the main body 411 only needs to intersect the transport path 111 at an angle greater than 0 in a top view, and does not necessarily need to be arranged orthogonal to the transport path 111. Similarly, the main body 511 of the nozzle 51 included in the second air ejection device 5 only needs to intersect the transport path 111 at an angle greater than 0 in a top view, and does not need to be arranged orthogonal to the transport path 111.

In the above-described second embodiment, the discharge port 412 is formed by cutting a part of the peripheral edge of the end surface 411a of the main body 411. However, the discharge port 412 may have any shape as long as it is formed at a position offset from the center of the end surface 411a. For example, the discharge port may be formed by a through hole formed at a position offset from the center of the end surface 411a. In this case, the main body part 411 may be formed into a hollow shape, and the discharge port formed in the end surface 411a and the groove part 413 formed in the peripheral surface 411b may communicate with each other through the hollow space.

In the second embodiment described above, the first air blowing device 4 is disposed near the V-shaped groove portion 111b and blows air to the workpiece conveyed in the V-shaped groove portion 111b. However, the arrangement of the first air blowing device 4 The position is not limited to this, and it may be disposed near the arcuate groove portion 111c and blow air toward the workpiece conveyed in the arcuate groove portion 111c.

In the second embodiment described above, the second air blowing device 5 is disposed near the drop portion 111a and blows air toward the workpiece passing through the drop portion 111a. However, the second air blowing device 5 has The arrangement position is not limited to this, and may be arranged near the V-shaped groove portion 111b (or the arc-shaped groove portion 111c) to blow air toward the workpiece conveyed in the V-shaped groove portion 111b (or the arc-shaped groove portion 111c).

In the second embodiment described above, two first air blowing devices 4 and two second air blowing devices 5 are respectively mounted on the hopper 11 ′ . However, the number of each air blowing device 4 and 5 mounted on the hopper 11 ′ It can be one or more than three. In addition, it is not necessary to mount both the first air ejection device 4 and the second air ejection device 5 on the hopper 11 ' , and only one may be mounted. In addition, at least one of the first air blowing device 4 and the second air blowing device 5 may be disposed near the groove 21 of the linear feeder 2 and blow air toward the workpiece conveyed in the groove 21 . In addition, at least one of the first air blowing device 4 and the second air blowing device 5 is arranged near the transition portion from the hopper feeder 1 ′ to the linear feeder 2 and blows air toward the workpiece passing through the transition portion.

In the above-mentioned second embodiment, the objects to be transported in the parts feeder 100 ' are not limited to workpieces such as IC chips and tiny coils, and the shape of the objects to be transported is not limited to a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape.

Other structures can also be modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the present invention.

3: Exit component (first vibration component)

11: Hopper

12: Transport trough (first transport trough)

12a: Driving surface

12b: Wall

21: Groove (second vibration component)

31: Conveying chute (first conveying chute)

31a: Driving surface

31b: Wall

31t: bottom

32: End of the outlet component (first end)

32a: Plate-shaped part

32b: Plate-shaped part

51a: end

72: Transport trough (second transport trough)

72a: Driving surface

72b: Wall

Claims (5)

A parts feeder includes a first vibration component to which vibration is transmitted from a first vibration source and a second vibration component to which vibration is transmitted from a second vibration source different from the first vibration source, the first vibration component and the second vibration component respectively include a first conveying groove and a second conveying groove for conveying a conveyed object by the transmitted vibration, the first end of the first vibration component on the downstream side in the conveying direction is located above the second end of the second vibration component on the upstream side in the conveying direction, the first end and the second end are arranged with a gap for insulating vibration, and are configured to convey the conveyed object from the first end to the second end, the downstream side of the conveying direction of the first end has a plate-like running surface protruding in the conveying direction and a plate-like wall surface, and in the first end, the thickness of the portion corresponding to the bottom of the intersection of the running surface and the wall surface is smaller than the thickness of the surrounding portion corresponding to the bottom. The parts feeder according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the cross section of the first end perpendicular to the conveying direction gradually decreases toward the portion corresponding to the bottom of the first conveying groove. The parts feeder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the thickness of the cross section of the first end portion parallel to the conveying direction gradually decreases toward the front end of the first end portion. The parts feeder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first end portion is formed in a tapered shape such that the thickness gradually becomes smaller toward a portion corresponding to the bottom of the first conveyance chute. The parts feeder according to claim 3, wherein the first end portion is formed into a tapered shape in such a way that the thickness gradually decreases toward the portion corresponding to the bottom of the first transfer groove.

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