WO2023105794A1

WO2023105794A1 - Conveyance robot and component mounting system

Info

Publication number: WO2023105794A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/045670
Authority: WO
Inventors: 尚也藤井; 勉柳田; 義徳岡本
Original assignee: ヤマハ発動機株式会社
Priority date: 2021-12-10
Filing date: 2021-12-10
Publication date: 2023-06-15

Abstract

With respect to a component mounting device that is provided with a component feed unit having a rack where a plurality of trays are stored and that takes out components stored in the trays and mounts the components on substrates, this conveyance robot performs rack delivery to the component feed unit. The conveyance robot comprises: a traveling unit equipped with traveling wheels for traveling along a floor surface; and a delivery unit which is provided to the traveling unit so as to be capable of supporting the rack and which performs rack delivery with respect to a rack support part by moving the rack in the horizontal direction.

Description

Transfer robot and component mounting system

The present invention relates to a transport robot used in a manufacturing line for a component-mounted board in which components are mounted (mounted) on a board such as a printed wiring board, and a component mounting system equipped with this transport robot.

A production line for manufacturing a component-mounted board in which components are mounted (mounted) on a board such as a printed wiring board is well known. A manufacturing line includes a plurality of component mounters arranged in a line adjacent to each other. A board is transported along a manufacturing line, and a process of mounting components on the board is performed by each component mounting apparatus. The component mounting apparatus includes a mounting head and a component supply device such as a tape feeder, and the component supplied by the component supply device is sucked and held by the mounting head and mounted on the substrate.

In this type of production line, it is necessary to replenish the parts consumed by the component mounting equipment, and to replace the component supply equipment when changing the type of production board. Conventionally, this work was done by workers, but in recent years, the number of unmanned transport robots has increased. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a component mounting system that uses a self-propelled cart (transport robot) equipped with a tape feeder to automatically and collectively replace the tape feeder before and after changing the product type. disclosed.

By the way, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, for example, a component mounting apparatus may be equipped with a tray feeder that supplies components in a state of arranging them on a tray. The tray feeder includes a rack (magazine) in which a plurality of trays on which parts are placed are stored in a plurality of vertical stages, an elevating mechanism for raising and lowering the rack, and a drawer mechanism for taking the tray in and out of the rack. In this tray feeder, the rack is arranged at a predetermined height position by the elevating mechanism, and the tray is pulled out from the rack by the drawer mechanism. Then, the components on the drawn out tray are sucked and held by the mounting head.

A tray feeder is a relatively large parts supply device, and it is difficult to replace it by mounting it on a self-propelled trolley as in Patent Document 1. Therefore, at present, workers manually perform replenishment of parts consumed by the tray feeder and replacement of parts accompanying the changeover of the type of production board. Therefore, a transfer robot capable of automating parts replenishment work and parts replacement work for the tray feeder is desired, but Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not disclose such technology.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-50002 JP 2017-199816 A

The present invention relates to a transport robot that contributes to automating part replenishment work and part replacement work for a component mounting apparatus equipped with a component feeder (tray feeder) that supplies components arranged on a tray. and a component mounting system equipped with this transport robot.

A transport robot according to one aspect of the present invention includes a component supply section having a rack accommodating a plurality of trays, and the component supply section of a component mounting apparatus that picks up components accommodated in the trays and mounts them on a board. On the other hand, in the self-propelled transport robot capable of transferring the rack, the component supply unit includes a rack support unit that supports the rack so that the rack can be taken in and out in a horizontal direction. The robot includes a running unit equipped with running wheels that runs along the floor surface, and a running unit provided on the running unit so as to be able to support the rack. and a transfer section for transferring the rack to and from the rack support section.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the component mounting system of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a component mounting device provided in the component mounting system. FIG. 3 is a side view of the component mounting apparatus; FIG. 4 is a side view of the tray housing portion (housing) showing the rack loading/unloading area. FIG. 5 is a plan view of a transfer robot (first embodiment) provided in the component mounting system. FIG. 6 is a side view of the transfer robot. FIG. 7 is a front view of the transfer robot. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the control system of the transfer robot. FIG. 9 is an explanatory view schematically showing the rack transport operation by the transport robot. FIG. 10 is a side view (partial cross-sectional view) showing the tray feeder and the transport robot during rack delivery. FIG. 11 is an operation explanatory diagram (plan view) when positioning the transport robot. FIG. 12 is a plan view of the transfer robot according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a side view of the transfer robot. FIG. 14 is an explanatory view schematically showing part of the rack transport operation by the transport robot. FIG. 15 is a plan view of the transfer robot according to the third embodiment. FIG. 16 is an explanatory view schematically showing part of the rack transport operation by the transport robot.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Configuration of component mounting system]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a component mounting system 100 according to the invention. The component mounting system 100 is a system for producing component-mounted boards in which electronic components (hereinafter referred to as “components”) are mounted on a board P such as a printed wiring board. The component mounting system 100 includes a production line PL, a storage device 6 , a transport robot 7 and a management device 8 .

The production line PL is arranged in the production area A1, and the storage device 6 is arranged in the preparation area A2. The production area A1 is an area where component-mounted boards are produced, and the preparation area A2 is a working area for consumables such as parts used in the production of component-mounted boards and equipment that is replaced due to changes in production types. This is an area prepared by the

The production line PL includes a printer 1, a print inspection device 2, a component mounting device 3, a visual inspection device 4, and a reflow device 5, and these devices 1 to 5 are arranged in that order in the X direction in a row. It is connected and configured. In this example, a plurality of component mounting apparatuses 3 are continuously arranged between the print inspection apparatus 2 and the appearance inspection apparatus 4 .

The printing device 1 executes processing for printing cream solder on the component mounting locations on the board P, and the print inspection device 2 executes processing for inspecting the printed state of the cream solder printed on the board P. The component mounting apparatus 3 performs a process of mounting (mounting) a component on a predetermined mounting position of the board P on which cream solder is printed. Execute the process to check. Further, the reflow device 5 heats the substrate P to melt the solder and join the component to the substrate P. As shown in FIG. In this production line PL, while the board P is being transported in the X direction, the printing device 1, the printing inspection device 2, the component mounting device 3, the visual inspection device 4, and the reflow device 5 perform the above-described processes. A component mounting board is produced.

The storage device 6 includes a first storage device 6A in which replenishment parts and equipment prepared by workers are kept on standby, and a second storage device in which used equipment and the like collected from the production line PL are returned.

The transport robot 7 is a self-propelled transport robot such as an AGV (Automatic Guides Vehicle) or AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) that moves between the component mounting device 3 and the storage device 6 along the production line PL. While moving along the route indicated by the arrow in FIG. , etc. are transported from the component mounting apparatus 3 to the second storage apparatus 6B. Although the component mounting system 100 is provided with a plurality of transport robots 7, only one transport robot 7 is shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of convenience.

The management device 8 is composed of, for example, a personal computer communicably connected to the devices 1 to 5 of the production line PL, the storage device 6 and the transport robot 7. The management device 8 comprehensively manages the production of component-mounted boards in the component mounting system 100 by controlling the devices 1 to 5 of the production line PL, the storage device 6, and the transfer robot 7 based on the production plan. .

[Configuration of Component Mounting Apparatus 3]
2 and 3 show the component mounting apparatus 3 provided in the component mounting system 100. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view, and FIG. 3 is a side view schematic view of the component mounting apparatus 3 . A plurality of component mounting apparatuses 3 provided in the component mounting system 100 have the same basic configuration.

The component mounting apparatus 3 includes a base 31, a conveyor 32, a component supply area 33, a head unit 36, and an imaging section 38. The base 31 is a mounting base for various devices provided in the component mounting apparatus 3 . The conveyor 32 is a transport line for the substrate P installed on the base 31 so as to extend in the X direction, and is composed of a pair of belt-type conveyors. The conveyor 32 carries the board P from outside the machine to a predetermined work position, and carries the board P out of the machine from the work position after the mounting work. The position of the substrate P shown in FIG. 2 is the working position.

The component supply area 33 is an area in which a component supply device for supplying mounted components is arranged, and is provided on both sides of the conveyor 32 in the Y direction. A plurality of tape feeders 34F are installed along the conveyor 32 in the component supply area 33 on the Y2 side. The tape feeder 34F is a type of component supply device that supplies components while feeding out a tape containing components (small surface mount components) at regular intervals.

A plurality of tape feeders 34F and tray feeders 35F are arranged side by side along the conveyor 32 in the component supply area 33 on the Y1 side. A plurality of tape feeders 34F are arranged on the X1 side, and a tray feeder 35F is arranged on the X2 side. The tray feeder 35</b>F is a component supply device of the type that supplies package components such as QFP (Quad Flat Package) and BGA (Ball Grid array) placed on a tray 52 . The tray 52 is a dish-shaped container that is rectangular in plan view and has an upward opening. The configuration of the tray feeder 35F will be described later.

The head unit 36 is provided so as to be movable in the X direction and the Y direction within a certain area by a head unit drive mechanism 37 . The head unit 36 has a plurality of mounting heads 36a. By supplying and shutting off the negative pressure for sucking the component to each mounting head 36a, the component is sucked and held and released for each mounting head 36a.

The image capturing unit 38 captures an image of the component sucked and held by each mounting head 36a of the head unit 36 from below in order to recognize the sucked and held state of the component. The imaging unit 38 includes a camera and an illumination device. The imaging units 38 are arranged on the base 31 and on both sides of the conveyor 32 in the Y direction.

In the component mounting apparatus 3 described above, while the head unit 36 moves between the component supply area 33 and the substrate P arranged at the working position, the mounting head 36a picks up components from the tape feeder 34F or the tray feeder 35F. and a component mounting process in which the component is transported onto the board P and mounted (mounted). A predetermined number of components are mounted on the board P by repeating these processes. After the component suction process and before the component mounting process, the state of the component being picked up and held by the mounting head 36a is image-recognized based on the image acquired by the imaging unit 38, and the position of the head unit 36 and the like is corrected according to the recognition result. done. As a result, the mounting precision of the components on the board P is ensured.

[Configuration of Tray Feeder 35F]
The tray feeder 35</b>F is, as described above, a type of component supply device that supplies package components such as QFPs placed on the tray 52 .

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the tray feeder 35F includes a tray storage section 40A that stores a plurality of trays 52, a tray transfer mechanism section 40B that takes the trays 52 in and out of the tray storage section 40A, and a tray feeder 35F. 52 to a predetermined component supply position. The tray storage section 40A, the tray transfer mechanism section 40B, and the tray pull-out mechanism section 40C are arranged in this order from the Y1 side along the Y direction.

The tray storage section 40A and the tray transfer mechanism section 40B have a rectangular parallelepiped housing 42 that is elongated in the vertical direction and is common to them. The Y1 side in the housing 42 is a tray storage section 40A, and the tray transfer mechanism section 40B is provided adjacent to the Y2 side of the tray storage section 40A.

The upper part of the tray storage part 40A is a tray storage area 42A, and the lower part is a rack loading/unloading area 42B for loading and unloading the rack 50 from the outside with respect to the tray storage part 40A. A rack 50 is a box-shaped container for collectively transporting a plurality of trays 52 . The tray 52 is transported from the first storage device 6A by the transport robot 7 in a state accommodated in the rack 50, and is transferred from the transport robot 7 to the tray storage section 40A in the rack loading/unloading area 42B, as will be described later.

The tray 52 is held on a pallet 51 which is a dish-shaped member that is rectangular in plan view and is housed in the rack 50 via the pallet 51 . More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the rack 50 is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped box-shaped container penetrating in the horizontal direction (Y direction). A plurality of grooves 501 arranged in the Z direction are formed on inner side surfaces facing each other inside the rack 50 . By inserting both ends of the pallet 51 into the grooves 501, the plurality of trays 52 are accommodated in the rack 50 in a state in which they are arranged parallel to each other in the Z direction and can be taken in and out along the grooves 501 together with the pallets 51. there is FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the tray housing portion 40A (housing 42) showing the rack loading/unloading area 42B (schematic view viewed from the Y1 side).

A tray storage unit 43 having the same structure as the rack 50 is arranged in the tray storage area 42A. The tray 52 in the rack 50 transferred to the tray storage section 40A in the rack loading/unloading area 42B is pulled out from the rack 50 and transferred to the tray storage unit 43 by the tray transfer mechanism section 40B, where it is stored. .

The tray transfer mechanism section 40B includes a tray transfer unit 44 having a slide mechanism for sliding the tray 52 together with the pallet 51 in the horizontal direction (Y direction), and a tray transfer unit 44 (not shown) for moving the tray transfer unit 44 in the Z direction. and a drive mechanism. The tray transfer mechanism section 40B moves the tray transfer unit 44 in the Z direction between a position corresponding to the tray storage area 42A and a position corresponding to the rack loading/unloading area 42B. Then, the tray 52 is pulled out from the rack 50 arranged in the rack insertion/removal area 42B, and the tray 52 is transported to the tray storage area 42A and stored in the tray storage unit 43. FIG. Further, the tray transfer mechanism section 40B draws out an empty tray 52 stored in the tray storage unit 43, conveys it to the rack loading/unloading area 42B, and stores the tray 52 in the rack 50. FIG. That is, the tray transfer mechanism section 40B has a function of exchanging the tray 52 between the tray storage unit 43 and the rack 50 arranged in the rack loading/unloading area 42B. Further, the tray transfer mechanism section 40B arranges the tray 52 pulled out from the tray storage unit 43 at a predetermined tray pull-out position with respect to the tray pull-out mechanism section 40C.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the tray pull-out mechanism 40C includes a pair of

guide rails

47, 47 installed on the base 31 and extending in the Y direction, and a pull-out head (not shown) disposed between them. including. The drawer head is configured to be movable in the Y direction and to lock the pallet 51 . This pull-out head locks the pallet 51 arranged at the tray pull-out position by the tray transfer unit 44 and moves in the Y2 direction, whereby the tray 52 is moved from the tray transfer unit 44 together with the pallet 51 to the component supply position ( 2). Conversely, the drawer head moves in the Y1 direction, and then the tray 52 is returned from the component supply position to the tray transfer unit 44 by releasing the locked state of the pallet 51 .

As shown in FIGS. 4, 10 and 11(a), a rack doorway 421 is provided on the Y1 side wall of the housing 42 at a position corresponding to the rack loading/unloading area 42B. The rack doorway 421 can be opened and closed by a sliding door 422 driven by an actuator (not shown), and is closed by this door 422 except when the rack 50 is replaced.

A roller conveyor 45 (corresponding to the "rack support section" of the present invention) is arranged in the rack loading/unloading area 42B. The roller conveyor 45 is a direct-acting conveyor capable of horizontally conveying in the Y direction while supporting the rack 50 . The roller conveyor 45 includes a pair of

frames

452, 452 arranged at a predetermined interval in the X direction, and a plurality of rollers 451 arranged therebetween. Among the plurality of rollers 451, one or more rollers 451 are drive rollers driven by a motor (not shown), and the rollers 451 other than the drive rollers are driven rollers (free rollers). In other words, the rack 50 is transferred between the roller conveyor 45 and the transfer robot 7 , and the tray 52 is moved in and out of the rack 50 supported on the roller conveyor 45 by the tray transfer unit 44 .

[Configuration of transport robot 7 (first embodiment)]
As described above, the transport robot 7 transports replenishment parts and replacement equipment from the first storage device 6A to the component mounting device 3, and transports used equipment and the like from the component mounting device 3 to the second storage device. Transport to 6B. In this example, the transport robot 7 transports the rack 50 containing the replenishment parts from the first storage device 6A to the component mounting device 3 and supplies it to the tray feeder 35F. The rack 50 containing the tray 52 is recovered from the tray feeder 35F and transported to the second storage device 6B. Therefore, the transport robot 7 is configured to transfer the rack 50 to and from the tray feeder 35F.

5 to 7 show the transport robot 7, with FIG. 5 being a plan view, FIG. 6 being a side view, and FIG. 7 being a front view showing the transport robot 7, respectively.

The transport robot 7 includes a rectangular parallelepiped vehicle body 10 having running wheels 11, a conveyor base portion 13 fixed on the vehicle body 10, and a roller conveyor 12 arranged thereon. The longitudinal direction of the transport robot 7 is the longitudinal direction of the transport robot 7, and the short side direction thereof is the width direction of the transport robot.

The vehicle body 10 is the traveling base of the transport robot 7. The vehicle body 10 includes driving wheels 11a and driven wheels (free rollers) 11b as running wheels. The driving wheels 11a are provided at the central portion of the vehicle body 10 in the front-rear direction and on both sides in the width direction, and the driven wheels 11b are provided at the four corners of the lower portion of the vehicle body 10, respectively. For example, a Mecanum wheel (registered trademark) driven by a traveling motor 111 (shown in FIG. 8) is applied as the drive wheel 11a, and an omni wheel (registered trademark) is applied as the driven wheel 11b.

The transport robot 7 travels along the floor by driving the drive wheels 11a. In this case, by individually controlling the rotational direction and rotational speed of each drive wheel 11a, the transfer robot 7 can travel in any direction and turn on the spot.

The conveyor base portion 13 is a roughly plate-shaped member narrower than the vehicle body 10 and rectangular in plan view, and provided on the upper portion of the vehicle body 10 . A roller conveyor 12 is provided on the upper surface of the conveyor base portion 13 . The roller conveyor 12 (corresponding to the "transfer section" of the present invention) includes a first conveyor 12A ("first transfer section") and a first conveyor 12A ("first transfer section"), each capable of transferring the rack 50 to and from the tray feeder 35F. 2 conveyor 12B (“second transfer unit”). The first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B are direct-acting roller conveyors capable of horizontally conveying the rack 50 . The first conveyor 12</b>A and the second conveyor 12</b>B are arranged back-to-back in a row so that the directions in which the racks 50 are moved are both in the front-rear direction of the transport robot 7 . In the following description, the side on which the first conveyor 12A is arranged is the front side of the transfer robot 7, and the side on which the second conveyor 12B is arranged is the rear side of the transfer robot 7 for convenience.

The first conveyor 12A includes a pair of

frames

14, 14 erected at both ends in the width direction of the conveyor base portion 13, and a plurality of rollers 15 arranged therebetween. The height of the conveying surface of the first conveyor 12A is set to be the same as the height of the conveying surface of the roller conveyor 45 of the tray feeder 35F (see FIG. 10).

The inner width Wc (FIG. 7) of the

frames

14, 14 is set slightly larger than the width Wr of the rack 50 indicated by the virtual line in FIG. is set slightly larger than

Among the plurality of rollers 15 of the first conveyor 12A, one or more rollers 15 are drive rollers driven by a roller motor 151 (shown in FIG. 8), and the rollers 15 other than the drive rollers are driven rollers (free rollers). Laura).

That is, the first conveyor 12A is configured to support the rack 50 by the rollers 15 and to move the rack 50 in the front-rear direction of the transport robot 7 while guiding the rack 50 by the

frames

14 and 14 as the driving rollers rotate. .

Tapered guide portions

14a, 14a are provided on opposing surfaces of the front end portions of the

frames

14, 14, respectively. When receiving the rack 50 from the tray feeder 35F to the first conveyor 12A, the rack 50 is guided to the center of both

frames

14, 14 by these guide portions 14a.

Also, the first conveyor 12A is provided with a rack detection sensor 18 (shown in FIG. 8) such as a photoelectric sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the rack 50. Based on the detection of the rack 50 by the rack detection sensor 18, the operation of the drive roller is controlled.

The second conveyor 12B has the same basic configuration as the first conveyor 12A described above, and is provided symmetrically with respect to the first conveyor 12A. That is, as described above, they are provided back to back with respect to the first conveyor 12A. Accordingly, the tapered

guide portions

14a, 14a are provided on the facing surfaces of the rear end portions of the

frames

14, 14, respectively.

On the front end surface and the rear end surface of the vehicle body 10, there are provided robot-

side positioning portions

16A and 16B for positioning the transfer robot 7 with respect to the tray feeder 35F. The robot-

side positioning portions

16A and 16B are block-shaped members having groove-shaped contact surfaces 161 that are V-shaped (wedge-shaped) in plan view. The front and rear robot-

side positioning portions

16A and 16B have the same shape. In the following description, the robot-side positioning unit 16A located on the front side of the vehicle body 10 (transport robot 7), that is, on the side of the first conveyor 12A, is appropriately referred to as the first robot-side positioning unit 16A, and the rear side, that is, the second conveyor 12B. The robot-side positioning section 16B located on the side is called a second robot-side positioning section 16B.

In a plan view, a running sensor 17 is provided at each diagonal corner of the vehicle body 10 . The traveling sensor 17 is, for example, LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), and the traveling operation of the transport robot 7 is controlled by detection of a target or an obstacle by the traveling sensor 17 .

As described above, the transport robot 7 has a configuration that is rotationally symmetrical in a plan view by arranging the roller conveyor 12, the robot-

side positioning units

16A and 16B, and the traveling sensor 17 with respect to the vehicle body 10. .

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the control system of the transport robot 7. As shown in FIG. The transport robot 7 has a robot control section 20 that controls its operation. The transport robot 7 is equipped with a communication module 21 capable of wireless communication with the management device 8 , and the robot control unit 20 controls the operation of the transport robot 7 based on commands sent from the management device 8 . do. Specifically, the traveling motor 111, the roller motor 151, and the

sensors

17 and 18 are electrically connected to the robot control unit 20, and the robot control unit 20 controls the traveling motor 111 based on the information acquired by the traveling sensor 17. , and controls the driving of the roller motor 151 based on the information acquired by the rack detection sensor 18 . A battery (not shown) is mounted on the vehicle body 10, and the traveling motor 111, the roller motor 151, etc. are powered by the battery.

[Conveying operation of rack 50 by conveying robot 7]
Next, the transport operation of the rack 50 by the transport robot 7 based on the control of the robot control section 20 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. FIG. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the operation of transporting the rack 50 by the transport robot 7, and FIG. 10 is a side view (partial cross-sectional view) showing the tray feeder 35F and the transport robot 7 when the rack 50 is delivered. is. FIG. 11 is an operation explanatory diagram (plan view) for positioning the transport robot 7. As shown in FIG. In addition, in FIG. 9, the configurations of the transport robot 7 and the tray feeder 35F are simplified.

The transport robot 7 first receives the rack 50 containing parts for replenishment (hereinafter referred to as "replenishment rack 50a" as appropriate) from the first storage device 6A, and travels along the production line PL. For example, as shown in FIG. 9A, the transport robot 7 travels along the production line PL with the rack 50 mounted on the second conveyor 12B, with the first conveyor 12A leading. Then, it stops when it travels to the position of the tray feeder 35F of the component mounting apparatus 3 to which components are to be replenished, more specifically, to the position of the housing 42 of the tray housing portion 40A.

Next, the transport robot 7 rotates 90 degrees on the spot so that the first conveyor 12A faces the rack entrance 421 of the housing 42 (tray storage section 40A), and then, as shown in FIGS. ), it moves forward in the Y2 direction and stops while being positioned on the housing 42 .

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11(a), below the rack entrance 421 of the housing 42, a feeder-side positioning section 46 corresponding to the robot-

side positioning sections

16A and 16B is provided. The feeder-side positioning portion 46 is a block-shaped member having a triangular (wedge-shaped) mountain-shaped contact surface 461 in a plan view corresponding to the contact surface 161 of the robot-

side positioning portions

16A and 16B. When the transport robot 7 advances in the Y2 direction while the first conveyor 12A faces the housing 42, the first robot-side positioning section 16A and the feeder-side positioning section 46 come into contact with each other. The positions of the transport robots 7 are corrected so that they match each other. As a result, the transfer robot 7 is positioned with respect to the housing 42 as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11(b). That is, the transport robot 7 is positioned such that the first conveyor 12A and the roller conveyor 45 are aligned in the Y direction through the rack doorway 421 .

Markers 423 are provided on both sides of the rack doorway 421 of the housing 42 in the X direction. When positioning the transport robot 7 , the stop position of the transport robot 7 is controlled based on detection of the marker 423 by the traveling sensor 17 . While the transfer robot 7 is stopped, the travel motor 111 is controlled so that an electromagnetic brake (motor brake) works. Thereby, the positioning state of the transport robot 7 is maintained.

On the other hand, on the roller conveyor 45 of the tray feeder 35F, there are used racks 50 containing empty trays 52 (hereinafter referred to as "used rack 50b") is arranged (the state indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 10).

When the positioning of the transport robot 7 is completed, the door 422 of the housing 42 operates to open the rack doorway 421, and the roller conveyor 45 of the tray storage section 40A and the first conveyor 12A of the transport robot 7 operate. That is, the drive roller rotates. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 9(c), 10 and 11(c), the used rack 50b is transferred from the tray feeder 35F (roller conveyor 45) to the transport robot 7 (first conveyor 12A). (recovered). At this time, in the transport robot 7, when the rack detection sensor 18 detects the rack 50, the first conveyor 12A stops.

When the delivery of the used rack 50b to the transport robot 7 is completed, the transport robot 7 retreats once in the Y1 direction to release the positioning state with respect to the housing 42, as shown in FIG. 9(d). The second conveyor 12B on which the supply rack 50a is mounted turns 180° on the spot so as to face the rack doorway 421. - 特許庁Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9(e), it advances in the Y2 direction and stops while being positioned with respect to the housing 42. Then, as shown in FIG. In this case, the transfer robot 7 is positioned in the housing 42 by the contact of the second robot-side positioning portion 16B with the feeder-side positioning portion 46, and the positioning state is maintained by the above-described electromagnetic brake (motor brake). be.

When the positioning of the transport robot 7 is completed, the roller conveyor 45 of the tray storage section 40A and the second conveyor 12B of the transport robot 7 operate. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9E, the supply rack 50a is transferred from the transport robot 7 (second conveyor 12B) to the tray feeder 35F (roller conveyor 45). In this case, when the supply rack 50a moves from the first conveyor 12A to the roller conveyor 45 and the rack detection sensor 18 no longer detects the rack 50, the drive roller is stopped.

When the replacement of the supply rack 50a and the used rack 50b is completed as described above, the transport robot 7 retreats in the Y1 direction to release the positioning state, as shown in FIG. 9(f). Turn another 90°. With the used rack 50b mounted on the first conveyor 12A, the second conveyor 12B runs along the production line PL. After that, the transport robot 7 returns from the production area A1 to the preparation area A2 along the route indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1, and delivers the collected used rack 50b to the second storage device 6B. As a result, a series of operations for transporting the rack 50 by the transport robot 7 is completed.

In the above description, the transport robot 7 loads the replenishment rack 50a on the second conveyor 12B and the used rack 50b on the first conveyor 12A, but the reverse is of course possible. Further, the transport robot 7 may be run on either side of the first conveyor 12A or the second conveyor 12B, and can be changed as appropriate. This point also applies to the transport robot 7A of the second embodiment, which will be described later.

[Effect]
According to the transport robot 7 described above, it is possible to automatically supply the supply rack 50a to the tray feeder 35F and recover the used rack 50b from the tray feeder 35F. Therefore, it is not necessary to manually supply parts to the tray feeder 35F as in the conventional art, and the efficiency of parts supply to the tray feeder 35F can be improved.

In particular, in the transport robot 7, parts are supplied by exchanging the supply rack 50a and the used rack 50b, as described above. Therefore, compared with the case where parts are supplied to the tray feeder 35F, for example, in units of trays, the working time for supplying parts is significantly shortened. In other words, for example, when replacing the used tray 52 together with the pallet 51, replacement work is required by the number of pallets 51, and if the number of pallets is large, the work takes a long time. However, according to the transport robot 7, even when replacing the same number of trays 52 (pallets), it is sufficient to replace the used rack 50b with the replenishment rack 50a. is completed. Therefore, according to the transport robot 7, it is possible to increase the speed of parts replenishment work for the tray feeder 35F.

In addition, as a result of speeding up the parts replenishment work for the tray feeder 35F in this way, it is suppressed that the travel route of the transport robot 7 is blocked for a long time by the transport robot 7 during the work. Therefore, for example, it is possible to prevent troubles such as the following transport robot 7 being placed in a standby state for a long period of time by the transport robot 7 which is in the process of supplying components, and eventually the component replenishment of another component mounting apparatus 3 (tray feeder 35F) being delayed. or can be prevented.

It should be noted that, in the tray feeder 35F of the embodiment, replacement of the supply rack 50a and the used rack 50b is an essential task when parts are supplied. In this regard, the transport robot 7 includes the first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B as described above, and the single transport robot 7 continuously replaces the used rack 50b and the supply rack 50a. can be done systematically. Therefore, in this respect as well, there is an advantage that it is possible to speed up the parts replenishment work for the tray feeder 35F.

In addition, in the transport robot 7 of the embodiment, the first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B have the same configuration, and have rotationally symmetric configurations in plan view as described above. In other words, there are few restrictions on the running direction when running along the production line PL and the conveyor for delivering racks. Therefore, there is also the advantage that it is possible to flexibly cope with the transport of the racks 50 (replenishment rack 50a, used rack 50b) according to the occasional situation of each component mounting device (tray feeder 35F) in the production line PL.

In addition, since the transport robot 7 is equipped with mecanum wheels and omni wheels as running wheels, it has a very high degree of freedom in the running direction. Therefore, when positioning with respect to the tray feeder 35F, the contact surfaces 461 of the feeder-side positioning portions 46 and the contact surfaces 161 of the robot-

side positioning portions

16A and 16B are aligned simply by moving the transport robot 7 forward. , the transport robot 7 can be repositioned without difficulty. Therefore, there is an advantage that the transfer robot 7 can be accurately positioned with respect to the tray feeder 35F, and that the transfer of the rack 50 between the tray feeder 35F and the transfer robot 7 can be performed stably and reliably. .

[Second Embodiment of Transport Robot]
Next, a second embodiment of the transport robot will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG. A basic configuration of the transport robot 7A according to the second embodiment is common to that of the transport robot 7 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the same reference numerals are given to the parts that are common to the first embodiment, and the description is omitted or simplified, and mainly the differences from the first embodiment will be described in detail. The same applies to a transfer robot 7B according to a third embodiment, which will be described later.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the transfer robot 7A according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 13 is a side view of the transfer robot 7A. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, in the transport robot 7A according to the second embodiment, the conveyor base portion 13 (corresponding to the "table portion" of the present invention) is attached to the vehicle body 10 via the spindle 13a. It is rotatably supported and configured to rotate together with the roller conveyor 12 by the driving force of a rotation motor (not shown). The turning motor is electrically connected to the robot control section 20 , and the turning operation of the roller conveyor 12 with respect to the vehicle body 10 is controlled by the robot control section 20 .

FIG. 14 is an explanatory view schematically showing part of the operation of transporting the rack 50 by the transport robot 7A. Among the operations of transporting the rack 50 by the transport robot 7A, the operation up to collecting the used rack 50b from the tray feeder 35F is performed by the transport robot 7 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. Same as action. That is, the transport robot 7A travels along the production line PL with the first conveyor 12A side as the head, with the supply rack 50a received from the first storage device 6A mounted on the second conveyor 12B. After that, the transport robot 7A rotates so that the first conveyor 12A faces the rack entrance 421 of the housing 42 (tray storage section 40A), and then moves forward in the Y2 direction. It stops while positioned with respect to the body 42 . In this state, as shown in FIG. 14A, the used rack 50b is delivered (collected) from the tray feeder 35F to the transport robot 7A.

When the delivery of the used rack 50b to the transport robot 7A is completed, the roller conveyor 12 rotates 180 degrees with the conveyor base 13 while maintaining the positioning state by the

positioning units

16A and 46, as shown in FIG. 14(b). swivel driven. As a result, the second conveyor 12B on which the supply rack 50a is mounted is arranged so as to face the rack doorway 421. As shown in FIG.

After that, the roller conveyor 45 of the tray storage section 40A and the second conveyor 12B of the transfer robot 7A are operated, so that the tray feeder 35F ( The supply rack 50a is delivered to the roller conveyor 45).

When the replacement of the supply rack 50a and the used rack 50b is completed in this way, the transfer robot 7A retreats in the Y2 direction to release the positioning, as shown in FIG. do. With the used rack 50b mounted on the first conveyor 12A, the second conveyor 12B runs along the production line PL.

As described above, in the transfer robot 7A of the second embodiment, the roller conveyor 12 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the vehicle body 10. According to the transport robot 7A, as described above, after collecting the used rack 50b from the tray feeder 35F, while maintaining the positioning state by the

positioning units

16A and 46, the second transport robot 7A on which the supply rack 50a is mounted is mounted. The conveyor 12B can be opposed to the rack doorway 421 (FIG. 14(b)). Therefore, the operation shown in FIGS. 9(d) and 9(e) in the transport robot 7 of the first embodiment, that is, cancels the positioning state of the transport robot 7 by the

positioning units

16A and 46 and rotates the transport robot 7. After that, the operation of positioning the transport robot 7 with respect to the housing 42 again by the positioning

units

16B and 46 becomes unnecessary. Therefore, according to the transfer robot 7A of the second embodiment, the parts replenishment work for the tray feeder 35F can be made more efficient because this operation is unnecessary.

[Third Embodiment of Transport Robot]
Next, a transport robot according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 15 is a plan view of the transfer robot 7B according to the third embodiment.

In the transport robot 7 of the first embodiment, the first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B are arranged back-to-back in a row so that the transport direction of the racks 50 is both the front-rear direction of the transport robot 7. On the other hand, in the transport robot 7B of the third embodiment, the first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B move in the front-rear direction of the transport robot 7B so that the transport direction of the rack 50 is both the width direction of the transport robot 7B. are arranged side-by-side with each other along the

Further, in the transport robot 7B of the third embodiment, a first robot-side positioning portion 16A is provided on one side surface (upper side surface in FIG. 15) of the vehicle body 10 at a position corresponding to the first conveyor 12A. In addition, a second robot-side positioning section 16B is provided at a position corresponding to the second conveyor 12B.

The transport robot 7B according to the third embodiment transports the rack 50 as shown in FIG. 16A and 16B are explanatory diagrams schematically showing part of the transportation operation of the rack 50 by the transportation robot 7B.

The transport robot 7B first receives the supply rack 50a from the first storage device 6A, and as shown in FIG. It runs along the production line PL as the head. Then, when the first conveyor 12A reaches the position facing the tray housing portion 40A of the tray feeder 35F, more specifically, when it reaches the position facing the rack entrance 421 of the housing 42, it stops once and moves in the Y2 direction as it is. . Thereby, the transport robot 7B is positioned with respect to the housing 42 . That is, when the first robot-side positioning portion 16A comes into contact with the feeder-side positioning portion 46, the first conveyor 12A and the roller conveyor 45 move in the Y direction through the rack doorway 421 as shown in FIG. 16(b). The conveying robot 7B is positioned in a state of being lined up. In this state, the used rack 50b is transferred from the tray feeder 35F (roller conveyor 45) to the transport robot 7B (first conveyor 12A).

When the delivery of the used rack 50b is completed, the transport robot 7B moves in the Y1 direction to release the positioning state, and then moves in the X2 direction, as shown in FIG. 16(c). Then, when the second conveyor 12B reaches a position facing the rack doorway 421 of the housing 42, it temporarily stops and moves in the Y2 direction as it is. Thereby, the transport robot 7B is positioned with respect to the housing 42 . That is, when the second robot-side positioning portion 16B abuts on the feeder-side positioning portion 46, as shown in FIG. 45 are aligned in the Y direction, the transport robot 7B is positioned. In this state, the supply rack 50a is transferred from the transport robot 7B (second conveyor 12B) to the tray feeder 35F (roller conveyor 45).

When the transfer of the supply rack 50a is completed, the transfer robot 7B moves in the Y1 direction to release the positioning state with respect to the housing 42, and then travels in the X2 direction to travel along the production line PL.

As described above, in the transport robot 7B of the third embodiment, the first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction of the transport robot 7B. According to this transport robot 7B, it is possible to transfer the used rack 50b and the supply rack 50a only by moving in the Y direction at the time of positioning while traveling in the X direction. In other words, the operation of turning the entire transport robot 7 as in the first embodiment is not required. Therefore, according to the transfer robot 7B for the third embodiment liquid, the efficiency of the parts replenishment work for the tray feeder 35F can be improved accordingly.

Also, according to this transport robot 7B, it is arranged with respect to the tray feeder 35F so that its longitudinal direction is always parallel to the X direction. Therefore, compared with the

transport robots

7 and 7A of the first and second embodiments, which need to be arranged so that the longitudinal direction is orthogonal to the X direction (the Y direction) during the transfer operation of the rack 50, the tray Less space is required on the Y1 side of feeder 35F. Therefore, it can be said that the transport robot 7B of the third embodiment has a convenient configuration when a plurality of production lines PL are provided adjacent to each other at relatively narrow intervals.

In the transfer robot 7B shown in FIG. 15, the robot-

side positioning portions

16A and 16B are provided only on one side surface (upper side surface in FIG. 15) of the vehicle body 10. Similar robot-

side positioning portions

16A and 16B may also be provided on the lower side surface of the . According to this configuration, even when the tray feeder 35F is arranged on either the left or the right side with respect to the traveling direction of the transport robot 7B, the above-described transport operation of the rack 50 can be performed. It becomes possible.

[Modification]
The

transport robots

7, 7A, and 7B described above and the component mounting system 100 including these are examples of preferred embodiments of the transport robot and the component mounting system according to the present invention, and their specific configurations are the same as those of the present invention. Modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the following configuration also belongs to the present invention.

(1) In the component mounting system 100 of the embodiment, one transport robot 7 (7A, 7B) exchanges the supply rack 50a and the used rack 50b for the tray feeder 35F. may be configured by That is, in terms of operation, the transport robot 7 dedicated to collecting racks and the transport robot 7 dedicated to supplying racks may be provided. In this case, for example, the transport robot 7 dedicated to collecting racks moves used racks from two component mounting apparatuses 3 (tray feeders 35F) to the first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B while traveling along the production line PL. Receive 50b. On the other hand, the transport robot 7 dedicated to supplying racks runs behind the transport robot 7 dedicated to collection while the first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B are loaded with the supply racks 50a. supplies the supply rack 50a to the tray feeder 35F from which the used rack 50b has been recovered.

(2) The transport robot 7 according to the first embodiment includes two roller conveyors (first conveyor 12A and second conveyor 12B), but the number of roller conveyors may be one. In this case, different transport robots 7 may supply the supply rack 50a and collect the used rack 50b to the tray feeder 35F.

(3) In the embodiment, the

transport robots

7, 7A, 7B are provided with roller conveyors (12A, 12B) as the "transfer section" of the present invention. However, if the rack 50 can be transferred to and from the tray feeder 35F (roller conveyor 45) by moving the rack 50 in the horizontal direction, the "transfer section" is not limited to the roller conveyor. . For example, it may be a ball conveyor provided with a plurality of rollable balls (spheres) or a wheel conveyor provided with a plurality of rotatable donut-shaped wheels (rotating bodies). In this case, thrust can be applied to the rack 50 by rotationally driving the ball or wheel. Also, the "delivery unit" may be a conveyor configured by appropriately combining rollers, balls, and wheels.

(4) In the first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B of the embodiment, one or more rollers 15 among the plurality of rollers 15 are driving rollers, and the rack 50 is moved by the rotation of the driving rollers. That is, thrust is applied to the rack 50 by the rotation of the drive roller. However, the plurality of rollers 15 are all driven rollers (free rollers), and a mechanism (thrust applying mechanism) for applying a thrust to the rack 50 is separately provided, thereby forming the "transfer section" of the present invention. may For example, a thrust applying mechanism that presses the rack 50 by operating a motor or an air cylinder may be provided. The same applies when the above ball conveyor or wheel conveyor is applied.

(5) The tray feeder 35F of the embodiment includes a roller conveyor 45 as the "rack support" of the present invention. It is not limited to 45. It may be a ball conveyor or a wheel conveyor as described above. Alternatively, the conveyor may be configured by appropriately combining rollers, balls, and wheels.

(6) In the tray feeder 35F of the embodiment, one or more rollers 451 among the plurality of rollers 451 of the roller conveyor 45 are driving rollers, and the rack 50 is moved by the rotation of the driving rollers. However, all of the plurality of rollers 451 may be driven rollers (free rollers), and another mechanism for applying thrust to the rack 50 may be provided. The same applies when the above ball conveyor or wheel conveyor is applied.

The present invention is summarized as follows for the embodiments described above.

A transport robot according to one aspect of the present invention includes a component supply unit having a rack accommodating a plurality of trays, and the component supply unit ( A self-propelled transport robot capable of transferring the rack to and from a tray feeder, wherein the component supply unit includes a rack support unit that supports the rack so that the rack can be taken in and out in a horizontal direction. The transport robot includes a traveling section equipped with traveling wheels that travels along the floor surface, and a traveling section that is provided in the traveling section so as to support the rack and moves the rack in the horizontal direction. and a transfer section that transfers the rack to and from the rack support section by moving the rack.

According to this transport robot, it is possible to support the rack and run by itself, and to transfer the rack to and from the component supply unit (tray feeder). Therefore, it can contribute to the automation of the parts supply work for the parts supply unit. In particular, since it is possible to supply parts to the parts supplying section on a rack-by-rack basis, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the parts supplying operation to the parts supplying section.

In the transfer robot described above, the transfer section is, for example, a roller conveyor provided with a plurality of rollers, including at least one drive roller capable of applying thrust to the rack when the rack is transferred.

According to the configuration of this transport robot, the rack can be smoothly moved by the rotation of the drive roller while the rack is supported on the rollers. Therefore, it contributes to smooth delivery of racks between the transport robot and the component supply unit.

It is preferable that the transport robot further includes a positioning unit that positions the transport robot with respect to the component supply unit.

According to this configuration, misalignment of the transport robot with respect to the component supply unit is suppressed or prevented. Therefore, the stability and reliability of delivery of racks between the component supply unit and the transport robot are improved.

In the transport robot described above, it is preferable that the transfer section includes a guide section that guides the rack when the rack is transferred.

According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress or prevent the positional deviation of the rack during rack delivery, and to perform the delivery of the rack more smoothly.

In the transport robot described above, it is preferable that the transfer section includes a first transfer section and a second transfer section, each of which is capable of transferring the rack to and from the rack support section.

According to this configuration, it is possible to more efficiently perform the parts replenishment work for the parts supply unit. For example, a supply rack is supported only at the first delivery section and travels, first receiving used racks from the parts supply section to the second delivery section, and then the supply rack is transferred from the first delivery section to the second delivery section. It can be handed over to the supply department. In this case, it is possible to continuously perform the work of collecting the used racks and the work of delivering the replenishment racks to the parts supply section with a single transport robot.

In this case, the transport robot includes a table section that supports the first transfer section and the second transfer section and is rotatable with respect to the traveling section, and the first transfer section and the second transfer section are: The racks may be arranged on the table in a row, back to back, in the same direction as the direction in which the racks are moved.

According to this configuration, by rotating only the table in a state in which the transport robot is arranged at a position facing the component supply unit, the state in which the first transfer unit faces the component supply unit and the state in which the second transfer unit faces the component supply unit. It is possible to switch between the state of facing the supply unit and the state of facing the supply unit. Therefore, it is possible to quickly perform the work of collecting the used racks and the work of delivering the replenishment racks as described above, while the traveling portion is stopped.

In addition, in the transfer robot, the first transfer section and the second transfer section may be arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the rack is moved.

According to this configuration, while the transfer robot is moved in the direction in which the first transfer section and the second transfer section are aligned, the used rack collection work and the replenishment rack transfer work are performed as described above. becomes possible.

In the transport robot described above, the running wheels are preferably mecanum wheels and/or omni wheels.

According to this configuration, the degree of freedom in the traveling direction of the transport robot is increased. Therefore, it becomes possible to achieve positioning of the transport robot with respect to the component supply section, etc., with the minimum required movement.

On the other hand, a component mounting system according to the present invention comprises a component supply section having a rack accommodating a plurality of trays, a component mounting apparatus for picking up components accommodated in the trays and mounting them on a board, and the component supply section. and a self-propelled transport robot capable of delivering the rack, wherein the component supply unit includes a rack support unit that supports the rack so that it can be taken in and out in a horizontal direction, The transport robot includes a traveling part provided with traveling wheels that travels along the floor surface, and a traveling part provided on the traveling part so as to be capable of supporting the rack and moving the rack in a horizontal direction. and a transfer section for transferring the rack to and from the rack support section.

According to this component mounting system, since it is equipped with the above-mentioned transfer robot, it is possible to efficiently produce component mounting boards while automating the component replenishment work for the component supply unit.

Claims

A component mounting apparatus having a component supply unit having a rack in which a plurality of trays are accommodated, and delivering the rack to the component supply unit of a component mounting apparatus that takes out the components accommodated in the trays and mounts them on a board. A self-propelled transfer robot capable of
The component supply unit includes a rack support unit that supports the rack so that the rack can be taken in and out in a horizontal direction,
The transport robot is
a running part having running wheels that runs along the floor surface;
a transfer section provided in the traveling section so as to support the rack, and transferring the rack to and from the rack support section by moving the rack in a horizontal direction; A transport robot characterized by:
The transport robot according to claim 1,
The transport robot, wherein the transfer unit comprises a roller conveyor provided with a plurality of rollers, including at least one drive roller capable of applying a thrust force to the rack when the rack is transferred.
The transport robot according to claim 1 or 2,
A transport robot, further comprising a positioning unit that positions the transport robot with respect to the component supply unit.
The transport robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The transport robot, wherein the transfer section includes a guide section for guiding the rack when the rack is transferred.
The transport robot according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The transport robot, wherein the transfer section includes a first transfer section and a second transfer section, each of which is capable of transferring the rack to and from the rack support section.
In the transport robot according to claim 5,
a table portion that supports the first transfer portion and the second transfer portion and is turnable with respect to the travel portion;
The transfer robot is characterized in that the first transfer section and the second transfer section are arranged on the table in a row back-to-back in the same direction as the direction in which the rack is moved.
In the transport robot according to claim 5,
The transport robot, wherein the first transfer section and the second transfer section are arranged side by side in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the rack is moved.
The transport robot according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The transport robot, wherein the running wheels are composed of mecanum wheels and/or omni wheels.
a component mounting apparatus comprising a component supply section having a rack containing a plurality of trays, and for taking out components contained in the trays and mounting them on a substrate;
a self-propelled transport robot capable of delivering the rack to the component supply unit;
The component supply unit includes a rack support unit that supports the rack so that the rack can be taken in and out in a horizontal direction,
The transport robot includes a traveling part provided with traveling wheels that travels along the floor surface, and a traveling part provided on the traveling part so as to be capable of supporting the rack and moving the rack in a horizontal direction. and a delivery section for delivering the rack to and from the rack support section.