Component holding system and method for holding scattered components

Abstract

A component holding system comprises: a platform on which multiple components are scattered; a holder configured to hold the components scattered on the platform; an imaging device configured to capture images of the components scattered on the platform; a first determination device configured to determine, based on the image data captured by the imaging device, whether a target component to be held by the holder overlaps an object other than the target component;and a second determining device configured to determine, based on image data acquired by the imaging device, whether a component other than the holding target component has entered an area encompassing a contour of the holder when the holding target component is held, wherein the holder holds the holding target component when the first determining device determines that the holding target component does not overlap any component other than the holding target component, and the second determining device determines that no component other than the holding target component has entered the area.

Description

Technical field The present invention relates to a component holding system and the like for holding components that are scattered on a platform by means of a holder. State of the art The following patent literature describes a technique for holding components scattered on a platform using a holder. Citation list Patent literature Patent literature 1: WO 2022 / 215161 Summary of the invention Technical problem One objective of the present invention is to hold components scattered on a platform in a suitable manner using a holder. Solution To solve the problem mentioned above, the present description discloses a component holding system comprising: a platform on which several components are scattered; a holder configured to hold the components scattered on the platform; an imaging device configured to take images of the components scattered on the platform; a first determination device configured to determine, based on the image data taken by the imaging device, whether a holding target component to be held by the holder overlaps another object other than the holding target component;and a second determining device configured to determine, based on image data acquired by the imaging device, whether an object other than the holding target component has entered an area encompassing a contour of the holder when the holding target component is held, wherein, if the first determining device determines that the holding target component does not overlap any object other than the holding target component, and the second determining device determines that no object other than the holding target component has entered the area, the holder holds the holding target component. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for holding scattered components is provided, wherein a holder configured to hold a component holds a component from among several components scattered on a platform, the method comprising: a first determination step to determine, based on image data acquired by capturing the one component among the several components scattered on the platform, whether the one component overlaps a different object than the one component;and a second determination step in which, based on the image data and an area encompassing a contour of the holder when the one component is held, it is determined whether an object other than the one component has entered the area, wherein, if in the first determination step it is determined that the one component does not overlap any object other than the one component, and in the second determination step it is determined that no object other than the one component has entered the area, the one component is determined to be a component that can be held by the holder, and the holding of the one component that has been determined to be holdable by the holder is carried out. Advantageous effects of the invention According to the present disclosure, the holder retains the holding target component if it is determined that the holding target component does not overlap any other object than the component to be held, and if it is determined that no other object than the holding target component has entered any area encompassing a contour of a holder while the holding target component is being held. Accordingly, components scattered on the platform can be better held by the holder. Brief description of the characters Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a component assembler. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a component assembly device of the component assembler. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a scattering component feeder. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a component feeder unit. Fig. 5 is a transparent view showing the component feeder unit. Fig. 6 is a transparent view showing the component feeder unit. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a component scattering device. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the component scattering device. Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a component holding head. Fig. 10 is a view showing a component receiving element in a state where a component is received. Fig. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a control device of the component assembler.Figure 12 is a view showing a state in which conductor components are scattered on a platform. Figure 13 is a view showing image data of a component used for pattern recognition. Figure 14 is a view showing a case of determining whether components overlap. Figure 15 is a view showing a chuck when a holding target component is held. Figure 16 is a view showing an area including the outline of a cross-section of the chuck when the holding target component is held. Figure 17 is a view showing an area including the outline of a cross-section of the chuck when the holding target component is held. Figure 18 is a view illustrating a case of determining whether the chuck is in contact with an object other than the component held by the chuck.Figure 19 is a view illustrating a case in which it is determined whether the chuck comes into contact with an object other than the workpiece held by the chuck. Figure 20 is a view showing a suction nozzle when the workpiece is held. Figure 21 is a view showing an area, including the outline of a cross-section of the suction nozzle, when the workpiece is held. Figure 22 is a view showing the suction nozzle when the workpiece is held. Figure 23 is a view showing an area, including the outline of a cross-section of the suction nozzle, when the workpiece is held. Description of the embodiments In the following, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the figures. Fig. 1 shows a component assembler 10. The component assembler 10 is a device that performs the assembly of a component onto a circuit carrier material 12. The component assembler 10 comprises a main device body 20, a carrier material conveying / holding device 22, an assembly device 24, forming devices 26 and 28, a component feeder 30, a bulk component feeder 32, and a control device (see Fig. 11) 34. Examples of suitable circuit carrier materials 12 include a printed circuit board, a carrier material with a three-dimensional structure, and the like. Examples of suitable printed circuit boards include a printed wiring board, a printed circuit board, and the like. The main body of the device 20 comprises a frame 40 and a support 42 suspended from the frame 40. The carrier material conveying / holding device 22 is arranged longitudinally in the center of the frame 40 and comprises a conveying device 50 and a clamping device 52. The conveying device 50 is a device that conveys the circuit carrier material 12, and the clamping device 52 is a device that holds the circuit carrier material 12. Thus, the carrier material conveying / holding device 22 conveys the circuit carrier material 12 and holds it firmly in a predetermined position. In the following description, the conveying direction of the circuit carrier material 12 is referred to as the X-direction, a horizontal direction perpendicular to this direction as the Y-direction, and a vertical direction as the Z-direction. That is, the width direction of the component assembler 10 is the X direction and the front-back direction is the Y direction. The component assembly device 24 is arranged on the carrier 42 and comprises two working heads 60 and 62 as well as a working head movement device 64. The working heads 60 and 62 each include a suction nozzle (see Fig. 2) 66 and hold a component using the suction nozzle 66. The working head movement device 64 comprises an X-direction movement device 68, a Y-direction movement device 70, and a Z-direction movement device 72. The two working heads 60 and 62 move integrally to any position on the frame 40 via the X-direction movement device 68 and the Y-direction movement device 70. As shown in Fig. 2, each of the working heads 60 and 62 is detachably mounted on sliders 74 and 76, and the Z-direction movement device 72 moves the sliders 74 and 76 individually. Up-down direction. That is, the working heads 60 and 62 are moved individually in the up-down direction by the Z-direction movement device 72. The imaging device 26 is mounted on the slider 74 in a position where it is directed downwards and moves together with the working head 60 in the X, Y, and Z directions. Consequently, the imaging device 26 captures an image of each position on the frame 40. As shown in Fig. 1, the imaging device 28 is arranged between the carrier material conveying / holding device 22 on the frame 40 and the component feeding device 30 in a position where it is directed upwards. Consequently, the imaging device 28 captures images of components held by the suction nozzles 66 of the working heads 60 and 62. The component feeding device 30 is arranged at a first end section of the frame 40 in the front-to-back direction. The component feeding device 30 comprises a tray-like component feeding device 78 and a feeder-type component feeding device (not shown). The tray-like component feeding device 78 is a device that feeds components in a state where they are arranged on a tray. The feeder-type component feeding device is a device that feeds components using a belt feeder (not shown) and a rod feeder (not shown). The bulk component feeder 32 is arranged at a second end section of the frame 40 in a front-to-back direction. The bulk component feeder 32 is a device that aligns multiple components in a scattered state and feeds the components in an aligned state. That is, the bulk component feeder 32 is a device that aligns multiple components in any orientation into a predetermined orientation and feeds the components in the predetermined orientation. A configuration of the component feeder 32 is described in detail below. Examples of components that are fed in large quantities by the component feeder 30 and the bulk component feeder 32 include electronic circuit components, components of a solar cell, and components of a power module. The electronic circuit component can be a component with terminals, a component without terminals, or the like. The bulk component feeding device 32, as shown in Fig. 3, has a main body 80, a component feeding unit 82, an imaging device 84 and a component dispensing device 86. The component feeding unit 82 comprises a component feeder 88, a component distribution device (see Fig. 4) 90, and a component return device (see Fig. 4) 92, wherein the component feeder 88, the component distribution device 90, and the component return device 92 are integrally formed. The component feeding unit 82 is detachably attached to the support 96 of the main body 80, and in the bulk component feeding device 32, five component feeding units 82 are arranged side by side in a row in the X direction. The component feeder 88 has a box shape, generally a rectangular parallelepiped as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and is arranged to extend in the Y direction. The Y direction is referred to as the front-back direction of the component feeder 88, and in the component feeding unit 82, the direction towards the side on which the component return device 92 is arranged is referred to as the front, and the direction towards the side on which the component feeder 88 is arranged is referred to as the back. The component feeder 88 is open at the top and front, with the opening at the top being the inlet opening 97 for components and the opening at the front being the outlet opening 98 for components. An inclined plate 104 is arranged in the component feeder 88 below the inlet opening 97. The inclined plate 104 is oriented from the rear end face of the component feeder 88 towards the center and is arranged so that it is inclined downwards. As shown in Fig. 5, a conveying device 106 is arranged in front of the inclined plate 104. The conveying device 106 is arranged such that it is inclined upwards from the front end section of the inclined plate 104 towards the front of the component feeder 88. The conveyor belt 112 of the conveying device 106 rotates counterclockwise in Fig. 5. That is, the conveying direction of the conveying device 106 runs obliquely upwards from the front end section of the inclined plate 104 towards the front. The inclined plate 126 is arranged below the front end section of the conveyor 106. The inclined plate 126 extends from the front end face of the component feeder 88 towards below the conveyor 106, and its rear end section is inclined downwards. The inclined plate 128 is also arranged below the inclined plate 126. The inclined plate 128 is inclined from below the middle section of the conveyor 106 towards the outlet opening 98 of the component feeder 88, such that its front end section is positioned downwards. As shown in Fig. 4, two side frames 130 are mounted on the support 96. The two side frames 130 are positioned so that they are parallel to each other and run in the Y-direction, while opposite each other. The distance between the pair of side frames 130 is slightly larger than the width dimension of the component feeder 88, so that the component feeder 88 is removablely mounted between the pair of side frames 130. The component distribution device 90 comprises a component holding element 150 and a component holding element movement device 152. The component holding element 150 comprises a platform 156 and a pair of side wall sections 158. The platform 156 generally has an elongated, plate-like shape and is arranged to extend from below in front of the component feeder 88, which is mounted between the pair of side frames 130. The top of the platform 156 is generally horizontal and, as shown in Fig. 5, is arranged at a small distance from the front end section of the inclined plate 128 of the component feeder 88. As shown in Fig. 4, a pair of side wall sections 158 are positioned and attached to both side sections in the longitudinal direction of the platform 156, and the upper end of each side wall section 158 extends over the top of the platform 156. The component holder motion device 152 moves the component holding element 150 in the Y direction as a result of actuation of the air cylinder (see Fig. 11) 166. In this case, the component holding element 150 is moved between a retracted state (see Fig. 6), in which the component holding element 150 is retracted below the component feeder 88, and an exposed state (see Fig. 5), in which the component holding element 150 is exposed below the component feeder 88. As shown in Fig. 7, the component return device 92 comprises a component receiving container 180 and a container swivel device 181. The component receiving container 180 is essentially box-shaped, and its bottom surface is arc-shaped. The component receiving container 180 is pivotably held at the front end of the platform 156 of the component holding element 150 and is swiveled by actuating the container swivel device 181. In this case, the component receiving container 180 is swiveled between a receiving position in which the opening is directed upwards (see Fig. 7) and a return position in which the opening is directed towards the top of the platform 156 of the component holding element 150 (see Fig. 8). As shown in Fig. 3, the imaging device 84 comprises a camera 290 and a camera movement device 292. The camera movement device 292 comprises a guide rail 296 and a slider 298. The guide rail 296 is attached to the main body 80 above the component feeder 88 to extend in the lateral direction (X-direction) of the bulk component feeder 32. The slider 298 is slidably mounted on the guide rail 296 and can be moved to any desired position by actuating an electric motor 299 (see Fig. 11). The camera 290 is mounted on the slider 298 so that it points downwards. The component feeding device 86 comprises, as shown in Fig. 3, a component holding head movement device 300, a component holding head 302 and two pendulum devices 304. The component holding head motion device 300 comprises an X-direction motion device 310, a Y-direction motion device 312, and a Z-direction motion device 314. The Y-direction motion device 312 has a Y-slider 316 arranged above the component feeder 82 to extend in the X-direction, and the Y-slider 316 is moved to any desired position in the Y-direction by driving an electric motor 319 (see Fig. 11). The X-direction motion device 310 has an X-slider 320 arranged on a side face of the Y-slider 316, and the X-slider 320 is moved to any desired position in the X-direction by driving an electric motor 321 (see Fig. 11). The Z-movement device 314 comprises a Z-glider 322 which is arranged on a side surface of the X-glider 320, and the Z-glider 322 is moved to any desired position in the Z direction by the drive of the electric motor (see Fig. 11) 323. As shown in Fig. 9, the component holding head 302 comprises a head body 330, a chuck 332, a swivel device 334, and a rotary device 335. The head body 330 is integrally formed with the Z-slider 322. The chuck 332 comprises a chuck body 337 and a pair of gripping jaws 338 and is detachably attached to a lower end section of a holder 340. The pair of gripping jaws 338 is held by the chuck body 337 in such a way that it can approach and separate from each other, the pair of gripping jaws 338 approaching each other to grip the component and separating from each other to release the gripped component. The bracket 340 is bendable at the support axis 344, and the bracket 340 is bent upwards by 90 degrees by actuating the swivel device 334.Consequently, the chuck 332, attached to the lower end section of the holder 340, pivots 90 degrees and is positioned in a pivoted position. That is, the chuck 332 pivots between the non-pivoted position and the pivoted position by actuating the pivoting device 334. Naturally, the chuck 332 can be positioned so that it stops at an angular position between the non-pivoted position and the pivoted position. Furthermore, the rotary device 335 rotates the chuck 332 about its axis. As shown in Fig. 3, each of the two pendulum devices 304 comprises a component carrier 388 and a component carrier movement device 390 and is attached to the front of the component feeding unit 82 side by side in a lateral direction on the main body 80. Five component receiving elements 392, arranged side by side in a row in a lateral direction, are mounted on the component carrier 388, and a component is placed on each of the component receiving elements 392. The bulk component feeder 32 can feed various types of components, and therefore different types of component receiving elements 392 are arranged depending on the shape of the components. Here, a component receiving element 392, corresponding to a conductor component 410 with terminals, is described as an electronic circuit component fed by the bulk component feeder 32, as shown in Fig. 10. The conductor component 410 comprises a component body 412 with a block-like shape and two terminals 414 that protrude from a bottom surface of the component body 412. The component receiving element 392 is provided with a component receiving recess section 416, the shape of which corresponds to the conductor component 410. The component receiving recess section 416 is a cavity with a stepped shape and comprises a main body receiving cavity 418, which is open towards the top of the storage unit 392, and a connection receiving cavity 420, which is open towards the bottom of the main body receiving cavity 418. The conductor component 410 is inserted into the interior of the component receiving recess section 416 in a position in which the connections 414 are facing downwards. This inserts the connections 414 into the connection installation cavity 420, and the conductor component 410 is inserted into the component receiving recess section 416 in a state in which the component main body 412 is inserted into the main body receiving cavity 418. The component carrier movement device 390 is a plate-shaped longitudinal element and is arranged on the front of the component feeder unit 82 such that it extends longitudinally, as shown in Fig. 3. The component carrier 388 is arranged on the top of the component carrier movement device 390 so that it is longitudinally displaceable and is moved to any desired position in the longitudinal direction by the drive of the electric motor (see Fig. 11) 430. When the component carrier 388 is moved towards the component feeder units 82, it is moved into a component receiving position that is within a range in which the component holding head 302 can be moved by the component holding head movement device 300.If, on the other hand, the component carrier 388 is moved in the direction away from the component feed units 82, the component carrier 388 is moved into a component feed position that is within an area in which the working heads 60 and 62 can be moved by the working head movement device 64. As shown in Fig. 11, the control device 34 comprises an integrated control device 450, several individual control devices (only one control device is shown in Fig. 11) 452, and an image processing device 454. The integrated control device 450 is primarily configured with a computer and is connected to the carrier material conveying / holding device 22, the component assembly device 24, the imaging device 26, the imaging device 28, the component feeding device 30, and the bulk component feeding device 32. Consequently, the integrated control device 450 integrally controls the carrier material conveying / holding device 22, the component assembly device 24, the imaging device 26, the imaging device 28, the component feeding device 30, and the bulk component feeding device 32.Several individual control devices 452 are mainly configured with a computer and arranged according to the carrier material conveying / holding device 22, the assembly device 24, the imaging device 26, the imaging device 28, the component feeding device 30 and the bulk component feeding device 32 (in Fig. 11 only the individual control device 452, which corresponds to the bulk component feeding device 32, is shown). The individual control device 452 of the bulk component feeder 32 is connected to the component distribution device 90, the component return device 92, the camera movement device 292, the component holding head movement device 300, the component holding head 302, and the pendulum device 304. Thus, the individual control device 452 of the bulk component feeder 32 controls the component distribution device 90, the component return device 92, the camera movement device 292, the component holding head movement device 300, the component holding head 302, and the pendulum device 304. The image processing device 454 is connected to the imaging device 84 and processes the image data acquired by the imaging device 84. The image processing device 454 is connected to the individual control device 452 of the bulk component feeder 32.This allows the individual control device 452 of the bulk component feeder 32 to receive the image data captured by the imaging device 84. The bulk component feeding device 32 has a storage device 458. The storage device 458 is connected to the individual control device 452 and stores various information in response to commands from the individual control device 452. With the described configuration, the component assembler 10 performs component assembly operations on the circuit carrier material 12 held by the carrier material conveying / holding device 22. Specifically, the circuit carrier material 12 is conveyed to a working position and held in this position by the clamping device 52. Next, the imaging device 26 moves over the circuit carrier material 12 and takes an image of it. This provides information about any defects in the holding position of the circuit carrier material 12. The component feeder 30 or the bulk component feeder 32 feeds a component to a predetermined feed position. The feeding of a component by the bulk component feeder 32 will be described in detail later. Either the working head 60 or 62 is moved over the component feed position to hold a component with the suction nozzle 66.The working head 60 or 62, which holds the component, is then moved over the imaging device 28. The imaging device 28 then takes an image of the component held by the suction nozzle 66. This provides information about any defects in the component's holding position. The working head 60 or 62, which holds the component, is then moved over the circuit carrier material 12 and mounts the held component onto the circuit carrier material 12 after the defects in the holding position of the circuit carrier material 12, the component's holding position, and the like have been corrected. Next, the feeding of components by the bulk component feeding device 32 is described. In the bulk component feeding device 32, the ladder component 410 is entered by an operator via the inlet opening 97 of the component feeder 88, and the entered ladder component 410 is fed by the operation of the component feeding units 82 and the component feeding device 86 in a state in which it is placed on the component receiving element 392 of the component carrier 388. In particular, the operator inserts the conductor component 410 through the inlet opening 97 on the top of the component feeder 88. In this case, the component holding element 150 is moved under the component feeder 88 by actuating the component holding element movement device 152 and is in a retracted state (see Fig. 6). When the component holding element 150 is in the retracted state, the component receiving container 180, which is arranged at the front end of the component holding element 150, is positioned in front of the component feeder 88 and is in a position (receiving position) in which the opening of the component receiving container 180 is directed upwards. Ladder components 410, fed into the component feeder 88 through the inlet opening 97, fall onto the inclined plate 104 of the component feeder 88 and roll down to the front lower end of the inclined plate 104. The ladder components 410, having rolled to the front lower end of the inclined plate 104, are stacked between the front lower end of the inclined plate 104 and the rear lower end of the conveyor 106. The conveyor belt 112 of the conveyor 106 then rotates counterclockwise in Fig. 6. Consequently, the ladder components 410 stacked between the inclined plate 104 and the conveyor belt 112 are conveyed obliquely upwards by the conveyor belt 112. The ladder components 410, conveyed by conveyor belt 112, fall from the front upper end of the conveying device 106 onto the inclined plate 126. The ladder components 410 that have fallen onto the inclined plate 126 roll backwards on the inclined plate 126 and fall onto the inclined plate 128. The ladder components 410 that have fallen onto the inclined plate 128 roll forwards and are discharged from the outlet opening 98 at the front of the component feeder 88. Consequently, the ladder components 410 dispensed from the outlet opening 98 of the component feeder 88 are received in the component receiving container 180. When a predetermined quantity of ladder components 410 has been dispensed from the component feeder 88, i.e., when the conveying device 106 has moved a certain distance, the conveying device 106 is stopped. Next, the component holding element 150 is moved forward from its retracted position by actuating the component holding element movement device 152. The container swivel device 181 of the component return device 92 swivels the component receiving container 180 at a point in time when the component holding element 150 has moved forward from its retracted state by a predetermined amount. As a result, the position of the component receiving container 180 changes rapidly from a position (receiving position) in which the opening is directed upwards to a position (return position) in which the opening is directed towards the platform 156. In this case, the conductor components 410 held in the component receiving container 180 are forcefully released towards the platform 156. Consequently, as shown in Fig. 12, several conductor components 410 are scattered from the component receiving container 180 onto the platform 156. Although several ladder components 410 are scattered on the platform 156, they are essentially distributed in three positions on the platform 156. Specifically, in a first position, the ladder components 410 are distributed in a position where the surface from which the terminals 414 extend is oriented laterally and two terminals 414 are generally oriented horizontally. In a second position, the ladder components 410 are distributed in a position where the surface from which the terminals 414 extend is oriented laterally and two terminals 414 are generally oriented vertically. In a third position, the ladder components 410 are distributed in a position where the surface from which the terminals 414 extend faces upwards.The three positions in which the ladder components 410 are scattered are referred to as ladder component 410a in the first position, ladder component 410b in the second position and ladder component 410c in the third position. When the conductor components 410 are scattered on the platform 156 as described above, the camera 290 of the imaging device 84 is moved over the component holding element 150 by actuating the camera movement device 292. The camera 290 then takes pictures of the conductor components 410 scattered on the platform 156. Since the viewing angle of the camera 290, i.e., the image area, is larger than the platform 156, the camera 290 takes a picture of the entire platform 156, i.e., all conductor components 410 scattered on the platform 156, at once. Subsequently, the individual control device 452 identifies the positions of the conductor components 410 scattered on the platform 156 by pattern matching, based on the image data taken by the camera 290. In particular, the individual control device 452 identifies the outlines of the conductor components 410 based on the image data of the conductor components 410 acquired by the camera 290 and calculates the shapes of the top surfaces of the conductor components 410, i.e., the shapes as seen from above. As shown in Fig. 13, the storage device 458 stores shape data corresponding to the outline shape of component 410a in the first position. The individual control device 452 then determines whether the shape of the top surface of each component 410, calculated based on the image data of the components 410 acquired by the camera 290, matches the shape data stored in the storage device 458. If the individual control device 452 determines that the shape of the top surface of the conductor component 410 matches the shape data, the conductor component 410 identified as matching is recognized as conductor component 410a in the first position. Conversely, if the individual control device 452 determines that the shape of the top surface of the conductor component 410 does not match the shape data, the conductor component 410 identified as not matching is recognized as conductor component 410b in the second position or as conductor component 410c in the third position. Next, the individual control device 452 uses the image data of the conductor components 410 captured by the camera 290 to determine whether the conductor component 410a, identified as being in the first position by pattern matching, overlaps another object. Specifically, the individual control device 452 identifies the outline of the conductor component 410 based on the image data using the pattern matching described above. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 14, the individual control device 452 first defines an imaginary line 470 that extends outwards from the outline of the conductor component 410 by a predetermined distance (e.g., 1 mm). Subsequently, the individual control device 452 determines, based on the image data of the ladder components 410 taken by the camera 290, whether there is an object other than the top of the platform 156 between the outline of the ladder component 410 and the imaginary line 470. In particular, for example, the color of the top surface of platform 156 is stored in the storage device 458, and the individual control device 452 determines, based on the image data of the conductor component 410 captured by the camera 290 and the color of the top surface of platform 156 stored in the storage device 458, whether there is a color between the outline of the conductor component 410 and the imaginary line 470 that differs from the color of the top surface of platform 156. If, for example, at this time there is no color between the outline of the conductor component 410 and the imaginary line 470 that differs from the color of the top surface of platform 156 stored in the storage device 458, the individual control device 452 determines that the conductor component 410 is placed on the top surface of platform 156 without overlapping with any other object besides the conductor component 410.If, however, a color tone exists between the outline of component 410 and the imaginary line 470 that differs from the color tone of the top of stage 156 stored in the storage device 458, the individual control device 452 determines that at least a part of the ladder component 410 is placed on a part that differs from the top of stage 156. Although in Fig. 14 the ladder component 410 overlaps a different ladder component than the ladder component 410, the ladder component 410 can also overlap the side wall section 158 of the component holding element 150. Therefore, if the ladder component 410 overlaps at least one other component besides the ladder component 410 and the side wall section 158, the individual control device 452 determines that the ladder component 410 overlaps a different object than the ladder component 410.Then the individual control device 452 determines the conductor component 410, which has been found to not overlap any other component, but is a receiving target conductor component, namely a receiving target component. In this way, the individual control device 452 designates the ladder component 410a in the first position, which has been determined to not overlap with any object other than the top of the platform 156, as the receiving target component. However, if the individual control device 452 determines that the ladder component 410 does not overlap with any object other than the top of the platform 156, it does not designate the ladder component 410b, located in the second position, and the ladder component 410c, located in the third position, as receiving target components. Even if the ladder component 410a is determined to be in the first position, the individual control device 452 does not designate the ladder component 410a as the receiving target component if it is determined that the ladder component 410a overlaps with any object other than the top of the platform 156.This is because the ladder component 410b in the second position has a narrow width of an upward-facing surface, and therefore the chuck 332 cannot adequately hold the ladder component 410b. Furthermore, the ladder component 410c in the third position has terminals 414 arranged on an upward-facing top surface, and these terminals interfere, preventing the chuck 332 from adequately holding the ladder component 410c. Additionally, because a top surface of the ladder component 410a in the first position, which overlaps an object other than the top surface of the platform 156, is not horizontal, the chuck 332 cannot adequately hold the ladder component 410a.Furthermore, in the first position, which overlaps an object other than the top of the platform 156, the ladder component 410a cannot be properly held by the chuck 332 because the height of the top of component 410a is not constant and thus the chuck 332 may collide with component 410a when gripping it. However, even in the first position, which was set so that it does not overlap with any objects other than the top of the platform 156, the ladder component 410a cannot be adequately held by the chuck 332. As shown in Fig. 15, the ladder component 410a is held by the chuck 332 by lowering the chuck 332 towards the ladder component 410a, with the two gripping claws 338 positioned at a distance from each other that is greater than the width of the ladder component 410a. If, for example, a different ladder component 410B than the ladder component 410A to be held is located near the component 410A to be held at this time, the pair of gripping claws 338, which is arranged on the chuck 332 lowered in the direction of the ladder component 410A, comes into contact with the ladder component 410B.If the chuck 332 comes into contact with a conductor component 410B other than the target component 410A to be held, the target component 410A cannot be held properly. In light of this, the individual control device 452 determines that the ladder component 410 in the first position does not overlap any object other than the top of the platform 156, and further determines whether the chuck 332 comes into contact with a ladder component 410B other than the ladder component 410A when the chuck 332 is holding the ladder component 410A to be held. In particular, when the chuck 332 is lowered towards the target ladder component 410A in order to hold the target ladder component 410A, there is a possibility that the chuck 332 comes into contact with a ladder component 410B other than the ladder component 410A. When the chuck 332 holds the target ladder component 410A, the individual control device 452 therefore determines whether a ladder component 410B other than the target ladder component 410A has entered an area that includes a contour of the chuck 332. Although Fig.Figure 15 shows a case in which there is a possibility that the chuck 332 may come into contact with a conductor component 410B other than the conductor component 410A when the conductor component 410A is held. If the chuck 332 holds scattered conductor components 410A near the side wall section 158 of the component holding element 150, there is also a possibility that the chuck 332 may come into contact with the side wall section 158 of the component holder 150. Therefore, the individual control device 452 also determines whether an object other than the conductor component 410A held by the chuck 332 has entered the area encompassed by the contour of the chuck 332 when the target conductor component 410A to be held is being held. In particular, the area encompassing the contour of the chuck 332 when holding the target ladder component 410A is defined in the storage device 458 as an area encompassing the contour of the cross-section of the chuck 332 when holding the target ladder component 410A. The cross-section of the chuck 332 when holding the target ladder component 410A is a cross-section of the chuck 332 at a position parallel to the top of the platform 156 and is a cross-section of the chuck 332 at a predetermined height. Here, the predetermined height of the chuck 332 is a height from the lower end of the chuck 332. For example, when the predetermined height L1 is specified, the area of ​​the chuck 332 is defined as an area including the cross-section of the chuck 332 at the position of a single-point catenary 480 in the storage device 458. Specifically, the cross-section of the chuck 332 at the position of the single-point catenary 480 has a shape shown by hatching in Fig. 16 and is the cross-section of a pair of gripping jaws 338. Then, in the storage device 458, a shape obtained by combining the outlines of the cross-sections of the pair of gripping jaws 338 is defined as the area 482 of the chuck 332 when the predetermined height L1 is specified. Furthermore, for example, the area of ​​the chuck 332, when the predetermined height L2 is, is defined in the storage device 458 as an area encompassing the cross-section of the chuck 332 at the position of the single-point catenary 490. In particular, the cross-section of the chuck 332 at the position of the single-point catenary 490 has a shape shown by hatching in Fig. 17 and is a cross-section of the chuck main body 337. In the storage device 458, the cross-sectional shape of the chuck main body 337 is defined as area 492 of the chuck 332 when the predetermined height L2 is. When the chuck 332 holds the target ladder component 410A, the height at which it is possible for the chuck to come into contact with an object other than the ladder component 410, for example, the height at which the chuck 332 comes into contact with the ladder component 410B, is L2, as shown in Fig. 15. Therefore, when the chuck 332 is holding the target ladder component 410A, the individual control device 452 uses the area 492 of the chuck 332 defined in the memory device 458 to determine whether the chuck 332 holding the ladder component 410A comes into contact with an object other than the ladder component 410. In particular, the individual control device 452 overlays the image of the conductor component 410A in the image data of the conductor component 410A recorded by the camera 290 with the area 492 of the chuck 332 defined in the storage device 458.At this point, the individual control device 452 overlays the area 492 of the chuck 332 with the conductor component 410A in a state in which the center of the main body 412 of the conductor component 410A coincides with the center of the area 492 of the chuck 332. The individual control device 452 then determines whether an object other than the target conductor component 410A to be held has entered the area 492 of the chuck 332. In particular, for example, the color of the top surface of platform 156 is stored in the storage device 458, and the individual control device 452 determines, based on the image data of the conductor component 410A captured by the camera 290, whether there is a color in the area that excludes the superimposed image of the conductor component 410A in area 492 of the chuck 332 that differs from the color of the top surface of platform 156 stored in the storage device 458. If, for example, at this time there is no color in the area that excludes the superimposed image of the conductor component 410A that differs from the color of the top surface of platform 156 stored in the storage device 458, as shown in Fig. 18, the individual control device 452 determines that no object other than the target conductor component 410A to be held has entered area 492.As described above, when the individual control device 452 determines that no object other than the target ladder component 410A to be held has entered the area 492 of the chuck 332, the chuck 332 does not come into contact with any object other than the ladder component 410A when holding the target ladder component 410A, and thus the target ladder component 410A to be held is determined as the target component to be picked up. In contrast, if the individual control device 452 detects that an object different in color from the top of the platform 156, which is stored in the storage device 458, is located in the area, with the exception of the superimposed image of the ladder component 410A within the area 492 of the chuck 332, as shown in Fig. 19, the individual control device 452 determines that an object other than the target ladder component 410A to be held has entered the clamping area 492. If the individual control device 452 thus determines that an object other than the target ladder component 410A to be held has entered the area 492 of the chuck 332, there is a possibility that the chuck 332 will come into contact with an object other than the target ladder component 410A when the target ladder component 410A is being held, and thus the target ladder component 410A will not be determined as the component to be held. As described above, the target ladder component 410A is determined as the receiving target component when the individual control device 452 detects that, while the target ladder component 410A is being held by the chuck 332, no object other than the target ladder component 410A has entered the area 492 of the chuck and that the chuck 332 is not in contact with any object other than the ladder component 410A. As described above, the determination of the receiving target ladder component by the individual control device 452 makes it possible to prevent the chuck 332 from coming into contact with any object other than the target ladder component while the target ladder component is being held from the platform 156, thus ensuring that the target ladder component is held appropriately. As shown in Fig.As shown in Figure 11, the individual control device 452 comprises a first determining section 500, which determines whether the target ladder component to be held overlaps with an object other than itself, and a second determining section 502, which determines whether the chuck 332 comes into contact with an object other than the target ladder component to be held when the chuck 332 holds the target ladder component to be held. After the target ladder component has been determined, the individual control device 452 calculates the position information of the selected ladder component 410 based on the image data of the ladder component 410 captured by the camera. Next, based on the calculated position information of the target ladder component, the component holding head 302 is moved over the target ladder component by an operation of the component holding head movement device 300, and the chuck 332 holds the target ladder component. When the chuck 332 holds the ladder component, the chuck 332 is moved to the non-pivoted position. Subsequently, after the chuck 332 holds the ladder component, the component holding head 302 is moved over the component carrier 388. In this case, the component carrier 388 is then moved into the component pickup position by actuating the component carrier movement device 390.When the component holding head 302 is moved over the component carrier 388, the chuck 332 pivots into the pivoted position. The chuck 332 pivots by actuating the rotary device 335 so that the terminals 414 of the conductor component 410, which is held by the chuck 332 in the pivoted position, point downwards in a vertical direction. When the component holding head 302 is moved over the component carrier 388, the conductor component 410, whose terminals 414 point vertically downwards, is inserted into the component receiving recess section 416 of the storage unit 392. Consequently, the conductor component 410 is placed on the component receiving element 392 in a state in which the terminals 414 point vertically downwards, as shown in Fig. 10. When the ladder component 410 is placed on the component holding element 392, the component carrier 388 is moved into the component feeding position by actuating the component carrier movement device 390. The component feeding position is located within a range in which the working heads 60 and 62 are movable, and thus the ladder component 410 is fed to the component assembler 10 in the bulk component feeding device 32 at this position. As described above, the ladder component 410 is fed into the bulk component feeding device 32 in a position in which the terminals 414 point downwards and the top side, which faces the bottom side to which the terminals 414 are attached, points upwards. Consequently, the suction nozzles 66 of the working heads 60 and 62 can hold the corresponding ladder components 410 securely. The bulk component feeder 32 is an example of a component holding system. The platform 156 is an example of a platform. The camera 290 is an example of an imaging device. The chuck 332 is an example of a holder. The ladder component 410 is an example of a component. The first determining section 500 is an example of a first determining device. The second determining section 502 is an example of a second determining device. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the examples described above and can be implemented in a form in which various modifications or improvements are made based on the knowledge of a person skilled in the art. In particular, for example, a chuck 332 is used as a holder for holding the component in the examples described above, but a suction nozzle can also be used. When the suction nozzle is used as a holder for holding the component in this way, an area encompassing a contour of the suction nozzle is defined when the component to be held is held, as described in detail below. As shown, for example, in Fig. 20, when the component 512 is held, the area encompassing a contour of the suction nozzle 510 is set to an area encompassing a contour of the cross-section of the suction nozzle 510 when the predetermined height L3 is reached.That is, the area encompassing the cross-section of the suction nozzle 510 at the position of the single-point catenary 516 is defined as the adjustment area. Specifically, the cross-section of the suction nozzle 510 at the position of the single-point catenary 516 has a shape shown by hatching in Fig. 21. A rectangular outline that comes into contact with and encloses the outline of the cross-section of the suction nozzle 510 is then defined as the area 518 of the suction nozzle. In this way, by defining the area 518 of the suction nozzle, it is possible, even when the suction nozzle is used as a holder, preferably to determine whether the suction nozzle comes into contact with an object other than the component being held when the suction nozzle holds the component. In the component holding head 302, as described above, the orientation of the holder 340 is bent upwards by 90 degrees by actuating the swivel device 334. Therefore, when the suction nozzle 510 is attached to the lower end of the holder 340, the suction nozzle 510 swivels between the non-swiveled position and the swivelled position by actuating the swivel device 334. At this point, the suction nozzle 510 can be positioned and stopped at an angle between the non-swiveled position and the swivelled position. Thus, as shown in Fig. 22, the suction nozzle 510 is positioned and stopped at an angle between the non-swiveled position and the swivelled position, and the suction nozzle 510 is tilted at a predetermined angle so that the component 520 can be held with a tilted top.The area encompassing the contour of the suction nozzle when the component 520 is held in such an inclined state is defined as follows. Specifically, for example, the area encompassing the contour of the suction nozzle 510 when the inclined component 520 is held is the area encompassing the contour of the cross-section of the suction nozzle 510 at a predetermined height L4 of the inclined suction nozzle 510. Therefore, the area encompassing the cross-section of the suction nozzle 510 at the position of the single-point catenary 522 is defined. In particular, the cross-section of the suction nozzle 510 at the position of the single-point catenary 522 has a shape that is represented by hatching in Fig. 23. Then, a rectangular outline that comes into contact with and encloses the outline of the cross-section of the suction nozzle 510 is defined as the area 528 of the suction nozzle.In this way, by defining the area 528 of the suction nozzle, it is possible, even if the component 520 is held in an inclined state, preferably to determine whether the suction nozzle comes into contact with an object other than the component to be held when the suction nozzle holds the component. Although in the examples described above, areas 482 and 492, including the contour of the cross-sectional area of ​​the chuck 332, are defined when holding the conductor component 410A, the area including the contour of the chuck 332 when holding the conductor component 410A can be defined differently. For example, the area along the outline of the chuck 332 when the target conductor component 410A is held, the area encompassing the outline of the chuck 332, and the area within the outline of the chuck 332 can be defined as the area of ​​the chuck 332. Furthermore, for example, the area encompassing the contour of the chuck 332 from a top or bottom perspective when holding the target conductor component 410A can be defined as the area of ​​the chuck 332. In the examples described above, the present invention is applied to the conductor component 410, but the present invention can be applied to various types of components. In particular, the present invention can be applied, for example, to components of a solar cell, components of a power module, electronic circuit components without terminals, and the like. List of reference symbols 32: Bulk component feeding device (component holding system), 156: Platform, 290: Camera (imaging device), 332: Chuck (holder), 410: Ladder component (component), 500: First determination section (first determination device), 502: Second determination section (second determination device) QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature WO 2022 / 215161

[0003]

Claims

A component holding system comprising: a platform on which multiple components are distributed; a holder configured to hold the components scattered on the platform; an imaging device configured to capture images of the components scattered on the platform; a first determination device configured to determine, based on the image data captured by the imaging device, whether a holding target component to be held by the holder overlaps another object other than the holding target component;and a second determining device configured to determine, based on image data acquired by the imaging device, whether an object other than the holding target component has entered an area encompassing a contour of the holder when the holding target component is held, wherein, if the first determining device determines that the holding target component does not overlap any object other than the holding target component, and the second determining device determines that no object other than the holding target component has entered the area, the holder holds the holding target component. The component holding system according to claim 1, wherein the area comprising the contour of the holder when the holding target component is held is an area comprising a contour of a cross-section of the holder when the holding target component is held. The component holding system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the area comprising the contour of the holder, when the holding target component is held, overlaps the holding target component. Method for holding scattered components, wherein a holder configured to hold a component holds a component from among several components scattered on a platform, the method comprising: a first determination step in which, based on image data obtained by capturing the one component among the several components scattered on the platform, it is determined whether the one component overlaps another object other than the one component;and a second determination step, in which, based on the image data and an area encompassing a contour of the holder when the one component is held, it is determined whether an object other than the one component has entered the area, wherein, if in the first determination step it is determined that the one component does not overlap any object other than the one component, and in the second determination step it is determined that no object other than the one component has entered the area, the one component is determined to be a component that can be held by the holder, and the holding of the one component that has been determined to be holdable by the holder is carried out.

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