Attitude conversion method and attitude conversion mechanism for conveying object, and conveying device

Abstract

The invention provides a posture conversion method and a posture conversion mechanism of a conveyed object, and a conveying device, wherein the posture of the conveyed object is changed. In the posture conversion, a pair of conveying conversion surfaces with acute opening angles is provided, the posture of the conveyed object along one conveying conversion surface is set to be a first posture, and the posture along the other conveying conversion surface is set to be a second posture. The lowest portion of the conveyed object that can be brought into contact with one of the conveyance conversion surfaces is set as a first lowest opposing point, and the lowest portion of the conveyed object that can be brought into contact with the other conveyance conversion surface is set as a second lowest opposing point. The height difference between the first lowest opposing point and the second lowest opposing point is set such that the height difference in the second posture is greater than the height difference in the first posture, and the first lowest opposing point in the second posture is higher than the second lowest opposing point.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a posture conversion method and a posture conversion mechanism of a conveyed object, and a conveying device. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a parts feeder or a linear feeder, which is a type of vibrating conveying device, is provided with an alignment mechanism for unifying the posture of the conveyed object such as electronic components into a predetermined normal posture while conveying the conveyed object along a conveying path. Such an alignment mechanism sometimes excludes conveyed objects in postures other than the normal posture from the conveying path by the shape of the conveying path or the blowing of air or other airflows, but in order to unify the conveying posture without reducing the conveying efficiency, a method of correcting the posture of the conveyed object by airflow is sometimes adopted (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

[0003] In addition, as a method of correcting the posture of the conveyed object, there is also a configuration in which the posture of the conveyed object is changed during conveyance based on the relationship between the inclination angle or other shapes of the conveyance path and the center of gravity position of the conveyed object, as shown in Patent Documents 2 and 3, for example.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-187628

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-119518

[0008] Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-030543 Summary of the invention

[0009] In the case of correcting the posture of the conveyed object by airflow, there are the following problems: the posture of the conveyed object cannot be changed to a desired posture due to the pressure of the airflow, the deviation of the positional relationship between the nozzle and the conveyed object, etc., or the pressure change generated in the supply path of the airflow generates a negative pressure at the nozzle, thereby sucking the conveyed object.

[0010] On the other hand, when the posture of the conveyed object is changed according to the relationship between the inclination angle and other shapes of the conveying path and the center of gravity position of the conveyed object without using airflow, the center of gravity position changes greatly according to the conveying posture on the conveying path as shown in Patent Document 2, or the center of gravity position is required to be asymmetric with respect to the conveying posture as shown in Patent Document 3. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to change the conveying posture for a conveyed object with a high symmetry of the center of gravity position, such that the center of gravity position hardly changes due to changes in the conveying posture.

[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to realize a method and a mechanism that can change the posture of an object to be conveyed in a manner that reduces the influence of the center of gravity position of the object to be conveyed without controlling the posture of the object to be conveyed by airflow.

[0012] In view of the above situation, the posture conversion method and posture conversion mechanism of the conveyed object according to the present invention constitute a conveying path having a pair of conveying conversion surfaces (a first conveying conversion surface and a second conveying conversion surface), wherein the pair of conveying conversion surfaces are inclined toward opposite sides on both sides of the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, and the pair of conveying conversion surfaces are opposite to each other in the width direction across an acute angle. Furthermore, the conveyed objects that can be arranged along the pair of conveying conversion surfaces are conveyed along the conveying direction. The conveyed object is converted from a first posture along one of the conveying conversion surfaces to a second posture along the other conveying conversion surface by the supporting force received from the pair of conveying conversion surfaces during the conveying process. At this time, the first posture and the second posture of the conveyed object and the opening angle are set so that the height difference between the first lowest opposing point as the lowest part of the conveyed object that can contact the conveying conversion surface on one side and the second lowest opposing point as the lowest part of the conveying conversion surface on the other side in the second posture is greater than the height difference between the first lowest opposing point as the lowest part of the conveyed object that can contact the conveying conversion surface on one side and the second lowest opposing point as the lowest part of the conveying conversion surface on the other side in the first posture. At this time, it is assumed that the first lowest opposing point is higher than the second lowest opposing point in the second posture.

[0013] According to the present invention, by setting the conveyed object such that the height difference between the first lowest opposing point and the second lowest opposing point in the second posture along the conveying conversion surface on the other side is greater than the height difference between the first lowest opposing point and the second lowest opposing point in the first posture along the conveying conversion surface on one side, and the first lowest opposing point is higher than the second lowest opposing point in the second posture, it is easy to generate a rotational force in the direction of the second posture by the support force received from the pair of conveying conversion surfaces at the first lowest opposing point in the first posture, and on the other hand, it is difficult to generate a rotational force in the direction of the first posture by the support force received from the pair of conveying conversion surfaces at the second lowest opposing point in the second posture, so that it is easy to switch from the first posture to the second posture, but it is not easy to switch from the second posture to the first posture, and it is easy to maintain the second posture, so that, from the overall point of view, the conveyed object switches from the first posture to the second posture, and maintains the posture when in the second posture. At this time, the conversion of the conveyed object from the first posture to the second posture is performed by rotating the conveyed object around the axis along the conveying direction of the conveying path while the second lowest opposing point moves downward relative to the first lowest opposing point in the first posture. As described above, by utilizing the supporting force received by the conveying object from the pair of conveying conversion surfaces having an acute angle and the asymmetry of the three-dimensional shape of the conveying object, the posture of the conveying object can be made uniform without being greatly affected by the center of gravity of the conveying object even without using airflow control posture.

[0014] In the present invention, in the first posture, the height of the first lowest opposing point is equal to or higher than the height of the second lowest opposing point, so that the conveyed object generates a rotational force in the direction of the second posture by the support force received from the first conveying conversion surface at the first lowest opposing point, thereby making it easier to perform posture conversion from the first posture to the second posture. In particular, it is preferred that the first lowest opposing point in the first posture is higher than the second lowest opposing point in the first posture. Thus, by making the first lowest opposing point higher than the second lowest opposing point in the first posture, in the first posture, the support force received from the first conveying conversion surface at the first lowest opposing point and the support force received from the second conveying conversion surface at the second lowest opposing point both exert a rotational force on the conveyed object in the direction of the second posture, thereby further improving the conversion rate from the first posture to the second posture and the maintenance rate of the second posture.

[0015] In the present invention, it is preferred that the second opposing range area of ​​the conveyed object is larger than the first opposing range area, wherein the second opposing range area is a range including the second lowest opposing point in the second posture that can contact the conveying conversion surface of the other party, and the first opposing range area is a range including the first lowest opposing point in the first posture that can contact the conveying conversion surface of one party. Thus, by making the second opposing range area where the conveyed object is opposite to the conveying conversion surface of the other party in the second posture larger than the first opposing range area where the conveyed object is opposite to the conveying conversion surface of one party in the first posture, the area receiving the support force from each conveying conversion surface in the second posture is larger than that in the first posture, so that the stability of the first posture is low and the stability of the second posture is high, so that it is easier to switch from the first posture to the second posture and it is easier to maintain the second posture, so that the conversion rate from the first posture to the second posture can be further improved.

[0016] In the present invention, it is preferred that the conveyed object has: a first conveyed object surface, which is a surface opposite to the first conveying conversion surface in the first posture; and a second conveyed object surface, which is a surface opposite to the second conveying conversion surface in the second posture. Here, it is preferred that the second conveyed object surface includes a range extending further downward than the first conveyed object surface. In addition, it is preferred to have a three-dimensional shape in which the first conveyed object surface is parallel to the second conveyed object surface, and the second conveyed object surface extends within a plane range wider than the first conveyed object surface. As a conveyed object having such a three-dimensional shape, there is an electronic component having the following three-dimensional shape, such as an outer package such as a semiconductor package, and the three-dimensional shape is: a main body having a first conveyed object surface and a second conveyed object surface as the front and back surfaces, and a plurality of lead portions extending from the periphery of the main body, and these lead portions are away from the first conveyed object surface and extend on one side along the second conveyed object surface, and a part of them constitutes a part of the second conveyed object surface. In addition, electronic components such as crystal oscillators, light-emitting diodes, and laser diodes having a plate-like three-dimensional shape having a stepped shape formed by mounting a functional part whose upper surface is the surface of the first conveyed object on a part of the upper surface of a substrate part whose bottom surface is the surface of the second conveyed object. In addition, as the conveyed object used in the present invention, a conveyed object having a convex three-dimensional shape when viewed in the conveying direction can be cited.

[0017] In the present invention, it is preferred that the conveying path includes: a posture conversion area including the first conveying conversion surface and the second conveying conversion surface constituting a posture conversion mechanism of the conveyed object; an introduction side conveying area connected to the posture conversion area on the upstream side; and an outlet side conveying area connected to the posture conversion area on the downstream side. Here, the introduction side conveying area includes a first conveying introduction surface and a second conveying introduction surface opposite to each other in the width direction, and the opening angle between the first conveying introduction surface and the second conveying introduction surface is larger than the opening angle between the first conveying conversion surface and the second conveying conversion surface. For example, the introduction side conveying path having an L-shaped cross section is formed in the introduction side conveying area, and the conveying path as the posture conversion mechanism having a V-shaped cross section is formed in the posture conversion area. In addition, the outlet side conveying area includes a merging conveying path for merging the conveyed object in the second posture along the first conveying conversion surface in the posture conversion area and the conveyed object in the second posture along the second conveying conversion surface after being led out of the posture conversion area. Preferably, the confluent conveying path has a conveying support surface (confluent conveying surface), and the conveying support surface has an integral arc-shaped concave cross-section in the width direction. In addition, it is preferred that a lead-out portion is provided between the posture conversion mechanism and the confluent conveying path, and the lead-out portion has a first conveying support surface and a second conveying support surface, and has an opening angle larger than the opening angle of the posture conversion mechanism. Preferably, the lead-out portion has a conveying path with an L-shaped cross-section. In addition, in this case, it is preferred that the opening angle of the conveying support surface with an arc-shaped concave cross-section of the confluent conveying path is larger than the opening angle of the lead-out portion. Here, the opening angle of the arc-shaped concave cross-section refers to the opening angle between the pair of conveying support surfaces when the distance between the support points on the arc-shaped concave cross-section relative to the conveyed object in the width direction is the same as the distance across a pair of conveying support surfaces opposite to each other in the width direction to arrange the conveyed object.

[0018] In the present invention, it is preferred that the conveying area on the introduction side is provided with a conveyance object exclusion unit for excluding the conveyance object that is in a posture other than the first posture and the second posture when being introduced into the posture conversion area. Examples of the conveyance object exclusion unit include an airflow blowing structure for blowing airflow to exclude overlapping conveyance objects that are conveyed in a state of being piled on other conveyance objects and having a nozzle at a high position, and a conveyance object exclusion unit for causing conveyance objects whose main axis in a normal posture should be along the conveying direction to face a width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction to fall from the conveying path.

[0019] In the present invention, it is preferred that the first conveying introduction surface and the second conveying introduction surface are gradually dug down in the transition section from the introduction side conveying area to the introduction side of the posture conversion mechanism in the posture conversion area, so that the posture conversion mechanism (first groove portion) having the first conveying conversion surface and the second conveying conversion surface is formed in a manner that the depth increases along the conveying direction. As a result, the conveyed object conveyed in the introduction side conveying area falls into the initially shallow groove of the posture conversion mechanism having the first conveying conversion surface and the second conveying conversion surface that are steeper than the first conveying introduction surface and the second conveying introduction surface in the introduction side transition section to the posture conversion mechanism, and is guided to any one of the first posture and the second posture as the groove of the posture conversion mechanism gradually deepens in the conveying direction, so that it is not easy to produce a sudden posture change, thereby reducing damage to the conveyed object and preventing it from becoming a posture other than the first posture and the second posture. The transition portion can also be configured in place of the above-mentioned configuration or on the basis of the above-mentioned configuration: the opening angle gradually decreases in the conveying direction and changes toward the opening angle (described later) suitable as the posture conversion area.

[0020] In the present invention, it is preferred that the lead-out portion is provided in the posture conversion area at the lead-out side transition portion from the posture conversion mechanism to the lead-out side conveying area, and the lead-out portion has a conveying path having an opening angle in the width direction larger than the opening angle between the first conveying conversion surface and the second conveying conversion surface and smaller than the merging conveying path. Thus, by passing through the lead-out portion having an intermediate opening angle during the transition from the posture conversion mechanism having a small opening angle to the merging conveying path, it is possible to avoid abnormal posture changes of the conveyed object, maintain the second posture of the conveyed object, and lead it to the merging conveying path.

[0021] In the present invention, it is preferred that the lead-out side transition portion from the posture conversion mechanism to the lead-out side conveying region in the posture conversion region is configured as follows: the first conveying conversion surface and the second conveying conversion surface of the posture conversion mechanism are gradually flattened from the top to form a supporting surface with a larger opening angle, and the depth of the posture conversion mechanism is reduced (third groove portion). Thus, since it is not easy to produce a sudden posture change of the conveyed object in the lead-out side transition portion, it is possible to reduce damage to the conveyed object and prevent it from taking any posture other than the first posture and the second posture. In addition, it is preferred that in the lead-out side transition portion, the final posture conversion mechanism is completely flattened and disappears, including the above-mentioned lead-out portion with a larger opening angle, for example, a lead-out conveying path having the first conveying lead-out surface and the above-mentioned second conveying lead-out surface opposite to each other in the width direction.

[0022] In the present invention, as described above, the opening angle between the first conveying conversion surface and the second conveying conversion surface is an acute angle, that is, less than 90 degrees, particularly preferably less than 65 degrees, and more preferably less than 50 degrees. When the above-mentioned opening angle becomes larger, when the second lowest opposing point of the conveyed object in the first posture contacts the conveying surface of the other party, the moving direction along the conveying surface of the other party becomes larger relative to the direction along the conveying surface of one party, so the second lowest opposing point is not easy to move downward, and as a result, it is difficult to produce a rotation toward the second posture. On the other hand, when the above-mentioned opening angle becomes less than 25 degrees, the angle difference between the first posture and the second posture of the conveyed object also becomes smaller, so it is difficult to maintain the second posture, and the stability after the posture conversion is reduced. Therefore, the opening angle is preferably in the range of 25-65 degrees, more preferably in the range of 30-60 degrees, and more preferably in the range of 40-50 degrees.

[0023] In the present invention, the positional relationship between the first lowest opposing point and the second lowest opposing point in the first posture varies according to the shape of the conveyed object and the above-mentioned opening angle. In general, the above-mentioned opening angle is expressed by subtracting the sum of the first tilt angle and the second tilt angle from 180 degrees, wherein the first tilt angle is the tilt angle of the conveying conversion surface of the conveyed object in the first posture along one side of the configuration with the horizontal plane as the reference, and the second tilt angle is the tilt angle of the conveying conversion surface of the other side. With respect to a certain conveyed object, the positional relationship between the first lowest opposing point and the second lowest opposing point in the first posture is that the larger the first tilt angle of the conveying conversion surface of one side (the steeper the conveying conversion surface of one side), the higher the first lowest opposing point is than the second lowest opposing point. In addition, the larger the second tilt angle of the conveying conversion surface of the other side (the steeper the conveying conversion surface of the other side), the steeper the angle of the contact surface when the second lowest opposing point abuts against the conveying conversion surface of the other side, and therefore the second lowest opposing point is easier to slide downward. From any of these viewpoints, since the inclination of the conveying conversion surface becomes steeper, it is easy to convert from the first posture to the second posture. Therefore, generally, the smaller the above-mentioned opening angle is, the easier the posture conversion is. However, if the opening angle is too small, the stability of the second posture is reduced. Therefore, it is preferred to set the first inclination angle and the second inclination angle to the numerical range mentioned in the previous paragraph. In addition, in order to make it easy for the conveyed object in the first posture along any of the two conveying conversion surfaces to be converted to the second posture, it is preferred that the first inclination angle and the second inclination angle of the two conveying conversion surfaces are of the same degree (same), but it is generally preferred that the difference between the two inclination angles is within 30% of the inclination angle with the larger value, and more preferably within 15%.

[0024] In the present invention, it is preferred that the profiles of the cross sections of the first conveying conversion surface and the second conveying conversion surface are both straight (flat), but may also be slightly curved. The profiles of the conveying direction of the first conveying conversion surface and the second conveying conversion surface may also be curved or straight. Usually, the conveying direction of the conveying path of a bowl-type feeder is configured in a spiral shape, and the conveying direction of the conveying path of a linear feeder is configured in a straight line.

[0025] In the present invention, it is preferred that the conveying path constitutes a conveying device that moves the conveyed object along the conveying direction. That is, the conveying device involved in the present invention has a conveying path in which the posture conversion mechanism is provided in a part. In this case, the conveying device has a conveying drive unit that applies a conveying force toward the conveying direction to the conveyed object in the conveying path. As the conveying drive unit, it is preferably composed of an excitation mechanism that applies vibration to a conveying body having the conveying path. Thus, it becomes a vibration-type conveying device that conveys the conveyed object by vibrating the conveying body. Here, it is preferred that the above-mentioned vibration has a reciprocating vibration mode toward the oblique upper direction of the conveying direction. In addition, it is also possible to convey by forming a vibration wave that advances toward the conveying direction on the conveying body constituting the conveying path. In addition, the posture conversion mechanism of the conveyed object involved in the present invention can also be provided in a conveying device of a form that does not use vibration to obtain a conveying force, such as an air floating type, a rotary type, a magnetic type, a belt conveyor type, a roller conveyor type, etc.

[0026] (Effects of the Invention)

[0027] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a posture conversion mechanism for an object to be conveyed that can change the posture of the object to be conveyed in a manner that reduces the influence of the center of gravity position of the object to be conveyed without using airflow to control the inversion of the object to be conveyed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 It is a top view of the entire bowl of a bowl-shaped parts feeder as a first embodiment of the posture conversion method and mechanism of the conveyed object and the conveying device according to the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 will be formed in Figure 1 A partial top view showing an enlarged view of the posture change area in the bowl and the conveying path portions before and after it.

[0030] Figure 3 (a)-(f) represent Figure 2 The cross-sectional structure of each part AF is shown and the cross-sectional view showing the change in posture of the conveyed object.

[0031] Figure 4 (a) to (e) are six views showing the three-dimensional shape of the conveyed object according to the first embodiment.

[0032] Figure 5 (a) to (f) are plan views and front views showing the three-dimensional shapes of the conveyed object according to the second embodiment and the third embodiment.

[0033] Figure 6 (a) and (b) are enlarged cross-sectional views showing examples of posture conversion of the conveyed object according to the first embodiment.

[0034] Figure 7 (a) and (b) are cross-sectional views showing an example of maintaining the posture of the conveyed object according to the first embodiment.

[0035] Figure 8 (a) to (e) are cross-sectional views showing examples of changes in the posture conversion of the conveyed object according to the second embodiment.

[0036] Fig. 9 (a) and (b) are enlarged cross-sectional views showing examples of the object to be conveyed before and after the posture change according to the second embodiment.

[0037] Fig.10 (a) to (e) are cross-sectional views showing examples of changes in the posture conversion of the conveyed object according to the third embodiment.

[0038] Fig.11 (a) and (b) are enlarged cross-sectional views showing examples of the object to be conveyed before and after the posture change according to the third embodiment.

[0039] (Explanation of symbols)

[0040] 10…Conveying device (bowl-shaped parts feeder), 11…Conveying body (bowl), 11a…Inner bottom, 11b…Conveying path, 11c…Posture conversion area, 11c1…First conveying conversion surface, 11c2…Second conveying conversion surface, 11ca…First groove, 11cb…Second groove, 11cc…Third groove, 11cf…Delivery part, 11cf1…First conveying support surface, 11cf2…Second conveying support surface, 11e…Introduction side conveying area, 11be…Introduction side conveying path, 11be1…First conveying introduction surface, 11be2…Second conveying introduction surface, 11be1a…Airflow jet outlet, 11be2a…narrow portion, 11f…export side conveying area, 11bf…export side conveying path (merging conveying path), 11bfa…conveying support surface (merging conveying surface), θc (θca, θcb, θcc), θe, θf…opening angle, W, WA, WB, WC…conveyed object, W1…main body, W1a…upper surface, W1b…bottom surface, W2…lead portion, W2a…lead bottom, A…first lowest opposing point in the first posture, B…second lowest opposing point in the first posture, A′…first lowest opposing point in the second posture, B′…second lowest opposing point in the second posture DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figures 1 to 3 The overall structure of a first embodiment of a method and a mechanism for changing the posture of an object to be conveyed, and a conveying device according to the present invention will be described.

[0042] Figure 1 , a top view of the entire bowl of the bowl-shaped parts feeder (conveying device) of the first embodiment is shown. The conveying device (bowl-shaped parts feeder) 10 has a conveying body (bowl) 11 fixed on a rotary vibrator (not shown) vibrating around an axis 10x, and the conveying body 11 receives the rotary vibration around the axis 10x, so that the conveyed object W supplied to the conical inner bottom 11a in the conveying body 11 is conveyed in a manner of gradually rising along the spiral conveying path 11b. The conveying path 11b is formed, for example, to gradually narrow the width from the initial state with a wide and flat conveying support surface, and the excess conveyed object W is shaken off to the inner bottom 11a while gradually changing the conveyed object W into a state of being arranged in a row. It can also be configured as follows: an inspection unit 12 for inspecting the posture and defects of the conveyed object W is provided in the middle of the conveying path 11b, and according to the inspection results obtained in the inspection unit 12, the improper conveyed object W is returned to the inner bottom 11a by blowing airflow, etc. An end portion 11d of the conveyance path 11b is connected to a device such as a linear feeder or an inspection device (not shown) to which the conveyance object W is to be supplied.

[0043] In the present embodiment, a posture conversion area 11c is provided in a part of the conveying path 11b (the outermost part (topmost part) in the example shown in the figure). A conveying path structure (a posture conversion mechanism for conveyed objects) is provided in the posture conversion area 11c, and the conveying path structure is configured to convert the conveyed objects W introduced in the first posture described later into the second posture described later and guide them out, and to guide the conveyed objects W introduced in the second posture while maintaining their posture as they are guided out in the second posture. An introduction side conveying area 11e is provided adjacent to the upstream side of the posture conversion area 11c, and an outlet side conveying area 11f is provided adjacent to the downstream side of the posture conversion area 11c.

[0044] In this embodiment, the transport Figure 4 The example of conveyed object W having a semiconductor package shown in FIG. Figure 4(a) is a left view, (e) is a front view, (c) is a right view, (d) is a top view, and (b) is a rear view. The conveyed object W has a main body W1 that is rectangular in shape or cuboid in shape when viewed from above, and a lead portion W2 that protrudes from the side of the main body W1. It is preferred that a plurality of lead portions W2 are provided as shown in the example in the figure. The lead portion W2 has a front end shape that protrudes outward along the plate surface from the middle position in the thickness direction of the side of the main body W1, and bends toward the bottom surface W1b and further extends outward along the bottom surface W1b. The front end shape includes a lead bottom W2a along the bottom surface W1b of the main body W1. Thus, the following three-dimensional shape is formed: the area along the bottom surface W1b of the conveyed object W (the second conveyed object surface or the second opposing range area) is larger than the area along the upper surface (the first conveyed object surface) W1a (the first opposing range area), and as a whole, the posture of the supporting bottom surface W1b (the second posture relative to the second conveying conversion surface 11c2) is more stable than the posture of the supporting upper surface W1a (the first posture relative to the first conveying conversion surface 11c1). In addition, in this embodiment, the conveying direction of the conveyed object W in the normal conveying posture is Figure 4 The three-dimensional shape is formed into a convex shape when viewed from the conveying direction. In this convex shape, the conveyed object W is asymmetrical in the width direction between the pair of conveying conversion surfaces 11c1 and 11c2 of the posture conversion mechanism, which becomes the main reason for the positional relationship such as the height difference between point A and point B, point A' and point B' described later, that is, it becomes the main reason for the ease of conversion from the first posture to the second posture and the stability of maintaining the second posture.

[0045] In the introduction side conveying area 11e, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the first conveying introduction surface 11bel (on the outer circumference side) and the second conveying introduction surface 11be2 (on the inner circumference side) constituting a part of the conveying path 11b are configured to be L-shaped in cross section in a manner that they are substantially orthogonal to each other in the width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, thereby constituting the introduction side conveying path 11be with an opening angle θe of approximately 90 degrees. An airflow outlet 11bela for blowing airflow is provided on the upper part of the first conveying introduction surface 11bel, and the airflow (air) ejected from the airflow outlet 11bela is blown to the conveying path 11b. Figure 3 The conveyed objects W' in the overlapping state shown in (a) (the conveyed objects W' conveyed in the state of being placed on other conveyed objects W) are blown out of the conveying path (inner peripheral side) and removed. In addition, a narrow portion 11be2a is formed on the second conveying introduction surface 11be2, in which the width of the conveying surface decreases from the middle position in the conveying direction, and the conveyed objects W" (refer to Figure 3 (a)) falls outside (inner circumference) of the second conveying guide surface 11be2 and is removed. Figure 3 As shown in (b), only the conveyed object W having the main body W1 in a posture along the first conveying introduction surface 11bel is introduced into the posture conversion area 11c through such an introduction side conveying area 11e. At this time, Figure 3 The conveyed object W in the first posture described later is depicted in (b), but the conveyed object W in the second posture described later with the front and back opposite to it is also introduced. In addition, the conveyed object W introduced through the introduction side conveying path 11be includes not only the conveyed object W in the first posture described later, but also the conveyed object W in the second posture described later with the front and back opposite to it. Figure 3 The conveyed article W in the illustrated postures with the lead portion W2 facing up and down, i.e., the first posture or the second posture, as shown in (a) and (b), may also include conveyed articles W in other postures with the lead portion W2 facing forward and backward in the conveying direction, i.e., the third posture. In the following description, the conversion method between the first posture and the second posture is described with respect to the conveyed articles W in the illustrated posture. At this time, it may also be configured such that: by using the inspection unit 12 on the upstream side to detect the conveyed article W in the third posture, and correcting the posture in advance, or excluding it from the conveying path, only the conveyed article W in the illustrated posture is introduced. In this way, the conveying density of the conveyed article with a normal conveying posture can be improved. However, although the conveying density will be slightly reduced, the following description can also be understood on the premise that the conveyed article W in the third posture is also introduced. In this case, it may be configured such that: by using the inspection unit (not shown) on the downstream side to detect the conveyed article W in the third posture, and correcting the posture here, or excluding it from the conveying path, only the conveyed article W in the normal posture is supplied.

[0046] In addition, in the introduction-side conveying area 11e, the conveyed object W″ having the main body W1 arranged on the second conveying introduction surface 11be2 is completely excluded by the narrow portion 11be2a, but it can also be configured to introduce the conveyed object in a posture along the second conveying introduction surface 11be2 (which should later become the first posture or the second posture) into the posture conversion area 11c in its original posture. In this case, the conveyed object W″ is introduced into the posture conversion area 11c in a posture along the second conveying introduction surface 11be2, and initially becomes a posture along the second conveying conversion surface 11c2.

[0047] In the posture transition area 11c, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown in (c), the first conveying introduction surface 11be1 and the second conveying introduction surface 11be2, which are initially formed as the introduction side transition portion and have an L-shaped cross-section with an angle θe of 90 degrees, are gradually dug down in the conveying direction, thereby forming the first groove portion 11ca in a manner that gradually becomes deeper in the conveying direction (see Figure 1), the first groove 11ca constitutes a posture conversion mechanism consisting of a first conveying conversion surface 11c1 and a second conveying conversion surface 11c2 with an acute angle θca (approximately 45 degrees in the example shown in the figure). The first groove 11ca is connected to the second groove 11cb, and the second groove 11cb extends along the conveying direction in a manner that the depth and width are almost unchanged. Figure 3 As shown in (d), in the second groove portion 11cb, a conveying path having a V-shaped cross section and a small opening angle θcb (approximately 45 degrees in the example shown) is formed for the conveyed object W and is substantially constituted only by the posture conversion mechanism.

[0048] Then, a third groove portion 11cc with an opening angle θcc connected to the second groove portion 11cb is provided in the lead-out side transition portion. In the third groove portion 11cc, the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 and the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 of the posture conversion mechanism are gradually flattened from the upper part, so as to Figure 3 As shown in (e), the first conveying guide surface 11cf1 and the second conveying guide surface 11cf2 are formed in an L-shaped cross-section with an opening angle θcf of approximately 90 degrees in a manner that gradually deepens along the conveying direction, and the third groove portion 11cc of the posture conversion mechanism gradually becomes shallower. When the third groove portion 11cc disappears, the guide portion 11cf with an L-shaped cross-section consisting only of the first conveying guide surface 11cf1 and the second conveying guide surface 11cf2 is formed. Figure 3 As shown in (f), the downstream side of the lead-out portion 11cf is adjacent to the lead-out side conveying area 11f. In addition, the aforementioned opening angles θca, θcb, and θcc may be formed as a common opening angle θc in the illustrated example in a manner that they are the same angle (45 degrees), but may also be configured in a manner that they are slightly different angles from each other. In addition, the depth of the second groove portion 11cb may be fixed, and the second groove portion 11cb may be omitted and only the first groove portion 11ca and the third groove portion 11cc may be configured.

[0049] The lead-out side conveying area 11f forms a lead-out side conveying path 11bf, which has a conveying support surface 11bfa that is composed of an arc-shaped concave cross-section and is integrated in the width direction, and forms a confluent conveying path relative to the conveyed object W. The confluent conveying path has a cross-sectional shape that substantially has an opening angle θbf that is larger than the opening angle θcf (90 degrees) of the above-mentioned lead-out portion. In the case of the example shown in the figure, the opening angle θbf is approximately 150 degrees. The conveying support surface 11bfa has an arc-shaped concave cross-section, so that for any one of the conveyed objects W in the posture (first posture) along the first conveying lead-out surface 11cf1 and the conveyed objects W in the posture (second posture) along the second conveying lead-out surface 11cf2 (shown in the figure), after being led to the lead-out side conveying area 11f, they are in the same posture as each other. Figure 3 The transport is performed as shown in (f).

[0050] Next, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 6 , a method and effect of posture conversion using the posture conversion mechanism (first conveyance conversion surface 11c1 and second conveyance conversion surface 11c2) of the posture conversion area 11c will be described. Figure 6 Depicted in (a) is a conveyed object W that is arranged on the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 and has a main body W1 along the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 in a first posture. Here, the upper surface W1a (first conveyed object surface) of the main body W1 of the conveyed object W is opposite to the first conveying conversion surface 11c1. In addition, the conveyed object W in the first posture moves between the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 and the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 along the conveying direction orthogonal to the paper surface in the figure, but is not necessarily conveyed in a state where the upper surface W1a is in close contact with the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 as shown in the example in the figure, but is conveyed while at least a portion of the upper surface W1a is in contact with or separated from the first conveying conversion surface 11c1. Figure 6 In (a), for the sake of convenience, the upper surface W1a is depicted as being in close contact with the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 as a whole, but this only means that the upper surface W1a as a whole can theoretically contact with the first conveying conversion surface 11c1, which is different from the situation during actual conveying. Here, the first opposing range area in the first posture is the area of ​​the entire upper surface W1a of the main body W1. In addition, the first lowest opposing point A, which is the point at which the conveyed object W can contact the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 at the lowest point, is located at a position corresponding to the lowest edge of the upper surface W1a.

[0051] A part of the lead portion W2 of the conveyed object W in the first posture can contact the second conveying conversion surface 11c2, and the second lowest opposing point B, the point at which the conveyed object W can contact the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 at the bottom, is located at the lead bottom W2a at the front end of the lead portion W2. In addition, the above-mentioned point A and point B only represent the position when the conveyed object W contacts the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 and the second conveying conversion surface 11c2, and are different from the situation during actual conveying. In fact, any point A and point B may not contact each conveying conversion surface, and the situation where point A and point B contact at the same time is rare.

[0052] In the present embodiment, in the first posture, the first lowest point A facing the first conveyor conversion surface 11c1 is arranged at a position higher than the second lowest point B facing the second conveyor conversion surface 11c2. Therefore, the conveyed object W can receive support force from both the first conveyor conversion surface 11c1 and the second conveyor conversion surface 11c2. Figure 6The rotational force indicated by the arrow in (b) of FIG. Moreover, the rotational force causes the conveyed object W to change from the first posture to the second posture. Specifically, the support force received from the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 at the first lowest opposing point A is applied to the conveyed object W at the upper part compared to the support force received from the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 at the second lowest opposing point B. Therefore, as a whole, the conveyed object W is subjected to a rotational torque in the counterclockwise direction shown in the figure. In this condition, the conveyed object W starts to rotate in the first posture, but when the conveyed object W is changed from the first posture along the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 to the second posture, it is easy to slide down even when the second lowest opposing point B contacts the second conveying conversion surface 11c2, so that the second lowest opposing point B can be promoted to move downward, and the conveyed object W is easier to rotate, and finally converted to the second posture along the second conveying conversion surface 11c2. At this time, the height difference between the first lowest opposing point A′ and the second lowest opposing point B′ in the second posture is greater than the height difference between the first lowest opposing point A and the second lowest opposing point B in the first posture.

[0053] In the example shown in the figure, since the first lowest opposing point A of the conveyed object W in the first posture is arranged at a position higher than the second lowest opposing point B, the conveyed object W is easily subjected to the rotational force shown in the figure. However, in reality, even if the first lowest opposing point A and the second lowest opposing point B are arranged at approximately the same height, the rotational force of the conveyed object W from the first posture to the second posture will not disappear under the action of the supporting force received from the two conveying conversion surfaces. This is because, if Figure 6 As shown in (a), the conveyed object W in the first posture can rotate in the direction from the first posture to the second posture, but cannot rotate in the opposite direction. That is, the conveyed object W receives support forces from both the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 and the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 with the first lowest opposing point A and the second lowest opposing point B as the center, but the rotational force received by the conveyed object W in the first posture comes only from the support force received from the first conveying conversion surface 11c1.

[0054] In addition, when the object W is conveyed in the first posture described above, the area where the object W faces the first conveyance conversion surface 11c1, i.e., the area of ​​the first opposing range, is the area of ​​the upper surface (first object surface) W1a, and the area where the object W faces the second conveyance conversion surface 11c2 is only the area of ​​the front end of the lead portion W2 that can contact at the second lowest opposing point B, i.e., the area of ​​the lead bottom W2a. Therefore, it is considered that the supporting force received from the first conveyance conversion surface 11c1 when the object W is conveyed is not applied to the object W only at the first lowest opposing point A, but is actually applied to the object W at a position higher than the first lowest opposing point A. Therefore, it is considered that the height difference of the position receiving the supporting force from the two conveyance conversion surfaces is greater than the height difference between the first lowest opposing point A and the second lowest opposing point B. Therefore, the actual height difference of the position receiving the supporting force acts in the direction of further increasing the above-mentioned rotational force.

[0055] On the other hand, Figure 6 As shown in (b), since the second lowest opposing point B' drops, the height difference with the first lowest opposing point A' increases. Therefore, the rotational force received by the conveyed object W in the second posture is not in the direction of the first posture, but in the direction of maintaining the second posture. That is, when the conveyed object W is in the second posture, since the second lowest opposing point B' is lower than the first lowest opposing point A', generally speaking, the height difference between the first lowest opposing point A' and the second lowest opposing point B' increases compared with the first posture. Therefore, the supporting force received from the two conveying conversion surfaces acts in the direction of maintaining the conveyed object W in the second posture along the second conveying conversion surface 11c2, and does not act in the direction of returning to the first posture. In addition, the second opposing range area of ​​the conveyed object W relative to the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 is the area obtained by adding the total area of ​​the bottom surface W1b of the main body W1 to the area of ​​the lead bottom W2b of the lead portion W2 (the area of ​​the second conveyed object surface). Therefore, the second opposing range area of ​​the conveyed object W relative to the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 in the second posture is larger than the first opposing range area relative to the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 in the first posture. Therefore, the stability of the conveyed object W in the second posture is higher than the stability of the first posture, so it is easier to maintain the second posture. In the second posture, even if the position receiving the support force from the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 is substantially changed to a position higher than the second lowest opposing point B' due to the second opposing range area relative to the second conveying conversion surface 11c2, since the first lowest opposing point A' also exists at a relatively higher position, it is still difficult to generate a rotational force to return to the first posture, so there is no change.

[0056] like Figure 7As shown in (a), the above-mentioned effect is also the same for the conveyed object W that is initially in the second posture, and the second posture of the conveyed object W is maintained in the posture conversion mechanism. In the case shown in the figure, the conveyed object W is introduced into the posture conversion area 11c in the second posture along the first conveying conversion surface 11c1, but as mentioned above, in this second posture, since the second lowest opposing point B′ relative to the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 as the "other conveying conversion surface" is lower than the first lowest opposing point A′ relative to the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 as the "one conveying conversion surface", the supporting force received from the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 and the supporting force received from the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 do not apply a rotational force in the direction of returning to the first posture to the conveyed object W, but instead generate a rotational force in the opposite direction, thereby maintaining the second posture on the first conveying conversion surface 11c. In addition, the improvement in stability caused by the large second opposing range area (the area of ​​the second conveyed object surface) relative to the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 is also the same as described above. In addition, Figure 7 (a) shows the state where the conveyed object W is separated from the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 during the conveying process. Figure 7 (b) shows a state where the object W is separated from both the first conveying surface 11c1 and the second conveying switching surface 11c2. These states are considered to be average conditions when the object W is conveyed by vibration.

[0057] also, Figure 3 (b)-(e) and Figure 6 and Figure 7 The case where the conveyed object W in the posture along the first conveying introduction surface 11bel of the introduction-side conveying area 11e is introduced intactly in the posture along the first conveying conversion surface 11cl. However, in the posture conversion mechanism formed in the posture conversion area 11c of the present embodiment, even when the conveyed object W is introduced in the posture along the second conveying conversion surface 11c2, it can function in the same manner as described above. That is, as described above, not only can the conveyed object W in the first posture along the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 be converted into the second posture along the second conveying conversion surface 11c2, and the conveyed object W in the second posture along the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 be maintained intact in the second posture, but also the conveyed object W in the first posture along the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 can be converted into the second posture along the first conveying conversion surface 11c1, and the conveyed object W in the second posture along the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 can be maintained intact in the second posture.

[0058] Next, refer to Figure 5The transport objects WA, WB, and WC which are different from the above-mentioned transport object W are described. These transport objects WA, WB, and WC all have substrate parts WAa, WBa, and WCa and functional parts WAb, WBb, and WCb arranged on the substrate parts. The transport objects WA, WB, and WC shown in the figure are all surface-mounted devices with crystal oscillators. Here, the substrate parts WAa, WBa, and WCa are rectangular plates in a plan view, and the functional parts WAb, WBb, and WCb are configured as cubes with a narrower plane range than the substrate parts, smaller in both length and width than the substrate parts, but thicker than the substrate parts. Here, in the following embodiments, Figure 5 The up-down direction is set as the conveying direction of each conveyed object WA, WB, WC. The above-mentioned conveying directions are all the length directions along the planes of each conveyed object WA, WB, WC. In addition, as conveyed objects having the same structure as these, light-emitting elements such as LEDs and laser diodes constituted as surface-mounted devices can be cited. The three-dimensional shapes of these are also convex when viewed from the conveying direction. The convex structure is the main reason for the aforementioned mutual positional relationship between point A and point B, point A' and point B' caused by the asymmetry in the width direction between a pair of conveying conversion surfaces of the posture conversion mechanism of the conveyed objects WA, WB, WC, that is, it is the main reason for the ease of conversion from the first posture to the second posture and the stability of maintaining the second posture.

[0059] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 1 is a diagram showing a posture conversion method using a posture conversion mechanism of a second embodiment of the above-mentioned conveyed object WA. The conveyed object WA is characterized in that the difference between the plane ranges of the substrate portion WAa ​​and the functional portion WAb is small, such as Fig. 9 As shown in (a), the height difference between the first lowest opposing point A and the second lowest opposing point B in the first posture along the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 is small. In the case of the example shown in the figure, strictly speaking, the second lowest opposing point B is slightly higher than the first lowest opposing point A. Therefore, the height difference between point A and point B becomes a small negative value. However, when the conveyed object WA is in the first posture, the supporting force received from the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 at point B only presses the upper surface of the functional part WAb against the first conveying conversion surface 11c1, and does not change the posture of the conveyed object WA. In contrast, the supporting force received from the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 at point A generates a rotational force that rotates the conveyed object W in the first posture toward the second posture. This effect is further promoted by the following actions, namely: as described above, the supporting force received at point A from the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 causes point B to drop, resulting in a height difference between point A and point B, and the height difference is further increased, so that the supporting force easily generates a rotational force toward the second posture, and due to the existence of the first opposing range area, the actual position receiving the supporting force is located slightly above point A.

[0060] On the other hand, Fig. 9 As shown in (b), when the conveyed object WA is in the second posture, the support force received from the first conveyor conversion surface 11c1 at the first lowest opposing point A' only presses the bottom surface of the substrate part WAa against the second conveyor conversion surface 11c2, and almost no rotational force is generated relative to the conveyed object WA. However, since the height difference between the first lowest opposing point A' and the second lowest opposing point B' becomes larger, the support force received from the second conveyor conversion surface 11c2 at the second lowest opposing point B' does not become a rotational force in the direction of returning to the first posture, but generates a rotational force in the opposite direction, so that the second posture can be maintained. At this time, the first opposing range area facing the first conveyor conversion surface 11c1 in the first posture is the area of ​​the entire upper surface of the functional part WAb, while the second opposing range area facing the second conveyor conversion surface 11c2 in the second posture is the area of ​​the entire bottom surface of the substrate part WAa, which is larger than the upper surface of the functional part WAb. Therefore, the second posture is more stable than the first posture, and it is easier to convert the first posture into the second posture and maintain the second posture. Here, it is also considered that due to the existence of the second opposing range area, the point of action of the supporting force from the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 is slightly above the second lowest opposing point B′, but this point of action is difficult to exceed the height of the first lowest opposing point A′ which is arranged at a relatively high position due to the increase in the height difference.

[0061] Fig.10 and Fig.11 1 is a diagram showing a posture conversion method of a posture conversion mechanism according to a third embodiment of the above-mentioned object to be transported WB. The object to be transported WB is characterized in that the difference in area between the substrate portion WBa and the functional portion WBb when viewed from above is larger than that of the object to be transported WA. Fig.11 As shown in (a), the first lowest opposing point A and the second lowest opposing point B in the first posture are at approximately the same height. In the example shown in the figure, strictly speaking, the first lowest opposing point A is slightly higher than the second lowest opposing point B. Therefore, the height difference becomes a small positive value. As a result, compared with the case of the second embodiment, the support force received from the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 at point A is more likely to generate a rotational force in the direction of causing the conveyed object WB to be in the second posture. In addition, as Fig.11As shown in (b), since the height difference between the first lowest opposing point A' and the second lowest opposing point B' in the second posture is larger than that in the second embodiment, the support force received from the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 at point B' is less likely to become a rotational force in the direction of returning to the first posture, so it is easier to maintain the second posture. In addition, in the conveyed object WB, the ratio of the second opposing range area of ​​the substrate part WBa to the first opposing range area of ​​the upper surface of the functional part WBb is larger than that of the conveyed object WA in the second embodiment, so the stability of the second posture is higher than that of the first posture, so it is easier to maintain the second posture.

[0062] The appropriate value of the opening angle θc between the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 and the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 constituting the posture conversion mechanism varies depending on the three-dimensional shape of the conveyed objects W, WA, WB, and WC. As for the opening angle θc, as described above, it is preferably in the range of 25-65 degrees, more preferably in the range of 30-60 degrees, and further preferably in the range of 40-50 degrees. In this case, the larger the opening angle θc is, the larger the contact angle when the second lowest opposing point B in the first posture contacts the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 is, and therefore, the second lowest opposing point B moves (toward the bottom) more difficultly, and thus it is difficult to convert from the first posture to the second posture. In addition, the smaller the opening angle θc is, the opposite to the above, the easier the above movement of the second lowest opposing point B in the first posture is, and the easier the conversion to the second posture is, but it is also easy to return to the first posture from the second posture, and therefore, the screening accuracy of the conveying posture of the conveyed object and the conveying efficiency (conveying density) are reduced.

[0063] As described above, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the posture conversion mechanism having a V-shaped cross section with an opening angle θc formed by the first conveying conversion surface 11c1 and the second conveying conversion surface 11c2 opposing each other in the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction is configured such that the height difference between the first lowest opposing point A′ and the second lowest opposing point B′ of the conveyed object W in the second posture is larger than the height difference between the first lowest opposing point A and the second lowest opposing point B in the first posture, and the first lowest opposing point A′ is configured to be higher than the second lowest opposing point B′, so that during the conveying process in the conveying direction, the conveyed object W is converted from the first posture to the second posture by the rotational force based on the supporting force received from each conveying conversion surface at points A and B, and on the other hand, the supporting force received by the conveyed object W from each conveying conversion surface at points A′ and B′ is not likely to generate a rotational force, so the second posture can be maintained.

[0064] Furthermore, by configuring the first lowest facing point A in the first posture to be higher than the second lowest facing point B, the support force received in the first posture can easily generate a rotational force, thereby further improving the conversion rate to the second posture.

[0065] In this embodiment, the positional relationship between the first lowest opposing point and the second lowest opposing point in the first posture varies according to the shape of the conveyed object and the above-mentioned opening angle θc. Figure 6 As shown, the above-mentioned opening angle θc is obtained by subtracting the first inclination angle from 180 degrees. With the second tilt angle The sum is expressed as The first inclination angle is the inclination angle of the conveyance object in the first posture along the conveyance conversion surface 11c1 on one side of the configuration with respect to the horizontal plane H, and the second inclination angle The first inclination angle of the conveying conversion surface 11c2 is the first inclination angle of the conveying conversion surface 11c2. The larger the angle (the steeper the conveying conversion surface on one side), the higher the first lowest opposing point is than the second lowest opposing point. The larger the angle is (the steeper the other conveying conversion surface is), the steeper the angle of the contact surface when the second lowest opposing point contacts the other conveying conversion surface, so the second lowest opposing point is easier to slide downward. From any of these viewpoints, since the inclination of the conveying conversion surface becomes steeper, it is easier to switch from the first posture to the second posture. Therefore, the smaller the angle is, the easier it is to switch postures. However, if the angle is too small, the stability of the second posture decreases. Therefore, it is preferred to set the angle to and In addition, in order to make it easy for the conveyed object in the first posture along any of the two conveying conversion surfaces to be converted into the second posture, the inclination angles of the two conveying conversion surfaces are preferably and In particular, it is particularly preferred that the two inclination angles are the same, i.e. Usually, two tilt angles are preferred and The difference between the first and second lowest points of the conveyed object is within 30% of the larger value of the inclination angle, and more preferably within 15%. In addition, in a certain conveyed object, when the height of the first lowest opposing point and the second lowest opposing point in the first posture are equal, or the second lowest opposing point is located at a higher position than the first lowest opposing point, by increasing the above-mentioned inclination angle The height relationship between the two opposing points can be optimized, or the inclination angle of the second lowest opposing point relative to the contact point of the other conveying conversion surface can be increased, thereby facilitating the posture transition from the first posture to the second posture. Taking into account the ease of transition from the first posture to the second posture and the stability of the second posture, appropriate adjustments are made based on various conditions including the shape of the conveyed object (presence or absence of vibration during conveyance, frequency of vibration, form of conveying direction, inclination, etc.), and it is preferably set to an appropriate value.

[0066] Furthermore, by making the second opposing range area in the second posture (the total area of ​​the bottom surface W1b of the main body W1 as the second conveyed object surface and the lead bottom W2a of the lead part W2) larger than the first opposing range area in the first posture (the total area of ​​the upper surface W1a of the main body W1 as the first conveyed object surface), the stability of the second posture is further improved compared to the stability of the first posture, and therefore, it becomes easier to switch from the first posture to the second posture and maintain the second posture.

[0067] In addition, the object W has an upper surface W1a as a first object surface facing the first transport conversion surface 11c1, a bottom surface W1b as a second object surface facing the second transport conversion surface 11c2, and a lead bottom W2a. The object W has a three-dimensional shape in which the bottom surface W1b as the second object surface and the lead bottom W2a extend downward from the upper surface W1a as the first object surface in the first posture and the second posture. Therefore, the positional relationship between the first lowest opposing point A and the second lowest opposing point B becomes a relationship that is easy to change from the first posture to the second posture, and the stability of the second posture is improved compared with the first posture. In particular, since the area of ​​the bottom surface W1b as the second object surface and the lead bottom W2a is larger than the area of ​​the upper surface W1a as the first object surface, it is easier to change from the first posture to the second posture and it is also easier to maintain the second posture.

[0068] In addition, the method and device of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned examples, and various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiments, a groove with a V-shaped cross section is provided as a posture conversion mechanism, but as long as the posture conversion mechanism has the same effect on the conveyed object W as a result, it can also be composed of a conveying path with other shapes such as a groove with a U-shaped cross section and a groove with a flat inner bottom surface.

[0069] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the bowl-shaped parts feeder 10 is exemplified as a vibrating conveying device, but the present invention can also be applied to a linear feeder. In addition, various conveying devices other than the vibrating conveying device such as air floating type, rotary type, magnetic type, belt conveyor type, roller conveyor type, etc. can be used.

Claims

1. A method for changing the posture of a conveyed object, comprising: forming a conveying path having a pair of conveying conversion surfaces, wherein the pair of conveying conversion surfaces are inclined toward opposite sides on both sides of a width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, and the pair of conveying conversion surfaces are opposite to each other in the width direction with an acute angle therebetween, and in the conveying path, conveyed objects that can be respectively arranged to be in a posture along the pair of conveying conversion surfaces are conveyed along the conveying direction, thereby using the supporting force received from the pair of conveying conversion surfaces during the conveying process to change the conveyed object from a first posture along one of the conveying conversion surfaces to a second posture along the other of the conveying conversion surfaces, The posture conversion method is characterized in that: The first posture, the second posture, and the opening angle are set so that the height difference between the first lowest opposing point as the lowest part where the conveyed object can contact the conveying conversion surface on one side and the second lowest opposing point as the lowest part where the conveyed object can contact the conveying conversion surface on the other side in the second posture is greater than the height difference between the first lowest opposing point as the lowest part where the conveyed object can contact the conveying conversion surface on one side and the second lowest opposing point as the lowest part where the conveyed object can contact the conveying conversion surface on the other side in the first posture, and the first lowest opposing point is higher than the second lowest opposing point in the second posture.

2. The method for changing the posture of a conveyed object according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first lowest opposing point in the first posture is higher than the second lowest opposing point in the first posture.

3. The method for changing the posture of a conveyed object according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The second opposing range area of ​​the conveyed object is larger than the first opposing range area, the second opposing range area is a range that can contact the conveying conversion surface of the other party, including the second lowest opposing point in the second posture, and the first opposing range area is a range that can contact the conveying conversion surface of the one party, including the first lowest opposing point in the first posture.

4. The method for changing the posture of a conveyed object according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The transported object has: A first conveyance surface, which is a surface opposite to the one conveyance conversion surface in the first posture; and a second conveyance surface, which is a surface opposite to the other conveyance conversion surface in the second posture; The object to be conveyed has a three-dimensional shape in which a surface of the second object to be conveyed extends downwardly relative to a surface of the first object to be conveyed in the first posture and the second posture.

5. The method for changing the posture of a conveyed object according to claim 4, characterized in that: The conveyed object has the convex three-dimensional shape when viewed from the conveying direction.

6. A conveyance object posture conversion mechanism, comprising a conveyance path having a pair of conveyance conversion surfaces, wherein the pair of conveyance conversion surfaces are inclined toward opposite sides on both sides of a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, and the pair of conveyance conversion surfaces are opposed to each other in the width direction with an acute angle therebetween, and in the conveyance path, conveyance objects that can be respectively arranged to be in postures along the pair of conveyance conversion surfaces are conveyed along the conveyance direction, thereby utilizing the supporting force received from the pair of conveyance conversion surfaces during the conveyance process to convert the conveyance objects from a first posture along any one of the conveyance conversion surfaces to a second posture along the other of the conveyance conversion surfaces, The posture conversion mechanism is characterized in that: The first posture, the second posture, and the opening angle are set so that a height difference between a first lowest opposing point as the lowest portion where the conveyed object can contact the one conveying conversion surface and a second lowest opposing point as the lowest portion where the conveyed object can contact the other conveying conversion surface in the second posture is greater than a height difference between the first lowest opposing point as the lowest portion where the conveyed object can contact the one conveying conversion surface and the second lowest opposing point as the lowest portion where the conveyed object can contact the other conveying conversion surface in the first posture, and the first lowest opposing point is higher than the second lowest opposing point in the second posture.

7. The posture conversion mechanism for conveyed objects according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first lowest opposing point in the first posture is higher than the second lowest opposing point in the first posture.

8. The posture conversion mechanism for conveyed objects according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The second opposing range area of ​​the conveyed object is larger than the first opposing range area, the second opposing range area is a range including the second lowest opposing point in the second posture that can contact the conveying conversion surface of the other party, and the first opposing range area is a range including the first lowest opposing point in the first posture that can contact the conveying conversion surface of the one party.

9. The posture conversion mechanism for conveyed objects according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The transported object has: A first conveyance surface, which is a surface opposite to the one conveyance conversion surface in the first posture; and a second conveyance surface, which is a surface opposite to the other conveyance conversion surface in the second posture; The object to be conveyed has a three-dimensional shape in which a surface of the second object to be conveyed extends downwardly relative to a surface of the first object to be conveyed in the first posture and the second posture.

10. The posture conversion mechanism of the conveyed object according to claim 9, characterized in that: The conveyed object has the convex three-dimensional shape when viewed from the conveying direction.

11. A conveying device, characterized in that: The posture conversion mechanism according to claim 6 or 7 is provided at a part of a conveyance path, and a conveyance driving unit is provided for generating a conveyance force for conveying the conveyance object along the conveyance path.

12. The conveying device according to claim 11, characterized in that The conveyance driving unit is a vibration excitation mechanism that vibrates a conveyance body constituting the conveyance path to generate the conveyance force.

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