Electronic component conveyor

Abstract

The invention provides an electronic component conveyor which is favorable for conveying electronic components discharged from a conveying table to a rear stage. The electronic component conveyor is provided with a conveying table which is provided with a plurality of accommodating through holes for accommodating electronic components (W); a base having a plurality of air ejection ports facing the conveyance table; and a discharge unit, the sorting holes (52) are located on the side, opposite to the air spraying openings, of the conveying table, the recycling paths (55) are communicated with the sorting holes (52), and the guiding parts (60) guide the electronic components (W) which are discharged from the containing through holes through the air sprayed out of the air spraying openings and pass through the sorting holes (52) to the recycling paths (55).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic component conveyor. Background Art

[0002] As a device for conveying a large number of electronic components, Patent Document 1 discloses a chip-shaped electronic component characteristic inspection and classification device, which inspects the electrical characteristics of chip-shaped electronic components and classifies the chip-shaped electronic components based on the inspection results. In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a chip electronic component inspection and sorting device, the purpose of which is to prevent unsuitable chip electronic components from being mixed into a chip electronic component storage container and to enable easy removal from the chip electronic component storage container. In addition, Patent Document 3 discloses an electronic component conveying device, which uses compressed gas to remove electronic components from through holes and can prevent unwanted electronic components from flying out due to the residual pressure of the compressed air, thereby improving the conveying efficiency.

[0003] Prior art literature Patent Literature Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-96715 Patent Document 2: International Publication No. 2014 / 010720 Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-320732 Summary of the invention

[0004] Technical issues In the apparatuses of Patent Documents 1 to 3, a plurality of electronic components are simultaneously transported by a transport table, and each electronic component is discharged from the transport table at a predetermined discharge area and sent to a subsequent stage.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technology that facilitates sending electronic components discharged from a conveying table toward a subsequent stage.

[0006] Technical Solution One embodiment of the present disclosure relates to an electronic component conveyor, which includes: a conveyor table having a plurality of storage through holes for storing electronic components; a base having a plurality of air nozzles opposite to the conveyor table; and a discharge unit having a plurality of classification holes located on a side opposite to the plurality of air nozzles across the conveyor table, at least one recovery path connected to the plurality of classification holes, and a guide portion for guiding the electronic components discharged from the storage through holes by air ejected from the air nozzles and passing through the classification holes to the at least one recovery path.

[0007] The electronic component conveyor may include an air ejection control unit, which controls the ejection of air from a plurality of air ejection ports. A plurality of recovery paths and a plurality of guide units associated with each of the plurality of recovery paths are provided in the discharge unit. Each of the plurality of recovery paths is connected to two or more classification holes. The associated guide units are used to guide the electronic components that have passed through the two or more classification holes. The plurality of guide units respectively include one or more guide surfaces, which orient the electronic components that have passed through the two or more classification holes toward the recovery path and are located at the same distance from each of the two or more classification holes.

[0008] The plurality of guide portions may respectively have one or more guide surfaces that orient the electronic components that have passed through two or more classification holes toward the recovery path and have a plane angle that causes the electronic components that have passed through the two or more classification holes to be incident at substantially the same incident angle.

[0009] The electronic component conveyor can have multiple guide lines, which are connected to the respective discharge outlets of the multiple recovery paths, and guide the electronic components conveyed from the multiple recovery paths via the discharge outlets toward the next stage. The multiple recovery paths respectively have recovery walls, which are for the electronic components guided by the associated one or more guide parts to land on and are inclined downward toward the discharge outlet. In each of the multiple recovery paths, the electronic components on the recovery wall move toward the discharge outlet under gravity and enter the corresponding guide line via the discharge outlet.

[0010] The conveying table can extend in a vertical direction or in a direction inclined relative to both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and rotate around a rotation axis in a manner to circumferentially convey electronic components stored in a plurality of storage through holes. The plurality of storage through holes are classified into a plurality of columns having different radial distances from the rotation axis, and in each of the plurality of columns, the distance between adjacent storage through holes in the circumferential direction is constant.

[0011] The electronic component conveyor may include a plurality of air supply units connected to the plurality of air ejection ports, and the plurality of air supply units may be capable of supplying air to the plurality of air ejection ports under mutually different air pressure conditions.

[0012] The electronic component conveyor may include: an inspection unit that inspects electronic components stored in multiple storage through holes; and an air ejection control unit that controls the ejection of air from the multiple air ejection ports, wherein the discharge unit is provided with: multiple recovery paths that are associated with each of the multiple partitions based on the inspection results; and multiple guide units that are associated with each of the multiple recovery paths, wherein each of the multiple recovery paths is connected to two or more classification holes, and the associated guide units are used to guide the electronic components that have passed through the two or more classification holes, and the air ejection control unit controls the ejection of air from the multiple air ejection ports according to the inspection results detected by the inspection unit in such a manner that the electronic components stored in each of the multiple storage through holes pass through the classification holes connected to the corresponding recovery paths and are guided by the guide units.

[0013] Technical Effects According to the present disclosure, it is possible to facilitate sending the electronic components discharged from the conveying table toward the subsequent stage. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 This is a front view showing an example of an electronic component testing system (electronic component conveyor).

[0015] Figure 2 This is an enlarged view showing an example of a supply unit.

[0016] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram showing a part of a structural example of a discharge unit, and shows a discharge main body portion of the discharge unit and a base of a structure in a cross-sectional state.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a block diagram showing an example of a discharge unit in the case where a single air source (regulator and manifold tank) is provided.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a block diagram of an example of a discharge unit when a plurality of air sources (regulators and manifold tanks) are provided.

[0019] Figure 6 It is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of an example of a discharge main body portion (particularly, a second discharge main body portion) of the discharge unit.

[0020] Figure 7 It is an enlarged view of the discharge main body, and particularly shows a state where the cut discharge main body is viewed from a cut surface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" are based on the movement of electronic components.

[0022] Figure 1 It is a front view showing an example of the electronic component testing system (electronic component conveyor) 10 . Figure 2 It is an enlarged view showing an example of the supply unit 13 . Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram showing a part of a configuration example of the discharge unit 15 , and shows a discharge main body 51 of the discharge unit 15 and a base 16 of the structure 12 in a cross-sectional state.

[0023] Figure 1 The electronic component testing system 10 shown includes a structure 12, a dividing table 11 mounted on the structure 12, a supply unit 13, an inspection unit 14, a discharge unit 15, a recovery unit 30, and a control unit 20. The control unit 20 controls various devices constituting the electronic component testing system 10, and the dividing table 11, the supply unit 13, the inspection unit 14, the discharge unit 15, and the recovery unit 30 operate under the control of the control unit 20.

[0024] The indexing table 11 is a disc-shaped conveying table extending along the upper surface of the base 16 of the structure 12, and has a plurality of pockets 11b (storage through holes) for storing electronic components (such as capacitors, inductors, etc.) W. The indexing table 11 as a whole can extend in the vertical direction (height direction) or in an inclined direction inclined relative to both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. Figure 1 In the illustrated example, the index table 11 extends in an inclined direction as a whole so that an exposed surface (upper surface) of the index table 11 faces obliquely upward.

[0025] Since the driving device such as a motor (not shown) intermittently rotates the rotating shaft 11a under the control of the control unit 20, the indexing table 11 provided integrally with the rotating shaft 11a is centered on the rotation axis Ax (at Figure 1 By the intermittent rotation of the indexing table 11, the electronic components W accommodated in the plurality of pockets 11b are intermittently conveyed in the circumferential direction along the circular track.

[0026] The plurality of pockets 11b formed on the indexing table 11 are classified into a plurality of rows (in this example, the first pocket row R1 to the sixteenth pocket row R16 (see FIG. 1 )) having different distances from each other in the radial direction Dr from the rotation axis Ax. Figure 2)). In each of the plurality of pocket rows R1 to R16, the plurality of pockets 11b are located on a circle centered on the rotation axis Ax, and the distance between the pockets 11b adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction is constant. In this way, the plurality of pockets 11b are regularly distributed in the indexing table 11 in a manner of being classified into the plurality of pocket rows R1 to R16, so that various processes (for example, inspection and classification discharge described later) can be stably performed on a plurality of electronic components W at one time, which helps to ensure the high processing capacity of the electronic component test system 10.

[0027] The electronic component storage section 40 of the supply unit 13 (see Figure 2 ) is arranged to cover a portion of the upper surface of the indexing table 11 in an area upstream of the area inspected by the inspection unit 14. The electronic component storage section 40 has a storage section body 41 and a plurality of storage walls 42 arranged in the storage section body 41. The space area between the storage walls 42 is a storage section 43 for storing electronic components W on the indexing table 11, and the plurality of storage sections 43 are arranged in a manner respectively associated with the plurality of pocket rows R1 to R16 of the indexing table 11. Figure 2 In the example shown, sixteen storage sections 43 are divided by the storage wall 42 , and the sixteen storage sections 43 extend in an arc shape so as to cover the first pocket row R1 to the sixteenth pocket row R16 .

[0028] A plurality of electronic components W are supplied from an electronic component supply unit (not shown) to each storage section 43, and the electronic components W stored in the storage section 43 are supplied and stored in the pockets 11b of the corresponding pocket rows R1 to R16. The electronic components W are replenished to the electronic component supply unit at an appropriate time and in an appropriate amount via a supply feeder (not shown).

[0029] The electronic component storage section 40 is provided with a plurality of (16) storage detection sections 45 provided in association with the respective storage sections 43. Each storage detection section 45 detects whether an electronic component W is stored in the pocket 11b of the associated pocket row R1 to R16. Each storage detection section 45 of this example detects whether an electronic component W is stored in the pocket 11b located opposite to the indexing table 11 when the indexing table 11 is intermittently stopped, and transmits the detection result to the control unit 20. As an example, each storage detection section 45 may be an optical sensor having a light-emitting section and a light-receiving section provided on the back side and the front side of the indexing table 11, or may be a reflection type sensor that emits detection light toward the pocket 11b located opposite to the indexing table 11 and receives reflected light of the detection light.

[0030] Figure 1The inspection unit 14 shown inspects the electronic components W stored in each pocket 11b of the indexing table 11 under the control of the control unit 20, and sends the inspection results to the control unit 20. The specific content and method of the inspection performed by the inspection unit 14 are not limited. For example, the inspection unit 14 may perform "measurement" of measuring characteristic values ​​of the electronic components W and "screening" of detecting the state of the electronic components W in order to determine whether the electronic components W are qualified (for example, including making the unqualified electronic components W obvious) as "inspection".

[0031] For example, when the electronic component W is a capacitor, the inspection unit 14 can detect the electrostatic capacitance (C), the loss factor (Df), and the quality factor (Q: the inverse of Df), or can detect the leakage current of the electronic component W (and the insulation resistance calculated based on the leakage current and the applied voltage), the electrostatic capacitance of the DC voltage bias, and / or the presence or absence of contact between the probe and the electronic component W based on the surge current. In addition, when the electronic component W is an inductor, the inspection unit 14 can detect the inductance (L), the DC resistance (Rdc), and the withstand current.

[0032] In addition, the inspection unit 14 may also perform an electrical test (e.g., an inspection related to withstand voltage (BDV: insulation breakdown voltage)) by applying a heat load to the electronic components W in each pocket 11b. As an example, the electronic components W in each pocket 11b may be heated by a heater (not shown) to a high temperature of about 100 to 170°C, and a DC voltage / AC voltage of about 2.5 times the rated voltage may be applied by the probe of the inspection unit 14.

[0033] The heater for heating the electronic components W in each pocket 11b can be set in any position in any manner. For example, a heater can be set in at least the supply unit 13 and the inspection unit 14 among the supply unit 13, the inspection unit 14, and the discharge unit 15 so as to cover the indexing table 11. In this case, the electronic components W in each pocket 11b of the indexing table 11 are heated by the radiant heat from the heater and are placed in a desired high temperature state suitable for inspection at the time of being inspected by the inspection unit 14. Such a heater can adjust the heating value under the control of the control unit 20, and the control unit 20 can control the heating value of the heater based on the measurement result of the temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the indexing table 11.

[0034] It should be noted that in order to prevent operators and others from coming into contact with the heater or high-temperature objects heated by the heater, an insulating layer (such as an insulating body, an insulating space, and / or a cooling layer for circulating a cooling medium) and a safety cover with low thermal conductivity may also be provided.

[0035] like Figure 3As shown, the exhaust unit 15 cooperates with an air source 48 that supplies air to multiple air outlets 17 formed on a base 16 of the structure 12, and an air adjustment unit 49 to guide the electronic components W that have been inspected by the inspection unit 14 from the indexing workbench 11 toward the subsequent stage (in this case, the recovery unit 30).

[0036] The discharge main body 51 of the discharge unit 15 has a plurality of (96 in this example) classification holes 52, which are arranged to cover a portion of the indexing table 11 at a position downstream of the area inspected by the inspection unit 14, and are located on the opposite side of the plurality of air outlets 17 across the indexing table 11.

[0037] The base 16 of the structure 12 has a plurality of (96 in this example) air ejection ports 17 facing the indexing table 11 in an area where the discharge main body 51 of the discharge unit 15 is provided. Each air ejection port 17 is connected to an air source 48 via an air pipe 47, and ejects air (e.g., compressed air) supplied from the air source 48 via the air pipe 47 toward the indexing table 11.

[0038] exist Figure 3 The air piping 47 of the example shown is equipped with a plurality of (96 in this example) air adjustment units (e.g., solenoid valves) 49 assigned to the respective air outlets 17. Each air adjustment unit 49 can independently adjust the supply flow rate of air to the assigned air outlets 17 under the control of the control unit 20. The air source 48 stores the high-pressure compressed air prepared in the factory infrastructure in a manifold tank in advance in a state where the compressed air is reduced in pressure by a regulator to a desired discharge pressure. The compressed air in the manifold tank of the air source 48 is supplied to each air outlet 17 via the air piping 47 and the air adjustment unit 49, and is used to discharge the electronic components W from the pockets 11b of the indexing table 11.

[0039] The number of air supply units connected to the multiple air outlets 17 is not limited, and may be single or multiple. When multiple air supply units are provided, the multiple air supply units can supply air to the multiple air outlets 17 under different air pressure conditions. In this case, the degree of freedom of device design can be increased.

[0040] The air supply unit mentioned here may include all elements related to supplying air to the plurality of air outlets 17. For example, Figure 3 The air source 48 and the air adjustment unit 49 shown are included in the air supply unit. Figure 3 Although the middle figure shows a single air source 48, a plurality of air sources 48 may be provided. For example, a plurality of manifold tanks provided in the air source 48 may be provided, and the plurality of manifold tanks may be connected to different air outlets 17 from each other.

[0041] Figure 4 This is a block diagram showing an example of the exhaust unit 15 in the case where a single air source 48 (regulator and manifold tank) is provided. Figure 5 This is a block diagram of an example of the exhaust unit 15 when a plurality of air sources 48 (regulators and manifold tanks) are provided.

[0042] exist Figure 4 In the example shown, all (96 in this example) air adjustment parts 49, all (96 in this example) air outlets 17, all (96 in this example) guide surfaces 61, and all (6 in this example) recovery paths 55 are connected to a single air source 48 connected to a plant pressure source 39. One specific air outlet 17 and one specific guide surface 61 are connected to each air adjustment part 49, and 16 specific air adjustment parts 49, 16 specific air outlets 17, and 16 specific guide surfaces 61 are connected to each recovery path 55.

[0043] On the other hand, Figure 5 In the example shown, all (96 in this example) air adjustment units 49, all (96 in this example) air outlets 17, all (96 in this example) guide surfaces 61, and all (6 in this example) recovery paths 55 are connected to a plurality (3 in this example) of air sources 48 connected to the plant pressure source 39. 32 unique air adjustment units 49, 32 unique air outlets 17, 32 unique guide surfaces 61, and 2 unique recovery paths 55 are connected to each air source 48. It should be noted that in Figure 4 The discharge unit 15 and Figure 5 The exhaust unit 15 is the same in that an inherent air outlet 17 and an inherent guide surface 61 are connected to each air adjustment section 49, and 16 inherent air adjustment sections 49, 16 inherent air outlets 17, and 16 inherent guide surfaces 61 are connected to each recovery path 55.

[0044] As described later, the flying distance of the electronic components W between the plurality (16) guide surfaces 61 and the plurality (16) air outlets 17 assigned to each recovery path 55 is preferably set to the same value. In this case, the air adjustment unit 49, the air outlet 17, and the guide surface 61 associated with each air source 48 are required to be regarded as a unit (see Figure 4 and Figure 5 The design of the discharge unit 15 is performed based on the configuration of the device. Figure 4 Compared with the exhaust unit 15 provided with only a single air source 48, Figure 5The degree of freedom in device design of the exhaust unit 15 provided with a plurality of air sources 48 is higher.

[0045] The control unit 20 also functions as an air ejection control unit that controls the ejection of air from the plurality of air ejection ports 17. That is, the control unit 20 controls the air source 48 and the air adjustment unit 49 to eject air from the air ejection ports 17 when the electronic components W stored in the pockets 11b are arranged at positions opposite to the corresponding air ejection ports 17 (for example, during the period when the indexing table 11 is in an intermittent stop). The electronic components W are ejected from the pockets 11b by the air ejected from the air ejection ports 17 and enter the corresponding classification holes 52. After passing through the classification holes 52, they are guided to the recovery path by the guide portion of the discharge unit 15.

[0046] In particular, in the present embodiment, a plurality of recovery paths associated with each of the plurality of partitions based on the inspection results obtained by the inspection unit 14 and a plurality of guides associated with each of the plurality of recovery paths are provided in the discharge unit 15. The control unit 20 controls the air to be ejected from the plurality of air ejection ports 17 according to the inspection results obtained by the inspection unit 14. As a result, the electronic components W stored in each pocket 11b are guided to the corresponding recovery path through the guide after passing through the classification hole 52 connected to the recovery path of the partition corresponding to the inspection result.

[0047] Figure 6 It is a perspective view schematically showing an example of the configuration of the discharge body portion 51 (particularly, the second discharge body portion 51B) of the discharge unit 15 . Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the discharge main body 51, and particularly shows the Figure 6 The section line Lc is a state in which the discharge main body portion 51 is cut as a reference.

[0048] The discharge main body 51 of this example having a fan-shaped plane shape includes: a first discharge main body 51A having a speed reduction wall 60; and a second discharge main body 51B including each classification hole 52, and the first discharge main body 51A and the second discharge main body 51B are joined to each other to form a whole. Figure 6 The middle figure shows the second discharge body portion 51B, but omits the first discharge body portion 51A, and shows a discharge extension portion 51a extending in the radial direction Dr in the second discharge body portion 51B and a discharge peripheral portion 51b which is the outer peripheral end surface of the discharge extension portion 51a.

[0049] like Figure 6As shown, the discharge main body 51 of the discharge unit 15 has a plurality of (six) classification partitions (first classification partition D1 to sixth classification partition D6) in the circumferential direction. These classification partitions D1 to D6 correspond to a plurality of partitions (six partitions in this example) based on the inspection results obtained by the inspection unit 14, respectively, and have the same basic structure.

[0050] The discharge main body 51 has a plurality of classification holes 52 in each classification partition D1 to D6, a single recovery path 55 connected to and shared by the plurality of classification holes 52, and a speed reduction wall (guide portion) 60 for guiding the electronic components W passing through the plurality of classification holes 52 to the recovery path 55. In this way, two or more classification holes 52 are connected to each recovery path 55, and the electronic components W passing through the two or more classification holes 52 are guided by the associated speed reduction wall 60.

[0051] The number of classification holes 52 connected to each recovery path 55 corresponds to the number of rows of pockets 11b formed on the indexing table 11, and in the illustrated example, it is "16" corresponding to the first row of pockets R1 to the sixteenth row of pockets R16 of the indexing table 11. Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the example shown, the 16 classification holes 52 are divided into two rows, and each row is formed by arranging 8 classification holes 52 linearly along the radial direction Dr. The 16 classification holes 52 divided into two rows are arranged in a staggered manner along the radial direction Dr, and communicate with a common recovery path 55 .

[0052] The plurality of sorting holes 52 included in the sorting sections D1 to D6 of the discharge body 51 are respectively allocated to the pockets 11b of the pocket rows R1 to R16 of the indexing table 11. The electronic components W stored in the pockets 11b are collected through the allocated sorting holes 52 in the sorting section corresponding to the section of the inspection result.

[0053] The deceleration wall 60 in each of the classification zones D1 to D6 has one or more guide surfaces 61 that direct the electronic components W that have passed through the corresponding 16 classification holes 52 toward the corresponding recovery path 55. Figure 7 In the example shown, a specific guide surface 61 having an optimal plane angle is allocated to each classification hole 52, and a plurality of (16) guide surfaces 61 facing the plurality of (16) classification holes 52 are provided in each classification section D1 to D6. Figure 7 In the figure, only the guide surface 61 of the sorting holes 52 of one column assigned to the first sorting zone D1 can be seen, but there are also guide surfaces 61 assigned to the sorting holes 52 in the first sorting zone D1. Figure 7The guide surface 61 of the other columns of the classification holes 52 not shown in the figure. It should be noted that one guide surface 61 can be assigned to a plurality of classification holes 52, or a single guide surface 61 can also extend in a manner opposite to a plurality of classification holes 52.

[0054] The guide surfaces 61 in each classification partition D1 to D6 (16 guide surfaces 61 in this example) are located at the same distance from each of the corresponding 16 classification holes 52, and have a plane angle such that the electronic components W passing through the corresponding 16 classification holes 52 are incident on the guide surface 61 at substantially the same incident angle. In particular, in this example, between the classification partitions D1 to D6, the guide surfaces 61 are also located at the same distance from the corresponding classification holes 52, and have a plane angle (normal direction) such that the electronic components W are incident on the guide surface 61 at substantially the same incident angle. In particular, when the discharge direction of the electronic components W from the pockets 11b is the same between the pockets 11b, all the guide surfaces 61 have the same plane angle (normal direction).

[0055] The distance from each sorting hole 52 to the guide surface 61 is determined based on the moving distance of the electronic component W until the electronic component W passes through each sorting hole 52 to the guide surface 61, and is set to 30 mm, for example. Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the example shown, the electronic component W enters the classification hole 52 via the classification inlet 52a, collides with the guide surface 61 after moving linearly through the classification hole 52, and is rebounded by the guide surface 61 toward the corresponding recovery path 55. In this case, the distance from each classification hole 52 to the guide surface 61 can be represented by the straight-line distance from the classification inlet 52a of each classification hole 52 to the guide surface 61. In this way, by making the distance from the classification hole 52 to the guide surface 61 the same among the plurality of classification holes 52, the flight distance of the electronic component W passing through the classification holes 52 until colliding with the guide surface 61 is basically the same among the plurality of classification holes 52.

[0056] In addition, by making the incident angle of the electronic component W with respect to the guide surface 61 the same, the number of rebounds (number of collisions) of the electronic component W in the discharge main body 51 can be stabilized. That is, the electronic component W changes its direction of travel in the discharge main body 51 by changing the incident angle relative to the guide surface 61, and the number of rebounds may also change. Since there is a tendency that the more the number of rebounds of the electronic component W increases, the more damage the electronic component W suffers, the plane angle of the guide surface 61 is preferably set to an angle that is effective in suppressing the number of rebounds of the electronic component W. However, the plane angle of the guide surface 61 is not limited. For example, the guide surface 61 may also have a plane angle such that the electronic component W from each classification hole 52 is incident on the corresponding guide surface 61 at an incident angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees (for example, an incident angle of 45 degrees).

[0057] Each recovery path 55 has a recovery wall surface 55A on which the electronic components W guided by the guide surface 61 of the associated speed reduction wall 60 land and which is inclined downward toward the recovery outlet 55B of the recovery path 55. Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the example shown, each recovery path 55 has two recovery walls 55A, the two recovery walls 55A have different plane angles (normal directions) from each other, and the two recovery walls 55A have a tapered groove shape (a shape that gradually tapers downward) that gradually approaches downward and finally merges with each other. The lowest position of the recovery wall 55A of each recovery path 55 (i.e., the position where the two recovery walls 55A merge) is located below the associated multiple (16) classification holes 52 (particularly the classification introduction port 52a).

[0058] By making each recovery path 55 have the above-mentioned structure, in each recovery path 55, the electronic component W on the recovery wall surface 55A moves toward the recovery outlet 55B while rolling or sliding under the influence of gravity, and enters the corresponding guide line 21 to 26 through the recovery outlet 55B. Therefore, the recovery wall surface 55A preferably has a characteristic that helps the electronic component W to roll or slide, for example, anti-static surface treatment or surface treatment that increases the sliding ease of the electronic component W may be applied.

[0059] A plurality of (6) flexible guide lines (first guide line 21 to sixth guide line 26 (see FIG. 1 )) having a tubular shape are connected to the recovery outlet 55B of each of the recovery paths 55 of the plurality of (6) classification sections D1 to D6. Figure 1)). That is, one end of the first guide line 21 is connected to the recovery outlet 55B of the recovery path 55 of the first classification partition D1, and the other end of the first guide line 21 is connected to the first recovery box 31 of the recovery unit 30. Similarly, one end of the second guide line 22 to the sixth guide line 26 is connected to the recovery outlet 55B of the recovery path 55 of the second classification partition D2 to the sixth classification partition D6, and the other end of the second guide line 22 to the sixth guide line 26 is connected to the second recovery box 32 to the sixth recovery box 36 of the recovery unit 30.

[0060] In this way, the first guide line 21 to the sixth guide line 26 receive the electronic components W transported from the associated recovery path 55 and guide them to the recovery section 30 (the first recovery box 31 to the sixth recovery box 36) of the subsequent stage. In particular, the first guide line 21 to the sixth guide line 26 of the present embodiment continuously extend downward from the recovery outlet 55B to the recovery boxes 31 to 36, and do not include a portion extending in a direction that does not include a downward component (horizontal direction and upward). Therefore, the electronic components W entering the guide lines 21 to 26 from the recovery path 55 naturally fall toward the corresponding recovery box in the guide lines 21 to 26 under the influence of gravity and are recovered in the corresponding recovery box. It should be noted that the extension shape of each guide line 21 to 26 is not limited, and each guide line 21 to 26 does not need to extend only in the vertical direction, and can also extend obliquely downward in at least a portion, for example, it can also extend in a winding manner in at least a portion.

[0061] The specific structure of the collection boxes 31 to 36 is also not limited. For example, the collection boxes 31 to 36 may be provided with a storage unit for storing the collected electronic components W in a replaceable manner, or may be provided with a cooling device (not shown) for cooling the collected electronic components W.

[0062] The electronic components W accommodated in each pocket 11b of the indexing workbench 11 are recovered into a corresponding recovery box (one of the first recovery box 31 to the sixth recovery box 36) via the classification holes 52, the speed reduction wall 60 (guide surface 61) and the recovery path 55 of the classification partition (one of the first classification partition D1 to the sixth classification partition D6) corresponding to the partition based on the inspection result detected by the inspection unit 14.

[0063] That is, the control unit 20 ejects the electronic components W from the corresponding air outlets 17 ( Figure 3) to exhaust air, thereby recycling the electronic component W into the corresponding recycling box through the classification hole 52 of the corresponding classification partition, the guide surface 61, the recycling path 55 and the corresponding guide line. It should be noted that during the period when the electronic component W in each pocket 11b is located at a position relative to the classification hole 52 of the non-corresponding classification partition, the control unit 20 does not eject air from the air outlet 17 corresponding to the non-corresponding classification hole 52. As a result, the electronic component W does not enter the non-corresponding classification hole 52, but moves toward the next classification partition together with the indexing table 11.

[0064] In this way, the electronic components W conveyed by the indexing table 11 are classified and collected in the collection boxes 31 to 36 corresponding to the inspection results obtained by the inspection unit 14 .

[0065] It should be noted that the method for manufacturing the discharge main body 51 is not limited, and the discharge main body 51 can be manufactured by mechanical processing or molding using a 3D printer. In addition, the constituent material of the discharge main body 51 is also not limited. For example, the guide surface 61 of the deceleration wall 60 is made of metal, resin (such as acrylic), leather, or other arbitrary materials having a property suitable for rebounding the electronic components W flying through the classification hole 52 toward the recovery path 55.

[0066] Next, an operation example of the electronic component testing system 10 will be described.

[0067] First, a large number of electronic components W are supplied from an electronic component supply unit (not shown) to each storage section 43 of the electronic component storage unit 40, and stored in each storage section 43. Then, the indexing table 11 supplies the electronic components W from the storage section 43 and stores them in the pockets 11b of the indexing table 11 while rotating intermittently. In order to promote the supply of the electronic components W to each pocket 11b, for example, a suction device (not shown) may be provided on the back side of the indexing table 11, and the electronic components W may be sucked from the storage section 43 toward the pocket 11b by the suction device.

[0068] On the other hand, the storage detection unit 45 continuously detects whether there are electronic components W in the pocket 11b, and transmits the detection result from the storage detection unit 45 to the control unit 20. The control unit 20 estimates the storage amount of the electronic components W in each storage section 43 based on the detection result of the storage detection unit 45, and controls the electronic component supply unit as needed to supply an appropriate amount of new electronic components W to each storage section 43.

[0069] The electronic components W stored in the pockets 11b of the indexing table 11 are intermittently transported from the supply unit 13 (electronic component storage unit 40) to the inspection unit 14 as the indexing table 11 rotates intermittently. During the transport, the electronic components W in each pocket 11b may be heated by a heater (not shown) so as to have a temperature suitable for inspection by the inspection unit 14. Then, the electronic components W in each pocket 11b are inspected by the inspection unit 14.

[0070] Thereafter, the electronic components W in each pocket 11b are intermittently transported from the inspection unit 14 to the discharge unit 15 as the indexing table 11 rotates intermittently. Then, the electronic components W in each pocket 11b are collected into the collection boxes 31 to 36 corresponding to the inspection results via the discharge unit 15 and the guide lines 21 to 26.

[0071] As described above, according to the electronic component test system 10 of the present embodiment, the electronic components W stored in each pocket 11b of the indexing table 11 are effectively recovered via the classification hole 52, the speed reduction wall 60, and the discharge unit 15 having the classification hole 52. In particular, when the electronic components W are sent to the recovery unit 30 via the guide lines 21 to 26, by providing the discharge unit 15 between the indexing table 11 and the guide lines 21 to 26, the number of guide lines 21 to 26 can be suppressed, and the electronic components W can be effectively recovered from a large number of pockets 11b.

[0072] In this way, the number of guide lines 21 to 26 can be significantly reduced compared to the number of pockets 11b to be recovered, making it easier to set up the guide lines 21 to 26, and reducing the space required for setting up the guide lines 21 to 26. In particular, one end of the guide lines 21 to 26 (i.e., the end that introduces the electronic components W from the pockets 11b) is not installed in each pocket 11b, but is installed in the discharge unit 15 (particularly the recovery discharge port 55B of the recovery path 55). Therefore, compared with the arrangement interval of the pockets 11b, one end of the guide lines 21 to 26 can be installed in the discharge unit 15 at a wider arrangement interval, making it easier to set up the guide lines 21 to 26, and reducing the man-hours (workload) required for the setting.

[0073] In addition, the electronic components W blown off from the pockets 11b of the indexing table 11 are appropriately guided toward the recovery path 55 by the guide surface 61 of the speed reduction wall 60. In particular, the air from the air outlet 17 for blowing off the electronic components W from the pockets 11b only needs to have a pressure and air volume to the extent that the electronic components W can reach the guide surface 61 from the pockets 11b via the classification holes 52, so the pressure and air volume of the air from the air outlet 17 can be effectively reduced. As a result, the flying speed of the electronic components W is suppressed, and the impact force acting on the electronic components W when contacting the speed reduction wall 60 and the recovery path 55 can be reduced, and the damage that may be applied to the electronic components W is reduced, and the occurrence of cracks and defects in the electronic components W can be effectively prevented.

[0074] In addition, since the pressure and air volume of the air from the air outlet 17 can be reduced, it is possible to effectively prevent the defects that may be caused by the pressure and air volume of the air (for example, the mixing of electronic components, etc., which is a concern in the above-mentioned patent document 2). According to the electronic component test system 10 of this embodiment, for example, it is possible to prevent the "lifting of electronic components W in the collection box caused by air" that is a concern when the electronic components W are sent to the collection box using air, and it is not easy to generate "residual pressure at the air outlet 17 (see patent document 3)".

[0075] In addition, when the indexing table 11 is heated by a heater, the pressure and air volume of the air from the air outlet 17 can be reduced, thereby suppressing the cooling of the heater and / or the indexing table 11 caused by the air, and the indexing table 11 can be effectively heated.

[0076] In addition, since the pressure and air volume of the air from the air outlet 17 can be reduced, the air consumption can be suppressed, and the fluctuation of the air pressure (compressed air pressure) in the tank of the air source 48 can be reduced. As a result, the air pressure in the tank is stabilized, and the air can be discharged from the air outlet 17 with high reliability and stability, thereby improving the reliability of the processing of the electronic components W in the electronic component test system 10.

[0077] In addition, by setting the distance from the classification hole 52 to the guide surface 61 to the same value among the plurality of classification holes 52, the exhaust air conditions such as the pressure and air volume of the air from the air outlet 17 for blowing the electronic components W from the pockets 11b can be shared among the plurality of pockets 11b. In addition, by setting the incident angle of the electronic components W with respect to the assigned guide surface 61 to the same value among the plurality of classification holes 52, the electronic components W can be stably guided to the recovery path 55 via the guide surface 61. In this way, by sharing the structure of the discharge main body 51 among the classification holes 52, the manufacture of the discharge main body 51 becomes easy.

[0078] In addition, since the electronic component W lands on the recovery path 55 after being decelerated by contact with the speed reduction wall 60, the impact force that may be caused to other electronic components W that are already on the recovery path 55 can be reduced, thereby reducing the damage that may be caused to other electronic components W, thereby effectively preventing cracks and defects from occurring in the electronic component W.

[0079] Furthermore, by continuously extending the guide path of the electronic component W including the recovery path 55 and the guide lines 21 to 26 downward, the electronic component W can be guided toward the recovery unit 30 by utilizing the natural fall caused by gravity, thereby effectively preventing the electronic component W in the guide path from being blocked.

[0080] In the above embodiment, no device for generating an air flow to assist in sending the electronic components W downstream is provided in the recovery path 55 and the guide lines 21 to 26 , but a device for generating such an air flow may be provided.

[0081] In addition, in order to reduce static electricity in the recovery path 55 and the guide lines 21 to 26, an ionizer (electricity remover: not shown) that supplies charge-removing ions to the recovery path 55 and the guide lines 21 to 26 may be provided. For example, in the case where a blower that generates an air flow that assists in sending the electronic components W in the recovery path 55 and / or the guide lines 21 to 26 downstream is provided, a blower-type ionizer that generates an air flow including charge-removing ions may be used as the blower.

[0082] On the other hand, other electronic component conveyors not including the discharge unit 15 cannot achieve the effects achieved by the electronic component testing system 10 including the discharge unit 15 .

[0083] For example, when guide lines are provided for each of the plurality of pockets 11 b from which the electronic components W can be discharged, it is necessary to provide the same number of guide lines as the number of pockets 11 b from which the electronic components W can be discharged. For example, when the electronic components W can be discharged from 96 pockets 11 b (=6 (number of classification sections) × 16 (number of pocket columns)) as in the above example, 96 guide lines need to be provided, so the guide line installation operation becomes complicated and the guide line installation space also increases.

[0084] In addition, in this case, if the plurality of pockets 11b through which the electronic components W can be discharged are distributed over a wide range, the length and bending condition (bending radius) of the guide line to the recovery section 30 are not constant, and the exhaust air conditions (air pressure and air volume, etc.) required to transport the electronic components W from the pockets 11b to the recovery section 30 are also different between the guide lines. Therefore, in practice, although the exhaust air conditions related to other guide lines are sometimes set in a manner that matches the guide line with the most stringent exhaust air conditions (i.e., the guide line with the largest required air pressure and required air volume), there is a concern that defects (such as mixing of electronic components and large residual pressure at the air outlet) may occur due to the air pressure and air volume. In addition, since the exhaust air conditions of all guide lines are set to the most stringent conditions, for the guide line with the relatively loose optimal exhaust air conditions (i.e., the guide line with relatively small required air pressure and required air volume), there is a concern that excessive energy may be used to form an air flow, and in addition, the electronic components W in the collection box may fly up or the electronic components W may be accidentally discharged from the collection box.

[0085] In this case, the extension state of the guide line may differ greatly between the guide lines, and there is a concern that the electronic component W may be excessively decelerated in the guide line, stagnant in the guide line and cause clogging of the guide line, or that the electronic component W may flow backward in the guide line.

[0086] In addition, in this case, since the guide line needs to be arranged in accordance with the opening direction of the corresponding pocket 11b, the extension direction of at least a portion of the guide line sometimes includes an upward direction component. In such a case, the exhaust air condition becomes strict, which easily causes the electronic components W in the guide line to be stagnant or backflow.

[0087] In addition, in this case, in order to ensure effective discharge of electronic components W, the number of guide lines must increase, but it is not realistic from the perspective of labor and cost to find the best exhaust air condition for each of the multiple guide lines and set the exhaust air condition to the best condition independently.

[0088] [Modifications] exist Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the example shown, a single recovery path 55 is provided for each classification partition D1 to D6, but a plurality of recovery paths 55 may be provided for one classification partition. In this case, two or more recovery paths 55 assigned to a common classification partition may be merged, and the merged recovery paths may be connected to the guide line.

[0089] It should be noted that the embodiments and variations disclosed in this specification are merely examples in all respects and are not to be interpreted as limiting. The above-mentioned embodiments and variations can be omitted, replaced, and changed in various ways without departing from the attached claims and their subject matter. For example, the above-mentioned embodiments and variations can be combined in whole or in part, and embodiments other than those described above can also be combined with the above-mentioned embodiments or variations. In addition, the effects of the present disclosure described in this specification are merely examples and can also bring about other effects.

[0090] There is no limitation on the technical category for realizing the above technical idea. For example, the above technical idea can also be realized by a computer program for causing a computer to execute one or more processes (steps) included in the method for manufacturing the above device or the method for using the above device. In addition, the above technical idea can also be realized by a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium that records such a computer program.

Claims

1. An electronic component conveyor, characterized in that: have: A conveying table having a plurality of receiving through holes for receiving electronic components; a base having a plurality of air ejection ports opposite to the conveying platform; and The exhaust unit comprises a plurality of classification holes located on the side opposite to the plurality of air outlets across the conveying table, at least one recovery path connected to the plurality of classification holes, and a guide portion for guiding the electronic components discharged from the storage through holes and passing through the classification holes by the air ejected from the air outlets to the at least one recovery path.

2. The electronic component conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electronic component conveyor includes an air ejection control unit configured to control ejection of air from the plurality of air ejection ports. The discharge unit is provided with a plurality of recovery paths and a plurality of guide parts associated with each of the plurality of recovery paths. Each of the plurality of recycling paths is connected to two or more classification holes, and the electronic components passing through the two or more classification holes are guided by the associated guide part. The plurality of guide parts respectively have one or more guide surfaces, which direct the electronic components passing through the two or more sorting holes toward the recovery path and are located at the same distance from each of the two or more sorting holes.

3. The electronic component conveyor according to claim 2, characterized in that: The multiple guide parts respectively have one or more guide surfaces, which orient the electronic components passing through the two or more classification holes toward the recovery path and have a plane angle such that the electronic components passing through the two or more classification holes are incident at substantially the same incident angle.

4. The electronic component conveyor according to claim 2, characterized in that: The electronic component conveyor includes a plurality of guide lines connected to the respective discharge ports of the plurality of collection paths and guiding the electronic components conveyed from the plurality of collection paths via the discharge ports toward a subsequent stage. The plurality of recovery paths each have a recovery wall surface on which the electronic components guided by the associated one or more guides land and which is inclined downward toward the discharge port. In each of the plurality of recovery paths, the electronic components on the recovery wall surface move toward the discharge port under gravity and enter the corresponding guide line through the discharge port.

5. The electronic component conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveying table extends in a vertical direction or in a direction inclined relative to both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and rotates around a rotation axis in a manner of conveying the electronic components accommodated in the plurality of accommodation through holes in a circumferential direction. The plurality of storage through holes are classified into a plurality of rows having different radial distances from the rotation axis, and in each of the plurality of rows, a distance between adjacent storage through holes in the circumferential direction is constant.

6. The electronic component conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electronic component conveyor includes a plurality of air supply units connected to the plurality of air ejection ports. The plurality of air supply units can supply the air to the plurality of air ejection ports under different air pressure conditions.

7. The electronic component conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electronic component conveyor comprises: an inspection unit that inspects the electronic components received in the plurality of receiving through holes; and an air ejection control unit for controlling ejection of air from the plurality of air ejection ports, The discharge unit is provided with: a plurality of recovery paths associated with each of the plurality of partitions based on the result of the inspection; and a plurality of guides associated with each of the plurality of recovery paths, Each of the plurality of recycling paths is connected to two or more classification holes, and the electronic components passing through the two or more classification holes are guided by the associated guide part. The air ejection control unit controls the ejection of air from the plurality of air ejection ports according to the inspection result detected by the inspection unit in such a manner that the electronic components stored in each of the plurality of storage through holes pass through the classification holes connected to the corresponding recovery paths and are guided by the guide unit.

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