Conveyance device, resin molding device, and method for manufacturing resin molded article

Abstract

To position and hold a molding object without using positioning pins.SOLUTION: A conveyance device 6 for conveying a molding object W, comprises a holding unit 61 for holding the molding object W, and a multi-joint arm part 62 for moving the holding unit 61. The holding unit 61 includes: a base member 63 connected to a tip part 621 of the multi-joint arm part 62; and a positioning mechanism 64 for contacting with an outer peripheral end surface of the molding object W and positioning the molding object W with respect to the base member 63.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying device, a resin molding device, and a method for manufacturing a resin molded product. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a resin molding device for resin-molding a workpiece is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This resin molding device uses a transport robot equipped with a robot hand to take out the workpiece from a supply magazine or store the molded product in a storage magazine. Here, the robot hand uses a mechanism equipped with a suction mechanism on a fork-shaped member at the tip of an articulated robot according to the shape of the workpiece. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-145548 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, Patent Document 1 does not disclose a configuration for positioning the workpiece relative to the robot hand. If the positioning of the workpiece relative to the robot hand is insufficient, the position of the workpiece placed by the robot hand will be inappropriate, and an error will be notified and the operation of the resin molding device will stop. If a configuration is used in which no error is notified, the robot hand will place the workpiece in an inappropriate position, causing problems in the subsequent processing, and as a result, the resin molded product will have defects such as poor appearance.

[0005] It is also possible to provide a positioning pin on the robot hand and insert the positioning pin into a positioning hole formed in the workpiece to position it, but there are cases where the positioning pin cannot be inserted into the positioning hole due to warping or misalignment of the workpiece, etc.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and has as its main object to position and hold an object to be molded without using positioning pins. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In other words, the conveying device of the present invention is a conveying device for conveying a molding object, and is characterized in that it comprises a holding unit for holding the molding object and a multi-joint arm portion for moving the holding unit, and the holding unit comprises a base member connected to the tip of the arm portion, and a positioning mechanism for contacting the outer peripheral end surface of the molding object and positioning the molding object relative to the base member. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention thus configured, the object to be molded can be positioned and held without using positioning pins. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a resin molding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a resin molding module according to the embodiment; FIG. [Diagram 3] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing schematic configurations of a substrate supply section and a molded product storage section in the same embodiment, and also showing the operations of transporting pre-molded substrates and transporting resin molded products between them and each transfer stage. [Figure 4] 5 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, which illustrates a state in which the holding claws are in a holding position in the first transport mechanism of the embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, which illustrates a state in which the holding claws are in a retracted position in the first transport mechanism of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6]5 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the short side direction, illustrating a state in which a holding plate is in a separated position in the first transport mechanism of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 5 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the short side direction, illustrating a state in which a holding plate is at a contact position in the first transport mechanism of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] 13 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an interlocking mechanism in the holding claw moving portion of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams showing the positioning / holding operation and the transport operation of the pre-molding substrate by the holding unit of the embodiment. [Figure 10] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams showing the positioning / holding operation and the transport operation of the resin molded product by the holding unit of the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration (two-stage configuration) of a substrate supply / storage module in a modified embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Next, the technology according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, although the present invention is not limited to the following technology.

[0011] The conveying device of Technology 1 according to the present invention is a conveying device for conveying a molding object, and is characterized in that it comprises a holding unit for holding the molding object and a multi-joint arm section for moving the holding unit, and the holding unit comprises a base member connected to a tip end of the multi-joint arm section, and a positioning mechanism for contacting an outer peripheral end surface of the molding object to position the molding object relative to the base member. This conveying device contacts the outer peripheral end surface of the molding object to position it relative to the base member, so it can position and hold the molding object without using positioning pins. As a result, the molding object can be conveyed to an appropriate position, and error notifications due to positional deviation of the molding object in subsequent processing can be avoided, preventing the resin molding operation from stopping. Furthermore, if the device is configured not to notify errors, it can prevent defects in the resin molded product, such as poor appearance, caused by positional deviation of the molding object.

[0012] In addition to the configuration of Technology 1 described above, the conveying device of Technology 2 according to the present invention has a positioning mechanism including holding claws that hold the object to be molded and a holding claw moving section that moves the holding claws, and the holding claw moving section moves the holding claws between a holding position where the object to be molded is held and a retracted position retracted from the holding position, and it is desirable that the holding claws in the holding position contact the outer peripheral end face to position the object to be molded relative to the base member. According to this configuration, the object to be molded is positioned relative to the base member by the holding claws, so that the object to be molded can be positioned while at the same time being held in place.

[0013] In addition to the configuration of the above-mentioned technique 2, the conveying device of technique 3 according to the present invention has the following feature: the object to be molded is rectangular in plan view, and the holding claws are desirably provided corresponding to each of the four sides of the object to be molded. With this configuration, the object to be molded, which has a rectangular shape in a plan view, can be positioned relative to the base member while being securely held.

[0014] In addition to the configuration of Technology 3 described above, the conveying device of Technology 4 according to the present invention desirably includes a holding claw moving unit that interlocks the holding claws provided corresponding to each of the four sides, and a holding claw driving unit that moves the holding claws provided corresponding to each of the four sides via the interlocking mechanism. With this configuration, the pre-molded substrate can be positioned all at once by the holding claws provided corresponding to each of the four sides. Also, the holding claws provided corresponding to each of the four sides can be moved by a common holding claw drive unit, which makes it possible to avoid an increase in the size of the holding unit.

[0015] In addition to the configuration of any one of the above-mentioned techniques 2 to 4, it is desirable that the conveying device of technique 5 according to the present invention further includes a holding plate that holds the molded object by clamping it between the holding claws when they are in the holding position. With this configuration, the object to be molded, positioned by the holding claws, is clamped between the holding plate and the holding claws, so that the object to be molded can be securely held and the object to be molded can be prevented from shifting during transport.

[0016] In addition to the configuration of the conveying device of Technology 6 according to the present invention, the holding plate has a rectangular shape in a plan view corresponding to the object to be molded, and the holding claws are arranged to surround the four sides of the holding plate and desirably contact the holding plate at the holding position. With this configuration, the holding claws come into contact with the holding plate at the holding position, so that the holding claws can be physically held at the holding position, thereby enabling the object to be reliably positioned relative to the base member.

[0017] In addition to the configuration of the above-mentioned technique 5 or 6, the conveying device of technique 7 according to the present invention desirably further includes a plate moving unit that moves the holding plate between a contact position where it comes into contact with the object to be molded positioned by the positioning mechanism, and a separated position away from the object to be molded. With this configuration, the positioning operation by the positioning mechanism and the holding operation by the holding plate can be performed separately, so that the holding plate does not interfere with the positioning operation by the positioning mechanism.

[0018] Specifically, in addition to the configuration of Technology 7 described above, the conveying device of Technology 8 according to the present invention desirably positions the molded object using the positioning mechanism while the holding plate is moved to the separated position by the plate moving unit, and after the molded object has been positioned by the positioning mechanism, the plate moving unit moves the holding plate to the contact position. With this configuration, the holding plate does not interfere with the positioning of the work-piece by the positioning mechanism, and the positioned work-piece can be reliably held by the holding plate.

[0019] The conveying device of Technique 9 according to the present invention has the configuration of any one of Techniques 1 to 8 above, and further is capable of conveying the molding object having an electronic component fixed to one surface thereof. Here, in the resin molding apparatus, there is a configuration in which the molding object is accommodated in a first state (tip-up state) in which the electronic components are on the upper side, and the molding object is placed on a transfer stage, a molding die, etc. in a second state (tip-down state) in which the electronic components are on the lower side. In order to be used in this resin molding apparatus, it is desirable that the conveying device of the present technology 9 holds the molding object placed in the first state in which the electronic components are on the upper side, and delivers it to the transfer stage in the second state in which the electronic components are on the lower side. With this configuration, the molding object before molding can be stored in the first state, and dust can be prevented from adhering to the back surface (the surface held by the mold) of the molding object opposite the electronic components before molding, thereby preventing defects in the appearance of the resin molded product.

[0020] In the conveying device according to the tenth technique of the present invention, the holding unit can hold the object before molding and the object after molding at a common location relative to the base member. In the tenth technique of the present invention, the holding unit is not provided with a positioning pin for positioning the object, and the object before molding and the object after molding can be held without distinction. With this configuration, there is no need to provide a conveying mechanism for each of the molded objects before and after molding, so the installation space for the conveying mechanism can be reduced, and the installation space for the resin molding device can be reduced.

[0021] Moreover, a resin molding apparatus having the conveying device according to any one of the above techniques 1 to 10 is also an aspect of the present invention.

[0022] A resin molding apparatus according to Technology 12 of the present invention, in addition to Technology 11 described above, includes a molding object supply section which supplies the molding object before molding, a molding object storage section which stores the molding object after molding, a first transfer stage on which the molding object before molding is temporarily placed, a second transfer stage on which the molding object after molding is temporarily placed, and a transfer mechanism which transfers the molding object before molding and the molding object after molding between each of the transfer stages and a molding mold, and it is desirable that the conveying device transfers the molding object before molding between the molding object supply section and the first transfer stage, and transfers the molding object after molding between the molding object storage section and the second transfer stage. With this configuration, while the delivery mechanism is transferring the molding object between each transfer stage and the molding mold, the molding object before molding can be transported from the molding object supply section to the first transfer stage, and the molding object after molding can be stored in the molding object storage section from the second transfer stage. As a result, it is possible to shorten the time required to transfer the molding object before molding from the molding object supply section to the molding mold, and to store the molding object after molding from the molding mold in the molding object storage section.

[0023] In addition to the configuration of the above-mentioned Technology 12, the resin molding apparatus of Technology 13 according to the present invention desirably has the delivery mechanism having a pre-molding conveying section which conveys the molding object before molding, and a post-molding conveying section which conveys the molding object after molding. With this configuration, the object to be molded before molding and the object to be molded after molding can be transported by a common delivery mechanism. As a result, while the delivery mechanism makes one round trip between each transfer stage and the molding die, the object to be molded before molding and the object to be molded after molding can be delivered, and the time required for the transportation can be shortened.

[0024] In addition to the configuration of Technique 12 or 13 above, the resin molding apparatus of Technology 14 according to the present invention is preferably such that the object to be molded has an electronic component fixed to one surface, the object to be molded is supplied by the object to be molded in a first state (tip-up state) in which the electronic component is on the upper side, and the object to be molded is placed on the first transfer stage in a second state (tip-down state) in which the electronic component is on the lower side. With this configuration, by using the articulated arm of the transport device to turn the holding unit upside down, the pre-molding object supplied by the molding object supply unit in the first state can be transported to the first transfer stage in the second state. In other words, since the pre-molding object can be in the first state before being transported by the transport device, it is possible to prevent dust from adhering to the back surface (the surface held by the mold) of the pre-molding object opposite the electronic components. As a result, it is possible to prevent defects in the appearance of the resin molded product.

[0025] Furthermore, a method for manufacturing a resin molded product by resin molding on a molding object, comprising a conveying step of conveying the molding object by a conveying device described in any one of the above techniques 1 to 10, and a resin molding step of performing resin molding on the molding object, is also one aspect of the present invention.

[0026] <One embodiment of the present invention> DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a resin molding apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in any of the drawings shown below, for the purpose of easy understanding, some parts are omitted or exaggerated in schematic form as appropriate. The same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

[0027] <Overall configuration of resin molding equipment> The resin molding apparatus 100 of the first embodiment manufactures a resin molded product P by resin-sealing a substrate W, which is a molding object having electronic components Wx fixed to one surface, through resin molding using a resin material J. In the following, the molding object (substrate W) before resin molding is referred to as a "pre-molded substrate W", and the molding object (substrate W) after resin molding is referred to as a "molded substrate W" or a "resin molded product P".

[0028] Here, the substrate W has a rectangular shape in a plan view, and examples of the substrate W include a metal substrate, a resin substrate, a glass substrate, a ceramic substrate, a circuit board, a semiconductor substrate, a lead frame, a silicon wafer, a glass wafer, etc. Alternatively, the substrate W may be a carrier without wiring.

[0029] Examples of the resin material J include powdered resin (including granular resin), liquid resin, etc. Examples of the electronic component Wx include electronic elements such as semiconductor chips, resistor elements, and capacitor elements, or electronic components in which at least one of these electronic elements is sealed with resin.

[0030] 1, this resin molding apparatus 100 includes, as its components, a substrate supply / storage module A, two resin molding modules B, and a resin material supply module C. Each component (each of modules A to C) is detachable and replaceable with respect to the other components.

[0031] 1, the substrate supply / storage module A includes a substrate supply section 2 that supplies pre-molded substrates W, a molded product storage section 3 that stores molded substrates W (resin molded products P), a first transfer stage 4 on which the pre-molded substrates W are temporarily placed, a second transfer stage 5 on which the resin molded products P are temporarily placed, a first transfer mechanism 6 that is a transfer device that transfers the pre-molded substrates W from the substrate supply section 2 to the first transfer stage 4 and transfers the resin molded products P from the second transfer stage 5 to the molded product storage section 3, and a second transfer mechanism 7 that is a transfer mechanism that transfers, i.e., delivers, the pre-molded substrates W and the resin molded products P between the transfer stages 4, 5 and the molding dies 10, 11 of the resin molding module B. The specific configuration of each section of the substrate supply / storage module A will be described later.

[0032] 2, each resin molding module B has an upper mold 10 which is a first mold for holding a substrate W, a lower mold 11 which is a second mold in which a cavity 11C is formed, and a mold clamping mechanism 12 which clamps the upper mold 10 and the lower mold 11. The upper mold 10 is provided on an upper fixed platen (not shown) via an upper platen 101. The lower mold 11 is provided on a movable platen 102 which is raised and lowered by the mold clamping mechanism 12 via a lower platen 103.

[0033] Here, the upper die 10 sucks and holds the back surface (the surface on which the electronic components Wx are not fixed) of the substrate W. A suction port (not shown) is formed in the lower surface of the upper die 10, and a suction flow path (not shown) connected to the suction port is formed inside the upper die 10. This suction flow path is connected to an external suction device (not shown).

[0034] The lower die 11 has a cavity 11C that accommodates the electronic component Wx fixed to the substrate W and the resin material J. Specifically, the lower die 11 has a bottom member 111 that forms the bottom surface of the cavity 11C, and a side member 112 that surrounds the bottom member 111. The upper surface of the bottom member 111 and the inner peripheral surface of the side member 112 form the cavity 11C. The side member 112 is provided so as to be movable up and down relative to the bottom member 111. Specifically, the side member 112 is supported by a plurality of elastic members 114 such as coil springs on a base plate 113 of the lower die 11. Furthermore, the lower die 11 is covered with a release film F to improve the releasability of the resin molded product P. An air vent (not shown) for discharging air or gas may be provided on the upper surface of the side member 112. Additionally, around the upper mold 10 and the lower mold 11, there is provided a sealing structure 13 consisting of side walls and sealing members such as O-rings for drawing a vacuum around the molding dies 10, 11 during resin molding.

[0035] The mold clamping mechanism 12 of this embodiment is of a linear motion type that uses a ball screw mechanism that converts the rotation of a servo motor or the like into linear movement to raise and lower the movable platen. Note that the mold clamping mechanism 12 may also be of a link type that transmits a power source such as a servo motor to the movable platen using a link mechanism such as a toggle link.

[0036] 1, the resin material supply module C has a moving table 14, a resin material accommodation section 15 placed on the moving table 14, a resin material supply mechanism 16 that measures and supplies resin material J to the resin material accommodation section 15, and a resin material transport mechanism 17 that transports the resin material accommodation section 15 and supplies resin material J to the cavity 11C of the lower mold 11. Here, the resin material accommodation section 15 is configured using a holding frame that holds a release film F, and the resin material J is supplied by the resin material supply mechanism 16 onto the release film F held by the holding frame.

[0037] The moving table 14 moves within the resin material supplying module C between a resin supplying position by a resin material supplying mechanism 16 and a transport position for delivering the resin material accommodation portion 15 to a resin material transport mechanism 17.

[0038] Furthermore, the resin material transport mechanism 17 transports the resin material accommodation section 15 containing the resin material J from the resin material supply module C to the resin molding module B, and supplies the release film F and the resin material J to the molding dies 10, 11 in the resin molding module B. Thereafter, the resin material transport mechanism 17 transports the resin material accommodation section 15 after having been supplied with the resin material J from the resin molding module B to the resin material supply module C. The resin material transport mechanism 17 of this embodiment has a resin material transport section 171 that transports the resin material accommodation section 15 containing the resin material J, and a film recovery section 172 that recovers the used release film F from the cavity 11C of the lower die 11.

[0039] <Specific configuration of each part of the substrate supply / storage module A> As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate supply / storage module A includes a substrate supply section 2, a molded product storage section 3, a first transfer stage 4, a second transfer stage 5, a first transport mechanism 6, and a second transport mechanism 7.

[0040] As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the substrate supply section 2 includes a storage box 21 in which pre-molded substrates W are stored, and a take-out mechanism 22 that takes out the pre-molded substrates W from the storage box 21. The storage box 21 stores a plurality of pre-molded substrates W in multiple vertical stages. The storage box 21 stores the pre-molded substrates W in a first state (a so-called tip-up state) in which the electronic components Wx are on the upper side. The storage box 21 is configured so as to be removable from the resin molding apparatus 100. The take-out mechanism 22 takes out one pre-molded substrate W from the storage box 21, for example, by pinching it, and positions the pre-molded substrate W on a pre-molded substrate stage 23 of the substrate supply section 2. A guide rail 24 is provided between the storage box 21 and the pre-molded substrate stage 23.

[0041] The pre-molded substrate stage 23 may be configured to slide on the guide rail 24. In this case, when the pre-molded substrate stage 23 is located near the storage box 21, the take-out mechanism 22 takes out the pre-molded substrate W from the storage box 21 and places the taken-out pre-molded substrate W on the pre-molded substrate stage 23. The pre-molded substrate stage 23, for example, adsorbs and holds the pre-molded substrate W. Thereafter, the pre-molded substrate stage 23 moves in a direction away from the storage box 21 along the guide rail 24. In addition, the substrate supply unit 2 is provided with a confirmation mechanism (not shown) that, for example, confirms whether or not the electronic components Wx are appropriately arranged on the pre-molded substrate W. In this configuration, for example, while the pre-molded substrate stage 23 is moving on the guide rail 24, the confirmation mechanism confirms whether or not the electronic components Wx are appropriately arranged on the pre-molded substrate W from above. The confirmation mechanism is a laser displacement meter, a camera, or the like.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the molded product storage section 3 includes a storage box 31 in which the resin molded product P is stored, and a storage mechanism 32 that stores the resin molded product P in the storage box 31. The storage box 31 stores a plurality of resin molded products P in multiple vertical stages. The storage box 31 stores the resin molded products P in a first state (so-called tip-up state) in which the resin-sealed electronic components Wx are on the upper side. The storage box 31 is configured to be removable from the resin molding device 100. The storage mechanism 32 stores the resin molded product P in the storage box 31 by pushing the resin molded product P on the resin molded product stage 33 of the molded product storage section 3. A guide rail 34 is provided between the storage box 31 and the resin molded product stage 33. The storage mechanism 32 may also move the resin molded product P to the vicinity of the storage box 31 while sandwiching it. In this case, after the resin molded product P moves to the vicinity of the storage box 31, the resin molded product P is pushed by the storage mechanism 32 or the like to be stored in the storage box 31.

[0043] Here, for convenience, the substrate supply section 2 and the molded product storage section 3 are shown arranged side by side in the front-to-rear direction in Fig. 1, but in order to reduce the installation space of the resin molding apparatus 100 (substrate supply / storage module A), the substrate supply section 2 and the molded product storage section 3 in this embodiment are arranged one above the other as shown in Fig. 3. It is noted that either the substrate supply section 2 or the molded product storage section 3 may be arranged on top. Also, the substrate supply section 2 and the molded product storage section 3 may be arranged side by side.

[0044] As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the first transfer stage 4 is a stage on which the pre-molded substrate W supplied by the substrate supply unit 2 is temporarily placed, and is used to transfer the pre-molded substrate W to the second transport mechanism 7. Here, the pre-molded substrate W is placed on the first transfer stage 4 in a second state (so-called chip-down state) in which the electronic components Wx are on the lower side. The first transfer stage 4 has holding claws (not shown) that hook and hold the ends of the pre-molded substrate W in the second state, and holds the pre-molded substrate W in the second state by opening and closing the holding claws. The first transfer stage 4 may be provided with positioning pins 41 that are inserted into positioning holes formed in the pre-molded substrate W (see Fig. 3).

[0045] 1 and 3, the second transfer stage 5 is a stage on which a resin-molded resin product P is temporarily placed and which receives the resin molded product P from the second transport mechanism 7. Here, the second transfer stage 5 is placed in a second state (so-called chip-down state) in which the resin-sealed electronic components Wx are on the lower side. The second transfer stage 5 has holding claws (not shown) that hook and hold the ends of the resin molded product P in the second state, and holds the resin molded product P in the second state by opening and closing the holding claws.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the first transfer stage 4 and the second transfer stage 5 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, and are at the same height.

[0047] 1, the first transport mechanism 6 delivers the pre-molded substrate W between the substrate supply section 2 and the first transfer stage 4, and delivers the resin molded product P between the second transfer stage 5 and the molded product storage section 3. The first transport mechanism 6 is provided between the substrate supply section 2 and the molded product storage section 3 and each of the transfer stages 4, 5 in a plan view.

[0048] Specifically, the first transport mechanism 6 has a holding unit 61 that holds the pre-molding substrate W and the resin molded product P, respectively, and an articulated arm section 62 that moves the holding unit 61.

[0049] The articulated arm section 62 is, for example, a vertical articulated robot (for example, an articulated robot having six joints). The articulated arm section 62 can control the position and posture of the holding unit 61. Specifically, the articulated arm section 62 can turn over the holding unit 61 holding the pre-molding substrate W or the resin molded product P. The articulated arm section 62 also moves the holding unit 61 between the substrate supply section 2 and the first transfer stage 4, and between the molded product storage section 3 and the second transfer stage 5. The specific configuration of the first transport mechanism 6 will be described later.

[0050] 1, the second transport mechanism 7 travels between the substrate supply / storage module A and the resin molding module B, and moves along a rail (not shown) provided between the substrate supply / storage module A and the resin molding module B. This second transport mechanism 7 receives the pre-molding substrate W temporarily placed on the first transfer stage 4, and transports it to the upper mold 10 of the resin molding module B. After the pre-molding substrate W is resin molded, the second transport mechanism 7 receives the resin molded product P from the upper mold 10 of the resin molding module B, and transports it to the second transfer stage 5.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the second transport mechanism 7 of this embodiment has a substrate transport section 71 that transports the pre-molded substrate W and a molded product transport section 72 that transports the resin molded product P. The substrate transport section 71 may be provided with a positioning pin 711 that is inserted into a positioning hole formed in the pre-molded substrate W (see FIG. 3). The second transport mechanism 7 is configured so that the substrate transport section 71 and the molded product transport section 72 move simultaneously. The substrate transport section 71 and the molded product transport section 72 are provided in accordance with the arrangement relationship of the first transfer stage 4 and the second transfer stage 5. In this embodiment, since the first transfer stage 4 and the second transfer stage 5 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, the substrate transport section 71 and the molded product transport section 72 are also arranged side by side in the left-right direction accordingly. The height positions of the substrate transport section 71 and the molded product transport section 72 are also the same height.

[0052] With this configuration, while the second transport mechanism 7 makes one round trip between the substrate supply / storage module A and the resin molding module B, it can transport the pre-molded substrate W from the first transfer stage 4 to the upper mold 10, and transport the resin molded product P from the upper mold 10 to the second transfer stage 5.

[0053] <Specific Configuration of First Conveying Mechanism 6> The first transport mechanism 6 of the present embodiment is configured to be able to position and hold the pre-molding substrate W and the resin molded product P, respectively.

[0054] Specifically, as shown in Figures 4 to 8, the holding unit 61 includes a base member 63 connected to a tip end 621 of the articulated arm section 62, and a positioning mechanism 64 that contacts an outer peripheral end face Wa of the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P to position the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P with respect to the base member 63. Note that, although Figures 4, 6 and 7 show an example in which the pre-molded substrate W is held, the resin molded product P can also be held in the same manner.

[0055] The base member 63 has a rectangular shape in a plan view corresponding to the pre-molding substrate W (see FIG. 8). A longer side of the base member 63 is connected to a tip end 621 of the articulated arm section 62 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The tip end 621 of the articulated arm section 62 is configured to be rotatable about an axis extending in the left-right direction in FIG. 4, which allows the holding unit 61 to be turned over.

[0056] The positioning mechanism 64 of this embodiment not only positions the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P, but also holds them, and as shown in Figures 4 to 8, is equipped with holding claws 641 that hold the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P, and a holding claw moving section 642 that moves the holding claws 641.

[0057] The holding claws 641 hook and hold the ends of the pre-molded substrate W and the resin molded product P at common locations on the base member 63, and are provided corresponding to each of the four sides of the pre-molded substrate W and the resin molded product P. Each holding claw 641 is rotatably provided on the base member 63, and is rotatable between a holding position R (see FIG. 4) where the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P is held, and a retracted position Q (see FIG. 5) retracted from the holding position R.

[0058] At the holding position R, each holding claw 641 holds the pre-molded substrate W and the resin molded product P by hooking its free end onto an end of the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P. At the holding position R, each holding claw 641 has its inner surface of its free end contacted with the outer peripheral end surface Wa of the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P, thereby positioning the pre-molded substrate W and the resin molded product P at a common location relative to the base member 63. By positioning the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P relative to the base member 63, the pre-molded substrate W and the resin molded product P are also positioned relative to a holding surface 65a of a holding plate 65 described later.

[0059] The holding claw moving section 642 moves the holding claws 641 between a holding position R where the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P is held and a retreated position Q where the holding claws 641 are retreated from the holding position R.

[0060] Specifically, as shown in Figures 4 to 8, the holding claw moving unit 642 has an interlocking mechanism 642a that interlocks the holding claws 641 provided corresponding to each of the four sides, and a holding claw driving unit 642b that moves the holding claws 641 provided corresponding to each of the four sides via the interlocking mechanism 642a. Note that the holding claw driving unit 642b is not shown in Figures 6 to 8.

[0061] The interlocking mechanism 642a interlocks the holding claws 641 provided corresponding to each of the four sides, and simultaneously switches the holding claws 641 between the holding position R and the retracted position Q. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 8, the interlocking mechanism 642a has a connection shaft 642a1 to which one or more holding claws 641 provided on each side are connected, and a connecting portion 642a2 that connects the connection shafts 642a1 of each side to each other. Each connection shaft 642a1 is provided rotatably about an axis along each side with respect to the base member 63, and each holding claw 641 moves between the holding position R and the retracted position Q by the rotation of the connection shaft 642a1 about the axis.

[0062] 8, the connecting shafts 642a1 of the long sides facing each other are connected by a connecting portion 642a2, and one connecting shaft 642a1 of the short side is connected to each connecting shaft 642a1 of the long sides by a connecting portion 642a2. A link mechanism can be used as the connecting portion 642a2 connecting the connecting shafts 642a1 of the long sides, and a universal joint can be used as the connecting portion 642a2 connecting the connecting shafts 642a1 of the long sides and the connecting shafts 642a1 of the short sides. Alternatively, a gear mechanism can be used as the interlocking mechanism 642a.

[0063] 4 and 5, the holding claw driving unit 642b moves the multiple holding claws 641 connected by the interlocking mechanism 642a between a holding position R and a retracted position Q. This holding claw driving unit 642b rotates a connection shaft 642a1 provided on one of the sides, and can be configured using, for example, an air cylinder.

[0064] Furthermore, in order to reliably hold the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P even when the holding unit 61 is turned over, the holding unit 61 further includes a holding plate 65 having a holding surface 65a for holding the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P, as shown in Figures 4 to 7.

[0065] The holding plate 65 has a rectangular shape in a plan view corresponding to the pre-molded substrate W. The holding plate 65 holds the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P by sandwiching it between itself and the holding claws 641 at the holding position R.

[0066] Specifically, the holding plate 65 is formed with an accommodation portion 651 for accommodating the electronic component Wx of the pre-molded substrate W in the first state or the resin molded portion of the resin molded product P in the first state, and a holding surface 65a for holding the peripheral portion of the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P is formed around the accommodation portion 651. In addition, the holding plate 65 is moved up and down relative to the base member 63 by a plate moving portion 66.

[0067] The holding plate 65 is provided inside the holding claws 641 provided corresponding to each of the four sides of the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P. In other words, the holding claws 641 are provided so as to surround the four sides of the holding plate 65. The holding plate 65 moves up and down inside the holding claws 641 on the four sides. Furthermore, the holding claws 641 are configured to come into contact with the outer peripheral end surface of the holding plate 65 at the holding position R, so that the holding claws 641 physically stop at the holding position R.

[0068] The plate moving unit 66 moves the holding plate 65 between a contact position T (see FIG. 7) where the holding surface 65a contacts the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P positioned by the positioning mechanism 64, and a separation position U (see FIG. 6) where the holding surface 65a is separated from the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the plate moving unit 66 has a guide mechanism 661 that guides the holding plate 65 between the contact position T and the separation position U, and a plate driving unit 662 that moves the holding plate 65. The guide mechanism 661 has a guide portion 661a provided on the base member 63, and a slide portion 661b that is provided on the holding plate 65 and slides along the guide portion 661a. The plate driving unit 662 can be configured using, for example, an air cylinder.

[0069] Here, the operation of the first transport mechanism 6 will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Note that Figure 9 shows an example of transporting a pre-molding substrate W, and Figure 10 shows an example of transporting a resin molded product P.

[0070] The first transport mechanism 6 positions and holds the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P by the holding claws 641 of the positioning mechanism 64 with the holding plate 65 in the separated position U by the plate moving section 66 (see Fig. 9(a)->(b), Fig. 10(a)->(b)). Then, after the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P has been positioned by the holding claws 641 of the positioning mechanism 64, the first transport mechanism 6 sets the holding plate 65 to the contact position T by the plate moving section 66 (see Fig. 9(b)->(c), Fig. 10(b)->(c)). By moving the holding plate 65 to the contact position T, the positioned pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P is held by the holding claws 641 and the holding plate 65. In this state, the first conveying mechanism 6 can stably switch between the first and second states of the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P by flipping the holding unit 61 over using the articulated arm portion 62 (see Figures 9(d) → (e), 10(d) → (e)).

[0071] <Operations of the First Conveyor Mechanism 6 and the Second Conveyor Mechanism 7> Next, the transport operations of the first transport mechanism 6 and the second transport mechanism 7 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0072] First, the pre-molded substrate W is placed on the pre-molded substrate stage 23 by the removal mechanism 22 from the storage box 21 of the substrate supply unit 2 (see FIG. 3). Here, on the pre-molded substrate stage 23, the pre-molded substrate W is in a first state (a so-called tip-up state).

[0073] When holding the pre-formed substrate W on the pre-formed substrate stage 23, the articulated arm portion 62 of the first transport mechanism 6 moves the holding unit 61 to above the pre-formed substrate stage 23. At this time, the holding claws 641 of the holding unit 61 are in the retracted position Q (see FIG. 9(a)).

[0074] Then, the holding unit 61 is moved to a height position for holding the pre-molded substrate W, and the holding claws 641 are set to the holding position R by the holding claw moving parts 642 (see FIG. 9(b)). As a result, the holding claws 641 come into contact with the outer peripheral end surface Wa of the pre-molded substrate W, and the pre-molded substrate W is positioned with respect to the base member 63 and is held by the holding claws 641. The holding plate 65 is in the separated position U until the pre-molded substrate W is held by the holding claws 641.

[0075] After the holding claws 641 hold the pre-molding substrate W, the plate moving section 66 moves the holding plate 65 from the separated position U to the contact position T (see FIG. 9(c)). As a result, the positioned pre-molding substrate W is sandwiched and held between the holding claws 641 and the holding plate 65 (see FIG. 9(d)). After this state is reached, the articulated arm section 62 of the first transport mechanism 6 turns the holding unit 61 upside down and moves it to the first transfer stage 4 (see FIG. 9(e)).

[0076] Through the above operations, the first transport mechanism 6 holds the pre-shaped substrate W in the first state on the pre-shaped substrate stage 23, and transports and delivers the pre-shaped substrate W in the second state to the first transfer stage 4. Here, the first transport mechanism 6 delivers the pre-shaped substrate W to the first transfer stage 4 by releasing the holding of the holding claws 641.

[0077] Next, the second transport mechanism 7 receives the pre-molded substrate W in the second state on the first transfer stage 4 (see FIG. 3), transports it to the upper mold 10, and delivers the pre-molded substrate W to the upper mold 10. Here, if the second transport mechanism 7 is holding a resin molded product P when receiving the pre-molded substrate W from the first transfer stage 4, it delivers the resin molded product P in the second state to the second transfer stage 5 (see FIG. 3).

[0078] When the resin molded product P is placed on the second transfer stage 5, the articulated arm 62 of the first transport mechanism 6 moves the holding unit 61 to below the second transfer stage 5. At this time, the holding claws 641 of the holding unit 61 are in the retracted position Q (see FIG. 10(a)).

[0079] Then, the holding unit 61 is moved to a height position for holding the resin molded product P, and the holding claws 641 are set to the holding position R by the holding claw moving parts 642 (see FIG. 10(b)). As a result, the holding claws 641 come into contact with the outer peripheral end face Wa of the resin molded product P, and the resin molded product P is positioned with respect to the base member 63 and is held by the holding claws 641. Until the resin molded product P is held by the holding claws 641, the holding plate 65 is in the separated position U.

[0080] After the holding claws 641 hold the resin molded product P, the plate moving section 66 moves the holding plate 65 from the separated position U to the contact position T (see FIG. 10(c)). As a result, the positioned resin molded product P is sandwiched and held between the holding claws 641 and the holding plate 65 (see FIG. 10(d)). After this state is reached, the articulated arm section 62 of the first transport mechanism 6 turns the holding unit 61 upside down and moves it to the resin molded product stage 33 of the molded product storage section 3 (see FIG. 10(e)). Here, the first transport mechanism 6 releases the holding of the holding claws 641, so that the resin molded product P in the first state (so-called tip-up state) is placed on the resin molded product stage 33.

[0081] After the resin molded product P is placed on the resin molded product stage 33 in the first state, the storage mechanism 32 of the molded product storage section 3 pushes the resin molded product P on the resin molded product stage 33 to store it in the storage box 31 (see FIG. 3). After the resin molded product P is placed on the resin molded product stage 33 in the first state, the storage mechanism 32 of the molded product storage section 3 may sandwich the resin molded product P and move it to the vicinity of the storage box 31, as described above. In this case, after the resin molded product P moves to the vicinity of the storage box 31, the resin molded product P is pushed by the storage mechanism 32 or the like to be stored in the storage box 31, as described above.

[0082] <Effects of this embodiment> According to the resin molding apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the first transport mechanism 6 contacts the outer peripheral end surface Wa of the pre-molding substrate W to position the pre-molding substrate W relative to the base member 63, so that the pre-molding substrate W can be positioned and held without using a positioning pin. As a result, the pre-molding substrate W can be transported to an appropriate position, and notification of an error due to positional deviation of the pre-molding substrate W in the subsequent processing can be avoided, preventing the resin molding operation from being stopped. Furthermore, in the case of a configuration in which no error notification is given, it is possible to prevent defects in the resin molded product P, such as poor appearance, caused by positional deviation of the pre-molding substrate W.

[0083] <Other Modified Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0084] For example, the molded product storage section 3 is configured to store the resin molded product P in the first state (so-called tip-up state), but may be configured to store the resin molded product P in the second state (so-called tip-down state). In this case, the first transport mechanism 6 is configured not to turn the holding unit 61 upside down when transporting the resin molded product P from the second transfer stage 5 to the resin molded product stage 33.

[0085] In addition, the first transport mechanism 6 in the above embodiment is a common mechanism for transporting both the pre-molded substrate W and the resin molded product P, but the configuration may include a separate first transport mechanism 6 for transporting the pre-molded substrate W and a separate first transport mechanism 6 for transporting the resin molded product P. Similarly, the second transport mechanism 7 is a common mechanism for transporting both the pre-molded substrate W and the resin molded product P, but the configuration may include a separate second transport mechanism 7 for transporting the pre-molded substrate W and a separate second transport mechanism 7 for transporting the resin molded product P.

[0086] Furthermore, the first transport mechanism 6 in the above embodiment is configured to turn the holding unit 61 upside down, but the holding unit 61 may not be configured to turn upside down.

[0087] The holding claw moving portion 642 may be configured to switch between the holding position R and the retracted position Q by expanding or contracting the distance between the holding claws 641 provided on the opposing sides.

[0088] Moreover, the positioning mechanism 64 in the above embodiment has a function of holding the object by using the holding claws 641, but it may have only a function of contacting the outer peripheral end face of the object to be molded and positioning it without having the function of holding the object. In this case, the holding unit 61 has a holding part that holds the object positioned by the positioning mechanism 64, in addition to the positioning mechanism 64.

[0089] In addition, the holding unit 61 may be configured without the holding plate 65. In this case, for example, a concave portion may be formed in the holding claws 641 into which the end of the work-piece W fits, and the concave portion may come into contact with the outer peripheral end face of the work-piece W and sandwich the front and back surfaces of the work-piece W. With this configuration, the work-piece W can be maintained in a position in the planar direction even when it is turned over.

[0090] Furthermore, the resin molding module B may be configured to have multiple molding dies 10, 11. In this case, the second transport mechanism 7 has a plurality of substrate transport sections 71 and a plurality of molded product transport sections 72 corresponding to the multiple molding dies 10, 11, as shown in FIG. 11. The first transfer stage 4 and the second transfer stage 5 also have a multi-stage configuration corresponding to the multiple molding dies 10, 11, as shown in FIG. 11. In this configuration, the first transport mechanism 6 transports the pre-molded substrates W one by one from the pre-molded substrate stage 23 to the multi-stage first transfer stage 4, and transports the resin molded products P one by one from the multi-stage second transfer stage 5 to the resin molded product stage 33.

[0091] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 100...Resin molding equipment W: Pre-molded substrate (molding target) Wx...Electronic components P···Resin molded products (molded objects) Wa...Outer periphery 2. Substrate supply section (molding object supply section) 3. Molded product storage section (molded object storage section) 4. First transfer stage 5. Second transfer stage 6. First conveying device (conveying device) 7...Second transport mechanism (delivery mechanism) 61... Holding unit 62 Articulated arm section 621...Tip 63...Base member 64 Positioning mechanism 641...holding claw 642...Holding claw moving part R...Holding position Q...Evacuation position 642a...Interlocking mechanism 642b···Holding jaw drive part 65... Retaining plate T...Contact position U...Remote position 66 Plate moving part

Claims

1. A conveying device for conveying an object to be molded, A holding unit for holding the molding object; a multi-joint arm portion that moves the holding unit, The holding unit includes: A base member connected to a tip end of the articulated arm; a positioning mechanism that contacts an outer peripheral end surface of the object to position the object relative to the base member.

2. The positioning mechanism includes: A holding claw for holding the object to be molded; a holding claw moving unit that moves the holding claw, the holding jaw moving unit moves the holding jaws between a holding position where the holding jaws hold the object to be molded and a retracted position where the holding jaws are retracted from the holding position, The conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein the holding claws in the holding position contact the outer peripheral end surface to position the object relative to the base member.

3. The molding object has a rectangular shape in a plan view, The conveying device according to claim 2 , wherein the holding claws are provided corresponding to four sides of the object.

4. The holding claw moving portion is an interlocking mechanism for interlocking the holding claws provided corresponding to each of the four sides; The conveying device according to claim 3 , further comprising a holding claw drive unit that moves the holding claws provided corresponding to each of the four sides via the interlocking mechanism.

5. The conveying device according to claim 2 , further comprising a holding plate that sandwiches and holds the object between itself and the holding jaws in the holding position.

6. The holding plate has a rectangular shape in a plan view corresponding to the molding object, The transport device according to claim 5 , wherein the holding claws are provided so as to surround four sides of the holding plate and contact the holding plate when in the holding position.

7. The conveying device according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising a plate moving unit that moves the holding plate between a contact position in contact with the molding object positioned by the positioning mechanism and a spaced position away from the molding object.

8. The conveying device according to claim 7, wherein the plate moving unit moves the holding plate to the separated position, the positioning mechanism positions the object to be molded, and the plate moving unit moves the holding plate to the contact position after the object to be molded has been positioned by the positioning mechanism.

9. the molding object has an electronic component fixed to one surface thereof, The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the conveying device holds the molding object placed in a first state in which the electronic component is on the upper side, and passes it to a transfer stage in a second state in which the electronic component is on the lower side.

10. The conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein the holding unit holds the object before molding and the object after molding at a common location with respect to the base member.

11. A resin molding apparatus comprising the conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. a molding object supplying section for supplying the molding object before molding; a molding object storage section for storing the molding object after molding; a first transfer stage on which the molding object before molding is temporarily placed; a second transfer stage on which the molding object is temporarily placed after molding; a transfer mechanism for transferring the object to be molded before and the object to be molded after being molded between each of the transfer stages and a molding die, The resin molding apparatus of claim 11, wherein the conveying device transfers the molding object before molding between the molding object supply section and the first transfer stage, and transfers the molding object after molding between the molding object storage section and the second transfer stage.

13. The delivery mechanism includes: A pre-molding conveying section that conveys the molding object before molding; The resin molding apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising a post-molding transport section that transports the molding object after molding.

14. The molding object has an electronic component fixed to one surface thereof, the molding object supplying unit supplies the molding object before molding in a first state in which the electronic component is on an upper side, The resin molding apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the molding target object before molding is placed on the first transfer stage in a second state with the electronic component on a lower side.

15. A method for manufacturing a resin molded product by resin molding on a molding object, comprising the steps of: A conveying step of conveying the molding object by the conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 10; A method for manufacturing a resin molded product, comprising: a resin molding step of performing resin molding on the molding object.

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