Electronic component conveyance device

Abstract

To provide an electronic component conveyance device advantageous for sending electronic components discharged from a conveyance table toward a subsequent stage.SOLUTION: The electronic component conveyance device comprises: a conveyance table including a plurality of reception open holes for receiving an electronic component W; a base including a plurality of air discharge openings facing the conveyance table; and a discharge unit 15 including a plurality of classification holes 52 positioned opposite to the plurality of air discharge openings with the conveyance table interposed therebetween, at least one recovery path 55 communicating with the plurality of classification holes 52, and a guide part 60 guiding the electronic component W discharged from the reception open hole by air blown through the air discharge opening and passing through the classification hole 52 to the at least one recovery path 55.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] As an apparatus for transporting a large amount of electronic components, Patent Document 1 discloses a chip-type electronic component characteristic inspection and sorting apparatus that inspects the electrical characteristics of chip-type electronic components and sorts the chip-type electronic components based on the inspection results. Patent Document 2 discloses a chip electronic component inspection and sorting apparatus that aims to prevent non-conforming 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. Patent Document 3 discloses an electronic component transport device that uses compressed gas to remove electronic components from through holes and prevents unwanted electronic components from popping out due to residual pressure of the compressed air, thereby improving transport efficiency. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-96715 A [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2014 / 010720 [Patent Document 3] JP 2007-320732 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the devices of the above-mentioned 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 in a predetermined discharge area and sent to a subsequent stage.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique that is advantageous for sending electronic components discharged from a conveyor table to a subsequent stage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an electronic component conveying machine comprising a conveying table having a plurality of storage through holes for storing electronic components, a base having a plurality of air outlets facing the conveying table, a plurality of sorting holes located on the opposite side of the conveying table from the plurality of air outlets, at least one collection path communicating with the plurality of sorting holes, and a discharge unit having a guide section that guides electronic components that have been discharged from the storage through holes by air discharged from the air outlets and passed through the sorting holes to the at least one collection path.

[0007] The electronic component conveying machine is equipped with an air ejection control unit that controls the ejection of air from multiple air ejection ports, and the discharge unit is provided with multiple collection paths and multiple guide sections associated with each of the multiple collection paths, and each of the multiple collection paths is connected to two or more sorting holes, and electronic components that have passed through the two or more sorting holes are guided by the associated guide section, and each of the multiple guide sections may have one or more guide surfaces that direct the electronic components that have passed through the two or more sorting holes toward the collection path, and the one or more guide surfaces may be located at the same distance from each of the two or more sorting holes.

[0008] Each of the multiple guide sections may have one or more guide surfaces that direct electronic components that have passed through two or more sorting holes toward a collection path, and the guide surfaces may have a surface angle such that electronic components that have passed through the two or more sorting holes are incident at substantially the same angle of incidence.

[0009] The electronic component conveying machine includes a plurality of guide lines connected to the respective discharge outlets of a plurality of collection paths, which guide electronic components sent from the plurality of collection paths through the discharge outlets toward a subsequent stage, and each of the plurality of collection paths has a collection wall surface on which electronic components guided by one or more associated guide sections land and which slopes downward toward the discharge outlet, and in each of the plurality of collection paths, electronic components on the collection wall surface move under gravity toward the discharge outlet and may enter the corresponding guide line through the discharge outlet.

[0010] The conveying table extends vertically or in a direction inclined relative to both the vertical and horizontal directions, and rotates around a rotation axis so as to convey electronic components housed in the multiple accommodating through holes in a circumferential direction, and the multiple accommodating through holes are classified into a multiple number of rows having different radial distances from the rotation axis, and in each of the multiple rows, the distance between adjacent accommodating through holes in the circumferential direction may be constant.

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

[0012] The electronic component conveying machine includes an inspection unit that inspects electronic components stored in a plurality of storage through-holes, and an air ejection control unit that controls the ejection of air from a plurality of air ejection ports. The discharge unit is provided with a plurality of collection paths that correspond to a plurality of categories based on the results of the inspection, and a plurality of guide units that are associated with each of the plurality of collection paths. Each of the plurality of collection paths is connected to two or more sorting holes, and electronic components that have passed through the two or more sorting holes are guided by the associated guide units. The air ejection control unit may control the ejection of air from the plurality of air ejection ports in accordance with the results of inspection by the inspection unit, so that electronic components stored in each of the plurality of storage through-holes pass through the sorting holes that communicate with the corresponding collection path and are guided by the guide units. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present disclosure, it is advantageous to send electronic components discharged from the conveyor table to a subsequent stage. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of an electronic device test system (electronic device conveyor). [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing an example of a supply unit. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a structural example of the discharge unit, in which a discharge main body part of the discharge unit and a base of a structure base are shown in a cross-sectional state. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of an exhaust unit when a single air source (regulator and manifold) is provided. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example of an exhaust unit in which multiple air sources (regulators and manifolds) are provided. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an example of a discharge main body portion (particularly, a second discharge main body portion) of the discharge unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the ejector main body, particularly showing the ejector main body cut away and viewed from the cut surface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the movement of electronic components, unless otherwise specified.

[0016] Fig. 1 is a front view showing an example of an electronic device testing system (electronic device conveyor) 10. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing an example of a supply unit 13. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a part of an example of the structure of a discharge unit 15, in which a discharge main body 51 of the discharge unit 15 and a base 16 of a structure 12 are shown in cross section.

[0017] 1 includes a structure 12, an index table 11, a supply unit 13, an inspection unit 14, a discharge unit 15, and a recovery unit 30 attached to the structure 12, and a control unit 20. The control unit 20 controls various devices constituting the electronic device test system 10, and the index 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.

[0018] The index table 11 is a disk-shaped conveying table extending along the upper surface of the base 16 of the structure 12, and has a plurality of pockets 11b (accommodation through-holes) for accommodating electronic components (e.g., capacitors, inductors, etc.) W. The index table 11 may extend in the vertical direction (height direction) as a whole, or may extend in an oblique direction inclined with respect to both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the index table 11 extends in an oblique direction as a whole so that the exposed surface (upper surface) of the index table 11 faces obliquely upward.

[0019] A driving device (not shown) such as a motor intermittently rotates the rotating shaft 11a under the control of the control unit 20, so that the index table 11 provided integrally with the rotating shaft 11a intermittently rotates about the rotation axis Ax (clockwise in the example shown in FIG. 1). Due to the intermittent rotation of the index table 11, the electronic components W accommodated in the multiple pockets 11b are intermittently transported in the circumferential direction along an arc orbit.

[0020] The multiple pockets 11b formed on the index table 11 are classified into multiple rows (first pocket row R1 to sixteenth pocket row R16 (see FIG. 2) in this example) that differ from each other in distance in the radial direction Dr from the rotation axis Ax. In each of the multiple pocket rows R1 to R16, the multiple pockets 11b are positioned on a circle centered on the rotation axis Ax, and the distance between adjacent pockets 11b in the circumferential direction is constant. Regularly distributing the multiple pockets 11b on the index table 11 so as to be classified into the multiple pocket rows R1 to R16 in this manner makes it possible to stably perform various processes (for example, inspection and sorting / discharging, which will be described later) on multiple electronic components W at one time, and contributes to ensuring high processing capacity of the electronic device test system 10.

[0021] The electronic component storage section 40 (see FIG. 2) of the supply unit 13 is provided in an area upstream of an area where the inspection is performed by the inspection unit 14 so as to cover a part of the upper surface of the index table 11. The electronic component storage section 40 has a storage section main body 41 and a plurality of storage walls 42 provided in the storage section main body 41. The spatial area between the storage walls 42 is a storage section 43 for storing the electronic components W on the index table 11, and the plurality of storage sections 43 are provided so as to be associated with each of the plurality of pocket rows R1 to R16 of the index table 11. In the example shown in FIG. 2, 16 storage sections 43 are partitioned by the storage walls 42, and the 16 storage sections 43 extend in an arc shape so as to cover the first pocket row R1 to the sixteenth pocket row R16, respectively.

[0022] A plurality of electronic components W are supplied to each storage section 43 from an electronic component supply unit (not shown), and the electronic components W stored in the storage section 43 are supplied to and accommodated in the pockets 11b of the corresponding pocket rows R1 to R16. The electronic component supply unit is replenished with an appropriate amount of electronic components W at an appropriate time via a supply feeder (not shown).

[0023] The electronic component storage section 40 is provided with a plurality of (16) storage detection units 45 associated with the respective storage sections 43. Each storage detection unit 45 detects whether or not an electronic component W is stored in the pocket 11b of the associated pocket rows R1 to R16. Each storage detection unit 45 in this example detects whether or not an electronic component W is stored in the pocket 11b located opposite to it when the index table 11 stops intermittently, and transmits the detection result to the control unit 20. For example, each storage detection unit 45 may be an optical sensor having a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit provided on the back and front sides of the index table 11, or may be a reflective sensor that emits detection light toward the pocket 11b located opposite to it and receives reflected light of the detection light.

[0024] 1 inspects the electronic components W accommodated in each pocket 11b of the index table 11 under the control of the control unit 20, and transmits 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" performed by the inspection unit 14 may include "measurement" for measuring characteristic values ​​of the electronic components W and "screening" for detecting the state of the electronic components W to determine whether the electronic components W are good or bad (including, for example, revealing defects in the electronic components W).

[0025] For example, if the electronic component W is a capacitor, the inspection unit 14 can detect the capacitance (C), loss factor (Df), and quality factor (Q: the inverse of Df), and 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 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 inrush current. If the electronic component W is an inductor, the inspection unit 14 can detect the inductance (L), DC resistance (Rdc), and withstand current.

[0026] The inspection unit 14 may also perform an electrical test (e.g., a test on withstand voltage (BDV: breakdown voltage)) in which a current is passed through the electronic components W in each pocket 11b while applying a thermal load to the electronic components W. 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 about 2.5 times the rated voltage may be applied by the probe of the inspection unit 14.

[0027] The heater for heating the electronic components W in each pocket 11b can be installed at any position in any form. For example, 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 may be provided with a heater so as to cover the index table 11. In this case, the electronic components W in each pocket 11b of the index table 11 are heated by radiant heat from the heater, and are brought to a desired high-temperature state suitable for inspection when they are inspected by the inspection unit 14. The amount of heat generated by such a heater may be adjusted under the control of the control unit 20, and the control unit 20 may control the amount of heat generated by the heater based on the measurement result of a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the index table 11.

[0028] In addition, a thermal barrier layer (e.g., an insulating body, an insulating space, and / or a cooling layer through which a cooling medium circulates) or a safety cover with low thermal conductivity may be provided to prevent humans, such as operators, from coming into contact with the heater or the high-temperature objects heated by the heater.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3, the discharge unit 15 cooperates with an air source 48 that supplies air to a plurality of air outlets 17 formed in the base 16 of the structure 12, and an air adjustment unit 49 to guide the electronic component W after inspection by the inspection unit 14 from the index table 11 to a subsequent stage (the collection unit 30 in this example).

[0030] The discharge main body 51 of the discharge unit 15 is arranged to cover a portion of the index table 11 downstream of the area where inspection is performed by the inspection unit 14, and has multiple (96 in this example) sorting holes 52 located on the opposite side of the index table 11 from the multiple air outlets 17.

[0031] The base 16 of the structure 12 has a plurality of (96 in this example) air outlets 17 facing the index table 11 in an area where the discharge main body 51 of the discharge unit 15 is installed. An air source 48 is connected to each air outlet 17 via an air pipe 47, and air (e.g., compressed air) supplied from the air source 48 via the air pipe 47 is discharged toward the index table 11.

[0032] 3, a plurality of air adjustment units (e.g., solenoid valves) 49 (96 in this example) are attached to the air pipe 47, which is assigned to each air outlet 17. Each air adjustment unit 49 can individually adjust the flow rate of air supplied to the assigned air outlet 17 under the control of the control unit 20. The air source 48 stores high-pressure compressed air prepared in the factory infrastructure in a manifold tank after reducing and adjusting the pressure to a desired discharge pressure by a regulator. The compressed air in the manifold tank of the air source 48 is supplied to each air outlet 17 via the air pipe 47 and the air adjustment unit 49, and is used to discharge electronic components W from the pockets 11b of the index table 11.

[0033] There is no limit to the number of air supply units connected to the multiple air outlets 17, and there may be one or more. When multiple air supply units are provided, the multiple air supply units can supply air to the multiple air outlets 17 under mutually different air pressure conditions. In this case, the degree of freedom in device design can be increased.

[0034] The air supply unit referred to here may include all elements related to the supply of air to the multiple air outlets 17. For example, the air source 48 and air adjustment unit 49 shown in Fig. 3 are included in the air supply unit. Although a single air source 48 is illustrated in Fig. 3, multiple air sources 48 may be provided. For example, multiple manifold tanks equipped with the air source 48 may be provided, and the multiple manifold tanks may be connected to different air outlets 17 from one another.

[0035] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the exhaust unit 15 when a single air source 48 (regulator and manifold) is provided. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the exhaust unit 15 when a plurality of air sources 48 (regulators and manifolds) are provided.

[0036] 4, all (96 in this example) air adjustment units 49, all (96 in this example) air discharge ports 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 factory pressure source 39. One unique air discharge port 17 and one unique guide surface 61 are connected to each air adjustment unit 49, and 16 unique air adjustment units 49, 16 unique air discharge ports 17, and 16 unique guide surfaces 61 are connected to each recovery path 55.

[0037] On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 5, all (96 in this example) air adjustment units 49, all (96 in this example) air discharge ports 17, all (96 in this example) guide surfaces 61, and all (6 in this example) recovery paths 55 are connected to a plurality of (three in this example) air sources 48 connected to the factory pressure source 39. 32 unique air adjustment units 49, 32 unique air discharge ports 17, 32 unique guide surfaces 61, and two unique recovery paths 55 are connected to each air source 48. Note that the discharge unit 15 in FIG. 4 and the discharge unit 15 in FIG. 5 have in common that one unique air discharge port 17 and one unique guide surface 61 are connected to each air adjustment unit 49, and 16 unique air discharge ports 17 and 16 unique guide surfaces 61 are connected to each recovery path 55.

[0038] As described later, it is preferable that the flying distances of the electronic components W between the multiple (16) guide surfaces 61 and the multiple (16) air outlets 17 assigned to each collection path 55 are set to the same value. In this case, it is required to design the discharge unit 15 after considering the arrangement of the device with the air adjustment section 49, the air outlet 17, and the guide surface 61 associated with each air source 48 as one unit (see dotted lines in Figs. 4 and 5). Therefore, the discharge unit 15 in Fig. 5, which is provided with multiple air sources 48, has a higher degree of freedom in device design than the discharge unit 15 in Fig. 4, which is provided with only a single air source 48.

[0039] The control unit 20 also functions as an air discharge control unit that controls the discharge of air from the multiple air discharge ports 17. That is, the control unit 20 controls the air source 48 and the air adjustment unit 49 to discharge air from the air discharge port 17 at the timing when the electronic component W stored in the pocket 11b is positioned to face the corresponding air discharge port 17 (for example, while the index table 11 is intermittently stopped). The air discharged from the air discharge port 17 in this manner causes the electronic component W to be discharged from the pocket 11b and enter the corresponding sorting hole 52, and after passing through the sorting hole 52, is guided to the collection path by the guide unit of the discharge unit 15.

[0040] Particularly in this embodiment, the discharge unit 15 is provided with a plurality of collection paths corresponding to a plurality of categories based on the result of the inspection by the inspection unit 14, and a plurality of guide units associated with the plurality of collection paths. The control unit 20 controls the discharge of air from the plurality of air outlets 17 according to the result of the inspection by the inspection unit 14. As a result, the electronic components W accommodated in each pocket 11b pass through the sorting holes 52 communicating with the collection paths corresponding to the categories based on the inspection results, and are then guided by the guide units to the corresponding collection paths.

[0041] Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an example of the discharge main body 51 (particularly, the second discharge main body 51B) of the discharge unit 15. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the discharge main body 51, particularly showing the discharge main body 51 cut along the section line Lc in Fig. 6 as viewed from the cut surface.

[0042] The discharge body 51 of this example, which has a sector-shaped planar shape, has a first discharge body 51A having a speed reducing wall 60 and a second discharge body 51B including each sorting hole 52, and the first discharge body 51A and the second discharge body 51B are joined together and integrated. In Fig. 6, the second discharge body 51B is illustrated, but the first discharge body 51A is omitted from the illustration, and the discharge extension 51a extending in the radial direction Dr in the second discharge body 51B and the discharge outer periphery 51b which is the outer periphery end face of the discharge extension 51a are illustrated.

[0043] 6, the discharge main body 51 of the discharge unit 15 has a plurality of (six) classification sections (first classification section D1 to sixth classification section D6) in the circumferential direction. These classification sections D1 to D6 correspond to a plurality of sections (six sections in this example) based on the inspection results by the inspection unit 14, respectively, and have the same basic structure.

[0044] In each of the sorting sections D1 to D6, the discharge main body 51 has a plurality of sorting holes 52, a single collection path 55 that communicates with and is shared by the plurality of sorting holes 52, and a deceleration wall (guide portion) 60 that guides the electronic components W that have passed through the plurality of sorting holes 52 to the collection path 55. In this manner, each collection path 55 is connected to two or more sorting holes 52, and the electronic components W that have passed through the two or more sorting holes 52 are guided by the associated deceleration wall 60.

[0045] The number of sorting holes 52 communicating with each recovery path 55 corresponds to the number of rows of pockets 11b formed in the index table 11, and in the illustrated example, there are "16" sorting holes 52 corresponding to the first pocket row R1 to the sixteenth pocket row R16 of the index table 11. In particular, in the example shown in Figures 6 and 7, the 16 sorting holes 52 are divided into two rows, and each row is formed by 8 sorting holes 52 linearly arranged in the radial direction Dr. The 16 sorting holes 52 divided into the two rows are arranged in a staggered manner along the radial direction Dr, and communicate with a common recovery path 55.

[0046] The multiple sorting holes 52 included in each of the sorting sections D1 to D6 of the discharge main body 51 are respectively assigned to the pockets 11b of the pocket rows R1 to R16 of the index table 11. The electronic components W accommodated in each pocket 11b are collected through the assigned sorting holes 52 in the sorting section corresponding to the section of the inspection results.

[0047] The deceleration wall 60 in each of the classification sections 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 collection path 55. In the example shown in FIG. 7, a unique guide surface 61 having an optimal surface angle is assigned to each classification hole 52, and multiple (16) guide surfaces 61 facing the multiple (16) classification holes 52 are provided in each of the classification sections D1 to D6. In FIG. 7, only the guide surfaces 61 assigned to the classification holes 52 in one row of the first classification section D1 are visible, but guide surfaces 61 assigned to the classification holes 52 in the other row that is not shown in FIG. 7 are also provided. Note that one guide surface 61 may be assigned to multiple classification holes 52, or a single guide surface 61 may extend to face multiple classification holes 52.

[0048] The guide surfaces 61 in each of the classification sections D1 to D6 (16 guide surfaces 61 in this example) are located at the same distance from the corresponding 16 classification holes 52, and have a surface angle such that the electronic components W that have passed through the corresponding 16 classification holes 52 are incident on the guide surfaces 61 at substantially the same incidence angle. In particular, in this example, even between the classification sections D1 to D6, the guide surfaces 61 are located at the same distance from the corresponding classification holes 52, and have a surface angle (normal direction) such that the electronic components W are incident on the guide surfaces 61 at substantially the same incidence angle. In particular, when the discharge direction of the electronic components W from the pockets 11b is the same between the pockets 11b, all of the guide surfaces 61 have the same surface angle (normal direction).

[0049] The distance from each sorting hole 52 to the guide surface 61 is determined based on the moving distance of the electronic component W from the sorting hole 52 to the guide surface 61, and is set to, for example, 30 mm. In the example shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the electronic component W enters the sorting hole 52 through the sorting inlet 52a, moves linearly through the sorting hole 52, collides with the guide surface 61, and is bounced by the guide surface 61 toward the corresponding recovery path 55. In this case, the distance from each sorting hole 52 to the guide surface 61 can be expressed by the linear distance from the sorting inlet 52a of each sorting hole 52 to the guide surface 61. By making the distance from the sorting hole 52 to the guide surface 61 the same for the multiple sorting holes 52 in this way, the flying distance of the electronic component W from the sorting hole 52 to the guide surface 61 through these sorting holes 52 until it collides with the guide surface 61 is basically the same for the multiple sorting holes 52.

[0050] Furthermore, by standardizing the incidence angle of the electronic components W with respect to the guide surface 61, the number of bounces (the number of collisions) of the electronic components W in the discharge main body 51 can be stabilized. That is, by changing the incidence angle of the electronic components W with respect to the guide surface 61, the traveling direction of the electronic components W in the discharge main body 51 changes, and the number of bounces may also change. Since the more the electronic components W bounce, the more damage the electronic components W tend to suffer, it is preferable that the surface angle of the guide surface 61 is set to an angle effective for suppressing the number of bounces of the electronic components W. However, the surface angle of the guide surface 61 is not limited. For example, the guide surface 61 may have a surface angle such that the electronic components W from each sorting hole 52 enter the corresponding guide surface 61 at an incidence angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees (for example, an incidence angle of 45 degrees).

[0051] 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 deceleration wall 60 land and which slopes downward toward the recovery outlet 55B of the recovery path 55. In the example shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, each recovery path 55 has two recovery wall surfaces 55A having different surface angles (normal directions), and the two recovery wall surfaces 55A have a tapered groove shape (a shape tapering downward) that gradually approaches each other toward the bottom and finally joins with each other. The lowest position of the recovery wall surface 55A of each recovery path 55 (i.e., the position where the two recovery wall surfaces 55A join) is located below the multiple (16) associated sorting holes 52 (particularly the sorting inlet 52a).

[0052] Since each collection path 55 has the above-mentioned configuration, in each collection path 55, the electronic components W on the collection wall surface 55A move while rolling or sliding toward the collection discharge port 55B under the influence of gravity, and enter the corresponding guide line 21-26 through the collection discharge port 55B. Therefore, the collection wall surface 55A preferably has a property that promotes the rolling or sliding of the electronic components W, and may be subjected to, for example, an antistatic surface treatment or a surface treatment that increases the ease of sliding of the electronic components W.

[0053] A plurality of (six) guide lines (first guide line 21 to sixth guide line 26 (see FIG. 1)) having a tube shape and being flexible are connected to the respective recovery discharge ports 55B of the recovery paths 55 of the plurality of (six) classification sections D1 to D6. That is, one end of the first guide line 21 is connected to the recovery discharge port 55B of the recovery path 55 of the first classification section D1, and the other end of the first guide line 21 is connected to the first recovery box 31 of the recovery section 30. Similarly, one end of the second guide line 22 to sixth guide line 26 is connected to the recovery discharge port 55B of the recovery paths 55 of the second classification section D2 to sixth classification section D6, and the other end of the second guide line 22 to sixth guide line 26 is connected to the second recovery box 32 to sixth recovery box 36 of the recovery section 30.

[0054] In this way, the first guide line 21 to the sixth guide line 26 receive the electronic components W sent from the associated collection path 55 and guide them to the subsequent collection section 30 (the first collection box 31 to the sixth collection box 36). In particular, the first guide line 21 to the sixth guide line 26 of this embodiment extend continuously downward from the collection discharge port 55B to the collection 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 direction). Therefore, the electronic components W that enter the guide lines 21 to 26 from the collection path 55 naturally fall through the guide lines 21 to 26 toward the corresponding collection box under the influence of gravity, and are collected in the corresponding collection box. 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 may extend at least partially in an oblique downward direction, or may extend in a meandering manner, for example.

[0055] There is also no limitation on the specific configuration of the collection boxes 31 to 36. For example, the collection boxes 31 to 36 may be provided with a replaceable storage section for storing the collected electronic components W, or may be provided with a cooling device (not shown) for cooling the collected electronic components W.

[0056] The electronic components W stored in each pocket 11b of the index table 11 are collected into a corresponding collection box (any of the first collection box 31 to the sixth collection box 36) through the classification hole 52, the deceleration wall 60 (guide surface 61) and the collection path 55 of the classification section (any of the first classification section D1 to the sixth classification section D6) corresponding to the classification based on the results of the inspection by the inspection unit 14.

[0057] That is, when the electronic component W in each pocket 11b reaches a position facing the sorting hole 52 of the corresponding classification section, the control unit 20 ejects air from the corresponding air outlet 17 (FIG. 3) to collect the electronic component W in the corresponding collection box through the sorting hole 52 of the corresponding classification section, the guide surface 61, the collection path 55, and the corresponding guide line. Note that while the electronic component W in each pocket 11b is in a position facing the sorting hole 52 of a non-corresponding classification section, the control unit 20 does not eject air from the air outlet 17 corresponding to the non-corresponding sorting hole 52. As a result, the electronic component W moves toward the next classification section together with the index table 11 without entering the non-corresponding sorting hole 52.

[0058] In this manner, the electronic components W transported by the index table 11 are sorted into the collection boxes 31 to 36 according to the results of the inspection by the inspection unit 14 and then collected.

[0059] The method for manufacturing the discharge main body 51 is not limited, and the discharge main body 51 can be manufactured by machining or modeling with a 3D printer. 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 (e.g., acrylic), leather, or any other material that has properties suitable for bouncing the electronic components W flying through the sorting hole 52 toward the collection path 55.

[0060] Next, an example of the operation of the above-mentioned electronic device test system 10 will be described.

[0061] 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 are stored in each storage section 43. Then, while the index table 11 rotates intermittently, the electronic components W are supplied from the storage section 43 to the pockets 11b of the index table 11 and stored therein. 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 rear side of the index table 11, and the electronic components W may be sucked from the storage section 43 toward the pockets 11b by the suction device.

[0062] Meanwhile, the storage detection unit 45 continuously detects the presence or absence of 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 amount of electronic components W stored in each storage section 43 based on the detection result of the storage detection unit 45, and controls the electronic component supply unit as necessary to supply an appropriate amount of new electronic components W to each storage section 43.

[0063] The electronic components W stored in the pockets 11b of the index table 11 are intermittently transported from the supply unit 13 (electronic component storage section 40) to the inspection unit 14 in accordance with the intermittent rotation of the index table 11. During this transport, the electronic components W in each pocket 11b may be heated by a heater (not shown) so that the electronic components W 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.

[0064] Thereafter, the electronic components W in each pocket 11b are intermittently transported from the inspection unit 14 to the discharge unit 15 in accordance with the intermittent rotation of the index table 11. Then, the electronic components W in each pocket 11b are collected into collection boxes 31-36 corresponding to the inspection results via the discharge unit 15 and guide lines 21-26.

[0065] As described above, according to the electronic device testing system 10 of this embodiment, the electronic components W stored in each pocket 11b of the index table 11 are efficiently collected via the discharge unit 15 having the sorting holes 52, the deceleration wall 60, and the sorting holes 52. In particular, when the electronic components W are sent to the collection section 30 via the guide lines 21-26, by providing the discharge unit 15 between the index table 11 and the guide lines 21-26, it is possible to efficiently collect the electronic components W from the multiple pockets 11b while reducing the number of guide lines 21-26.

[0066] In this way, the number of guide lines 21-26 can be significantly smaller than the number of pockets 11b to be collected, the installation work of the guide lines 21-26 is easy, and the space required for installation of the guide lines 21-26 can be reduced. In particular, one end of the guide lines 21-26 (i.e., the end where the electronic components W from the pockets 11b are introduced) is attached to the discharge unit 15 (particularly the recovery and discharge port 55B of the recovery path 55) rather than to each pocket 11b. Therefore, one end of the guide lines 21-26 can be attached to the discharge unit 15 at a wider interval than the interval at which the pockets 11b are arranged, the installation of the guide lines 21-26 is easy, and the man-hours (amount of work) required for the installation can be reduced.

[0067] Moreover, the electronic components W blown out of each pocket 11b of the index table 11 are appropriately guided toward the collection path 55 by the guide surface 61 of the deceleration wall 60. In particular, the air from the air outlet 17 for blowing out the electronic components W from each pocket 11b only needs to have a pressure and volume sufficient for the electronic components W to reach the guide surface 61 from the pocket 11b through the sorting hole 52, so that the pressure and 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 they come into contact with the deceleration wall 60 and the collection path 55 can be reduced, reducing damage that may be caused to the electronic components W and effectively preventing the occurrence of cracks and chips in the electronic components W.

[0068] Furthermore, by reducing the pressure and volume of air from air outlet 17, defects that may occur due to the pressure and volume of air (such as the inclusion of electronic components as a concern in Patent Document 2 mentioned above) can be effectively prevented. According to electronic component testing system 10 of this embodiment, for example, it is possible to prevent "the lifting up of electronic components W in the collection box by air," which is a concern when sending electronic components W to a collection box using air, and "residual pressure at air outlet 17 (see Patent Document 3)" is unlikely to occur.

[0069] Furthermore, when the index table 11 is heated by a heater, the air pressure and volume from the air outlet 17 can be reduced, thereby suppressing the degree of cooling of the heater and / or index table 11 caused by the air, and the index table 11 can be heated efficiently.

[0070] Furthermore, by reducing the pressure and volume of air from the air outlet 17, air consumption is suppressed and fluctuations in 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 air can be discharged from the air outlet 17 stably with high reliability, thereby improving the reliability of handling of the electronic components W in the electronic component testing system 10.

[0071] Furthermore, by setting the distance from the sorting hole 52 to the guide surface 61 to the same value among the multiple sorting holes 52, the discharge air conditions such as the pressure and volume of the air from the air outlet 17 for blowing the electronic components W out of the pockets 11b can be made common among the multiple pockets 11b. Furthermore, by setting the incidence angle of the electronic components W to the assigned guide surface 61 to the same value among the multiple sorting holes 52, the electronic components W can be stably guided to the collection path 55 via the guide surface 61. By standardizing the structure of the discharge main body 51 among the sorting holes 52 in this manner, the manufacture of the discharge main body 51 becomes easier.

[0072] Furthermore, since the electronic component W lands on the recovery path 55 after being decelerated by contacting the deceleration wall 60, the impact force that may be exerted on other electronic components W already positioned on the recovery path 55 is reduced, thereby reducing damage that may be inflicted on the other electronic components W and effectively preventing the occurrence of cracks or chips in the electronic components W.

[0073] Furthermore, since the guide path for the electronic components W, including the collection path 55 and the guide lines 21-26, extends continuously downward, the electronic components W can be guided toward the collection section 30 by utilizing natural fall due to gravity, effectively preventing the electronic components W from clogging the guide path.

[0074] In the above embodiment, no device is provided for creating an air flow that assists in sending out the electronic components W downstream in the collection path 55 and the guide lines 21 to 26, but such a device for creating an air flow may be provided.

[0075] In addition, in order to reduce static electricity in the collection path 55 and the guide lines 21 to 26, an ionizer (static eliminator; not shown) may be installed to supply static elimination ions to the collection path 55 and the guide lines 21 to 26. For example, when a blower is installed to generate an airflow that assists in sending out the electronic components W downstream in the collection path 55 and / or the guide lines 21 to 26, a blow-type ionizer that generates an airflow containing static elimination ions may be used as the blower.

[0076] On the other hand, other electronic device conveyors not equipped with the above-mentioned discharge unit 15 cannot achieve the same effects as those achieved by the above-mentioned electronic device testing system 10 equipped with the discharge unit 15 .

[0077] For example, when a guide line is provided for each of a plurality of pockets 11b from which electronic components W can be discharged, it is necessary to install the same number of guide lines as the number of pockets 11b from which electronic components W can be discharged. For example, when electronic components W can be discharged from 96 pockets 11b (=6 (number of classification categories) × 16 (number of pocket rows)) as in the above example, it is necessary to install 96 guide lines, which makes the installation work of the guide lines complicated and requires a large installation space for the guide lines.

[0078] In this case, if the pockets 11b capable of discharging the electronic components W are distributed over a wide area, the length and curvature (bending radius) of the guide lines to the collection section 30 are not constant, and the discharge air conditions (air pressure, air volume, etc.) required to send the electronic components W from the pockets 11b to the collection section 30 also differ between the guide lines. Therefore, in practice, the discharge air conditions for the other guide lines may be set to match the guide line with the strictest discharge air conditions (i.e., the guide line with the largest required air pressure and required air volume), but there is a concern that defects (e.g., electronic components being mixed in or large residual pressure at the air outlet) may occur due to the air pressure and air volume. In addition, by setting the discharge air conditions for all guide lines to the strictest conditions, excessive energy is used to create an air flow for guide lines with relatively loose optimal discharge air conditions (i.e., guide lines with relatively small required air pressure and required air volume), and there is also a concern that the electronic components W may fly up in the collection box or the electronic components W may be unintentionally discharged from the collection box.

[0079] In this case, the extension state of the guide lines may differ significantly between guide lines, which may cause the electronic components W to slow down too much in the guide line, causing the electronic components W to stagnate within the guide line and clog the guide line, or the electronic components W to flow back through the guide line.

[0080] In this case, since the guide lines need to be installed in accordance with the opening direction of the corresponding pockets 11b, the extension direction of at least a part of the guide lines may include an upward component. In such a case, the exhaust air conditions become severe, and the electronic components W are likely to remain in the guide lines or flow back.

[0081] In this case, the number of guide lines will necessarily be large to ensure efficient discharge of the electronic components W, but finding optimal discharge air conditions for each of the numerous guide lines and individually setting the discharge air conditions to the optimal conditions is not very realistic from the standpoint of labor and cost.

[0082] [Variations] 6 and 7, a single collection path 55 is provided for each classification section D1-D6, but multiple collection paths 55 may be provided for one classification section. In this case, two or more collection paths 55 assigned to a common classification section may merge, and the merged collection path may be connected to a guide line.

[0083] It should be noted that the embodiments and modifications disclosed in this specification are merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting in all respects. The above-mentioned embodiments and modifications can be omitted, substituted, and modified in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. For example, the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications may be combined in whole or in part, and embodiments other than those described above may be combined with the above-mentioned embodiments or modifications. In addition, the effects of the present disclosure described in this specification are merely illustrative, and other effects may be obtained.

[0084] The technical category embodying the above technical idea is not limited. For example, the above technical idea may be embodied by a computer program for causing a computer to execute one or more procedures (steps) included in a method for manufacturing or using the above device. The above technical idea may also be embodied by a non-transitory recording medium readable by a computer on which such a computer program is recorded. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 10 Electronic component testing system, 11 index table, 11a rotating shaft, 11b pocket, 12 structure, 13 supply unit, 14 inspection unit, 15 discharge unit, 16 base, 17 air outlet, 20 control unit, 21 first guide line, 22 second guide line, 23 third guide line, 24 fourth guide line, 25 fifth guide line, 26 sixth guide line, 30 collection section, 31 first collection box, 32 second collection box, 33 third collection box, 34 fourth collection box, 35 fifth collection box, 36 sixth collection box, 40 electronic component storage section, 41 storage section body, 42 storage wall, 43 storage section, 45 storage detection section, 47 air piping, 48 air source, 49 air adjustment section, 51 discharge body section, 51A first discharge body section, 51B second discharge body section, 51a Discharge extension, 51b Discharge outer periphery, 52 Classification hole, 52a Classification inlet, 55 Collection path, 55A Collection wall, 55B Collection and discharge port, 60 Reduction wall, 61 Guide surface, Ax axis of rotation, D1 1st classification division, D2 2nd classification division, D3 3rd classification division, D4 4th classification division, D5 5th classification division, D6 6th classification division, Dr Radial direction, Lc cross section line, R1 1st pocket row, R16 16th pocket row, W electronic component

Claims

1. a conveying table having a plurality of through holes for accommodating electronic components; a base having a plurality of air outlets facing the conveying table; a discharge unit including: a plurality of sorting holes located on the opposite side of the conveying table to the plurality of air discharge ports; at least one collection path communicating with the plurality of sorting holes; and a guide section for guiding electronic components discharged from the accommodation through-holes by air discharged from the air discharge port and passing through the sorting holes to the at least one collection path; An electronic component conveyor comprising:

2. an air discharge control unit that controls the discharge of air from the plurality of air discharge ports; The discharge unit is provided with a plurality of collection paths and a plurality of guide portions associated with each of the plurality of collection paths, Each of the plurality of collection paths is connected to two or more sorting holes, and electronic components that have passed through the two or more sorting holes are guided by an associated guide portion; Each of the plurality of guide portions has one or more guide surfaces that direct the electronic components that have passed through the two or more sorting holes toward a collection path, the one or more guide surfaces being located at the same distance from each of the two or more sorting holes.

2. The electronic component transport machine according to claim 1.

3. Each of the plurality of guide portions has one or more guide surfaces that direct the electronic components that have passed through the two or more sorting holes toward a collection path, the guide surfaces having a surface angle such that the electronic components that have passed through the two or more sorting holes are incident at substantially the same incident angle.

3. The electronic component transport machine according to claim 2.

4. a plurality of guide lines connected to respective discharge ports of the plurality of collection paths, the guide lines guiding the electronic components sent from the plurality of collection paths via the discharge ports toward a subsequent stage; Each of the plurality of collection paths has a collection wall surface on which the electronic components guided by the associated one or more guide portions land and which is inclined downward toward a discharge port; In each of the plurality of collection paths, the electronic components on the collection wall surface move toward the discharge port under gravity and enter the corresponding guide line through the discharge port.

3. The electronic component transport machine according to claim 2.

5. the conveying table extends in a vertical direction or in a direction inclined with respect to both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and rotates about a rotation axis so as to convey the electronic components accommodated in the plurality of accommodating through-holes in a circumferential direction; The plurality of accommodating 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 accommodating through holes in the circumferential direction is constant.

2. The electronic component transport machine according to claim 1.

6. A plurality of air supply units connected to the plurality of air outlets, The plurality of air supply units are capable of supplying the air to the plurality of air outlets under mutually different air pressure conditions.

2. The electronic component transport machine according to claim 1.

7. an inspection unit that inspects electronic components accommodated in the plurality of accommodating through-holes; an air discharge control unit that controls the discharge of air from the plurality of air discharge ports, the discharge unit is provided with a plurality of collection paths corresponding to a plurality of sections based on the result of the inspection, and a plurality of guide portions associated with the plurality of collection paths, Each of the plurality of collection paths is connected to two or more sorting holes, and electronic components that have passed through the two or more sorting holes are guided by an associated guide portion; the air ejection control unit controls the ejection of air from the plurality of air ejection ports in accordance with a result of the inspection by the inspection unit so that the electronic components accommodated in each of the plurality of accommodating through holes pass through a sorting hole communicating with a corresponding collection path and are guided by a guide unit.

2. The electronic component transport machine according to claim 1.

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