Magnet pin for fixing reel, fixing reel method, and feeder for supplying electronic component

Abstract

To provide a technique of preventing a reel from being detached from a predetermined position of a feeder when a tape is pulled out from the reel installed in the feeder for supplying an electronic component used in a surface mounting machine, thereby realizing a stable tape pull-out.SOLUTION: A magnet pin disclosed in the present specification is capable of rotatably fixing a reel fitted and inserted into a gap between a base part and a flexible part provided in a feeder for continuously supplying an electronic component, and is inserted into a rotation shaft of the reel from a side of the flexible part through a through hole provided in the flexible part. Further, the magnet pin abuts on a protruding part protruding from the base part of the feeder toward the reel on the rotation shaft of the reel, and maintains an abutting state by a magnetic force, thereby rotatably fixing the reel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application discloses an invention relating to a feeder for supplying electronic components used in a surface mount machine that accurately places and solders electronic components on a printed circuit board, a magnetic pin for fixing a reel installed in the feeder, and a method for fixing the reel. [Background technology]

[0002] Surface mount machines are devices used to mount electronic components onto printed circuit boards and are primarily composed of two main components: a mounter and a feeder. The mounter uses precision mechanical arms and suction nozzles to precisely position electronic components. This process requires advanced control technology and precise operation, and the mounter is finely adjusted depending on the type, size, and mounting location of the component. The feeder, on the other hand, supplies electronic components to the mounter, removing components from reels and continuously feeding them to the mounter. The feeder removes components stored on the reel one by one and continuously delivers them to the mounter's work area. The precision and speed of this feeder directly affect overall production efficiency and quality, and it must be able to quickly and accurately feed a wide variety of components.

[0003] The accuracy and reliability of feeders are directly linked to the efficiency of the production line and product quality, so feeder misalignment can cause production line stoppages and production delays. Therefore, feeders require regular maintenance and accurate setup. Electronic components to be mounted on printed circuit boards are supplied wound on standardized reels, and by correctly placing these reels in the feeder, the feeder can accurately deliver the electronic components to the mounting machine. Various electronic components, such as resistors, capacitors, and IC chips, are fixed to the reel with tape, and the feeder can pull out this tape and accurately deliver the components one by one to the mounting position.

[0004] To achieve fast and accurate feeding of electronic components, conventional feeders have been disclosed that incorporate measures to stabilize the posture of electronic components at the pickup position (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, a magnet is placed on a tape support member provided in the path along which the tape runs in the feeder main body. This allows the magnetic force of the magnet to be applied to the electronic components via the underside of the tape, thereby preventing the posture of the electronic components in the pocket from becoming distorted. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 11-307992 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, while the feeder disclosed in Patent Document 1 prevents misalignment of individual electronic components fed from the reel, this is premised on the smooth unwinding of the tape on which the electronic components are attached, and does not stabilize the operation of the reel itself. In actual manufacturing situations, during the process of unwinding the tape from the reel, the reel may come off its designated position in the feeder, preventing stable unwinding of the tape and resulting in problems such as the inability to accurately feed electronic components to the mounting machine. When such a problem occurs, the entire manufacturing line must be stopped, resulting in a decline in production efficiency.

[0007] As such, businesses that handle surface mount machines need to be able to stably pull out the tape from the reel in order to avoid a drop in production efficiency.The object of the present invention is to prevent the reel from coming off the specified position on the feeder when pulling out the tape from the reel installed in the feeder, thereby realizing stable tape pulling out. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention can be realized as the following aspects.

[0009] (1) A first aspect of the present invention can be realized as a magnetic pin for rotatably fixing a reel that is inserted into a gap between a base portion and a flexible portion provided in a feeder that continuously supplies electronic components, the magnetic pin being inserted into the rotation axis of the reel from the flexible portion side through a through hole provided in the flexible portion, and abutting against a protrusion that protrudes from the base portion toward the reel on the rotation axis of the reel and maintaining the abutment state by magnetic force, thereby rotatably fixing the reel. By using this type of magnetic pin, it is possible to effectively prevent the reel inserted in the gap between the base portion and flexible portion of the feeder from coming off from its predetermined position when the tape is pulled out.

[0010] (2) A second aspect of the present invention can be realized as a method for rotatably fixing a reel that is inserted into a gap between a base portion and a flexible portion provided in a feeder that continuously supplies electronic components, the method comprising the steps of: inserting a magnetic pin into the rotation axis of the reel from the side of the flexible portion through a through hole provided in the flexible portion; and abutting the magnetic pin against a protrusion that protrudes from the base portion toward the reel on the rotation axis of the reel, and maintaining the abutment state by magnetic force, thereby rotatably fixing the reel. By using this method, it is possible to quickly and easily prevent the reel from coming off.

[0011] (3) A third aspect of the present invention can be realized as a feeder for supplying electronic components, comprising a magnetic pin for rotatably fixing a reel inserted into the gap between a base portion and a flexible portion, a through hole provided in the flexible portion, and a protrusion protruding from the base portion toward the reel on the rotation axis of the reel, wherein the magnetic pin is inserted into the rotation axis of the reel from the flexible portion side through the through hole, and rotatably fixes the reel by abutting against the protrusion and maintaining the abutment state by magnetic force. By using this type of electronic component feeder, it is possible to reliably send electronic components to the mounting machine, thereby improving the production efficiency of the manufacturing line. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state of a feeder with a reel installed therein. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating a plan view of a feeder in which a reel is installed. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the periphery of the rotation shaft of the reel. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a magnet pin. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram showing a magnet pin being inserted into the rotating shaft of the reel from the flexible portion side of the feeder; FIG. [Figure 6] 1A is a schematic diagram showing a protrusion provided on a base portion of a feeder, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing a state of a magnet pin abutting on the protrusion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a feeder with a reel installed. Feeder 1 is a mechanical device for supplying electronic components wound on reel 3 to an accurate position. Reel 3 is used to store a large amount of SMD (Surface-Mount Device) components housed in tape-like packages 2, and this tape 2 is pulled out from reel 3 at a constant speed.

[0015] The basic operating process of Feeder 1 is explained based on Figure 2. Feeder 1 pulls out tape 2 from reel 3. Electronic components are stored at regular intervals on tape 2, the top of which is usually sealed with a transparent or translucent cover tape. Feeder 1 transports the electronic components along transport path 8 while peeling off the cover tape. The transported components are then picked up by the nozzle of the placement machine and placed in the designated location on the printed circuit board. The feeder can not only supply components one by one, but also supply them continuously at high speed.

[0016] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the AA' section in Figure 2, viewed from right to left on the paper surface of Figure 2. As shown in Figure 3, the reel 3 is located in the gap between the base section 4 and the flexible section 5 provided in the feeder 1. The base section 4 is made of a member that is rigid enough to fix the position of the reel 3 in the feeder 1. On the other hand, the flexible section 5 is designed from a thin metal plate so that it can bend easily when the reel 3 is attached or detached.

[0017] The base portion 4 is provided with a protrusion 10 that protrudes toward the reel 3, and is designed so that when the reel 3 is inserted, the rotation axis Z of the reel 3 and the protrusion 10 can be aligned. When the reel 3 is attached or detached, the flexible portion 5 bends sufficiently, widening the distance between the top of the protrusion 10 and the flexible portion 5, ensuring a distance greater than the width of the reel 3, making it easy to attach or detach the reel 3. Furthermore, when the reel 3 is inserted, the flexible portion 5 returns to a predetermined position, ensuring a distance between the base portion 4 and the flexible portion 5 that is slightly greater than the width of the reel 3, allowing the reel 3 to rotate smoothly. This configuration maintains the alignment between the rotation axis Z of the reel 3 and the protrusion 10, which is the predetermined position for the reel 3 to rotate smoothly and feed out the tape.

[0018] The mechanism for holding the reel 3 in place is realized with a relatively weak force so that workers can quickly replace the reel 3. Furthermore, repeated attachment and detachment of the reel 3 over a long period of use of the feeder may cause the attachment of the flexible portion 5 to loosen, and the force holding the reel 3 in place may gradually weaken. In this case, the force holding the reel 3 in place cannot withstand the force generated when the tape 2 is pulled out from the reel 3, and the reel 3 may come out of its designated position in the feeder 1.

[0019] Therefore, by using a magnet pin 6 shown in Figure 4, it is possible to prevent the reel 3 from coming off. The magnet pin 6 is made up of a magnet pin main body 12 and a flange portion 11, and the entire body is made of a permanent magnet.

[0020] FIG. 5 shows how the magnet pin 6 is used. The magnet pin 6 is inserted into the rotation axis of the reel 3 from the side of the flexible portion 5 through a through-hole 9 provided in the flexible portion 5, and comes into contact with a protrusion 10 on the base portion 4. The manner in which the magnet pin 6 comes into contact with the protrusion 10 is shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 6. Here, FIG. 6(a) shows the state in which the magnet pin 6 is not inserted, and FIG. 6(b) shows the state in which the magnet pin 6 is inserted. Note that FIG. 6 is a view of the gap between the base portion 4 and the flexible portion 5 in FIGS. 1 and 2 viewed from below to above the paper, and does not show the reel 3. In this way, by inserting the magnetic pin 6 into the rotating shaft of the reel 3 from the side of the flexible portion 5 through the through hole 9 provided in the flexible portion 5, the reel 3 is rotatably fixed to a predetermined position on the feeder 1, and it is possible to prevent it from coming off.

[0021] Since the magnet pin 6 is made entirely of a permanent magnet, when it is inserted through the through-hole 9 provided in the flexible section 5 and comes into contact with the protrusion 10 of the base section 4, the contact state can be maintained by magnetic force. Furthermore, since the outer diameter of the magnet pin body 12 is smaller than the diameter of the through-hole 9 and the outer diameter of the flange section 11 is larger than the diameter of the through-hole 9, even when the magnet pin 6 is inserted from the flexible section 5 side, the flange section 11 remains outside the flexible section 5. This allows an operator to easily attach and detach the magnet pin 6 with one hand when replacing the reel 3, improving work efficiency.

[0022] The above-described method of fixing the reel 3 using the magnetic pin 6 can be explained as follows.

[0023] First, the reel 3 is inserted into the gap between the base portion 4 and the flexible portion 5 provided on the feeder 1. This operation is performed without the magnetic pin 6. During this insertion operation, the flexible portion 5 is sufficiently bent, widening the distance between the flexible portion 5 and the top of the protrusion 10, allowing the operator to easily insert the reel 3. The inserted reel 3 is held in a predetermined position in the feeder 1 by a weak force. In this state, it cannot resist the force generated when the tape 2 is pulled out from the reel 3, and the reel 3 will come off from its predetermined position in the feeder 1.

[0024] Next, a step is carried out in which a magnet pin 6 is inserted into the rotation shaft of the reel 3 from the side of the flexible portion 5 through a through hole 9 provided in the flexible portion 5, and the magnet pin 6 abuts against a protrusion 10 on the rotation shaft of the reel 3, maintaining the abutted state by magnetic force. Because the magnet pin 6 maintains the abutted state by magnetic force, a worker can easily perform this work with one hand in a short time. Furthermore, because the magnet pin 6 is inserted through the through hole 9 in the flexible portion 5, it can sufficiently resist the force generated when the tape 2 is pulled out from the reel 3, and as a result, the reel 3 will not come off from its predetermined position.

[0025] The invention disclosed in this application can be embodied as a feeder for supplying electronic components.

[0026] Feeder 1 is provided with a base section 4 for placing reel 3, and a flexible section 5 that holds reel 3 in a predetermined position on feeder 1 with a weak force. Reel 3 is inserted into the gap between base section 4 and flexible section 5. Flexible section 5 is also provided with a through-hole 9, and is provided with a protrusion 10 that protrudes from base section 4 toward reel 3 on the rotation axis of reel 3. The magnet pin 6 is inserted into the rotation axis of the reel 3 from the side of the flexible portion 5 through the through hole 9, and abuts against the protrusion 10, maintaining the abutment state with magnetic force, thereby fixing the reel 3 in a rotatable state.

[0027] In this way, in feeder 1 in which reel 3 is rotatably fixed by magnetic pin 6, the force generated when tape 2 is pulled out from reel 3 prevents reel 3 from coming off from its predetermined position, enabling stable and continuous supply of components. Furthermore, when removing reel 3, it is easy to remove reel 3 by simply pulling out magnetic pin 6. In other words, by using a feeder with such a configuration, it is possible to achieve more efficient operation of the production line.

[0028] The above description is presented as an example and does not limit the scope of the invention. The present invention can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] 1 feeder 2. Electronic Components 3 reels 4 Base 5 Flexible part 6 magnetic pins 7 Grip 8 Transport Route 9 Through holes 10 Protrusion 11 Flange 12 Magnet pin body

Claims

1. A magnetic pin for rotatably fixing a reel inserted into a gap between a base portion and a flexible portion provided in a feeder for continuously supplying electronic components, the reel is inserted onto the rotating shaft of the reel from the side of the flexible portion through a through hole provided in the flexible portion, The reel is rotatably fixed by contacting a protrusion protruding from the base toward the reel on the rotation axis of the reel and maintaining the contact state by magnetic force. A magnetic pin for fixing a reel.

2. A method for rotatably fixing a reel that is inserted into a gap between a base portion and a flexible portion provided in a feeder that continuously supplies electronic components, comprising: a step of inserting a magnet pin into a rotation shaft of the reel from the flexible portion side through a through hole provided in the flexible portion; a step of abutting the magnet pin against a protrusion that protrudes from the base toward the reel on the rotation axis of the reel and maintaining the abutting state by magnetic force, thereby rotatably fixing the reel; A reel fixing method comprising:

3. a magnet pin that rotatably fixes the reel inserted into the gap between the base portion and the flexible portion; a through hole provided in the flexible portion; a protrusion protruding from the base portion toward the reel on the rotation axis of the reel, The magnet pin is inserted into the rotation shaft of the reel from the side of the flexible portion through the through hole, and abuts against the protrusion and maintains the abutment state by magnetic force, thereby rotatably fixing the reel. A feeder for supplying electronic components.

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