Component supply device, component mounting device, and component supply method

Abstract

To provide a component supply device and the like capable of suppressing blackening of a component during transport of the component.SOLUTION: A component supply device 30 that supplies components stored in a case 10 in a bulk state to a take-out position 56 where the components are extracted by a holding unit that holds the components includes a conveying unit 40 that aligns and conveys the components supplied from the case 10, a supply unit 50, one end of which is connected to the conveying unit 40, and which supplies the components conveyed from the conveying unit 40 to the take-out position 56, and a control unit 61 that independently controls the transportation of components in the conveying unit 40 and the transportation of components in the supply unit 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a component supplying device, a component mounting device, and a component supplying method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic component supplying device that includes a component supply rail that supplies components supplied from a component relay room to a removal position. In this electronic component supplying device, the component supply rail is vibrated by a vibration mechanism to supply the components to the removal position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-114084 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there is a problem in that, when the component supply rail is vibrated by the vibration mechanism, the components on the component supply rail come into contact (for example, collide) with each other when the components are transported to the removal position, which causes the components to blacken.

[0005] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a component supplying device, a component mounting device, and a component supplying method that can suppress blackening of components during transport. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A component supplying device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure supplies components stored in a bulk state in a component storage section to a removal position where the components are removed by a holding section that holds the components, and includes a conveying section that aligns and conveys the components supplied from the component storage section, a supply section that is connected at one end to the conveying section and supplies the components conveyed from the conveying section to the removal position, and a control section that independently controls the conveying of the components in the conveying section and the conveying of the components in the supply section.

[0007] A component mounting apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the component supplying device described above, a head for holding the components supplied by the component supplying device, a drive unit for moving the head, and a board holding unit for holding a board on which the components held by the head are mounted.

[0008] A component supply method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a component supply method of a component supplying device that supplies components stored in a bulk state in a component storage section to a removal position where the components are removed by a holding section that holds the components, the component supplying device including a conveying section that aligns and conveys the components supplied from the component storage section, and a supply section that has one end connected to the conveying section and supplies the components conveyed from the conveying section to the removal position, and the component supplying method includes controlling the conveying of the components in the conveying section and the conveying of the components in the supply section independently of each other. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to realize a component supplying device or the like that can suppress blackening of components during transport. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a supply unit according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view that illustrates a part of the feeder according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a component supplying device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the component supplying device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view showing the Va-Va cross section shown in FIG. 4(a). [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view showing the Vb-Vb cross section shown in FIG. 4(a). [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view showing the VIa-VIa cross section shown in FIG. 4(a). [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a perspective view showing the portion enclosed by the dashed line in FIG. 4(a). [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a component supplying device according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the component supplying device according to the embodiment. [Figure 9A] FIG. 9A is a diagram showing a first example of step S20 shown in FIG. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B is a diagram showing a second example of step S20 shown in FIG. [Figure 9C] FIG. 9C is a diagram showing a third example of step S20 shown in FIG. [Figure 9D] FIG. 9D is a diagram showing a fourth example of step S20 shown in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of a component mounting apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a component supplying device according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, the embodiment will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] The embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, components, arrangement and connection of components, steps, and order of steps shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in the independent claims are described as optional components.

[0013] In addition, each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily illustrated precisely. Therefore, for example, the scales in each figure do not necessarily match. In addition, in each figure, substantially the same configurations are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0014] In this specification and the drawings, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis indicate the three axes of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. In each embodiment, the X-axis direction indicates the component transport direction, and the Z-axis direction indicates the up-down direction of the component supply device. A plan view means a view from the Z-axis direction, and a cross-sectional view means a view of a cross section defined by the Y-axis and Z-axis from the X-axis direction.

[0015] Furthermore, in this specification, terms indicating the relationship between elements, such as perpendicular and parallel, terms indicating the shape of an element, such as circular, as well as numerical values ​​and numerical ranges, are not expressions that only express a strict meaning, but are expressions that also include a substantially equivalent range, for example, a difference of about a few percent (e.g., less than 10%).

[0016] (Embodiment) Hereinafter, a component supplying device and the like according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0017] [1. Configuration of parts supply device] First, the configuration of a supply unit having a component supply device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram that shows a schematic view of a supply unit 80 according to this embodiment. The supply unit 80 is a device for supplying components (e.g., electronic components) used in a component mounting device (e.g., a component mounting device 100 shown in FIG. 10) described later. Note that FIG. 1 also shows a mounting head 107 that holds and takes out components from the feeder 20 when the supply unit 80 is attached to the component mounting device. Holding includes at least one of suction and gripping. Also, FIG. 1 shows a state in which a cover 11 of a case 10 is open.

[0018] 1, the supply unit 80 includes a case 10, a feeder 20, and a cart 70. The supply unit 80 is movable and is removably attached to the component mounting apparatus.

[0019] The case 10 is a hollow box and contains components in a random state. The case 10 contains, for example, components in a bulk state. The case 10 is detachably attached to the feeder 20 and supplies the contained components to the feeder 20. For example, the case 10 supplies the contained components to the feeder 20 by being shaken by vibration or the like while attached to the feeder 20. The case 10 is an example of a component storage section. The components are, for example, electronic components such as resistors and capacitors, but are not limited thereto, and may be any object that can be mounted on an object such as a board. At least a part of the components may be metal, or may have electrostatic or magnetic properties. The metal part or the part having electrostatic or magnetic properties may be provided exposed, for example. The metal part may be, for example, a metal layer (plating layer).

[0020] Case 10 has cover 11. Cover 11 is provided at an opening for supplying components from inside case 10 to feeder 20. Cover 11 covers the opening when case 10 is not attached to feeder 20. Cover 11 is opened when case 10 is attached to feeder 20. For example, when case 10 is attached to attachment portion 32 of feeder 20, cover 11 is pushed toward the negative X-axis side by a rod (not shown) provided at attachment portion 32, and thus rotates about the Y-axis direction as a rotation axis.

[0021] Feeder 20 supplies components stored in case 10 in a bulk state to a removal position where the components are removed by mounting head 107 that holds the components. In this embodiment, feeder 20 is configured to transport components by air rather than vibration.

[0022] The feeder 20 is detachably attached to the carriage 70, which moves the feeder 20 to a predetermined position of the component mounting device. Note that the carriage 70 is not an essential component.

[0023] Here, feeder 20 will be further described with reference to Figures 2 to 6B. Figure 2 is a perspective view that diagrammatically shows a portion of feeder 20 according to the present embodiment.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the feeder 20 has a component supplying device 30 and a main body portion 60.

[0025] The component supplying device 30 has the case 10 removably attached thereto, and transports the components supplied from the case 10.

[0026] The component supplying device 30 has a conveying unit 40 and a supplying unit 50. The component supplying device 30 also has a mounting unit 32 to which the case 10 is mounted, and a tube 36 used for vacuum suction to fix the component.

[0027] The conveying unit 40 is a conveying mechanism for aligning a plurality of components supplied from the case 10 to the component supply position 42 and conveying them to the supply unit 50. The conveying unit 40 has, for example, a second sensor 41 that detects the amount of components accommodated in the conveying unit 40. It can also be said that the second sensor 41 detects the storage state of the components (for example, the amount of the components) in the conveying unit 40. The second sensor 41 may detect, for example, the storage state of the components in a first conveying section (for example, the first conveying section 40a1 shown in FIG. 4) described later. The second sensor 41 may detect, for example, the presence or absence of a component at a predetermined position in the conveying unit 40. The second sensor 41 is not particularly limited as long as it is a sensor that can detect a component. The second sensor 41 may be a sensor that detects a component using light. The second sensor 41 is an example of a second detection unit.

[0028] Here, alignment means that the orientations of a plurality of components are aligned and that the components are arranged in a line. When the components are rectangular parallelepipeds, alignment means, for example, aligning the components such that their long sides are oriented in a first direction (the positive direction of the X-axis) from the component supply position 42 toward the supply unit 50, and arranging the components facing the first direction in a line. Here, arranging in a line is not limited to a perfect line, but may be a substantially single line, and may be, for example, a zigzag pattern. Hereinafter, a direction (for example, the X-axis direction) and an orientation (for example, the positive direction of the X-axis) will be simply referred to as a direction (for example, a first direction).

[0029] The supply unit 50 is a conveying mechanism connected at one end to the conveying unit 40, and supplies a plurality of components conveyed from the conveying unit 40 to a removal position where the components are removed by the mounting head 107. The supply unit 50 has a first sensor 51 that detects the amount of components accommodated in the supply unit 50. The first sensor 51 detects, for example, the presence or absence of components at a predetermined position in the supply unit 50. The first sensor 51 is provided, for example, near a supply unit inlet 52 that is a connection position between the conveying unit 40 and the supply unit 50, and detects components that have passed through the supply unit inlet 52. There are no particular limitations on the first sensor 51 as long as it is a sensor that can detect components. The first sensor 51 may be a sensor that detects components using light.

[0030] The mounting portion 32 is a portion to which the case 10 is attached and detached, and serves to fix the case 10 and to open and close the cover 11 of the case 10 .

[0031] The tube 36 forms a vacuum path for fixing the component transported to the removal position by vacuum suction. The tube 36 communicates with a suction hole (suction hole 55a shown in FIG. 6B) for suctioning the component provided in the supply unit 50. The suction hole is provided at the removal position.

[0032] The component supply device 30 is detachably attached to the main body 60. The main body 60 is a housing that houses the first air supply unit 62 (first supply unit 62), the second air supply unit 63 (first supply unit 63), the third sensor 64, etc., and is, for example, a box. The main body 60 may also house a control unit 61.

[0033] The first air supply unit 62 communicates with a plurality of air ejection holes that open to the transfer unit 40, and supplies air ejected from the plurality of air ejection holes.

[0034] The second air supply unit 63 communicates with the plurality of air ejection holes opening in the supply unit 50, and supplies air ejected from the plurality of air ejection holes.

[0035] The first air supply unit 62 and the second air supply unit 63 supply compressed air to a degree that allows components to be floated and transported. The pressure of the compressed air is controlled by a regulator or the like. A first air passage (for example, a broken line path connected to the first air supply unit 62 shown in FIG. 2) is formed between the first air supply unit 62 and the multiple air outlets of the transport unit 40 by a tube or the like, and a valve (for example, an electromagnetic valve) that switches between the supply of air and the non-supply of air is provided on the first air passage. A second air passage (for example, a broken line path connected to the second air supply unit 63 shown in FIG. 2) is formed between the second air supply unit 63 and the multiple air outlets of the supply unit 50 by a tube or the like, and a valve (for example, an electromagnetic valve) that switches between the supply of air and the non-supply of air is provided on the second air passage. The gas supplied by the first air supply unit 62 and the second air supply unit 63 is not limited to air, and may be other gases.

[0036] The third sensor 64 detects whether or not a component is present at the removal position by measuring the air flow rate or vacuum level in a vacuum path connected to a suction hole for suctioning a component provided in the supply unit 50. The third sensor 64 detects that a component is present at the removal position when the air flow rate is equal to or lower than a predetermined value or the vacuum level is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. The mounting head 107 picks up and holds the component at the removal position based on the detection result of the third sensor 64. The vacuum path is an example of an air path. The third sensor 64 is an example of a third detection unit.

[0037] The control unit 61 is a control device that controls the transportation of components in the component supply device 30. The control unit 61 controls the transportation of components in the transport unit 40 and the transportation of components in the supply unit 50 independently of each other. For example, the control unit 61 controls the air to be ejected from the multiple air ejection holes of the transport unit 40 and the air to be ejected from the multiple air ejection holes of the supply unit 50 independently of each other via an air supply mechanism. Controlling the air includes controlling at least one of the air ON / OFF, air pressure, air ejection direction, air flow rate, etc.

[0038] It can be said that the control unit 61 controls the air supply mechanism. The air supply mechanism includes at least one of the first air supply unit 62, the second air supply unit 63, a regulator, a valve, an air path, and each air outlet. The air supply mechanism is a mechanism for ejecting air for transporting components from each of the plurality of air outlets 43b opening on the support surface 43a (an example of a first support surface) on which the components are supported in the transport unit 40, and the plurality of air outlets 53b opening on the support surface 53a (an example of a second support surface) on which the components are supported in the supply unit 50.

[0039] The control unit 61 generates a thrust only in a first direction (forward, in the positive direction of the X-axis) by levitating and transporting the component. The control unit 61 may control the first air supply unit 62 and the second air supply unit 63, etc., to supply pulsed air by repeatedly turning the air blowing ON and OFF at predetermined intervals. In other words, the component may be transported while moving up and down in the Z-axis direction. Note that the air blowing conditions for levitating and transporting are not limited to those described above.

[0040] Although the control unit 61 is provided in the main body unit 60 in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 61 may be provided in the component supplying device 30.

[0041] Furthermore, the main body 60 may house an air suction device that communicates with the suction holes and the tubes 36 and that fixes the component in the removal position by sucking air through the suction holes.

[0042] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the component supply device 30 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the component supply device 30 according to the present embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 4(a) shows a plan view of the component supply device 30 according to the present embodiment, FIG. 4(b) shows an enlarged broken line area in the main body 40a shown in FIG. 4(a), and FIG. 4(c) shows an enlarged broken line area in the main body 50a shown in FIG. 4(a). FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view showing the Va-Va cross section shown in FIG. 4(a). FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view showing the Vb-Vb cross section shown in FIG. 4(a). Note that the first sensor 51 and the second sensor 41 are omitted in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. In addition, in the present embodiment, the propulsive force of the component in the component supply device 30 is all air. In other words, in the present embodiment, vibration is not used to generate the propulsive force of the component in the component supply device 30.

[0043] 3, the conveying section 40 of the component supplying device 30 has a main body section 40a and a lid section 40b. The lid section 40b covers the main body section 40a and is fixed to the main body section 40a by a fastening member 38 such as a screw. The lid section 40b is formed with a through hole 40b1 through which the component from the case 10 passes. The component passes through the through hole 40b1 and is supplied to the component supplying position 42.

[0044] A rubber sheet member may be provided on the surface of the lid portion 40b on the negative side of the Z axis. When the lid portion 40b is fixed to the main body portion 40a, the sheet member may be provided in the component supply position 42 in a plan view, or may be provided on the boundary between the component supply position 42 and the component alignment portion 43 and the first inclined surface 44. When the lid portion 40b is fixed to the main body portion 40a, the sheet member is provided at a predetermined distance from the component supply position 42. For example, when the component is a rectangular parallelepiped, the predetermined distance is larger than the length of the shortest side of the component and smaller than the length of the longest side of the component. The sheet member has a function of contacting only upright components (components whose long sides are in the vertical direction) and laying down the components in contact. This makes it possible to prevent upright components from being transported to the component alignment portion 43 or the first inclined surface 44.

[0045] 3 and 4, the main body 40a has a second sensor 41 (see FIG. 2), a component supply position 42, a component alignment section 43, a first inclined surface 44, a second inclined surface 45, a cover 46, a swivel section 47, a return conveyance section 48, side walls 49a and 49c, and a partition wall 49b. The air ejection holes of the conveyance section 40 are formed in the component supply position 42, the component alignment section 43, the first inclined surface 44, the second inclined surface 45, the swivel section 47, and the return conveyance section 48.

[0046] The component supply position 42 is a portion (area) where components are supplied from the case 10. Also, at the component supply position 42, there are also components that are not aligned in the component alignment section 43 and have returned via the return conveying section 48. At the component supply position 42, a plurality of air ejection holes (not shown) are formed for supplying the components supplied from the case 10 and the components returned via the return conveying section 48 to the component alignment section 43. Note that the component supply position 42 is a flat surface, but may be at least partially inclined, for example.

[0047] The component supply position 42 is connected to both the component alignment section 43 and the first inclined surface 44. In other words, a component at the component supply position 42 is supplied to either the component alignment section 43 or the first inclined surface 44 by air from a plurality of air outlets (not shown) formed at the component supply position 42.

[0048] The component alignment section 43 aligns the components and transports them to the supply section 50. The component alignment section 43 is provided to extend in a first direction.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 4(b), a plurality of air ejection holes 43b are formed on the support surface 43a of the component alignment section 43. The component alignment section 43 sequentially transports a plurality of components using air ejected from the plurality of air ejection holes 43b. The component alignment section 43 can transport a plurality of components simultaneously using the plurality of air ejection holes 43b. Note that in Fig. 4(b), a portion of an air passage for communicating between the first air supply section 62 and the air ejection hole 43b is shown by a dashed line in the air ejection hole 43b on the positive side of the X-axis.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 5A, the component alignment section 43 is a concave groove extending in the first direction. The support surface 43a is formed by the bottom surface of the groove. The support surface 43a is located on the negative side of the Z axis from the first inclined surface 44. The support surface 43a is provided with a plurality of air ejection holes 43b, which are openings for floating and transporting the components in the first direction. The plurality of air ejection holes 44b formed in the support surface 43a are formed so as to be able to eject air in the first direction and upward. That is, the plurality of air ejection holes 43b formed in the support surface eject air obliquely upward on the first direction side when viewed from the Y axis direction. Also, the plurality of air ejection holes 43b formed in the support surface 43a eject air in a direction perpendicular to the support surface 43a when viewed from the X axis direction.

[0051] When the components are rectangular parallelepipeds, the width in the Y-axis direction of component alignment section 43 is greater than the length of the shortest side of the components and less than the length of the longest side of the components, but is not limited to this. Also, when the components are rectangular parallelepipeds, the width in the Y-axis direction of component alignment section 43 may be less than twice the length of the shortest side of the components. Also, the width in the Y-axis direction of component alignment section 43 may be determined taking into account the dimensional tolerance of the components.

[0052] In addition, the component alignment portion 43 is not limited to being a groove, and may be, for example, a flat surface connected to the lower end portion (the end portion on the positive side of the Y-axis) of the first inclined surface 44, or may be an inclined surface inclined in the opposite direction to the first inclined surface 44.

[0053] The first inclined surface 44 is provided along the component alignment section 43 and inclines downward toward the component alignment section 43. It can also be said that the first inclined surface 44 is provided adjacent to the component alignment section 43. The first inclined surface 44 is provided to move the components supplied from the component supply position 42 to the first inclined surface 44 toward the component alignment section 43. The first inclined surface 44 is, for example, a flat inclined surface provided extending in the first direction.

[0054] A plurality of air ejection holes 44b are formed in the first inclined surface 44, which are openings for floating and transporting the components on the first inclined surface 44 to the component alignment section 43. The plurality of air ejection holes 44b formed in the first inclined surface 44 are formed so as to be able to eject air in a first direction and upward. The plurality of air ejection holes 44b formed in the first inclined surface 44 eject air in a direction perpendicular to the first inclined surface 44 when viewed from the X-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 4B, a plurality of air ejection holes 44b are formed in the first inclined surface 44. In FIG. 4B, a portion of an air passage for communicating the first air supply section 62 and the air ejection holes 44b is illustrated by a dashed line in the air ejection hole 44b on the positive side of the X-axis.

[0055] The inclination angle of first inclined surface 44 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, an angle at which the components on first inclined surface 44 do not move (e.g., do not slip or rotate) to component alignment section 43 when air is not being ejected from multiple air ejection holes 44b of first inclined surface 44. This makes it possible to suppress friction between first inclined surface 44 and the components, that is, blackening of the components, which may occur when the components on first inclined surface 44 move to component alignment section 43 when air is not being ejected from multiple air ejection holes 44b of first inclined surface 44.

[0056] The inclination angle of first inclined surface 44 may be, for example, an angle at which the components on first inclined surface 44 move to component alignment section 43 while air is being ejected from multiple air ejection holes 44b of first inclined surface 44. The inclination angle of first inclined surface 44 may be, for example, 10 degrees or less, or 5 degrees or less. The inclination angle is the angle at which the direction of support surface 43a of component alignment section 43 in FIG. 5A (Y-axis direction) intersects with an extension line of first inclined surface 44, and is an angle of 90 degrees or less.

[0057] Furthermore, since the air on first inclined surface 44 is pulsed air, the components on first inclined surface 44 are more susceptible to the inclination of first inclined surface 44 and can be more easily moved to component alignment section 43.

[0058] 4 again, the second inclined surface 45 is provided along the component alignment section 43 on the downstream side (the positive side of the X-axis) of the first inclined surface 44 in the first direction, and prevents a component that has moved from the first inclined surface 44 to the second inclined surface 45 from moving to the component alignment section 43. For example, at least a portion of the second inclined surface 45 is inclined downward in the opposite direction to the component alignment section 43. Note that the second inclined surface 45 is not limited to being inclined.

[0059] 5B, the second inclined surface 45 may be a surface parallel to the support surface 43a of the component alignment unit 43, the surface being disposed on the Z-axis positive side of the support surface 43a. In this case, the second inclined surface 45 may be provided with a plurality of air ejection holes so that air can be ejected upward toward the opposite side to the component alignment unit 43 (the Y-axis negative side) in the cross section shown in FIG.

[0060] The length in the Y-axis direction of second inclined surface 45 is, for example, longer than the length in the Y-axis direction of component alignment section 43. The length in the Y-axis direction of second inclined surface 45 is, for example, longer than the length of the long side of the component.

[0061] In addition, although Figure 4 shows an example in which the first inclined surface 44 and the second inclined surface 45 are directly connected, for example, a switching section may be provided between the first inclined surface 44 and the second inclined surface 45, which gradually switches the inclination angle from the first inclined surface 44 to the second inclined surface 45 from the component supply position 42 side (upstream side) toward the supply section 50 side (downstream side).

[0062] The first transport portion 40a1 includes at least the first inclined surface 44. The first transport portion 40a1 may further include a second inclined surface 45.

[0063] The cover 46 is disposed at a position corresponding to the end (the end on the positive side of the X-axis) of the first conveying portion 40a1 (e.g., the second inclined surface 45) on the side of the removal position in the first direction, with a predetermined gap in the Z-axis direction from the support surface 43a of the component alignment unit 43, and covers the upper part of the component alignment unit 43. It can also be said that the cover 46 covers a part of the component alignment unit 43 and the component straight advancement unit 53. The cover 46 is provided, for example, in the case where there are components overlapping in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) in the component alignment unit 43, in order to prevent the components from being conveyed to the supply unit 50 in an overlapped state. The predetermined gap is, for example, a distance at which the cover 46 does not come into contact with a lower member and can come into contact with an upper member in the case where there are components overlapping in the vertical direction in the component alignment unit 43.

[0064] Cover 46 has a shape that allows the upper component to be moved to swivel unit 47. Cover 46 moves the upper component to swivel unit 47, for example, when an end face on the negative X-axis side of cover 46 abuts against the upper component. The surface on the negative X-axis side of cover 46 may be, for example, an inclined surface that inclines in the positive X-axis direction as it moves from the positive Y-axis side to the negative Y-axis side (moves away from component alignment unit 43) in a plan view. Furthermore, the inclined surface may be formed with a plurality of air ejection holes that eject air toward the negative Y-axis side.

[0065] By passing through the component alignment section 43 which is formed into a tunnel shape by the cover 46 , the components are transported from the transport section 40 to the supply section 50 .

[0066] The swivel section 47 is a portion (area) for moving the parts from the second inclined surface 45 and the cover 46 to the return conveyance section 48, and is connected to both the second inclined surface 45 and the return conveyance section 48. A plurality of air ejection holes for moving the parts are formed in the swivel section 47. Note that the swivel section 47 is a flat surface, but for example, at least a portion of it may be inclined.

[0067] The return conveying section 48 is connected to the second inclined surface 45 and is provided along the first conveying portion 40a1, and conveys the components in a second direction (X-axis minus direction) opposite to the first direction. The return conveying section 48 is provided to return the components that have not been aligned by the component alignment section 43 to the component supply position 42. The return conveying section 48 is formed with a plurality of air ejection holes (not shown) that open to a support surface that supports the components of the return conveying section 48, and ejects air in a second direction and upward from the plurality of air ejection holes to convey the components to the component supply position 42. The pressure or flow rate of the air ejected from the plurality of air ejection holes of the return conveying section 48 may be higher than or the same as the pressure or flow rate of the air ejected from the plurality of air ejection holes of the component alignment section 43, the first inclined surface 44, and the second inclined surface 45. The air ejection holes formed on the support surface of the return conveying section 48 are an example of a second air ejection hole.

[0068] The support surface of the return conveying section 48 may be, for example, an inclined surface that inclines upward (in the positive direction of the Z axis) from the turning section 47 toward the component supply position 42. In other words, the component may be conveyed by the return conveying section 48 from the turning section 47 to the component supply position 42 that is located at a higher position than the turning section 47.

[0069] The second conveying portion 40a2 is configured to include the return conveying section 48. It can also be said that the second conveying portion 40a2 has a plurality of air ejection holes (an example of a second air ejection hole) that open to a support surface (an example of a third support surface) on which the components of the second conveying portion 40a2 are supported and that are configured to be able to eject air in the second direction and upward.

[0070] The side walls 49a and 49c and the partition wall 49b are walls that extend in a first direction and form the first transport portion 40a1 and the second transport portion 40a2. The side walls 49a and the partition wall 49b form the first transport portion 40a1, and the partition wall 49b and the side walls 49c form the second transport portion 40a2. The partition wall 49b also functions as a partition that prevents air ejected from one of the first transport portion 40a1 and the second transport portion 40a2 from flowing to the other.

[0071] The side walls 49a and 49c and the partition wall 49b may be formed integrally, for example. In other words, there may be no gap between the first transport portion 40a1 and the second transport portion 40a2.

[0072] In addition, for example, when the first conveying portion 40a1 and the second conveying portion 40a2 convey parts by vibration, the vibration conditions are different, so a gap is formed between the first conveying portion 40a1 and the second conveying portion 40a2. This can cause problems such as an increase in the width of the conveying portion and parts getting caught in the gap.

[0073] On the other hand, in the conveying section 40 according to the present embodiment, as described above, no gap is formed between the first conveying portion 40a1 and the second conveying portion 40a2, so that the positions of the first conveying portion 40a1 and the second conveying portion 40a2 can be brought closer to each other, and the width (length in the Y-axis direction) of the conveying section 40 can be reduced. In other words, the component supply device 30 can be made smaller. Also, it is possible to prevent the components from getting caught in the gap. For example, the components can be smoothly turned at the turning section 47.

[0074] As described above, the conveying section 40 includes the first conveying portion 40a1 that conveys parts in a first direction toward the supplying section 50, and the second conveying portion 40a2 that is provided along the first conveying portion 40a1 and conveys parts from the first conveying portion 40a1 in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The first conveying portion 40a1 and the second conveying portion 40a2 form a circular path.

[0075] It should be noted that the first conveying portion 40a1 is not formed in the supply section 50. In other words, the length of the first conveying portion 40a1 in the first direction is shorter than the total length of the component alignment section 43 and the component straight advancement section 53 in the first direction (an example of the length of the alignment section in the first direction).

[0076] Next, the supply unit 50 will be further described with reference to Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B. Fig. 6A is a cross-sectional view showing the VIa-VIa cross section shown in Fig. 4(a). Fig. 6B is a perspective view showing the portion enclosed by the dashed line frame VIb shown in Fig. 4(a). Note that Figs. 6A and 6B omit the illustration of a plurality of air ejection holes formed on the support surface (bottom surface). Furthermore, Fig. 6B omits the illustration of the side wall 54a.

[0077] 3, the supply unit 50 of the component supply device 30 has a main body unit 50a and a lid unit 50b. The lid unit 50b covers the main body unit 50a and is fixed to the main body unit 50a by a fastening member 38 such as a screw.

[0078] 3 and 4, the main body 50a has a first sensor 51 (see FIG. 2), a component straight-line section 53, and side walls 54a and 54b. The first sensor 51 is provided, for example, near the inlet of the component straight-line section 53 (near the supply section inlet 52) ​​and detects components passing through the supply section inlet 52. The side walls 54a and 54b are examples of side members.

[0079] The component straightening section 53 is connected to the component alignment section 43, and supplies the components to the removal position by conveying the aligned components from the conveying section 40 to the removal position. The component straightening section 53 is provided to extend in the first direction.

[0080] As shown in (c) of Fig. 4, a plurality of air ejection holes 53b are formed in the support surface 53a of the component straight-line section 53. The component straight-line section 53 sequentially transports a plurality of components by air ejected from the plurality of air ejection holes 53b. The component straight-line section 53 can transport a plurality of components simultaneously by the plurality of air ejection holes 53b. Note that in (c) of Fig. 4, a portion of an air passage for communicating between the second air supply section 63 and the air ejection hole 53b is shown by a dashed line in the air ejection hole 53b on the positive side of the X-axis.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 6A, the component straightening section 53 is a concave groove extending in the first direction. The support surface 53a of the component straightening section 53 is formed by the bottom surface of the groove and supports the component. The support surface 53a is connected to the support surface 43a of the component alignment section 43 and is a surface on the same plane as the support surface 43a. The support surface 53a is formed with a plurality of air ejection holes 53b for floating and transporting the component in the first direction. The plurality of air ejection holes 53b formed in the support surface 53a are formed so as to be able to eject air in the first direction and upward. That is, the plurality of air ejection holes 53b formed in the support surface 53a eject air obliquely upward on the first direction side when viewed from the Y-axis direction. Also, the plurality of air ejection holes 53b formed in the support surface 53a eject air in a direction perpendicular to the support surface 53a when viewed from the X-axis direction.

[0082] When the component is a rectangular parallelepiped, the width (length in the Y-axis direction) of component straight-line portion 53 is greater than the length of the shortest side of the component and less than the length of the longest side of the component. The width of component straight-line portion 53 may be the same as the width of component alignment portion 43. This prevents the component from contacting a wall surface or the like at the boundary (connection point) between component straight-line portion 53 and component alignment portion 43, which is effective in preventing blackening of the component.

[0083] The part straight-line section 53 has two side walls 54a and 54b arranged to face each other with a gap in the width direction of the support surface 53a. One of the two side walls 54a and 54b (side wall 54b in the example of FIGS. 6A and 6B) has a plurality of air ejection holes 54b2 that eject air toward the other of the two side walls 54a and 54b (side wall 54a in the example of FIGS. 6A and 6B). When the part straight-line section 53 is a groove, the plurality of air ejection holes 54b2 are formed in one of the opposing wall surfaces 54a1 and 54b1 (wall surface 54b1 in the example of FIGS. 6A and 6B) of a pair of side walls for forming the groove. The plurality of air ejection holes 54b2 are provided in the wall surface 54b1 along the first direction. During the period when air is being ejected from the plurality of air ejection holes 53b of the support surface 53a of the part straightening portion 53, air is also ejected from the plurality of air ejection holes 54b2.

[0084] The multiple air ejection holes 54b2 are provided so as to be able to eject air onto the components being floated and transported by the component straightening section 53. The multiple air ejection holes 54b2 are provided, for example, at a height so as to be able to eject air onto the components. Note that the pressure or flow rate of the air ejected from the air ejection holes 54b2 may be lower than the pressure or flow rate of the air ejected from the air ejection holes 53b. The air ejection holes 54b2 are an example of a third air ejection hole.

[0085] 6B, component straight-line section 53 has wall section 55 at the end of component straight-line section 53 in the first direction, which abuts against an end face of the component in the first direction. Wall section 55 abuts against the component to stop the transport of the component in the first direction. Wall section 55 has a function of positioning the component at removal position 56.

[0086] Wall portion 55 is formed with suction holes 55a for sucking air. The surface of the component on the first direction side that has been transported to removal position 56 is sucked by suction holes 55a, so that the component is firmly positioned on wall portion 55. This fixes the component at the removal position. Furthermore, the suction of air by suction holes 55a may assist in the transport of the component to removal position 56. The suction of air by suction holes 55a may also pull the component to removal position 56. In this way, suction holes 55a may have a function of transporting the component in addition to a function of positioning the component.

[0087] For example, air ejection holes 53b are formed up to removal position 56. In other words, suction holes for fixing a component cannot be provided at the removal position on support surface 53a of component straight-line section 53. In such a case, by providing suction holes 55a in wall section 55, the component can be fixed at a desired position without impeding floating transport of the component.

[0088] The suction hole 55a is an example of an adsorption section that adsorbs an end face of a component on a first direction side (an end face on the positive side of the X-axis). The adsorption section is not limited to adsorbing a component by suction of air, and may be configured to adsorb a component by any of electrostatic force, magnetic force, and adhesive force. Any existing configuration may be used as the configuration for adsorbing a component by any of electrostatic force, magnetic force, and adhesive force. For example, when adsorbing a component by electrostatic force, the adsorption section is configured to include one or more electrodes for generating electrostatic force. Then, the component may be adsorbed (e.g., in close contact) to the wall section 55 by electrostatic force between the one or more electrodes and the component generated by application of a DC voltage to the one or more electrodes by the control section 61.

[0089] The component straight-line section 53 and the component alignment section 43 form an alignment section in the component supply device 30. The alignment section aligns the components supplied from the case 10 and transports them to the take-out position. For example, the multiple air ejection holes are configured to be able to eject air in a first direction from the case 10 toward the take-out position 56 and upward in the alignment section and the first inclined surface 44, respectively. The multiple air ejection holes here include air ejection holes 43b, 44b, and 53b. For example, the air ejection holes 43b and 53b are an example of a first air ejection hole, and the air ejection hole 44b is an example of a second air ejection hole. The component straight-line section 53 forms a downstream section on the take-out position 56 side in the first direction of the alignment section.

[0090] The control unit 61 may turn off the suction of air through the suction holes 55a at the timing when the mounting head 107 picks up the component.

[0091] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the component supply device 30 according to the present embodiment.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 7, the component supplying device 30 has, as its functional configuration, the first sensor 51, the second sensor 41, the control unit 61, the first air supplying unit 62, and the second air supplying unit 63, as described above.

[0093] [2. Operation of parts supply device] Next, the operation of the component supplying device 30 configured as above will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 9D. Figure 8 is a flow chart showing the operation of the component supplying device 30 according to this embodiment.

[0094] 8, the control unit 61 determines whether or not production has started, which requires the operation of the component supplying device 30 (S10). The control unit 61 may determine that production has started, for example, when the operation of a mounting system to which the component supplying device 30 is attached has started, or may determine that production has started by obtaining information indicating that production has started from a higher-level control device.

[0095] Next, when production has started (Yes in S10), the control unit 61 controls the transportation of parts in the transport unit 40 and the transportation of parts in the supply unit 50 independently of each other (S20). In other words, the control unit 61 does not uniformly control the transportation of parts in the transport unit 40 and the supply unit 50. In this embodiment, the control unit 61 controls the air transportation of parts in the transport unit 40 and the air transportation of parts in the supply unit 50 independently of each other.

[0096] Next, the control unit 61 determines whether or not the production has ended (S30). The control unit 61 may determine that the production has ended, for example, when the operation of the component mounting device to which the component supplying device 30 is attached has ended, or may determine that the production has ended by acquiring information indicating that the production has ended from a higher-level control device, or may determine that the production has ended when the number of components detected by the first sensor 51 exceeds a predetermined number.

[0097] Next, if production has ended (Yes in S30), the control unit 61 stops controlling the transport of parts in the transport unit 40 and the transport of parts in the supply unit 50 (S40), and if production has not ended (No in S30), returns to step S20 and continues the processing of step S20.

[0098] Next, the control unit 61 ends the operation after executing the process of step S40, or if production has not started (No in S10).

[0099] Here, the control of step S20 will be described with reference to Fig. 9A to Fig. 9D. Fig. 9A is a diagram showing a first example of step S20 shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 9A shows an operation in a state where the supply of air to the conveying unit 40 is stopped. Note that air may be supplied to the supply unit 50 during the operation shown in Fig. 9A.

[0100] The control unit 61 acquires a detection result indicating whether or not there is a component in the supply unit 50 from the first sensor 51 (S21). The control unit 61 acquires the detection result from the first sensor 51, for example, at predetermined time intervals.

[0101] Next, when there is no component in the supply unit 50 based on the detection result (No in S22), the control unit 61 supplies air to the conveying unit 40 (S23). For example, when the result in step S22 is No, the control unit 61 can be said to start supplying air to the conveying unit 40. Specifically, the control unit 61 controls the first air supply unit 62 and the like to eject air from the air ejection holes of the conveying unit 40. For example, the control unit 61 integrally controls the supply of air to each of the component supply position 42, the component alignment unit 43, the first inclined surface 44, the second inclined surface 45, the swivel unit 47, and the return conveying unit 48. For example, the control unit 61 ejects air from all of the multiple air ejection holes formed in the conveying unit 40 in step S23.

[0102] In this way, the control unit 61 may control the transport of parts in the transport unit 40 based on, for example, the detection result of the first sensor 51. When the control unit 61 obtains a detection result from the first sensor 51 indicating that there are no parts in the supply unit 50 (for example, a detection result indicating that there are no parts in a predetermined position in the supply unit 50), the control unit 61 causes the transport unit 40 to transport the parts.

[0103] FIG. 9B is a diagram showing a second example of step S20 shown in FIG.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 9B, when production starts (Yes in S10), the control unit 61 supplies air to the supply unit 50 (S24). Specifically, the control unit 61 controls the second air supply unit 63 and the like to eject air from at least the air ejection holes 53b of the supply unit 50. For example, the control unit 61 ejects air from each of the air ejection holes 53b and 54b2 in step S24. The control unit 61 may integrally control the supply of air to each of the air ejection holes 53b and 54b2. Furthermore, the control unit 61 may cause the suction holes 55a to suck air in step S24.

[0105] In this way, the control unit 61 may, for example, control the transport of components in the supply unit 50 regardless of the detection result of the first sensor 51. The control unit 61 may, for example, perform control to always supply components to the removal position of the supply unit 50 when the component mounting apparatus 100 described below is operating. For example, the control unit 61 may perform control to supply air from the second air supply unit 63 to the multiple air ejection holes 53b when the component mounting apparatus 100 is operating.

[0106] FIG. 9C is a diagram showing a third example of step S20 shown in FIG.

[0107] As shown in Fig. 9C, the control unit 61 may perform the operations of steps S25 to S27 in addition to the operations shown in Fig. 9A. If there is no component in the supply unit 50 (No in S22), the control unit 61 supplies air to the supply unit 50 for a predetermined period (S25). For example, if the result is No in step S22, the control unit 61 does not immediately supply air to the transport unit 40, but continues to supply air to the supply unit 50 for a predetermined period. At this time, air is not being supplied to the transport unit 40.

[0108] Next, the control unit 61 acquires the detection result after air is supplied from the first sensor 51 to the supply unit 50 (S26). If there is no component in the supply unit 50 based on the detection result acquired in step S26 (No in S27), the control unit 61 supplies air to the conveying unit 40 (S23), and if there is a component in the supply unit 50 (Yes in S27), the control unit 61 does not supply air to the conveying unit 40.

[0109] In this way, for example, when there is no part at a specified position in the supply unit 50, the control unit 61 may cause the supply unit 50 to transport the part for a specified period of time, and when there is still no part at the specified position after the specified period of time, the control unit 61 may cause the transport unit 40 to transport the part.

[0110] As a result, the transport section 40 transports components only when there are no components reliably present in the supply section 50, so that blackening of the components due to contact with each other in the transport section 40 can be further suppressed.

[0111] FIG. 9D is a diagram showing a fourth example of step S20 shown in FIG.

[0112] As shown in FIG. 9D, when production starts (Yes in S10), the control unit 61 may supply air to the alignment unit and the first conveying portion 40a1 (S28).

[0113] Furthermore, the control unit 61 may perform control to supply components from the case 10 based on, for example, a detection result of the second sensor 41. For example, when the control unit 61 obtains a detection result from the second sensor 41 indicating that there are no components in the transport unit 40 (for example, a detection result indicating that there are no components in a predetermined position of the transport unit 40), the control unit 61 may vibrate the case 10 to supply the components to the component supply position 42. For example, when there are no components in a predetermined position of the transport unit 40, the control unit 61 may cause the transport unit 40 to transport the components for a predetermined period of time, and when there are no components in the predetermined position after the predetermined period, the control unit 61 may supply the components from the case 10 to the component supply position 42 since there are no components in the transport unit 40.

[0114] In this way, the control unit 61 may control the transport of parts in the transport section 40 based on the detection result of the second sensor 41, and may also control the transport of parts in the supply section 50 regardless of the detection result of the second sensor 41.

[0115] [3. Configuration of component mounting equipment] Next, a component mounting apparatus 100 to which a supply unit 80 having the component supply device 30 described above is attached will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of the component mounting apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. An example of the component mounting apparatus 100 that mounts components on a board 103 will be described. The component mounting apparatus 100 has a function of taking out components from a feeder that supplies components, and transferring and mounting the components on the board 103. The board 103 is an example of an object on which components are to be mounted.

[0116] As shown in FIG. 10, the component mounting apparatus 100 includes a supply unit 80, a base 101, a substrate conveying mechanism 102, a component mounting mechanism 108 including a mounting head 107, a substrate recognition camera 109, a component recognition camera 110, and a power supply unit (not shown).

[0117] The board transport mechanism 102 is disposed near the center of the base 101 along the X-axis (the transport direction of the board 103). The board transport mechanism 102 transports the board 103 carried in from the upstream side in a direction along the X-axis, and positions and holds the board 103 on a mounting stage set for performing component mounting work. The board transport mechanism 102 is an example of a board holding unit that holds the board 103 on which components held by the mounting head 107 will be mounted.

[0118] The supply unit 80 is detachably mounted on a supply unit mounting section (not shown) of the base 101, which is the main body of the component mounting apparatus 100. More specifically, the carriage 70 constituting the supply unit 80 is mounted on the supply unit mounting section. In this embodiment, the supply unit mounting sections are provided on both sides of the board transport mechanism 102, and the supply unit 80 is also disposed on both sides of the board transport mechanism 102. In each supply unit 80, a plurality of feeders 20 can be arranged in parallel along the Y axis, and at least one feeder 20 (bulk feeder) is mounted in parallel. In addition, by mounting the supply unit 80 on the base 101, each functional section (for example, the first air supply section 62 and the second air supply section 63, etc.) of the supply unit 80 is electrically connected to the power supply section, and power is supplied from the power supply section to each functional section of the supply unit 80.

[0119] Feeder 20 disposed in supply unit 80 supplies components to a take-out position (take-out position 56 shown in FIG. 6B) by mounting head 107 of component mounting mechanism 108. Note that mounting head 107 is an example of a head.

[0120] An X-axis moving table 105 equipped with a linear drive mechanism is disposed in the X-axis direction at the end in the Y-axis minus direction on the upper surface of base 101, and two Y-axis moving tables 106 similarly equipped with linear drive mechanisms are coupled to X-axis moving table 105 so as to be freely movable in the X-axis direction. A mounting head 107 is attached to each of the two Y-axis moving tables 106 so as to be freely movable in the Y-axis direction.

[0121] The mounting head 107 places (mounts) components held by the feeders 20 arranged in the supply unit 80 onto the board 103. The mounting head 107 mounts the components onto the board 103 based on the detection result of the third sensor 64, for example.

[0122] The mounting head 107 is equipped with component suction nozzles 107a that can pick up and hold components and move up and down individually. The mounting head 107 is equipped with a Z-axis lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the component suction nozzles 107a and a θ-axis rotation mechanism that rotates the component suction nozzles 107a around the nozzle axis. The component suction nozzles 107a are an example of a holder that holds components.

[0123] By driving the X-axis moving table 105 and the Y-axis moving table 106, the mounting head 107 moves in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. As a result, the two mounting heads 107 pick up components from the pick-up positions of the feeders 20 arranged in the corresponding supply units 80 using the component suction nozzles 107a. The board transport mechanism 102, the X-axis moving table 105, the Y-axis moving table 106, and the mounting heads 107 form a component mounting mechanism 108. The X-axis moving table 105 and the Y-axis moving table 106 are an example of a drive unit that moves the mounting heads 107.

[0124] A component recognition camera 110 is disposed between each of the upper and lower carts 70 and the board transport mechanism 102. When the mounting head 107, which has taken out a component from the feeder 20 arranged in the supply unit 80, moves above the component recognition camera 110, the component recognition camera 110 captures an image of the component held by the mounting head 107. The captured image is processed by a processing unit (not shown) for image recognition, thereby identifying the component and detecting its position.

[0125] Mounting head 107 is fitted with board recognition camera 109, which is positioned on the underside of Y-axis moving table 106 and moves integrally with mounting head 107. As mounting head 107 moves, board recognition camera 109 moves above board 103 positioned by board transport mechanism 102 and captures an image of board 103. The image capture result is similarly subjected to recognition processing by the image recognition of a processing unit, thereby detecting the position of board 103.

[0126] The power supply unit supplies power to each functional unit of the component mounting apparatus 100. The power supply unit supplies power to, for example, the supply unit 80 disposed in the substrate transport mechanism 102. Specifically, the power supply unit supplies power to the first air supply unit 62 and the second air supply unit 63 of the supply unit 80. The power supply unit may also be connected to an external power source.

[0127] [4. Effects, etc.] A component supplying device 30 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a component supplying device that supplies components stored in a case 10 (an example of a component storage section) in a bulk state to a removal position 56 where the components are removed by a holding section that holds the components. The component supplying device 30 includes a component alignment section 43 and a component straight advancement section 53 (an example of an alignment section) that align the components supplied from the case 10 and transport them to the removal position 56, and a first transport section 40a1 that is provided along the component alignment section 43 and the component straight advancement section 53 and has a first inclined surface 44 that is inclined downward toward the component alignment section 43 and the component straight advancement section 53. The component alignment section 43, the component straight-line section 53, and the first transport section 40a1 have a plurality of air ejection holes 43b, 44b, and 53b (an example of a first air ejection hole) that open to the component alignment section 43, the component straight-line section 53, and the first inclined surface 44 on which the components of the first transport section 40a1 are supported, and have a plurality of air ejection holes 43b, 44b, and 53b for ejecting air to float and transport the components. The plurality of air ejection holes 43b, 44b, and 53b may be configured to eject air in a first direction (the positive direction of the X-axis) from the case 10 toward the removal position 56 and upward, respectively, in the component alignment section 43, the component straight-line section 53, and the first inclined surface 44.

[0128] For example, when a propulsive force is applied to a part by vibration, propulsive force is applied in the negative X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, etc. in addition to the positive X-axis direction, so that contact between front and rear parts, contact between a part and a wall, etc. may occur. Also, when aligning parts by abutting the parts against an alignment wall (e.g., a tapered wall in a plan view), contact between the parts and the wall may occur. In other words, when parts are transported using vibration or an alignment wall, blackening of the parts may occur during transport.

[0129] On the other hand, in the component supplying device 30 according to the present embodiment, the components are transported by air from above in the first direction (positive direction of the X-axis), so that the component can be reliably provided with a propulsive force only in the first direction (positive direction of the X-axis). For example, compared to the case where a propulsive force is provided to the components by vibration, the component can be prevented from moving in the negative direction of the X-axis, etc., so that the component can be prevented from contacting with the component. In addition, since air is also ejected onto the first inclined surface 44, the component on the first inclined surface 44 can be moved to the component alignment section 43 and aligned while suppressing friction between the component and the first inclined surface 44. For example, compared to the case where the components are aligned using a wall for alignment, the component can be prevented from contacting with a structure such as a wall. Therefore, the component supplying device 30 according to one aspect of the present disclosure can prevent the components from blackening during the transportation of the components.

[0130] Also, for example, first conveying portion 40a1 may further have a second inclined surface 45 that inclines downward in the direction opposite to component alignment section 43 and component straight traveling section 53. Second inclined surface 45 may be provided downstream of first inclined surface 44 in the first direction.

[0131] This makes it possible to prevent components from clogging on the component alignment section 43 and downstream of the component straight-traveling section 53 (for example, at the component straight-traveling section 53).

[0132] Also, for example, a cover 46 may be provided that covers a part of the upper part of the component alignment section 43 and the component straightness section 53 at a predetermined gap from support surfaces 43a and 53a (an example of a first support surface) on which the components of the component alignment section 43 and the component straightness section 53 are supported. The length of the first transport section 40a1 in the first direction is shorter than the lengths of the component alignment section 43 and the component straightness section 53 in the first direction, and the cover 46 may be provided at a position corresponding to the end of the first transport section 40a1 on the removal position 56 side in the first direction.

[0133] As a result, when components are transported while being vertically overlapped, the cover 46 can release the overlapping of the components.

[0134] Also, for example, the conveying section 40a1 may further include a second conveying section 40a2 connected to the second inclined surface 45, provided along the first conveying section 40a1, and conveying components in a second direction (X-axis minus direction) opposite to the first direction. The second conveying section 40a2 may have a plurality of air ejection holes (an example of a second air ejection hole) that open to a support surface (an example of a third support surface) on which the components of the second conveying section 40a2 are supported and that are configured to eject air in the second direction and upward.

[0135] As a result, components can be transported by air also in the second transport section 40a2, so that components that were not transported by the component alignment section 43 and the component straight-line section 53 can be returned to the upstream side of the component alignment section 43 and the component straight-line section 53 while suppressing friction between the components and the support surface of the second transport section 40a2. Therefore, the components can be returned to the upstream side while suppressing blackening of the components.

[0136] Furthermore, for example, the downstream portion of the component alignment section 43 and the component straightening section 53 on the side of the take-out position 56 in the first direction may have two side walls 54a and 54b (an example of a side member) arranged to face each other at a distance in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the support surfaces 43a and 53a of the component alignment section 43 and the component straightening section 53. One side wall 54b of the two side walls 54a and 54b may have a plurality of air ejection holes 54b2 (an example of a third air ejection holes) that eject air toward the other side wall 54a of the two side walls 54a and 54b.

[0137] As a result, in the component alignment section 43 and the downstream section of the component straight-line section 53 (for example, the component straight-line section 53), the components can be moved (positioned) toward the side wall 54a by air, which can prevent the components from coming into contact with other objects compared to the case where the components are moved toward the side wall 54a by a structure such as a wall. Therefore, the component supply device 30 can move the components toward the side wall 54a while preventing the components from blackening during the transport of the components.

[0138] Furthermore, for example, the part alignment section 43 and the part straightening section 53 may have a wall section 55 at the end of the part alignment section 43 and the part straightening section 53 in the first direction that abuts against the end face of the part on the first direction side, and the wall section 55 may have an suction section (for example, a suction hole 55a that sucks air) that suctions the end face of the part.

[0139] As a result, even if multiple air outlet holes are formed in support surfaces 43a and 53a (e.g., support surface 53a) and an suction portion cannot be formed on support surface 53a, the part can be fixed to removal position 56 by an suction portion (e.g., suction hole 55a) formed on wall portion 55.

[0140] Also, for example, suction holes 55a for sucking air may be formed in wall portion 55, and a third sensor 64 (an example of a sensor) for measuring the flow rate or degree of vacuum in an air path connected to suction holes 55a may be further provided.

[0141] This makes it possible to determine whether or not a component is present at removal position 56 based on the flow rate or vacuum level in the air path. In other words, it is possible to determine whether or not a component is present without contact. Therefore, blackening of the component can be suppressed compared to when the presence or absence of a component is determined by a contact type sensor.

[0142] Furthermore, for example, component alignment portion 43 and component straightening portion 53 may be grooves extending in the first direction.

[0143] This allows the components to be more effectively aligned in the grooves.

[0144] Moreover, a component supplying method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a component supplying method in a component supplying device 30 that supplies components stored in a bulk state in a case 10 to a removal position 56 where the components are removed by a holding unit that holds the components. The component supplying device 30 may include a component alignment unit 43 and a component straight advancement unit 53 that align the components supplied from the case 10 and transport them to the removal position 56, and a first transport section 40a1 that is provided along the component alignment unit 43 and the component straight advancement unit 53 and has a first inclined surface 44 that is inclined downward toward the component alignment unit 43 and the component straight advancement unit 53. Moreover, the component alignment section 43, the component straight-line section 53, and the first transport section 40a1 have a plurality of air ejection holes 43b, 44b, and 53b (an example of a first air ejection hole) that open to the component alignment section 43, the component straight-line section 53, and the first inclined surface 44 on which the components of the first transport section 40a1 are supported, and have a plurality of air ejection holes 43b, 44b, and 53b for floating and transporting the components by ejecting air. The component supply method may include ejecting air in a first direction and upward from the case 10 toward the removal position 56 at each of the component alignment section 43, the component straight-line section 53, and the first inclined surface 44.

[0145] As a result, the same effects as those of the component supply device 30 described above can be achieved.

[0146] Moreover, the component supplying device 30 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a component supplying device that supplies components stored in a case 10 in a bulk state to a removal position 56 where the components are removed by a holding unit that holds the components. The component supplying device 30 may include a conveying unit 40 that aligns and conveys the components supplied from the case 10, a supplying unit 50 that is connected at one end to the conveying unit 40 and supplies the components conveyed from the conveying unit 40 to the removal position 56, and a control unit 61 that controls the conveying of the components in the conveying unit 40 and the conveying of the components in the supplying unit 50 independently of each other.

[0147] As a result, the component transport in the transport unit 40 and the component transport in the supply unit 50 are controlled independently of each other, so that contact between the components can be suppressed compared to when the two transports are controlled integrally. Therefore, the component supply device 30 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can suppress blackening of the components during transport.

[0148] Also, for example, a first sensor 51 (an example of a first detection unit) may be provided that detects the amount of parts contained in the supply unit 50. Then, the control unit 61 may control the transport of parts in the transport unit 40 based on the detection result of the first sensor 51.

[0149] As a result, the transport of components in the transport unit 40 is controlled according to the amount of components in the supply unit 50, so that the number of times components are transported or the transport time in the transport unit 40 can be reduced compared to when the transport unit 40 is controlled regardless of the amount of components in the supply unit 50. In other words, excessive transport of components in the transport unit 40 is suppressed, so that contact between components during transport in the transport unit 40 can be suppressed. Thus, the component supply device 30 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can further suppress blackening of components during transport.

[0150] Also, for example, the first sensor 51 may detect the presence or absence of a part at a predetermined position in the supply section 50, and the control section 61 may cause the conveying section 40 to convey the part when it obtains a detection result from the first sensor 51 indicating that a part is not present at the predetermined position.

[0151] As a result, when there are no components at the predetermined position in the supply unit 50, that is, when it is necessary to transport the components from the transport unit 40 to the supply unit 50, the transport unit 40 transports the components. In other words, when there are components at the predetermined position in the supply unit 50, that is, when it is not necessary to transport the components from the transport unit 40 to the supply unit 50, the transport unit 40 does not transport the components. As a result, the transport of the components by the transport unit 40 can be limited to when there are no components at the predetermined position in the supply unit 50, and therefore it is possible to prevent the components from coming into contact with each other in the transport unit 40 and causing blackening of the components.

[0152] Furthermore, for example, if there is no part at the specified position, the control unit 61 may further cause the supply unit 50 to transport the part for a specified period of time, and if there is still no part at the specified position after the specified period of time, the control unit 61 may cause the transport unit 40 to transport the part.

[0153] This allows the transport section 40 to transport components only when there are no components in a predetermined position. This makes it possible to further prevent the components from blackening in the transport section 40.

[0154] Further, for example, the control unit 61 may control the transportation of components in the supply unit 50 regardless of the detection result of the first sensor 51.

[0155] This allows the supply unit 50 to transport components under constant conditions regardless of the detection result of the first sensor 51. This allows the supply unit 50 to supply components to the removal position 56 more reliably.

[0156] Also, for example, the transport unit 40 may have a plurality of air ejection holes 43b opening on a support surface 43a (an example of a first support surface) that supports the components, for ejecting air to float and transport the components, and the supply unit 50 may have a plurality of air ejection holes 53b opening on a support surface 53a (an example of a second support surface) that supports the components, for ejecting air to float and transport the components. The control unit 61 may control the air ejected from the plurality of air ejection holes 43b and the air ejected from the plurality of air ejection holes 53b independently of each other.

[0157] This allows the components to be transported in a floating manner, thereby suppressing friction between the components and the support surfaces 43a and 53a. In addition, since the air to be ejected from the air ejection holes 43b and the air to be ejected from the air ejection holes 53b are controlled independently of each other, it is possible to perform more flexible control, such as stopping the supply of one of the air sources, compared to the case where the two air sources are controlled integrally. By stopping the supply of air, it is possible to suppress contact between the components in the relevant components. Therefore, the component supply device 30 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can further suppress blackening of the components during the transportation of the components.

[0158] Also, for example, the conveying section 40 may have a first conveying portion 40a1 that conveys parts in a first direction from the case 10 toward the supply section 50, and a second conveying portion 40a2 that is connected to the first conveying portion 40a1 and is arranged along the first conveying portion 40a1, and that conveys parts from the first conveying portion 40a1 in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

[0159] This allows the components that were not transported from the transport section 40 to the supply section 50 to be returned to the upstream side of the transport section 40 (the negative side of the X-axis).

[0160] Also, for example, the conveying section 40 may further include a component aligning section 43 that is provided along the first conveying portion 40a1 and aligns the components conveyed in the first direction.

[0161] This allows the components aligned by the component alignment unit 43 to be supplied to the supply unit 50.

[0162] Also, for example, a second sensor 41 (an example of a second detection unit) that detects the amount of parts in the first transport portion 40a1 may be further provided. Then, the control unit 61 may perform control to supply parts from the case 10 based on the detection result of the second sensor 41.

[0163] This increases the density of the components at the position where the components are supplied from the case 10, making it possible to prevent the components from coming into contact with each other.

[0164] Moreover, a component supplying method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a component supplying method by a component supplying device 30 that supplies components stored in a bulk state in a case 10 to a removal position 56 where the components are removed by a holding unit that holds the components. The component supplying device 30 may include a conveying unit 40 that aligns and conveys the components supplied from the case 10, and a supplying unit 50 that has one end connected to the conveying unit 40 and supplies the components conveyed from the conveying unit 40 to the removal position 56. The component supplying method may include controlling the conveying of the components in the conveying unit 40 and the conveying of the components in the supplying unit 50 independently of each other.

[0165] As a result, the same effects as those of the component supply device 30 described above can be achieved.

[0166] Furthermore, a component mounting apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes the above-mentioned component supplying device 30, a mounting head 107 (an example of a head) for holding the components supplied by the component supplying device 30, an X-axis moving table 105 for moving the mounting head 107, and a Y-axis moving table 106 (an example of a drive unit), and a board conveying mechanism 102 (an example of a board holding unit) for holding a board 103 on which the components held by the mounting head 107 are mounted.

[0167] This allows component mounting apparatus 100 to mount components on substrate 103 in which blackening is suppressed.

[0168] (Other embodiments) Although the component supply device and the like according to one or more aspects have been described based on the embodiment, the present disclosure is not limited to this embodiment. As long as it does not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure, various modifications conceived by a person skilled in the art to this embodiment and forms constructed by combining components in different embodiments may also be included in the present disclosure.

[0169] For example, in the above embodiment, the component supply device conveys the components by air, but the conveying method is not limited to air. For example, the component supply device may convey the components by vibration instead of air. Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a component supply device 30a according to another embodiment.

[0170] As shown in Fig. 11, the component supplying device 30a may have a first sensor 51, a second sensor 41, a control unit 61, a first vibration supplying unit 62a, and a second vibration supplying unit 63a. The first vibration supplying unit 62a is a vibration generating device for vibrating the conveying unit 40, and vibrates the conveying unit 40 along the X-axis direction, for example. The second vibration supplying unit 63a is a vibration generating device for vibrating the supplying unit 50, and vibrates the supplying unit 50 along the X-axis direction, for example. The control unit 61 controls the conveying of components by vibration in the conveying unit 40 and the conveying of components by vibration in the supplying unit 50 independently of each other.

[0171] In this case, the conveying unit 40 and the supplying unit 50 may be provided with a gap therebetween, for example. This makes it possible to prevent the components from coming into contact with each other, compared to when the conveying unit 40 and the supplying unit 50 are vibrated integrally by one vibration generating device. For example, the control unit 61 vibrates the conveying unit 40 only when there are no components in the supplying unit 50, thereby preventing the components from coming into contact with each other when the components are being conveyed in the conveying unit 40. In this case, the first conveying portion 40a1 and the second conveying portion 40a2 of the conveying unit 40 may be provided with a gap therebetween, for example.

[0172] The component supplying device 30a may transport components using both vibration and air. For example, the component supplying device 30a may transport components using vibration in the transport unit 40 and air in the supply unit 50. When the transport unit 40 transports components using vibration, the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface do not need to be provided.

[0173] In the above embodiment, the shapes of the air ejection holes and the suction holes are, for example, circular, but are not limited to this and may be any shape. The arrangement of the air ejection holes is not limited to that in the above embodiment.

[0174] Further, in the above embodiment, an example in which one suction hole is provided in the wall portion has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and two or more suction holes may be provided.

[0175] In the above embodiment, the first sensor and the second sensor detect the presence or absence of parts as the amount of parts, but this is not limited thereto, and the sensor may detect the quantity of parts. The control unit may supply air to the conveying unit when the number of parts detected by the first sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined number. The control unit may supply parts from the case when the number of parts detected by the second sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined number. The amount of parts is not limited to the number of parts, and may be, for example, the weight of the parts. In this case, the first sensor and the second sensor are realized by sensors capable of detecting the weight of the parts.

[0176] Moreover, the transport section and the supply section according to the above-described embodiment may be integrally formed, or may be formed separately and connected to each other.

[0177] In the above embodiment, the component supply device is described as being composed of the conveying unit and the supply unit, but may be further composed of a main body unit (e.g., main body unit 60). In other words, the component supply device may be realized by the feeder according to the above embodiment.

[0178] In the above embodiment, the component supplying device is described as a device that conveys components supplied from a case that stores bulk components, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the component supplying device may convey components supplied from a bowl having an inner wall with a spiral path along which the components can move. For example, the feeder may be a bowl feeder.

[0179] In the above embodiment, each component may be realized by a dedicated hardware or by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory.

[0180] In addition, the order in which each step is performed in the flowchart is merely an example for specifically explaining the present disclosure, and an order other than the above may be used. In addition, some of the steps may be performed simultaneously (in parallel) with other steps, or some of the steps may not be performed.

[0181] In addition, the division of functional blocks in the block diagram is an example, and multiple functional blocks may be realized as one functional block, one functional block may be divided into multiple blocks, some functions may be transferred to other functional blocks, and the functions of multiple functional blocks having similar functions may be processed in parallel or in a time-sharing manner by a single piece of hardware or software.

[0182] Furthermore, these general or specific aspects may be realized in a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a non-transitory recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM, or may be realized in any combination of a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a recording medium.

[0183] Moreover, each of the components described in the above embodiments may be realized as software, or may be realized as an LSI, which is typically an integrated circuit. These may be individually integrated into one chip, or may be integrated into one chip to include some or all of them. Here, LSI is used, but it may be called IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI depending on the degree of integration. Furthermore, the method of integration is not limited to LSI, and may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. After LSI manufacture, a programmable FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connection or setting of the circuit cells inside the LSI may be used. Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that replaces LSI appears due to the progress of semiconductor technology or a different derived technology, it is natural that the integration of the components may be performed using that technology.

[0184] A system LSI is an ultra-multifunctional LSI manufactured by integrating multiple processing units on a single chip, and specifically, is a computer system that includes a microprocessor, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. Computer programs are stored in the ROM. The system LSI achieves its functions by the microprocessor operating in accordance with the computer program.

[0185] Moreover, one aspect of the present disclosure may be a computer program that causes a computer to execute each of the characteristic steps included in the component supply method shown in any one of FIGS. 8 to 9D.

[0186] Also, for example, the program may be a program to be executed by a computer. Also, one aspect of the present disclosure may be a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded. For example, such a program may be recorded on a recording medium and distributed or circulated. For example, the distributed program may be installed in a device having another processor, and the program may be executed by the processor, thereby making it possible to cause the device to perform each of the above processes. [Industrial Applicability]

[0187] The present disclosure is useful for a mounting apparatus or the like for producing a mounted board by mounting components on a board. [Explanation of symbols]

[0188] 10 Cases 11, 46 Cover 20 Feeder 30, 30a Parts supply device 32 Attached part 36 Tubes 38 Fastening members 40 Conveyor 40a, 50a, 60 Main body 40a1 First conveying section 40a2 Second conveying section 40b, 50b Lid 40b1 Through hole 41 second sensor (second detection unit) 42 Parts supply position 43 Parts Alignment Section 43a, 53a Support surface 43b, 53b Air outlet (first air outlet) 44 First Inclined Plane 44b Air outlet 45 Second inclined surface 47 Swivel section 48 Return conveying section 49a, 49c, 54a, 54b side wall 49b Partition wall 50 Supply section 51 first sensor (first detection unit) 52 Supply section entrance 53 Parts straight section 54a1, 54b1 Wall 54b2 Air outlet (third air outlet) 55 Wall 55a Suction hole (suction part) 56 Extraction position 61 Control section 62 First air supply section 62a First vibration supply unit 63 Second air supply 63a Second vibration supply unit 64 Third sensor (third detection unit) 70 Carts 80 Supply Units 100 Component mounting equipment 101 Foundation 102 Substrate transport mechanism 103 Substrate 105 X-axis moving table 106 Y-axis moving table 107 Mounting Head (Head) 107a Parts suction nozzle 108 Component Mounting Mechanism 109 Circuit Board Recognition Camera 110 Parts Recognition Camera

Claims

1. A component supplying device that supplies components stored in a component storage unit in a bulk state to a removal position where the components are removed by a holding unit that holds the components, a conveying unit that aligns and conveys the parts supplied from the part storage unit; a supply unit having one end connected to the transport unit and configured to supply the part transported from the transport unit to the removal position; a control unit that controls the conveyance of the parts in the conveying unit and the conveyance of the parts in the supply unit independently of each other; a first detection unit that detects an amount of the components contained in the supply unit, The control unit controls the conveyance of the part in the conveying unit based on a detection result of the first detection unit. Parts supply device.

2. The first detection unit detects the presence or absence of the component at a predetermined position of the supply unit, the control unit causes the transport unit to transport the component when the detection result indicating that the component is not present at the predetermined position is obtained from the first detection unit. The component supply device according to claim 1 .

3. When the part is not present at the predetermined position, the control unit further causes the supply unit to transport the part for a predetermined period of time, and when the part is not present at the predetermined position after the predetermined period of time, causes the transport unit to transport the part.

3. The component supply device according to claim 2.

4. the control unit controls the conveyance of the parts in the supply unit regardless of a detection result of the first detection unit. The component supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the transport unit has a plurality of air ejection holes that are opened in a first support surface that supports the component, the plurality of air ejection holes being for ejecting air to float and transport the component, the supply unit has a plurality of air ejection holes that are opened in a second support surface that supports the component, the plurality of air ejection holes being for ejecting air to float and transport the component, the control unit controls the air to be ejected from the plurality of air ejection holes opening on the first support surface and the air to be ejected from the plurality of air ejection holes opening on the second support surface independently of each other. The component supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the conveying section includes a first conveying section that conveys the parts in a first direction from the part storage section toward the supply section, and a second conveying section that is connected to the first conveying section, is provided along the first conveying section, and conveys the parts from the first conveying section in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The component supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. the conveying section further includes a component aligning section provided along the first conveying portion and aligning the components conveyed in the first direction; 7. The component supplying device according to claim 6.

8. A second detection unit that detects an amount of the parts in the first transport portion, The control unit performs control to supply the components from the component storage unit based on a detection result of the second detection unit.

8. The component supplying device according to claim 6 or 7.

9. A component supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; a head for holding the component supplied by the component supply device; A drive unit that moves the head; a board holding unit for holding a board on which the components held by the head are to be mounted, Component mounting equipment.

10. A component supplying method for a component supplying device that supplies components stored in a component storage unit in a bulk state to a removal position where the components are removed by a holding unit that holds the components, comprising: The component supply device includes: a conveying unit that aligns and conveys the parts supplied from the part storage unit; a supply unit having one end connected to the transport unit and configured to supply the part transported from the transport unit to the removal position; a first detection unit that detects an amount of the components contained in the supply unit, The component supply method includes: and controlling the conveyance of the part in the conveying section and the conveyance of the part in the supply section independently of each other, controlling the conveyance of the part in the conveying unit based on a detection result of the first detection unit; Parts supply method.

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