Powder counting device

Abstract

To solve the problem that work-pieces which vary in position and attitude and are slightly oscillated cannot be precisely counted only by forming work-pieces, each of which is extremely small and which are powdery as a whole, as a single layer.SOLUTION: In a counting device 1, a conveying route R for supplying work-pieces is formed by: a chamber 2 whose inside is set at positive pressure; and a porous plate 3 which is provided on an upper surface of this chamber and in which a plurality of continuous crest parts 3B and trough parts 3A are formed and on the entire surface of which innumerable air jetting holes are formed. The conveying route R is inclined with the downstream side of a conveying direction of the work-piece downward.EFFECT: Since air is blown out from the porous plate to float the work-piece and the conveying route is inclined with the downstream side of the conveying direction downward, conveyance is easily performed at high speed without rubbing the work-piece. Since positioning is performed at the trough part, the work-piece is conveyed in a specified attitude while making a plurality of lines, erroneous counting hardly occurs.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a powder object counting device that counts the number of individually extremely small, entirely powdery workpieces. [Background technology]

[0002] Electronic components have become increasingly miniaturized in recent years, with some boards being less than a few millimeters thick, and the entire thing is now in powder form. Therefore, it is becoming difficult to count such extremely small workpieces using existing technology and equipment, and it has become common to use a method of calculating the number of pieces from the total weight rather than counting the number of pieces. However, when calculating the number of pieces from the total weight, even with a precise weighing scale, there will be an error of several pieces.

[0003] Therefore, for example, in order to improve on the points in Patent Document 1 (wherein it is extremely difficult to individually separate and drop powdered workpieces having extremely small particle sizes, where the transport (drop) trajectory is extremely unstable, and where it takes a long time to complete the transport of the entire amount), the applicant has come up with the following configuration.

[0004] In other words, Patent Document 1 discloses a conveying section that is hollow inside and capable of blowing air outward through holes that penetrate the inside and outside of the surface on which the workpiece is transported, and is arranged with its downstream end inclined downward relative to the upstream end in the direction in which the workpiece is transported, a porous plate provided on the upper surface of the conveying section, in which countless nozzles with diameters smaller than the particle size of the workpiece are formed and which is replaceable in the conveying section depending on the particle size of the workpiece, and a control section that determines the amount of air blown out and the angle of inclination of the conveying section based on the weight of the workpiece and the particle size of the workpiece.

[0005] In Patent Document 1, the above configuration was able to separate powdered workpieces into a single layer, but it was not suitable for counting workpieces whose positions and postures vary from piece to piece. In other words, even if you try to count the number of workpieces by capturing images with a camera, the workpieces, which vary in position and posture, will slightly sway on the porous plate, making it difficult to identify the shape and causing erroneous counting due to the swaying. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-11167 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The problem to be solved is that simply separating powdered workpieces into a single layer makes it difficult to accurately count workpieces whose positions and orientations vary and which may even slightly vibrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the powdery object counting device of the present invention is a device for counting the number of workpieces that are individually extremely small and entirely powdery, and the transport path from the upstream workpiece supply position to the downstream workpiece discharged for the next process is formed by a chamber with a positive pressure inside and a porous plate provided on the upper surface of the chamber, in which a plurality of continuous peaks and valleys are formed and in which a countless number of air ejection holes are formed over the entire surface, and the transport path is inclined with the downstream side in the workpiece transport direction downward. Further, an air curtain is provided on the porous plate immediately after the work supply position on the conveying path, to apply an air flow toward the downstream side. It was decided to do so. Effect of the Invention

[0009] In the present invention, the powdered workpieces are made into a single layer on the porous plate that forms the transport path and positioned in the valleys, making counting easier. In addition, air is blown out from the peaks and valleys of the porous plate, i.e., the entire area, causing the workpieces to float slightly, and the downstream side of the workpiece transport direction is inclined downward, making it easy and fast to transport the workpieces without rubbing them. And, even if the workpieces are moved at high speed as described above, they are transported in multiple rows in a constant posture, so there is almost no chance of miscounting. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a counting device according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a view taken along the arrow A in FIG. 1, showing a schematic configuration of the counting device of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 2 is a view taken along the arrow B in FIG. 1, showing a schematic configuration of the counting device of the present invention. [Figure 4] 2 is a view taken along the arrow C in FIG. 1, showing a schematic configuration of the counting device of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the state of works in the conveying path of the counting device of the present invention, in which (a) is the state immediately after supply upstream, and (b) is the state downstream. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the conveying state of works in the counting device of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The present invention achieves the objective of accurately counting workpieces that are random in position and posture and that sway slightly, by forming a conveying path from the upstream workpiece supply position to the downstream workpiece discharged for the next process from a chamber with a positive internal pressure and a porous plate provided on the upper surface of the chamber, in which a number of continuous peaks and valleys are formed and in which a countless number of air ejection holes are formed over the entire surface, and the conveying path is inclined with the downstream side in the conveying direction of the workpiece downward. Further, an air curtain is provided on the porous plate immediately after the work supply position on the conveying path, to apply an air flow toward the downstream side. This was achieved by

[0012] Specifically, the transport path is configured by placing a porous plate on the top surface of a chamber whose five sides except the top surface are closed, with multiple continuous peaks and valleys formed on the top surface, and in this state inclining the downstream end in the transport direction downward.

[0013] The porous plate has numerous air injection holes formed over its entire surface, including the peaks and valleys. These air injection holes are of extremely small diameter so that they do not become clogged with the workpiece.

[0014] Compressed air is sent to the chamber by a pump, and when positive pressure is applied inside, air is ejected from the air ejection holes in the porous plate. The amount of air ejected from the air ejection holes in the porous plate is very small (so the pressure inside the chamber is also low), so it is sufficient for the workpiece to float slightly.

[0015] When workpieces are supplied onto this transport path from the previous process, even if they are stacked in layers upstream, they get stuck in the valleys as they are transported due to the air injection from the porous plate (air injection holes) and the inclination, and gradually become a single layer. By getting stuck in the valleys, the posture of the workpieces becomes constant, making it easy to count them downstream.

[0016] Furthermore, the present invention is configured to provide an air curtain on the porous plate immediately after the work supply position on the transport path, which provides an air flow directed downward upstream.This makes it possible to prevent workpieces that are in a stacked state immediately after supply, or workpieces that are not inserted into the valley portion, from being transported downstream as is, and also makes it possible to reliably transport the workpiece downstream in a state where it is fitted into the valley portion on the upstream side.

[0017] In the above configuration, the present invention may be configured such that the chamber is divided into an upstream and a downstream of the transport path, and the downstream chamber is made to have a higher pressure than the upstream chamber. In this way, even if individual works are close to or in contact with each other in the transport direction, more air is ejected from the downstream side than from the upstream side, so that it is possible to reliably separate the works at the boundary between the downstream side and the upstream side (ensuring an appropriate distance in the transport direction), and erroneous measurements are further suppressed.

[0018] In the above-mentioned configuration, the present invention may be configured such that a guide wall surface is provided around the transport path except for the downstream end of the porous plate, thereby preventing the workpieces on the transport path from being adversely affected by the external air current and also preventing the workpieces from jumping out of the transport path. EXAMPLES

[0019] A specific embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Reference numeral 1 denotes a counting device for counting the number of workpieces W, each of which is extremely small and entirely powdery, and is configured as follows.

[0020] The upper surface of the chamber 2 is open, and the remaining five surfaces are closed. In this example, the chamber 2, which is the main transport path R, is divided into an upstream chamber 2A and a downstream chamber 2B upstream of the transport path R, and is configured so that the pressure in the downstream chamber 2B is higher than that in the upstream chamber 2A.

[0021] In this example, a transport path R2 is provided parallel to the main transport path R. This transport path R2 is used to transport the remaining few pieces when final adjustment of the count is required, that is, it is not used when counting the entire amount. This transport path R2 is composed of an adjustment chamber 2C with an open top and the remaining five sides closed.

[0022] The upstream chamber 2A, downstream chamber 2B, and adjustment chamber 2C are connected to pumps 2AB, 2BP, and 2CP via piping, respectively. The pumps 2AB, 2BP, and 2CP supply air to the chambers 2A, 2B, and 2C at a set pressure.

[0023] Reference numeral 3 denotes a porous plate placed on the upper surface, which is the open surface, of the chamber 2. This porous plate 3 is formed by folding a single sheet so that a plurality of valleys 3A and peaks 3B (three rows of valleys 3A in this example) are formed in a continuous state for the main transport path R. On the other hand, one row of valleys 3A is formed for the transport path R2.

[0024] In addition, numerous air ejection holes (shown by dot hatching: no reference number) are formed penetrating the porous plate 3 from the front to the back. The diameter of these air ejection holes is smaller than the height, width, and depth of the workpiece W.

[0025] The transport paths R and R2, which are constituted by the chamber 2, the porous plate 3, and the guide 4 described below in this example, are inclined with the downstream side downward. In this example, the inclination angle of the transport path R is larger than that of the transport path R2, and therefore the transport speed of the transport path R is set to be faster than that of the transport path R2.

[0026] In other words, in the counting device 1 of the present invention, the air filling the chamber 2 is ejected from the porous plate 3, and this ejection pressure promotes the formation of a single layer of the workpieces W on the porous plate 3, for example, in a stacked state or in a state in which multiple works are in contact in the conveying direction or in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and the workpieces W are fitted into the valley portion 3B to maintain a constant posture, and then transported to the peak portion 3B, where they are transported downstream under their own weight along the slope.

[0027] In this example, a guide 4 is provided around the transport paths R, R2 except for the downstream end of the porous plate 3. The guide 4 is provided to prevent the workpiece W supplied to the transport paths R, R2 from scattering and to prevent the posture of the workpiece W from being disturbed by an external air flow.

[0028] In this example, 5 is a hopper that stores the individually extremely small and entirely powdery workpieces W and supplies them to the conveying paths R, R2 from above the conveying paths R, R2. In this example, the hopper 5 can be moved in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction by the rotation of a ball screw 5a.

[0029] A camera 6 is provided downstream of the transport path R and captures images of the workpieces W aligned on the porous plate 3 and transported. The camera 6 can move in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction by rotation of a ball screw 6a. Furthermore, in this example, the camera 6 captures three rows of valleys 3A of the transport path R in one viewing angle and sends image data to a control unit (not shown). The control unit performs image processing in real time based on the image data output from the camera 6 to count the number of workpieces W.

[0030] In this example, a vibration unit 7 is provided at a part of the downstream end of a transport path R2 that is provided separately from the main transport path R. The transport path R2 does not separate the chambers 2 on the upstream side and the downstream side, and although the works W are aligned, they may not be separated from each other. Therefore, the vibration of the vibration unit 7 separates the works W from each other.

[0031] In this embodiment, for example, reference numeral 8 denotes an air curtain provided downstream of the supply position of the workpieces W on the upstream side of the conveying path R. This air curtain 8 blows a gentle breeze from an upper position of the conveying path R downward (to the surface of the porous plate 3) in a slightly upstream direction, so that the stacked state of the workpieces W immediately after being supplied is quickly made into a single layer.

[0032] The counting device 1 of this example configured as above operates as follows. In this example, an example in which a certain number, for example 1000 pieces, is counted will be described. Before supplying the works W to the conveying path R, the counting device 1 moves the hopper 5 and the camera 6 to above the conveying path R2, drives the pump 2CP to apply positive pressure in the adjustment chamber 2C, and causes air to be ejected from the porous plate 3 of the conveying path R2.

[0033] When the preparation on the conveying path R2 side is completed, the individually very small but powdery workpieces W are supplied to the conveying path R2 from the hopper 5. At this stage, the supply of the workpieces W to the conveying path R2 is continued until the workpieces W reach the most downstream position of the conveying path R2.

[0034] When the control unit recognizes from the image data of the camera 6 that the workpiece W has reached the most downstream position of the conveying path R2, the hopper 5 stops supplying the workpiece W to the conveying path R2 and stops applying positive pressure in the chamber 2C by the pump 2CP, and moves the hopper 5 and the camera 6 to the conveying path R.

[0035] While the hopper 5 is moving upward on the upstream side of the conveying path R (the camera 6 also moves upward on the downstream side of the conveying path R), or at the same timing as the workpiece W is supplied to the conveying path R2, in this example, the pump 2AP is driven to apply positive pressure to the upstream chamber 2A, and the pump 2BP is driven to apply positive pressure to the downstream chamber 2B, causing air to be ejected from the porous plate 3 of the conveying path R, and the workpiece W, which is individually very small but is overall powdery, is supplied from the hopper 5 to the conveying path R.

[0036] When supplying the workpieces W to the conveying path R, for example, the hopper 5 may supply the workpieces while reciprocating in the width direction (hereinafter referred to as left and right) of the conveying path R. In this way, the workpieces W can be supplied in a relatively evenly distributed manner toward the three rows of valley portions 3A.

[0037] In addition, the works W from the hopper 5 may be intermittently supplied until the required number is counted downstream, or may be supplied in a lump sum at once. In this example, the former method of supplying the works W will be described.

[0038] In this example, guides 4 are provided on the conveying paths R, R2, which prevents the work W from flying out of the outer conveying paths R, R2 when the work W is supplied from the hopper 5 or when it is conveyed, and also prevents the work W from being affected by external air currents.

[0039] When the supply of work W from the hopper 5 to the conveying path R begins, in this example, the air curtain 8 is driven to blow air downward and upstream so that the work W supplied to the conveying path R quickly fits into the valley portion 3A and is not conveyed downstream in a stacked state.

[0040] Immediately after the workpiece W is supplied from the hopper 5 to the conveying path R, as shown in Figure 5(a), the workpiece W still in the valley portion 3A floats slightly and moves in the conveying direction under its own weight due to the air being injected from the chamber 2 (upstream chamber 2A) through the porous plate 3 and the inclination of the conveying path R, and as a result of this movement, the workpiece W stacked on top of that workpiece W remains in the stacking position and fits into the position (valley portion 3A) of the moved workpiece W below, eliminating the stacked state.

[0041] In addition, in this example, as shown in FIG. 5(a), immediately after the workpieces W are supplied from the hopper 5 to the conveying path R, air is blown from the air curtain 8 toward the downstream side upstream, so that the above-mentioned stacked state is quickly eliminated, and the workpieces reach an aligned state as shown in FIG. 5(b) when the workpieces have reached half the length of the conveying path R.

[0042] Then, when the works W pass the boundary between the upstream chamber 2A and the downstream chamber 2B, due to the pressure difference in the downstream chamber 2B, which is slightly higher than the upstream chamber 2A, the distance between the works W aligned in the transport direction becomes wider than when they are in the upstream chamber 2A, as shown in Figure 6, and the works W become completely separated from each other.

[0043] As described above, the individually separated workpieces W are transported downstream of the transport path R, and the camera 6 captures the images of the workpieces W transported through the three rows of valleys 3A in this example. In this example, the inclination of the transport path R is adjusted so that the speed at which the workpieces W pass through the imaging area of ​​the camera 6 is 27 pieces / second, that is, 27 workpieces W pass through per second. This transport speed depends on the image processing ability of the control unit to count one piece at a time.

[0044] In other words, the speed for counting one workpiece W is 37 msec, and since the camera 6 counts three rows of valleys 3A in parallel, to count 10,000 pieces, it is necessary to count approximately 3,333 pieces in each row, which takes approximately 123 seconds, or approximately 2 minutes.

[0045] In this example, the count is not 9999 or 10001, but exactly 10000. Here, 123 seconds after the start of counting, the control unit stops air injection from the chambers 2 (upstream chamber 2A, downstream chamber 2B) other than the camera 6 on the transport path R, the supply of the workpieces W from the hopper 5, and the air supply from the air curtain 8, thereby stopping the transport of the workpieces W on the transport path R.

[0046] Then, the control unit counts a total of 9,963 works W (for three rows) after 123 seconds has elapsed, which is 123 seconds x 27 pieces = 3,321 works per row of valley portion 2A, and so transports 37 works via transport path R2, bringing the count to exactly 10,000 works.

[0047] That is, after 123 seconds have elapsed and the transportation of the workpieces W along the transport path R has stopped, the camera 6 is moved to the transport path R2, the pump 2CP is driven to spray air from the porous plate 3 above the adjustment chamber 2C, and the vibration section 7 is vibrated, so that the workpieces W transported from the row of valleys 3A of the transport path R2 are transported in front of the camera 6 while being individually separated.

[0048] Although the transport speed of transport path R2 is slightly slower than that of transport path R, if 10 pieces are transported per second, for example, 37 pieces can be counted in 4 seconds. Therefore, 10,000 pieces can be accurately counted in about 127 seconds (123 seconds + 4 seconds + transition time from transport path R to transport path R2).

[0049] When counting the entire amount of workpieces W supplied from the hopper 5, there is no need to transport the workpieces W using the transport path R2, and the workpieces W can be counted until they are no longer captured by the camera 6. In addition, when counting a fixed number, the valleys 3A are arranged in three rows in the above example, but it goes without saying that if the camera 6 can capture divided images and the control unit has sufficient processing capacity, the number of rows can be increased to count an even larger amount in a short period of time.

[0050] As described above, it has been extremely difficult to count the workpieces W, each of which is extremely small and entirely powdery, in the conventional counting method. However, by using the counting device 1 of the present invention, counting can be performed accurately and quickly. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1 Counting device 2 Chambers 2A Upstream chamber 2B Downstream chamber 2C Adjustment chamber 3 Porous Plate 3A Tanibe 4A Yamabe 4 Guide 6. Camera 7 Vibration section 8. Air Curtain R Transport route (main line) R2 transport path W work

Claims

1. This is a powder object counting device for counting the number of workpieces that are individually extremely small and entirely powdery, wherein the transport path from the work supply position upstream to the downstream where the workpieces are discharged for the next process is formed from a chamber with a positive pressure inside and a porous plate provided on the upper surface of the chamber, which has a plurality of continuous peaks and valleys formed therein and has countless air outlet holes formed over its entire surface, the transport path being inclined with the downstream side in the work transport direction downward, and further, immediately after the work supply position on the transport path, an air curtain is provided on the porous plate to provide an air flow directed upstream and downward.

2. 2. A powdery object counting device according to claim 1, wherein said chamber is divided into an upstream chamber and a downstream chamber in said conveying path, and the downstream chamber has a higher pressure than the upstream chamber.

3. A powder object counting device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein a guide wall surface is provided around the conveying path except for the downstream end of the porous plate.

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