Chip collection system and chip collection method

Abstract

To provide a chip collection system capable of reducing the burden of workers' task of collecting chips of tape material, and a chip collection method.SOLUTION: The chip collection system (component placement system 1) for collecting chips R of a tape member discharged from a tape feeder that feeds a component using a tape member includes: a recovery path 30 for collecting chips R of the tape member discharged from the tape feeder; and a moving body 40 placed in the recovery path 30 for pushing and transporting the chips R.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a chip collection system and a chip collection method for collecting chips of a tape member discharged from a tape feeder.

Background Art

[0002] A plurality of tape feeders for supplying components using a tape member for storing components are mounted on a component supply unit of a component mounting apparatus for mounting components on a substrate. After the tape member that has supplied the components is discharged from the tape feeder, it is cut by a cutter and collected as chips (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the component mounting apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the used tape member discharged from the tape feeder is guided by a guide mechanism to a tape discharge portion provided on a carriage, and is cut by a cutter in the tape discharge portion to become chips. The chips are stored in a collection box provided on the carriage.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the prior art including Patent Document 1, it is necessary for an operator to collect the chips stored in the collection box. When a plurality of component mounting apparatuses are provided, the operator has to collect the chips stored in the collection box for each carriage mounted on the component mounting apparatus, which imposes a heavy burden on the operator.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a chip collection system and a chip collection method that can reduce the burden on the operator for collecting chips of the tape member.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The chip collection system of the present invention is a chip collection system that collects chips of the tape member discharged from a tape feeder that supplies components using the tape member, and includes a collection path that collects the chips discharged from the tape feeder, and a moving body provided in the collection path that pushes and conveys the chips. , the recovery path has a plurality of first pipelines having a predetermined length and at least one second pipeline capable of adjusting and connecting the intervals between two adjacent first pipelines within a predetermined range. It is.

[0007] The chip collection method of the present invention is a chip collection method that collects chips of the tape member discharged from a tape feeder that supplies components using the tape member, and collects the chips discharged from the tape feeder into a collection path, and pushes and conveys the chips in the collection path by a moving body. , the recovery path has a plurality of first pipelines having a predetermined length and at least one second pipeline capable of adjusting and connecting the intervals between two adjacent first pipelines within a predetermined range. It is.

Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the burden of the operator's chip collection work of the tape member can be reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The configurations, shapes, etc. described below are examples for explanation, and can be appropriately changed according to the specifications of the component mounting system, component mounting device, recovery path, and moving body. In the following, corresponding elements in all the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted. In FIG. 1 and in a part described later, as two axes orthogonal to each other in the horizontal plane, the X-axis in the substrate conveyance direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 1) and the Y-axis orthogonal to the substrate conveyance direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 1) are shown. Also, in FIG. 3 and in a part described later, the Z-axis (the up-down direction in FIG. 3) is shown as the height direction orthogonal to the horizontal plane.

[0011] First, referring to FIG. 1, the configuration of the component mounting system 1 will be described. The component mounting system 1 is configured such that two component mounting devices W1 and W2 are connected and connected to a management computer 3 by a communication network 2, either wired or wireless, and managed. Note that the number of component mounting devices W1 and W2 included in the component mounting system 1 is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more. Also, the component mounting system 1 may be connected to a component mounting device such as a printing device that prints cream solder on a substrate upstream of the component mounting devices W1 and W2 (not shown).

[0012] In FIGS. 1 and 2, touch panels 4 operated by an operator are installed at positions where the operator works in front of and behind the component mounting devices W1 and W2. The touch panel 4 displays various information on its display unit, and the operator performs data input and operations on the component mounting devices W1 and W2 using operation buttons and the like displayed on the display unit. Component supply units 5 are provided in front of and behind the component mounting devices W1 and W2, respectively. A carriage 7 on which a plurality of tape feeders 6 are arranged side by side on the upper surface is detachably coupled to the component supply unit 5.

[0013] Next, referring to FIG. 3, the configurations of the component mounting devices W1 and W2 will be described. The component mounting devices W1 and W2 have the function of mounting components on a substrate. The substrate transfer mechanism 9 provided on the upper surface of the base 8 transfers, positions, and holds the substrate 10 along the X-axis. Above the substrate transfer mechanism 9, a mounting head 11 that moves in the horizontal directions (X-axis direction and Y-axis direction) by a head movement mechanism (not shown) is installed. On the upper part of the carriage 7 coupled to the base 8 on the side of the substrate transfer mechanism 9, a plurality of tape feeders 6 are arranged side by side along the X-axis and attached.

[0014] On the front side of the carriage 7 and below the tape feeder 6, a reel holding portion 14 that rotatably supports a reel 13 around which a tape member 12 for storing the components P supplied to the component mounting devices W1 and W2 is wound is installed. The tape feeder 6 conveys the tape member 12 stored in the reel 13 in the tape feed direction and supplies the component P to the component pickup position by the mounting head 11. That is, the tape feeder 6 supplies the component P using the tape member 12.

[0015] In FIG. 3, the component mounting devices W1 and W2 include a mounting control device 15 that controls the substrate transfer mechanism 9, the mounting head 11, the head movement mechanism, and the tape feeder 6 installed in the component supply unit 5. The mounting control device 15 transmits a supply command for the component P to the tape feeder 6, causes the tape member 12 to be fed, and supplies the component P to the component pickup position. Further, the mounting control device 15 controls the mounting head 11 and the head movement mechanism to execute a component mounting operation in which the component P supplied by the tape feeder 6 to the component pickup position by the mounting head 11 is picked up and transferred and mounted at the mounting point of the substrate 10 held by the substrate transfer mechanism 9. Above the carriage 7, an openable and closable main body cover 16 is installed to cover the movable mechanisms such as the mounting head 11 during the component mounting operation so that the operator does not touch them.

[0016] In FIGS. 2 and 3, on the rear side of the carriage 7 (the side coupled to the base 8), a chute portion 17 is installed to guide the empty tape member 12 discharged from the tape feeder 6 downward. A cutter 18 for cutting the empty tape member 12 is installed in the chute portion 17. The cutter 18 is controlled by the mounting control device 15, and when the empty tape member 12 discharged from any one of the tape feeders 6 reaches a predetermined length (for example, 10 cm), the empty tape member 12 is cut all at once (see also FIG. 4(a)).

[0017] In front of and behind the component mounting devices W1 and W2, below the chute portion 17 of the carriage 7 coupled to the component supply unit 5, a recovery path 30 for recovering the chips R obtained by cutting the empty tape member 12 discharged from the chute portion 17 is arranged. The recovery path 30 is configured by connecting cylindrical pipe lines. Further, at a position on the upper surface of the pipe line of the recovery path 30 corresponding to the opening 17a below the chute portion 17, a chip entry opening 31 through which the chips R discharged from the opening 17a enter is formed (see FIGS. 2 and 4). Thus, the recovery path 30 is a pipe line, and the recovery path 30 has a chip entry opening 31 through which the chips R discharged from the tape feeder 6 enter.

[0018] Next, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the details of the chute portion 17 and the recovery path 30 will be described. A shutter 19 for opening and closing the opening 17a is installed at the opening 17a below the chute portion 17. The shutter 19 is opened and closed by a shutter drive unit 20 including a motor. The shutter drive unit 20 is controlled by the mounting control device 15. That is, the mounting control device 15 is a control unit that controls the shutter drive unit 20.

[0019] In FIG. 5(a), with the shutter 19 closed, the chips R are deposited inside the chute portion 17, i.e., 17b. In FIG. 5(b), when the shutter driving unit 20 opens the shutter 19 (arrow a) under the control of the mounting control device 15 (control unit), the chips R stored inside the chute portion 17 are discharged from the opening 17a of the chute portion 17 (arrow b). Thus, in the chute portion 17 through which the chips R pass, an openable and closable shutter 19 for preventing the chips R stored inside the chute portion 17 from falling and a shutter driving unit 20 for driving the shutter 19 are arranged.

[0020] In FIGS. 2 and 4, near the chip entry opening 31 of the collection path 30 located below the opening 17a of the chute portion 17, a first detection unit 21, a second detection unit 22, and a third detection unit 23 are arranged along the X-axis from upstream (left side of the paper) to downstream (right side of the paper). The first detection unit 21, the second detection unit 22, and the third detection unit 23 are each optical sensors composed of a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit. The first detection unit 21, the second detection unit 22, and the third detection unit 23 detect that the moving body, which will be described later and moves inside the collection path 30, blocks the light irradiated from the light emitting unit and received by the light receiving unit, thereby detecting that the moving body is located below the opening 17a of the chute portion 17. The detection results are transmitted to the management computer 3 via the mounting control device 15. Note that it is not necessary to have three detection units for detecting the moving body; there may be one, two, or four or more.

[0021] In FIG. 1, the collection path 30 extending along the X-axis extends outside the component mounting devices W1, W2. The collection path 30 has a first opening 32 at one end downstream and a second opening 33 at the other end upstream. Inside the front and rear collection paths 30, moving bodies 40 for pushing and transporting the chips R discharged from the opening 17a of the chute portion 17 are respectively arranged. That is, two moving bodies 40 are arranged in the component mounting system 1.

[0022] Downstream of the recovery path 30, a first storage unit 50 for storing the chips R is installed. The moving body 40 moves inside the recovery path 30, pushes out the chips R from the first opening 32, and the chips R discharged from the first opening 32 are stored in the first storage unit 50 (see Fig. 10(d)). Upstream of the recovery path 30, a power supply location 34 for supplying electric energy to the moving body 40 is installed. When the moving body 40 stops at the power supply location 34, electric energy is supplied to the moving body 40 either in contact or non-contact, and the electric energy is stored in the built-in battery. The moving body 40 moves to the power supply location 34 during standby when not collecting the chips R, and stores electric energy in the built-in battery.

[0023] Next, with reference to Figs. 6 and 11, the detailed configuration of the moving body 40 will be described. The moving body 40 includes a main body portion 41, a pair of endless tracks 42 arranged on both side surfaces of the main body portion 41, and a blade 43 arranged on the front surface of the main body portion 41. Inside the main body portion 41, a conveyance control device 44, a traveling device 45, a wireless communication unit 46, and a battery (not shown) are arranged. The conveyance control device 44 includes a traveling control unit 47. The traveling device 45 is configured with a motor or the like and is controlled by the traveling control unit 47.

[0024] The traveling control unit 47 drives the endless tracks 42 by the traveling device 45 and moves the moving body 40 back and forth along the recovery path 30. The wireless communication unit 46 transmits and receives data wirelessly with the wireless management communication unit 3a provided in the management computer 3. The moving body 40 recognizes its own position by detecting a mark or the like installed at a predetermined position on the recovery path 30 with a camera or a sensor (not shown). Thereby, the moving body 40 moves in the recovery path 30 according to a command from the management computer 3 and stops at a predetermined position. That is, the moving body 40 is self-propelled. Note that the moving body 40 is not limited to a configuration including endless tracks 42 and may have a configuration including tires.

[0025] Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 and 11, the detailed configuration of the first storage unit 50 will be described. The first storage unit 50 includes a storage box 51 with an open top for storing chips R, and a lid 52 that closes the opening of the storage box 51 and opens and closes it. Inside the first storage unit 50, there are a lid drive unit 53 and a storage control device 54. The lid drive unit 53 is configured with a motor or the like and is controlled by the storage control device 54 to open and close the lid 52. The storage control device 54 transmits and receives data to and from the management computer 3 via the communication network 2. From this, the first storage unit 50 moves the lid 52 to open the storage box 51 (FIG. 7(c)) and closes it (FIG. 7(b)) according to a command from the management computer 3.

[0026] In FIGS. 2 and 8, the recovery path 30 is located below the component mounting devices W1 and W2 and includes a first pipeline 35 having a predetermined length and a bellows-shaped bellows pipeline 36 that connects two adjacent first pipelines 35. The bellows pipeline 36 is arranged between the component mounting device W1 and the component mounting device W2 (the position indicated by the ellipse A in FIG. 2). The bellows pipeline 36 connects two adjacent first pipelines 35 so that chips R do not leak out of the recovery path 30. Further, the bellows pipeline 36 can adjust the interval (displacement in arrangement) between two adjacent first pipelines 35 within a predetermined range by changing its own length. That is, the bellows pipeline 36 is a second pipeline that can adjust and connect the intervals between two adjacent first pipelines 35 within a predetermined range and is provided so as to be detachable from a plurality of first pipelines 35.

[0027] Next, referring to FIG. 9, another embodiment of the second pipeline will be described. In FIG. 9, two adjacent first pipelines 35 are connected by a cylindrical slide pipeline 37 having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the first pipeline 35. That is, the opposing ends of two adjacent first pipelines 35 are inserted into the slide pipeline 37. Thereby, the slide pipeline 37 connects two adjacent first pipelines 35 so that the chips R do not leak from the recovery path 30. Further, by sliding the position of the first pipeline 35 inside the slide pipeline 37, it is possible to adjust the interval between adjacent first pipelines 35. FIG. 9(a) shows a state where the interval between adjacent first pipelines 35 is small, and FIG. 9(b) shows a state where the interval is large. Thus, the slide pipeline 37 is a second pipeline having a slide mechanism.

[0028] Next, referring to FIG. 10, the chip recovery process (chip recovery method) by the moving body 40 of the component mounting system 1 will be described. In FIG. 10(a), when the moving body 40 is not recovering the chips R, it moves to the power supply location 34 arranged on the side of the second opening 33 and waits while charging the built-in battery with electrical energy. When it is time to recover the chips R, the shutter 19 installed at the opening 17a of the chute portion 17 is opened, and the chips R discharged from the tape feeder 6 accommodated inside the chute portion 17 are recovered inside the recovery path 30 (arrow c). At the timing when the discharge of the chips R from the chute portion 17 is completed, the shutter 19 is closed (see FIG. 10(b)).

[0029] In FIG. 10(b), then, the moving body 40 arranged in the recovery path 30 with the blade 43 facing downstream moves downstream. The moving body 40 moves downstream while pushing the chips R discharged from the chute portion 17 of the component mounting device W1 with the blade 43 (arrow d1). In FIG. 10(c), the moving body 40 further moves downstream while pushing the chips R discharged from the chute portion 17 of the component mounting device W2 together with the blade 43 (arrow d2). Also, at a predetermined timing, the lid 52 of the first housing portion 50 is opened (arrow e).

[0030] In FIG. 10(d), the moving body 40 that has moved inside the recovery path 30 pushes out the chips R from the first opening 32 and stores them in the storage box 51 of the first storage unit 50. Then, the moving body 40 moves to the power supply location 34, and the lid 52 of the first storage unit 50 is closed (not shown). Thus, the chip recovery method of the present embodiment recovers the chips R of the tape member 12 discharged from the tape feeder 6 into the recovery path 30, pushes and conveys the chips R in the recovery path 30 by the moving body 40, and recovers them into the first storage unit 50. When the chips R recovered in the storage box 51 of the first storage unit 50 reach a predetermined amount, the chips R are recovered from the storage box 51 by an operator. Thereby, the operator does not need to recover the chips R of the tape member 12 for each cart 7, and the burden of the chip recovery work of the tape member 12 by the operator can be reduced.

[0031] In FIG. 10(a), the timing for opening the shutter 19 of the chute portion 17 and discharging the chips R stored in the chute portion 17 into the recovery path 30 may be when the moving body 40 starts moving and approaches below the chute portion 17. That is, when the first detection unit 21 installed upstream detects the moving body 40, the moving body 40 is stopped, and then the conveyance control device 44 and the mounting control device 15 may cooperate to control the opening of the shutter 19. Alternatively, the recovery path 30 may be arranged at a position shifted from below the chute portion 17, and the chips R stored in the chute portion 17 may be recovered from the chip entry opening 31 formed on the side surface of the recovery path 30.

[0032] Next, referring to FIG. 11, the configuration of the control system of the component mounting system 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. The component mounting system 1 is configured by connecting a management computer 3, component mounting devices W1, W2, and two first storage units 50 via a communication network 2. The component mounting system 1 also includes two moving bodies 40. The number of the moving bodies 40 and the first storage units 50 is changed according to the number of the recovery paths 30 provided in the component mounting system 1.

[0033] The component mounting devices W1 and W2 include a mounting control device 15, a touch panel 4, a substrate transfer mechanism 9, a tape feeder 6, a mounting head 11, a cutter 18, a shutter drive unit 20, a first detection unit 21, a second detection unit 22, and a third detection unit 23. The mounting control device 15 includes a mounting storage unit 60, a mounting control unit 61, a cutting amount calculation unit 62, a cutter control unit 63, a shutter control unit 64, and a mounting communication unit 65.

[0034] In FIG. 11, the mounting communication unit 65 transmits and receives data to and from the management computer 3 and other component mounting devices W1 and W2 via the communication network 2. The mounting storage unit 60 is a storage device, and stores mounting data 60a, component data 60b, discharge tape data 60c, etc. The mounting data 60a includes information such as the production model name (substrate name) of the mounting substrate, the type (component name) of the component P mounted on the substrate 10, the mounting position (XY coordinates), the mounting direction (θ direction), the mounting order, and the position of the tape feeder 6 that supplies the component P (feeder position). The component data 60b stores information such as the size of the component P, the width, thickness, and type of the tape member 12 that supplies the component P, and the feeding amount of the tape feeder 6 when feeding the tape member 12 for each type (component name) of the component P.

[0035] In FIG. 11, the management computer 3 includes a management processing device 70. The management processing device 70 includes a management storage unit 71, a chute section storage capacity calculation unit 72, a storage section storage capacity calculation unit 73, a recovery management unit 74, a management communication unit 75, and a wireless management communication unit 3a. The management storage unit 71 is a storage device, and stores production data 71a, chute section storage capacity data 71b, storage section storage capacity data 71c, etc.

[0036] Production data 71a is data used for the production of mounting substrates in the component mounting system 1, and includes mounting data 60a used in the component mounting devices W1 and W2. The management computer 3 transmits the necessary data to each of the component mounting devices W1 and W2 according to the mounting substrates produced by the component mounting system 1. The management communication unit 75 transmits and receives data to and from the component mounting devices W1 and W2 and the first storage unit 50 via the communication network 2. The wireless management communication unit 3a wirelessly transmits and receives data to and from the wireless communication unit 46 of the mobile body 40.

[0037] In FIG. 11, the mounting control unit 61 controls the substrate transfer mechanism 9, the mounting head 11, and the tape feeder 6 to execute the component mounting operation. The cutter control unit 63 is attached to the carriage 7, and when any of the empty tape members 12 discharged from the plurality of tape feeders 6 reaches a predetermined length, it controls the cutter 18 to cut the empty tape members 12 all at once. The length of the empty tape member 12 discharged from the tape feeder 6 is calculated by multiplying the feed amount of the tape member 12 included in the component data 60b by the number of times the tape feeder 6 has fed the tape (the number of components supplied).

[0038] The cut amount calculation unit 62 provided in the mounting control device 15 calculates the length of the empty tape member 12 cut by the cutter 18 of the carriage 7 coupled to the component supply unit 5 of the component mounting devices W1 and W2. The calculation result is stored in the mounting storage unit 60 as discharged tape data 60c.

[0039] Here, with reference to FIG. 12, an example of the discharged tape data 60c will be described. The discharged tape data 60c is created for each carriage 7 coupled to the component supply unit 5 of the component mounting devices W1 and W2. In the discharged tape data 60c, for each feeder position 80 set on the carriage 7, the part name 81 of the component P supplied from the tape feeder 6 mounted at the feeder position 80, the width 82w of the tape member, the thickness 82t of the tape member, the tape feed amount 83 discharged by one tape feed, and the cut tape length 84 are stored.

[0040] For the cut tape length 84, each time the cutter 18 cuts the empty tape member 12, the length of the empty tape member 12 discharged from the tape feeder 6 is calculated and recorded. Specifically, the cut amount calculation unit 62 multiplies the number of times the tape feeder 6 mounted at the feeder position 80 has fed the tape after cutting (the number of parts supplied) by the tape feed amount 83 to calculate the length of the empty tape member 12 discharged from the tape feeder 6. Also, when the chips R stored in the chute portion 17 are discharged, the tape feed amount 83 is reset to zero.

[0041] In FIG. 11, the chute portion storage capacity calculation unit 72 provided in the management processing device 70 calculates the chute portion storage capacity obtained by integrating the amount of the empty tape member 12 discharged from the tape feeder 6 and cut by the cutter 18 based on the discharged tape data 60c. The calculated chute portion storage capacity is stored in the management storage unit 71 as chute portion storage capacity data 71b. Specifically, each time the cutter 18 cuts the empty tape member 12, the chute portion storage capacity calculation unit 72 multiplies the cut tape length 84 included in the discharged tape data 60c by the width 82w and the thickness 82t of the tape member to calculate the volume of the tape member 12, and adds it to the stored chute portion storage capacity.

[0042] The chute portion storage capacity is calculated for each cart 7 coupled to the component supply unit 5 of the component mounting devices W1 and W2. Note that the chute portion storage capacity calculation unit 72 may calculate the amount of the empty tape member 12 in a simple method of multiplying the cut tape length 84 by the type of the tape member 12. Also, the chute portion storage capacity calculation unit 72 may calculate the amount of the empty tape member 12 in a simple method of multiplying the number of times the cutter 18 has cut the tape member 12 by a predetermined constant (for example, the average value or the maximum value of the cut tape length 84). In this way, the chute portion storage capacity calculation unit 72 calculates the amount (such as volume) of the empty tape member 12 discharged from the tape feeder 6 based on the length of the empty tape member 12 (cut tape length 84) discharged from the tape feeder 6, the width 82w of the tape member, and the thickness 82t of the tape member.

[0043] Here, with reference to FIG. 13(a), an example of the chute section storage capacity data 71b will be described. The chute section storage capacity data 71b stores the mounting device 86, the mounting position 87, and the chute section storage capacity 88 for each carriage position 85 that identifies the carriage 7 coupled to the component supply section 5. "W1" for the mounting device 86 indicates the component mounting device W1, and "W2" indicates the component mounting device W2. "Front" for the mounting position 87 indicates the front component supply section 5, and "Rear" indicates the rear component supply section 5.

[0044] The chute section storage capacity 88 shown in FIG. 13(a) is in arbitrary units, and numbers from "0", which indicates a state where there is no chip R inside the chute section 17b, to the upper limit of "100" that can be accommodated are recorded. Note that the chute section storage capacity 88 may be the specific volume of the chip R. The chute section storage capacity 88 is added (integrated) when the cutter 18 cuts the empty tape member 12. Also, the chute section storage capacity 88 is updated (reset) to zero when the chip R is discharged from the chute section 17 to the moving body 40. In this way, the chute section storage capacity calculation unit 72 is a calculation unit that calculates the amount of the tape member 12 discharged from the tape feeder 6 (the chute section storage capacity 88).

[0045] In FIG. 11, the recovery management unit 74 provided in the management processing device 70, based on the chute section storage capacity data 71b, when the chute section storage capacity 88 reaches a predetermined amount, sends an opening command to open the shutter 19 in the component mounting devices W1 and W2 and discharge the chip R from the chute section 17 to the recovery path 30. For example, when any one of the chute section storage capacities 88 becomes "95", or when the total of the chute section storage capacities 88 of the chute sections 17 that discharge the chip R to one recovery path 30 does not exceed "150", which is the amount of the chip R that the moving body 40 can push and convey, the recovery management unit 74 sends an opening command.

[0046] In FIG. 11, a shutter control unit 64 provided in the mounting control device 15 is a control unit that controls a shutter drive unit 20 to open and close a shutter 19 based on command information received from a management computer 3 and detection results of a moving body 40 by a first detection unit 21, a second detection unit 22, and a third detection unit 23. For example, when the shutter control unit 64 receives an opening command for the shutter 19 from the management computer 3 and the second detection unit 22 detects that there is no moving body 40 below the opening 17a of the chute unit 17, the shutter control unit 64 controls the shutter drive unit 20 to open the shutter 19.

[0047] Alternatively, when the shutter control unit 64 receives an opening command for the shutter 19 from the management computer 3 and, after the first detection unit 21 or the third detection unit 23 detects the moving body 40, receives information indicating that the moving body 40 has stopped, the shutter control unit 64 controls the shutter drive unit 20 to open the shutter 19. That is, the shutter control unit 64 (control unit) acquires the position information of the moving body 40 and drives the shutter 19 by the shutter drive unit 20 based on the acquired position information.

[0048] Furthermore, when a predetermined time required to discharge the chips R accommodated in the interior 17b of the chute unit 17 after opening the shutter 19 has elapsed, the shutter control unit 64 controls the shutter drive unit 20 to close the shutter 19. Also, the shutter control unit 64 transmits information indicating that the shutter 19 has been closed to the management computer 3. The moving body 40 moves along the recovery path 30 based on a command from the recovery management unit 74, pushes and conveys the chips R discharged from the chute unit 17 with the blade 43, and accommodates them in the storage box 51 of the first storage unit 50. In this way, the moving body 40 starts moving and moves within the recovery path 30 when the calculated amount of the tape member 12 (the chute unit storage capacity 88) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0049] In FIG. 11, the storage unit storage capacity calculation unit 73 provided in the management processing device 70 integrates the chute unit storage capacity 88 of the chips R discharged from the chute unit 17 to the recovery path 30, and calculates the storage unit storage capacity of the chips R stored by the moving body 40 in the first storage unit 50. The calculated storage unit storage capacity is stored in the management storage unit 71 as storage unit storage capacity data 71c. The storage unit storage capacity is calculated for each first storage unit 50 provided in the component mounting system.

[0050] Here, with reference to FIG. 13(b), an example of the storage unit storage capacity data 71c will be described. In the storage unit storage capacity data 71c, the storage unit storage capacity 90 is stored for each storage unit number 89 that identifies the first storage unit 50. The storage unit storage capacity 90 is in arbitrary units, and numbers from "0", which indicates a state where there are no chips R in the chip storage unit 41a, to the upper limit that can be accommodated, for example, "300", are recorded. When the moving body 40 stores the chips R in the first storage unit 50, the storage unit storage capacity calculation unit 73 adds (integrates) the corresponding chute unit storage capacity 88 to the storage unit storage capacity 90. Further, when the operator recovers the chips R from the storage box 51 of the first storage unit 50, the storage unit storage capacity calculation unit 73 updates (resets) the storage unit storage capacity 90 to zero.

[0051] In FIG. 11, when the storage unit storage capacity 90 reaches a predetermined value (for example, 270) that does not exceed the upper limit (300), the recovery management unit 74 causes the touch panels 4 of the component mounting devices W1 and W2 to display an instruction to that effect and to recover the chips R from the first storage unit 50. That is, the touch panel 4 is a notification unit that notifies when the storage unit storage capacity 90 (the calculated amount of the tape member 12) exceeds the predetermined value. Note that the notification unit provided in the component mounting system 1 is not limited to the touch panel 4, and may be a display device (not shown) of the management computer 3 or an information terminal (not shown) carried by the operator.

[0052] Here, an example of a chip recovery method in a component mounting system 1 that recovers chips R of a tape member 12 discharged from a tape feeder 6 that supplies a component P using the tape member 12 will be described with reference to FIG. 10 along the flowcharts of FIGS. 14 and 15. The moving body 40 waits at the upstream power supply location 34 until it is time to recover the chips (FIG. 10(a)). The recovery management unit 74 determines whether it is time to recover the chips R from the chute unit 17 (ST1). When the chute unit storage capacity 88 of the chute unit storage capacity data 71b reaches a predetermined amount (Yes in ST1), the recovery management unit 74 sends a movement start command to the moving body 40 on the recovery path 30 to be recovered to move downstream, and the moving body 40 starts moving downstream (ST2).

[0053] When the first detection unit 21 of the component mounting device W1 detects the moving body 40 (Yes in ST3), the recovery management unit 74 sends a stop command to the moving body 40, and the moving body 40 stops in front of the chute unit 17 (ST4). Next, the recovery management unit 74 sends an open command for the shutter 19 to the component mounting device W1, and the shutter control unit 64 (control unit) opens the shutter 19 (ST5). As a result, the chips R are discharged from the chute unit 17 of the component mounting device W1 into the recovery path 30. When a predetermined time has elapsed after the shutter control unit 64 opens the shutter 19 (Yes in ST6), the shutter control unit 64 closes the shutter 19 (ST7).

[0054] In FIGS. 14 and 15, when there is a component mounting device W2 that discharges the chips R downstream (ST8), the moving body 40 moves downstream while pushing the chips R discharged from the component mounting device W1 (arrow d1 in FIG. 10(b)) (second ST2). Next, the second (ST3) to (ST7) are executed, and the chips R are discharged from the chute unit 17 of the component mounting device W2 into the recovery path 30. Since there is no component mounting device that discharges the chips R downstream (No in ST8), next, the recovery management unit 74 sends an open command for the lid 52 to the first storage unit 50, and the storage control device 54 opens the lid 52 (arrow e in FIG. 10(c)) (ST9). Next, the recovery management unit 74 sends a command to the moving body 40 to recover the chips R into the first storage unit 50.

[0055] The moving body 40 moves while pushing the chips R discharged from the component mounting devices W1 and W2 to the first storage unit 50 and stops (arrow d2 in Fig. 10(c)), and stores the chips R in the storage box 51 of the first storage unit 50 (Fig. 10(d)) (ST10). Next, the recovery management unit 74 transmits a command to move the moving body 40 to the power supply location 34. Thereby, the moving body 40 moves to the power supply location 34 and waits until the next chip recovery timing. Next, the recovery management unit 74 transmits a closing command to the lid 52 of the first storage unit 50, and the storage control device 54 closes the lid (ST12).

[0056] In Figs. 14 and 15, the recovery management unit 74 determines whether or not the storage capacity 90 of the storage unit in the storage unit storage capacity data 71c has reached a predetermined amount (ST13). When the storage capacity 90 of the storage unit reaches a predetermined amount, that is, when it is time to recover the chips R from the first storage unit 50 (Yes in ST13), the recovery management unit 74 causes the notification unit (touch panel 4) to display an instruction to recover the chips R (ST14). If it is not the timing to recover the chips R, no recovery instruction is displayed (No in ST13). In the case of the recovery timing, after displaying the recovery instruction (ST14), the process returns to (ST1) and waits until the next chip recovery timing. Thereby, the burden on the operator for recovering the chips R of the tape member 12 can be reduced.

[0057] Note that the above has described the chip recovery method in a configuration where the chute unit 17 includes the shutter 19. However, the chute unit 17 of the component mounting devices W1 and W2 may not include the shutter 19. In that case, when the cutter 18 of the chute unit 17 cuts the empty tape member 12, the chips R are immediately discharged into the recovery path 30. Further, the cutter control unit 63 cuts the empty tape member 12 with the cutter 18 after confirming from the detection results by the first detection unit 21, the second detection unit 22, and the third detection unit 23 that the moving body 40 does not exist below the opening 17a of the chute unit 17.

[0058] As described above, the component mounting system 1 of the present embodiment includes a recovery path 30 that recovers chips R of the tape member 12 discharged from the tape feeder 6, and a moving body 40 provided in the recovery path 30 that pushes and conveys the chips R. It is a chip recovery system that recovers the chips R of the tape member 12. Thereby, the burden of the operation of collecting the chips R of the tape member 12 by the operator can be reduced.

[0059] Next, with reference to FIG. 16, a chip recovery process (chip recovery method) by another embodiment of the component mounting system (chip recovery system) (hereinafter referred to as "component mounting system 100") will be described. In the component mounting system 100, a second storage unit 55 is arranged upstream of the power supply location 34, and the moving body 40A provided in the recovery path 30 is also provided with a blade 48 on the rear side (upstream side), which is different from the component mounting system 1 shown in FIG. 1. Hereinafter, the same parts as those of the component mounting system 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0060] In FIG. 16(a), the second storage unit 55 has the same configuration as the first storage unit 50, and includes a storage box 51 that stores the chips R and a lid 52. That is, the recovery path 30 is provided with a first storage unit 50 that stores the chips R discharged from the first opening 32, and a second storage unit 55 that stores the chips R discharged from the second opening 33. The moving body 40A is provided with a blade 43 on the front side and a blade 48 on the rear side of the main body 41, moves inside the recovery path 30, and pushes out the chips R from the first opening 32 and the second opening 33. That is, when moving downstream, the moving body 40A moves while pushing the chips R with the front blade 43 (arrow f1), and recovers the chips R in the storage box 51 of the first storage unit 50 (FIG. 16(b)).

[0061] In Fig. 16(c), when the moving body 40A moves upstream, the recovery management unit 74 sends an opening command for the lid 52 to the second storage unit 55, and the storage control device 54 of the second storage unit 55 controls the lid drive unit 53 to open the lid 52 (arrow g). Then, when the moving body 40A moves upstream, it moves while pushing the chips R with the rear blade 48 (arrow f2), and recovers the chips R into the storage box 51 of the second storage unit 55 (Fig. 16(d)).

Industrial Applicability

[0062] The chip recovery system and method of the present invention have the effect of reducing the burden of the chip recovery work of the tape member by the operator, and are useful in the field of mounting components on a substrate.

Explanation of Signs

[0063] 1, 100 Component mounting system (chip recovery system) 4 Touch panel (notification unit) 6 Tape feeder 10 Substrate 12 Tape member 15 Mounting control device (control unit) 17 Shoot section 17b Inside 19 Shutter 20 Shutter drive unit 30 Recovery path 31 Chip entry opening 32 First opening 33 Second opening 35 First pipeline 36 Bellows pipeline (second pipeline) 37 Slide pipeline (second pipeline) 40, 40A Moving body 50 First storage unit 55 Second storage unit P Component R Chip W1, W2 Component mounting device

Claims

1. A chip collection system for collecting chips of the tape member discharged from a tape feeder that supplies components using a tape member, a collection path for collecting chips discharged from the tape feeder, and a moving body provided in the collection path for pushing and conveying the chips, wherein the collection path includes a plurality of first pipelines having a predetermined length, and at least one second pipeline capable of connecting by adjusting the interval between two adjacent first pipelines within a predetermined range, the chip collection system.

2. The chip collection system according to claim 1, wherein the moving body is self-propelled.

3. The collection path is a pipeline, and the collection path has a chip entry opening through which chips discharged from the tape feeder enter, the chip collection system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. One end of the collection path has a first opening, and the moving body moves inside the collection path and pushes out the chips from the first opening, the chip collection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The other end of the collection path has a second opening, and the moving body moves inside the collection path and pushes out the chips from the first opening and the second opening, the chip collection system according to claim 4.

6. The chip collection system according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising a first storage portion for storing chips discharged from the first opening.

7. The chip collection system according to claim 5, further comprising a first storage portion for storing chips discharged from the first opening and a second storage portion for storing chips discharged from the second opening.

8. The chip collection system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising a calculation unit that calculates the amount of the tape member discharged from the tape feeder.

9. The chip collection system according to claim 8, wherein the moving body moves in the collection path based on the calculated amount of the tape member.

10. The chip collection system according to claim 8, wherein the moving body starts moving in the collection path when the calculated amount of the tape member is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

11. The chip collection system according to any one of claims 8 to 10, further comprising a notification unit that notifies when the calculated amount of the tape member exceeds a predetermined value.

12. Comprising a component mounting device for mounting components supplied from a tape feeder onto a substrate, The component mounting device has a chute portion through which chips pass and an openable and closable shutter for preventing the chips accommodated inside the chute portion from falling, and the chip collection system according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The chip collection system according to claim 12, comprising a shutter driving unit that drives the shutter and a control unit that controls the shutter driving unit.

14. The chip collection system according to claim 13, wherein the control unit acquires position information of the moving body and drives the shutter based on the acquired position information.

15. The second pipeline is a bellows-shaped pipeline or a pipeline having a slide mechanism, and the chip collection system according to claim 1.

16. The second pipeline is provided so as to be detachable from the plurality of first pipelines, and the chip collection system according to claim 15.

17. A chip recovery method for recovering chips of the tape member discharged from a tape feeder that supplies components using the tape member, recovering the chips discharged from the tape feeder into a recovery path, pushing and conveying the chips in the recovery path by a moving body, wherein the recovery path has a plurality of first pipelines having a predetermined length, and at least one second pipeline capable of adjusting and connecting the intervals between two adjacent first pipelines within a predetermined range, a chip recovery method.

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