Parts feeders and component placement devices

Abstract

To provide a parts feeder and a component mounting device capable of improving the operability and visibility of an operation panel provided on the parts feeder.SOLUTION: A handle portion 51 protruding upward from a rear surface 41b to an upper surface 41c is formed in a part of a main body portion 41, and a region including a corner portion 51E between the rear surface 41b and the upper surface 41c of the handle portion 51 is provided with an operation panel 60 that includes at least one operation switch 61 that performs input to a control portion and at least one lamp 63 that emits light under the control of the control portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a parts feeder that is attached to a feeder base provided in a component mounting device and used, and to a component mounting device provided with this parts feeder. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a parts feeder that supplies parts to a parts mounting device has a slot insertion section at the bottom of a main body equipped with a parts supply mechanism, and is attached to the feeder base by inserting this slot insertion section into a slot groove formed in the feeder base. When the parts feeder is attached to the feeder base in this manner, a handle is provided at the rear of the parts feeder that an operator can grasp when attaching or removing the parts feeder to or from the feeder base. The handle is equipped with an operation switch for inputting to a control section equipped in the parts feeder, and a lamp that lights up when controlled by the control section (see, for example, Patent Document 1 listed below). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-219107 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in conventional parts feeders, the operation switch and lamp had to be located in an extremely narrow space on the operation panel provided on the top surface of the handle, so the operation switch and lamp were located close to each other, and the sizes of the operation switch and lamp had to be small. This caused problems such as making it difficult for workers to perform the necessary operations, and making mistakes such as overlooking the lighting or flashing of the lamp, which is a work instruction from the control unit.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a parts feeder and a component mounting device that can improve the operability and visibility of an operation panel provided in the parts feeder. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The parts feeder of the present invention is a parts feeder that supplies components to a component removal position from which a mounting head of a component mounting device removes components, and comprises: a main body having a front surface, a rear surface, and an upper surface that extends from the front surface to the rear surface, the component removal position being set at a position biased toward the front surface, and a component supply mechanism that supplies components to the component removal position; and a control unit that controls at least the component supply mechanism, wherein a handle portion that protrudes upward from the rear surface to the upper surface is formed on a part of the main body, and an operation panel is provided in an area including a corner between the rear surface and the upper surface of the handle portion, the operation panel including at least one operation switch that inputs to the control unit and at least one lamp that emits light under the control of the control unit. The lamp is disposed on the rear surface of the handle, the operation switch is disposed on the upper surface of the handle, and the operation panel has a main panel having the operation switch, a sub-panel having the lamp, and a connecting portion connecting the main panel and the sub-panel, the main panel being located on the upper surface of the handle, the sub-panel being located on the rear surface of the handle, and the connecting portion being located at the corner. .

[0007] A component mounting device according to the present invention includes the above-described component feeder according to the present invention, and a mounting head that picks up components supplied by the component feeder using a nozzle and mounts them on a board. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the operability and visibility of the operation panel provided in the parts feeder. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a main part of a component mounting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a main part of a component mounting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a parts feeder provided in a component mounting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a feeder base provided in a component mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 5] 1 is a side view of a feeder base provided in a component mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are side views of a clamping mechanism provided in a feeder base of a component mounting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] FIG. 1A is a side view of a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] 1 is a side view of a rear portion of a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rear portion of a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 10] 1 is a side view of a handle portion of a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 11] 1A is a side view of an operation panel provided in a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1C is a plan view of the operation panel; [Figure 12] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of a clamped member, a clamp release member, and a lever portion provided in a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 1 is a side view of a rear portion of a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 14] 1 is a side view of a rear portion of a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 15] 1A and 1B are side views of a release operation unit provided in a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a release operation unit provided in a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] 1 is a side view of a rear portion of a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rear portion of a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 19] 1A and 1B are partial cross-sectional plan views of a release operation unit provided in a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 20]1 is a side view of a rear portion of a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 21] 1A and 1B are partial cross-sectional plan views of a release operation unit provided in a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 22] 1 is a side view of a rear portion of a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 23] 1 is a side view of a rear portion of a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 24] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams illustrating a part feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention before and after being attached to a feeder base. [Figure 25] 1A and 1B are explanatory views of the operation of a clamp mechanism when a parts feeder is attached to a feeder base according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26] (a) (b) (c) An explanatory diagram of the operation of the clamp mechanism when the parts feeder is attached to the feeder base in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams illustrating a part feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention before and after being removed from a feeder base. [Figure 28] 1A and 1B are explanatory views illustrating the operation of the lever portion and the clamp release member when the parts feeder is removed from the feeder base in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 29] 1A and 1B are explanatory views illustrating the operation of the lever portion and the clamp release member when the parts feeder is removed from the feeder base in one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 and 2 show a component mounting apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The component mounting apparatus 1 is an apparatus that repeatedly performs a component mounting operation of mounting components BH onto a board KB carried in from an upstream process side and carrying it out to a downstream process side. For ease of explanation, the horizontal direction along the direction in which the board KB is carried in and out of the component mounting apparatus 1 (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in Figure 1 and the left-to-right direction on the paper surface in Figure 2) is referred to as the X direction, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the X direction is referred to as the Y direction, and the up-down direction is referred to as the Z direction. Furthermore, the X direction as viewed from the operator OP is referred to as the left-to-right direction, and the Y direction is referred to as the front-to-rear direction, with the side farther from the operator OP being referred to as the "front" and the side closer to the operator OP being referred to as the "rear."

[0011] 1, component mounting device 1 includes a base 11, a board transport path 12, a parts feeder 13, a mounting head 14, a head movement mechanism 15, a component recognition camera 16, and a control device 17. Board transport path 12 is made up of a pair of belt conveyors 12a, and extends in the X direction on base 11. Board transport path 12 carries in boards KB sent from the upstream process side and positions them at a predetermined working position.

[0012] 1, a feeder cart 21 is connected to the front side (rear end side) of base 11 as seen from operator OP. A feeder base 22 is provided on top of feeder cart 21, and part feeders 13 are detachably attached to feeder base 22. In this embodiment, part feeder 13 is a tape feeder that pulls out carrier tape CT containing parts BH from reel RL held by feeder cart 21, and supplies parts BH to part removal position 13K (see also FIG. 2) set in front of part feeder 13.

[0013] 2, a plurality of part feeders 13 can be mounted on feeder base 22 in a line in the X direction. When feeder cart 21 is connected to base 11, the plurality of part feeders 13 mounted on feeder base 22 are connected to base 11 all at once.

[0014] 1, the mounting head 14 is equipped with multiple nozzles 14N extending downward. Each nozzle 14N is capable of moving up and down and rotating around an axis (Z axis) along the Z direction, and generates a suction force at its lower end when vacuum pressure is supplied from a vacuum source (not shown). As shown in FIG. 2, the head movement mechanism 15 is made up of two Y tables 15y extending in the Y direction and arranged side by side in the X direction, and an X table 15x extending in the X direction and supported at both ends by the two Y tables 15y.

[0015] 2, the mounting head 14 is attached to an X table 15x. The mounting head 14 is driven to move in the X direction by a drive mechanism (e.g., a linear motor) provided between the mounting head 14 and the X table 15x. The X table 15x is driven to move in the Y direction by a drive mechanism (e.g., a linear motor) provided between the two Y tables 15y. The mounting head 14 moves in the X direction relative to the X table 15x and the X table 15x moves in the Y direction relative to the Y table 15y, thereby moving the mounting head 14 within a horizontal plane (XY plane) in the area above the base 11.

[0016] 1 and 2, the component recognition camera 16 is provided in the area between the board transport path 12 and the feeder cart 21 on the base 11. The component recognition camera 16 has an imaging optical axis facing upward. The component recognition camera 16 captures an image of each component BH as the mounting head 14, which has picked up a component BH with the nozzle 14N, passes above it.

[0017] The control device 17 controls the operation of each part constituting the component mounting device 1. In detail, the control device 17 controls the transport operation of the board KB by the board transport path 12 and the positioning operation to the work position, and controls the supply operation of the components BH by each part feeder 13.

[0018] The control device 17 controls the lifting and rotation of each of the multiple nozzles 14N equipped on the mounting head 14, and controls the generation of suction force for components BH at the bottom end of each nozzle 14N. The control device 17 also controls the operation of the head movement mechanism 15 to move the mounting head 14. The control device 17 also controls the imaging operation of the component recognition camera 16. As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 17 is connected to the work instruction unit SSB, which provides overall control of the component mounting line including the component mounting device 1, and receives work instructions, production programs, etc. required for the operation of the component mounting device 1 from the work instruction unit SSB.

[0019] When the component placement device 1 performs a component placement operation, first, the board KB sent from the upstream process side is received by the board transport path 12 and positioned at the work position. After the board transport path 12 positions the board KB, the head movement mechanism 15 operates to move the placement head 14 above the parts feeder 13, and the placement head 14 picks up a component BH onto each of the multiple nozzles 14N. After the placement head 14 picks up a component BH onto the nozzles 14N, it moves so as to pass above the component recognition camera 16, which recognizes the component BH passing above.

[0020] Once the component recognition camera 16 recognizes the component BH, the head movement mechanism 15 moves the mounting head 14 above the board KB, and the mounting head 14 places the component BH at the target placement coordinates set on the board KB. This placement turn, consisting of a series of operations including component BH pickup, recognition, and placement, is repeated until all of the components BH to be placed on the board KB have been placed. Then, the board transport path 12 operates to transport the board KB to the downstream process side. This completes the placement operation for one board KB.

[0021] In the component mounting device 1 having such a configuration, the present embodiment is characterized by the configuration of the parts feeder 13, which will be described below. First, the configuration of the feeder base 22 to which the parts feeder 13 is attached will be described.

[0022] 2, feeder base 22 is composed of a plate-like member formed into an overall rectangular shape. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a plurality of slot groove forming members 23 are arranged at intervals in the X direction on the upper surface of feeder base 22. These slot groove forming members 23 form slot grooves 23S for attaching part feeders 13 to feeder base 22.

[0023] As will be described later, the part feeder 13 is selectively inserted into one of the multiple slots 23S and attached. When inserting the part feeder 13, it slides from the front side (the bottom of the paper in FIG. 2) to the back side (the top of the paper in FIG. 2) of the slot 23S as viewed from the operator OP side. Hereinafter, this sliding direction will be referred to as the attachment direction (arrow At shown in FIGS. 2 and 4). The direction opposite to the attachment direction will be referred to as the removal direction (arrow Re shown by a dashed line in FIGS. 2 and 4). To remove the part feeder 13 from the slot 23S, slide the part feeder 13 in the removal direction.

[0024] 2, 4, and 5, a feeder stopper 24 for positioning the parts feeder 13 inserted into the slot groove 23S is provided at the rear end of the feeder base 22. Upper and lower pin insertion holes 24A and lower pin insertion holes 24B are provided at the top and bottom, respectively, in positions corresponding to the slot grooves 23S.

[0025] 4 and 5, a bracket 25 is provided on the underside of the rear portion of the feeder base 22, protruding rearward and downward from the feeder base 22. The bracket 25 is composed of a first member 25A attached to the underside of the feeder base 22 and a second member 25B attached to the underside of the first member 25A. The first member 25A extends rearward, and a plug 26 is provided on its rear end surface in a position corresponding to each slot groove 23S. The plug 26 is one of the members that constitute a connector for electrical wiring. The plug 26 is provided in a state where it protrudes rearward.

[0026] 4 and 5, the second member 25B extends rearward and has an L-shaped cross section with its rear end bent downward. The bent portion is provided with engagement pins 27 arranged to correspond to the slot grooves 23S. Similar to the plug 26, the engagement pins 27 also protrude rearward.

[0027] 4, a plurality of support portions 22B are provided at intervals in the X direction at the rear end portion of the feeder base 22. The plurality of support portions 22B are arranged so that the space between adjacent support portions 22B is located on an extension of the slot groove 23S. Clamp mechanisms 31 are provided in the space between adjacent support portions 22B in an arrangement corresponding to each slot groove 23S (see also FIG. 2).

[0028] 4 and 5, the clamp mechanism 31 includes an arm 32 that extends in the Y direction as a whole. Both ends of a support shaft 22J are supported by two adjacent support parts 22B (FIGS. 4 and 5), and the support shaft 22J is provided so as to penetrate a middle part of the arm 32 in the X direction. Therefore, the arm 32 is able to swing freely around the support shaft 22J in the space sandwiched between the two adjacent support parts 22B.

[0029] Two arms 32 are provided in a pair in the X direction. In Figure 5 and Figures 6(a) and (b), the rear ends of the two arms 32 are connected by an operated part 33 extending in the X direction, and the middle parts of the two arms 32 extend in the X direction and are connected by a stator 34. The front parts of the two arms 32 are connected by a receiving part 35.

[0030] 5 and 6(a) and (b), the stator 34 is located at a position rearward away from the support shaft 22J on the arm 32, and the operated part 33 is located at a position further rearward away from the stator 34. In other words, the operated part 33 is located farther from the support shaft 22J than the stator 34. The stator 34 and the operated part 33 are configured by pins with smooth surfaces or rollers (bearings) that can rotate around an axis along the X direction.

[0031] 5 and 6(a) and (b), a biasing spring 36 is attached to the first member 25A of the bracket 25. The biasing spring 36 biases the receiving portion 35 of the arm 32 upward. When the parts feeder 13 is not inserted in the slot groove 23S, the biasing force of the biasing spring 36 causes the arm 32 to remain stationary in a position where the receiving portion 35 abuts the underside of the feeder base 22 (FIG. 6(a)). On the other hand, when a pushing-up force acts on the operated portion 33 at the rear end of the arm 32 from the state shown in FIG. 6(a), the arm 32 swings around the support shaft 22J against the biasing force of the biasing spring 36 (arrow M shown in FIG. 6(b)), and swings in the rear end raising direction (FIG. 6(b)).

[0032] As described above, in this embodiment, clamp mechanism 31 swings around an axis (support axis 22J) that intersects horizontally with the mounting direction of part feeder 13 (arrow At shown in FIG. 4), and has arm 32 extending from the axis in a removal direction (arrow Re shown in FIG. 4) that is opposite to the mounting direction of part feeder 13. Arm 32 further has stator 34 located away from the axis in the removal direction, and operated part 33 as a cam follower located further away from stator 34 in the removal direction (rearward). Operated part 33 is attached at a position farther from support axis 22J, which is the swing fulcrum of clamp mechanism 31, than stator 34.

[0033] Next, the configuration of the parts feeder will be described. In Figures 3 and 7(a) and (b), the parts feeder 13 has a main body 41 that extends along the YZ plane as a whole. The left and right sides of the main body 41 are covered by left and right cover members (left cover 41L and right cover 41R). The main body 41 has a front surface 41a, a rear surface 41b, and a top surface 41c that extends from the front surface 41a to the rear surface 41b.

[0034] In Figure 3, a tape passage 42, which is a passage for the carrier tape CT, is provided inside the main body 41, a tape insertion port 42E, which is the entrance to the tape passage 42, is provided at the rear of the main body 41, and a tape exit 42D, which is the exit of the tape passage 42, is provided at the front of the main body 41.

[0035] 3, component removal position 13K, to which component BH is supplied, is set at a position biased toward the front side of the upper surface of main body 41. Inside main body 41, component supply mechanism 43 that supplies component BH to component removal position 13K and control unit 44 that controls component supply mechanism 43 and other components are provided.

[0036] The component supply mechanism 43 supplies components BH to the component removal position 13K by transporting the carrier tape CT inserted from the tape insertion port 42E toward the tape exit 42D using a sprocket (not shown). That is, in this embodiment, the main body 41 is configured to have the component supply mechanism 43 that supplies components BH to the component removal position 13K from which the mounting head 14 of the component mounting device 1 removes the components BH.

[0037] 3, an exposure section 45 is provided above the tape passage 42 inside the main body 41. When the carrier tape CT passes before reaching the component removal position 13K, the exposure section 45 peels off the cover tape (a tape-like member attached to the surface of the carrier tape CT to prevent the components BH from falling off; not shown) from the carrier tape CT, exposing the components BH.

[0038] 3, a recovery section 46 for recovering the carrier tape CT peeled off by the exposing section 45 is provided at the rear of the main body 41. A recovery section door 47 connected to the recovery section 46 is provided at the rear of the main body 41. An operator OP can remove and recover the cover tape accumulated in the recovery section 46 by opening the recovery section door 47. Note that the exposing section 45 in this embodiment completely peels the cover tape off the carrier tape CT to expose the components BH stored in the carrier tape CT, but the cover tape may be partially peeled off or cut open to expose it.

[0039] 3, 7(a) and 8, a handle 51 is provided at the rear of the main body 41. The handle 51 has a shape that protrudes upward from the rear surface 41b of the main body 41 to the top surface 41c (see also FIG. 9).

[0040] 3 and 7(a) and (b), a slot insertion portion 52 and an engagement protrusion 53 are provided on the lower front surface of the main body 41. The slot insertion portion 52 and the engagement protrusion 53 are inserted from the rear into one of a plurality of slot grooves 23S formed on the feeder base 22. By inserting the slot insertion portion 52 and the engagement protrusion 53 into the slot groove 23S, the lower part of the parts feeder 13 is mostly positioned in the X direction relative to the feeder base 22.

[0041] 3 and 7(a) and (b), an upper pin 54 and a lower pin 55 are provided to protrude forward on the front surface 41a of the main body 41. The upper pin 54 is provided at an upper part of the front surface 41a of the main body 41, and the lower pin 55 is provided at a lower part of the front surface 41a of the main body 41.

[0042] When the parts feeder 13 is inserted into the slot groove 23S and moved in the installation direction (arrow At shown in FIG. 4), the upper pins 54 are inserted into the upper pin insertion holes 24A, and the lower pins 55 are inserted into the lower pin insertion holes 24B. As a result, the position (height position) of the front surface 41a of the parts feeder 13 in at least the direction along the Z axis and the direction along the X axis is determined by the upper pins 54 and the upper pin insertion holes 24A, and the position along the Y axis is determined by the lower pins 55 abutting against the feeder stopper 24 while inserted into the lower pin insertion holes 24B.

[0043] 3, 7(a), (b), and 8, the downwardly protruding portion at the rear of main body 41 is coupling portion 56 that is coupled to feeder base 22. A socket 57 that constitutes a connector for electrical wiring is provided to protrude forward from coupling portion 56. When main body 41 is attached to feeder base 22, socket 57 is connected to plug 26 provided on feeder base 22.

[0044] 3, 7(a), (b), and 8, a bottom plate 58 having a shape extending in the front-to-rear direction is attached to the lower end of coupling portion 56. The front end of bottom plate 58 is bent upward to form bent portion 58K, and an engagement hole 58H consisting of an opening is provided in the center of bent portion 58K (FIG. 8). When slot insertion portion 52 is inserted deep into slot groove 23S in the installation direction (arrow At shown in FIG. 4), engagement pin 27 on feeder cart 21 is inserted into engagement hole 58H.

[0045] 8, 9, and 10, an operation panel 60 is provided in an area including a corner 51E between the rear surface 41b and the top surface 41c (of the main body 41) of the handle 51, i.e., an area spanning from the top surface 41c to the rear surface 41b of the handle 51. As shown in Fig. 9, the operation panel 60 has a main panel 60A, a sub-panel 60B, and a connecting portion 60C that connects the main panel 60A and the sub-panel 60B.

[0046] The main panel 60A is located on the upper surface 41c of the handle portion 51, and the sub-panel 60B is located on the rear surface 41b of the handle portion 51. The connecting portion 60C is located at a corner 51E of the handle portion 51. The main panel 60A and the sub-panel 60B are electrically connected via a flexible substrate (not shown) provided on the connecting portion 60C.

[0047] In FIG. 9, the main panel 60A is provided with a plurality of operation switches 61 and a display unit 62, and the sub-panel 60B is provided with two lamps 63 (upper lamp 63a and lower lamp 63b). The operation switches 61 are devices for inputting to the control unit 44, and the display unit 62 is a device for displaying characters to the operator OP. In this embodiment, the display unit 62 has a configuration in which two 7-segment LEDs are arranged horizontally, and is capable of displaying two (two-digit) numbers or two English letters. Note that a display panel such as a liquid crystal display may also be used as the display unit. The lamp 63 is a device that emits light under the control of the control unit 44. In this embodiment, the lamp 63 is made up of an LED light.

[0048] In this way, the main body 41 of the parts feeder 13 in this embodiment is formed with a handle portion 51 that protrudes upward from the rear surface 41b to the top surface 41c, and in the area including the corner 51E between the rear surface 41b and the top surface 41c of this handle portion 51, there is provided an operation panel 60 that includes at least one operation switch 61 for inputting to the control unit 44 and at least one lamp 63 that emits light under the control of the control unit 44.

[0049] 11(a), (b), and (c), operation panel 60 is made up of a single flat, rectangular plate-like member before being attached to handle portion 51. That is, operation panel 60 before being attached to handle portion 51 is in a state in which main panel 60A, connecting portion 60C, and sub-panel 60B are arranged in this order on a single plane.

[0050] As described above, the operation panel 60 initially has a flat shape, but when attached to the handle portion 51, the main panel 60A is embedded in the upper surface 41c of the handle portion 51, and the sub-panel 60B is embedded in the rear surface 41b of the handle portion 51. The connecting portion 60C is bent to follow the shape of the corner portion 51E.

[0051] 8 and 10, one end of a flat cable 64 is connected to the operation panel 60. The flat cable 64 extends inside the main body 41, and the other end is connected to the control unit 44. Therefore, an operation signal generated by operating the operation switch 61 is transmitted to the control unit 44 through the flat cable 64. Furthermore, a signal output from the control unit 44 is transmitted to the operation panel 60 through the flat cable 64, and the display unit 62 and the lamp 63 are displayed.

[0052] 10, the flat cable 64 extends downward from the lower right edge of the operation panel 60, then extends along the right side surface of the main body 41, and reaches the control unit 44. In this embodiment, the operation panel 60 and the control unit 44 are electrically connected using such a flat cable 64, which makes it easy to manage the wiring.

[0053] 7(a) and 8, an unclamping mechanism 80 and a clamped member 81 are provided in an area spanning the main body 41 and the connecting portion 56. The unclamping mechanism 80 includes a clamping member 82, a return spring 83, a lever portion 84, a release operation portion 85, and a wire 86.

[0054] 3, 7(a), (b), and 8, the member to be clamped 81 is provided at the connecting portion 56. As also shown in FIGS. 12(a) and (b), the member to be clamped 81 has a shape that extends in the Y direction as a whole. The rear end side of the member to be clamped 81 is fixed to the main body portion 41, and the front end side protrudes forward of the connecting portion 56.

[0055] 8 and 12(a) and (b), an upwardly opening recessed portion 81K is formed in the front end portion 81F of the clamped member 81. An inclined surface 81T is formed on the curved upper surface of the recessed portion 81K, which slopes upward toward the front (tip side). The highest point of the inclined surface 81T (i.e., at the front end portion 81F) is the highest point 81G.

[0056] 8 and 12(a) and (b), an upwardly opening relief portion 81H is provided at a position rearward away from recessed portion 81K of clamped member 81. The upper edge from recessed portion 81K to relief portion 81H forms cam surface 81C, which has an inclined surface that slopes upward from recessed portion 81K toward relief portion 81H. The highest point on the rear end of cam surface 81C is cam surface rear end highest point 81CG (FIGS. 12(a) and (b)).

[0057] 8 and 12(a) and (b), the clamp release member 82 is provided inside the connecting portion 56. The clamp release member 82 is supported by a pin 82P that is attached at both ends to the connecting portion 56 and extends in the X direction, and is capable of swinging freely around the pin 82P.

[0058] 8 and 12(a) and (b), the tip of the clamp release member 82 is an clamp release claw 82T that protrudes forward beyond the pin 82P. A roller 82R that is rotatable around an axis (X axis) along the X direction is provided at the rear end of the clamp release member 82, which is located behind the pin 82P.

[0059] 8 and 12(a) and (b), a spring member support portion 56K is provided within the connecting portion 56. A return spring 83, which is an elastic body, is provided between the spring member support portion 56K and the clamp release member 82. The return spring 83 is made of a compression spring, and biases the clamp release member 82 in the direction of lowering the front end thereof.

[0060] 7(a) and 8, the lever portion 84 is provided within the connecting portion 56. As also shown in FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b), the lever portion 84 is supported by a lever portion support pin 84P that is attached at both ends to the connecting portion 56 and extends in the X direction, and is free to swing about the lever portion support pin 84P. In FIG. 8, the front end of the lever portion 84 abuts from above against a roller 82R provided at the rear end of the clamp release member 82.

[0061] 8 and 10, the release operation part 85 is provided at the rear end of the main body part 41. As also shown in Figures 13 and 14, the release operation part 85 is made up of a slide part 91, a swing part 92, and a connecting pin 93. Note that Figures 13 and 14 show a state in which the right cover 41R is removed from the main body part 41.

[0062] 15(a), 15(b) and 16, the sliding portion 91 has a base portion 91a that spreads along the YZ plane and extends in the Y direction, and a front wall portion 91b that extends rightward from the front end of the base portion 91a. A wire insertion hole 91D that penetrates the front wall portion 91b in the thickness direction (Y direction) is provided in the front wall portion 91b, and a block-shaped stopper portion 91S is formed at the right end of the front wall portion 91b.

[0063] One end of the swing part 92 is a base part 92K that is connected to the slide part 91 by a connecting pin 93, and the tip of the other end is an operating side end part 92S that is operated by an operator OP. The base part 92K of the swing part 92 is attached to the slide part 91 by the connecting pin 93, and the swing part 92 can be swung in the YZ plane relative to the slide part 91 around the connecting pin 93.

[0064] 16, the base 92K of the swing part 92 is bifurcated. As shown in FIGS. 13, 14, and 15(a) and (b), each of the bifurcated bases 92K is provided with a protrusion 94 (a left protrusion 94L and a right protrusion 94R) that protrudes and extends to the side opposite the operation-side end 92S.

[0065] 14, 17, and 18, a storage compartment 101 that opens onto the rear surface 41b is provided at the rear of the handle 51. The storage compartment 101 is formed by a recessed portion in the front of the rear surface 41b of the handle 51 and an area surrounded by the left and right covers (left cover 41L and right cover 41R) (FIG. 18).

[0066] 17 and 18, the rear surface 41b of the handle portion 51 that constitutes the storage portion 101 has a restricting portion 102 consisting of a recessed portion in front of it. The restricting portion 102 has an upper inclined surface 102a that extends obliquely downward and forward, a lower inclined surface 102b that extends obliquely downward and rearward from the lower end of the upper inclined surface 102a, and a horizontal portion 102c that extends rearward from the lower end of the lower inclined surface 102b and connects to the rear surface of the handle portion 51. A first recess 102d is formed at the boundary between the upper inclined surface 102a and the lower inclined surface 102b, and a second recess 102e is formed at the boundary between the lower inclined surface 102b and the horizontal portion 102c.

[0067] 18, a slide passage 103 having an opening in the storage section 101 and extending in the Y direction is provided at the rear of the handle section 51. This slide passage 103 is in communication with a window 104 that opens on the right side surface (including the right cover 41R) of the main body 41 and extends in the Y direction (see also FIGS. 13, 14, and 15(a) and (b)). As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19(a) and (b), a front wall 103W is formed at the forefront of the slide passage 103, and a wire hole 103D that penetrates the front wall 103W in the thickness direction (Y direction) is provided in the front wall 103W.

[0068] The slide portion 91 is provided in the slide portion passage 103 and is movable in the Y direction within the main body 41. When the slide portion 91 moves in the Y direction within the slide portion passage 103, the stopper portion 91S moves in the Y direction within the window 104 accordingly. The release operation unit 85 is capable of moving (sliding) between a first position (FIGS. 13 and 19(a)) where the base 92K of the swing portion 92 abuts against the restricting portion 102 (more specifically, the upper inclined surface 102a and the lower inclined surface 102b) of the storage unit 101 from the rear, and a second position (FIGS. 14 and 19(b)) where the stopper portion 91S abuts against the wall portion 104T, which is the rear edge of the window 104, from the front.

[0069] When the release operating part 85 is in the first position, the swing part 92 can be moved (swinged) between two positions: an upright position (Figure 13) in which the operating side end part 92S is positioned upward and close to the main body part 41, and a sideways position (Figure 14) in which it extends almost horizontally to the rear and is away from the main body part 41.

[0070] When the swing portion 92 is operated from the lying position to the standing position (FIG. 14 → FIG. 13, FIG. 15(b) → FIG. 15(a)), the right-side convex portion 94R fits into the second concave portion 102e of the restricting portion 102 (FIG. 13). Therefore, the swing portion 92 is positioned in the standing position, and maintains the standing position unless operated by the operator OP.

[0071] When the swing part 92 is in an upright position and housed within the storage part 101, a claw part 92T, which is a part of the operation side end part 92S, protrudes rearward from the handle part 51 (FIG. 13). Therefore, the operator OP can easily place the swing part 92 in a sideways position by pinching the claw part 92T of the swing part 92 when it is in an upright position and housed within the storage part 101, or by hooking his / her finger on the claw part 92T and pulling it rearward.

[0072] In this embodiment, the main body 41 is provided with a storage section 101 for storing the swing section 92 in an upright position, and the operating side end 92S of the swing section 92 is configured to have a claw section 92T that protrudes without being stored in the storage section 101 even when the swing section 92 is in an upright position.

[0073] When the swing portion 92 is in the horizontal position, the right convex portion 94R of the swing portion 92 fits into the first concave portion 102d of the restricting portion 102 (FIG. 14). Therefore, the swing portion 92 is positioned in the horizontal position and will maintain the horizontal position unless operated by the operator OP.

[0074] In this way, the external shapes of the portions where the convex portion 94 of the base 92K of the swing portion 92 and the regulating portion 102 come into contact (more specifically, the first recess 102d and the second recess 102e) are shaped to maintain the upright position of the swing portion 92 when the swing portion 92 is in an upright position, and to maintain the lateral position of the swing portion 92 when the swing portion 92 is in a lateral position.

[0075] A swing portion stopper 91T (FIGS. 15(a) and 15(b)) is formed at the rear of the slide portion 91. A left convex portion 94L formed on the base portion 92K of the swing portion 92 abuts against the swing portion stopper 91T from below. Therefore, the swing portion 92 does not swing downward beyond the lying-down position even when the slide portion 91 moves to the second position. In other words, the swing portion stopper 91T functions as a swing stopper that restricts the swing of the swing portion 92 from the upright position to the lying-down position.

[0076] The swing portion 92 can be placed in an upright position or a sideways position with the release operation portion 85 in the first position (FIG. 13 → FIG. 14, FIG. 15(a) → FIG. 15(b)), and by pulling the swing portion 92 backward when it is in the sideways position, the release operation portion 85 can be placed in the second position (FIG. 14 → FIG. 20). Even when the release operation portion 85 is in the second position, the left convex portion 94L remains in contact with the swing portion stopper 91T, so the swing portion 92 maintains a horizontal position even when pulled out rearward of the handle portion 51 together with the slide portion 91 (the operation side end portion 92S does not hang downward).

[0077] 13, 14, and 15(a) and (b), a wire holder 111 is attached to the right surface of the sliding portion 91. As shown in Fig. 16, the wire holder 111 has a main portion 111a that spreads along the YZ plane and extends in the Y direction, and an extension portion 111b that bends and extends to the left from the rear end of the main portion 111a. The main portion 111a is provided with two nuts 111N that are aligned in the Y direction, and the extension portion 111b is provided with a slit portion 111S that extends in the Y direction.

[0078] 15(a), (b) and 16, the wire holder 111 is attached to the right surface of the slide part 91 by two bolts 112 arranged side by side in the Y direction on the slide part 91. The wire holder 111 has two elongated holes 91H extending in the Y direction and arranged side by side in the Y direction.

[0079] Two bolts 112 pass through elongated holes 91H and are threadedly engaged with nuts 111N, and by tightening the bolts 112 against the nuts 111N, the wire holder 111 is fixed to the slide portion 91. Therefore, by temporarily loosening the bolts 112 tightened against the nuts 111N to move the wire holder 111 in the Y direction relative to the slide portion 91, and then tightening the bolts 112 again, the attachment position of the wire holder 111 relative to the slide portion 91 can be changed as desired within the range of the length of the elongated holes 91H in the Y direction.

[0080] 7(a) and 8, wire 86 extends vertically within main body 41. The upper end of wire 86 is attached to the front end of wire holder 111, and the lower end is attached to lever 84. In other words, wire 86 is a member that connects release operation portion 85 and lever 84.

[0081] Here, the upper end of the wire 86 is inserted through the aforementioned wire hole 103D (FIGS. 18 and 19(a)) provided in the front wall 103W of the slide portion passage 103 and the aforementioned wire insertion hole 91D (FIGS. 16 and 19(a)) formed in the front wall portion 91b of the slide portion 91, and the head portion 86T is engaged with the slit portion 111S, whereby the wire is attached to the wire holder 111. The lower end of the wire 86 is attached to the rear end portion of the lever portion 84.

[0082] 8 and 10, the portion of the upper end of wire 86 immediately after it extends forward from slide portion 91 is supported by arc-shaped guide surface 41M (FIG. 17) formed inside main body 41. Therefore, wire 86 extends forward from the upper end to guide surface 41M, and then bends downward at guide surface 41M to extend downward (toward lever portion 84).

[0083] As described above, the lever portion 84 abuts from above against the roller 82R at the rear end of the clamp release member 82, which is biased in the front end downward direction by the return spring 83, and receives a biasing force in the front end upward direction from the return spring 83 through the clamp release member 82. The length of the wire 86 is adjusted so that it is fully extended (under tension) when the release operation portion 85 is located in the first position.

[0084] That is, in this embodiment, the clamp release mechanism 80 includes a return spring 83 as an elastic body that urges the release operating portion 85 in a direction that pulls it into the inside of the main body portion 41, and the main body portion 41 is configured to have a regulating portion 102 that abuts against the swing portion 92 and thereby regulates the movement of the release operating portion 85, which is urged by the return spring 83, in a direction toward the inside of the main body portion 41.

[0085] 8 and 22, when the release operating portion 85 is in the first position, the clamp unclamping member 82 is in a substantially horizontal position (see also FIG. 12(a)). The clamp unclamping member 82 is also in a position (referred to as the "standby position") where the clamp unclamping claw 82T is substantially at the same level as or lower than the bottom surface of the recess 81H of the clamped member 81.

[0086] When the operator OP swings the swing part 92, which is in an upright position at the first position, to a sideways position (arrow P1 shown in FIG. 22), and then pulls the release operation part 85, which is in the sideways position, rearward (arrow P2 shown in FIG. 23), the rear end of the lever part 84 is pulled upward via the wire 86. This causes the lever part 84 to swing around the lever part support pin 84P in the direction of lowering the front end (arrow R1 shown in FIG. 23), and the rear end of the clamp release member 82 is pushed down via the roller 82R.

[0087] When the rear end side of the clamp release member 82 is pushed down, the clamp release member 82 swings around the pin 82P in the direction of raising the front end against the biasing force of the return spring 83 (arrow R2 shown in FIG. 23). Then, the clamp release member 82 stops at a position (referred to as the "clamp release position") where the upper surface of the clamp release claw 82T is higher than the cam surface 81C (FIG. 23; also see FIG. 12(b)). That is, when the operator OP moves the release operating unit 85 from the first position to the second position (pulls it rearward), the clamp release member 82 moves (swings) from the standby position to the clamp release position.

[0088] When release operating unit 85 is moved from the first position to the second position in this manner, and unclamping member 82 moves from the standby position to the unclamping position, the operating force of release operating unit 85 is transmitted to unclamping member 82 through wire 86 and lever portion 84. At this time, wire 86 and lever portion 84 serve as transmission unit DB that transmits the displacement of release operating unit 85 to unclamping member 82 (FIGS. 22 and 23).

[0089] When attaching a parts feeder 13 having such a configuration to the feeder base 22, the operator OP inserts the front end of the slot insertion portion 52 into the slot groove 23S with the release operating portion 85 in the upright position at the first position. Then, the operator OP slides the main body portion 41 along the slot groove 23S in the attachment direction (arrow At shown in FIG. 24(a)), pushing the main body portion 41 toward the back of the feeder base 22 until the front surface 41a of the main body portion 41 abuts against the feeder stopper 24.

[0090] In this way, when main body 41 is pushed into the back of feeder base 22, recess 81K of clamped member 81 on the part feeder 13 side engages with stator 34 of clamping mechanism 31 on the feeder base 22 side. As a result, clamped member 81 is clamped by clamping mechanism 31, and part feeder 13 is fixed (clamped) to feeder base 22 (FIG. 24(b)).

[0091] Furthermore, as main body 41 is pushed into the back of feeder base 22, upper pins 54 and lower pins 55 of part feeder 13 fit into upper pin insertion holes 24A and lower pin insertion holes 24B of feeder stopper 24, respectively, and socket 57 of part feeder 13 connects with plug 26 provided on feeder base 22. When socket 57 connects with plug 26, control unit 44 on part feeder 13 side and control device 17 on component mounting device 1 side are electrically connected.

[0092] 25(a), (b) and 26(a), (b), and (c), the clamping operation of clamping mechanism 31 on member to be clamped 81 will be described in detail. When slot insertion portion 52 of parts feeder 13 is inserted into slot groove 23S of feeder base 22 and main body 41 is pushed in the installation direction (arrow At shown in FIG. 25(a)), cam surface 81C of member to be clamped 81 first comes into contact with operated portion 33 of clamping mechanism 31 (FIG. 25(a) → FIG. 25(b)). Here, highest point 81G of front end 81F of member to be clamped 81 is located lower than operated portion 33, so it does not come into contact with operated portion 33, but rather cam surface 81C comes into contact with operated portion 33.

[0093] When the parts feeder 13 is further pushed in the mounting direction (arrow At shown in FIG. 26(a)) from the state where the cam surface 81C is in contact with the operated portion 33, the cam surface 81C advances forward while pushing up the operated portion 33 due to its inclined surface shape. As a result, the arm 32 swings around the support shaft 22J in the direction of raising the rear end against the biasing force of the biasing spring 36 (arrow M shown in FIG. 26(a)).

[0094] When arm 32 is pushed up by cam surface 81C and swings in the direction of raising the rear end, stator 34 moves upward. Then, when the highest point of the rear end of cam surface 81C (highest point 81CG of the rear end of cam surface) reaches directly below operated portion 33, highest point 81G of front end 81F reaches a position directly below stator 34 or slightly past the center of stator 34 in the mounting direction (FIG. 26(a)). During this time, cam surface 81C functions to lift stator 34 against the strong biasing spring 36 required to secure parts feeder 13 to feeder base 22 with sufficient clamping force.

[0095] When the parts feeder 13 is further pushed in the installation direction and the front surface 41a of the main body 41 abuts against the feeder stopper 24, the clearance 81H of the clamped member 81 reaches directly below the operated portion 33, and the recess 81K also reaches directly below the stator 34 (FIG. 26(b)). At this time, the operated portion 33, which is no longer supported by the cam surface 81C, falls into the clearance 81H, causing the arm 32 to swing downward around the support shaft 22J (arrow N shown in FIG. 26(b)). The stator 34 then descends as the arm 32 swings, and is pressed against the recess 81K that has moved directly below it, engaging with the clamped member 81. As a result, the parts feeder 13 is fixed (clamped) to the feeder base 22 (FIGS. 26(c) and 24(b)).

[0096] As described above, in this embodiment, the clamping mechanism 31 includes the stator 34 and the operated part 33, which are attached to the arm 32 that swings about an axis (pin 82P) that intersects horizontally with the mounting direction of the parts feeder 13. The arm 32 extends in the direction opposite to the mounting direction (forward) of the parts feeder 13 (the removal direction, rearward), with the stator 34 positioned rearward of the pin 82P and the operated part 33 positioned further away from the stator 34 in the removal direction. The clamped member 81 pushes up the operated part 33 with the cam surface 81C. The cam surface 81C is an inclined surface that rises in the direction opposite to the mounting direction of the parts feeder 13 (the removal direction), and displaces the operated part 33 upward when the clamped member 81 moves in the mounting direction of the parts feeder 13. That is, the stator 34 is not pushed up directly by the cam surface 81C, but is pushed up indirectly by operating the operated portion 33.

[0097] As described above, the attachment position of the operated portion 33 is farther from the support shaft 22J than the attachment position of the stator 34, so the clamped member 81 can push up the stator 34 to a height where it does not interfere with the highest point 81G of the front end 81F of the clamped member 81 with less force than when pushing up the stator 34 directly. In addition, this, combined with the boosting effect of the cam surface 81C, reduces the reaction force from the clamping mechanism 31 when pushing the part feeder 13 into the feeder base 22. In other words, the pushing force when pushing the part feeder 13 into the feeder base 22 can be reduced.

[0098] Next, the clamp release operation by the clamp release mechanism 80 will be described with reference to Figures 27(a) and (b), Figures 28(a) and (b), and Figures 29(a) and (b). When removing the part feeder 13 attached to the feeder base 22, the operator OP first swings the swing part 92 of the release operation part 85 from an upright position to a sideways position (arrow P1 shown in Figure 22). Then, by pulling the sideways position of the swing part 92 rearward (arrow P2 shown in Figure 27(a)), the entire part feeder 13 is moved in the direction of removal (rearward) from the feeder base 22 (Figure 27(a) → Figure 27(b)).

[0099] When swing portion 92 is pulled rearward by operator OP, slide portion 91 moves rearward, and lever portion 84 swings in the front end downward direction via wire 86 (FIG. 22 → FIG. 23, FIG. 28(a) → FIG. 28(b)). As a result, operated portion 33 in recess 81H of clamped member 81 is pushed up by clamp release claw 82T and raised to the same height as or higher than highest point 81CG at the rear end of the cam surface adjacent to recess 81H (FIG. 28(b)). When operated portion 33 is raised to the same height as or higher than highest point 81CG at the rear end of the cam surface, stator 34 disengages from recess 81K (FIG. 29(a)), and the clamped state by stator 34 is thereby released.

[0100] As described above, in parts feeder 13 of the present embodiment, release operation unit 85 and lever unit 84 are connected by wire 86, and when release operation unit 85 is pulled toward the rear of main body 41, lever unit 84 swings to release stator 34 from clamped member 81 (more specifically, recessed portion 81K). In this configuration, since the use of wire 86 makes it easy to change the direction of force, the mechanism for actuating lever unit 84 with release operation unit 85 can be configured to be lightweight and compact.

[0101] Note that the wire 86 may stretch over time. If the wire 86 stretches too much, the clamp release claw 82T will not be able to push up the operated part 33 enough even if the release operating part 85 is moved to the second position. If this happens, when the parts feeder 13 is slid in the removal direction (arrow Re in FIG. 27(a)) (arrow P2 in FIG. 27(a)), the highest point 81CG of the rear end of the cam surface of the clamped part 81 will collide with the operated part 33, or the highest point 81G of the clamped part 81 will collide with the stator 34, which will not only hinder the removal of the parts feeder 13, but in the worst case, will make it impossible to remove the parts feeder 13 from the feeder base 22. For this reason, in this embodiment, the slide part 91 is provided with a wire adjustment function to compensate for the effects of the stretching of the wire 86.

[0102] As described above, the position of the wire holder 111 in the Y direction relative to the sliding portion 91 can be changed within the range of the Y direction length of the elongated hole 91H provided in the sliding portion 91. Changing the position of the wire holder 111 changes the position in the swing direction of the clamp release member 82, which is linked to the lever portion 84, and ultimately adjusts the position (height) of the clamp release claw 82T. Therefore, by changing the position of the wire holder 111 in the Y direction relative to the sliding portion 91, the distance LG ( FIGS. 21(a) and 21(b)) between the front wall portion 91b of the sliding portion 91 and the head portion 86T of the wire 86 can be changed, and the position of the clamp release claw 82T is also adjusted in proportion to the change in the distance LG.

[0103] In this embodiment, the long hole 91H, the nut 111N and the bolt 112 form a wire adjustment part WC that adjusts the position of the clamp release member 82 by attaching the wire holder 111 to the slide part 91 in a state where the position of the wire holder 111 in the sliding direction (Y direction) of the slide part 91 can be adjusted (Figures 21(a) and (b)).

[0104] By pulling the release operation part 85 rearward, the operator OP continues to pull the release operation part 85 rearward on the main body part 41 even after the clamping of the clamped member 81 by the stator 34 is released (P1 shown in FIG. 29(b)). This causes the slot insertion part 52 to move rearward and come out of the feeder base 22, allowing the parts feeder 13 to be removed from the feeder base 22. During this time, the recessed part 81K of the clamped member 81 moves away below the stator 34 (FIG. 26(c) → FIG. 29(a)), and the operated part 33 moves along the cam surface 81C of the clamped member 81 (FIG. 28(b) → FIG. 29(a)), and then disengages from the cam surface 81C (FIG. 29(b)).

[0105] In this way, in parts feeder 13 of this embodiment, when release operating unit 85 is pulled rearward on main body 41 and lever 84 operates to release stator 34 from clamped member 81, and then release operating unit 85 is further pulled rearward on main body 41, the pulling force causes slot insertion unit 52 to come out of slot groove 23S. Therefore, by pulling release operating unit 85 in the removal direction (rearward), operator OP can smoothly perform both the operations of releasing and removing parts feeder 13.

[0106] In this way, in the parts feeder 13 of this embodiment, the release operating unit 85, which is operated by the operator OP to make the main body 41 removable from the feeder base 22, is equipped with a slide section 91 that slides relative to the main body 41, and a swing section 92 whose base 92K is swingably connected to the slide section 91, and which can swing to take an upright position in which its tip (operating side end 92S) is close to the main body 41 and a sideways position away from the main body 41.When the operator OP pulls the release operating unit 85 horizontally in the sideways position, the main body 41 is released from the feeder base 22, allowing the parts feeder 13 to be detached from the feeder base 22.

[0107] The operation of unclamping part feeder 13 from feeder base 22 is extremely simple, and since the direction of the clamp release operation matches the direction (sliding direction) of removing part feeder 13 from feeder base 22, even if these operations are performed by a robot, the operation is simple, preventing the increase in costs that would be caused by using an expensive robot requiring complex operations. Moreover, except when removing part feeder 13 from feeder base 22, if swing part 92 is kept in an upright position and close to main body 41, swing part 92 does not get in the way of the operator OP, improving workability.

[0108] The work instruction unit SSB (FIG. 1) of the component mounting line described above keeps track of the types of part feeders 13 mounted on the feeder base 22 of the component mounting device 1, and when a part feeder 13 needs to be replaced during setup changeover according to the type of board KB being produced, it notifies the component mounting device 1 of the part feeder 13 to be replaced (to be removed from the feeder base 22). Then, upon receiving the notification from the work instruction unit SSB, the control device 17 of the component mounting device 1 turns on or flashes the lamp 63 provided on the part feeder 13 to be replaced. When the operator OP finds the part feeder 13 whose lamp 63 is on or flashing, he or she uses the lamp 63 to find the part feeder 13 to be removed from among the multiple part feeders 13 on the feeder base 22, and removes the part feeder 13 from the feeder base 22 by pulling backward the swing portion 92 provided on the handle portion 51 of the part feeder 13.

[0109] The operator OP needs to find the part feeder 13 whose lamp 63 is lit or flashing from among the multiple part feeders 13 lined up on the feeder base 22. For this reason, it is preferable that the layout of the lamps 63 on the operation panel 60 is such that the lit or flashing state of the lamp 63 can be easily found.

[0110] In this embodiment, the operation panel 60 is provided in an area including the corner 51E between the rear surface 41b and the top surface 41c of the handle portion 51, which allows for greater freedom in arranging the operation switches 61 and the lamps 63 than in the conventional case where the operation panel 60 is provided only on the top surface 41c of the handle portion 51. This allows the operation switches 61 and the lamps 63 to be arranged apart and allows for their respective sizes to be increased, thereby improving the operability and visibility of the operation panel 60. In particular, in this embodiment, the operation switches 61 are arranged on the top surface 41c of the handle portion 51 so that the operator OP can easily operate them, while the lamps 63 are arranged on the rear surface 41b of the handle portion 51. This makes it less likely that the operator OP will overlook (easily find) the lit or flashing lamps 63.

[0111] Furthermore, because lamp 63 is located on rear surface 41b of handle portion 51, operator OP can easily distinguish the part feeder 13 to be removed from other adjacent part feeders 13 when removing the part feeder 13 from feeder base 22. In other words, because lamp 63 is located right next to release operation portion 85 (more specifically, swing portion 92), it is possible to prevent human error from accidentally removing a part feeder 13 adjacent to the part feeder 13 indicated by lamp 63.

[0112] In this embodiment, operation panel 60 is configured to include main panel 60A having operation switches 61, sub-panel 60B having lamps 63, and connecting portion 60C connecting main panel 60A and sub-panel 60B. Operation panel 60 configured in this manner is a single member, but can have operation switches 61 and lamps 63 disposed on both upper surface 41c and rear surface 41b of handle portion 51, thereby reducing the number of parts. Therefore, compared to when these panels are manufactured separately, the work of attaching operation panel 60 to handle portion 51 and the storage and management of operation panel 60 before attachment to handle portion 51 are easier.

[0113] As described above, in parts feeder 13 of this embodiment, operation panel 60 including operation switches 61 and lamps 63 is provided in an area including corner 51E between rear surface 41b and top surface 41c of handle portion 51, allowing for greater freedom in arranging operation switches 61 and lamps 63 than in the case of a conventional operation panel 60 provided only on top surface 41c of handle portion 51. This allows operation switches 61 and lamps 63 to be arranged apart and allows the sizes of each to be increased, improving the operability and visibility of operation panel 60 provided in parts feeder 13.

[0114] While the present invention has been described above in terms of an embodiment, it is not limited to the above and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above embodiment, the transmission unit DB that transmits the displacement of the release operation unit 85 to the clamp release member 82 is composed of the wire 86 and the lever unit 84, but it may be composed of other components such as a link. Also, in the above embodiment, the parts feeder 13 is a tape feeder, but it is not limited to a tape feeder and may be a bulk feeder, stick feeder, or the like. [Industrial Applicability]

[0115] A parts feeder and a parts mounting device are provided that can improve the operability and visibility of an operation panel provided in the parts feeder. [Explanation of symbols]

[0116] 1. Component placement device 13 Parts feeder 13K Parts removal position 14 Placement head 14N nozzle 41 Main body 41a front 41b Rear 41c top surface 43 Parts supply mechanism 44 Control Unit 51 Handle 51E Corner 60 Operation Panel 60A Main Panel 60B Sub-panel 60C connection part 61 Operation switch 63 Lamp BH parts KB board

Claims

1. A parts feeder that supplies components to a component pick-up position where a mounting head of a component mounting device picks up components, a main body having a front surface, a rear surface, and an upper surface extending from the front surface to the rear surface, the component removal position being set at a position biased toward the front surface, and a component supply mechanism for supplying components to the component removal position; a control unit that controls at least the component supply mechanism, a handle portion is formed on a part of the main body portion, protruding upward from the rear surface to the top surface, and an operation panel is provided in an area including a corner between the rear surface and the top surface of the handle portion, the operation panel including at least one operation switch for inputting to the control unit and at least one lamp that emits light under the control of the control unit; the lamp is disposed on the rear surface of the handle, and the operation switch is disposed on the upper surface of the handle; The operation panel has a main panel having the operation switch, a sub-panel having the lamp, and a connecting portion connecting the main panel and the sub-panel, the main panel being located on the upper surface of the handle portion, the sub-panel being located on the rear surface of the handle portion, and the connecting portion being located at the corner portion.

2. 2. The parts feeder according to claim 1, wherein the main panel is embedded in an upper surface of the handle portion, the sub-panel is embedded in a rear surface of the handle portion, and the connecting portion is bent to follow the shape of the corner portion.

3. A parts feeder as described in claim 2, wherein the main panel has a display unit.

4. A component mounting device comprising: a parts feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 3; and a mounting head that uses a nozzle to adsorb components supplied by the parts feeder and mounts them on a substrate.

Images