alarm device

Abstract

To provide a technique of reducing difficulty for a user of finding an abnormal sensor from among a plurality of sensors.SOLUTION: A notification device comprises: an input section that is connected to a plurality of sensors arranged in a row along a conveyance direction of a conveyor for carrying a board and that receives output values of the plurality of the sensors, the plurality of the sensors outputting the output values representing whether the board is passing through their arranged positions respectively; and a notification section that when the output value output from a first sensor among the plurality of sensors changes in a first mode while the output value output from a second sensor different from the first sensor among the plurality of sensors changes in a second mode different from the first mode, performs a predetermined notification operation of indicating that the first sensor is normal and that the second sensor is abnormal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This specification discloses an alarm device that performs an alarm operation for a plurality of sensors that are arranged side by side along the conveyance direction of a conveyor that conveys a substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a component mounting device that includes a transfer conveyor that transfers boards and three sensors that detect the boards transferred by the transfer conveyor. The three sensors are an entrance sensor, a mounting position sensor, and an exit sensor, and are arranged in a line along the transfer direction of the transfer conveyor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-278014 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A malfunction may occur in one of the three sensors. In this case, it may not be possible to detect the board on the transport conveyor, and the mounting of components onto the board may fail. The user must find the malfunctioning sensor among the three sensors and perform maintenance on that sensor. However, when there are multiple sensors, such as three, finding the malfunctioning sensor is time-consuming, and this may delay the recovery of production by the component mounting device.

[0005] This specification provides a technique for reducing the effort required for a user to search for an abnormal sensor among a plurality of sensors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The alarm device disclosed in this specification comprises an input section connected to a plurality of sensors arranged in a row along the transport direction of a conveyor that transports a substrate and that output output values ​​indicating whether the substrate is passing through the arranged position, and to which the output values ​​of the plurality of sensors are input; and an alarm section that performs a predetermined alarm operation indicating that the first sensor is normal and the second sensor is abnormal when the output value output from a first sensor of the plurality of sensors changes in a first manner while the output value output from a second sensor of the plurality of sensors that is different from the first sensor changes in a second manner that is different from the first manner.

[0007] With this configuration, the alarm device can notify the user by announcing that the first sensor is normal and the second sensor is abnormal. For example, the user can perform maintenance on the second sensor without looking at the first sensor. This reduces the effort required for the user to search for the abnormal sensor among multiple sensors. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram of a mounting device is shown. [Figure 2] A top view of the conveyor is shown. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a mounting device. [Figure 4] The transition of the output value of a normal sensor is shown. [Figure 5] The transition of the abnormal sensor output value is shown. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of a notification process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The main features of the embodiments described below are listed below. Note that the technical elements described below are independent technical elements that exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing.

[0010] The notification operation may include displaying a screen showing the location of the second sensor. With this configuration, the user can know the location of the abnormal sensor. This further reduces the effort required for the user to search for the abnormal sensor among multiple sensors.

[0011] The notification action may include displaying a message to prompt the user to resolve the abnormality of the second sensor. With this configuration, it is possible to prompt the user to resolve the abnormality.

[0012] The first aspect may be a aspect in which, after the output value changes from a specific value to a value different from the specific value, the output value remains at the different value for a specific period of time, and the second aspect may be a aspect in which, after the output value changes from the specific value to the different value, the output value returns from the different value to the specific value before the specific period of time has elapsed. [Example]

[0013] (Mounting device 10; Figures 1, 2, and 3) Mounting apparatus 10 is an apparatus that produces circuit boards by mounting components (e.g., electronic components such as resistors) on substrate 100. Mounting apparatus 10 includes entrance sensor 12, two intermediate sensors 13 and 14, exit sensor 15, drive unit 18, display unit 20, control unit 30, mounting unit 50, and component feeder 60.

[0014] The driving device 18 is a device that drives the conveyor 18a that transports the substrate 100 into the mounting device 10. The driving device 18 is an actuator such as a motor. The upstream end of the conveyor 18a is connected to a loading device (not shown) that loads the substrate 100 onto the conveyor 18a, and the downstream end of the conveyor 18a is connected to a destination of the manufactured circuit board (for example, a reflow device (not shown)).

[0015] The entrance sensor 12 is installed at the entrance on the upstream side of the conveyor 18a and detects the arrival of the substrate 100 at the entrance. The exit sensor 15 is installed at the exit on the downstream side of the conveyor 18a and detects the arrival of the substrate 100 at the exit. The intermediate sensors 13 and 14 are installed between the entrance sensor 12 and the exit sensor 15 and detect the arrival of the substrate 100 at an intermediate position. As shown in FIG. 2, the four sensors 12 to 15 are arranged side by side along the conveying direction of the conveyor 18a that transports the substrate 100 (i.e., the direction from left to right on the paper). The number of sensors is not limited to four and may be, for example, two, three, five or more.

[0016] Each of the sensors 12 to 15 is, for example, a photoelectric sensor having a light-emitting section and a light-receiving section. In a modified example, each of the sensors 12 to 15 may be a contact-type limit switch, a magnetic switch, or the like. Each of the sensors 12 to 15 outputs either an output value of "0 (e.g., light-transmitting)" indicating that the substrate 100 has not passed in front of the sensor, or an output value of "1 (e.g., light-blocking)" indicating that the substrate 100 has passed in front of the sensor.

[0017] The mounting unit 50 mounts the components supplied from the component feeder 60 onto the board 100 fixed at a predetermined intermediate position of the conveyor 18a. A nozzle 50a for suctioning the components in the component feeder 60 is attached to the tip of the mounting unit 50.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a cross section of the mounting apparatus 10 as seen from the conveying direction of the conveyor 18a. The mounting unit 50 is movable horizontally (i.e., left-right and vertical directions on the paper). The mounting unit 50 moves above the component feeder 60 and picks up components in the component feeder 60 with the nozzle 50a. The mounting unit 50 moves above the board 100, which is fixed at a predetermined intermediate position on the conveyor 18a, and mounts the components picked up by the nozzle 50a onto the board 100. By repeating this operation, a circuit board is produced.

[0019] The display unit 20 is a display for displaying various information. The control unit 30 is connected to each unit 12 to 20, 50, 60, etc. of the mounting device 10 and controls each of these units. Note that the control unit 30 is hidden and cannot be seen in FIG. 1. The control unit 30 includes a CPU 32 and a memory 34. The CPU 32 executes various processes in accordance with a program 40 stored in the memory 34. The memory 34 is configured from a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, etc.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, the memory 34 further stores log information 42 indicating a log of output values ​​(hereinafter referred to as "sensor values") of the four sensors 12 to 15. The log information 42 is a log of sensor values ​​measured at times indicated by time stamps. The sensor values ​​are character strings consisting of four occurrences of either the output value "0" or the output value "1." The sequence of the sensor values ​​corresponds to the sequence of the four sensors 12 to 15. The first sensor value indicates the output value of the entrance sensor 12, the middle sensor value indicates the output values ​​of the middle sensors 13 and 14, and the last sensor value indicates the output value of the exit sensor 15. For example, a sensor value "1000" corresponding to time stamp T1 indicates that the entrance sensor 12 indicates a light blocking value of "1," while the other sensors 13 to 15 indicate a light transmission value of "0." In other words, the sensor value "1000" indicates that the substrate 100 has reached the entrance at the timing corresponding to time stamp T1.

[0021] (Transition of normal sensor output value; Figure 4) FIG. 4 shows the transition of the output value when the substrate 100 moves from a position upstream of the sensor to a position in front of the sensor when the sensor (e.g., intermediate sensor 13) is normal. As shown in FIG. 4, when the substrate 100 is located upstream of the sensor, the sensor is not shaded by the substrate 100, so the output value remains "0". Next, at time t1 when the substrate 100 reaches in front of the sensor, the sensor is shaded by the substrate 100, and the output value changes from "0" to "1". Next, when the substrate 100 is located in front of the sensor, the sensor continues to be shaded by the substrate 100, so the output value remains "1". Although not shown in the figure, when the substrate 100 passes in front of the sensor, the output value changes from "1" to "0".

[0022] As shown in FIG. 4, in a normal sensor transition, after the output value changes from "0" to "1," the output value remains "1" for the passage time. The passage time is the time from timing t1 when the substrate 100 arrives in front of the sensor until the substrate 100 passes in front of the sensor. The passage time is determined based on the conveyor speed, the size of the substrate 100, and the like. Note that, although not shown, in a normal sensor transition, after the substrate 100 passes in front of the sensor, the output value changes from "1" to "0," and the output value remains "0" for the passage waiting time. The passage waiting time is the time from when the substrate 100 passes in front of the sensor until the next substrate 100 arrives in front of the sensor. The passage waiting time is determined based on the conveyor speed, the production speed of the mounting apparatus 10, and the like.

[0023] (Abnormal sensor output value transition; Figure 5) Sensor abnormalities are caused by, for example, the adhesion of dust to the sensor, contamination of the sensor, misalignment of the sensor, etc. When the sensor is abnormal, the transition of the output value exhibits a different pattern from the normal transition shown in Figure 4. The inventors discovered that when an abnormality occurs in the sensor, chattering occurs in the transition of the sensor as shown in Figure 5.

[0024] As shown in Figure 5, in the transition of an abnormal sensor, after the output value changes from "0" to "1", the output value returns from "1" to "0" before the passage time has elapsed. Then, in a further short period of time, the output value repeatedly changes between "0" and "1". Furthermore, although not shown in the figure, if the sensor is abnormal, after the output value changes from "1" to "0" when the substrate 100 passes in front of the sensor, the output value may return from "0" to "1" before the passage waiting time has elapsed.

[0025] (Notification process; Figure 6) The notification process executed by the CPU 32 of the mounting device 10 in accordance with the program 40 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The notification process is a process for notifying that an abnormality has occurred in any of the four sensors 12 to 15. The process of Fig. 6 is executed periodically while the mounting device 10 is in operation.

[0026] In S10, the CPU 32 retrieves and analyzes the current log information 42 from the memory 34. Specifically, if at least one character in the sensor values ​​of the log information 42 alternates between "0" and "1" for a time shorter than the passage time or the passage waiting time, the CPU 32 determines that an abnormality has occurred in at least one of the four sensors 12 to 15.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 5, an abnormal sensor outputs an output value that alternates between "0" and "1" over a short period of time. For example, the log information 42 in FIG. 6 illustrates a specific case in which the three sensors 12, 14, and 15 are normal and the middle sensor 13 is abnormal. The sensor values ​​corresponding to the normal sensors 12, 14, and 15 maintain "1" or "0" over time periods from time stamps T1 to T5. Meanwhile, the second character of the sensor value corresponding to the abnormal middle sensor 13 alternates between "0" and "1" over time periods from time stamps T1 to T5. Here, the time period from time stamp T1 to time stamp T5 is shorter than the transit time. In the log information 42 in FIG. 6, the CPU 32 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the middle sensor 13 among the four sensors 12 to 15 because the second character of the sensor value alternates between "0" and "1" over a short period of time.

[0028] In S12, the CPU 32 determines whether the analysis result of S10 indicates the occurrence of an abnormality in any of the four sensors 12 to 15. If the analysis result indicates the occurrence of an abnormality (YES in S12), the CPU 32 proceeds to the processing of S14 and thereafter. On the other hand, if the analysis result indicates that no abnormality has occurred in any of the four sensors 12 to 15 (NO in S12), the CPU 32 skips the processing of S14 and thereafter and ends the processing of FIG. 6.

[0029] In S14, the CPU 32 identifies which of the four sensors 12 to 15 has experienced an abnormality, based on the order of the characters that repeat "0" and "1" in a short period of time in the sensor values ​​of the log information 42. For example, in the log information 42 of Fig. 6, the CPU 32 identifies that an abnormality has occurred in the middle sensor 13, because the character that repeats "0" and "1" is the second in the sensor values.

[0030] In S16, the CPU 32 causes the display unit 20 to display a notification screen 110 for notifying that an abnormal sensor is present. The notification screen 110 includes a schematic diagram 112, a marker 114, and a message 116. The schematic diagram 112 is a diagram that schematically shows the conveyor 18a and the four sensors 12 to 15. The marker 114 is a marker that indicates the abnormal sensor identified in S14 in the schematic diagram 112. The message 116 is a message that urges the user to resolve the abnormality (e.g., dust, dirt, etc.) of the sensor identified in S14. When S16 ends, the processing of FIG. 6 ends.

[0031] (Effects of this embodiment) According to the configuration of this embodiment, the user can see the notification screen 110 and know that the sensor pointed to by the marker 114 (for example, the middle sensor 13) is abnormal, and that the other sensors among the four sensors 12 to 15 other than the sensor pointed to by the marker 114 are normal. For example, the user can perform maintenance on the sensor pointed to by the marker 114 without looking at any sensors other than the sensor pointed to by the marker 114. This can reduce the effort required for the user to search for the abnormal sensor among the four sensors 12 to 15.

[0032] Furthermore, the user can know the position of the abnormal sensor from the position of the marker 114 in the schematic diagram 112. This further reduces the effort required for the user to search for the abnormal sensor among the four sensors 12 to 15. Furthermore, the message 116 can prompt the user to resolve the sensor abnormality, i.e., to perform maintenance.

[0033] (Correspondence) A system including the display unit 20 and the control unit 30 is an example of an "alarm device." The conveyor 18a and the four sensors 12 to 15 are examples of a "conveyor" and a "multiple sensors," respectively. The entrance sensor 12 and the intermediate sensor 13 are examples of a "first sensor" and a "second sensor," respectively. A portion of the control unit 30 (e.g., a port, reference numerals omitted) connected to the four sensors 12 to 15 is an example of an "input unit." The CPU 32 that executes the process of S16 in FIG. 6 is an example of an "alarm unit." The transitions in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are examples of a "first mode" and a "second mode," respectively. The display of the alert screen 110 is an example of an "alarm operation." The alert screen 110 including the marker 114 is an example of a "screen." The message 116 is an example of a "message." The passage time or the waiting time for passage is an example of a "specific time."

[0034] The following points should be noted regarding the image processing device described in the embodiment. The "notification operation" is not limited to the display of the notification screen in S16 of Fig. 6, but may be, for example, a sound notifying the user of a sensor abnormality or a warning light notifying the user of a sensor abnormality.

[0035] The "second state" is not limited to chattering as shown in FIG. 5, but may be a state (e.g., a deformed waveform) that is different from the normal state shown in FIG. 4. Furthermore, the abnormality of the sensors 12-15 detected by the CPU 32 may be such that even if the output of each sensor is normal, it is determined to be abnormal based on the outputs of the other sensors. For example, when all four sensors are normal, the outputs of the four sensors change sequentially as the substrate 100 is transported. On the other hand, when one of the four sensors is abnormal, the output value of the abnormal sensor may become "0" even though the substrate 100 has not passed, or may become "1" even though the substrate 100 has passed. It is rare for all four sensors 12-15 to become abnormal at the same time, and an abnormality usually occurs in one of the four sensors 12-15. For this reason, when a specific sensor exhibits a transition that differs from the transport state of the substrate 100 determined from the output value of the normal sensor and the transition of the sensor output value expected from that transport state, it may be determined that an abnormality has occurred in that specific sensor.

[0036] The notification screen 110 does not have to include the marker 114. In this modification, the "screen showing the position of the second sensor" can be omitted.

[0037] The notification screen 110 does not have to include the message 116. In this modification, the "message" can be omitted.

[0038] The "notification device" does not have to be built into the mounting device 10, but may be an external device (for example, a PC, a smartphone, etc.) provided separately from the mounting device 10.

[0039] Furthermore, the technical elements described in this specification or drawings may exhibit technical utility either alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technologies illustrated in this specification or drawings simultaneously achieve multiple objectives, and achieving one of those objectives is itself technically useful. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 10: Mounting equipment 12: Inlet sensor 13: Intermediate sensor 14: Intermediate sensor 15: Exit sensor 18: Drive unit 18a: Conveyor 20: Display section 30: Control section 32 :CPU 34: Memory 40: Program 42: Log information 50: Mounting unit 50a: Nozzle 60: Parts feeder 100: Substrate 110: Notification screen 112: Schematic diagram 114: Marker 116: Message

Claims

1. an input unit connected to a plurality of sensors arranged in a line along the conveyance direction of the conveyor that conveys the substrate and that output values ​​indicating whether the substrate is passing through the arranged positions, and to which the output values ​​of the plurality of sensors are input; an alarm unit that, when the output value output from a first sensor among the plurality of sensors changes in a first manner, and the output value output from a second sensor among the plurality of sensors that is different from the first sensor changes in a second manner that is different from the first manner, executes a predetermined alarm operation that indicates that the first sensor is normal and the second sensor is abnormal; Equipped with The first aspect is an aspect in which, after the output value changes from a specific value to a value different from the specific value, the output value continues to be the different value for a specific period of time, The second mode is a mode in which, after the output value changes from the specific value to the different value, the output value returns from the different value to the specific value before the specific time has elapsed. Alarm device.

2. The notification device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification action includes displaying a screen showing the position of the second sensor.

3. The notification device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification action includes displaying a message to prompt the driver to resolve the abnormality in the second sensor.

Images