Storage case

Abstract

To provide a housing case in which electronic components are not easily clogged at a component outlet and do not flow out all at once, regardless of the number of electronic components stored therein.SOLUTION: A housing case 1 according to the present invention includes a case body 2 having a storage space S therein in which a component 50 can be stored, an inclined surface 7a provided in the storage space S, a component outlet 6 provided in the case body 2 and arranged at one end of the inclined surface 7a, and a holding portion 10 provided on the case body 2, and the holding portion includes an indentation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage case for electronic components.

Background Art

[0002] When mounting an electronic component on a substrate, a mounting device for installing and mounting the electronic component at a predetermined position on the substrate is used. For such a mounting device, it is necessary to supply the electronic components individually. As a method for individually supplying electronic components to a mounting device, there is a tape feeder method in which electronic components are embedded inside a tape-shaped carrier and taken out one by one. However, the tape feeder method generates waste such as tapes and tape covers. On the other hand, there is also a method in which electronic components in a loose state are collectively put into a storage case, and the electronic components are dropped by their own weight from a component outlet formed at the bottom of the storage case to a feeder, and the feeder individually supplies them to a mounting device (see Patent Document 1). This method does not generate waste such as tapes and tape covers.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a storage case in which electronic components are less likely to get stuck at the component outlet, regardless of the number of electronic components stored inside, and which is less likely to flow out all at once. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a storage case comprising: a case body having a storage space inside for storing parts; an inclined surface provided in the storage space; a parts outlet provided in the case body and located at one end of the inclined surface; and a gripping portion provided in the case body, wherein the gripping portion includes a recess. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a storage case in which electronic components are less likely to get stuck at the component outlet and are less likely to flow out all at once, regardless of the number of electronic components stored inside. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the storage case, seen from diagonally above, showing the parts outlet in the open position. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the internal state of the storage case, with the parts outlet open. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the internal state of the storage case, with the parts outlet closed. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the storage case, seen from a diagonal downward angle, showing the parts outlet in a closed state. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates how to attach the storage case to the feeder. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, a storage case 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the storage case 1 seen from diagonally above. The storage case 1 stores electronic components 50 (shown in Figure 2) in a loose state as an example of components inside, and is detachable from a feeder 100 shown by a dotted line. The feeder 100 is a device that supplies the electronic components 50 that have flowed out of the storage case 1 to a mounting device (not shown). In this embodiment, the electronic component 50 is a capacitor or an inductor, and its longitudinal length is 1.2 mm or less. The shape of the electronic component 50 is approximately a rectangular parallelepiped.

[0010] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the internal state of the storage case 1 with the second side wall portion 22 (described later) removed, and the parts outlet 6 is shown in the open state. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the internal state of the storage case 1 with the second side wall portion 22 (described later) removed, similar to Figure 2, and the parts outlet 6 is shown in the closed state. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the storage case 1 seen from a diagonal downward side. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating how the storage case 1 is attached to the feeder 100.

[0011] (Storage case 1) The storage case 1 comprises a case body 2, a cover member 3, a drive unit 4, and an RFID tag 5.

[0012] (Case body 2) The case body 2 comprises a first side wall 21 and a second side wall 22, and is a container in which a storage space S is formed when the first side wall 21 and the second side wall 22 are assembled. The case body 2 comprises an upper wall 2U, a bottom wall 2D, a front side wall 2F, a rear side wall 2B, a right side wall 2R on the side of the first side wall 21, and a left side wall 2L on the side of the second side wall 22. Electronic components 50 are stored loosely inside the storage case 1.

[0013] In this specification, when the storage case 1 is attached to the feeder 100, the vertical up-and-down direction is defined as the up-and-down direction of the storage case 1. Also, in the storage case 1, the side where the component outlet 6 is provided is the front, and the opposite side is the rear. When looking at the storage case 1 from the front, the right side is the right and the left side is the left. The first side wall portion 21 is located on the right side, and the second side wall portion 22 is located on the left side. The front side wall portion 2F, the rear side wall portion 2B, the right side wall portion 2R, and the left side wall portion 2L are side wall portions that extend in the vertical direction, that is, up and down. The upper wall portion 2U and the bottom wall portion 2D are wall portions that extend in the horizontal direction.

[0014] (Component outlet 6) A component outlet 6 is provided below the front side wall portion 2F of the case body 2. The component outlet 6 is a rectangular opening in the embodiment, but is not limited to a rectangle, and may be, for example, other circular or elliptical openings. The position of the lower edge portion 6a when the component outlet 6 is open is vertically upward from the bottom surface on the feeder 100 side of the bottom wall portion 2D, separated by a predetermined distance d = 3 mm to 6 mm.

[0015] (Inclined surface 7a) In the storage space S, a plate member 7 extends between the first side wall portion 21 and the second side wall portion 22. The upper surface of the plate member 7 extends from the rear toward the lower edge portion 6a of the front component outlet 6 and is an inclined surface 7a that is inclined so that the lower edge portion 6a side is the lowest. The inclination angle θ of the inclined surface 7a is 3° to 10° with respect to the horizontal direction when the storage case 1 is attached to the feeder 100, and is 5° in the embodiment. Note that it is better if it is 5° to 7°.

[0016] (Cover member 3) The cover member 3 covering the component outlet 6 extends continuously from the bottom wall portion 2D to the front wall portion 2F. The cover member 3 is a long strip-shaped member. Although the material is not limited to this, in the embodiment, it is PET (Polyethylene terephthalate), which has a certain degree of rigidity and is a material that can be bent. The width of the cover member 3 is slightly larger than the width of the component outlet 6 and is a width that can cover the component outlet 6 without a gap. 1.0×10^6~1.0×10^12(1.0×10 6 ~1.0×10 12 ) is set. If it is less than 1.0×10^6, component breakage due to voltage will occur suddenly, and if it exceeds 1.0×10^12, component adhesion due to static electricity will occur. An opening 3a substantially the same shape as the component outlet 6 is provided at the front end of the cover member 3. Although the opening 3a does not necessarily have to be the same shape as the component outlet 6, when the opening 3a and the component outlet 6 overlap, the penetrating opening becomes the outlet of the electronic component 50.

[0017] (Guide groove 62) On the other hand, on the upper side of the component outlet 6 in the front wall portion 2F of the case body 2, a cover part slide concave portion 61 recessed from the outside to the inside is provided. On the side surface in the thickness direction of the front wall portion 2F of the portion where the component outlet 6 and the cover part slide concave portion 61 are provided, guide grooves 62 extending vertically are provided on the left and right. The difference between the width of the guide groove 62 and the thickness of the cover member 3 is 50μm~80μm. Both sides of the cover member 3 extending in the longitudinal direction are inserted into the left and right guide grooves 62. The cover member 3 is guided by the guide grooves 62 and slides in the vertical direction on the front wall portion 2F.

[0018] (Drive part 4) A circular hole 3b shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is provided at the rear end of the cover member 3. A drive part 4 for slidingly driving the cover member 3 is attached to the hole 3b. The drive part 4 is a rectangular member, and flange parts 4a extend outward to the left and right on the upper side. A convex part 4b is provided on the upper surface of the drive part 4, and the convex part 4b is inserted into the hole 3b of the cover member 3 and protrudes upward.

[0019] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4, the bottom wall portion 2D of the storage case 1 is provided with a recess 23 for the drive unit slide that is recessed from the outside to the inside. The front surface of the recess 23 for the drive unit slide is provided with an elongated hole 24 through which the cover member 3 can be inserted from the inner side to the outer side of the bottom wall portion 2D. The cover member 3 extends through the elongated hole 24 to the outer side, which is the bottom surface of the recess 23 for the drive unit slide. Two recesses 26a and 26b are provided on the outer surface of the recess 23 for the drive unit slide, arranged front to back.

[0020] On the side surface of the bottom wall portion 2D in the thickness direction of the portion where the recess 23 for sliding the drive unit is provided, drive groove portions 25, as shown in Figure 4, are provided on the left and right sides, extending in the front-to-back direction. The flange portion 4a of the drive unit 4 is inserted between the left and right drive grooves 25. When the drive unit 4 is moved back and forth by an operator or other device, it is guided by the drive grooves 25 and slides in the back and forth direction inside the drive unit sliding recess 23. At this time, the sliding range of the drive unit 4 is between the position where the convex portion 4b fits into the front recess 26a and the position where it fits into the rear recess 26b.

[0021] As will be described in detail later regarding Figure 5, as shown in Figures 5(c) and 3, when the protrusion 4b of the drive unit 4 is in the front recess 26a, the opening 3a of the cover member 3 is located within the cover sliding recess 61 and does not overlap with the component outlet 6, the entire component outlet 6 is closed, and the electronic component 50 is not released to the outside.

[0022] As shown in Figures 5(d) and 2, when the protrusion 4b of the drive unit 4 is in the recess 26b on the rear side, the opening 3a of the cover member 3 overlaps with the component outlet 6, opening the component outlet 6. This makes it possible to remove the electronic component 50.

[0023] (Gripping part 10) A gripping portion 10 is provided on the rear and top sides of the case body 2. In this embodiment, there are two types of gripping portions 10, an upper gripping portion 10A and a rear gripping portion 10B, but the device is not limited to this, and either one or the other may be provided, or the gripping portions may be provided in other locations such as the left and right sides or the top and bottom of the front. The upper gripping portion 10A is a recess provided at both the front and rear ends of the upper side of the case body 2. The rear gripping portion is a recess provided at both the upper and lower ends of the rear side of the case body 2. The gripping portion 10 is used, for example, when the case is gripped by a robot hand during transport.

[0024] (RFID tag 5) The case body 2 is further provided with a through-hole 9 that extends from left to right at the bottom. An RFID tag 5 is attached to the upper surface inside the through-hole 9. The RFID tag 5 is a known type having a transceiver, memory, and antenna. Note that it does not necessarily have to be a through-hole; any space that can accommodate the RFID tag is sufficient, and the RFID tag may be attached to the case body.

[0025] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 1, a reader / writer 105 is attached to the feeder 100. The reader / writer 105 can read or write information from the RFID tag 5 when the storage case 1 is attached to the feeder 100.

[0026] The case body 2 is further provided with a locking portion 8 and a T-shaped slot portion 13 that extend downward from the outer surface of the bottom wall portion 2D.

[0027] (Locked part 8) In this embodiment, the locking portion 8 is provided as two parts: a front locking portion 8A and a rear locking portion 8B. However, it is not limited to this, and there may be only one. Hereafter, the parts common to the front locking portion 8A and the rear locking portion 8B will be described together as the locking portion 8. The locking portion 8 extends from above to below, its lower end is bent approximately 90° backward, and has an L-shape in its cross-section extending in the up, down, left, and right directions.

[0028] (T-shaped slot section 13) In this embodiment, the T-shaped slot section 13 comprises two parts, a front T-shaped slot section 13A and a rear T-shaped slot section 13B, but it is not limited to this and may be a single piece. However, by dividing it into multiple parts, the sliding distance of the storage case 1 when mounting it on the feeder 100 can be shortened. Hereinafter, the common part of the front T-shaped slot section 13A and the rear T-shaped slot section 13B will be described together as the T-shaped slot section 13. As shown in Figure 4, the T-shaped slot portion 13 comprises a narrow neck portion 13a extending from above to below, and a wider portion 13b located further below the narrow neck portion 13a, and has a T-shape in its cross-section extending in the vertical, horizontal, and vertical directions.

[0029] (Feeder 100 side) On the other hand, as shown in Figure 5, the feeder 100 is provided with a first mounting recess 101 and a second mounting recess 102 that are recessed downward from the upper surface of the feeder 100.

[0030] (First mounting recess 101) The width of the first mounting recess 101 provided on the front side is such that the wide portion 13b of the T-shaped slot portion 13 can be inserted, and the depth is greater than the vertical length of the wide portion 13b and shorter than the vertical length of the entire front T-shaped slot portion 13A. At two locations on the upper part of the first mounting recess 101, there are retaining plate portions 103 provided with slits 104 as shown in Figure 1, through which the wide portion 13b of the T-shaped slot portion cannot be inserted, but the narrow neck portion 13a can be inserted. The upper surface of the retaining plate portion 103 is a horizontal surface continuous with the upper surface of the feeder 100, and is provided with a front retaining plate portion 103A and a rear retaining plate portion 103B. The length of the gap e between the front retaining plate portion 103A and the rear retaining plate portion 103B shown in Figure 5(a) is the length through which the front T-shaped slot portion 13A can be inserted.

[0031] (Lock section 108) The second mounting recess 102 is deeper than the first mounting recess 101 and has a locking portion 108 inside. In this embodiment, the locking portion 108 includes a front locking portion 108A and a rear locking portion 108B, corresponding to the front locking portion 8A and the rear locking portion 8B, respectively.

[0032] (Front locking part 108A) The front locking portion 108A is a plate-shaped member with projections extending upwards at the front and rear. The front and rear of the bottom surface of the front locking portion 108A are attached to the bottom of the second mounting recess 102 via springs. The front locking portion 108A is movable up and down by these springs.

[0033] (Rear locking part 108B) The rear locking portion 108B is a plate-shaped member with projections extending upward in the front and rear directions. The front and rear ends of the bottom surface of the rear locking portion 108B are attached to the bottom of the second mounting recess 102 via springs. The central part of the rear locking portion 108B is pivotally supported by an axis p extending to the left and right. The rear locking portion 108B is pivotable about the axis.

[0034] (Putting on) Next, we will explain the process of attaching the storage case 1 to the feeder 100. The storage case 1 contains numerous loose electronic components 50, and the component outlet 6 is closed. At this time, the protrusion 4b of the drive unit 4 is in the recess 26a on the front side, and the entire component outlet 6 is closed by the opening 3a of the cover member 3.

[0035] In this state, the storage case 1 is brought closer to the feeder 100 side so that the front T-shaped slot 13A of the storage case 1 is inserted into the gap between the front retaining plate 103A and the rear retaining plate 103B, as shown by the white arrow in Figure 5(a). As a result, the front T-shaped slot portion 13A of the storage case 1 is inserted into the first mounting recess 101 through the gap e between the front retaining plate portion 103A and the rear retaining plate portion 103B. At the same time, the rear T-shaped slot portion 13B of the storage case 1 is inserted into the first mounting recess 101 from behind the rear retaining plate portion 103B. At this time, the front locking part 108A is pushed by the drive unit 4 and pushed down against the spring force. The entire front locking part 108A descends without rotating.

[0036] Next, slide the storage case 1 forward as shown by the white arrow in Figure 5(b). As a result, the front T-shaped slot portion 13A and the rear T-shaped slot portion 13B slide along the bottom surface of the first mounting recess 101, and the wide portion 13b of the front T-shaped slot portion 13A fits under the front retaining plate portion 103A, and the wide portion 13b of the rear T-shaped slot portion 13B fits under the rear retaining plate portion 103B. This fixes the storage case 1 to the feeder 100. Furthermore, the storage case 1 is positioned on the feeder 100 when the front surface of the front T-shaped slot portion 13A abuts against the front surface of the first mounting recess 101.

[0037] In this state, the reader / writer 105 shown in Figure 1 becomes capable of reading the information from the RFID tag 5. Since the RFID tag 5 is located inside the through-hole 9, it is less likely to peel off or be damaged during transport. The information storage section may contain a barcode including two dimensions, or identification characters or marks. The reader may also hold information corresponding to the identification characters or marks, and after reading the identification characters or marks provided in the information storage section, the reader links them with the data stored in the reader to transmit the electronic components and information contained in this case to the feeder 100.

[0038] Next, as shown in Figure 5(c), when the drive unit 4 is moved backward, the opening 3a of the cover member 3 aligns with the parts outlet 6, causing the parts outlet 6 to open. At this time, as shown in Figure 5(d), the drive unit 4 pushes down the front projection of the rear locking part 108B. The rear locking part 108B rotates around axis p, causing the rear projection of the rear locking part 108B to rise. The rear projection comes into contact with the L-shaped rear end of the rear locked part 8B.

[0039] Furthermore, when the drive unit 4 moves backward, the pressure on the front locking portion 108A, which was being pressed by the drive unit 4, is released. As a result, the front locking portion 108A rises due to the restoring force of the spring, and the projection at the front end of the front locking portion 108A comes into contact with the L-shaped rear end of the front locked portion 8A.

[0040] In this way, the rear locking part 108B locks the rear locked part 8B, and the front locking part 108A locks the front locked part 8A. Therefore, when the cover member 3 is opening the parts outlet 6, the storage case 1 will not be removed from the feeder 100.

[0041] In this state, the electronic components 50 slide down along the inclined surface 7a and are discharged from the component outlet 6. At this time, the number of electronic components 50 discharged per unit time can be controlled by the angle of the inclined surface 7a, so the supply speed of the electronic components 50 can be controlled. The discharged electronic components 50 are transported to a predetermined location by a transport unit (not shown) provided on the feeder 100. Unlike the embodiment, if the electronic component 50 falls vertically due to its own weight, it will fall all at once, which could cause the electronic component 50 to jam in the component outlet 6. However, in this embodiment, the number of electronic components 50 that flow out per unit time can be controlled, so regardless of the number of electronic components 50 stored inside, the electronic components 50 are less likely to clog the component outlet 6 and do not flow out all at once.

[0042] Furthermore, the thinnest thickness of the electronic component 50 is, for example, 90 μm to 700 μm, which is greater than the difference between the width of the guide groove 62 and the thickness of the cover member 3, which is 50 μm to 80 μm. Therefore, when the electronic component 50 is ejected, it will not get stuck in the gap between the guide groove 62 and the cover member 3. It is more preferable that the longitudinal length of the electronic component 50 be 180 μm to 330 μm.

[0043] In this embodiment, when the component outlet 6 is open, the lower edge 6a is positioned vertically upward by a predetermined distance d from the bottom surface of the bottom wall 2D on the feeder 100 side. Therefore, the discharged electronic components 50 do not flow back into the component outlet 6 from the transport section (not shown) on the feeder 100 where they land.

[0044] When the component outlet 6 is open, as shown in Figure 2, at least the lower edge 6a of the component outlet 6 is above the lower edge of the opening 3a of the cover member 3. Therefore, when the electronic component 50 flows out, it does not get caught on the lower edge of the opening 3a of the cover member 3 and its flow is not obstructed.

[0045] Since the storage case 1 of this embodiment is provided with a gripping part 10, it can be set on the feeder 100 using an automatic robot arm or the like.

[0046] The case body 2 is equipped with an RFID tag 5, and a reader / writer 105 is attached to the feeder 100 side, so the reader / writer 105 can read the information of the RFID tag 5. Therefore, it is easy to manage the electronic components 50 inside the storage case 1.

[0047] (Transformed form) Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications are possible.

[0048] (1) For example, in this embodiment, the T-shaped slot portion 13 and the first mounting recess 101 are provided on the feeder 100, but the invention is not limited to this, and the T-shaped slot portion may be provided on the feeder and the first recess on the storage case. Furthermore, although the locking portion 8 is provided on the storage case 1 and the locking portion 108 is provided on the feeder 100, the invention is not limited to this arrangement, and the locking portion may be provided on the feeder 100 and the locking portion on the storage case 1.

[0049] (2) The feeder 100 may be separately equipped with a vibration device to vibrate the storage case 1. In this case, if the discharge speed of the electronic components 50 decreases, the storage case 1 can be vibrated by the vibration device to improve the discharge speed.

[0050] (3) In the embodiment, the inclined surface 7a is a flat surface, but it is not limited to this and may be a curved surface or the like. In this case, the cross-sections in the upper and lower front and back directions may be curved, and the cross-sections in the upper and lower left and right directions may also be curved. Furthermore, the cross-sections in the upper and lower front and back directions and the cross-sections in the upper and lower left and right directions may be a combination of straight lines with different inclinations. Moreover, these curves may be a combination of straight lines.

[0051] (4) The structure of the locking part and the locked part is not limited to the structure shown in the embodiment. Any other structure is acceptable as long as it restricts removal from the feeder 100 of the storage case 1 when the parts outlet 6 is open.

[0052] (5) The RFID tag 5 may be placed in a location other than the through-hole 9. Alternatively, a medium on which information that can be read from the outside is recorded may be placed instead of the RFID tag 5. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] θ Tilt angle S storage space 1 Storage Case 2 Case body 2D bottom wall 2nd floor, front wall section 3 Cover component 3a opening 4. Drive Unit 5 RFID tags 6 Parts outlet 6a Lower edge 7a Slope 8 Locked part 10 Gripping part 13 T-shaped slot section 21 First side wall section 22 Second side wall section 25 Drive groove 50 Electronic Components 62 Guide groove 100 feeders 108 Lock section

Claims

1. A case body having an internal storage space for storing parts, An inclined surface provided within the aforementioned storage space, A component outlet is provided in the case body and located at one end of the inclined surface, The case body is provided with a gripping portion, The gripping portion is, The upper gripping portion is a recess provided at both the front and rear ends of the upper part of the case body, The case body includes a rear gripping portion which is a recess provided at both the upper and lower ends of the rear side. Storage case.

2. The gripping portion consists of a pair of opposing parts. The storage case according to claim 1.

3. The case body has an upper wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, a right wall, and a left wall as its outer wall portion. A pair of gripping portions is provided on at least one pair of outer wall portions, including the front wall portion, the rear wall portion, the top wall portion, the bottom wall portion, and the right wall portion and the left wall portion. The storage case according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned parts outlet is located in the front wall portion. The storage case according to claim 3.

5. The gripping portion is disposed at the end of the outer wall portion. The storage case according to claim 3 or 4.

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