Workpiece alignment device and pickup device

Abstract

Align the workpieces within the tray cavity. [Solution] The piezo drive mechanism 30 that applies vibration to the tray 25 includes a piezo element 31, a fixed-side support part 32 fixed to the table 20, and an extendable-side support part 33 that contacts the bottom surface of the tray 25. The voltage applied to the piezo element 31 is gradually changed when the tray 25 moves forward and abruptly changed when the tray moves backward.

Description

Technical Field

[0005]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a work alignment device and a pickup device for aligning the posture of a work stored in a cavity of a tray.

Background Art

[0002] For a work such as a semiconductor element, various processes such as an appearance inspection, an electrical characteristic inspection, and a marking process are performed, and after being classified according to the inspection results, the work is stored in a carrier tape or the like and shipped.

[0003] In this case, the work is stored in the cavity of the tray, and the work in the cavity is taken out one by one by the suction nozzle of the pickup device, and then an appearance inspection, an electrical characteristic inspection, and a marking process are performed on the work.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in a conventional pickup device, the cavity of the tray has a shape larger than the work, and the work can move by a clearance amount within the cavity. Therefore, the posture of the work in the cavity is not constant, and when performing various processes in the subsequent steps, it is necessary to correct the posture and position, and these correction operations are a burden.

[0006] This disclosure has been made with these points in mind, and aims to provide a workpiece alignment device and a pick-up device that can adjust the orientation of workpieces stored in the tray cavity before they are picked up by a suction nozzle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a workpiece alignment device comprising: a table movable in the XY direction; a tray provided on the table and having a plurality of cavities for storing workpieces; a piezo drive mechanism for vibrating the tray; and a control unit, wherein the piezo drive mechanism has a piezoelectric element disposed in the table; a fixed-side support portion that fixes one end of the piezoelectric element to the table side; and an expandable-side support portion provided at the other end of the piezoelectric element, which protrudes upward from the upper surface of the table and contacts the bottom surface of the tray; and the control unit controls a voltage application unit to apply a voltage to the piezoelectric element and cause the piezoelectric element to vibrate repeatedly in an expanding and contracting manner.

[0008] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a workpiece alignment device in which, in the first aspect, the control unit controls the voltage application unit to gradually change the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element with a predetermined slope when the tray moves forward, and changes the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element with a larger slope than when the tray moves backward.

[0009] A third aspect of the present disclosure is a workpiece alignment device in any of the first to second embodiments, wherein the piezo drive mechanism has a first spring that presses the expandable support portion horizontally against the piezo element.

[0010] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a workpiece alignment device in any of the first to third embodiments, wherein the piezo drive mechanism has a second spring that presses the telescopic support portion vertically against the bottom surface of the tray.

[0011] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a workpiece alignment device in any of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the workpiece has a first rectangular shape in plan view, the cavity has a second rectangular shape larger than the first rectangular shape in plan view, and the piezo drive mechanism vibrates the tray in a direction parallel to two opposing sides of the second rectangular shape.

[0012] A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a workpiece alignment device in any of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the workpiece has a first rectangular shape in plan view, the cavity has a second rectangular shape larger than the first rectangular shape in plan view, and the piezo drive mechanism vibrates the tray in a direction inclined with respect to two orthogonal sides of the second rectangular shape.

[0013] A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is a pickup device comprising a work alignment device according to any of the first to sixth aspects and a suction nozzle for picking up workpieces in the tray. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to this disclosure, the orientation of the workpiece stored in the tray cavity can be adjusted before it is picked up by the suction nozzle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a workpiece alignment device and a pickup device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the action of picking up the workpiece W from the tray cavity using a suction nozzle. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the operation of the workpiece alignment device. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the operation of the workpiece alignment device. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing details of the workpiece alignment device. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the X-direction movement mechanism and the Y-direction movement mechanism. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the X-direction movement mechanism and the Y-direction movement mechanism in a state where the tray is removed for convenience. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the piezo drive mechanism and the tray. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the piezo drive mechanism and the tray. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partially cut-away perspective view showing the details of the piezo drive mechanism. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the change in the voltage applied to the piezo element. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a side view showing the transfer table and the suction nozzle. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the transfer table, with the suction nozzle removed for convenience. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an overall view showing the work transfer device incorporating the work alignment device and the pickup device. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the transfer table and the suction nozzle attached to the transfer table. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the operation of the work alignment device and the pickup device according to the present embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, the work alignment device and the pickup device according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] FIGS. 1 to 16 are diagrams showing embodiments of the work alignment device and the pickup device according to the present disclosure.

[0018] First, the entire work transfer device incorporating the work alignment device and the pickup device will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 15. Here, the work transfer device 1 transports an electronic component (hereinafter also referred to as a work) W such as a semiconductor element, and performs appearance inspection, electrical characteristic inspection, optical characteristic inspection, marking processing, etc. on the work W.

[0019] Figure 14 shows the overall configuration of the workpiece transport device 1. The workpiece transport device 1 has a transport path 5 for workpieces W, and transports the workpieces W in an aligned manner along the transport path 5, and sequentially performs various process operations on the workpieces W along the transport path 5, such as visual inspection, electrical characteristic inspection, and marking. A workpiece alignment device 10 and a pickup device 10A are provided at the beginning of the transport path 5. A storage unit 3 for discharging and storing the workpieces W is provided at the end of the transport path 5. Various processing units U1, U2, U3, U4… for performing various processes on the workpieces W are installed along the transport path 5 between these points. Examples of such processing units U1, U2, U3, U4… include a visual inspection unit, an electrical characteristic inspection unit, an additional inspection unit, and a marking processing unit. The storage unit 3 for discharging the workpieces W is provided at the end of the transport path 5. A storage box or the like can be used as the storage unit 3. Alternatively, a carrier tape may be provided, and the workpieces W may be stored within this carrier tape.

[0020] Examples of electronic components (also called workpieces) W include semiconductor elements, as well as non-semiconductor elements such as resistor chips and capacitors. Examples of semiconductor elements include discrete semiconductors such as inductors, transistors, diodes, LEDs, capacitors, and thyristors, and integrated circuits such as ICs and LSIs. In this way, any electronic component is included within the scope of disclosure of this embodiment.

[0021] As shown in Figures 12 to 15, the transport path 5 is formed on the outer circumference of the transport table 4, which rotates intermittently at predetermined angles. A suction nozzle 50 for adsorbing and holding the workpiece W is supported on the outer circumference of the transport table 4. By holding the workpiece W with the suction nozzle 50 and intermittently rotating the transport table 4, the workpiece W moves along the outer circumference of the transport table 4 (see Figures 12 and 13).

[0022] In reality, the transport table 4 has a shape such as a disc or star that radiates outwards from a single point, as shown in Figures 12 and 13. The transport table 4 is pivotally supported at its center 4a by the rotation axis of the transport table drive mechanism 4A. Multiple suction nozzles 50 are provided on the outer circumference of the transport table 4 at equal intervals along the circumferential direction and at the same radial distance from the center 4a of the transport table 4.

[0023] Furthermore, each suction nozzle 50 is hollow inside and has an open end. The inside of each suction nozzle 50 is in communication with the pneumatic circuit of a negative pressure generating device such as a vacuum pump or ejector. Each suction nozzle 50 generates negative pressure in the pneumatic circuit, thereby adsorbing the workpiece W at its open end, causing vacuum breakage or release to the atmosphere in the pneumatic circuit, and releasing the workpiece W.

[0024] In this embodiment, the suction nozzle 50 is attached to the transport table 4 via a suction nozzle holding mechanism 51. The suction nozzle 50, held by this suction nozzle holding mechanism 51, is driven vertically relative to the transport table 4.

[0025] Furthermore, the transport table drive mechanism 4A of the transport table 4 is controlled by the control unit 60 to rotate intermittently in 1-pitch increments. The rotation pitch of the transport table 4 is equal to the spacing between the suction nozzles 50, and the suction nozzles 50 move and stop along the transport path 5.

[0026] As shown in Figure 14, various processing units, such as a visual inspection unit, an electrical characteristics inspection unit, an additional inspection unit, and a marking processing unit, are arranged in the transport path 5 formed on the outer periphery of the transport table 4. Of these, the visual inspection unit performs a visual inspection on the workpiece W.

[0027] The electrical characteristics inspection unit inspects the resistance and other electrical characteristics of the workpiece W, while the additional inspection unit performs other additional inspections on the workpiece W, such as optical characteristics inspection. The marking unit performs marking on the workpiece W.

[0028] As shown in Figure 14, upstream of each processing unit U1, U2, U3, U4… in the transport path 5, a workpiece front / back inspection device 70 that detects the front / back orientation of the workpiece W picked up by the suction nozzle 50 of the transport table 4 and a workpiece reversal device 80 that reverses the front / back orientation of the workpiece W are sequentially arranged.

[0029] In this embodiment, the front / back orientation of the workpiece W is detected by the workpiece front / back inspection device 70. The front / back orientation of the workpiece W detected by the workpiece front / back inspection device 70 is sent to the control unit 60, and if the control unit 60 determines that the front / back orientation of the workpiece W should be reversed, the workpiece reversal device 80 can reverse the front / back orientation of the workpiece W based on a signal from the control unit 60. In this embodiment, after the front / back orientation of the workpiece W is detected by the workpiece front / back inspection device 70, the front / back orientation of the workpiece W is reversed by the workpiece reversal device 80 as needed. However, if all of the workpieces W are to be reversed, the workpiece front / back inspection device 70 is not necessarily required, and all of the workpieces W may be reversed by the workpiece reversal device 80.

[0030] Next, the workpiece alignment device 10 and pickup device 10A according to this disclosure will be described below.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1 to 11, the workpiece alignment device 10 includes a movable table (hereinafter also simply referred to as the table) 20 that can move in the X and Y directions, a tray 25 provided on the table 20 and having a plurality of cavities 25a for storing workpieces W, and a piezo drive mechanism 30 that vibrates the tray 25.

[0032] Of these, table 20 is movable in the XY direction by an X-direction moving table 12 which moves in the X direction by an X-direction moving mechanism 11, and a Y-direction moving table 16 which is provided on the X-direction moving table 12 and moves in the Y direction by a Y-direction moving mechanism 15.

[0033] In other words, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the X-direction movement mechanism 11 has an X-direction movement table 12 that is driven by an X-direction drive unit 13 to move in the X direction, and the Y-direction movement mechanism 15 is mounted on this X-direction movement table 12.

[0034] Furthermore, the Y-direction movement mechanism 15 has a Y-direction movement table 16 that is driven by a Y-direction drive unit 17 to move in the Y direction, and a table 20 is attached to this Y-direction movement table 16 via a connecting plate 19.

[0035] Therefore, the table 20 moves in the XY direction along the horizontal direction by the X direction movement mechanism 11 and the Y direction movement mechanism 15.

[0036] Furthermore, a chain 18 containing wiring wires (not shown) is connected between the X-direction movement mechanism 11 and the side plate 16a attached to the Y-direction movement table 16 of the Y-direction movement mechanism 15.

[0037] The table 20, which is attached to the Y-direction moving table 16 via a connecting plate 19, is movable in the XY direction together with the Y-direction moving table 16. The table 20 consists of a table body 21 and a top surface 22 that is provided on the table body 21 and has a rectangular shape in plan view, on which a tray 25 is placed.

[0038] Furthermore, a piezo drive mechanism 30 is located inside the table body 21 of the table 20. As described above, this piezo drive mechanism 30 applies ultrasonic vibrations horizontally to the tray 25 placed on the upper surface 22 of the table 20, thereby adjusting the orientation of the workpiece W in the cavity 25a of the tray 25.

[0039] Specifically, as shown in Figures 5, 8 to 10, the piezo drive mechanism 30 provided within the table body 21 of the table 20 includes a piezoelectric element 31 positioned within the table body 21 and vibrating horizontally, a fixed-side support portion 32 that fixes one end 31a of the piezoelectric element 31 to the table body 21, and an extendable-side support portion 33 connected to the other end 31b of the piezoelectric element 31 and vibrating horizontally relative to the table 20. Of these, the extendable-side support portion 33 penetrates upward through the table body 21 and the upper surface 22. The extendable-side support portion 33 then protrudes upward from the upper surface 22 and contacts the bottom surface of the tray 25, applying horizontal vibration to the tray 25 (see Figure 7).

[0040] Furthermore, the expandable support portion 33, which protrudes upward from the upper surface 22, is positioned approximately in the center of the rectangular upper surface 22 (see Figure 7).

[0041] In this embodiment, the workpiece W has a first rectangular shape R1 in plan view, and the cavity 25a of the tray 25 has a second rectangular shape R2 that is larger than the first rectangular shape R1 in plan view (see Figures 2 to 4).

[0042] Therefore, the workpiece W can move within the cavity 25a of the tray 25 with a certain clearance.

[0043] Furthermore, the piezo drive mechanism 30 is positioned in the center of the upper surface 22 of the table 20, and the expansion and contraction direction of the piezo element 31 of the piezo drive mechanism 30 (i.e., the vibration direction of the tray 25) is set to vibrate in a direction parallel to the two opposing sides R2a and R2b in the second rectangular shape R2 of the cavity 25a of the tray 25.

[0044] However, the direction of expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric element 31 of the piezoelectric drive mechanism 30 (i.e., the vibration direction of the tray 25) may be set to a direction inclined with respect to two mutually orthogonal sides R2a and R2c in the second rectangular shape R2 of the cavity 25a of the tray 25, for example, a direction inclined at 45° with respect to two mutually orthogonal sides R2a and R2c.

[0045] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5, 8 to 10, the piezo drive mechanism 30 is provided within the table body 21 of the table 20 and has a first spring 41 that presses the telescopic support portion 33 horizontally toward the piezo element 31. This first spring 41 presses the telescopic support portion 33 toward the piezo element 31, thereby reliably and stably transmitting the telescopic action of the piezo element 31 to the telescopic support portion 33.

[0046] Specifically, the first spring 41 has the role of applying preload to the piezoelectric element 31. That is, by applying a compressive force to the piezoelectric element 31 in advance from the first spring 41, malfunctions that may occur when an external force is applied to the piezoelectric element 31 are prevented. Furthermore, by properly setting the spring pressure of the first spring 41, the operating range of the piezoelectric element 31 can be made constant and stable. In this way, the first spring 41 functions as a preload spring so that the piezoelectric element 31 can exert a stable force.

[0047] By the way, the preload applied to the piezoelectric element 31 refers to the initial pressure applied to the piezoelectric element 31, and is a mechanical pressure that is intentionally applied to optimize the performance and improve the reliability of the piezoelectric element 31 when it is operating.

[0048] Here, we will briefly explain the significance of applying preload to the piezoelectric element 31. The first reason is to avoid tensile stress and protect the element. The piezoelectric element 31 is strong in the compressive direction but very weak in the tensile direction. Therefore, if tensile stress is applied to the piezoelectric element 31 due to vibration or external force during operation, cracks may occur in the piezoelectric element 31, or in the worst case, it may break. In contrast, by preloading the piezoelectric element 31, the piezoelectric element 31 is kept in a compressed state at all times under all conditions during operation, and damage due to tensile stress can be prevented. The second reason is to improve responsiveness and resolution. By applying preload to the piezoelectric element 31, the hysteresis characteristics (history phenomenon) of the piezoelectric element 31 are improved, resulting in a more linear response. In addition, the expandable / contractible support section 33 can more accurately follow even minute displacements of the piezoelectric element 31, resulting in improved resolution. The third purpose is to improve the resonance characteristics. By applying preload to the piezoelectric element 31, the mechanical rigidity of the entire piezoelectric drive mechanism 30 is changed, and by applying appropriate preload to the piezoelectric element 31, unwanted resonances can be suppressed or the response at a specific frequency can be optimized. The fourth reason is to expand the operating range. By applying preload to the piezoelectric element 31, the range of voltages that can be applied to the piezoelectric element 31 is widened, making it possible to generate larger displacements and forces. The fifth reason is to extend the lifespan. By mitigating unnecessary stress and shocks on the piezoelectric element 31 and improving operational stability, it is expected that the lifespan of the entire piezoelectric drive mechanism 30 will be extended.

[0049] Although an example has been shown in which preload is applied to the piezoelectric element 31 by the first spring 41, preload may also be generated by tightening screws when fixing the entire piezoelectric drive mechanism 30 to the table 20 instead of the first spring 41, or a dedicated preload mechanism for applying preload to the piezoelectric drive mechanism 30 itself may be incorporated. Furthermore, the appropriate amount of preload applied to the piezoelectric element 31 is determined as appropriate depending on the performance required of the piezoelectric drive mechanism 30.

[0050] The piezo drive mechanism 30 also has a second spring 42 that is provided inside the table body 21 of the table 20 and presses the telescopic support portion 33, which protrudes upward through the table body 21 and the upper surface 22, against the bottom surface of the tray 25 in a vertical direction. This second spring lifts the telescopic support portion 33 vertically upward and presses it against the bottom surface of the tray 25, thereby applying horizontal vibrations from the telescopic support portion 33 to the tray 25.

[0051] Then, by applying horizontal vibrations from the piezo drive mechanism 30 to the tray 25 placed on the table 20, the orientation of the workpieces W in the cavity 25a of the tray 25 can be adjusted, as described later. After adjusting the orientation of the workpieces W in the cavity 25a in this way, the aligned workpieces W in the cavity 25a are picked up one by one by the suction nozzle 50 and sent to the next process.

[0052] In this embodiment, a pick-up device 10A for picking up workpieces is configured by a workpiece alignment device 10 for aligning workpieces W in the cavity 25a of the tray 25, and a suction nozzle 50 for adsorbing and holding workpieces in the cavity 25a of the tray 25.

[0053] In this embodiment, "upper," "downper," "upper," and "lower" refer to the "upper," "downper," "upper," and "lower" directions when the workpiece alignment device 10 is arranged as shown in Figure 5. In this embodiment, the transport table 4, the X-direction movement mechanism 11, the Y-direction movement mechanism 15, the suction nozzle 50, and the suction nozzle holding mechanism 51 are all driven and controlled by the control unit 60.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, an electrical circuit 90 including a voltage application unit 91 is connected to the piezoelectric element 31 of the piezoelectric drive mechanism 30 via wiring 35, and the voltage application unit 91 of the electrical circuit 90 is driven and controlled by the control unit 60.

[0055] Next, the operation of this embodiment, which has the above configuration, will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 16.

[0056] First, as shown in Figure 16, the X-direction movement mechanism 11 and the Y-direction movement mechanism 15 are activated to move the table 20 horizontally in the XY direction. In this way, the workpieces W that are to be picked up from among the workpieces W stored in the cavity 25a of the tray 25 placed on the table 20 are brought directly below the suction nozzle 50 that performs the pick-up operation. Next, the X-direction movement mechanism 11 and the Y-direction movement mechanism 15 are stopped.

[0057] Next, the control unit 60 activates the piezo drive mechanism 30 of the workpiece alignment device 10, and the piezo drive mechanism 30 applies ultrasonic vibrations to the tray 25. That is, the control unit 60 controls the voltage application unit 91 of the electrical circuit 90, causing the piezo element 31 of the piezo drive mechanism 30 to vibrate horizontally. Then, the extendable support part 33, which is connected to the other end 31b of the piezo element 31 and protrudes upward from the upper surface 22, comes into contact with the bottom surface of the tray 25, and applies ultrasonic vibrations to the tray 25.

[0058] In this case, the tray 25 placed on the upper surface 22 of the table 20 is slightly elevated from the upper surface 22, and the tray 25 repeatedly moves forward and backward on the upper surface 22 by the telescopic support part 33 (vibrates).

[0059] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which a single telescopic support portion 33 is provided approximately in the center of the rectangular top surface 22 (see Figure 7). However, this is not limited to this, and multiple, for example, three piezo drive mechanisms 30 may be provided within the table body 21 of the table 20, and the telescopic support portions 33 of each piezo drive mechanism 30 may be installed on the rectangular top surface 22 at positions corresponding to the vertices of a triangle in a plan view. By providing the telescopic support portions 33 at positions corresponding to the vertices of a triangle in this way, the bottom surface of the tray 25 can be stably supported by the principle of three-point support using the three telescopic support portions 33.

[0060] When multiple piezo drive mechanisms 30 are provided in this manner, the vibration direction of the extension / retraction support portion 33 of each piezo drive mechanism 30 is oriented in the same direction.

[0061] Next, we will describe the voltage application control, which controls the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 31 by the voltage application unit 91.

[0062] The control unit 60 controls the voltage application unit 91 to adjust the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 31. That is, as shown in Figure 11, the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 31 from the voltage application unit 91 is gradually increased at a predetermined angle while the piezoelectric element 31 is vibrating and the tray 25 is moving forward, for example, until the voltage reaches 150V. As a result, the piezoelectric element 31 extends, and the tray 25 and the workpiece W in the cavity 25a of the tray 25 move forward synchronously.

[0063] Next, when the tray 25 moves backward, the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 31 is rapidly reduced with a larger slope compared to when the tray 25 moves forward, for example, to 0V. As a result, the piezoelectric element 31 rapidly returns to its original state, and the tray 25 moves backward rapidly. In this case, although the tray 25 moves backward rapidly because the piezoelectric element 31 rapidly returns to its original state, the workpiece W stored in the cavity 25a of the tray 25 slips within the cavity 25a without being able to keep up with the backward movement of the tray 25. Similarly, the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 31 is gradually increased with a predetermined slope, and then rapidly reduced, and this voltage change is repeated at a constant period.

[0064] In this embodiment, the period of the voltage change applied to the piezoelectric element 31 is less than or equal to 1 / 10 of the resonant frequency of the piezoelectric element 31, for example, 69 kHz, for example, 28.5 Hz to 500 Hz. By making the period of the voltage change applied to the piezoelectric element 31 less than or equal to 1 / 10 in this way, stable vibrations can be generated by the piezoelectric element 31.

[0065] By repeatedly changing the voltage applied from the voltage application unit 91 to the piezoelectric element 31 in this manner, the workpiece W stored in the cavity 25a of the tray 25 gradually moves forward within the cavity 25a.

[0066] For example, consider the case shown in Figures 3 and 4, where the expansion and contraction direction of the piezoelectric element 31 of the piezoelectric drive mechanism 30 (i.e., the vibration direction of the tray 25) is set to a direction that is inclined at 45° with respect to two mutually orthogonal sides R2a and R2c in the second rectangular shape R2 of the cavity 25a.

[0067] In this case, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, even if the workpieces W are initially in different positions within the cavities 25a of the tray 25, ultrasonic vibrations can be applied to the tray 25 by the piezoelectric element 31 of the piezoelectric drive mechanism 30. As a result, the workpieces W in each cavity 25a of the tray 25 gradually move forward toward two mutually orthogonal sides R2a and R2c in the second rectangular shape R2 of the cavity 25a (see Figure 4).

[0068] Subsequently, the workpieces W within each cavity 25a come into contact with two mutually orthogonal sides R2a and R2c, and simultaneously reach the corner C, aligning themselves so that their position and orientation remain constant. In this way, the position and orientation of the workpieces W within each cavity 25a can be determined.

[0069] Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the operation when the expansion and contraction direction of the piezoelectric element 31 (i.e., the vibration direction of the tray 25) is inclined at 45° with respect to two mutually orthogonal sides R2a and R2c in the second rectangular shape R2. Next, the operation when the expansion and contraction direction of the piezoelectric element 31 (i.e., the vibration direction of the tray 25) is set parallel to two opposing sides R2a and R2b in the second rectangular shape R2 will be explained. In this case, ultrasonic vibration is applied to the tray 25 by the piezoelectric element 31 of the piezoelectric drive mechanism 30. As a result, the workpieces W in the cavity 25a of the tray 25 gradually move forward toward the side R2c that is orthogonal to the two opposing sides R2a and R2b in the second rectangular shape R2 of the cavity 25a. Subsequently, the workpieces W in each cavity 25a come into contact with the side R2c that is orthogonal to the two opposing sides R2a and R2b, and align themselves so that their orientation becomes constant. In this way, the orientation of the workpiece W within each cavity 25a may be determined.

[0070] In this way, the orientation of the workpiece W in the cavity 25a of the tray 25 can be aligned. After that, the control unit 60 confirms that the transport table 4 has stopped, and then activates the suction nozzle 50 to pick up the workpiece W in the cavity 25a of the tray 25 (see Figure 2).

[0071] In this way, the workpiece W in the cavity 25a of the tray 25 is transferred to the suction nozzle 50 and picked up. Once the workpiece W is transferred to the suction nozzle 50, the transport table 4 rotates intermittently, and the workpiece W picked up by the suction nozzle 50 is sequentially sent to the workpiece front / back inspection device 70, the workpiece inversion device 80, and various processing units U1, U2, U3, U4... The workpiece front / back inspection device 70 also detects the orientation of the workpiece W, and the workpiece inversion device 80 inverts the orientation of any workpiece W whose orientation is not the desired orientation. Subsequently, the workpiece W undergoes visual inspection, electrical characteristic inspection, additional inspections such as optical characteristic inspection, and marking in the various processing units U1, U2, U3, U4.

[0072] The workpiece W, having undergone the above processing, is discharged from the transport path 5 in the storage unit 3 and stored in a storage section (not shown) provided in the storage unit 3.

[0073] As described above, according to this embodiment, the control unit 60 controls the voltage application unit 91 to adjust the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 31. In this case, while the piezoelectric element 31 is vibrating, the voltage is gradually increased at a predetermined angle when the tray 25 is moving forward, causing the piezoelectric element 31 to extend and synchronously move forward the tray 25 and the workpiece W in the cavity 25a of the tray 25. Next, when the tray 25 is moving backward, the voltage is rapidly decreased at a larger angle than when the tray 25 is moving forward. This causes the tray 25 to move rapidly backward and the workpiece W to slip in the cavity 25a of the tray 25. By repeating this action with constant synchronization, the workpiece W stored in the cavity 25a of the tray 25 can be gradually moved forward within the cavity 25a (see Figure 11).

[0074] In this case, for example, if the expansion and contraction direction of the piezoelectric element of the piezoelectric drive mechanism 30 is tilted at 45° with respect to two mutually orthogonal sides R2a and R2c in the second rectangular R2 of the cavity 25a, the workpiece W housed in the cavity 25a can be brought into contact with the two sides R2a and R2c. At the same time, the workpiece W reaches the corner C and aligns so that its position and orientation become constant.

[0075] Alternatively, if the expansion and contraction direction of the piezoelectric element 31 is set to be parallel to the two opposing sides R2a and R2b in the second rectangular shape R2, the workpiece W in the cavity 25a can be advanced toward the side R2c that is perpendicular to the two opposing sides R2a and R2b, thereby bringing the workpiece W into contact with side R2c and aligning it so that its orientation remains constant.

[0076] As shown in Figure 11, the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 31 is gradually increased with a predetermined slope, thereby advancing the tray 25 and the workpiece W in the cavity 25a of the tray 25. Then, the voltage is rapidly decreased with a larger slope than when the tray 25 was advancing, causing the tray 25 to move backward and the workpiece W to slip in the cavity 25a of the tray 25.

[0077] In this case, the voltage gradient when the tray 25 moves forward and the voltage gradient when the tray 25 moves backward are not particularly limited. The applied voltage has a gradient such that when the tray 25 moves forward, the tray 25 and the workpiece W can move forward in sync, and when the tray 25 moves backward, the voltage has a gradient such that the workpiece W can slip within the cavity 25a of the tray 25.

[0078] Figure 11 also shows an example in which the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 31 is gradually increased (forward) to advance the tray 25 and the workpiece W in the cavity 25a of the tray 25, and the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 31 is rapidly decreased to rapidly move the tray 25 backward, causing the workpiece W in the cavity 25a of the tray 25 to slip.

[0079] However, the method is not limited to this. Alternatively, the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 31 may be gradually decreased to gradually retract the piezoelectric element 31 (in the reverse direction), advancing the tray 25 and the workpiece in the cavity 25a of the tray 25, and then the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 31 may be rapidly increased to rapidly return the piezoelectric element 31 to its original state, causing the tray 25 to rapidly move backward and the workpiece W in the cavity 25a of the tray 25 to slip. In this case, where the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 31 is gradually decreased (in the reverse direction), the forward and backward directions of the tray 25 are both reversed compared to when the voltage is applied in the forward direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1. Workpiece transfer device 3 containment units 4. Transport Table 5. Transport route 6 Supply route 10 Workpiece alignment device 11 X direction movement mechanism 12 X-direction moving table 13 X-direction drive unit 15 Y direction movement mechanism 16 Y-direction moving table 17 Y-direction drive unit 20 tables 21 Table body 22 Top side 30 Piezoelectric drive mechanism 31 Piezo elements 31a One end 31b Other end 32 Fixed side support part 33 Telescopic side support part 41 First Spring 42. Second Spring 50 Suction Nozzles 51 Suction nozzle holding mechanism 60 Control Unit 70 Workpiece Front / Back Inspection Device 80 Workpiece Inversion Device 90 Electrical Circuits 91 Voltage application section U1, U2, U3, U4 Processing Units Double job R1 1st rectangular shape R2 2nd rectangular shape R2a (one side) R2b (one side) R2c side C Corner

Claims

1. A table that can move in the X-Y direction, A tray provided on the table, having multiple cavities for storing workpieces, A piezoelectric drive mechanism that vibrates the tray, It comprises a control unit and, The piezoelectric drive mechanism includes a piezoelectric element disposed within the table, a fixed-side support portion that fixes one end of the piezoelectric element to the table side, and an extendable-side support portion provided at the other end of the piezoelectric element, which protrudes upward from the upper surface of the table and contacts the bottom surface of the tray. The control unit controls the voltage application unit to apply a voltage to the piezoelectric element and impart vibrations that repeatedly expand and contract to the piezoelectric element, in a workpiece alignment device.

2. The workpiece alignment device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the voltage application unit to gradually change the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element with a predetermined slope when the tray moves forward, and changes the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element with a larger slope than when the tray moves backward.

3. The workpiece alignment device according to claim 1, wherein the piezo drive mechanism has a first spring that presses the expandable support portion horizontally against the piezo element.

4. The workpiece alignment device according to claim 1, wherein the piezo drive mechanism has a second spring that presses the telescopic support portion vertically against the bottom surface of the tray.

5. The workpiece has a first rectangular shape in plan view, and the cavity has a second rectangular shape that is larger than the first rectangular shape in plan view. The piezo drive mechanism vibrates the tray in a direction parallel to the two opposing sides of the second rectangular shape, according to claim 1, workpiece alignment device.

6. The workpiece has a first rectangular shape in plan view, and the cavity has a second rectangular shape that is larger than the first rectangular shape in plan view. The piezo drive mechanism vibrates the tray in a direction inclined with respect to the two orthogonal sides of the second rectangular shape, as described in claim 1.

7. A workpiece alignment device according to claim 1, A pickup device comprising a suction nozzle for picking up a workpiece in the tray.

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