Pin acquisition device and pin acquisition method

Abstract

To provide a pin acquisition device and a pin acquisition method capable of stably acquiring a portion of pins from a large number of pins. [Solution] The pin acquisition device 1 vibrates a pin mounting section 3 having a groove 6 formed therein to cause a large number of pins to bounce, and stores the multiple pins inside a bottle section 23 that can hold the pins in an upright position using a suction arm 10 that adsorbs and fixes multiple pins among the bounced pins.The bottle section is vibrated to eject a single pin through an insertion hole provided in the bottom surface of the internal space, and one end of the single pin is brought into contact with a stopper 40 that is positioned at a distance from the exit of the insertion hole shorter than the overall length of the pin in the direction in which the pin is ejected, thereby holding the single pin in an upright position.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pin acquisition device and a pin acquisition method, and more particularly to a pin acquisition device and a pin acquisition method capable of acquiring a portion of pins from a large number of supplied pins. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a large number of pins were stored in a cylindrical case, and a worker would remove the pins from the case directly onto a desk or flat workbench, distributing the pins on the workbench, and then manually remove the pins from the multiple pins distributed on the workbench by using tweezers or the like.

[0003] The pins in question are very small, with a diameter of around 30 μm and a total length of 10 to 20 mm. Because the pins are small and require delicate handling, operational errors are likely to occur and the worker must be highly skilled.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a micro pin supplying device that aligns micro pins with flanges and inserts (supplies) them one by one into a predetermined position. According to Patent Document 1, the micro pin supplying device is composed of a vibration chute that aligns the micro pins in a hopper, a swivel arm that has a protrusion with a suction port that sucks and captures the micro pins arranged in contact with the front end of the vibration chute and that moves forward and backward and rotates by a shuttle, and a shutter that is inserted between the tip of the vibration chute and the second micro pin, the protrusion of the swivel arm works as a stopper to stop the micro pin moving forward on the vibration chute, and after the micro pin is captured by the suction port of the protrusion, it is separated from the second micro pin by the shutter and the attracted micro pin is moved to the delivery position. This makes it possible to supply the micro pins one by one to the predetermined position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 04-45013 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Previously, the task of picking out just one pin from a large number of small pins was done manually, but because the pins were small and required delicate handling, manual work was prone to errors and required the worker to be highly skilled.

[0007] Furthermore, the pins handled by the micro-pin feeder disclosed in Patent Document 1 are approximately 0.4 mm in diameter and have flanges. Therefore, it is expected that it would be difficult to use the micro-pin feeder for pins with a diameter of around 30 μm and no flange.

[0008] In this situation, the inventor of the present invention conducted extensive research and experimentation to improve the above-mentioned problem, and came up with the invention, which solves this problem by using vibration to cause some of the pins to bounce from the large number of pins when obtaining the pins, regulating the axial direction of the bounced pins and suction-fixing them, storing the multiple pins that have been suction-fixed, having an internal space in which the multiple pins are held in an upright position, and discharging a single pin through an insertion hole provided on the bottom of the internal space with a diameter allowing only one pin to pass through, thereby gradually reducing the number of pins from a supply of many pins and making it possible to remove a single pin in an upright position.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a pin acquisition device and pin acquisition method that can stably acquire pins by causing some of the pins to bounce from a large number of pins by vibration, suctioning and fixing the bounced pins, and gradually reducing the number of pins, and further capable of taking out a single pin in an upright state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the pin obtaining device of the present invention is a pin obtaining device for obtaining some pins from a large number of pins, and includes a pin placing section configured in a groove shape and capable of restricting the axial direction of a large number of pins placed therein so that it coincides with a groove direction, a first vibration applying section capable of vibrating the pin placing section to cause at least some of the large number of pins to bounce inside the pin placing section, a suction arm that sucks in and fixes a number of the bounced pins via the abdomens of the number of pins above the pin placing section, and a storage section that stores the number of pins that have been sucked and fixed to the suction arm. the bottle portion having an internal space in which the plurality of pins can be held in an upright state, capable of ejecting a single pin through an insertion hole provided on the bottom surface of the internal space and having a diameter allowing only one pin to pass through; a second vibration application unit that vibrates the bottle portion to eject the single pin through the insertion hole; and a stopper that is disposed at a distance from the exit of the insertion hole that is shorter than the entire length of the pin in the pin ejection direction, wherein one end of the single pin is brought into contact with the stopper and the other end is brought into contact with the insertion hole to hold the single pin in an upright state.

[0011] The suction arm of the present invention has an air intake port facing the pin mounting portion, the air intake port facing the pin mounting portion, being configured in a groove shape, and being disposed inside a guide portion that can regulate the axial direction of the multiple pins that are suction-fixed to the suction arm so that it coincides with the groove direction.

[0012] The present invention is also characterized in that the internal space of the pin placement portion has a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the groove direction that widens toward the opening.

[0013] In addition, the bottle part of the present invention is characterized in that the multiple pins are stored in the internal space via the lid part, and the single pin is discharged by vibrating the bottle part vertically with the lid part closed.

[0014] In addition, the present invention is characterized in that it further includes a compressed air supply unit capable of supplying compressed air to the internal space, and the compressed air supply unit supplies the compressed air when the bottle portion is vibrated.

[0015] the pin receiving device includes a pin receiving section configured in a groove shape and capable of regulating an axial direction of the pins received therein so as to coincide with a groove direction; a first vibration applying section configured to vibrate the pin receiving section to cause at least a portion of the pins to bounce within the pin receiving section; a suction arm configured to suck and fix a plurality of the bounced pins via the sides of the pins above the pin receiving section; a bottle section configured to store the pins received by the suction arm via a lid section, the bottle section having an internal space in which the pins can be held in an upright state and capable of discharging a single pin through an insertion hole provided on a bottom surface of the internal space and having a diameter allowing only one pin to pass through; a compressed air supply section configured to supply compressed air to the internal space when the lid section of the bottle section is closed to discharge a single pin through the insertion hole; and a stopper configured to be positioned at a distance from an outlet of the insertion hole in a direction in which the pins are discharged that is shorter than the entire length of the pin. The single pin is held in an upright position by bringing one end of the single pin into contact with the stopper and the other end into contact with the insertion hole.

[0016] The present invention also provides a pin obtaining method for obtaining some pins from a large number of pins, the method comprising: a first step of arranging a large number of pins on a pin placement section that is configured in a groove shape and that can regulate the axial direction of each of the large number of pins placed inside the pin placement section so that it coincides with a groove direction; a second step of vibrating the pin placement section to cause at least some of the large number of pins to bounce inside the pin placement section and suction-fixing a plurality of the bounced pins to a suction arm that sucks and adsorbs the plurality of pins via the abdomens of the plurality of pins above the pin placement section; and a second step of removing the plurality of pins that have been suction-fixed to the suction arm from a bottle having an internal space capable of holding the plurality of pins in an upright state. Departmenta third step of storing the pin inside the bottle portion; and a third step of vibrating the bottle portion to eject a single pin through an insertion hole provided on the bottom surface of the internal space and having a diameter allowing only one pin to pass through, and bringing one end of the single pin into contact with a stopper disposed at a position shorter than the entire length of the pin in the pin ejection direction from the exit of the insertion hole, thereby ejecting the single pin through the insertion hole and the stopper. Singular and a fourth step of holding the pin in an upright position to make the single pin available for retrieval.

[0017] The present invention also provides a pin obtaining method for obtaining some pins from a large number of pins, the method comprising: a first step of arranging a large number of pins on a pin placement section that is configured in a groove shape and that can regulate the axial direction of each of the large number of pins placed inside the pin placement section so that it coincides with a groove direction; a second step of vibrating the pin placement section to cause at least some of the large number of pins to bounce inside the pin placement section and suction-fixing a plurality of the bounced pins to a suction arm that sucks and adsorbs the plurality of pins via the abdomens of the plurality of pins above the pin placement section; and a second step of removing the plurality of pins that have been suction-fixed to the suction arm from a bottle having an internal space capable of holding the plurality of pins in an upright state. Department a third step of storing the pin through a lid portion inside the bottle portion; and a third step of supplying compressed air to the bottle portion with the lid portion closed, discharging a single pin through an insertion hole provided on the bottom surface of the internal space and having a diameter through which only one pin can pass, and bringing one end of the single pin into contact with a stopper disposed at a position at a distance from the outlet of the insertion hole in the pin discharging direction shorter than the entire length of the pin, thereby causing the pin to be inserted into the bottle portion through the insertion hole and the stopper. Singular and a fourth step of holding the pin in an upright position to make the single pin available for retrieval. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, when acquiring pins, a single pin can be acquired stably by gradually reducing the number of pins from a supply of many pins in two stages.

[0019] That is, according to the present invention, in a first step, the pin mounting portion is vibrated to cause at least some of the numerous pins to bounce inside the pin mounting portion, and the suction arm sucks in and fixes several of the bounced pins via the abdomens of the pins above the pin mounting portion, and since the axial direction of the sucked pins coincides with the groove in the suction arm, some of the pins can be stably removed from the pin mounting portion.

[0020] Furthermore, according to the present invention, in a second step, a plurality of pins fixed by suction to the suction arm are stored in the internal space of the bottle section, and the bottle section, which has an insertion hole on the bottom surface of the internal space with a diameter allowing only one pin to pass through, is vibrated to eject a single pin through the insertion hole, and one end of the single pin is brought into contact with a stopper located at a distance from the exit of the insertion hole in the direction in which the pin is ejected that is shorter than the entire length of the pin, and the other end is brought into contact with the insertion hole, thereby holding the single pin in an upright position, and thereby enabling the single pin to be stably removed.

[0021] Furthermore, according to the present invention, even when a pin has a small diameter, it is possible to stably obtain the pin since the pin does not need to be pinched and grasped as with tweezers.

[0022] Furthermore, according to the present invention, when obtaining a portion of pins from a large number of pins, no skill is required on the part of the worker, and the pin obtaining work can be carried out continuously, thereby improving the productivity of the pin obtaining work. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of the configuration of a pin acquisition device that acquires a single pin from a large number of pins. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a diagram including a partial cross-sectional view of the pin mounting stage in the pin mounting portion, showing the shape of the internal space in the pin mounting stage and a state in which pins are mounted on the pin mounting stage. [Diagram 3]5A is a perspective view showing the shape of the tip of the pin absorption arm of the pin absorption arm, FIG. 5B is a front view of the tip of the pin absorption arm, FIG. 5C is a bottom view of the tip of the pin absorption arm, and FIG. 5D is a perspective view showing a state in which the tip of the pin absorption arm has adsorbed and fixed a pin. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a (side) view including a partial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the bottle portion. [Diagram 5] 11 is a flowchart showing a process for acquiring a single pin from multiple pins. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which pins are stored on a pin mounting stage of the pin acquisition device. [Figure 7] 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a pin is sucked and fixed by a pin suction arm of the pin acquisition device. FIG. [Figure 8] 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a pin suctioned and fixed by a pin suction arm is supplied to a bottle body. FIG. [Figure 9] 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the bottle body rises and the pin is stored in the bottle body. FIG. [Figure 10] 13 is a diagram showing the state in which the pin suction arm is retracted and the pin is stored inside the bottle body. FIG. [Figure 11] 13 is a diagram showing the state in which the top of the bottle body is closed with the lid and vibrated. FIG. [Figure 12] 13 is a diagram showing the state in which the pin is ejected from the insertion hole of the bottle body. FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart showing a pin acquisition process in which compressed air is supplied to the internal space of the bottle body to eject a single pin, instead of using a bottle up and down mechanism as the second vibration application unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a pin acquisition device and a pin acquisition method according to the present invention will be described in detail. The present invention provides a pin acquisition device and a pin acquisition method for acquiring some pins from a large number of pins, which vibrates a pin placement section having many pins placed therein, causing some of the large number of pins to bounce inside the pin placement section, and then sucks and fixes some of the bounced pins by a suction arm through the abdomens of some of the pins, thereby acquiring some of the pins from the large number of pins. By gradually reducing the number of pins during pin acquisition, the present invention provides a pin acquisition device and a pin acquisition method that can stably acquire some of the pins and further extract a single pin. The "some of the pins" refers to a plurality of pins including a single pin.

[0025] [Configuration of pin acquisition device] First, a pin obtaining device capable of obtaining some pins from a large number of small pins will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. The size of the pins in the pin obtaining device of the present invention is, for example, minute, with a diameter of about 30 μm and a total length of 10 to 20 mm, but the present invention is envisioned for implementation as long as the diameter is 10 μm or more, and the size of the pins is not limited to minute ones, and there are no limitations on both the diameter and the total length.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of the configuration of a pin acquisition device that acquires some pins from a large number of pins. FIG. 2 is a view including a partial cross-sectional view of a pin mounting stage in a pin placement unit, and is a view showing the shape of the internal space in the pin mounting stage and the state in which pins are placed on the pin mounting stage. FIG. 3 is a view showing the shape of the tip of a pin suction arm of a pin suction arm, in which FIG. 3(a) is a perspective view of the tip of the pin suction arm, FIG. 3(b) is a front view of the tip of the pin suction arm, FIG. 3(c) is a bottom view of the tip of the pin suction arm, and FIG. 3(d) is a perspective view showing the state in which the tip of the pin suction arm suctions and fixes a pin. FIG. 4 is a (side) view including a partial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a bottle unit. As shown in FIG. 1, the pin acquisition device 1 has a pin placement unit 3, a suction arm 10, and a bottle unit 23.

[0027] [Configuration of the pin placement unit in the pin acquisition device] First, the pin placement unit 3 of the pin acquisition device 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the pin placement unit 3 of the pin acquisition device 1 has a pin placement stage 5 that stores a large number of pins 50 (shown in FIG. 2) therein, and a swing mechanism 8. As shown in FIG. 2, the pin placement stage 5 is configured in a groove shape, and the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the groove direction is configured to be divergent toward the opening direction. For example, it has a V-shaped or U-shaped groove 6. As a result, the groove 6 is provided so that the axial direction of each of the large number of pins 50 placed therein coincides with the groove direction, and this makes it possible to regulate the axial direction of the pins 50. The groove 6 of the pin placement stage 5 has a size that can store, for example, 100 or more pins 50.

[0028] 1, the pin mounting section 3 has a rocking mechanism 8 serving as a first vibration application section that rocks the pin mounting stage 5 and vibrates the pins 50 inside the pin mounting stage 5. The rocking mechanism 8 mounts the pin mounting stage 5 and rocks the pin 50 mounting stage 5 so as to vibrate in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the numerous pins 50 mounted inside the pin mounting stage 5. In FIG. 1, the vibration direction 43 of the pin mounting stage 5 rocked by the rocking mechanism 8 is indicated by an arrow.

[0029] When the pin mounting stage 5 is oscillated by the oscillation mechanism 8, the pins 50 stored inside the pin mounting stage 5 vibrate, and the axial direction of the pins 50 becomes aligned with the groove direction of the pin mounting portion 3. Furthermore, inside the pin mounting stage 5, the pins 50 whose surfaces have aligned axial directions jump up, and the pins 50 become scattered. The pins 50 that jump up at this time are only a part of the many pins 50 stored inside the pin mounting stage 5, and may be around 10 pins, for example. The number of pins 50 that jump up can be changed by adjusting the oscillation frequency of the oscillation mechanism 8.

[0030] The rocking mechanism 8 as the first vibration applying unit is preferably a linear motor capable of generating vibration by reciprocating in one axial direction. Note that the rocking mechanism 8 is not limited to a linear motor that generates vibration by reciprocating, and may be another mechanism that generates vibration, such as a vibrator.

[0031] [Configuration of the suction arm in the pin acquisition device] Next, a description will be given of the suction arm that sucks and fixes the abdomens of multiple pins above the pin mounting stage with reference to Figures 1 and 3. As shown in Figure 1, the suction arm 10 of the pin acquisition device 1 has a pin suction arm 12, a pin suction arm tip 13, a vacuum suction connection part 17, a pin suction arm slide part 18, a pin suction arm drive mechanism 19, a rotating shaft 20, a rotating shaft arm 21, and a rotating shaft drive part (not shown).

[0032] The suction arm 10 is for suctioning and fixing the pins 50 from the pin mounting stage 5, and the pin suction arm 12 of the suction arm 10 has a pin suction arm tip 13 that sucks and suctions the multiple pins 50 at its tip. FIG. 3 shows the shape of the pin suction arm tip 13 of the pin suction arm 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the pin suction arm tip 13 is disposed so as to face the pin placement unit 3, and as shown in FIGS. 3(a), 3(b) and 3(c), has a guide portion 15 that is groove-shaped and can regulate the axial direction of the multiple pins 50 suction-fixed to the pin suction arm tip 13 so as to coincide with the groove direction, and an air intake 16 is provided inside the guide portion 15. As shown in FIG. 3(d), the multiple pins 50 are suction-fixed to the pin suction arm tip 13 so that the axial direction of the pin coincides with the groove direction. Therefore, the groove direction of the groove-shaped guide portion 15 is disposed so as to face the groove direction of the groove 6 of the pin mounting stage 5.

[0033] 1, pin suction arm 12 has a vacuum suction connection part 17 on its upper part. Vacuum suction connection part 17 is connected to intake port 16 at pin suction arm tip part 13 by an exhaust path (not shown) provided inside pin suction arm 12. An external vacuum suction device (not shown) is connected to vacuum suction connection part 17 of pin suction arm 12, and pin 50 is sucked and fixed to intake port 16 by the vacuum suction device. The vacuum suction operation of the vacuum suction device can be controlled by an ON / OFF signal.

[0034] The pin absorption arm 12 is mounted on a pin absorption arm slide section 18 that is capable of moving in the vertical direction, and the pin absorption arm slide section 18 is capable of moving in the vertical direction by a pin absorption arm drive mechanism 19. As the pin absorption arm slide section 18 moves in the vertical direction, the pin absorption arm tip section 13 descends above the pin mounting stage 5, making it possible to absorb the pin 50. The movement direction 44 of the pin absorption arm slide section 18 is shown by an arrow in Figure 1.

[0035] A pin absorption arm drive mechanism 19 that drives the pin absorption arm slide portion 18 is provided on a rotary shaft arm 21, and the rotary shaft arm 21 is directly connected to a rotary shaft 20. The rotary shaft 20 is driven by a motor (not shown) of a rotary shaft drive portion.

[0036] The rotary shaft arm 21 is configured to be rotatable by 90 degrees in the vertical direction by the rotary shaft 20. When the rotary shaft arm 21 is rotated by 90 degrees counterclockwise by the rotary shaft 20 in a rotation direction 45 of the rotary shaft arm 21 shown by an arrow in Fig. 1, the pin attraction arm slide portion 18 also rotates by 90 degrees and the groove direction of the pin attraction arm tip portion 13 is positioned in the vertical direction. Furthermore, with the pin attraction arm 12 rotated 90 degrees, the pin attraction arm slide portion 18 is moved by the pin attraction arm drive mechanism 19, so that the pin attraction arm tip portion 13 can move in the horizontal direction. Note that Fig. 8, which will be described later, shows a state in which the pin attraction arm slide portion 18 has been rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise from the state shown in Fig. 1.

[0037] [Configuration of the bottle part in the pin acquisition device] Next, a bottle section that stores a plurality of pins that are fixed by suction to the suction arm and holds the pins in an upright state will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 4. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the bottle section 23 of the pin acquisition device 1 has a bottle body 24, a lid section 30, and a stopper 40. As shown in Figure 4, the bottle body 24 of the bottle section 23 is generally cylindrical, and the lower section of the bottle body 24 gradually tapers downward to form an inverted truncated cone with a horizontal lower end.

[0038] The bottle body 24 shown in the cross-sectional view of Fig. 4 stores a plurality of pins 50 fixed by suction to the pin suction arm 12, and has an internal space 25 in which the plurality of pins 50 can be held in an upright state. An insertion hole 28 having a diameter allowing only one pin 50 to pass through is provided in the bottom surface of the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24, and the insertion hole 28 is located at the center of the bottom surface of the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24. In this way, the bottle body 24 is capable of ejecting a single pin 50 through the insertion hole 28.

[0039] Although the bottom surface of the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24 shown in Figure 4 is flat, for example, the bottom surface of the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24 may have an inclined surface for guiding the pin 50 into the insertion hole 28, and the inclined surface may be provided from the inner peripheral surface at the bottom surface of the internal space 25 toward below the through hole.

[0040] [Configuration of the lid of the bottle] 1 and 4, the lid part 30 is provided on a lid part sliding part 32 located toward the upper part of the bottle body 24, and can be moved in the vertical direction by the lid part sliding part 32. The movement direction 47 of the lid part sliding part 32 is shown by an arrow in FIG.

[0041] 4, the lid part 30 has a space at the bottom, which covers the upper part of the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24 when the bottle body 24 vibrates, preventing the pin 50 from jumping out. On the other hand, when the pin 50 is supplied from the suction arm 10 to the bottle body 24, the lid part 30 moves so as to open the upper part of the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24. In addition, the upper surface of the lid part 30 has an air supply connection part 31 that supplies compressed air to the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24, and the lid part 30 blows the compressed air supplied from the air supply connection part 31 into the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24.

[0042] 1 and 4, the bottle body 24 and the lid slide part 32 are provided in an L-shaped bottle slide part 29, with the bottle body 24 located at the bottom of the bottle slide part 29 and the lid slide part 32 disposed at the top of the bottle slide part 29. The bottle slide part 29 is movable in the up and down (vertical) direction and is driven by a bottle up and down mechanism 35.

[0043] In addition, the lid slide part 32 of the bottle slide part 29 is moved up and down by the lid drive part 33, and the lid drive part 33 is provided on the bottle slide part 29. This allows the lid part 30 of the lid slide part 32 to move up and down independently on the bottle slide part 29, and further allows the lid part 30 to move up and down together with the bottle body 24 by the bottle slide part 29.

[0044] The lid drive unit 33 moves the lid unit 30 of the lid slide unit 32 up and down, and when the pin suction arm 12 supplies the pin 50 to the bottle body 24, the lid drive unit 33 raises and retracts the lid unit 30 to open the upper part of the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24. When the bottle body 24 is vibrated or compressed air is supplied, the lid unit 30 is lowered to seal the inside of the bottle body 24.

[0045] The air supply connection 31 of the lid 30 is connected to an external air supply device (not shown), and compressed air is supplied from the top of the lid 30 to the through hole 28 of the bottle body 24 to eject the single pin 50. The air supply device can control the air supply operation by an ON / OFF signal.

[0046] Furthermore, the bottle section 23 has a bottle section up / down mechanism 35 that moves the bottle body 24 and lid section 30 up and down in the vertical direction, and when the pin suction arm 12 supplies pins 50 to the bottle body 24, the bottle section up / down mechanism 35 moves the bottle body 24 up and down. The bottle section up / down mechanism 35 is also used as a second vibration applying unit that vibrates the bottle body 24 (and lid section 30). By reciprocating the bottle section up / down mechanism 35 up and down over a short distance at high speed, the bottle body 24 is vibrated in the vertical direction, and a single pin 50 is discharged from the outlet of the insertion hole 28.

[0047] The ejection operation of the pin 50 in the bottle portion 23 includes the following three operations as examples. As a first operation, only the bottle body 24 is vibrated by the bottle portion up-down mechanism 35. As a second operation, compressed air is supplied to the bottle body 24. As a third operation, the bottle body 24 is vibrated and compressed air is supplied simultaneously. The ejection operation can be performed by any of these operations. Although the bottle portion up-down mechanism 35 only vibrates the bottle body 24 in the vertical direction, it may also be a mechanism that vibrates the bottle body 24 in the horizontal direction or in a direction that is a combination of the vertical and horizontal directions as the second vibration application unit.

[0048] It is also possible to connect a vacuum ejector used as a means for transporting objects by suction to the air supply device, and to connect the negative pressure flow path of the vacuum ejector to the air supply connection part 31. The vacuum ejector performs a suction operation by flowing compressed air into a diffuser (vacuum generating mechanism) to generate negative pressure. In this case, the air supply connection part 31 can not only supply compressed air from the air supply device, but also switch to supplying compressed air and connect a negative pressure flow path for the suction operation by the vacuum ejector. In other words, it is also possible to perform a suction operation in which compressed air flows into the diffuser and the vacuum ejector reverses the air flow. When stopping this suction operation, it is possible to send breaking air (compressed air from the air supply device) into the negative pressure flow path of the vacuum ejector to ensure that the suction operation is stopped.

[0049] When a vacuum ejector is connected to the air supply device, during the suction operation of the vacuum ejector, the pin 50 stored inside the bottle portion 23 is sucked and moves toward the lid portion, and when the suction operation stops, breaking air (compressed air from the air supply device) is supplied to the negative pressure flow path of the vacuum ejector, and a single pin 50 is discharged from the outlet of the insertion hole 28 along the flow of the breaking air.

[0050] [Configuration of stopper in bottle section] 1 and 4, the stopper 40 of the bottle part 23 is disposed at a position that is a distance from the exit of the insertion hole 28 that is shorter than the overall length of the pin 50 in the direction in which the pin 50 is discharged. The pin 50 that is extended from the bottle main body 24 is received by the stopper 40 located on the lower side of the bottle main body 24, and the pin 50 stops on the stopper 40. The bottle part 23 brings one end of the single pin 50 into contact with the stopper 40 and the other end into contact with the insertion hole 28, thereby holding the single pin 50 in an upright position.

[0051] 1 and 4, a first pin detection sensor 41 that detects the presence or absence of pins 50 is provided near the upper part of the bottle body 24. The first pin detection sensor 41 detects the presence or absence of pins 50 in the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24, and the detection signal is used to control the supply operation of the pin suction arm 12 to supply the pins 50.

[0052] Also, a second pin detection sensor 42 is provided to detect whether the pin 50 has been ejected from the bottle body 24. The second pin detection sensor 42 is provided near the midpoint between the through hole of the bottle body 24 and the stopper 40. As the first pin detection sensor 41 and the second pin detection sensor 42, for example, a reflective sensor that irradiates light from a light emitting unit and receives reflected light from an object to detect the presence of the object is used to detect the presence or absence of the pin 50.

[0053] The pins 50 discharged from the bottle body 24 are in a state where they can be obtained using a pin gripping device, a pin suction device, or the like (not shown). That is, the pins 50 discharged from the bottle body 24 are held by the stopper 40 below the bottle body 24 and are in an upright state, and one pin 50 can be obtained by sucking and gripping the pin 50 from the horizontal direction via the abdomen of the pin 50 using a pin gripping device, not shown, or the like, and then raising the bottle body 24 in this state.

[0054] The pin acquisition device 1 also has a control unit (not shown) with a built-in computer, and the motors, sensors, and other components of the drive units of the pin placement unit 3, the suction arm 10, and the bottle unit 23 are controlled by executing a computer program.

[0055] [About the pin acquisition process] Next, a pin acquisition method for acquiring a single pin from a large number of pins will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0056] FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the process of pin acquisition for acquiring a single pin from a large number of pins. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which a pin is stored on the pin mounting stage of the pin acquisition device. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which a pin is adsorbed and fixed by the pin suction arm of the pin acquisition device. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which a pin adsorbed and fixed by the pin suction arm is supplied to a bottle body. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the bottle body rises and the pin is stored in the bottle body. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the pin suction arm has retreated and the pin is stored inside the bottle body. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which the top of the bottle body is closed with a lid and vibrated. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state in which the pin is discharged from the insertion hole of the bottle body.

[0057] [About the first step in obtaining a pin] 5 and 6, first, in a first step, a large number of pins 50 are stored inside the grooves 6 of the pin mounting stage 5 in the pin mounting section 3 (step S1). At this time, it is sufficient that the axial direction of each of the large number of pins 50 roughly coincides with the groove direction of the grooves 6. This is because, in the next second step, the pin mounting stage 5 is vibrated, thereby making it possible to regulate the axial direction of each of the large number of pins 50 mounted therein so that it naturally coincides with the groove direction.

[0058] [About the second step in obtaining the pin] Next, in a second step, the pin mounting stage 5 is reciprocated at high speed by the rocking mechanism 8 in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the pins 50, as shown in the pin mounting stage vibration direction 43 indicated by the arrow in Fig. 7, to vibrate the pin mounting stage 5 (step S2). As a result, some of the pins 50 stored in the pin mounting stage 5 bounce upward within the internal space of the pin mounting stage 5.

[0059] 7, the pin suction arm 12 is lowered above the pin mounting stage 5 to suck up the abdomens of multiple pins 50 among the bounced pins 50, and the pins 50 are fixed to the pin suction arm 12 with their axial directions horizontal (step S3). Here, the number of pins 50 that are sucked by the pin suction arm 12 is around 10. At this time, the axial directions of the multiple sucked pins match the groove direction of the guide portion 15 formed in a groove shape at the tip 13 of the pin suction arm, so that the pins can be stably removed from the pin mounting stage 5.

[0060] In this case, the number of pins 50 adsorbed by pin suction arm 12 can be adjusted according to the vibration frequency of swinging mechanism 8, the distance between pin suction arm tip 13 and pin mounting stage 5 when pin suction arm 12 is lowered, the suction force of the vacuum suction device, the groove shape of groove-like guide portion 15 at pin suction arm tip 13, etc.

[0061] [About the third step in obtaining a pin] 5 and 8, in the third step, the pin suction arm 12 is raised and the rotating shaft 20 is rotated 90 degrees toward the bottle part 23 as shown in the rotation direction 45 of the rotating shaft arm indicated by the arrow in Fig. 8, so that the axial direction of the attracted pin 50 changes from horizontal to vertical. The pin suction arm 12 is moved horizontally by the pin suction arm slide part 18 to move the pin 50 onto the bottle main body 24 from the vertical state (step S4).

[0062] 5 and 9, after the pins 50 have moved onto the bottle main body 24, the bottle main body 24 is raised by the bottle part up-down mechanism 35, and the pins 50 are inserted into the internal space 25 from the top of the bottle main body 24 so that part of the overall length of the pins 50 is positioned in the internal space 25. In this state, the suction of the pin suction arm 12 is released, and after the suction is released, the pins 50 drop into the internal space 25 of the bottle main body 24 and are stored (step S5). As a result, as shown in FIG 10, the multiple pins 50 suction-fixed to the pin suction arm 12 are stored in the bottle main body 24, which has an internal space 25 in which the multiple pins 50 can be held in an upright state.

[0063] [About the fourth step in obtaining a pin] Next, as shown in Figures 5 and 11, in the fourth step, after the multiple pins 50 are stored in the bottle body 24, the pin suction arm 12 is retracted away from the bottle body 24, and the lid portion 30 is lowered to contact the upper part of the bottle body 24 and seal the inside of the bottle body 24 (step S6).

[0064] 5 and 12, the bottle body 24 is reciprocated up and down at high speed by the bottle part up-down mechanism 35 to vibrate the bottle body 24 and bounce the pin 50 inside the bottle body 24 (step S7). A single pin 50 falls from an insertion hole 28 (shown in FIG. 4) on the underside of the bottle body 24 that is large enough for one pin due to the vibration. The dropped pin 50 is received by the stopper 40 at the bottom of the bottle body 24 and stops at the bottom of the bottle body 24. The second pin detection sensor 42 checks whether the pin 50 has been discharged (step S8), and when the pin 50 has been discharged (step S9), the vibration operation of the bottle body 24 is stopped (step S10).

[0065] The stopper 40 is provided at a position that is a distance shorter than the overall length of the pin 50 from the outlet of the insertion hole 28 of the bottle body 24 of the bottle part 23 in the ejection direction of the pin 50. Therefore, one end of the single pin 50 comes into contact with the insertion hole 28 and is pressed by the stopper 40. Singular The pin 50 is held in an upright position.

[0066] The pins 50 discharged from the bottle body 24 are ready to be obtained using a pin gripping device, a pin suction device, etc. (not shown). The pins 50 are sucked and gripped horizontally via the abdomen of the pins 50 using a pin gripping device, etc. (not shown), and the bottle body 24 is raised in this state, whereby one pin 50 can be obtained.

[0067] [About the fourth step in pin acquisition] On the other hand, as another fourth step, after step S6, instead of the step of vibrating the bottle body 24 up and down with high speed reciprocating movement, it is also possible to supply compressed air from an air supply device. Fig. 13 is a flow chart showing a pin acquisition step in which compressed air is supplied to the internal space of the bottle body to discharge a single pin, instead of using a bottle part up and down mechanism as a second vibration application part. Note that the steps shown in Fig. 13 are the same steps up to step S6 shown in Fig. 5, so only the steps after step S6 will be explained.

[0068] As shown in Fig. 13, after the inside of the bottle body 24 is sealed, compressed air is supplied to the inside (step S11). This causes a single pin 50 to be ejected (fall) along the air flow from an insertion hole 28 for one pin that is open on the underside of the bottle body 24. The dropped pin 50 is received by a stopper 40 at the bottom of the bottle body 24, and the pin 50 stops at the bottom of the bottle body 24. The second pin detection sensor 42 checks whether the pin 50 has been ejected (step S12), and when the pin 50 has been ejected (step S13), the supply of compressed air to the inside of the bottle body 24 is stopped (step S14).

[0069] The stopper 40 is provided at a position in the bottle portion 23 that is shorter than the total length of the pin 50 in the ejection direction of the pin 50 from the exit of the insertion hole 28 of the bottle body 24. Singular The pin 50 is held in an upright position.

[0070] The pins 50 discharged from the bottle body 24 are ready to be obtained using a pin gripping device, a pin suction device, etc. (not shown). The pins 50 are sucked and gripped horizontally via the abdomen of the pins 50 using a pin gripping device, etc. (not shown), and the bottle body 24 is raised in this state, whereby one pin 50 can be obtained.

[0071] Furthermore, as a new fourth step, it is also possible to eject a single pin by simultaneously vibrating the bottle body 24 and supplying compressed air.

[0072] When the negative pressure flow path of the vacuum ejector is also connected to the air supply connection portion 31 of the air supply device, the inside of the bottle body 24 is sealed by the lid portion 30, and then the suction operation is constantly performed except when the single pin 50 is being discharged from the bottle portion 23, thereby making it possible to prevent the single pin 50 from being discharged from the outlet of the insertion hole 28 of the bottle portion 23 at an unintended timing. In this case, when the single pin 50 is being discharged from the bottle portion 23, the suction operation is stopped and breaking air (compressed air from the air supply device) is supplied to the negative pressure flow path of the vacuum ejector, and the flow of breaking air is utilized to discharge the single pin 50 from the outlet of the insertion hole 28. In addition, in combination with the suction operation and the supply of compressed air as breaking air, vibration of the bottle body 24 can also be used at the same time.

[0073] As described above, according to the present invention, when acquiring pins, a single pin can be acquired stably by gradually reducing the supply of pins from a large number of pins in two stages.

[0074] Furthermore, according to the present invention, in a first step, the pin mounting portion is vibrated to cause at least some of the numerous pins to bounce inside the pin mounting portion, and the suction arm sucks in and fixes several of the bounced pins via the abdomens of the several pins above the pin mounting portion, and since the axial direction of the sucked pins coincides with the groove in the suction arm, some of the pins can be stably removed from the pin mounting portion.

[0075] Furthermore, according to the present invention, in a second step, a plurality of pins fixed by suction to the suction arm are stored in the internal space of the bottle section, and the bottle section, which has an insertion hole on the bottom surface of the internal space with a diameter allowing only one pin to pass through, is vibrated to eject a single pin through the insertion hole, and one end of the single pin is brought into contact with a stopper located at a distance from the exit of the insertion hole in the direction in which the pin is ejected that is shorter than the entire length of the pin, and the other end is brought into contact with the insertion hole, thereby holding the single pin in an upright position, and thereby enabling the single pin to be stably removed.

[0076] Furthermore, according to the present invention, even when a pin has a small diameter, it is possible to stably obtain the pin since the pin does not need to be pinched and grasped as with tweezers.

[0077] Furthermore, according to the present invention, when obtaining a portion of pins from a large number of pins, no skill is required on the part of the worker, and the pin obtaining work can be carried out continuously, thereby improving the productivity of the pin obtaining work.

[0078] Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to eject a single pin by simultaneously vibrating the bottle body 24 and, in combination with this, moving the pin by sucking in gas from the internal space of the bottle portion and supplying the gas switched from the sucked in gas to the internal space, thereby enabling the single pin to be removed reliably.

[0079] The present invention may be embodied in many different forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof, and it is to be understood that the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1 Pin acquisition device 3 Pin placement area 5 Pin Mounting Stage 6 grooves 8 Swing mechanism (first vibration applying unit) 10 Suction arm 12 pin suction arm 13 Tip of pin suction arm 15 Guide section 16 Air Intake 17 Vacuum suction connection 18 Pin suction arm slide part 19 Pin suction arm drive mechanism 20 Rotational Axis 21 Rotating arm 23 Bottle section 24 Bottle body 25 Interior Space 28 Insertion hole 29 Bottle slide part 30 Lid 31 Air supply connection 32 Lid slide part 33 Lid drive unit 35 Bottle section up / down mechanism (second vibration applying section) 40 Stopper 41 First pin detection sensor 42 Second pin detection sensor 43 Vibration direction of pin mounting stage 44 Pin suction arm slide movement direction 45 Rotation direction of the rotating shaft arm 46 Bottle slide movement direction 47 Direction of movement of lid slide 50 pin

Claims

1. A pin acquisition device for acquiring some pins from a large number of pins, a pin placement portion configured in a groove shape and capable of regulating the axial directions of a large number of pins placed therein so that they coincide with the groove direction; a first vibration applying unit capable of vibrating the pin mounting unit to cause at least some of the pins to bounce inside the pin mounting unit; a suction arm that sucks and fixes a plurality of the bounced pins above the pin placement portion via the sides of the plurality of pins; a bottle portion that stores the plurality of pins that are sucked and fixed to the suction arm, has an internal space in which the plurality of pins can be held in an upright state, and is capable of discharging a single pin through an insertion hole that is provided on the bottom surface of the internal space and has a diameter that allows only one pin to pass through; a second vibration applying unit that vibrates the bottle portion to eject a single pin through the insertion hole; a stopper disposed at a position a distance from the outlet of the insertion hole that is shorter than the entire length of the pin in the ejection direction of the pin; Equipped with A pin obtaining device characterized in that one end of the single pin is brought into contact with the stopper and the other end is brought into contact with the insertion hole, thereby holding the single pin in an upright position.

2. the suction arm has an intake port facing the pin placement portion, 2. The pin acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein the air intake is opposite the pin placement portion, is configured in a groove shape, and is disposed inside a guide portion that can regulate the axial direction of the multiple pins that are suction-fixed to the suction arm so that it coincides with the direction of the groove.

3. 2. The pin obtaining device according to claim 1, wherein the internal space of the pin placing portion has a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the groove direction that widens toward the opening.

4. 2. The pin acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein the bottle portion stores the plurality of pins in the internal space via a lid portion, and the single pin is ejected by vibrating the bottle portion vertically with the lid portion closed.

5. Further provided is a compressed air supply unit capable of supplying compressed air to the internal space, The pin obtaining device according to claim 4 , wherein the compressed air supply unit supplies the compressed air when the bottle unit vibrates.

6. A pin acquisition device for acquiring some pins from a large number of pins, a pin placement portion configured in a groove shape and capable of regulating the axial directions of a large number of pins placed therein so that they coincide with the groove direction; a first vibration applying unit capable of vibrating the pin mounting unit to cause at least some of the pins to bounce inside the pin mounting unit; a suction arm that sucks and fixes a plurality of the bounced pins above the pin placement portion via the sides of the plurality of pins; a bottle portion that stores the plurality of pins sucked and fixed to the suction arm via a lid portion, has an internal space in which the plurality of pins can be held in an upright state, and is capable of discharging a single pin through an insertion hole provided on the bottom surface of the internal space and having a diameter that allows only one pin to pass through; a compressed air supply unit that supplies compressed air to the internal space of the bottle unit with the lid unit closed, thereby ejecting the single pin through the insertion hole; a stopper disposed at a position a distance from the outlet of the insertion hole that is shorter than the entire length of the pin in the ejection direction of the pin; Equipped with A pin obtaining device characterized in that one end of the single pin is brought into contact with the stopper and the other end is brought into contact with the insertion hole, thereby holding the single pin in an upright position.

7. A pin acquisition method for acquiring some pins from a large number of pins, comprising: a first step of arranging a large number of pins in a pin mounting portion configured in a groove shape and capable of regulating the axial direction of each of the large number of pins mounted therein so that it coincides with the groove direction; a second step of vibrating the pin mounting portion to cause at least some of the pins to bounce inside the pin mounting portion, and then suction-fixing a plurality of the bounced pins to a suction arm that is located above the pin mounting portion and sucks and suctions the plurality of pins via the sides of the pins; a third step of storing the plurality of pins fixed by suction to the suction arm inside a bottle portion having an internal space capable of holding the plurality of pins in an upright state; a fourth step of vibrating the bottle portion to eject a single pin through an insertion hole provided on the bottom surface of the internal space and having a diameter that allows only one pin to pass through, and bringing one end of the single pin into contact with a stopper located at a distance from the exit of the insertion hole in the direction in which the pin is ejected that is shorter than the entire length of the pin, thereby holding the single pin in an upright position by the insertion hole and the stopper, and making the single pin available for retrieval; A pin acquisition method comprising:

8. A pin acquisition method for acquiring some pins from a large number of pins, comprising: a first step of arranging a large number of pins in a pin mounting portion configured in a groove shape and capable of regulating the axial direction of each of the large number of pins mounted therein so that it coincides with the groove direction; a second step of vibrating the pin mounting portion to cause at least some of the pins to bounce inside the pin mounting portion, and then suction-fixing a plurality of the bounced pins to a suction arm that is located above the pin mounting portion and sucks and suctions the plurality of pins via the sides of the pins; a third step of storing the plurality of pins sucked and fixed to the suction arm through a lid portion inside a bottle portion having an internal space capable of holding the plurality of pins in an upright state; a fourth step of supplying compressed air to the bottle with the lid closed, discharging a single pin through an insertion hole provided on the bottom surface of the internal space and having a diameter that allows only one pin to pass through, and bringing one end of the single pin into contact with a stopper disposed at a distance from the outlet of the insertion hole that is shorter than the entire length of the pin in the pin discharging direction, thereby holding the single pin in an upright position by the insertion hole and the stopper, and making the single pin retrievable; A pin acquisition method comprising:

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