Electronic component conveyance machine

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic component conveyor that facilitates the delivery of electronic components discharged from a conveyor to a subsequent stage. The electronic component conveyor comprises: a conveyor having a plurality of receiving through holes for receiving electronic components (W); a base having a plurality of air outlets opposite to the conveyor; and a discharge unit having a plurality of sorting holes (52) located on the side opposite to the plurality of air outlets across the conveyor, at least one recycling path (55) communicating with the plurality of sorting holes (52), and a guide (60) for guiding the electronic components (W) discharged from the receiving through holes and passing through the sorting holes (52) using air ejected from the air outlets to the at least one recycling path (55).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic component conveyor. Prior Art

[0002] As a device for transporting a large number of electronic components, Patent Document 1 discloses a wafer-shaped electronic component characteristic inspection and classification device that inspects the electrical characteristics of wafer-shaped electronic components and classifies the wafer-shaped electronic components based on the inspection results. In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a wafer electronic component inspection and sorting device that aims to prevent unsuitable wafer electronic components from being mixed into a wafer electronic component storage container and enables easy removal from the wafer electronic component storage container. In addition, Patent Document 3 discloses an electronic component transport device that uses compressed gas to take out electronic components from through-holes and can prevent the undesired flying out of electronic components due to the residual pressure of compressed air, thereby improving the transport efficiency.

[0003] [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-96715. Patent Document 2: International Publication No. 2014 / 010720. Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-320732. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In the devices of Patent Documents 1 to 3 described above, a plurality of electronic components are simultaneously transported by a transport table, and each electronic component is discharged from the transport table in a predetermined discharge area and sent to the subsequent stage.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique that is advantageous for sending the electronic components discharged from the transport table to the subsequent stage. [Technical Solution]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention relates to an electronic component conveyor including: a transport table having a plurality of storage through-holes for storing electronic components; a base having a plurality of air ejection ports opposite to the transport table; and a discharge unit having a plurality of classification holes located on one side opposite to the plurality of air ejection ports with the transport table interposed therebetween, at least one recovery path communicating with the plurality of classification holes, and a guiding portion that guides the electronic components discharged from the storage through-holes through the classification holes by the air ejected from the air ejection ports to the at least one recovery path.

[0007] The electronic component conveyor may include an air ejection control unit that controls the ejection of air from a plurality of air ejection ports. A plurality of recovery paths and a plurality of guiding parts associated with each of the plurality of recovery paths are provided in the discharge unit. Two or more sorting holes communicate with each of the plurality of recovery paths. The electronic components that have passed through the two or more sorting holes are guided by the associated guiding parts. The plurality of guiding parts each have one or more guiding surfaces that direct the electronic components that have passed through the two or more sorting holes toward the recovery path and are located at the same distance from each of the two or more sorting holes.

[0008] The plurality of guiding parts may each have one or more guiding surfaces that direct the electronic components that have passed through the two or more sorting holes toward the recovery path and have a planar angle such that the electronic components that have passed through the two or more sorting holes enter at substantially the same incident angle.

[0009] The electronic component conveyor may include a plurality of guiding lines connected to the discharge ports of the respective plurality of recovery paths, and guide the electronic components conveyed from the plurality of recovery paths via the discharge ports to the subsequent stage. Each of the plurality of recovery paths has a recovery wall surface on which the electronic components guided by the associated one or more guiding parts land and incline downward toward the discharge port. In each of the plurality of recovery paths, the electronic components on the recovery wall surface move toward the discharge port under gravity and enter the corresponding guiding line via the discharge port.

[0010] The conveying table may extend in the vertical direction or in a direction inclined with respect to both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and rotate about a rotation axis in such a manner as to convey circumferentially the electronic components stored in a plurality of storage through-holes. The plurality of storage through-holes are classified into a plurality of columns having different radial distances from the rotation axis. In each of the plurality of columns, the distance between adjacent storage through-holes in the circumferential direction is constant.

[0011] The electronic component conveyor may include a plurality of air supply parts connected to the plurality of air ejection ports, and the plurality of air supply parts can supply air to the plurality of air ejection ports under different air pressure conditions.

[0012] The electronic component conveyor may include: an inspection unit that inspects electronic components stored in a plurality of storage through-holes; and an air ejection control unit that controls the ejection of air from a plurality of air ejection ports. In the discharge unit, there are provided: a plurality of recovery paths, each of which is associated with one of a plurality of partitions based on the inspection result; and a plurality of guiding parts, each of which is associated with one of the plurality of recovery paths. In each of the plurality of recovery paths, two or more sorting holes are communicated. The electronic components that have passed through the two or more sorting holes are guided by the associated guiding parts. The air ejection control unit controls the ejection of air from the plurality of air ejection ports according to the inspection result detected by the inspection unit, so that the electronic components stored in each of the plurality of storage through-holes pass through the sorting holes communicated with the corresponding recovery paths and are guided by the guiding parts. [Technical effect]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is beneficial to send the electronic components discharged from the conveying table to the subsequent stage. Brief description of the drawings

[0014] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of an electronic component test system (electronic component conveyor). FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing an example of the supply unit. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the structural example of the discharge unit, and shows the discharge main body part and the base of the structure of the discharge unit in a sectional state. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the discharge unit in the case where a single air source (regulator and manifold tank) is provided. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the discharge unit in the case where a plurality of air sources (regulators and manifold tanks) are provided. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of an example of the discharge main body part (especially the second discharge main body part) of the discharge unit. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the discharge main body part, and particularly shows the state obtained by observing the cut-off discharge main body part from the cut surface. Embodiment

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" are based on the movement of the electronic components.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of an electronic component test system (electronic component conveyor) 10. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing an example of the supply unit 13. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a part of the structural example of the discharge unit 15, and shows the discharge main body 51 of the discharge unit 15 and the base 16 of the structure 12 in a sectional state.

[0017] The electronic component test system 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a structure 12, an indexing table 11 mounted on the structure 12, a supply unit 13, an inspection unit 14, a discharge unit 15, a recovery unit 30, and a control unit 20. The control unit 20 controls various devices constituting the electronic component test system 10, and the indexing table 11, the supply unit 13, the inspection unit 14, the discharge unit 15, and the recovery unit 30 operate under the control of the control unit 20.

[0018] The indexing table 11 is a disk-shaped conveyor table extending along the upper surface of the base 16 of the structure 12, and has a plurality of pocket holes 11b (accommodation through holes) for accommodating electronic components (such as capacitors, inductors, etc.) W. The entire indexing table 11 may extend in the vertical direction (height direction), or may extend in an inclined direction inclined with respect to both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the indexing table 11 extends in the inclined direction as a whole with the exposed surface (upper surface) of the indexing table 11 facing obliquely upward.

[0019] Since a drive device (not shown) such as a motor intermittently rotates the rotary shaft 11a under the control of the control unit 20, the indexing table 11 integrally provided with the rotary shaft 11a intermittently rotates about the rotation axis Ax (in the clockwise direction in the example shown in FIG. 1). By the intermittent rotation of the indexing table 11, the electronic components W accommodated in the plurality of pocket holes 11b are intermittently conveyed in the circumferential direction along the arc track.

[0020] The plurality of pocket holes 11b formed in the indexing table 11 are classified into a plurality of rows (in this example, the first pocket hole row R1 to the sixteenth pocket hole row R16 (see FIG. 2)) having different distances from the rotation axis Ax in the radial direction Dr. In each of the plurality of pocket hole rows (R1 to R16), the plurality of pocket holes 11b are located on a circle centered on the rotation axis Ax, and the distance between adjacent pocket holes 11b in the circumferential direction is constant. In this way, the plurality of pocket holes 11b are regularly distributed in the indexing table 11 in a manner classified into a plurality of pocket hole rows (R1 to R16), so that various processes (for example, inspection and sorting discharge described later) can be stably performed on a plurality of electronic components W at one time, which helps to ensure the high processing ability of the electronic component test system 10.

[0021] The electronic component storage unit 40 (refer to FIG. 2) of the supply unit 13 is provided to cover a part of the upper surface of the indexing table 11 in a region upstream of the region inspected by the inspection unit 14. The electronic component storage unit 40 has a storage unit main body 41 and a plurality of storage walls 42 provided in the storage unit main body 41. The space area between the storage walls 42 is a storage section 43 for storing the electronic components W on the indexing table 11, and a plurality of storage sections 43 are provided in a manner associated with the plurality of pocket hole rows (R1 to R16) of the indexing table 11 respectively. In the example shown in FIG. 2, sixteen storage sections 43 are defined by the storage walls 42, and the sixteen storage sections 43 extend in an arc shape so as to cover the first pocket hole row R1 to the sixteenth pocket hole row R16 respectively.

[0022] A plurality of electronic components W are supplied from an electronic component supply unit (not shown) to each storage section 43, and the electronic components W stored in the storage section 43 are supplied and stored in the pocket holes 11b of the corresponding pocket hole rows (R1 to R16). It should be noted that the electronic components W are replenished to the electronic component supply unit in a timely and appropriate amount via a supply feeder (not shown).

[0023] A plurality of (sixteen) storage detection units 45 are provided in the electronic component storage unit 40 in a manner associated with the respective storage sections 43. Each storage detection unit 45 detects whether an electronic component W is stored in the pocket hole 11b of the associated pocket hole row (R1 to R16). Each storage detection unit 45 in this example detects whether an electronic component W is stored in the pocket hole 11b located opposite when the indexing table 11 intermittently stops, and sends the detection result to the control unit 20. As an example, each storage detection unit 45 can be an optical sensor having a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit provided on the back side and the front side of the indexing table 11, or a reflection type sensor that emits detection light toward the pocket hole 11b located opposite and receives the reflected light of the detection light.

[0024] The inspection unit 14 shown in FIG. 1 inspects the electronic components W stored in the respective pocket holes 11b of the indexing table 11 under the control of the control unit 20, and sends the inspection result to the control unit 20. The specific content and method of the inspection performed by the inspection unit 14 are not limited. For example, "inspection" can be performed by the inspection unit 14 through "measurement" of measuring the characteristic values of the electronic components W and "screening" for detecting the state of the electronic components W in order to determine whether the electronic components W are qualified (for example, including making the unqualified in the electronic components W obvious).

[0025] For example, when the electronic component W is a capacitor, the inspection unit 14 can detect the capacitance (C), loss factor (Df), and quality factor (Q: the reciprocal of Df), or can detect the leakage current of the electronic component W (and the insulation resistance calculated based on the leakage current and the applied voltage), the capacitance under a DC voltage bias, and / or the presence or absence of contact between the probe and the electronic component W based on the impact current. In addition, when the electronic component W is an inductor, the inspection unit 14 can detect the inductance (L), DC resistance (Rdc), and current withstand.

[0026] In addition, the inspection unit 14 can also perform an electrical test in which a heat load is applied to the electronic component W in each pocket 11b while energizing (for example, an inspection related to the breakdown voltage (BDV: insulation breakdown voltage)). As an example, the electronic component W in each pocket 11b can also be in a state of having a high temperature of about 100 to 170 °C after being heated by a heater (not shown), and a DC voltage / AC voltage about 2.5 times the rated voltage can be applied using the probe of the inspection unit 14.

[0027] The heater for heating the electronic component W in each pocket 11b can be set at an arbitrary position in an arbitrary manner. For example, the heater can be set in at least the supply unit 13 and the inspection unit 14 among the supply unit 13, the inspection unit 14, and the discharge unit 15 so as to cover the indexing table 11. In this case, the electronic component W in each pocket 11b of the indexing table 11 is heated by the radiant heat from the heater and is placed in a desired high-temperature state suitable for inspection at the time of being inspected by the inspection unit 14. Such a heater can adjust the calorific value under the control of the control unit 20, and the control unit 20 can control the calorific value of the heater based on the measurement result of the temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the indexing table 11.

[0028] It should be noted that in order to prevent an operator or the like from coming into contact with the heater and the high-temperature object heated by the heater, a heat insulation layer (such as a heat insulator, a heat insulation space, and / or a cooling layer through which a cooling medium circulates) or a safety cover with a low thermal conductivity can also be provided.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3, the discharge unit 15 cooperates with an air source 48 that supplies air to a plurality of air ejection ports 17 formed in the base 16 of the structure 12 and an air adjustment unit 49 to guide the electronic component W that has been inspected by the inspection unit 14 from the indexing table 11 toward the subsequent stage (in this example, the recovery unit 30).

[0030] The discharge main body 51 of the discharge unit 15 has a plurality (96 in this example) of classification holes 52, which are arranged to cover a part of the indexing table 11 at a position downstream of the area inspected by the inspection unit 14, and are located on the side opposite to the plurality of air ejection ports 17 with the indexing table 11 therebetween.

[0031] The base 16 of the structure 12 has a plurality (96 in this example) of air ejection ports 17 opposite to the indexing table 11 in the area where the discharge main body 51 of the discharge unit 15 is provided. Each air ejection port 17 is connected to an air source 48 via an air pipe 47, and ejects the air (e.g., compressed air) supplied from the air source 48 via the air pipe 47 toward the indexing table 11.

[0032] In the air pipe 47 of the example shown in FIG. 3, a plurality (96 in this example) of air adjustment parts (e.g., solenoid valves) 49 assigned to each air ejection port 17 are installed. Each air adjustment part 49 can independently adjust the supply flow rate of air to the assigned air ejection port 17 under the control of the control unit 20. The air source 48 preliminarily stores the high-pressure compressed air prepared in the factory infrastructure in the manifold tank in a state where the pressure is reduced and adjusted to the desired discharge pressure by a regulator. The compressed air in the manifold tank of the air source 48 is supplied to each air ejection port 17 via the air pipe 47 and the air adjustment part 49, and is used to discharge the electronic component W from the pocket 11b of the indexing table 11.

[0033] The number of air supply parts connected to the plurality of air ejection ports 17 is not limited, and may be single or multiple. When a plurality of air supply parts are provided, the plurality of air supply parts can supply air to the plurality of air ejection ports 17 under different air pressure conditions. In this case, the degree of freedom in device design can be improved.

[0034] The air supply part mentioned here may include all elements related to supplying air to the plurality of air ejection ports 17. For example, the air source 48 and the air adjustment part 49 shown in FIG. 3 are included in the air supply part. In FIG. 3, a single air source 48 is illustrated, but a plurality of air sources 48 may also be provided. For example, a plurality of manifold tanks provided in the air source 48 may be provided, and the plurality of manifold tanks may also be connected to different air ejection ports 17 from each other.

[0035] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the discharge unit 15 in the case where a single air source 48 (regulator and manifold tank) is provided. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the discharge unit 15 in the case where a plurality of air sources 48 (regulators and manifold tanks) are provided.

[0036] In the example shown in FIG. 4, all (96 in this example) of the air adjustment units 49, all (96 in this example) of the air discharge ports 17, all (96 in this example) of the guide surfaces 61, and all (6 in this example) of the recovery paths 55 are connected to a single air source 48 connected to the factory pressure source 39. One inherent air discharge port 17 and one inherent guide surface 61 are connected to each air adjustment unit 49, and 16 inherent air adjustment units 49, 16 inherent air discharge ports 17, and 16 inherent guide surfaces 61 are connected to each recovery path 55.

[0037] On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 5, all (96 in this example) of the air adjustment units 49, all (96 in this example) of the air discharge ports 17, all (96 in this example) of the guide surfaces 61, and all (6 in this example) of the recovery paths 55 are connected to a plurality (3 in this example) of air sources 48 connected to the factory pressure source 39. 32 inherent air adjustment units 49, 32 inherent air discharge ports 17, 32 inherent guide surfaces 61, and 2 inherent recovery paths 55 are connected to each air source 48. It should be noted that in the discharge unit 15 of FIG. 4 and the discharge unit 15 of FIG. 5, one inherent air discharge port 17 and one inherent guide surface 61 are connected to each air adjustment unit 49, and 16 inherent air adjustment units 49, 16 inherent air discharge ports 17, and 16 inherent guide surfaces 61 are connected to each recovery path 55, which is the same.

[0038] As described later, the flight distances of the electronic components W between the plurality (16) of guide surfaces 61 and the plurality (16) of air discharge ports 17 assigned to each recovery path 55 are preferably set to the same value for each other. In this case, it is required to design the discharge unit 15 on the basis of considering the configuration of the device, taking the air adjustment units 49, air discharge ports 17, and guide surfaces 61 associated with each air source 48 as one unit (refer to the dotted lines in FIGS. 4 and 5). Therefore, compared with the discharge unit 15 of FIG. 4 having only a single air source 48, the degree of freedom in device design of the discharge unit 15 of FIG. 5 having a plurality of air sources 48 is higher.

[0039] The control unit 20 also functions as an air ejection control unit that controls the ejection of air from a plurality of air ejection ports 17. That is, the control unit 20 controls the air source 48 and the air adjustment unit 49, and when the electronic component W stored in the pocket hole 11b is disposed at a position facing the corresponding air ejection port 17 (for example, during the intermittent stop of the indexing table 11), air is ejected from the air ejection port 17. By using the air ejected from the air ejection port 17 in this way, the electronic component W is discharged from the pocket hole 11b and enters the corresponding sorting hole 52, and after passing through the sorting hole 52, it is guided to the recovery path through the guiding portion of the discharge unit 15.

[0040] Specifically, in the present embodiment, in the discharge unit 15, a plurality of recovery paths associated with each of a plurality of partitions based on the inspection results obtained by the inspection unit 14, and a plurality of guiding portions associated with each of the plurality of recovery paths are provided. The control unit 20 controls the ejection of air from the plurality of air ejection ports 17 according to the inspection results obtained by the inspection unit 14. As a result, the electronic component W stored in each pocket hole 11b is guided to the corresponding recovery path through the guiding portion after passing through the sorting hole 52 communicating with the recovery path of the partition corresponding to the inspection result.

[0041] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of an example of the discharge main body portion 51 (particularly the second discharge main body portion 51B) of the discharge unit 15. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the discharge main body portion 51, and particularly shows a state obtained by observing the discharge main body portion 51 cut along the section line Lc in FIG. 6 from the cut surface.

[0042] The discharge main body portion 51 of this example having a fan-shaped planar shape has: a first discharge main body portion 51A having a deceleration wall 60; and a second discharge main body portion 51B including each sorting hole 52, and the first discharge main body portion 51A and the second discharge main body portion 51B are joined to each other to form an integral body. In FIG. 6, the second discharge main body portion 51B is shown, but the illustration of the first discharge main body portion 51A is omitted, and the discharge extension portion 51a extending in the radial direction Dr in the second discharge main body portion 51B and the discharge outer peripheral portion 51b which is the outer peripheral end surface of the discharge extension portion 51a are shown.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 6, the discharge main body portion 51 of the discharge unit 15 has a plurality of (six) sorting partitions (a first sorting partition D1 to a sixth sorting partition D6) in the circumferential direction. These sorting partitions (D1 to D6) respectively correspond to a plurality of partitions (six partitions in this example) based on the inspection results obtained by the inspection unit 14, and have the same basic structure as each other.

[0044] The discharge main body 51 has a plurality of classification holes 52 in each classification section (D1 to D6), a single recovery path 55 that communicates with and is shared by the plurality of classification holes 52, and a deceleration wall (guide portion) 60 that guides the electronic components W that have passed through the plurality of classification holes 52 to the recovery path 55. Thus, two or more classification holes 52 communicate with each recovery path 55, and the electronic components W that have passed through the two or more classification holes 52 are guided by the associated deceleration wall 60.

[0045] The number of classification holes 52 that communicate with each recovery path 55 corresponds to the number of rows of the pocket holes 11b formed in the indexing table 11, and in the illustrated example, it is "16" corresponding to the first pocket hole row R1 to the sixteenth pocket hole row R16 of the indexing table 11. In particular, in the examples shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the 16 classification holes 52 are divided into 2 rows, and each row is formed by linearly arranging 8 classification holes 52 along the radial direction Dr. The 16 classification holes 52 divided into 2 rows are arranged in a staggered manner along the radial direction Dr and communicate with a common recovery path 55.

[0046] The plurality of classification holes 52 included in each classification section (D1 to D6) of the discharge main body 51 are respectively assigned to the pocket holes 11b of the pocket hole rows (R1 to R16) of the indexing table 11. The electronic components W stored in each pocket hole 11b are recovered via the assigned classification holes 52 in the classification section corresponding to the inspection result partition.

[0047] The deceleration wall 60 in each classification section (D1 to D6) has one or more guide surfaces 61 that direct the electronic components W that have passed through the corresponding 16 classification holes 52 toward the corresponding recovery path 55. In the example shown in FIG. 7, an inherent guide surface 61 having an optimal plane angle is assigned to each classification hole 52, and a plurality of (16) guide surfaces 61 facing the plurality of (16) classification holes 52 are provided in each classification section (D1 to D6). In FIG. 7, only the guide surfaces 61 of the classification holes 52 in one row assigned to the first classification section D1 can be seen, but the guide surfaces 61 of the classification holes 52 in other rows not shown in FIG. 7 are also provided. It should be noted that one guide surface 61 can be assigned to a plurality of classification holes 52, or a single guide surface 61 can also extend so as to face a plurality of classification holes 52.

[0048] The guiding surfaces 61 (16 guiding surfaces 61 in this example) in each classification partition (D1 to D6) are located at the same distance from each of the corresponding 16 classification holes 52, and have a planar angle such that the electronic components W passing through the corresponding 16 classification holes 52 are incident on the guiding surfaces 61 at substantially the same incident angle. In particular, in this example, between the classification partitions (D1 to D6), the guiding surfaces 61 are also located at the same distance from the corresponding classification holes 52, and have a planar angle (normal direction) such that the electronic components W are incident on the guiding surfaces 61 at substantially the same incident angle. In particular, when the discharge directions of the electronic components W discharged from the pocket holes 11b are the same between the pocket holes 11b, all the guiding surfaces 61 have the same planar angle (normal direction).

[0049] Based on the moving distance of the electronic component W from each classification hole 52 to the guiding surface 61, the distance from each classification hole 52 to the guiding surface 61 is determined, for example, and is set to 30 mm. In the examples shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the electronic component W enters the classification hole 52 via the classification inlet 52a, moves in a straight line after passing through the classification hole 52, collides with the guiding surface 61, and is rebounded by the guiding surface 61 toward the corresponding recovery path 55. In this case, the distance from each classification hole 52 to the guiding surface 61 can be represented by the straight-line distance from the classification inlet 52a of each classification hole 52 to the guiding surface 61. In this way, by making the distance from the classification hole 52 to the guiding surface 61 the same among the plurality of classification holes 52, the flight distance of the electronic component W passing through these classification holes 52 until it collides with the guiding surface 61 is substantially the same among the plurality of classification holes 52.

[0050] In addition, by making the incident angle of the electronic component W with respect to the guiding surface 61 the same, the number of rebounds (number of collisions) of the electronic component W discharged from the main body 51 can be stabilized. That is, the electronic component W changes its traveling direction within the main body 51 by changing the incident angle with respect to the guiding surface 61, and the number of rebounds may also change. Since there is a tendency that the damage to the electronic component W increases as the number of rebounds of the electronic component W increases, the planar angle of the guiding surface 61 is preferably set to an angle effective for suppressing the number of rebounds of the electronic component W. However, the planar angle of the guiding surface 61 is not limited. For example, the guiding surface 61 may also have a planar angle such that the electronic components W from each classification hole 52 are incident on the corresponding guiding surface 61 at an incident angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees (for example, an incident angle of 45 degrees).

[0051] Each recovery path 55 has a recovery wall surface 55A. The electronic component W guided by the guide surface 61 of the associated deceleration wall 60 lands on the recovery wall surface 55A and inclines downward toward the recovery discharge port 55B of the recovery path 55. In the examples shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, each recovery path 55 has two recovery wall surfaces 55A. The two recovery wall surfaces 55A have different plane angles (normal directions) from each other, and the two recovery wall surfaces 55A have a tapered groove shape (a shape that gradually tapers downward) that gradually approaches downward and finally merges with each other. The lowermost position of the recovery wall surface 55A of each recovery path 55 (i.e., the position where the two recovery wall surfaces 55A merge) is located below the associated plurality (16) of sorting holes 52 (particularly the sorting inlet 52a).

[0052] By making each recovery path 55 have the above structure, in each recovery path 55, the electronic component W on the recovery wall surface 55A moves while rolling or sliding toward the recovery discharge port 55B under the influence of gravity and enters the corresponding guiding line (21-26) via the recovery discharge port 55B. Therefore, the recovery wall surface 55A preferably has characteristics that contribute to the rolling and sliding of the electronic component W. For example, an anti-static surface treatment or a surface treatment that increases the ease of sliding of the electronic component W can also be implemented.

[0053] Connected to the recovery discharge port 55B of each of the recovery paths 55 in a plurality (6) of sorting partitions (D1-D6) are a plurality (6) of guiding lines (first guiding line 21 - sixth guiding line 26 (refer to FIG. 1)) having a tubular shape and being flexible. That is, one end of the first guiding line 21 is connected to the recovery discharge port 55B of the recovery path 55 in the first sorting partition D1, and the other end of the first guiding line 21 is connected to the first recovery box 31 of the recovery unit 30. Similarly, one end of the second guiding line 22 - sixth guiding line 26 is connected to the recovery discharge port 55B of the recovery paths 55 in the second sorting partition D2 - sixth sorting partition D6, and the other ends of the second guiding line 22 - sixth guiding line 26 are connected to the second recovery box 32 - sixth recovery box 36 of the recovery unit 30.

[0054] Thus, the first guiding line 21 to the sixth guiding line 26 receive the electronic component W conveyed from the associated recycling path 55 and guide it to the subsequent recycling section 30 (the first recycling bin 31 to the sixth recycling bin 36). In particular, the first guiding line 21 to the sixth guiding line 26 of the present embodiment continuously extend downward from the recycling discharge port 55B to the recycling bins (31 to 36) and do not include a portion extending in a direction (horizontal direction and upward direction) that does not include a downward component. Therefore, the electronic component W that enters the guiding line (21 to 26) from the recycling path 55 naturally falls downward in the guiding line (21 to 26) under the influence of gravity and is recycled into the corresponding recycling bin. It should be noted that the extending shape of each guiding line (21 to 26) is not limited, and each guiding line (21 to 26) does not need to extend only in the vertical direction and may extend obliquely downward at least in part. For example, it may extend in a meandering manner at least in part.

[0055] The specific structure of the recycling bins (31 to 36) is also not limited. For example, the recycling bins (31 to 36) 31 may be provided with a storage portion for storing the recycled electronic component W in a replaceable manner, or may be provided with a cooling device (not shown) for cooling the recycled electronic component W.

[0056] The electronic component W stored in each pocket 11b of the indexing table 11 is recycled into the corresponding recycling bin (one of the first recycling bin 31 to the sixth recycling bin 36) via the classification hole 52, the deceleration wall 60 (guiding surface 61), and the recycling path 55 corresponding to the classification partition based on the inspection result detected by the inspection unit 14.

[0057] That is, when the electronic component W in each pocket 11b reaches the position opposite to the classification hole 52 of the corresponding classification partition, the control unit 20 discharges air from the corresponding air ejection port 17 (Fig. 3), thereby recycling the electronic component W into the corresponding recycling bin via the classification hole 52, the guiding surface 61, the recycling path 55, and the corresponding guiding line. It should be noted that during the period when the electronic component W in each pocket 11b is located at the position opposite to the classification hole 52 of the non-corresponding classification partition, the control unit 20 does not cause air to be ejected from the air ejection port 17 corresponding to the non-corresponding classification hole 52. As a result, the electronic component W does not enter the non-corresponding classification hole 52 but moves downward with the indexing table 11 to the next classification partition.

[0058] Thus, the electronic components W conveyed by the indexing table 11 are classified and recycled into the recycling bins (31 to 36) corresponding to the inspection results detected by the inspection unit 14.

[0059] It should be noted that the method of manufacturing the discharge main body 51 is not limited, and the discharge main body 51 can be manufactured by machining or modeling with a 3D printer. In addition, the constituent material of the discharge main body 51 is not limited. For example, the guiding surface 61 of the deceleration wall 60 is made of metal, resin (such as acrylic), leather or any other material having the property suitable for rebounding the electronic component W flying through the classification hole 52 toward the recovery path 55.

[0060] Next, an operation example of the above electronic component testing system 10 will be described.

[0061] First, a large number of electronic components W are supplied from an electronic component supply unit (not shown) to the respective storage sections 43 of the electronic component storage unit 40 and stored in the respective storage sections 43. Moreover, the indexing table 11 intermittently rotates while supplying and storing the electronic components W from the storage section 43 into the pocket holes 11b of the indexing table 11. In order to facilitate the supply of the electronic components W to the respective pocket holes 11b, for example, an attracting device (not shown) may be provided on the back side of the indexing table 11, and the electronic components W are attracted from the storage section 43 toward the pocket holes 11b by this attracting device.

[0062] On the other hand, the storage detection unit 45 continuously detects whether there is an electronic component W in the pocket hole 11b and sends the detection result from the storage detection unit 45 to the control unit 20. The control unit 20 estimates the storage amount of the electronic components W in each storage section 43 based on the detection result of the storage detection unit 45 and controls the electronic component supply unit as needed to supply an appropriate amount of new electronic components W to each storage section 43.

[0063] The electronic components W stored in the pocket holes 11b of the indexing table 11 are intermittently conveyed from the supply unit 13 (electronic component storage unit 40) to the inspection unit 14 along with the intermittent rotation of the indexing table 11. During this conveyance, the electronic components W in each pocket hole 11b may also be heated by a heater (not shown) so as to have a temperature suitable for the inspection by the inspection unit 14. Moreover, the electronic components W in each pocket hole 11b are inspected by the inspection unit 14.

[0064] Thereafter, the electronic component W in each pocket hole 11b is intermittently transported from the inspection unit 14 to the discharge unit 15 along with the intermittent rotation of the indexing table 11. Then, the electronic component W in each pocket hole 11b is recovered into the recovery bins (31 - 36) corresponding to the inspection results via the discharge unit 15 and the guiding lines (21 - 26).

[0065] As described above, in the electronic component testing system 10 according to the present embodiment, the electronic component W stored in each pocket hole 11b of the indexing table 11 is effectively recovered via the sorting hole 52, the deceleration wall 60, and the discharge unit 15 having the sorting hole 52. In particular, when the electronic component W is sent to the recovery section 30 via the guiding lines (21 - 26), by providing the discharge unit 15 between the indexing table 11 and the guiding lines (21 - 26), the number of guiding lines (21 - 26) can be suppressed, and the electronic component W can be effectively recovered from a large number of pocket holes 11b.

[0066] In this way, the number of guiding lines (21 - 26) can be significantly reduced compared to the number of pocket holes 11b of the recovery target, the installation operation of the guiding lines (21 - 26) is easy, and the space required for the installation of the guiding lines (21 - 26) can be reduced. In particular, one end of the guiding lines (21 - 26) (i.e., the end for introducing the electronic component W from the pocket hole 11b) is not installed in each pocket hole 11b, but is installed in the discharge unit 15 (specifically, the recovery discharge port 55B of the recovery path 55). Therefore, compared with the arrangement interval of the pocket holes 11b, one end of the guiding lines (21 - 26) can be installed in the discharge unit 15 with a wider arrangement interval, the installation of the guiding lines (21 - 26) is easy, and the working hours (operation amount) required for the installation can be reduced.

[0067] In addition, the electronic component W blown off from each pocket hole 11b of the indexing table 11 is appropriately guided toward the recovery path 55 by the guiding surface 61 of the deceleration wall 60. In particular, the air from the air jet outlet 17 for blowing off the electronic component W from each pocket hole 11b only needs to have a pressure and air volume sufficient to cause the electronic component W to reach the guiding surface 61 from the pocket hole 11b via the sorting hole 52. Therefore, the pressure and air volume of the air from the air jet outlet 17 can be effectively reduced. As a result, the flying speed of the electronic component W is suppressed, the impact force acting on the electronic component W when it contacts the deceleration wall 60 and the recovery path 55 can be reduced, the damage that may be applied to the electronic component W can be alleviated, and cracks and defects in the electronic component W can be effectively prevented.

[0068] In addition, since it is possible to reduce the pressure and air volume of the air from the air outlet 17, it is effectively possible to prevent defects that may be caused by the pressure and air volume of the air (for example, the intrusion of electronic components as feared in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2). According to the electronic component test system 10 of the present embodiment, for example, it is possible to prevent "the entrainment of the electronic component W in the recovery box caused by air" that is feared when the electronic component W is sent to the recovery box using air. In addition, "residual pressure at the air outlet 17 (refer to Patent Document 3)" is not easily generated.

[0069] In addition, when the indexing table 11 is heated by the heater, since it is possible to reduce the pressure and air volume of the air from the air outlet 17, it is possible to suppress the cooling degree of the heater and / or the indexing table 11 caused by the air, and it is possible to effectively heat the indexing table 11.

[0070] In addition, since it is possible to reduce the pressure and air volume of the air from the air outlet 17, the air consumption is suppressed, and the fluctuation of the air pressure (compressed air pressure) in the tank of the air source 48 can be reduced. As a result, the air pressure in the tank is stabilized, and it is possible to discharge the air from the air outlet 17 with high reliability and stability. Furthermore, the reliability of the processing of the electronic component W in the electronic component test system 10 can be improved.

[0071] In addition, by setting the distance from the sorting hole 52 to the guide surface 61 to the same value between the plurality of sorting holes 52, it is possible to share the air discharge conditions such as the pressure and air volume of the air from the air outlet 17 for blowing off the electronic component W from the pocket hole 11b between the plurality of pocket holes 11b. In addition, between the plurality of sorting holes 52, by setting the incident angle of the electronic component W with respect to the assigned guide surface 61 to the same value, it is possible to stably guide the electronic component W to the recovery path 55 via the guide surface 61. In this way, by sharing the structure of the discharge main body 51 between the sorting holes 52, the manufacture of the discharge main body 51 becomes easy.

[0072] In addition, since the electronic component W decelerates when it contacts the deceleration wall 60 and then lands on the recovery path 55, it is possible to reduce the impact force that may be exerted on other electronic components W already located on the recovery path 55, reduce the damage that may be applied to the other electronic components W, and effectively prevent cracks and defects from occurring in the electronic component W.

[0073] In addition, by continuously extending the guiding path of the electronic component W including the recovery path 55 and the guiding lines (21 to 26) downward, the natural fall caused by gravity can be utilized to guide the electronic component W toward the recovery unit 30, effectively preventing clogging of the electronic component W in the guiding path.

[0074] It should be noted that in the above-described embodiment, no device for generating an air flow that assists in sending the electronic component W downstream is provided in the recovery path 55 and the guiding lines (21 to 26), but a device for generating such an air flow may also be provided.

[0075] In addition, in order to reduce static electricity in the recovery path 55 and the guiding lines (21 to 26), an ionizer (electrostatic eliminator: not shown in the figure) for supplying deionized ions to the recovery path 55 and the guiding lines (21 to 26) may be provided. For example, in the case where a blower for generating an air flow that assists in sending the electronic component W in the recovery path 55 and / or the guiding lines (21 to 26) downstream is provided, a blower-type ionizer that generates an air flow containing deionized ions may be used as the blower.

[0076] On the other hand, other electronic component conveyors that do not have the above-described discharge unit 15 cannot achieve the effects achieved by the above-described electronic component test system 10 having the discharge unit 15.

[0077] For example, when guiding lines are respectively provided for a plurality of pocket holes 11b capable of discharging the electronic component W, the same number of guiding lines as the number of pocket holes 11b capable of discharging the electronic component W needs to be provided. For example, in the case where the electronic component W can be discharged from 96 (= 6 (number of classification partitions) × 16 (number of pocket hole rows)) pocket holes 11b as in the above example, 96 guiding lines need to be provided, so the setting operation of the guiding lines becomes complicated and the setting space of the guiding lines also becomes large.

[0078] In addition, in this case, if the plurality of pocket holes 11b of the electronic component W are distributed over a wide range, the length and bending condition (bending radius) of the guiding line up to the recovery section 30 are not constant, and the discharging air conditions (such as the pressure and air volume of the air) required to transport the electronic component W from the pocket hole 11b to the recovery section 30 also vary among the guiding lines. Therefore, in practice, although the discharging air conditions related to other guiding lines are sometimes set in a manner matching the guiding line with the most stringent discharging air conditions (i.e., the guiding line with the highest required air pressure and required air volume), there is a concern that defects may occur due to the air pressure and air volume (such as the mixing of electronic components and large residual pressure at the air ejection port). In addition, since the discharging air conditions of all the guiding lines are set to the most stringent conditions, for guiding lines with relatively loose optimal discharging air conditions (i.e., guiding lines with relatively small required air pressure and required air volume), there is a concern about using excessive energy to form an air flow, and in addition, there is a risk of the electronic component W in the recovery box flying up or the electronic component W being accidentally discharged from the recovery box.

[0079] In addition, in this case, the extended states of the guiding lines sometimes vary greatly among the guiding lines, and there is a concern that the electronic component W may decelerate excessively in the guiding line, the electronic component W may stagnate in the guiding line, causing blockage of the guiding line, or the electronic component W may flow backward in the guiding line.

[0080] In addition, in this case, since the guiding line needs to be set in accordance with the opening orientation of the corresponding pocket hole 11b, the extending direction of at least a part of the guiding line sometimes includes an upward direction component. In such a case, the discharging air conditions become stringent, and it is easy to cause the retention and backward flow of the electronic component W in the guiding line.

[0081] In addition, in this case, in order to ensure the effective discharge of the electronic component W, the number of guiding lines inevitably increases. However, it is not realistic from the viewpoints of labor and cost to find the optimal discharging air conditions for each of the multiple guiding lines and set the discharging air conditions independently to the optimal conditions. [Modification Example]

[0082] In the examples shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a single recovery path 55 is provided for each classification partition (D1 to D6), but multiple recovery paths 55 may also be provided for one classification partition. In this case, two or more recovery paths 55 assigned to a common classification partition may be merged, or the merged recovery path may be connected to the guiding line.

[0083] It should be noted that the embodiments and variations disclosed in this specification are only examples in all aspects and are not to be construed in a limiting sense. The above embodiments and variations can be omitted, replaced, and changed in various ways without departing from the scope of the appended patent application and its gist. For example, the above embodiments and variations can be combined in whole or in part. Additionally, embodiments other than those described above can also be combined with the above embodiments or variations. Moreover, the effects of the present invention described in this specification are only examples, and other effects may also be brought about.

[0084] There is no limitation on the technical category for specifically implementing the above technical idea. For example, it can also be specifically implemented by a computer program for causing a computer to execute one or more processes (steps) included in the method of manufacturing the above device or the method of using the above device. Additionally, it can also be specifically implemented by a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium recording such a computer program.

[0085] 10: Electronic component testing system 11: Indexing worktable 11b: Pocket hole 12: Structure 13: Supply unit 14: Inspection unit 15: Discharge unit 16: Base 17: Air outlet 20: Control unit 21~26: First guiding line ~ Sixth guiding line 30: Recycling section 31~36: First recycling bin ~ Sixth recycling bin 39: Factory pressure source 40: Electronic component storage section 41: Storage section main body 42: Storage wall 43: Storage section 45: Storage detection section 47: Air piping 48: Air source 49: Air adjustment section 51: Discharge main body section 51A: First discharge main body section 51a: Discharge extension section 51B: Second discharge main body section 51b: Discharge outer periphery 52: Classification hole 52a: Classification inlet 55: Recovery path 55A: Recovery wall surface 55B: Recovery discharge port 60: Guide part / deceleration wall 61: Guide surface D1~D6: First classification section ~ Sixth classification section Dr: Radiation direction Lc: Section line R1~R16: First pocket hole row ~ Sixteenth pocket hole row W: Electronic component

Claims

1. An electronic component conveyor, characterized in that it comprises: a conveyor table having a plurality of through holes for receiving electronic components; The base has multiple air outlets opposite the conveyor table; The system includes a discharge unit having a plurality of sorting holes located on the side opposite to the plurality of air outlets, separated from the conveyor platform; at least one recycling path communicating with the plurality of sorting holes; and a guide portion for guiding electronic components discharged from the air outlets through the receiving through holes and passing through the sorting holes to the at least one recycling path. The conveyor platform extends in a vertical direction or in a direction inclined relative to both the vertical and horizontal directions, and rotates about a rotation axis in a manner that circumferentially conveys electronic components housed in the plurality of receiving through holes. The plurality of receiving through holes are sorted into a plurality of columns with radial distances from each other from the rotation axis, and in each of the plurality of columns, the distance between adjacent receiving through holes in the circumferential direction is constant.

2. The electronic component conveyor as described in claim 1, wherein, The electronic component conveyor includes an air ejection control unit that controls the ejection of air from the plurality of air ejection outlets. The discharge unit is provided with a plurality of recovery paths and a plurality of guides associated with each of the plurality of recovery paths. Each of the plurality of recovery paths connects to two or more sorting holes. The associated guides guide electronic components that have passed through the two or more sorting holes. Each of the plurality of guides has one or more guide surfaces that orient the electronic components that have passed through the two or more sorting holes toward the recovery path and are located at the same distance from each of the two or more sorting holes.

3. The electronic component conveyor as described in claim 2, wherein, The one or more guide surfaces have a plane angle that allows electronic components that have passed through the two or more sorting holes to be incident at the same angle.

4. The electronic component conveyor as described in claim 2, wherein, The electronic component conveyor has multiple guide lines connected to the respective outlets of the multiple recycling paths, and guides the electronic components conveyed from the multiple recycling paths via the outlets toward the next stage. Each of the multiple recycling paths has a recycling wall, which is inclined downward toward the outlet for electronic components guided by the associated one or more guides to land on. In each of the multiple recycling paths, the electronic components on the recycling wall move toward the outlet under gravity and enter the corresponding guide line via the outlet.

5. The electronic component conveyor as described in claim 1, wherein, The electronic component conveyor has multiple air supply units connected to the multiple air outlets, and the multiple air supply units are capable of supplying air to the multiple air outlets under different air pressure conditions.

6. An electronic component conveyor, comprising: a conveyor table having a plurality of through holes for receiving electronic components; The base has multiple air outlets opposite the conveyor table; The system includes a discharge unit having a plurality of sorting holes located on the side opposite to the plurality of air outlets, separated from the conveyor table; at least one recycling path communicating with the plurality of sorting holes; and a guide section for guiding electronic components discharged from the air outlets through receiving through holes and passing through the sorting holes to the at least one recycling path. The electronic component conveyor further includes: an inspection unit for inspecting electronic components housed in the plurality of receiving through holes; and an air ejection control unit for controlling the ejection of air from the plurality of air outlets. The discharge unit is provided with: a plurality of recycling paths associated with each of a plurality of partitions based on the inspection results; and a plurality of guide sections associated with each of the plurality of recycling paths. Each of the plurality of recycling paths communicates with two or more sorting holes, and the associated guide sections guide electronic components that have passed through the two or more sorting holes. The air ejection control unit controls the ejection of air from the plurality of air ejection outlets based on the inspection result detected by the inspection unit, by guiding the electronic components housed in each of the plurality of through-holes through a sorting hole connected to the corresponding recycling path.

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