Supply device and supply method

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a buffer device, a supply device, and a supply method that can improve the supply speed of wafer components. [Solution] The buffer device is a buffer device used to transport wafer components, comprising: a rotor having a plurality of storage chambers with openings divided around a rotating shaft; a peripheral wall disposed on a track of the openings; and a supply port and a discharge port disposed on the peripheral wall, each corresponding to a different opening of the storage chamber.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a buffer device, a supply device, and a supply method. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Devices for inspecting and classifying the electrical characteristics of wafer-type electronic components (hereinafter referred to as "wafer components"), such as multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), have been previously proposed. These devices improve the overall processing speed by supplying wafer components stored in a hopper to multiple rows of transport paths, thus performing characteristic inspection and classification in parallel. As a method for distributing wafer components to each transport path, Patent Document 1 discloses, for example, a supply device (processor) that supplies wafer components from a supply tray to a distribution section (funnel), and then injects them from the distribution section into the transport path (gap) required by the loading frame. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-508708 [Summary of the Invention]

[0004] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the supply method of Patent Document 1, while the dispensing unit is moving to the next transport path that is the target of the wafer component injection, when the wafer component is supplied from the supply tray to the dispensing unit, the wafer component may be injected into an unintended transport path (e.g., a transport path adjacent to the transport path of the target component). Therefore, the movement of the wafer component from the supply tray to the dispensing unit needs to be carried out while the dispensing unit is not moving. On the other hand, since the movement of the wafer component by the supply tray takes time, when there are many transport paths, or when it is necessary to quickly receive and deliver the wafer component from the transport path to the next step, it is expected that the supply of wafer components for the transport paths will not be able to keep up with the demand, resulting in the underutilization of the processing capacity of the device.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a buffer device, a supply device, and a supply method that can improve the supply speed of wafer components. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The buffer device of the present invention is a buffer device for transporting wafer parts, comprising: a rotor having a plurality of storage chambers with openings divided around a rotating shaft, a peripheral wall disposed on a track of the openings, and a supply port and a discharge port disposed on a portion of the peripheral wall corresponding to the openings of different storage chambers.

[0007] The supply device of the present invention includes: a feeder for transporting wafer parts supplied from a hopper section, a buffer device for temporarily storing the wafer parts supplied from the feeder, and a distribution section for distributing the wafer parts supplied from the buffer device to different transport paths.

[0008] The supply method of the present invention is a supply method of a supply device, the supply device comprising: a feeder for transporting wafer components supplied from a hopper, a buffer device for temporarily storing the wafer components supplied from the feeder, and a distribution unit for distributing the wafer components supplied from the buffer device to different transport paths; the feeder and the distribution unit are driven and operated repeatedly. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The present invention can provide a buffer device, a supply device and a supply method that can improve the supply speed of wafer components.

Implementation Method

[0011] The inspection apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described. The inspection apparatus 1 (inspection and classification apparatus) shown in FIG1 is a characteristic classification machine used to inspect the electrical characteristics of wafer electronic components (hereinafter referred to as wafer components) that have electrodes in at least a partial area on the side or plane, and classify them according to the inspection results. The wafer component C in this embodiment is a stacked ceramic capacitor. The wafer component C has a cuboid shape with length dimension L > width dimension W = thickness dimension T, or length dimension L > width dimension W > thickness dimension T, etc. The wafer component C can be used with so-called two-terminal capacitors, three-terminal capacitors, multi-terminal capacitors, or array capacitors having end face electrodes, side electrodes, or both.

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the figures. Figure 1 is a front view of the inspection device 1. The inspection device 1 includes: a supply unit 12, a transport unit 13, an inspection unit 14, and a sorting and discharge unit 15; the supply unit 12 supplies wafer parts C to a disc-shaped transport member 2 (refer to Figure 2), the transport member 2 being rotatably supported relative to a base 111 provided on the device body 11; the transport unit 13 transports the wafer parts C supplied by the supply unit 12; the inspection unit 14 inspects the electrical characteristics of the wafer parts C transported by the transport member 2 in the transport unit 13; and the sorting and discharge unit 15 sorts and discharges the wafer parts C according to the inspection results of the inspection unit 14.

[0013] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the transport member 2. The transport member 2 temporarily houses and transports the wafer component C. The transport member 2 has a plurality of receiving holes 21 (wafer electronic component receiving and holding holes or through holes) on the circumference around the rotation axis P. The receiving holes 21 are arranged in parallel rows covering a plurality of rows around the rotation axis P. Although the transport member 2 in Figure 2 shows an example with 12 rows of receiving holes 21a to 21l (enlarged view of part A), the receiving holes can also be composed of 6 rows, 8 rows, or 10 rows, or other plurality of rows. After Figure 3, the supply unit 12 using the transport member 2 will be described, and the transport member 2 has 12 rows of receiving holes 21a to 21l.

[0014] The receiving hole 21 in this embodiment is a through hole. Depending on the shape of the wafer component C or the inspection method of the inspection section 14, the receiving hole 21 can be a rectangular hole or a round hole. Most of the opening on the base portion 111 side of the receiving hole 21 is closed by the base portion 111, and the receiving hole 21 is received with a bottom when the transport member 2 is mounted on the base portion 111. Since the receiving hole 21 is attracted by a vacuum groove formed on the base portion 111, the wafer component C can be stably received and transported.

[0015] The transport member 2 rotates intermittently around the rotating shaft P by a rotation drive device 112 provided on the base part 111 side. The inspection device 1 has, in sequence along the transport path of the transport member 2, a wafer part C supply part 12, an inspection part 14, and a sorting and discharge part 15.

[0016] The inspection unit 14 has electrode terminals (connectors) for measuring electrical characteristics at a proximity position on the base portion 111 side and the opposite side of each receiving hole 21 of the transport member 2. The electrode terminals are electrically connected to the measuring device 113 mounted on the inspection device 1. The inspection device 1 has a control device 114 that outputs control signals related to measurement processing to the measuring device 113.

[0017] The control device 114 is used to control the operation of each functional unit (supply unit 12, conveying unit 13, inspection unit 14, and sorting and discharge unit 15, etc.) of the inspection device 1, or to determine the detection values ​​detected by various sensors. The control device 114 is, for example, the control unit of a personal computer and is provided in the inspection device 1.

[0018] The sorting and discharge unit 15 has the function of discharging the wafer component C of the transport member 2 into the recycling box 151 according to the inspection result of the inspection unit 14. The sorting and discharge unit 15 has discharge pipes 152 at different angular positions on the transport path around the rotation axis P, corresponding to each sorting item. The discharge pipes 152 are connected to the recycling box 151 corresponding to the sorting item. Moreover, the sorting and discharge unit 15 has an exhaust port on the base part 111 side. By switching the compressed air from the exhaust port of the inspection unit 14 on / off, the sorting and discharge unit 15 can sort the wafer component C and discharge it into the recycling box 151 corresponding to the inspection result.

[0019] FIG3 is a perspective view of the supply unit 12 (supply device) of this embodiment. FIG4 is an enlarged perspective view of the feeder periphery in the IV-IV section of the supply unit 12 of FIG3. The supply unit 12 includes: a hopper unit 3, a feeder 4 for transporting the wafer parts C supplied from the hopper unit 3, a buffer device 5 for temporarily storing the wafer parts C supplied from the feeder 4, a distribution unit 6 for distributing the wafer parts C supplied from the buffer device 5 to different transport paths 71 (refer to FIG7), a chute 7 having a plurality of transport paths 71, and a hopper 8 for supplying the wafer parts C supplied by the chute 7 to the transport member 2.

[0020] Hopper section 3 stores wafer parts C before inspection and transports them to feeder 4. Hopper section 3 is a silo with an inverted triangular shape when viewed in cross-section, and its inner diameter gradually decreases from top to bottom. Hopper section 3 has the function of supplying wafer parts C to feeder 4 (part feeder). As shown in FIG4, a straight slit-shaped opening, namely discharge port 31, is formed at the lower end of hopper section 3.

[0021] In Figure 4, the feeder 4 is a linear feeder with a linearly recessed transport passage 41 on its upper side, which supplies the wafer component C to the buffer device 5 by vibrating the transport passage 41. The transport passage 41 has an upper transport passage 41a and a lower transport passage 41b.

[0022] The upper transport passage 41a is formed on a stencil 41a1 located above the bottom 411 of the transport passage 41. The stencil 41a1 is a flat plate having a plurality of openings smaller than the wafer component C. The stencil 41a1 is configured to cover the entire length of the discharge port 31 of the hopper section 3 (that is, the supply position of the wafer component C) to the discharge port 412 of the feeder 4. The end of the feeder 4 on the discharge port 412 side is configured to protrude from the hopper section 3 toward the transport direction of the wafer component C.

[0023] The lower transport passage 41b is formed in the space between the bottom 411 and the stencil 41a1. The rear end side (opposite to the transport direction of the wafer component C) of the lower transport passage 41b is located approximately at the same position as the rear end of the upper transport passage 41a. On the other hand, the front end side of the discharge port 413 is located further forward than the discharge port 412 of the upper transport passage 41a. Therefore, the lower transport passage 41b is formed to be shorter than the upper transport passage 41a.

[0024] The electroplating dust or other dust mixed in with the wafer component C supplied to the hopper section 3, or foreign objects smaller than the wafer component C, such as broken fragments of the wafer component C, will fall through the mesh plate 41a1 to the lower transport passage 41b. These foreign objects will move towards the discharge port 413 along the bottom 411 of the lower transport passage 41b due to the vibration of the feeder 4.

[0025] A recycling box 42 is disposed below the discharge port 413. The recycling box 42 is installed so that it can be loaded and unloaded from the supply section 12. The recycling box 42 has an upper opening 421 at a position corresponding to the lower part of the discharge port 413. Thus, the recycling box 42 can recover foreign objects transported by the lower transport passage 41b.

[0026] The buffer device 5 is disposed below the discharge port 412 of the feeder 4. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the bottom surface of the buffer device 5. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the plan view of the buffer device 5. The buffer device 5 includes: an outer casing 51, a rotor 52 housed within the outer casing 51, and a cover member 53 that closes the outer casing 51.

[0027] The outer casing 51 internally includes: a generally cylindrical space, namely a storage chamber 511; a supply port 512 located above the storage chamber 511 and below the discharge port 412 of the feeder 4; and a discharge port 513 located below the storage chamber 511. An opening 514 is formed in the side wall 511a of the storage chamber 511. The rotor 52 is connected to the shaft of the drive source, namely the motor, through the opening 514.

[0028] The outer casing 51 has a peripheral wall 511b surrounding the rotation axis Q of the rotor 52, which surrounds the storage chamber 511. A supply port 512 and a discharge port 513 are formed in parts of the peripheral wall 511b.

[0029] The rotor 52 has: a partition wall 521 extending radially in the outer shape direction around the rotation shaft Q, and side walls 522 and 523 covering the partition wall 521 in the width direction. The rotation shaft Q of the rotor 52 is a horizontal shaft. The rotor 52 has an opening 524a on the outer diameter side relative to the rotation shaft Q by means of the partition wall 521 and the side walls 522 and 523. A plurality of storage chambers 524 are defined around the rotation shaft Q (see also FIG9). The storage chambers 524 are covered by the side walls 522 and 523 in the width direction of the partition wall 521.

[0030] When the rotor 52 is housed within the outer casing 51 (refer to FIG. 9, etc.), the peripheral wall 511b is arranged along a track of the opening 524a of the storage chamber 524. The supply port 512 is positioned above the rotor 52, and the discharge port 513 is positioned below the rotor 52. Among the peripheral walls 511b adjacent to the discharge port 513, the peripheral wall surface 511b1 on the side opposite to the rotation direction D1 of the rotor 52 is approximately vertical.

[0031] The supply port 512 and the discharge port 513 are configured with openings 524a corresponding to different storage chambers 524 (524A, 524B, 524C) in the plurality of storage chambers 511 formed by the rotor 52. For example, in the state shown in FIG9, among the three storage chambers 524A, 524B, and 524C, the opening 524a of storage chamber 524A corresponds to the supply port 512, and the opening 524a of storage chamber 524B corresponds to the discharge port 513. In the state shown in FIG11 when the rotor 52 is rotating, the opening 524a of storage chamber 524C corresponds to the supply port 512, and the opening 524a of storage chamber 524A corresponds to the discharge port 513.

[0032] The partition wall 521 extends from the rotation axis Q toward the outer diameter direction with approximately the same thickness. The end of the partition wall 521 on the front end side in the outer diameter direction has an inclined portion 521a, which is inclined toward the rotation direction D1 of the rotor 52 as it moves toward the outer diameter direction relative to the rotation axis Q. The partition wall 521 that divides the storage chamber 524 has a partition wall surface 521b on the side opposite to the rotation direction D1 of the rotor 52 at its end, which is configured to be approximately parallel to the peripheral wall surface 511b1 when the rotor 52 stops.

[0033] The side walls 522, 523 and the partition wall 521 are combined and rotated integrally around the rotation axis Q. The cover member 53 is fixed to the outer casing 51. Thus, the rotor 52 rotates relative to the outer casing 51 and the cover member 53. In this embodiment, the storage chamber 524 allows the partition wall 521 to rotate integrally with the side walls 522, 523, so it is possible to prevent the wafer component C inside the storage chamber 524 from being accidentally caught between components.

[0034] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the supply unit 12 in cross section VII-VII. The distribution unit 6 includes, within the outer casing 61, a sliding arm 62 and a drive mechanism 63 for driving the sliding arm 62. The drive mechanism 63 includes a timing belt and a drive motor, etc., to cause the sliding arm 62 to move linearly back and forth.

[0035] The sliding arm 62 has an internal space with an approximately inverted triangular shape as a supply passage L6. The sliding arm 62 has a supply port 621 at its upper part, which is an elongated opening facing the movement direction D2 and connects the inside and outside in the vertical direction. The sliding arm 62 has, internally: a vertical surface 623a provided on one side of the movement direction D2, and an inclined surface 623b provided on the opposite side of the vertical surface 623a in the movement direction D2.

[0036] The sliding arm 62 has an opening at its lower end, namely a discharge port 622, that connects the inside and outside (see enlarged view of part B). The supply passage L6 of the sliding arm 62 extends vertically downward from the supply port 621, and then extends in an obtuse-angled L-shape near the discharge port 622 towards the vertical surface 623a. The inclined surface 623b extends to the opening edge of the discharge port 622. The discharge port 622 is formed in part of the bottom 624 of the downwardly narrowing supply passage L6 of the sliding arm 62.

[0037] As shown in the enlarged view of part B, the sliding arm 62 has discharge plates 625 (625a, 625b) around the opening edge of the discharge port 622. The discharge plates 625 are provided at two locations on both sides of the sliding arm 62 in the moving direction D2. The discharge plates 625 in this embodiment are thin sheets with softness and flexibility.

[0038] The lower end 625c of the discharge plate 625 is positioned at a height close to the upper end 711a of the partition wall 711 that separates the transport passage 71 of the chute 7. The gap between the lower end 625c and the upper end 711a is formed to be smaller than the size of the wafer part C (e.g., width dimension W or thickness dimension T). Thus, even if the wafer part C accidentally stops at the upper end of the partition wall, when the sliding arm 62 moves in the moving direction D2, the discharge plate 625 will contact the wafer part C and sweep it into either transport passage 71. This prevents the wafer part C from being retained or blocked at the inlet of the transport passage 71 of the chute 7.

[0039] The discharge plate 625 may be a brush plate with bristles.

[0040] The chute 7 has a plurality of transport passages 71 divided by partition walls 711. The chute 7 of this embodiment has 12 rows of transport passages 71a, 71b, 71c, 71d, 71e, 71f, 71g, 71h, 71i, 71j, 71k, and 71l (71). Each transport passage 71a to 71l is arranged to be parallel to each other. The transport passages 71a to 71l are arranged to be inclined relative to the hopper 8 at the rear end.

[0041] In the inspection device 1 of this embodiment, the base portion 111 is arranged in a vertical direction, and the conveying member 2 is also arranged in a vertical direction and parallel to the base portion 111. The supply ports 712 of each conveying passage 71a-71l of the chute 7 are arranged side by side in a horizontal direction. Therefore, the conveying passages 71a-71l and the hopper 8 are arranged at an approximately acute angle.

[0042] The transport passage 71 (e.g., transport passage 71a) located on the side of the hopper 8, with the supply port 712, is shorter in length than the transport passage 71 (e.g., transport passage 71l) located further away from the hopper 8. The tilt angle of each transport passage 71 is approximately the same as the tilt angle of the tilt surface 623b of the sliding arm 62. The wafer component C, which slides along the tilt surface 623b on the sliding arm 62, moves smoothly via the discharge port 622 and the supply port 712, and moves to the side of the hopper 8 after sliding through the transport passages 71a to 71l.

[0043] The hopper 8 has the function of supplying the wafer component C supplied from the transport passage 71 to the transport member 2 through the receiving hole 21. The hopper 8 is disposed on the front side of the transport member 2. The hopper 8 has transport passages 81 (81a-81l) corresponding to the receiving holes 21 (21a-21l) of the transport member 2. As shown in the enlarged view of part C, each transport passage 81a-81l is divided by a partition wall 811. Each transport passage 81a-81l extends parallel to the circumferential direction of the transport member 2.

[0044] The wafer components C supplied to each transport path 71a-71l of the chute 7 are received in the receiving holes 21a-21l of the transport member 2 via the corresponding transport paths 81a-81l of the hopper 8. The hopper 8 has a workpiece sensor for detecting the amount of wafer components C supplied to the transport paths 81a-81l. The workpiece sensor is, for example, a reflective light-emitting sensor that illuminates light and detects the reflected light. When the control device 114 determines, by means of the workpiece sensor, that there are too few wafer components C in any transport path 81a-81l, it controls the feeder 4, the buffer device 5, and the distribution unit 6 to supply wafer components C to the transport path 81 via the corresponding transport path 71 of the chute 7.

[0045] Next, the method for supplying the wafer component C to the supply unit 12 (supply device) will be described. FIG8 is a timing diagram of the control of the supply unit 12 for supplying the wafer component C. The supply unit 12 is controlled by the control device 114. FIG9 to FIG11 are side views showing the positions of the feeder 4, the buffer device 5, and the distribution unit 6. FIG8 compares the timing diagram C1 of the supply unit 12 of this embodiment with the timing diagram C2 of the case where the buffer device 5 is not used.

[0046] Figure 9, for ease of explanation, shows the initial state of the rotor 52 and the sliding arm 62. In the initial state, the opening 524a of the storage chamber 524A of the buffer device 5 is positioned below the discharge port 412 of the feeder 4, and the opening 524a of the storage chamber 524B of the buffer device 5 is positioned above the discharge port 513 of the buffer device 5. In Figure 9, the discharge port 622 of the sliding arm 62 is located on the side of the supply port 712 of the transport passage 71f.

[0047] First, at time T0 in Figure 8, the control device 114 starts vibrating the feeder 4. After a slight delay from the input of the drive signal to the feeder 4, the feeder 4 begins to vibrate. The wafer component C on the feeder 4 begins to move toward the buffer device 5 at time T1, which is slightly later than time T0.

[0048] At time T1, the control device 114 begins to operate the sliding arm 62 (refer to FIG. 10). The driving of the feeder 4 and the dispensing operation of the dispensing unit 6 are performed during repeated intervals (between time T1 and time T2). The sliding arm 62 moves to the supply position of the next transport path 71a-71l that needs to supply wafer parts C, based on the detection results of the workpiece sensors monitored in the transport paths 81a-81l of the hopper 8. If it is determined that the amount of wafer parts C is sufficient in any transport path 71a-71l, the control device 114 can also, according to the flowchart in FIG. 8, perform a process that does not operate the feeder 4, buffer device 5, and sliding arm 62 (for example, setting a delay to keep the operation of the feeder 4, buffer device 5, and sliding arm 62 on standby until the next judgment result is obtained).

[0049] At time T2, the control device 114 stops the operation of the feeder 4. The movement of the wafer component C toward the buffer device 5 stops at time T3, which is slightly slower than time T2, or between time T2 and time T3. In other words, time T3 is set to the moment after the movement of the wafer component C toward the buffer device 5 stops or at the instant of stopping. The storage chamber 524A temporarily stores an amount of wafer component C corresponding to the vibration intensity of the feeder 4 or the operation time of the feeder 4.

[0050] At time T3, the control device 114 stops the operation of the distribution unit 6. The control device 114 then rotates the rotor 52 of the buffer device 5 (refer to FIG11). In this embodiment, the rotor 52 rotates in the rotation direction D1 by an angle obtained by dividing one revolution (360 degrees) by the number of storage chambers 524. In this embodiment, since the three storage chambers 524A, 524B, and 524C each have an equal angular range, the rotor 52 rotates 120 degrees from time T3 to the next time T0.

[0051] During the period from time T0 to T3 and when the position of rotor 52 is in the state shown in Figure 9, at time T3, rotor 52 rotates and moves so that storage chamber 524A is aligned with the discharge port 513 side and storage chamber 524C is aligned with the supply port 512 side.

[0052] As shown in Figure 11, by rotating the rotor 52 at time T3, the chip component C in the storage chamber 524A is fed into the supply passage L6 in the sliding arm 62 through the outlet 513 of the buffer device 5, and moves along the inclined surface 623b to the outlet 622 side formed at the bottom 624. The chip component C that reaches the outlet 622 is supplied into the transport passage 71i through the supply port 712 of the transport passage 71i.

[0053] The wafer component C of the buffer device 5 moves toward the chute 7 from time T3 when the rotor 52 starts rotating until time T1 of the next cycle. That is, the feeder 4 starts the next vibration operation before the movement of the wafer component C toward the chute 7 is completed.

[0054] Then, during the operation of the inspection device 1, the operation from time T0 to T3 is repeated.

[0055] Next, we will describe the timing diagram C2 for the case where the buffer device 5 is not used (for example, the prior art described in Patent Document 1 is also the same). Here, the supply unit 12 of this embodiment will be described with respect to the structure without the buffer device 5. Therefore, the time required for the operation of the feeder 4 and the distribution unit 6 is the same in timing diagram C1 and timing diagram C2, respectively.

[0056] First, at time T0' in Figure 8, the control device 114 drives the sliding arm 62 (distribution section 6). Without using the buffer device 5, when the feeder 4 is vibrated, the wafer component C on the feeder 4 will be inserted into the sliding arm 62 and supplied to the non-determined transport path of the chute 7. Therefore, the feeder 4 starts vibrating from the time T1' when the operation of the distribution section 6 stops.

[0057] The wafer component C inside the feeder 4 begins to move toward the distribution section 6 at a time T2' slightly later than time T1'. The wafer component C that has moved toward the distribution section 6 then moves toward the chute 7. The movement of the wafer component C toward the distribution section 6 stops at a time T0' slightly later than time T3' when the feeder 4 stops operating.

[0058] Subsequently, during the operation of the inspection device 1, the operation from time T0' to T3' is performed repeatedly.

[0059] Comparing the timing diagram C1 of the supply unit 12 in this embodiment with the timing diagram C2 in the case without the buffer device 5, the supply method in this embodiment, by arranging the buffer device 5 in the middle, can repeatedly perform: the operation of the feeder 4, which is difficult to shorten due to the supply capacity of the feeder 4, and the operation of the distribution unit 6, whose operation time inevitably increases with the number of rows. Moreover, by using the buffer device 5, the time for the wafer component C to move towards the chute 7 can be shortened more than moving directly from the feeder 4. Therefore, the time required for one cycle of the entire supply operation (the time from time T0 (T0') to the next time T0 (T0')) can be significantly shortened, and the supply speed of the supply unit 12 can be increased.

[0060] The above describes the structure of the buffer device 5 used for transporting wafer components C, which includes: a rotor 52 having a plurality of storage chambers 524 with openings 524a defined around the rotating shaft Q; a peripheral wall 511b disposed on the track of the openings 524a; and a supply port 512 and a discharge port 513 disposed on the peripheral wall 511b, each corresponding to the openings 524a of the different storage chambers 524. The buffer device 5 temporarily stores the wafer components C in the storage chambers 524 and rapidly supplies them to the next step by means of the rotor 52.

[0061] This buffer device 5, by being positioned before the distribution section 6 used to select transport paths 71 and 81 and after the feeder 4 used to supply the wafer component C, no longer needs to wait for the distribution section 6 to complete its operation before starting the feeder 4. It can perform the driving of the feeder 4, which requires operation time, and the distribution operation of the distribution section 6 at repetitive intervals. Thus, the time spent in one cycle of the supply device (12) (from time T0 in FIG8 to the next time T0) can be shortened, and the supply speed of the wafer component C can be increased.

[0062] The partition wall 521 used to divide the storage chamber 524 has an inclined portion 521a at its end. The inclined portion 521a is inclined toward the rotation direction D1 of the rotor 52 in the direction of the outer diameter relative to the rotation axis Q. In this way, the wafer component C in the storage chamber 524 is less likely to be moved in the outward direction or the outer circumferential direction due to the rotation of the rotor 52, and will not remain in the storage chamber 524. It can be quickly discharged to the next step (the step of the distribution unit 6 in this embodiment) through the discharge port.

[0063] The rotor 52 has sidewalls 522 and 523 that cover the width direction of the partition wall 521 of the storage chamber 524. Since the sidewalls 522 and 523 can be rotated integrally with the partition wall 521, it is impossible for the wafer component C to be rolled between the partition wall 521 and its sidewalls. This allows the wafer component C to move safely within the buffer device 5.

[0064] The rotating shaft Q is a horizontal shaft, with the supply port 512 positioned above the rotor 52 and the discharge port 513 positioned below the rotor 52. Thus, the supply and discharge of the wafer component C are carried out by free fall, and the buffer device 5 can quickly supply and discharge the wafer component C.

[0065] In the peripheral wall 511b adjacent to the discharge port 513, the peripheral wall surface 511b1 on the opposite side to the rotation direction D1 of the rotor 52 is a vertical surface. In this way, the wafer component C stored in the storage chamber 524 can be discharged smoothly without being resisted by the inner wall before being discharged from the discharge port 513.

[0066] The partition wall 521 that divides the storage chamber 524 has a partition wall surface 521b on the opposite side of the rotation direction D1 of the rotor 52 at its end, which is configured to be approximately parallel to the peripheral wall surface 511b1 when the rotor 52 stops. The inner edge surface near the discharge port 513 is formed to be approximately vertical, so that the wafer component C can be prevented from remaining in the storage chamber 524 when discharged.

[0067] The supply device (12) includes: a feeder 4 for transporting the wafer parts C supplied from the hopper section 3, a buffer device 5 for temporarily storing the wafer parts C supplied from the feeder 4, and a distribution section 6 for distributing the wafer parts C supplied from the buffer device 5 to different transport paths 71 and 81.

[0068] This supply device (12) no longer needs to wait for the distribution unit 6 to complete its operation before starting the feeder 4. It can perform the feeder 4, which requires operation time, and the distribution operation of the distribution unit 6 at repeated intervals. As a result, the time spent in one cycle of the supply device (from time T0 in FIG8 to the next time T0) can be shortened, and the supply speed of the wafer component C can be increased.

[0069] The buffer device 5 of the supply device (12) is described as having a rotor 52 with a plurality of storage chambers 524 having openings 524a divided around the rotating shaft Q, a peripheral wall 511b disposed on a track of the openings 524a, and supply ports 512 and discharge ports 513 disposed on the peripheral wall 511b that correspond to the openings 524a of the different storage chambers 524. Since the side walls 522 and 523 can be rotated and driven integrally with the partition wall 521, it is impossible for the wafer component C to be rolled between the partition wall 521 and its side. This allows the wafer component C to rotate and move safely and quickly within the buffer device 5.

[0070] The supply device (12) includes: a feeder 4 for transporting wafer components C supplied from the hopper section 3, a buffer device 5 for temporarily storing the wafer components C supplied from the feeder 4, and a distribution section 6 for distributing the wafer components C supplied from the buffer device 5 to different transport paths 71 and 81. A supply method for using this supply device (12) to perform the driving of the feeder 4 and the distribution operation of the distribution section 6 at repeated intervals will be described. This shortens the time spent in one cycle of the inspection device 1 (from time T0 in FIG. 8 to the next time T0), and increases the supply speed of the wafer components C.

[0071] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. For example, in this embodiment, although the example of a stacked ceramic capacitor being used as a wafer component C is described, it is not limited thereto. The supply unit 12 (supply device) and the buffer device 5 can be used for other wafer components (wafer electronic components), such as wafer resistors or wafer inductors.

[0072] The feeder 4 is not limited to a linear feeder, but may also be a ball feeder, or a structure that includes both a ball feeder and a linear feeder.

[0073] Although the example of placing the buffer device 5 between the feeder 4 and the distribution unit 6 is described, it is not limited to this. Depending on the structure of the functional units of the supply device, it can be placed between any functional units that do not operate during repetitive times to temporarily store the supply of the supply object (in this embodiment, the wafer component C).

[0074] While the example of installing the control device 114 in the inspection device 1 is described, other external devices may also have their partial functions (e.g., data reception, setting of control conditions for the supply unit 12, start or stop indication). In other words, the external device may also function as the control device (control unit) of the inspection device 1.

[0075] Although this embodiment is described with reference to an example in which three storage chambers 524 are provided at equal intervals around the rotating shaft Q, it is not limited thereto. Four or more storage chambers 524 may also be provided around the rotating shaft Q.

[0076] Examples of the construction of the present invention are as follows. [1] A buffer device is a buffer device for transporting wafer parts, comprising: a rotor that divides a plurality of storage chambers having openings around a rotating shaft, a peripheral wall disposed on a track of the openings, and a supply port and a discharge port disposed on a portion of the peripheral wall corresponding to the openings of different storage chambers. [2] In the buffer device described in [1], the partition wall for dividing the storage chambers has an inclined portion at its end, the inclined portion being inclined toward the rotation direction of the rotor in the direction relative to the outer diameter of the rotating shaft. [3] In the buffer device described in [1], the rotor has a side wall that covers the width direction of the partition wall of the storage chamber. [4] In the buffer device described in [1], the rotating shaft is a horizontal shaft, the supply port is disposed above the rotor, and the discharge port is disposed below the rotor. [5] In the buffer device described in claim 4, the peripheral wall surface of the peripheral wall adjacent to the discharge port that is opposite to the rotation direction of the rotor is a vertical surface. [6] [5] The buffer device described herein is used to divide the partition wall of the storage chamber. The partition wall surface at the end opposite to the rotation direction of the rotor is configured to be substantially parallel to the peripheral wall surface when the rotor stops. [7] The supply device includes: a feeder for transporting wafer parts supplied from the hopper section, a buffer device for temporarily storing the wafer parts supplied from the feeder, and a distribution section for distributing the wafer parts supplied from the buffer device to different transport paths. [8] [7] The supply device described herein includes a buffer device comprising: a rotor that divides a plurality of storage chambers having openings around the rotating shaft, a peripheral wall disposed on a track of the openings, and a supply port and a discharge port disposed on a portion of the peripheral wall corresponding to the openings of different storage chambers. [9] The supply method is a supply method of a supply device, wherein the supply device includes: a feeder for transporting wafer parts supplied from a hopper section, a buffer device for temporarily storing the wafer parts supplied from the feeder, and a distribution unit for distributing the wafer parts supplied from the buffer device to different transport paths; the feeder is driven and the distribution unit is distributed at repeated intervals. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0010] [Figure 1] is a schematic diagram of the inspection device. [Figure 2] is a schematic diagram of the conveying components. [Figure 3] is a perspective view of the supply section (supply device). [Figure 4] is an enlarged perspective view of the feeder periphery in section IV-IV of the supply section in Figure 3. [Figure 5] is an exploded perspective view of the bottom surface of the buffer device. [Figure 6] is an exploded perspective view of the plan view of the buffer device. [Figure 7] is a perspective view in section VII-VII of the supply section. [Figure 8] is a timing diagram of the control of the supply section used to supply wafer parts. [Figure 9] is a side view showing the initial position of the distribution section. [Figure 10] is a side view showing the position of the distribution section during movement. [Figure 11] is a side view showing the state of the buffer device driven after the distribution section has moved.

Claims

1. A supply device comprising: a feeder for transporting wafer components supplied from a hopper section; a buffer device for temporarily storing the wafer components supplied from the feeder; and a distribution unit for distributing the wafer components supplied from the buffer device to different transport paths; wherein the feeder and the distribution unit are driven and operated repeatedly.

2. A supply method, which is a supply method of a supply device, the supply device comprising: a feeder for transporting wafer components supplied from a hopper section, a buffer device for temporarily storing the wafer components supplied from the feeder, and a distribution unit for distributing the wafer components supplied from the buffer device to different transport paths; the feeder and the distribution unit are driven and distributed repeatedly at regular intervals.

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