Conveyance device, resin molding device, and method for manufacturing resin molded article

Abstract

The present invention is a conveyance device 6 for conveying a molding object W, that positions and holds a molding object without using a positioning pin, and comprises a holding unit 61 for holding the molding object W, and a multi-joint arm part 62 for moving the holding unit 61. The holding unit 61 includes: a base member 63 connected to a tip part 621 of the multi-joint arm part 62; and a positioning mechanism 64 for positioning the molding object W with respect to the base member 63 in contact with an outer peripheral end surface of the molding object W.

Description

Conveying device, resin molding device, and method for manufacturing resin molded product

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying device, a resin molding device, and a method for manufacturing a resin molded product.

[0002] A conventional resin molding device for resin-molding workpieces is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This resin molding device uses a transport robot equipped with a robot hand to remove workpieces from a supply magazine or store molded products in a storage magazine. The robot hand uses a mechanism equipped with a suction mechanism on a fork-shaped member at the tip of an articulated robot, which corresponds to the shape of the workpiece.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-145548

[0004] However, Patent Document 1 does not disclose a configuration for positioning a workpiece relative to a robot hand. If the positioning of the workpiece relative to the robot hand is insufficient, the robot hand will place the workpiece in an inappropriate position, causing an error to be notified and the operation of the resin molding device to stop. If a configuration is used in which an error is not notified, the robot hand will place the workpiece in an inappropriate position, causing problems in subsequent processing and resulting in a defective resin molded product with a poor appearance or other defects.

[0005] It is also possible to provide a positioning pin on the robot hand and insert the positioning pin into a positioning hole formed in the workpiece to position it, but there are cases where the positioning pin cannot be inserted into the positioning hole due to warping or misalignment of the workpiece, etc.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its main object is to position and hold an object to be molded without using positioning pins.

[0007] In other words, the conveying device of the present invention is a conveying device for conveying a molding object, and is characterized in that it comprises a holding unit for holding the molding object and a multi-joint arm for moving the holding unit, and the holding unit comprises a base member connected to the tip of the arm, and a positioning mechanism for contacting the outer peripheral end surface of the molding object and positioning the molding object relative to the base member.

[0008] According to the present invention configured as described above, the molding object can be positioned and held without using a positioning pin.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a resin molding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a resin molding module according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a substrate supply unit and a molded product storage unit according to the embodiment, and is also a diagram showing the transport operation of a pre-molded substrate and a transport operation of a resin molded product between them and each transfer stage. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, schematically showing a state in which the holding claws are in a holding position in the first transport mechanism according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, schematically showing a state in which the holding claws are in a retracted position in the first transport mechanism according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the lateral direction, schematically showing a state in which the holding plate is in a separated position in the first transport mechanism according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the lateral direction, schematically showing a state in which the holding plate is in a contact position in the first transport mechanism according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an interlocking mechanism in a holding claw moving unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the positioning / holding operation and transport operation of a pre-molded substrate by the holding unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the positioning / holding operation and transport operation of a resin molded product by the holding unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration (two-stage configuration) of a substrate supply and storage module according to a modified embodiment.

[0010] Next, the technology according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, although the present invention is not limited to the following technology.

[0011] A conveying device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a conveying device for conveying a molding object, comprising a holding unit for holding the molding object and an articulated arm for moving the holding unit. The holding unit comprises a base member connected to the distal end of the articulated arm and a positioning mechanism for contacting the outer peripheral edge of the molding object to position the molding object relative to the base member. This conveying device positions the molding object relative to the base member by contacting the outer peripheral edge of the molding object, thereby positioning and holding the molding object without using positioning pins. As a result, the molding object can be conveyed to the appropriate position, and error notifications due to misalignment of the molding object in subsequent processing can be avoided, preventing the resin molding operation from being stopped. Furthermore, if an error notification is not configured, defects in the resin molded product, such as poor appearance, due to misalignment of the molding object can be prevented.

[0012] In a conveying device according to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the positioning mechanism preferably includes holding claws that hold the object to be molded and a holding claw moving unit that moves the holding claws, and the holding claw moving unit preferably moves the holding claws between a holding position where the holding claws hold the object to be molded and a retracted position where the holding claws are retracted from the holding position, and the holding claws at the holding position preferably contact the outer peripheral end surface to position the object to the base member. With this configuration, the object to be molded is positioned relative to the base member by the holding claws, so that the positioned object to be molded can be held while being positioned at the same time.

[0013] In addition to the configuration of the above-described technology 2, the conveying device of technology 3 according to the present invention is preferably configured such that the object to be molded has a rectangular shape in a plan view, and the holding claws are provided corresponding to each of the four sides of the object to be molded. With this configuration, the object to be molded having a rectangular shape in a plan view can be reliably held while being positioned relative to the base member.

[0014] In addition to the configuration of the above-described technology 3, the conveying device of technology 4 according to the present invention preferably includes a holding claw moving unit that includes an interlocking mechanism that interlocks the holding claws provided corresponding to each of the four sides, and a holding claw driving unit that moves the holding claws provided corresponding to each of the four sides via the interlocking mechanism. With this configuration, the pre-molding substrate can be positioned all at once by the holding claws provided corresponding to each of the four sides. Furthermore, the holding claws provided corresponding to each of the four sides can be moved by a common holding claw driving unit, thereby avoiding an increase in the size of the holding unit.

[0015] The conveying device of Technology 5 according to the present invention preferably further includes a holding plate that sandwiches and holds the object between itself and the holding claws at the holding position, in addition to the configuration of any one of Technologies 2 to 4. With this configuration, the object positioned by the holding claws is sandwiched between the holding plate and the holding claws, so that the object can be securely held and the object can be prevented from shifting during conveyance.

[0016] A conveying device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention has the same configuration as that of the fifth aspect, but is preferably configured such that the holding plate is rectangular in plan view to correspond to the object to be molded, and the holding claws are arranged to surround all four sides of the holding plate and contact the holding plate at the holding position. With this configuration, the holding claws contact the holding plate at the holding position, so that the holding claws can physically remain in the holding position. As a result, the object to be molded can be reliably positioned relative to the base member.

[0017] In addition to the configuration of the above-described technology 5 or 6, the conveying device of technology 7 according to the present invention preferably further includes a plate moving unit that moves the holding plate between a contact position where the holding plate contacts the object positioned by the positioning mechanism and a separated position away from the object. With this configuration, the positioning operation by the positioning mechanism and the holding operation by the holding plate can be performed separately. As a result, the holding plate can be prevented from interfering with the positioning operation by the positioning mechanism.

[0018] Specifically, in addition to the configuration of the above-mentioned technology 7, the conveying device of technology 8 according to the present invention preferably positions the object by the positioning mechanism with the holding plate at the separated position by the plate moving unit, and then moves the holding plate to the contact position by the plate moving unit after the object has been positioned by the positioning mechanism. With this configuration, the holding plate does not interfere with the positioning of the object by the positioning mechanism, and the positioned object can be reliably held by the holding plate.

[0019] A conveying device according to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of any one of the first to eighth aspects, can convey the molding object having an electronic component fixed to one surface. Here, in some resin molding apparatuses, the molding object is accommodated in a first state (tip-up state) in which the electronic component is on the upper side, and the molding object is placed on a transfer stage, molding mold, or the like in a second state (tip-down state) in which the electronic component is on the lower side. For use with this resin molding apparatus, the conveying device according to the ninth aspect of the present invention preferably holds the molding object placed in the first state in which the electronic component is on the upper side, and transfers it to the transfer stage in the second state in which the electronic component is on the lower side. This configuration allows the molding object before molding to be accommodated in the first state, preventing dust from adhering to the back surface (the surface held in the molding mold) of the molding object opposite the electronic component. As a result, poor appearance of the resin molded product can be prevented.

[0020] In the conveying device of Technique 10 according to the present invention, the holding unit can hold the molding object before molding and the molding object after molding at a common location relative to the base member. Technique 10 according to the present invention is configured so that the holding unit is not provided with positioning pins for positioning the molding object, and can hold the molding object before molding and the molding object after molding without distinguishing between them. With this configuration, there is no need to provide separate conveying mechanisms for the molding object before molding and the molding object after molding, which reduces the installation space for the conveying mechanisms and allows the installation space for the resin molding device to be reduced.

[0021] Furthermore, a resin molding apparatus having the conveying device according to any one of the above-described techniques 1 to 10 is also an aspect of the present invention.

[0022] A resin molding apparatus according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above-described eleventh aspect, further includes a workpiece supply unit that supplies the workpieces before molding, a workpiece storage unit that stores the workpieces after molding, a first transfer stage on which the workpieces before molding are temporarily placed, a second transfer stage on which the workpieces after molding are temporarily placed, and a transfer mechanism that transfers the workpieces before molding and the workpieces after molding between each of the transfer stages and the molding die, and it is desirable that the conveying device transfers the workpieces before molding between the workpiece supply unit and the first transfer stage and transfers the workpieces after molding between the workpiece storage unit and the second transfer stage. With this configuration, while the transfer mechanism is transferring the workpieces between each transfer stage and the molding die, the workpieces before molding can be transported from the workpiece supply unit to the first transfer stage and the workpieces after molding can be stored in the workpiece storage unit from the second transfer stage. As a result, the time required for transporting the unmolded object from the object supply section to the mold and storing the molded object from the mold in the object storage section can be shortened.

[0023] In a resin molding apparatus according to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the twelfth aspect, the transfer mechanism preferably includes a pre-molding conveying section that conveys the molding object before molding and a post-molding conveying section that conveys the molding object after molding. With this configuration, the molding object before molding and the molding object after molding can be conveyed by a common transfer mechanism. As a result, the transfer mechanism can transfer the molding object before molding and the molding object after molding while making one round trip between each transfer stage and the molding mold, thereby shortening the time required for these conveyances.

[0024] A resin molding apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the second or third aspect, preferably includes a molding object having an electronic component fixed to one surface thereof, a molding object supply unit supplying the molding object in a first state (tip-up state) in which the electronic component is on the upper side, and a first transfer stage placing the molding object in a second state (tip-down state) in which the electronic component is on the lower side. With this configuration, the articulated arm of the conveying device can flip the holding unit over, allowing the molding object supplied by the molding object supply unit in the first state to be transported to the first transfer stage in the second state. In other words, the molding object can be in the first state before being transported by the conveying device, preventing dust from adhering to the back surface of the molding object opposite the electronic component (the surface held by the mold). As a result, poor appearance of the resin molded product can be prevented.

[0025] Furthermore, a method for manufacturing a resin molded product by resin molding onto a molding object, which includes a conveying step of conveying the molding object using a conveying device described in any one of the above techniques 1 to 10, and a resin molding step of resin molding onto the molding object, is also one aspect of the present invention.

[0026] <One embodiment of the present invention> Hereinafter, one embodiment of a resin molding apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in all of the drawings shown below, parts are appropriately omitted or exaggerated for clarity. Identical components are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0027] <Overall Configuration of Resin Molding Apparatus> The resin molding apparatus 100 of the first embodiment resin-seals a substrate W, which is a molding object having electronic components Wx fixed to one surface, by resin molding using a resin material J to manufacture a resin molded product P. Note that, hereinafter, the molding object (substrate W) before resin molding will be referred to as a "pre-molding substrate W," and the molding object (substrate W) after resin molding will be referred to as a "molded substrate W" or a "resin molded product P."

[0028] Here, the substrate W is rectangular in plan view, and examples thereof include a metal substrate, a resin substrate, a glass substrate, a ceramic substrate, a circuit board, a semiconductor substrate, a lead frame, a silicon wafer, a glass wafer, etc. Alternatively, the substrate W may be a carrier without wiring.

[0029] Examples of the resin material J include powdered or granular resin (including granular resin), liquid resin, etc. Examples of the electronic component Wx include electronic elements such as semiconductor chips, resistor elements, and capacitor elements, or electronic components in which at least one of these electronic elements is sealed with resin.

[0030] 1, the resin molding apparatus 100 includes, as its components, a substrate supply and storage module A, two resin molding modules B, and a resin material supply module C. Each component (each of modules A to C) is detachable and replaceable with respect to the other components.

[0031] 1, the substrate supply and storage module A includes a substrate supply section 2 that supplies pre-molded substrates W, a molded product storage section 3 that stores molded substrates W (resin molded products P), a first transfer stage 4 on which the pre-molded substrates W are temporarily placed, a second transfer stage 5 on which the resin molded products P are temporarily placed, a first transport mechanism 6 that is a transport device that transports pre-molded substrates W from the substrate supply section 2 to the first transfer stage 4 and transports the resin molded products P from the second transfer stage 5 to the molded product storage section 3, and a second transport mechanism 7 that is a transfer mechanism that transports, i.e., delivers, the pre-molded substrates W and the resin molded products P between the transfer stages 4, 5 and the molding dies 10, 11 of the resin molding module B. The specific configuration of each section of the substrate supply and storage module A will be described later.

[0032] 2, each resin molding module B has an upper mold 10 which is a first mold that holds a substrate W, a lower mold 11 which is a second mold in which a cavity 11C is formed, and a mold clamping mechanism 12 that clamps the upper mold 10 and the lower mold 11. The upper mold 10 is provided on an upper fixed platen (not shown) via an upper platen 101. The lower mold 11 is provided on a movable platen 102 which is raised and lowered by the mold clamping mechanism 12 via a lower platen 103.

[0033] Here, the upper mold 10 sucks and holds the back surface (the surface on which the electronic components Wx are not fixed) of the substrate W. A suction port (not shown) is formed in the lower surface of the upper mold 10, and a suction flow path (not shown) connected to the suction port is formed inside the upper mold 10. This suction flow path is connected to an external suction device (not shown).

[0034] The lower mold 11 also has a cavity 11C that accommodates the electronic component Wx fixed to the substrate W and the resin material J. Specifically, the lower mold 11 has a bottom member 111 that forms the bottom surface of the cavity 11C and a side member 112 that surrounds the bottom member 111. The cavity 11C is formed by the upper surface of the bottom member 111 and the inner peripheral surface of the side member 112. The side member 112 is also provided so as to be movable up and down relative to the bottom member 111. Specifically, the side member 112 is supported by a plurality of elastic members 114, such as coil springs, on a base plate 113 of the lower mold 11. Furthermore, the lower mold 11 is covered with a release film F to improve the releasability of the resin molded product P. An air vent (not shown) may be provided on the upper surface of the side member 112 to discharge air or gas. Additionally, around the upper mold 10 and the lower mold 11, there is provided a sealing structure 13 consisting of side walls and sealing members such as O-rings for evacuating the area around the molding molds 10 and 11 during resin molding.

[0035] The mold clamping mechanism 12 of this embodiment is of a linear motion type that raises and lowers a movable platen using a ball screw mechanism that converts the rotation of a servo motor or the like into linear movement. Note that the mold clamping mechanism 12 may also be of a link type that transmits a power source such as a servo motor to the movable platen using a link mechanism such as a toggle link.

[0036] 1, the resin material supply module C has a moving table 14, a resin material accommodation unit 15 placed on the moving table 14, a resin material supply mechanism 16 that measures and supplies resin material J to the resin material accommodation unit 15, and a resin material transport mechanism 17 that transports the resin material accommodation unit 15 and supplies resin material J to the cavity 11C of the lower mold 11. Here, the resin material accommodation unit 15 is configured using a holding frame that holds a release film F, and the resin material J is supplied by the resin material supply mechanism 16 onto the release film F held by the holding frame.

[0037] The moving table 14 moves within the resin material supply module C between a resin supply position by the resin material supply mechanism 16 and a transport position for transferring the resin material accommodation unit 15 to the resin material transport mechanism 17 .

[0038] Furthermore, the resin material transport mechanism 17 transports the resin material accommodation section 15 containing the resin material J from the resin material supply module C to the resin molding module B, and supplies the release film F and resin material J to the molding dies 10, 11 in the resin molding module B. Thereafter, the resin material transport mechanism 17 transports the resin material accommodation section 15 after supplying the resin material J from the resin molding module B to the resin material supply module C. The resin material transport mechanism 17 of this embodiment has a resin material transport section 171 that transports the resin material accommodation section 15 containing the resin material J, and a film recovery section 172 that recovers used release film F from the cavity 11C of the lower mold 11.

[0039] <Specific configuration of each part of the substrate supply / storage module A> As shown in Figure 1, the substrate supply / storage module A includes a substrate supply section 2, a molded product storage section 3, a first transfer stage 4, a second transfer stage 5, a first conveying mechanism 6, and a second conveying mechanism 7.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the substrate supply unit 2 includes a storage box 21 in which pre-molding substrates W are stored, and a take-out mechanism 22 that takes out the pre-molding substrates W from the storage box 21. The storage box 21 stores a plurality of pre-molding substrates W in multiple vertical tiers. The storage box 21 also stores the pre-molding substrates W in a first state (a so-called tip-up state) in which the electronic components Wx are on the upper side. The storage box 21 is configured to be able to be taken out from the resin molding apparatus 100. The take-out mechanism 22 takes out one pre-molding substrate W from the storage box 21, for example, by clamping it, and positions the pre-molding substrate W on a pre-molding substrate stage 23 of the substrate supply unit 2. A guide rail 24 is provided between the storage box 21 and the pre-molding substrate stage 23.

[0041] The pre-forming substrate stage 23 may be configured to slide on the guide rails 24. In this case, with the pre-forming substrate stage 23 positioned near the storage box 21, the take-out mechanism 22 takes out the pre-forming substrate W from the storage box 21 and places the taken-out pre-forming substrate W on the pre-forming substrate stage 23. The pre-forming substrate stage 23, for example, holds the pre-forming substrate W by suction. Thereafter, the pre-forming substrate stage 23 moves along the guide rails 24 in a direction away from the storage box 21. In addition, the substrate supply unit 2 is provided with, for example, a confirmation mechanism (not shown) that confirms whether the electronic components Wx are properly arranged on the pre-forming substrate W. In this configuration, for example, while the pre-forming substrate stage 23 is moving on the guide rails 24, the confirmation mechanism confirms from above whether the electronic components Wx are properly arranged on the pre-forming substrate W. The confirmation mechanism is a laser displacement meter, a camera, or the like.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the molded product storage section 3 includes a storage box 31 for storing the resin molded product P and a storage mechanism 32 for storing the resin molded product P in the storage box 31. The storage box 31 stores multiple resin molded products P in multiple vertical layers. The storage box 31 stores the resin molded products P in a first state (a so-called tip-up state) in which the resin-sealed electronic components Wx are on the upper side. The storage box 31 is configured to be removable from the resin molding apparatus 100. The storage mechanism 32 stores the resin molded product P in the storage box 31 by pushing the resin molded product P on the resin molded product stage 33 of the molded product storage section 3. A guide rail 34 is provided between the storage box 31 and the resin molded product stage 33. The storage mechanism 32 may also sandwich the resin molded product P and move it to the vicinity of the storage box 31. In this case, after the resin molded product P has moved to the vicinity of the storage box 31, the resin molded product P is pushed by the storage mechanism 32 or the like and stored in the storage box 31.

[0043] 1, the substrate supply section 2 and the molded product storage section 3 are shown arranged side by side in the front-to-rear direction for convenience, but in order to reduce the installation space required for the resin molding apparatus 100 (substrate supply / storage module A), the substrate supply section 2 and the molded product storage section 3 in this embodiment are arranged one above the other, as shown in FIG. 3. Note that either the substrate supply section 2 or the molded product storage section 3 may be arranged on top. Furthermore, the substrate supply section 2 and the molded product storage section 3 may be arranged side by side.

[0044] 1 and 3, the first transfer stage 4 is a stage on which the pre-forming substrate W supplied by the substrate supply unit 2 is temporarily placed, and is used to transfer the pre-forming substrate W to the second transport mechanism 7. Here, the pre-forming substrate W is placed on the first transfer stage 4 in a second state (so-called tip-down state) in which the electronic components Wx are on the bottom side. The first transfer stage 4 has holding claws (not shown) that hook and hold the edges of the pre-forming substrate W in the second state, and holds the pre-forming substrate W in the second state by opening and closing the holding claws. The first transfer stage 4 may be provided with positioning pins 41 that are inserted into positioning holes formed in the pre-forming substrate W (see FIG. 3).

[0045] 1 and 3, the second transfer stage 5 is a stage on which a resin-molded resin product P is temporarily placed and which receives the resin-molded product P from the second transport mechanism 7. Here, the second transfer stage 5 is placed in a second state (so-called chip-down state) in which the resin-sealed electronic component Wx is on the bottom side. The second transfer stage 5 has holding claws (not shown) that hook and hold the ends of the resin-molded product P in the second state, and holds the resin-molded product P in the second state by opening and closing the holding claws.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the first transfer stage 4 and the second transfer stage 5 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, and are at the same height.

[0047] 1, the first transport mechanism 6 transfers pre-molded substrates W between the substrate supply unit 2 and the first transfer stage 4, and transfers resin molded products P between the second transfer stage 5 and the molded product storage unit 3. In a plan view, the first transport mechanism 6 is provided between the substrate supply unit 2 and the molded product storage unit 3 and each of the transfer stages 4 and 5.

[0048] Specifically, the first transport mechanism 6 has a holding unit 61 that holds the pre-molding substrate W and the resin molded product P, respectively, and an articulated arm section 62 that moves the holding unit 61 .

[0049] The articulated arm section 62 is, for example, a vertical articulated robot (for example, an articulated robot having six joints). The articulated arm section 62 can control the position and attitude of the holding unit 61. Specifically, the articulated arm section 62 can turn the holding unit 61, which holds the pre-molding substrate W or the resin molded product P, upside down. The articulated arm section 62 also moves the holding unit 61 between the substrate supply section 2 and the first transfer stage 4, and between the molded product storage section 3 and the second transfer stage 5. The specific configuration of the first transport mechanism 6 will be described later.

[0050] 1 , the second transport mechanism 7 moves back and forth between the substrate supply / storage module A and the resin molding module B, and moves along rails (not shown) that are provided between the substrate supply / storage module A and the resin molding module B. This second transport mechanism 7 receives the pre-molding substrate W that is temporarily placed on the first transfer stage 4 and transports it to the upper mold 10 of the resin molding module B. After the pre-molding substrate W has been resin molded, the second transport mechanism 7 receives the resin molded product P from the upper mold 10 of the resin molding module B and transports it to the second transfer stage 5.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the second transport mechanism 7 of this embodiment includes a substrate transport unit 71 that transports pre-molded substrates W and a molded product transport unit 72 that transports resin molded products P. The substrate transport unit 71 may be provided with positioning pins 711 that are inserted into positioning holes formed in the pre-molded substrates W (see FIG. 3 ). The second transport mechanism 7 is configured so that the substrate transport unit 71 and the molded product transport unit 72 move simultaneously. The substrate transport unit 71 and the molded product transport unit 72 are provided to correspond to the relative positions of the first transfer stage 4 and the second transfer stage 5. In this embodiment, the first transfer stage 4 and the second transfer stage 5 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, and therefore the substrate transport unit 71 and the molded product transport unit 72 are also arranged side by side in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the height positions of the substrate transport unit 71 and the molded product transport unit 72 are the same.

[0052] With this configuration, while the second transport mechanism 7 makes one round trip between the substrate supply / storage module A and the resin molding module B, it can transport the pre-molded substrate W from the first transfer stage 4 to the upper mold 10 and the resin molded product P from the upper mold 10 to the second transfer stage 5.

[0053] <Specific Configuration of First Transport Mechanism 6> The first transport mechanism 6 of this embodiment is configured so as to be able to position and hold the pre-molding substrate W and the resin molded product P, respectively.

[0054] 4 to 8, the holding unit 61 includes a base member 63 connected to the tip end 621 of the articulated arm portion 62, and a positioning mechanism 64 that contacts the outer peripheral end surface Wa of the pre-molded substrate W or resin molded product P to position the pre-molded substrate W or resin molded product P with respect to the base member 63. Note that although an example of holding a pre-molded substrate W is shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7, a resin molded product P can also be held in the same manner.

[0055] The base member 63 has a rectangular shape in a plan view corresponding to the pre-forming substrate W (see FIG. 8). Longer sides of the base member 63 are connected to the tip end 621 of the articulated arm unit 62 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The tip end 621 of the articulated arm unit 62 is configured to be rotatable about an axis extending in the left-right direction in FIG. 4, thereby allowing the holding unit 61 to be turned over.

[0056] The positioning mechanism 64 of this embodiment not only positions the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P, but also holds them, and as shown in Figures 4 to 8, it is equipped with a holding claw 641 that holds the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P, and a holding claw moving part 642 that moves the holding claw 641.

[0057] The holding claws 641 hook and hold the ends of the pre-molded substrate W and the resin molded product P at common locations on the base member 63, and are provided corresponding to each of the four sides of the pre-molded substrate W and the resin molded product P. Each holding claw 641 is rotatably provided on the base member 63, and is rotatable between a holding position R (see FIG. 4) where the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P is held, and a retracted position Q (see FIG. 5) retracted from the holding position R.

[0058] At the holding position R, each holding claw 641 holds the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P by hooking its free end onto an end of the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P. At the holding position R, each holding claw 641 also has the inner surface of its free end contact the outer peripheral end surface Wa of the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P, thereby positioning the pre-molded substrate W and the resin molded product P at a common location relative to the base member 63. By positioning the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P relative to the base member 63, the pre-molded substrate W and the resin molded product P are also positioned relative to a holding surface 65a of a holding plate 65, which will be described later.

[0059] The holding claw moving section 642 moves the holding claws 641 between a holding position R where the pre-molding substrate W or the resin molded product P is held and a retracted position Q where the holding claws 641 are retracted from the holding position R.

[0060] Specifically, as shown in Figures 4 to 8, the holding claw moving unit 642 has an interlocking mechanism 642a that interlocks the holding claws 641 provided corresponding to each of the four sides, and a holding claw driving unit 642b that moves the holding claws 641 provided corresponding to each of the four sides via the interlocking mechanism 642a. Note that the holding claw driving unit 642b is not shown in Figures 6 to 8.

[0061] The interlocking mechanism 642a interlocks the holding claws 641 provided corresponding to each of the four sides, and simultaneously switches the holding claws 641 between the holding position R and the retracted position Q. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8 , the interlocking mechanism 642a has a connection shaft 642a1 to which one or more holding claws 641 provided on each side are connected, and a connecting portion 642a2 that connects the connection shafts 642a1 on each side to each other. Each connection shaft 642a1 is rotatable about an axis along the corresponding side relative to the base member 63, and rotation of this connection shaft 642a1 about its axis moves each holding claw 641 between the holding position R and the retracted position Q.

[0062] 8, the connecting shafts 642a1 of the opposing long sides are connected by connecting portions 642a2, and each connecting shaft 642a1 of the long sides is connected to one connecting shaft 642a1 of the short sides by a connecting portion 642a2. The connecting portions 642a2 connecting the connecting shafts 642a1 of the long sides may be, for example, a link mechanism, and the connecting portions 642a2 connecting the connecting shafts 642a1 of the long sides and the connecting shafts 642a1 of the short sides may be, for example, a universal joint. Alternatively, the interlocking mechanism 642a may be a gear mechanism.

[0063] 4 and 5, the holding claw drive unit 642b moves the multiple holding claws 641 connected by the interlocking mechanism 642a between the holding position R and the retracted position Q. This holding claw drive unit 642b rotates a connection shaft 642a1 provided on one of the sides, and can be configured using, for example, an air cylinder.

[0064] Furthermore, the holding unit 61 further includes a holding plate 65 having a holding surface 65a for holding the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P, as shown in Figures 4 to 7, in order to securely hold the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P even when it is turned upside down.

[0065] The holding plate 65 has a rectangular shape in a plan view corresponding to the pre-molding substrate W. The holding plate 65 holds the pre-molding substrate W or the resin molded product P by sandwiching it between itself and the holding claws 641 at the holding position R.

[0066] Specifically, the holding plate 65 is formed with a storage section 651 that stores the electronic components Wx of the pre-molded substrate W in the first state or the resin molded portion of the resin molded product P in the first state, and a holding surface 65a that holds the peripheral portion of the pre-molded substrate W or the resin molded product P is formed around the storage section 651. In addition, the holding plate 65 is moved up and down relative to the base member 63 by a plate moving section 66.

[0067] The holding plate 65 is provided inside holding claws 641 that are provided corresponding to each of the four sides of the pre-molding substrate W or the resin molded product P. In other words, the holding claws 641 are provided so as to surround the four sides of the holding plate 65. The holding plate 65 moves up and down inside the holding claws 641 on the four sides. Furthermore, the holding claws 641 are configured to come into contact with the outer peripheral end surface of the holding plate 65 at the holding position R, so that the holding claws 641 physically stop at the holding position R.

[0068] The plate moving unit 66 moves the holding plate 65 between a contact position T (see FIG. 7 ) where the holding surface 65 a contacts the pre-molding substrate W or the resin molded product P positioned by the positioning mechanism 64, and a separation position U (see FIG. 6 ) where the holding surface 65 a is separated from the pre-molding substrate W or the resin molded product P. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the plate moving unit 66 has a guide mechanism 661 that guides the holding plate 65 between the contact position T and the separation position U, and a plate driving unit 662 that moves the holding plate 65. The guide mechanism 661 has a guide portion 661 a provided on the base member 63 and a slide portion 661 b that is provided on the holding plate 65 and slides along the guide portion 661 a. The plate driving unit 662 can be configured using, for example, an air cylinder.

[0069] The operation of the first transport mechanism 6 will now be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Note that Figure 9 shows an example of transporting a pre-molding substrate W, and Figure 10 shows an example of transporting a resin molded product P.

[0070] The first transport mechanism 6 positions and holds the pre-molding substrate W or resin molded product P with the holding claws 641 of the positioning mechanism 64, with the holding plate 65 being at the separated position U by the plate moving unit 66 (see FIGS. 9( a)->(b) and 10( a)->(b)). Then, after the pre-molding substrate W or resin molded product P has been positioned by the holding claws 641 of the positioning mechanism 64, the first transport mechanism 6 sets the holding plate 65 to the contact position T with the plate moving unit 66 (see FIGS. 9( b)->(c) and 10( b)->(c)). By moving the holding plate 65 to the contact position T, the positioned pre-molding substrate W or resin molded product P is held by the holding claws 641 and the holding plate 65. In this state, the first transport mechanism 6 can stably switch between the first and second states of the pre-molded substrate W or resin molded product P by using the articulated arm section 62 to flip the holding unit 61 over (see Figure 9 (d) → (e), Figure 10 (d) → (e)).

[0071] <Operations of First Conveying Mechanism 6 and Second Conveying Mechanism 7> Next, the conveying operations of the first conveying mechanism 6 and second conveying mechanism 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 9 and 10. FIG.

[0072] First, the pre-forming substrate W is placed on the pre-forming substrate stage 23 by the take-out mechanism 22 from the storage box 21 of the substrate supply unit 2 (see FIG. 3). Here, on the pre-forming substrate stage 23, the pre-forming substrate W is in a first state (a so-called tip-up state).

[0073] When holding the pre-forming substrate W on the pre-forming substrate stage 23, the articulated arm 62 of the first transport mechanism 6 moves the holding unit 61 above the pre-forming substrate stage 23. At this time, the holding claws 641 of the holding unit 61 are in the retracted position Q (see FIG. 9( a)).

[0074] Then, the holding unit 61 is moved to a height position for holding the pre-forming substrate W, and the holding claws 641 are set to the holding position R by the holding claw moving parts 642 (see FIG. 9(b)). As a result, the holding claws 641 come into contact with the outer peripheral end surface Wa of the pre-forming substrate W, and the pre-forming substrate W is positioned with respect to the base member 63 and held by the holding claws 641. The holding plate 65 is in the separated position U until the pre-forming substrate W is held by the holding claws 641.

[0075] After the holding claws 641 hold the pre-forming substrate W, the plate moving section 66 moves the holding plate 65 from the separated position U to the contact position T (see FIG. 9(c)). As a result, the positioned pre-forming substrate W is sandwiched and held between the holding claws 641 and the holding plate 65 (see FIG. 9(d)). After this state is achieved, the articulated arm section 62 of the first transport mechanism 6 turns the holding unit 61 upside down and moves it to the first transfer stage 4 (see FIG. 9(e)).

[0076] Through the above operations, the first transport mechanism 6 holds the pre-shaping substrate W in the first state on the pre-shaping substrate stage 23, and transfers and delivers the pre-shaping substrate W in the second state to the first transfer stage 4. Here, the first transport mechanism 6 hands over the pre-shaping substrate W to the first transfer stage 4 by releasing the holding of the holding claws 641.

[0077] Next, the second transport mechanism 7 receives the pre-molded substrate W in the second state from the first transfer stage 4 (see FIG. 3), transports it to the upper mold 10, and delivers the pre-molded substrate W to the upper mold 10. Here, if the second transport mechanism 7 is holding a resin molded product P when receiving the pre-molded substrate W from the first transfer stage 4, it delivers the resin molded product P in the second state to the second transfer stage 5 (see FIG. 3).

[0078] When the resin molded product P is placed on the second transfer stage 5, the articulated arm 62 of the first transport mechanism 6 moves the holding unit 61 below the second transfer stage 5. At this time, the holding claws 641 of the holding unit 61 are in the retracted position Q (see FIG. 10A).

[0079] Then, the holding unit 61 is moved to a height position for holding the resin molded product P, and the holding claws 641 are set to the holding position R by the holding claw moving parts 642 (see FIG. 10B). As a result, the holding claws 641 come into contact with the outer peripheral end surface Wa of the resin molded product P, and the resin molded product P is positioned with respect to the base member 63 and held by the holding claws 641. Until the resin molded product P is held by the holding claws 641, the holding plate 65 is in the separated position U.

[0080] After the holding claws 641 hold the resin molded product P, the plate moving unit 66 moves the holding plate 65 from the separated position U to the contact position T (see FIG. 10( c)). As a result, the positioned resin molded product P is sandwiched and held between the holding claws 641 and the holding plate 65 (see FIG. 10( d)). After this state is reached, the articulated arm unit 62 of the first transport mechanism 6 turns the holding unit 61 upside down and moves it to the resin molded product stage 33 of the molded product storage unit 3 (see FIG. 10( e)). Here, the first transport mechanism 6 releases the holding claws 641 from their hold, and the resin molded product P in the first state (so-called tip-up state) is placed on the resin molded product stage 33.

[0081] After the resin molded product P is placed on the resin molded product stage 33 in the first state, the storage mechanism 32 of the molded product storage section 3 pushes the resin molded product P on the resin molded product stage 33 to store it in the storage box 31 (see FIG. 3 ). Note that after the resin molded product P is placed on the resin molded product stage 33 in the first state, the storage mechanism 32 of the molded product storage section 3 may, as described above, sandwich the resin molded product P and move it to the vicinity of the storage box 31. In this case, after the resin molded product P has moved to the vicinity of the storage box 31 as described above, the resin molded product P is pushed by the storage mechanism 32 or the like to store it in the storage box 31.

[0082] <Effects of this embodiment> According to the resin molding apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the first transport mechanism 6 contacts the outer peripheral end surface Wa of the pre-molding substrate W to position the pre-molding substrate W relative to the base member 63, so that the pre-molding substrate W can be positioned and held without using positioning pins. As a result, the pre-molding substrate W can be transported to an appropriate position, and notification of an error due to positional deviation of the pre-molding substrate W in subsequent processing can be avoided, preventing the resin molding operation from being stopped. Furthermore, if a configuration is adopted in which error notification is not given, it is possible to prevent defects in the resin molded product P, such as poor appearance, caused by positional deviation of the pre-molding substrate W.

[0083] Other Modified Embodiments The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0084] For example, the molded product storage section 3 is configured to store resin molded products P in a first state (so-called tip-up state), but may be configured to store resin molded products P in a second state (so-called tip-down state). In this case, the first transport mechanism 6 is configured not to turn the holding unit 61 upside down when transporting the resin molded product P from the second transfer stage 5 to the resin molded product stage 33.

[0085] Furthermore, although the first transport mechanism 6 in the above embodiment is a common mechanism for transporting both the pre-molding substrate W and the resin molded product P, the configuration may also include a separate first transport mechanism 6 for transporting the pre-molding substrate W and a separate first transport mechanism 6 for transporting the resin molded product P. Similarly, the second transport mechanism 7 is a common mechanism for transporting both the pre-molding substrate W and the resin molded product P, but the configuration may also include a separate second transport mechanism 7 for transporting the pre-molding substrate W and a separate second transport mechanism 7 for transporting the resin molded product P.

[0086] Furthermore, although the first transport mechanism 6 in the above embodiment is configured to turn the holding unit 61 upside down, the holding unit 61 may be configured not to turn upside down.

[0087] The holding claw moving unit 642 may also be configured to switch between the holding position R and the retracted position Q by increasing or decreasing the distance between the holding claws 641 provided on the opposing sides.

[0088] Furthermore, although the positioning mechanism 64 in the above embodiment has the function of holding the object to be molded using the holding claws 641, it may have only the function of contacting the outer peripheral end surface of the object to be molded and positioning it, without having the function of holding the object to be molded. In this case, the holding unit 61 has a holding section, separate from the positioning mechanism 64, that holds the object to be molded positioned by the positioning mechanism 64.

[0089] Additionally, the holding unit 61 may be configured without the holding plate 65. In this case, for example, a recess may be formed in the holding claws 641 into which the end of the work-piece W fits, and the recess may contact the outer peripheral end surface of the work-piece W and sandwich the front and back surfaces of the work-piece W. With this configuration, the work-piece W can be maintained in a position in the planar direction even when it is turned over.

[0090] Furthermore, the resin molding module B may be configured to have multiple stages of molding dies 10, 11. In this case, the second transport mechanism 7 is configured to have multiple substrate transport units 71 and multiple molded product transport units 72 corresponding to the multiple stages of molding dies 10, 11, as shown in Figure 11. The first transfer stage 4 and the second transfer stage 5 are also configured to have multiple stages corresponding to the multiple stages of molding dies 10, 11, as shown in Figure 11. In this configuration, the first transport mechanism 6 transports pre-molded substrates W one by one from the pre-molded substrate stage 23 to the multi-stage first transfer stage 4, and transports resin molded products P one by one from the multi-stage second transfer stage 5 to the resin molded product stage 33.

[0091] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0092] According to the present invention, the object to be molded can be positioned and held without using a positioning pin.

[0093] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100: Resin molding apparatus W: Pre-molding substrate (molding object) Wx: Electronic component P: Resin molded product (molding object) Wa: Outer peripheral end surface 2: Substrate supply section (molding object supply section) 3: Molded product storage section (molding object storage section) 4: First transfer stage 5: Second transfer stage 6: First transport device (transport device) 7: Second transport mechanism (delivery mechanism) 61: Holding unit 62: Articulated arm section 621: Tip section 63: Base member 64: Positioning mechanism 641: Holding claw 642: Holding claw moving section R: Holding position Q: Retracted position 642a: Interlocking mechanism 642b: Holding claw driving section 65: Holding plate T: Contact position U: Separation position 66: Plate moving section

Claims

1. A conveying device for conveying an object to be molded, comprising: a holding unit for holding the object to be molded; and a multi-joint arm section for moving the holding unit, wherein the holding unit comprises a base member connected to the tip of the multi-joint arm section; and a positioning mechanism for contacting the outer peripheral end surface of the object to be molded and positioning the object to be molded relative to the base member.

2. The conveying device described in claim 1, wherein the positioning mechanism comprises a holding claw that holds the object to be molded and a holding claw moving section that moves the holding claw, the holding claw moving section moving the holding claw between a holding position where the object to be molded is held and a retracted position retracted from the holding position, and the holding claw at the holding position contacts the outer peripheral end face to position the object to be molded relative to the base member.

3. The conveying device according to claim 2, wherein the object to be molded has a rectangular shape in a plan view, and the holding claws are provided corresponding to each of the four sides of the object to be molded.

4. The conveying device described in claim 3, wherein the holding claw moving unit comprises: a linkage mechanism that links the holding claws provided corresponding to each of the four sides; and a holding claw drive unit that moves the holding claws provided corresponding to each of the four sides via the linkage mechanism.

5. A conveying device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising a holding plate that holds the object to be molded by pinching it between itself and the holding jaws when in the holding position.

6. A conveying device as described in claim 5, wherein the holding plate has a rectangular shape in a plan view corresponding to the object to be molded, and the holding claws are arranged to surround the four sides of the holding plate and contact the holding plate at the holding position.

7. A conveying device as described in claim 5 or 6, further comprising a plate moving unit that moves the holding plate between a contact position in contact with the object to be molded positioned by the positioning mechanism and a spaced position away from the object to be molded.

8. The conveying device as described in claim 7, wherein the conveying device positions the object to be molded using the positioning mechanism while the holding plate is in the separated position by the plate moving unit, and after the object to be molded has been positioned by the positioning mechanism, the plate moving unit moves the holding plate to the contact position.

9. A conveying device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the molding object has an electronic component fixed to one surface, and the conveying device holds the molding object placed in a first state in which the electronic component is on the upper side, and passes it to a transfer stage in a second state in which the electronic component is on the lower side.

10. A conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the holding unit holds the molding object before molding and the molding object after molding at a common location relative to the base member.

11. A resin molding apparatus having a conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A resin molding apparatus as described in claim 11, comprising: a molding object supply section which supplies the molding object before molding; a molding object storage section which stores the molding object after molding; a first transfer stage on which the molding object before molding is temporarily placed; a second transfer stage on which the molding object after molding is temporarily placed; and a transfer mechanism which transfers the molding object before molding and the molding object after molding between each of the transfer stages and a molding mold, wherein the conveying device transfers the molding object before molding between the molding object supply section and the first transfer stage, and transfers the molding object after molding between the molding object storage section and the second transfer stage.

13. The resin molding apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the delivery mechanism has a pre-molding conveying section that conveys the molding object before molding, and a post-molding conveying section that conveys the molding object after molding.

14. A resin molding apparatus as described in claim 12 or 13, wherein the object to be molded has an electronic component fixed to one surface, the object to be molded supplying section supplies the object to be molded before molding in a first state in which the electronic component is on the upper side, and the object to be molded before molding is placed on the first transfer stage in a second state in which the electronic component is on the lower side.

15. A method for manufacturing a resin molded product by resin molding onto a molding object, comprising: a conveying process for conveying the molding object by a conveying device described in any one of claims 1 to 10; and a resin molding process for performing resin molding on the molding object.

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