Component feed device

Abstract

An alignment mechanism 11 comprises: an alignment plate 18 that is arranged on the downstream side of a conveyance plate 13; an opening hole 21 that is formed at the upstream end of the alignment plate and that allows a plate-like projection part 2 of each spring member 1 to drop therethrough; and a slit-like guide section 20a that is formed continuously in a linear shape in the conveyance direction of the spring member on a downstream side of the opening hole and that guides the spring member to the downstream side via the projection part. The opening hole comprises: an opening 22 that has a size allowing the projection part to drop therethrough; and a capture part 23 that is formed in a shape having a width that gradually decreases from the opening toward the guide section, and that slidingly guides the spring member toward the guide section while applying a counterclockwise rotational moment to the spring member upon abutment of one lateral portion 2d of the projection part onto one lateral edge portion 23a.　Said configuration makes it possible to align and discriminate the obverse side and the reverse side of a plurality of components being moved.

Description

Parts supply device

[0001] The present invention relates to a parts supplying device that automatically separates a plurality of parts, such as automobile parts, sorts the front and back of the parts, aligns the parts, and sends them out to the outside.

[0002] As is well known, for example, automobile production technology has become increasingly automated, and robots are now being used to assemble parts. However, in order to increase productivity, multiple parts are sorted into front and back sides before being fed to these robots.

[0003] A known example of such a conventional component supplying device is described in Patent Document 1 below. The component supplying device is configured to supply a component comprising a rectangular block-shaped main body with flat end faces and a cylindrical protrusion integrally formed at the center of one end face of the main body. The component supplying device has a passage member formed with a groove through which the protrusion passes, the inner surface of which serves as a guide surface for the protrusion, and slide surfaces formed on both sides of the groove along which the end faces of the component main body slide. A component drop hole is formed at the bottom of the groove, and the width of the drop hole is set larger than the height of the component.

[0004] In this conventional component feeder, when a component in the correct position with its protrusion facing downward is transported by the transport vibration, the protrusion passes through the space in the groove, and the flat end face of the main body slides along the slide surface, and the component is fed out. As the protrusion moves, it slides along the guide surface formed on the inner surface of the groove, restricting the component's movement in the width direction of the groove. Therefore, the component does not slip off the passage member, and is smoothly transported in the correct position while being positioned in the correct position.

[0005] JP 2000-109042 A (Figs. 1 and 2)

[0006] The conventional component feeder described above is a technology for separating the front and back sides of components before transporting and sending them out, but the components it targets are those with a special structure, consisting of a rectangular block-shaped main body and a cylindrical protrusion located in the center of one end face of the main body, as described above. Therefore, it is difficult to apply this component feeder to components with different structures or shapes.

[0007] The present invention was devised in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional technical problems, and one of its objectives is to provide a parts supply device that can sort and align at least a plurality of parts while they are moving, and that targets parts that have plate-shaped protrusions that protrude at a predetermined angle from the flat surface of the main body.

[0008] One preferred aspect, inter alia, comprises a conveying mechanism having a conveying surface capable of conveying a plurality of parts thereon, and an alignment mechanism arranged downstream of the conveying surface for aligning the parts downstream and sending them out, wherein the alignment mechanism comprises: an alignment plate arranged downstream of the conveying surface; a recess or hole formed at the upstream end of the alignment plate, into which a protrusion of each part sent out from the conveying surface can fall; and a slit-like guide section formed downstream of the recess or hole and linearly cut out in the conveying direction of each part, for guiding the part downstream via the protrusion; and the recess or hole comprises: an opening formed on the conveying surface side and large enough to allow the protrusion to fall in from any rotation position; and a catch section gradually tapering from the opening toward the guide section, wherein one side of the protrusion abuts against one of a pair of side edges to apply a rotational moment in one direction to the part and slide and guide it toward the guide section.

[0009] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to separate the front and back sides of components being transported in the component supply device and align them.

[0010] 1 is a perspective view of a spring member, which is a target component of a component supplying device according to the present invention. (a) is a front view of the spring member, (b) is a right side view of the spring member, and (c) is a rear view of the spring member. It is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a component supplying device according to the present invention. (b) is a left sectional view of the component supplying device. (c) is a plan view of a main portion showing one opening hole and a guide portion of an alignment plate used in the component supplying device. (d) is a front view of a rotating brush of a separation mechanism used in the component supplying device. It shows a series of operational flows for separating, singulating, separating front and back sides of spring members, and aligning them using the component supplying device of this embodiment, where (a) is a bird's-eye view showing a state in which multiple spring members are piled up at the entrance of the conveying mechanism, (b) is a bird's-eye view showing a state in which the spring members are separated and singulated by the rotating brush of the separation mechanism, (c) is a bird's-eye view showing a state in which the separated and singulated spring members are sent out to each alignment section of the alignment mechanism, and (d) is a bird's-eye view showing a state in which each spring member moves while being aligned by each alignment section.

[0023] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of a spring member during movement in an alignment mechanism used in this embodiment, where (a) is a plan view showing a state in which the protrusion of the spring member has fallen in a position substantially facing the opening hole, and (b) is a plan view showing a state in which the spring member has rotated leftward via the protrusion inside the opening hole. Similarly, Figures 1 and 2 are explanatory diagrams of the operation of a spring member in an alignment mechanism, where (a) is a plan view showing a state in which the protrusion of the spring member has fallen in a position tilted relative to the opening hole, (b) is a plan view showing a state in which the spring member has rotated rightward via the protrusion inside the opening hole, and (c) is a plan view showing a state in which the protrusion is guided toward a guide portion as the spring member further rotates rightward.

[0024] Figure 1 is a plan view of a main portion showing a second embodiment of a component supply device according to the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of a component supply device according to the present invention, where (a) is a plan view showing a portion of an alignment plate, and (b) is an explanatory view showing a state in which the spring member moves from the opening hole of the alignment plate to the guide portion.

[0011] 2A is a front view of the spring member, FIG. 2B is a right side view of the spring member, and FIG. 2C is a rear view of the spring member.

[0012] In this embodiment, the subject of the present invention is a spring member that uses spring force to separate brake components used in an automobile brake device. As shown in Figures 1 and 2(a) to 2(c), the spring member 1 is formed by bending a spring steel plate in a complex three-dimensional manner, and includes a rectangular, flat plate-like main body 1a, a pair of left and right narrow bent portions 1b, 1b that are bent back from one end of the main body 1a in the width direction, and plate portions 1c that are integral with the tip ends of the bent portions 1b, 1b and bent into an arc-shaped cross section.

[0013] A rectangular opening 1d is cut out in the longitudinal center of the main body 1a, and a pair of protruding pieces 1e, 1e are provided on both sides of this opening 1d, bent almost perpendicularly to the main body 1a in the same direction as the plate portion 1c. A rectangular plate-shaped protrusion 2 protruding outward at a predetermined angle is integrally provided at the center of the edge of the opening 1d of the main body 1a. This protrusion 2 protrudes outward at an angle of approximately 45° from the main body 1a, from a base end 2a connected to the main body 1a to a tip end 2b, and a trapezoidal notch 2c is formed on the tip edge of the tip end 2b.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the component supply device of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a left sectional view of the component supply device, FIG. 5 is a plan view of the main part showing the opening hole and guide portion on one side of the alignment plate used in the component supply device, and FIG. 6 is a front view showing the rotating brush of the separation mechanism used in the component supply device.

[0015] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the part supply device has a conveying mechanism 10 that carries a plurality of spring members 1 that have been input and conveys them downstream, an alignment mechanism 11 that is arranged downstream of the conveying mechanism 10 and sends each spring member 1 downstream while sorting them into front and back sides and aligning them, and a separation mechanism 12 that is provided at a position above the conveying mechanism 10 and separates each spring member 1 that is conveyed toward the alignment mechanism 11 and makes them into individual members.

[0016] The conveying mechanism 10 is a typical vibrating conveyor, and is primarily comprised of a conveying plate 13 (trough) that serves as a conveying surface for conveying a plurality of spring members 1 introduced into an entrance 13a, a vibration generator 15 disposed below the conveying plate 13 and vibrating each spring member 1 in the downstream direction (toward the alignment mechanism 11) via springs 14, and an electronic control unit (not shown) that controls the vibration generator 15. The conveying plate 13 is formed from a long steel plate extending in the front-to-rear direction. A front end wall 16a and side walls 16b, 16b are provided at the rear edge of the rear end (entrance 13a) of the conveying plate 13 and on both sides of the left and right sides, forming a U-shape in plan view to prevent the spring members 1 from falling during movement. The side walls 16b, 16b extend to both sides of an alignment plate 18 (described later) of the alignment mechanism 11.

[0017] In addition, on the upper surface downstream of the conveying plate 13, a pair of left and right guide plates 17, 17 are arranged upright in a V-shape that gradually narrows in width toward the alignment plate 18, and guide the multiple spring members 1 separated by the separation mechanism 12 toward the end of the alignment plate 18 of the alignment mechanism 11.

[0018] 1, 2 and 5, the alignment mechanism 11 has a metal alignment plate 18 arranged contiguous with the front end of the conveying plate 13, and a support frame 19 arranged below the tip of the alignment plate 18 to support the alignment plate 18. The alignment plate 18 is arranged in a downward inclination from an upstream end 18a on the conveying plate 13 side to a downstream end 18b on the tip side, and has first and second alignment sections 20, 20 arranged parallel to each other on the left and right sides from the front edge of the upstream end 18a to the tip edge of the downstream end 18b.

[0019] The upstream end 18a is formed with a pair of left and right openings 21, 21 (recesses or holes) penetrating vertically, into which the protrusions 2 of each spring member 1 delivered from the conveying mechanism 10 can fall. The first and second alignment sections 20, 20 are formed as elongated plates, with slit-like guide sections 20a, 20a formed in the center of their width direction. The upstream sections of each guide section 20a, 20a, are formed continuously with the respective capture sections 23, 23 described below of the respective openings 21, 21, and are linearly notched in the conveying direction of each spring member 1, so that the protrusions 2 inserted therein guide the spring member 1 downstream. That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the width W of each guide section 20a is formed slightly larger than the wall thickness W1 of the protrusions 2, so that the protrusions 2 entering the capture sections 23 are slidably guided between the side edges 20c, 20d of the guide section 20a.

[0020] As shown in Figure 5, each opening hole 21, 21 is formed on the conveying plate 13 side and has an opening 22, 22 large enough to allow the protrusion 2 of the spring member 1 to fall into from any rotational position, and a capture portion 23, 23 formed in a gradually narrowing shape from this opening 22, 22 toward the first and second guide portions 20a, 20a of the first and second alignment portions 20, 20.

[0021] Each opening 22 has an end 22a on the conveying plate 13 side formed into an elliptical arc surface slightly larger than the outer shape of the protrusion 2. Each capturing portion 23 has a pair of side edges 23a, 23b formed to gradually narrow toward each guide portion 20a, one of which, the side edge 23a, is formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle from one circumferential edge of each opening 22 toward each guide portion 20a. The other side edge 23b is formed in a straight line from the other circumferential edge of each opening 22 toward each guide portion 20a.

[0022] As will be described later, the spring member 1 moves downstream at various angles from above the conveying plate 13 to above the alignment plate 18. For example, there is a case where the protrusion 2 falls into the opening 22 in the position shown in Fig. 8(a) described later. In this case, when one side 2d of the protrusion 2 that has fallen into the opening 22 abuts against one of the inclined side edges 23a of each capturing portion 23, the force of the downstream flow applies a counterclockwise rotational moment M to the protrusion 2 as indicated by the arrow in the figure, with point A of the one side edge 23a as the fulcrum. As a result, the rotational position of the protrusion 2 changes counterclockwise as shown in Fig. 8(b), and the protrusion 2 is slidably guided from the other side 2e side into each guide portion 20a.

[0023] 9(a), which will be described later, the spring member 1 may also fall into the opening 22 with the protrusion 2 tilted, for example, to the right in the figure. In this case, when the protrusion 2 falls into the opening 22 of the alignment plate 18 and moves toward the capture portion 23, as shown in FIG. 9(a), one side 2d of the tilted protrusion 2 abuts against one inclined side edge 23a of the capture portion 23, and frictional forces in the directions of arrows F and F' are generated at the one side edge 23a of the protrusion 2 in accordance with the downstream flow force. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 9(b) and 9(c), a counterclockwise rotational moment is generated at point A of the one side 2d, and the protrusion 2 is slidably guided from the one side 2d side along the inclined surface of the one side edge 23a into each guide portion 20a.

[0024] 1, a discharge hole 24 is formed between the first alignment section 20 and the second alignment section 20. This discharge hole 24 is formed in the shape of a rectangular hole that is long in the front-to-rear direction, and allows the spring members 1 to fall when the plate portions 1c of the spring members 1 are on the bottom and the protrusions 2 are facing up and do not fall into the opening holes 21, that is, when the plate portions 1c are moved while resting on the alignment plate 18. A container box (not shown) is disposed below this discharge hole 24 to accommodate the fallen spring members 1.

[0025] The protrusion 2 of the spring member 1 falls into the opening 22 at various rotational angle positions, but in any case, the protrusion 2 moves from the opening 22 while being positioned and guided within the capture portion 23 toward the guide portion 20a.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 6, the separation mechanism 12 has a rotating brush 25 arranged above approximately the center of the conveying plate 13 in the longitudinal direction, a pair of bearings 26, 26 that rotatably support both ends of a rotating shaft 29 of the rotating brush 25, an electric motor 27 that is arranged outside one of the bearings 26 and is an actuator that rotates and drives the rotating brush 25, and a support mechanism 28 that supports the two bearings 26, 26 and the electric motor 27.

[0027] The rotating brush 25 includes the rotating shaft 29 made of, for example, a metal material or a high-hardness resin material, and a plurality of brush portions 30 each having a fixed end 30a fixed to the outer periphery of the rotating shaft 29. Both ends 29a, 29b of the rotating shaft 29 in the rotational axis direction are rotatably supported by a pair of bearing portions 26, 26 supported by a support plate 33 described below. One end 29a of the rotating shaft 29 is connected to a motor shaft 27a of an electric motor 27 via one of the bearing portions 26. The electric motor 27 rotates each brush portion 30 via the rotating shaft 29 in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of each spring member 1 by the conveying mechanism 10.

[0028] Each brush portion 30 is formed in the shape of a thin rod from a flexible material, such as a resin, and the length from each fixed end 30a to the tip end 30b is different in the central region A in the longitudinal direction of the rotating shaft 29 and in the regions B, B on both sides. That is, each brush portion 30 is set to a length in the central region A so that each tip end 30b can slide on the conveying plate 13, but in the regions B, B on both sides, it is formed shorter than in region A so that each tip end 30b can contact the intertwined and overlapping spring members 1 on the conveying plate 13 at the lower end position, but cannot reach the separated individual spring members 1.

[0029] As a result, when a plurality of entangled spring members 1 are fed into the entrance 13a of the conveying plate 13 and move toward the alignment plate 18 (downstream direction), they are temporarily pushed back toward the entrance 13a by the frictional resistance of the reverse-rotating rotating brush 25. Due to this operation, the spring members 1 are separated and made into individual pieces, and are unable to pass through the central area A, but pass through the areas B, B on both sides in a state of being sorted left and right, and move toward the alignment plate 18.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, the support mechanism 28 includes a pair of left and right support columns 31a, 31b disposed on the outer left and right sides of the conveying plate 13, and a support plate 33 fixed between the upper portions of the support columns 31a, 31b via plate members 32, 32 in a bridging manner. The pair of left and right support columns 31a, 31b are spaced apart from each other in the front-to-rear direction with a predetermined gap therebetween, and the plate members 32, 32 are clamped to the upper ends of the support columns 31a, 31b. The support plate 33 is formed from an elongated plate of a predetermined width and is disposed above the rotating brush 25 parallel to the rotary shaft 29. Both longitudinal ends of the support plate 33 are fixed to the central upper surfaces of the plate members 32, 32 by bolts or the like. The support plate 33 supports the upper ends of the bearings 26, 26 at the lower ends of both ends, and supports the electric motor 27 via a support piece 34 fixed to the lower end of one end.

[0033] [Operational and Effect of the Component Supply Device According to the Present Embodiment] The operational and effect of the component supply device according to the present embodiment will be described below. Figure 7 shows a series of operational flows for separating, singulating, separating front and back sides of spring members 1 and aligning them by the component supply device according to the present embodiment, where (a) is a bird's-eye view showing a state in which a plurality of spring members are piled up at the entrance of the conveying mechanism, (b) is a bird's-eye view showing a state in which the spring members are separated and singulated by the rotating brush of the separating mechanism, (c) is a bird's-eye view showing a state in which the separated and singulated spring members are sent out to each aligning section of the aligning mechanism, (d) is a bird's-eye view showing a state in which each spring member moves while being aligned by each aligning section, and Figure 8 is an explanatory view of the operation of the spring members in the aligning mechanism. 9 is a diagram for explaining the function of the spring member in the alignment mechanism, in which (a) is a plan view showing a state in which the protrusion of the spring member has fallen in a position that is almost directly facing the opening hole, (b) is a plan view showing a state in which the spring member has rotated to the left inside the opening hole via the protrusion, and FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the function of the spring member in the alignment mechanism, in which (a) is a plan view showing a state in which the protrusion of the spring member has fallen in a position that is tilted relative to the opening hole, (b) is a plan view showing a state in which the spring member has rotated to the right inside the opening hole via the protrusion, and (c) is a plan view showing a state in which the spring member further rotates to the right and the protrusion is guided toward the guide member.

[0031] First, as shown in Figure 7(a), for example, a plurality of spring members 1 are loaded in a pile at the entrance 13a of the conveying plate 13. In this state, the vibrating conveyor of the conveying mechanism 10 is driven, and the electric motor 27 of the separating mechanism 12 is driven to rotate the rotating brush 25 in the direction of the arrow in Figure 4. Each spring member 1 moves on the conveying plate 13 toward the alignment plate 18 (downstream direction) due to the vibration of the vibrating conveyor 15, and when it reaches the rotating brush 25, which is being driven to rotate, it is pushed back toward the entrance 13a due to interference and frictional resistance with the tip ends 30b of each brush portion 30, which are rotating in the opposite direction to the moving direction, where it is separated and separated into individual items.

[0032] Each of the individual spring members 1 is then unable to pass through the central region A of the rotating brush 25, as shown in Figures 7(b) and (c), and instead passes through the regions B, B on either side in a state of being distributed to the left and right, moving in the direction of the alignment plate 18.

[0033] The spring members 1 that have moved toward the alignment plate 18 move downstream with their front and back sides separated, as shown in Figure 7(d), and those with their plate portions 1c facing downward and their protrusions 2 facing upward drop through the discharge holes 24 and are stored in a container box. The spring members 1 stored in this container box are then again thrown onto the conveying plate 13 of the conveying mechanism 10.

[0034] When the spring member 1, with its plate portion 1c facing upward and its protrusion 2 facing downward, moves downstream, the protrusion 2 drops into each opening 22 of the alignment plate 18 and moves toward the capture portion 23. At this time, as described above, the spring member 1 moves downstream at various angles from above the conveying plate 13 to above the alignment plate 18. As an example, as shown in Figure 8(a), the entire spring member 1 including the protrusion 2 may move in a perpendicular state to the opening 22, i.e., facing directly, and the protrusion 2 may drop from a direction perpendicular to the opening 22. In this case, one side 2d of the protrusion 2 of the spring member 1 abuts against one inclined side edge 23a of the capture portion 23, and a rotational moment M in the counterclockwise direction as indicated by the arrow in the figure is applied to the protrusion 2 with the abutment point A of the one side 2d as a fulcrum due to the flow force in the downstream direction. 8(b), the entire spring member 1 rotates counterclockwise, and the protrusions 2 are slidably guided from the other side 2e into the guide portions 20a. Thereafter, the spring members 1 are guided and moved downstream in an aligned state while sliding along the guide portions 20a via the protrusions 2, and are stopped and held at the most downstream position.

[0035] 9(a), the protrusion 2 may fall in a state where the entire spring member 1 is tilted, for example, to the right in the figure with respect to the opening 21. In this case, when the protrusion 2 falls into the opening 22 of the alignment plate 18 and moves toward the capture portion 23, point X on one side 2d of the tilted protrusion 2 comes into contact with one inclined side edge 23a of the capture portion 23, and frictional forces in the directions of arrows F and F' are generated between the one side 2d of the protrusion 2 and one side edge 23a due to the flow force in the downstream direction.

[0036] 9(b) and 9(c), one side portion 2d of protrusion 2 slides on the inclined surface of one side edge portion 23a, and a clockwise rotational moment is applied to protrusion 2, which moves toward guide portion 20a (in the direction of the arrow) along the inclined surface of one side edge portion 23a. Therefore, the entire spring member 1 including protrusion 2 rotates clockwise, and protrusion 2 is slidably guided from one side portion 2d into guide portion 20a. Thereafter, spring member 1 slides on each guide portion 20a via protrusion 2, and is moved and guided in an aligned state in the downstream direction, until it is stopped and held at the most downstream position.

[0037] In this way, the spring members 1 separated and made into individual items by the rotating brush 25 are sorted into front and back sides via the protrusions 2 in the openings 21 of the alignment sections 20, 20 of the alignment plate 18, and are guided downstream while sliding within the guide sections 20a, and are stopped and held at the most downstream position. Therefore, since the spring members 1 are arranged side by side in an aligned state while being sorted into front and back sides through the above series of processes, automatic assembly by a robot in the subsequent process becomes possible.

[0038] In particular, in this embodiment, it is possible to automatically separate each spring member 1 into individual items, sort the front and back sides, and align them, which subsequently improves the efficiency of assembly work by robots and reduces work costs.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the angle of the spring member 1 relative to the conveying direction can be changed using one side edge 23a of the capture portion 23 of the alignment mechanism 11. In other words, the simple structure of the capture portion 23 can impart a rotational moment to the protrusion portion 2 while guiding it toward the guide portion 20a, thereby facilitating manufacturing work and reducing costs.

[0040] Furthermore, since the other side edge 23b of the capture portion 23 is connected in a straight line to the guide portion 20a, the other side portion 2e of the protrusion portion 2 of the spring member 1 is guided by the other side edge 23b, making it easier to enter the guide portion 20a.

[0041] Furthermore, by not making the shape of the end of the opening 22 on the conveying surface side large, but making it an elliptical arc surface slightly larger than the outer shape of the protrusion 2 of the spring member 1, only the drop of the protrusion 2 of the spring member 1 that has moved from the upper surface of the conveying plate 13 onto the opening 22 is permitted, and it is possible to prevent the main body 1a or the claws attached to the main body 1a from getting caught on the periphery of the end of the opening 22. [Second Embodiment] Figure 10 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the shape of the opening 21 is changed and the frictional resistance of each side edge 23a, 23b of the capture portion 23 against the protrusion 2 is made different.

[0042] That is, the opening hole 21 has an approximately raindrop-like overall shape, the opening 22 has a semicircular arc shape, and both side edges 23a, 23b of the capture portion 23 are tapered and inclined from the opening 22 toward the guide portion 20a. In addition, the capture portion 23 has a rough surface-like friction generating portion 23c formed on the edge of one side edge 23a, and the edge of the other side edge 23b is formed smooth and flat.

[0043] Therefore, in the second embodiment, by providing a friction generating portion 23c on one side edge 23a of the capture portion 23 and making the friction resistance different from that of the other side edge 23b, it becomes possible to actively apply a rotational moment to the protrusion 2 of the spring member 1 that has moved to the capture portion 23. Therefore, the application of a rotational moment to the protrusion 2 can be handled by the simple structure of the opening hole 21, which improves manufacturing workability and reduces costs.

[0044] 11A and 11B show a third embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a plan view of an alignment plate, and (b) is a side view showing a state in which the spring members move into the opening holes and guide portions of the alignment plate, and in which the structure of the alignment plate 18 of the alignment mechanism 11 is modified.

[0045] 11(a) and 11(b), the alignment plate 18 of the alignment mechanism 11 is disposed above the downstream side of the conveying plate 13, which extends downstream, with a predetermined gap C therebetween, and has a V-shaped opening 21. The alignment plate 18 has an upstream end 18a, where an opening 22 of the opening 21 is formed, that is inclined upward. The opening 22 of the opening 21 is open at its end, and one side edge 23a of the capture portion 23 is inclined toward the guide portion 20a, while the other side edge 23b is linearly formed and continues to the guide portion 20a. The gap C is slightly larger than the protruding length L of the protrusion 2 of the spring member 1, and is set to a length such that the leading edge of the protrusion 2 does not abut against the upper surface of the conveying plate 13 during movement of the spring member 1.

[0046] Therefore, when the spring members 1 are separated and separated into individual pieces by the rotating brush 25 of the separation mechanism 12 and moved downstream, as shown by the arrow in Figure 11 (b), if the protrusions 2 face downward, they enter the openings 22 of the opening holes 21. Next, as in the first embodiment, the protrusions 2 of the spring members 1 are imparted with a rotational moment by one side edge 23a of the capture portion 23, causing the entire spring member 1 to rotate, while the protrusions 2 are guided downstream by the guide portion 20a. Therefore, the spring members 1 are separated into front and back sides, moved in an aligned state, and held at the most downstream side. Therefore, the third embodiment also achieves the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0047] The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and can be applied to, for example, not only the spring member but also any part that has a protrusion protruding from a flat main body.

[0048] Furthermore, in addition to the vibration conveyor 15, a belt conveyor or the like can also be used as the transport mechanism 10. Furthermore, the alignment mechanism 11 can further increase the number of alignment sections 20 and guide sections 20a of the alignment plate 18. It is also possible to change the shape and material of each brush section 30 of the rotating brush 25 of the separation mechanism 12. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the recesses or holes are formed as openings 21, but they can also be formed as opening grooves.

[0049] 1...spring member, 1a...main body, 1c...plate portion, 2...projection portion, 2d...one side portion, 2e...other side portion, 10...conveying mechanism, 11...alignment mechanism, 12...separation mechanism, 13...conveying plate (conveying surface), 18...alignment plate, 18a...upstream end portion, 18b...downstream end portion, 20...alignment portion, 20a...guide portion, 21...opening hole (recess or hole portion), 22...opening, 23...capturing portion, 23a...one side edge portion, 23b...other side edge portion, 24...discharge hole, 25...rotating brush, 26...bearing portion, 27...electric motor, 29...rotating shaft, 30...brush portion, 30a...fixed end portion, 30b...tip portion, 31a, 31b...support portion, 33...support plate.

Claims

1. A component supplying device which separates and supplies a plurality of components, each of which has a main body having a flat portion and a plate-shaped protrusion protruding at a predetermined angle from the flat portion of the main body, comprising: a conveying mechanism having a conveying surface on which the plurality of components can be placed and conveyed; and an alignment mechanism which is arranged on the downstream side of the conveying surface and sends out the components downstream while aligning them, the alignment mechanism comprising: an alignment plate arranged on the downstream side of the conveying surface; a recess or hole formed on the upstream end of the alignment plate, into which the protrusion of each of the components sent out from the conveying surface can fall; and a slit-shaped guide portion which is formed continuously in a straight line downstream of the recess or hole along the conveying direction of each of the components and which guides the components downstream via the protrusion, the recess or hole having an opening formed on the conveying surface side and having a size which allows the protrusion to fall in from any rotation position; a catch portion which is gradually narrowed from the opening toward the guide portion, and one side portion of the protrusion abuts against one of a pair of side edges to apply a rotational moment in one direction to the component while guiding it in the direction of the guide portion.

2. A component supply device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the pair of side edges of the capture portion which are gradually narrowed toward the guide portion have mutually different angles relative to the direction of the guide portion.

3. A component supply device as described in claim 2, wherein one of the pair of side edges is connected to the guide portion at a predetermined inclination angle, and the other side edge is connected to the guide portion in a straight line.

4. A component supplying device as described in claim 2, characterized in that the capturing portion applies a unidirectional rotational moment to the protrusion by making the frictional resistance of the one side edge portion and the other side edge portion against the protrusion different from each other.

5. A component supplying device as described in claim 2, characterized in that the opening of the capture portion is formed into an elliptical arc surface whose end on the conveying surface side is slightly larger than the outer shape of the protrusion.

6. The part supplying device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying surface is a part of a vibrating conveyor.

7. A component supplying device according to claim 1, characterized in that the transport surface is a part of a belt conveyor.

8. A component supply device as described in claim 1, wherein the alignment plate has two parallel double alignment sections on the left and right side on the downstream side, and between the alignment sections is a discharge hole through which the components transported downstream can fall without their protrusions falling into an opening, and a separation mechanism is provided above the transport surface which uses a rotating brush to distribute the multiple components to the left and right corresponding to the alignment sections, and separates them into individual components.

9. A component supply device as described in claim 8, wherein the rotating brush has a rotating shaft that is rotated by an actuator and a plurality of brush portions provided on the outer periphery of the rotating shaft, and each of the brush portions is formed to a length that allows it to slide on the conveying surface in the central region of the longitudinal direction of the rotating shaft to restrict the passage of each component, while being formed to a length that allows each component to pass in the regions of both ends of the longitudinal direction of the rotating shaft.

Images