Conveying device

Abstract

The present invention provides a conveying device for efficiently and surely conveying an electronic component.　This conveying device comprises: a first rotation conveyance part that moves a first holding part for suctioning and holding an electronic component along a circular orbit; a second rotation conveyance part that moves a second holding part for suctioning and holding the electronic component along the circular orbit; and a position correction part that is provided between the first rotation conveyance part and the second rotation conveyance part on a conveyance path of the electronic component, corrects the position of the electronic component received from the first holding part, and delivers the electronic component to the second holding part. The position correction part has: a suction holding part that has a suction surface for suctioning and holding the electronic component and delivers the electronic component to the first holding part and the second holding part; a rotary conveyance table that moves the suction holding part along the circular orbit; and a parallel drive part that moves the rotary conveyance table in parallel and corrects the plane position of the electronic component held by the suction holding part by suction. The suction surface of the suction holding part facing the second delivery position is parallel to the suction surface of the second holding part.

Description

Conveyor

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying device for electronic components.

[0002] After manufacturing, electronic components such as semiconductor devices undergo processes such as visual inspection, electrical property inspection, marking, etc. before being shipped. These processes require that the electronic components be in the correct position, and the position of the electronic components is corrected before each process is carried out.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic component processing device that includes a first rotary conveying unit having a first holding unit that holds an electronic component and moves the first holding unit along a first circular orbit, a second rotary conveying unit having a second holding unit that holds an electronic component and moves the second holding unit along a second circular orbit that passes through a transfer area where electronic components can be transferred to and from the first holding unit, and a position adjustment unit that adjusts the position of the second holding unit in the transfer area.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-187598

[0005] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the second rotary conveying unit moves the electronic components received from the first rotary conveying unit to a position in an intermediate processing unit where they are subjected to processing such as visual inspection, and then moves the electronic components processed by the intermediate processing unit to a position for delivery to the first rotary conveying unit. Therefore, the position adjustment unit cannot adjust the position of the second holding unit while the intermediate processing unit is performing processing, and it is necessary to separately secure time for performing alignment processing when delivering the electronic components.

[0006] Furthermore, electronic components are transported by a holder, such as a suction collet, that suctions and holds the electronic components on its suction surface. To ensure stable transport without dropping the electronic components, it is important that the electronic components are held without tilting relative to the suction surface of the holder. For example, electronic components that are relatively large (e.g., with a long side length of approximately 5 to 10 mm) are unlikely to tilt relative to the suction surface. However, for electronic components that are relatively small (e.g., with a long side length of approximately 0.5 to 1 mm), when the holder picks up the electronic components from the wafer sheet, the bumps (electrodes) of the electronic components may get caught in the suction holes on the suction surface, causing the electronic components to be held at an angle on the suction surface.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic component conveying device that can convey electronic components efficiently and reliably.

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a first rotary conveying unit having a first holding unit that sucks and holds an electronic component on a sucking surface and that moves the first holding unit along a circular orbit; a second rotary conveying unit having a second holding unit that sucks and holds an electronic component on a sucking surface and that moves the second holding unit along the circular orbit; and a position correcting unit that is provided between the first rotary conveying unit and the second rotary conveying unit on a conveying path of the electronic components and that corrects the position of the electronic component received from the first holding unit and transfers it to the second holding unit, a suction holding section having an adsorption surface that passes between the first holding section and the electronic component at a first transfer position and the second holding section and that passes between the second holding section and the electronic component at a second transfer position; a rotary conveying table on which the suction holding section is provided and that moves the suction holding section along a circular orbit centered on a rotation axis; and a parallel driving section that translates the rotary conveying table to correct the planar position of the electronic component that is adsorbed and held by the suction holding section, wherein at the second transfer position, the adsorption surface of the opposing suction holding section and the adsorption surface of the second holding section are parallel.

[0009] The rotary conveying table may move intermittently at a predetermined rotational pitch while stopping at the first transfer position and the second transfer position, and the parallel drive unit may move the rotary conveying table in parallel while the rotary conveying table is rotating to correct the planar position of the electronic component adsorbed and held by the adsorption holding unit.

[0010] In the operation of the conveying device, the timing of transferring the electronic component from the first holding unit to the suction holding unit at the first transfer position may be made to coincide with the timing of transferring the electronic component from the suction holding unit to the second holding unit at the second transfer position.

[0011] Alternatively, in the operation of the conveying device, the timing of transferring the electronic component from the first holding unit to the suction holding unit at the first transfer position may be different from the timing of transferring the electronic component from the suction holding unit to the second holding unit at the second transfer position.

[0012] As described above, according to the present invention, electronic components can be transported efficiently and reliably.

[0013] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the upper side showing a plan view and the lower side showing a side view. FIG. 2 is a partial side view showing a state when an electronic component is transferred between a first holder and a suction holder. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the configuration of a position correction unit. FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing the operation of the conveying device in operation pattern 1. FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing the operation of the conveying device in operation pattern 2. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a modified configuration of the conveying device (modification 1). FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a modified configuration of the conveying device (modification 2). FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a modified configuration of the conveying device (modification 3), showing a case where the suction surface of the second holder and the suction surface of the suction holder are parallel to the vertical direction. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a modified configuration of the conveying device (modification 3), showing a case where the suction surface of the second holder and the suction surface of the suction holder are parallel to the horizontal direction. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another modified configuration of the conveying device, showing a case where the second rotary conveying unit is provided with a position correction mechanism that corrects the planar position of the electronic component. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a second rotary conveyance unit and a position correction mechanism of the conveyance device shown in FIG. 10, showing the state shown in the upper part of FIG. 10 as viewed from the X direction. FIG.

[0014] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0015] [1. Conveying Device] First, the configuration of a conveying device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment, with the upper side showing a plan view and the lower side showing a side view. FIG. 2 is a partial side view showing the state when an electronic component W is transferred between the first holding unit 110 and the suction holding unit 210. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the configuration of the position correction unit 20. In FIGS. 1 to 3, the X and Y directions are horizontal directions, and the XY plane is also referred to as the horizontal plane. The Z direction is a vertical direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions. The ZX plane is also referred to as the vertical plane.

[0016] The conveying device 1 according to this embodiment is a device that sucks and holds electronic components W one by one and conveys them along a conveying path. The electronic components W are components used in electrical products. For example, the electronic components W are semiconductor elements, resistors, capacitors, etc. The semiconductor elements may be integrated circuits such as ICs (Integrated Circuits) and LSIs (Large Scale Integrations), or may be discrete semiconductors such as transistors, diodes, LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), capacitors, and thyristors.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 1, the conveying device 1 has a first rotary conveying unit 11, a second rotary conveying unit 12, and a position correcting unit 20. The first rotary conveying unit 11 and the second rotary conveying unit 12 are arranged side by side along the X direction as shown in the upper side of Fig. 1, and rotate around rotation axes A1 and A2 parallel to the Y direction as shown in the lower side of Fig. 1. As shown in the lower side of Fig. 1, the position correcting unit 20 is provided between the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the second rotary conveying unit 12 on the conveying path of the electronic components W, and rotates around a rotation axis A0 parallel to the Z direction.

[0018] (First Rotary Conveying Unit) The first rotary conveying unit 11 has a first holding unit 110 that suction-holds an electronic component W on a suction surface, and moves the first holding unit 110 along a circular orbit C1. As shown in the lower part of Fig. 1 , the first rotary conveying unit 11 includes a rotating body 101 that rotates together with a rotation axis A1 parallel to the Y direction, and a plurality of first holding units 110 that are provided radially from the rotating body 101 in a ZX plane perpendicular to the Y direction.

[0019] The rotating body 101 is rotated by a driving unit (not shown) such as a motor. A plurality of first holding units 110 are provided on the rotating body 101 at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of an imaginary circle centered on the rotation axis A1. For example, the first rotary conveying unit 11 shown in FIG. 1 has eight first holding units 110 provided on the rotating body 101 at equal intervals (i.e., installation intervals of 45°). The driving unit rotates the rotating body 101 by the installation interval of the first holding units 110, causing it to move intermittently. The rotation angle by which the rotating body 101 moves intermittently is defined as the rotation pitch of the first rotary conveying unit 11.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, each of the first holding units 110 includes a suction collet 111 and a forward / backward driving mechanism 112 .

[0021] The suction collet 111 suctions and holds an electronic component W on the suction surface 111a at its tip. The suction collet 111 is a generally conical member made of, for example, rubber, resin, or metal. The suction surface 111a is flat, and suction holes (not shown) communicating with the internal passage of the first holding portion 110 are formed within the surface. The internal passage of the first holding portion 110 communicates with the pneumatic circuit of a negative pressure generator such as a vacuum pump or ejector. The negative pressure generator generates negative pressure in the pneumatic circuit, allowing the suction collet 111 to hold the electronic component W on the suction surface 111a. When the negative pressure generator releases the suction force due to the negative pressure by breaking the vacuum or opening to the atmosphere, the suction collet 111 releases the electronic component W held on the suction surface 111a.

[0022] The advancing / retreating drive mechanism 112 is a drive mechanism that moves the suction collet 111 in the radial direction of a circle centered on the rotation axis A1 (hereinafter also referred to as the "advancing / retreating direction"). The advancing / retreating drive mechanism 112 has a shaft 113, a connecting member 114, and a coil spring 115.

[0023] The shaft 113 is a rod-shaped member extending in the forward / backward direction. The shaft 113 is connected to the rotating body 101 on the rotation axis A1 side (hereinafter also referred to as the "inner side") via a connecting member 114. The shaft 113 also has a suction collet 111 at the tip on the side opposite the rotation axis A1 (hereinafter also referred to as the "outer side"). An internal passage communicating with the suction hole of the suction collet 111 is formed inside the shaft 113. The connecting member 114 is a member for fixing the forward / backward drive mechanism 112 to the rotating body 101. A motor (not shown) for moving the shaft 113 in the forward / backward direction is provided inside the connecting member 114. With the shaft 113 inserted therein, the inner end of the coil spring 115 is fixed to the connecting member 114 and the outer end is fixed to the outer surface of the shaft 113.

[0024] When the motor (not shown) of the advance / retract drive mechanism 112 is not driven and the suction collet 111 is positioned at its innermost position, the advance / retract drive mechanism 112 drives the motor (not shown) to move the shaft 113 outward from the rotating body 101, thereby moving the suction collet 111 outward. Furthermore, by stopping the driving of the motor (not shown), the advance / retract drive mechanism 112 moves the shaft 113, which had been moving outward, inward by the compression force of the coil spring 115, and moves the suction collet 111 to the reference position.

[0025] (Second Rotary Conveying Unit) The second rotary conveying unit 12 has a second holding unit 120 that suction-holds the electronic component W on its suction surface, and moves the second holding unit 120 along the circular orbit C2. The second rotary conveying unit 12 may have the same configuration as the first rotary conveying unit 11.

[0026] As shown in the lower part of FIG. 1 , the second rotary conveying unit 12 includes a rotating body 102 that rotates together with the rotation axis A2, which is parallel to the Y direction, and a plurality of second holding units 120 that are radially arranged from the rotating body 102 in a ZX plane perpendicular to the Y direction. The plurality of second holding units 120 are arranged on the rotating body 102 at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of an imaginary circle centered on the rotation axis A2. For example, the second rotary conveying unit 12 shown in FIG. 1 has eight second holding units 120 arranged on the rotating body 102 at equal intervals (i.e., 45° intervals). A driving unit, such as a motor, that rotates the rotating body 102 intermittently moves the rotating body 102 by the intervals between the second holding units 120. The rotation angle by which the rotating body 102 moves intermittently is referred to as the rotation pitch of the second rotary conveying unit 12.

[0027] The second holding unit 120 has the same configuration as the first holding unit 110 shown in Fig. 2, and each has a suction collet and an advance / retract drive mechanism. Since the second holding unit 120 has the same configuration as the first holding unit 110, a detailed description will be omitted here. The second holding unit 120 moves the suction collet provided at the tip in the advance / retract direction by the advance / retract movement mechanism.

[0028] (Position Correction Unit) The position correction unit 20 is provided between the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the second rotary conveying unit 12 on the conveying path of the electronic components W, and corrects the position of the electronic components W received from the first holding unit 110 and transfers them to the second holding unit 120. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the position correction unit 20 has a suction holding unit 210 that transfers the electronic components W between the first holding unit 110 and the second holding unit 120, a rotary conveying table 220, and a parallel driving unit 230 that translates the rotary conveying table 220.

[0029] The suction holding unit 210 has a suction surface 211a for suction-holding an electronic component W, and transfers the electronic component W to and from the first holding unit 110 at a first transfer position Q1 and transfers the electronic component W to and from the second holding unit 120 at a second transfer position Q2. As shown in the upper part of FIG. 1 , the suction holding units 210 are provided at predetermined intervals on an upper surface 221a of a table 221 of a rotary conveying table 220 (described later) along the circumferential direction of an imaginary circle whose center is a rotation axis A0 parallel to the Z direction. For example, the position correction unit 20 shown in FIG. 1 has 18 suction holding units 210 provided on the table 221 at equal intervals (i.e., installation intervals of 20°). The suction holding units 210 move along a circular orbit C0 centered on the rotation axis A0 as the rotary conveying table 220 rotates.

[0030] The suction holding unit 210 is made up of a suction collet 211 and a fixing member 213, as shown in FIG.

[0031] The suction collet 211 suctions and holds the electronic component W using a suction surface 211a at its tip. The suction collet 211 may be the same as the suction collet 111 of the first holding unit 110 and the suction collet of the second holding unit 120. That is, the suction collet 211 is a substantially conical member made of, for example, rubber, resin, metal, or the like. The suction surface 211a is a flat surface. The suction collet 211 is disposed so that the suction surface 211a is perpendicular to the rotation axis A0.

[0032] Suction holes (not shown) that communicate with the internal passage of the suction holding portion 210 are formed within the suction surface 211a. The internal passage of the suction holding portion 210 communicates with the air pressure circuit of the negative pressure generator. The negative pressure generator generates negative pressure in the air pressure circuit, allowing the suction collet 211 to hold the electronic component W on the suction surface 211a. Furthermore, when the negative pressure generator releases the suction force caused by the negative pressure by breaking the vacuum or releasing the air, the suction collet 211 releases the electronic component W that was being held on the suction surface 211a.

[0033] The fixing member 213 is a member for fixing the suction collet 211 to the upper surface 221a of the table 221 of the rotary conveying table 220. The suction collet 211 is provided on the surface of the fixing member 213 opposite to the surface that is in contact with the upper surface 221a of the table 221. An internal passage that communicates with the suction hole of the suction collet 211 is formed inside the fixing member 213.

[0034] The rotary conveying table 220 moves the suction holding unit 210 along a circular orbit C0 centered on the rotation axis A0. As shown in FIG. 3 , the rotary conveying table 220 includes a table 221 on which the suction holding unit 210 is provided, and a rotation drive unit 223 that rotates the table 221 around the rotation axis A0. An upper surface 221a of the table 221 is flat and perpendicular to the rotation axis A0. The rotation drive unit 223 is, for example, a motor, and rotates the table 221 around the rotation axis A0 together with the rotation axis A0. The rotation drive unit 223 intermittently moves the table 221 at the installation interval of the suction holding unit 210. The rotation angle by which the table 221 moves intermittently is defined as the rotation pitch of the rotary conveying table 220.

[0035] The parallel drive unit 230 translates the rotary conveying table 220 in the XY plane. As shown in Fig. 3 , the parallel drive unit 230 has a base 231 on which the rotary conveying table 220 is placed, a first drive mechanism 233 that moves the base 231 in the X direction, and a second drive mechanism 235 that moves the base 231 in the Y direction.

[0036] A rotation drive unit 223 of the rotary conveying table 220 is fixed to the base 231. The first drive mechanism 233 has a pair of guides 233a parallel to the X direction fixed on an installation stand B on which the position correction unit 20 is installed, a slide unit 233b that moves in the X direction along the guides 233a, and a top plate 233c that is fixed on the slide unit 233b and moves in the X direction together with the slide unit 233b. The second drive mechanism 235 has a pair of guides 235a parallel to the Y direction fixed on the top plate 233c of the first drive mechanism 233, and a slide unit 235b that moves in the Y direction along the guides 235a. The base 231 is fixed to the slide unit 235b of the second drive mechanism 235. The first drive mechanism 233 and the second drive mechanism 235 may each be configured as an electric actuator that moves the slide units 233b and 235b using a motor (not shown).

[0037] The parallel drive unit 230 translates the rotary conveying table 220 placed on the base 231 in the XY plane using the first drive mechanism 233 and the second drive mechanism 235. This adjusts the planar position of the electronic component W sucked and held by the suction holding unit 210 of the rotary conveying table 220.

[0038] The position correction unit 20 may also include an imaging unit 250 that captures an image for confirming the position of the electronic component W being transported. For example, as shown in the upper side of FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 , the imaging unit 250 is installed above the transport path of the electronic component W between the first transfer position Q1 and the second transfer position Q2. The imaging unit 250 may be, for example, a camera equipped with an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor. The image captured by the imaging unit 250 is output to a control unit 70 that controls the transport device 1. The control unit 70 adjusts the planar position of the electronic component W by, for example, controlling the parallel drive unit 230 based on the image captured by the imaging unit 250.

[0039] 1, first, the first rotary conveying unit 11 sucks and holds electronic components W attached to, for example, a wafer sheet S one by one, and conveys them to the position correction unit 20. The first rotary conveying unit 11 rotates the rotating body 101 in one direction (for example, counterclockwise when viewed from the side as shown in the lower part of FIG. 1), and sucks and holds one electronic component W from the wafer sheet S by the first holding unit 110 at a pickup position Q0.

[0040] For example, at the pickup position Q0, a push-out device 30 is installed on the opposite side of the wafer sheet S from the first rotary conveying unit 11, which pushes out electronic components W attached to the wafer sheet S toward the first rotary conveying unit 11. The push-out device 30 includes pins 35 that push out the electronic components W from the rear surface of the wafer sheet S, and a motor (not shown) that moves the pins 35 in the pushing direction. The pushing direction is a direction perpendicular to the suction surface 111a of the first holding unit 110 at the pickup position Q0. The wafer sheet S is also installed so as to be perpendicular to the pushing direction. In the conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 1, the pushing direction is the horizontal direction (X direction).

[0041] The ejection device 30 operates the pins 35 to eject the electronic component W to be transported from the back side of the wafer sheet S toward the first holding unit 110 when the first holding unit 110 of the first rotary conveying unit 11 is positioned at the pickup position Q0. The first holding unit 110 sucks and holds the ejected electronic component W on its suction surface 111a. By making the suction surface 111a of the first holding unit 110 and the wafer sheet S parallel at the pickup position Q0 and ejecting the electronic component W from a direction perpendicular to these surfaces with the pins 35, the electronic component W can be sucked onto the suction surface 111a of the first holding unit 110.

[0042] The first holding unit 110 holding the electronic component W moves in a vertical plane along a circular orbit C1 due to the rotation of the rotating body 101. The first holding unit 110 holding the electronic component W transfers the electronic component W to the suction holding unit 210 of the position correction unit 20 at a first transfer position Q1. At the first transfer position Q1, the suction surface 111a of the first holding unit 110 and the suction surface 211a of the position correction unit 20 are parallel to each other. This allows the suction surface 211a of the position correction unit 20 to hold the electronic component W received from the first holding unit 110 in the correct orientation without tilting.

[0043] The flat surface of the electronic component W attached to the wafer sheet S opposite the bumps (electrodes) is in contact with the wafer sheet S. Therefore, the first holding unit 110 suction-holds the bump-side surface on the suction surface 111a, and the surface opposite the bumps faces outward. Therefore, when the first holding unit 110 and the suction-holding unit 210 of the position correction unit 20 transfer the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1, the suction-holding unit 210 suction-holds the flat surface of the electronic component W opposite the bumps. Therefore, even if the electronic component is small, the bumps of the electronic component will not get caught in the suction holes in the suction surface 211a, and the posture of the electronic component W is corrected when it is held on the suction surface 211a of the suction-holding unit 210. When the suction surface 111a of the first holding part 110 suctions and holds the electronic component W at the pickup position Q0, even if the bumps enter the suction holes and cause the electronic component W to tilt, at the first transfer position Q1, the suction holding part 210 holds the flat surface opposite the bumps of the electronic component W with the suction surface 211a, so the tilt that has occurred is corrected.

[0044] In this way, the electronic component W sucked and held on the suction surface 211 a of the suction holding unit 210 is in a proper posture without tilt. Since the posture of the electronic component W is corrected at the first transfer position Q1, if the suction surface 211 a of the suction holding unit 210 and the suction surface of the second holding unit 120 are parallel to each other at the second transfer position Q2, the electronic component W can be transferred between them while maintaining the correct posture of the electronic component W.

[0045] The suction holding unit 210, which has sucked and held the electronic component W, moves along the circular orbit C0 in a horizontal plane from the first transfer position Q1 to the second transfer position Q2 by the rotation of the table 221. The suction holding unit 210, which has held the electronic component W, transfers the electronic component W to the second holder 120 of the second rotary conveying unit 12 at the second transfer position Q2. At the second transfer position Q2, the suction surface of the second holder 120 and the suction surface 211a of the position correction unit 20 are parallel to each other. This allows the suction surface of the second holder 120 to suck and hold the electronic component W in the correct orientation without tilting relative to the suction surface 211a of the position correction unit 20.

[0046] The second holding unit 120 holding the electronic component W moves in a vertical plane along the circular orbit C2 due to the rotation of the rotor 102. The second holding unit 120 holding the electronic component W transports the electronic component W to a processing device that performs a next process and hands over the electronic component W to the processing device. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , the second rotary conveying unit 12 may further hand over the electronic component W to a third rotary conveying unit 13, and the third rotary conveying unit 13 may then transport the electronic component W to a taping unit 50 that accommodates a carrier tape (not shown).

[0047] As shown in the upper side of Fig. 1, the third rotary conveying unit 13 is arranged in parallel along the X direction together with the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the second rotary conveying unit 12, and rotates about a rotation axis A3 parallel to the Y direction as shown in the lower side of Fig. 1. The third rotary conveying unit 13 may be configured similarly to the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the second rotary conveying unit 12.

[0048] That is, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 1 , the third rotary conveying unit 13 includes a rotating body 103 that rotates together with a rotation axis A3 parallel to the Y direction, and a plurality of third holding units 130 that are provided radially from the rotating body 103 in a ZX plane perpendicular to the Y direction. The plurality of third holding units 130 are provided on the rotating body 103 at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of an imaginary circle centered on the rotation axis A3. The third holding units 130 are configured similarly to the first holding unit 110 shown in FIG. 2 , and each includes a suction collet and an advance / retract drive mechanism. The third holding units 130 move the suction collet provided at the tip in the advance / retract direction by the advance / retract movement mechanism.

[0049] As shown in the lower part of FIG. 1 , the third rotary conveying unit 13 transfers the electronic component W to and from the second rotary conveying unit 12 at a third transfer position Q3 where the second holding unit 120 and the third holding unit 130 correspond to each other in the X direction. At the third transfer position Q3, the suction surface of the second holding unit 120 and the suction surface of the third holding unit 130 are parallel to each other. When the second holding unit 120, which is holding the electronic component W by suction, is positioned at the third transfer position Q3, the second holding unit 120 moves outward to bring the electronic component W closer to the suction surface of the third holding unit 130. The third holding unit 130 suctions and holds the approached electronic component W on its suction surface and receives the electronic component W from the second holding unit 120.

[0050] The third holding unit 130 holding the electronic component W moves along the circular orbit C3 in a vertical plane by the rotation of the rotor 103 from the third transfer position Q3 to a supply position Q4 where the electronic component W is supplied to the taping unit 50. The taping unit 50 is installed, for example, below the third rotary transport unit 13, and at the supply position Q4, the suction surface of the third holding unit 130 and the taping unit 50 face each other in the vertical direction (Z direction). When the third holding unit 130 holding the electronic component W is positioned at the supply position Q4, it releases the electronic component W that it has been suction-holding. The released electronic component W is accommodated in a pocket (not shown) of the carrier tape in the taping unit 50.

[0051] The configuration of the transport device 1 has been described above.

[0052] [2. Operation] The conveying device 1 conveys the electronic components W to be conveyed by coordinating the timing of the operation of the first rotary conveying unit 11, the operation of the second rotary conveying unit 12, and the operation of the position correction unit 20. In the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment, the position correction unit 20 that corrects the planar position of the electronic components W is provided between the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the second rotary conveying unit 12 on the conveying path of the electronic components W, thereby performing alignment processing of the electronic components W during the conveying process of the electronic components W. This reduces the time required for alignment processing of the electronic components W. The operation of the conveying device 1 will be described below.

[0053] 4, a case where the transfer of electronic components W at the first transfer position Q1 and the transfer of electronic components W at the second transfer position Q2 are performed at the same timing (operation pattern 1) will be described as an example of an operation pattern of the conveyance device 1. FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing the operation of the conveyance device 1 in operation pattern 1.

[0054] 4 shows the operation of the first rotary conveying unit 11, which is a rotational movement operation and an advancing / retreating operation along a circular orbit C1, and the operation of the second rotary conveying unit 12, which is a rotational movement operation and an advancing / retreating operation along a circular orbit C2. Also shown in FIG. 4 are the operations of the position correction unit 20, which are a rotational movement operation that moves the suction holding unit 210 along the circular orbit C0 and a translational movement operation of the parallel drive unit 230. In FIG. 4, the horizontal axis represents time t, and the vertical axis represents the operating speed V. When the operating speed V is 0, the operation is stopped, and when it exceeds 0, the operation is in progress. The translational movement operation of the position correction unit 20 is shown collectively as the position correction operation in the X direction and the position correction operation in the Y direction.

[0055] In operation pattern 1, the conveying device 1 operates by synchronizing the rotation pitch of the first rotary conveying unit 11, the rotation pitch of the second rotary conveying unit 12, and the rotation pitch of the rotary conveying table 220 of the position correction unit 20.

[0056] 4, when the first rotary conveying unit 11 rotates the rotating body 101 and moves the first holding unit 110 by one pitch, at the same timing, the rotary conveying table 220 of the position correcting unit 20 moves by one pitch, and the second holding unit 120 of the second rotary conveying unit 12 also moves by one pitch. At this time, the position correcting unit 20 performs a translation operation from the start of the rotational movement operation until the stop of the rotational movement operation.

[0057] This parallel movement operation corrects the planar position of the electronic component W to be transferred from the suction holding unit 210 of the position correction unit 20 to the second holding unit 120 at the second transfer position Q2. The amount of correction of the electronic component W in the X and Y directions from the origin position can be obtained, for example, by comparing the position of the electronic component W in the image captured by the imaging unit 250 with the position at which the electronic component W would appear if there was no deviation from the origin position. The control unit 70 calculates the amount of correction of the electronic component W in the X and Y directions from the origin position, and translates the rotary conveying table 220 during the period from when the position correction unit 20 starts to when the rotary conveying table 220 stops, thereby correcting the planar position of the electronic component W at the second transfer position Q2.

[0058] When the rotational movement operation of the first rotary conveying unit 11, the rotational movement operation of the second rotary conveying unit 12, the rotational movement operation of the position correction unit 20, and the parallel movement operation of the position correction unit 20 are completed, the electronic component W is transferred at the first transfer position Q1 and the second transfer position Q2.

[0059] In the advance / retract operation at the first transfer position Q1, first, the suction collet 111 of the first holder 110, which has sucked and held the electronic component W, is moved toward the suction holding unit 210 of the position correction unit 20, so that the suction collet 211 of the suction holding unit 210 sucks and holds the electronic component W. Then, the suction collet 111 releases the suction and hold of the electronic component W and retreats to its original position. Similarly, in the advance / retract operation at the second transfer position Q2, first, the suction collet of the second holder 120 is moved toward the suction and hold unit 210 of the position correction unit 20, so that the suction and hold of the electronic component W, which has been sucked and held by the suction and hold unit 210 and whose planar position has been corrected by the translation operation of the position correction unit 20, is then released from the suction and hold of the electronic component W by the suction and hold unit 210, and the second holder 120, which has sucked and held the electronic component W by the suction and hold unit 210, retreats to its original position.

[0060] After the advance / retract movement of the first holding unit 110 and the advance / retract movement of the second holding unit 120 are completed, the position correction unit 20 performs a translation movement. In this translation movement, the rotary conveying table 220, which has been moved to correct the planar position of the electronic component W delivered to the second holding unit 120 at the second transfer position Q2, is moved to the origin position. This positions the rotary conveying table 220 at an initial position for correcting the planar position of the electronic component W to be delivered next between the suction holding unit 210 and the second holding unit 120 at the second transfer position Q2. When this translation movement is completed, the operation at one pitch is completed.

[0061] In this way, by correcting the planar position of the electronic component W during the rotation pitch of the rotary conveying table 220 of the position correction unit 20, the alignment process of the electronic component W can be performed efficiently.

[0062] 5, a case where the transfer of electronic components W at the first transfer position Q1 and the transfer of electronic components W at the second transfer position Q2 are performed at different timings (operation pattern 2) will be described as an example of an operation pattern of the conveying device 1. FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing the operation of the conveying device 1 in operation pattern 2.

[0063] 5, like Fig. 4, shows the rotational movement and advance / retract movement along the circular orbit C1 as the operation of the first rotary conveyance unit 11, and the rotational movement and advance / retract movement along the circular orbit C2 as the operation of the second rotary conveyance unit 12. Also, Fig. 5 shows the rotational movement that moves the suction holding unit 210 along the circular orbit C0 and the translation movement by the parallel drive unit 230 as the operation of the position correction unit 20.

[0064] In operation pattern 2, the conveying device 1 shifts the timing of delivery of the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1 from the timing of delivery of the electronic component W at the second transfer position Q2 by a half pitch from the rotational pitch of the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the rotational pitch of the second rotary conveying unit 12. The rotary conveying table 220 of the position correction unit 20 operates in synchronization with the rotational movement operation of the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the rotational movement operation of the second rotary conveying unit 12.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 5 , when the first rotary conveying unit 11 rotates the rotating body 101 to move the first holding unit 110 by one pitch, the rotary conveying table 220 of the position correction unit 20 is moved by one pitch at the same timing. At this time, the position correction unit 20 performs a translation operation between the start and stop of the rotational movement operation. In this translation operation, the rotary conveying table 220, which was moved at the previous timing to correct the planar position of the electronic component W delivered to the second holding unit 120 at the second transfer position Q2, is moved to the origin position. This positions the rotary conveying table 220 at an initial position for correcting the planar position of the electronic component W to be delivered next between the suction holding unit 210 and the second holding unit 120 at the second transfer position Q2. The position correction unit 20 translates the rotary conveying table 220 to the origin position between the start and stop of the rotational movement operation of the rotary conveying table 220.

[0066] When the rotational movement operation of the first rotary conveying unit 11, the rotational movement operation of the position correcting unit 20, and the translational movement operation of the position correcting unit 20 are completed, the electronic component W is transferred at the first transfer position Q1. As with operation pattern 1, the forward / backward movement operation at the first transfer position Q1 is performed by first moving the suction collet 111 of the first holder 110, which has sucked and held the electronic component W, closer to the suction holder 210 of the position correcting unit 20, and causing the suction collet 211 of the suction holder 210 to suck and hold the electronic component W. Thereafter, the suction collet 111 releases the suction and hold of the electronic component W and retreats to its original position.

[0067] After the first holding unit 110 has completed its forward / backward movement, the second rotary conveying unit 12 rotates the rotating body 102 to move the second holding unit 120 by one pitch. At the same timing as the rotational movement of the second rotary conveying unit 12, the rotary conveying table 220 of the position correction unit 20 moves by one pitch. At this time, the position correction unit 20 performs a translational movement operation between the start and stop of the rotational movement operation of the position correction unit 20. This translational movement operation corrects the planar position of the electronic component W to be transferred from the suction holding unit 210 of the position correction unit 20 to the second holding unit 120 at the second transfer position Q2. In this parallel movement operation, as in operation pattern 1, the control unit 70 calculates the amount of correction in the X and Y directions from the origin position of the electronic component W using the image captured by the imaging unit 250, and translates the rotary conveying table 220 in parallel between the start and stop of the rotational movement operation of the rotary conveying table 220 by the position correction unit 20, thereby correcting the planar position of the electronic component W at the second transfer position Q2.

[0068] When the rotational movement operation of the second rotary conveying unit 12, the rotational movement operation of the position correction unit 20, and the translational movement operation of the position correction unit 20 are completed, the electronic component W is transferred at the second transfer position Q2. As in operation pattern 1, the advance / retraction operation at the second transfer position Q2 is performed by first moving the suction collet of the second holder 120 closer to the suction holding unit 210 of the position correction unit 20, and then suction-holding the electronic component W, whose planar position has been corrected by the translational movement operation of the position correction unit 20, by the suction holding unit 210. Thereafter, the suction-holding of the electronic component W by the suction holding unit 210 is released, and the second holder 120, which has suction-held the electronic component W by the suction collet, is retracted to its original position.

[0069] When the forward and backward movement of the second holding part 120 is completed, the transfer of the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1 and the transfer of the electronic component W at the second transfer position Q2 are each completed once. In operation pattern 2, the above operations are repeated.

[0070] In this way, even in operation pattern 2, the correction of the planar position of the electronic component W is performed during the rotation pitch of the rotary conveying table 220 of the position correction unit 20, thereby enabling efficient alignment processing of the electronic component W. In operation pattern 2, by shifting the timing of the transfer of the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1 and the timing of the transfer of the electronic component W at the second transfer position Q2, a translation operation is performed in which the rotary conveying table 220 is translated to position it at the origin position during the rotational movement of the first rotary conveying unit 11. This allows the translation operation of the position correction unit 20 to be performed efficiently, and enables the conveying of the electronic component W by the conveying device 1 to be speeded up.

[0071] [3. Modifications] [3-1. Changes in Arrangement of Components] In the conveying device 1 according to the present invention, the arrangement of the components of the conveying device 1, including the first rotary conveying unit 11, the second rotary conveying unit 12, and the position correction unit 20, is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 1. For example, the conveying device 1 may be configured as shown in Figs. 6 to 9.

[0072] (Variation 1) The conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 6 differs from the conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 1 in the arrangement of the third rotary conveying unit 13, with the third rotary conveying unit 13 being arranged so that its rotation axis A3 is aligned with the Z direction. The third rotary conveying unit 13 receives the electronic component W from the second holding unit 120, which holds the electronic component W at the third transfer position Q3, using the third holding unit 130, and conveys the electronic component W along the circular orbit C3. The third holding unit 130 then stores the conveyed electronic component W in a wafer sheet S, for example, at a supply position Q4 opposite the wafer sheet S on the storage side. In this way, the conveying device 1 may be configured by changing the orientation of the third rotary conveying unit 13.

[0073] (Variation 2) The conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 7 differs from the conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 1 in the arrangement of the first rotary conveying unit 11. The first rotary conveying unit 11 is disposed rotated 90° with respect to the rotation axis A0 of the position correction unit 20. The rotation axis A1 of the first rotary conveying unit 11 is parallel to the X direction. Looking at the conveying path of the electronic components W in a plan view of the conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 7 , the electronic components W are moved along the Y direction by the first rotary conveying unit 11, then moved 270° in the horizontal plane (XY plane) by the position correction unit 20, and then moved along the X direction by the second rotary conveying unit 12. In this way, the conveying direction of the electronic components W can be changed by changing the positions of the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the second rotary conveying unit 12 with respect to the rotation axis A0 of the position correction unit 20.

[0074] 7, the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the second rotary conveying unit 12 are disposed at an angle of 90° in plan view. Therefore, if the suction holding units 210 are provided at an interval of 20° on the rotary conveying table 220, the timing of delivery of the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1 and the timing of delivery of the electronic component W at the second transfer position Q2 cannot be made to coincide with each other. In such a case, the conveying device 1 may be operated by shifting the timing of delivery of the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1 and the timing of delivery of the electronic component W at the second transfer position Q2, as in operation pattern 2 shown in FIG.

[0075] (Variant 3) In the conveying device 1 shown in Figure 1, the suction holding unit 210 of the position correction unit 20 is positioned so that the suction surface 211a is always parallel to the horizontal plane (XY plane), but the suction surface 211a only needs to be parallel to the suction surface of the opposing second holding unit 120 at the second transfer position Q2.

[0076] As described above, when the first holder 110 and the suction holder 210 of the position correction unit 20 transfer the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1, the suction holder 210 suction-holds the surface of the electronic component W opposite the bumps. Since the bumps do not enter the suction holes of the suction surface 211 a at this time, the posture of the electronic component W is corrected when it is held on the suction surface 211 a of the suction holder 210. That is, the electronic component W suction-held on the suction surface 211 a of the suction holder is in a proper posture without tilt. Therefore, at the second transfer position Q2, if the suction surface 211 a of the suction holder 210 and the suction surface of the second holder 120 are parallel, the electronic component W can be transferred between them while maintaining the correct posture of the electronic component W.

[0077] 8 , the position correction unit 20 may be installed at an angle of 45° with respect to the horizontal plane (XY plane), so that the suction surface 111 a of the first holder 110 and the suction surface 211 a of the suction holder 210 are parallel to the horizontal direction at the first transfer position Q1, and the suction surface 111 a of the second holder 120 and the suction surface 211 a of the suction holder 210 are parallel to the vertical direction at the second transfer position Q2. In this case, the posture of the electronic component W is corrected when the electronic component W is held by the suction surface 211 a of the suction holder 210 at the first transfer position Q1. Then, the electronic component W moved by the rotation of the rotary conveyor table 220 is sucked and held by the suction surface of the second holder 120 at the second transfer position Q2. At the second transfer position Q2, the suction surface of the second holding portion 120 and the suction surface 211a of the suction holding portion 210 are parallel, so that the electronic component W can be transferred while maintaining the correct posture of the electronic component W.

[0078] 9 , the position correction unit 20 may be installed at an angle of 45° with respect to the horizontal plane (XY plane), so that the suction surface 111 a of the first holder 110 and the suction surface 211 a of the suction holder 210 are parallel to the vertical direction at the first transfer position Q1, and the suction surface of the second holder 120 and the suction surface 211 a of the suction holder 210 are parallel to the horizontal direction at the second transfer position Q2. In this case, too, the posture of the electronic component W is corrected when the electronic component W is held by the suction surface 211 a of the suction holder 210 at the first transfer position Q1. Then, the electronic component W moved by the rotation of the rotary conveyor table 220 is sucked and held by the suction surface of the second holder 120 at the second transfer position Q2. At the second transfer position Q2, the suction surface of the second holding portion 120 and the suction surface 211a of the suction holding portion 210 are parallel, so that the electronic component W can be transferred while maintaining the correct posture of the electronic component W.

[0079] [3-2. Position Correction of Electronic Components in Rotary Conveyor Unit] Furthermore, in the conveying device 1 according to the present invention, instead of providing the position correction unit 20, the second rotary conveyor unit 12 located between the first rotary conveyor unit 11 and the third rotary conveyor unit 13 may be provided with a function to correct the positions of the electronic components W. In other words, the second rotary conveyor unit 12 is made to function as the position correction unit 20 in the above-described embodiment.

[0080] 10 and 11 show a configuration example of the conveying device 1 in a modified example of the conveying device 1 according to the present invention, in which a position correction mechanism 300 that corrects the positions of electronic components W is provided in the second rotary conveying section 12. In Fig. 10, the upper side shows a plan view of the conveying device 1, and the lower side shows a side view of the conveying device 1. Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the second rotary conveying section 12 and the position correction mechanism 300, and shows the state shown in the upper side of Fig. 10 as viewed from the X direction.

[0081] The conveying device 1 shown in Fig. 10 has a first rotary conveying unit 11, a second rotary conveying unit 12, and a third rotary conveying unit 13. The first rotary conveying unit 11, the second rotary conveying unit 12, and the third rotary conveying unit 13 are arranged in parallel along the X direction as shown in the upper side of Fig. 10, and rotate around rotation axes A1, A2, and A3 of drive units 61, 62, and 63 that are parallel to the Y direction as shown in the lower side of Fig. 10. The configurations of the first rotary conveying unit 11, the second rotary conveying unit 12, and the third rotary conveying unit 13 are similar to those of the conveying device 1 shown in Fig. 1.

[0082] The second rotary conveying unit 12 in this modification includes a position correction mechanism 300 for correcting the position of an electronic component W received from the first holder 110 of the first rotary conveying unit 11 and transferring the electronic component W to the third holder 130 of the third rotary conveying unit 13. The position correction mechanism 300 is a mechanism for parallel translation of the second rotary conveying unit 12. The parallel translation of the second rotary conveying unit 12 by the position correction mechanism 300 is performed in a plane parallel to the suction surface of the second holder 120 at a first transfer position Q1 where the electronic component W is transferred from the first holder 110 to the second holder 120, or at a second transfer position Q2 where the electronic component W is transferred from the second holder 120 to the third holder 130.

[0083] 10, the suction surface of the second holder 120 is parallel to the YZ plane at the first transfer position Q1 and the second transfer position Q2. Therefore, the position correction mechanism 300 shown in FIG. 11 has a first drive unit 310 that moves the second rotary transfer unit 12 in the Y direction, which is a direction parallel to the rotation axis, and a second drive unit 320 that moves the second rotary transfer unit 12 in the Z direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis.

[0084] The second rotary conveying unit 12 is attached to a support base 305 on which the second rotary conveying unit 12 is installed via a motor support plate 62a, a bracket 72, and a position correction mechanism 300. The motor support plate 62a is fixed to a drive unit 62 such as a motor that rotates the rotating body 102, and moves parallel to the YZ plane together with the second rotary conveying unit 12. The bracket 72 is an L-shaped member consisting of a first surface 72a parallel to the XY plane and a second surface 72b parallel to the ZX plane. The bracket 72 moves in the Y direction together with the second rotary conveying unit 12.

[0085] The first driving unit 310 is fixed to the support base 305. The first driving unit 310 has a motor 311, a ball screw 313, a pair of guides 315, and slide units 317a and 317b. The motor 311 is fixed to the support base 305 using a motor bracket 312. The ball screw 313 converts the rotational motion of the motor 311 into linear motion. The pair of guides 315 are fixed on the support base 305 in a state parallel to the Y direction. The slide units 317a and 317b move in the Y direction along the pair of guides 315 due to the linear motion of the ball screw 313.

[0086] A first surface 72a of the bracket 72 is fixed to the slide portions 317a and 317b. Therefore, the bracket 72 moves in the Y direction together with the slide portions 317a and 317b. As the bracket 72 moves in the Y direction, the second rotary conveyance unit 12, which is supported by the bracket 72 via the motor support plate 62a and a second drive unit 320 (described later), also moves in the Y direction.

[0087] The second drive unit 320 is fixed to the bracket 72. The second drive unit 320 has a motor 321, a ball screw 323, a pair of guides 325, and slide units 327a and 327b. The motor 321 is fixed to the first surface 72a of the bracket 72 using a motor bracket 322. The ball screw 323 converts the rotational motion of the motor 321 into linear motion. The pair of guides 325 are fixed to the second surface 72b of the bracket 72 in a state parallel to the Z direction. The slide units 327a and 327b move in the Z direction along the pair of guides 325 due to the linear motion of the ball screw 323.

[0088] A motor support plate 62a is fixed to the slide portions 327a, 327b and moves in the Z direction together with the slide portions 327a, 327b. A through-hole large enough to allow the drive unit 62 to pass through is provided in the second surface 72b of the bracket 72, and the drive unit 62 is not directly fixed to the bracket 72. Therefore, the motor support plate 62a can move in the Z direction together with the slide portions 327a, 327b relative to the bracket 72. As the motor support plate 62a moves in the Z direction, the second rotary conveyance unit 12 fixed to the motor support plate 62a also moves in the Z direction.

[0089] The position correction mechanism 300 translates the second rotary conveyance unit 12 in the YZ plane using the first drive unit 310 and the second drive unit 320. This adjusts the planar position of the electronic component W sucked and held by the second holder 120 of the second drive unit 320. The second rotary conveyance unit 12 may be provided with an imaging unit (not shown) that captures an image for confirming the position of the electronic component W to be conveyed along the conveyance path of the electronic component W between the first transfer position Q1 and the second transfer position Q2. This allows, for example, a control unit (not shown) that controls the conveyance device 1 to control the position correction mechanism 300 based on the image captured by the imaging unit to adjust the planar position of the electronic component W.

[0090] In the conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 10 , first, the first rotary conveying unit 11 sucks and holds electronic components W attached to, for example, a wafer sheet S one by one, and conveys them to the second rotary conveying unit 12. The first rotary conveying unit 11 rotates the rotating body 101 in one direction (e.g., counterclockwise when viewed from the side as shown in the lower part of FIG. 10 ), and at the pickup position Q0, the first holding unit 110 sucks and holds one electronic component W from the wafer sheet S. Picking up the electronic component W may be performed in the same manner as in the conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 1 , for example, by using the ejection device 30 to eject the electronic component W attached to the wafer sheet S toward the first rotary conveying unit 11, and then the electronic component W may be adsorbed onto the suction surface 111 a of the first holding unit 110. In the conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 10 , the ejection direction is horizontal (X direction).

[0091] The first holding unit 110 holding the electronic component W moves in a vertical plane along the circular orbit C1 due to the rotation of the rotating body 101. The first holding unit 110 holding the electronic component W transfers the electronic component W to the second holding unit 120 of the second rotary conveying unit 12 at a first transfer position Q1. At the first transfer position Q1, the suction surface 111a of the first holding unit 110 and the suction surface 121a of the second holding unit 120 are parallel to each other. This allows the suction surface 121a of the second holding unit 120 to hold the electronic component W received from the first holding unit 110 in the correct orientation without tilting.

[0092] The flat surface of the electronic component W attached to the wafer sheet S opposite the bumps (electrodes) is in contact with the wafer sheet S. Therefore, the first holding unit 110 suction-holds the bump-side surface on the suction surface 111a, and the surface opposite the bumps faces outward. Therefore, when the first holding unit 110 and the second holding unit 120 transfer the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1, the second holding unit 120 suction-holds the flat surface of the electronic component W opposite the bumps. Therefore, even if the electronic component is small, the bumps of the electronic component will not enter the suction holes in the suction surface 121a, and the posture of the electronic component W is corrected when it is held on the suction surface 121a of the second holding unit 120. When the suction surface 111a of the first holding part 110 suctions and holds the electronic component W at the pickup position Q0, even if the bumps enter the suction holes and cause the electronic component W to tilt, at the first transfer position Q1, the second holding part 120 holds the flat surface of the electronic component W opposite the bumps with the suction surface 121a, so the tilt that has occurred is corrected.

[0093] In this way, the electronic component W sucked and held on the suction surface 121 a of the second holding unit 120 is in a proper orientation without tilt. Because the orientation of the electronic component W is corrected at the first transfer position Q1, if the suction surface 121 a of the second holding unit 120 and the suction surface 131 a of the third holding unit 130 are parallel to each other at the second transfer position Q2, the electronic component W can be transferred between them while maintaining the correct orientation of the electronic component W.

[0094] The second holding unit 120 holding the electronic component W moves in a vertical plane along the circular orbit C2 from the first transfer position Q1 to the second transfer position Q2 due to the rotation of the rotor 102. While the second holding unit 120 is moving, the position correction mechanism 300 translates the second rotary conveying unit 12 to correct the planar position of the electronic component W sucked and held by the second holding unit 120. Then, the second holding unit 120 holding the electronic component W transfers the electronic component W to the third holding unit 130 of the third rotary conveying unit 13 at the second transfer position Q2.

[0095] At the second transfer position Q2, the suction surface 121a of the second holding unit 120 and the suction surface 131a of the third holding unit 130 are parallel to each other. This allows the suction surface 131a of the third holding unit 130 to suction and hold the electronic component W in the correct orientation without tilting from the suction surface 121a of the second holding unit 120. The third rotary transport unit 13 transports the electronic component W to, for example, a taping unit 50 that accommodates a carrier tape (not shown), and releases the electronic component W that was suction-held at the supply position Q4.

[0096] 10 and 11 , the second rotary conveying unit 12 functions as the position correcting unit 20 in the above-described embodiment, and the planar position of the electronic component W sucked and held in the second rotary conveying unit 12 is corrected by a position correcting mechanism 300. As with the conveying device 1 in the above-described embodiment, this conveying device 1 also corrects the posture of the electronic component W when it is held on the suction surface 121 a of the second holding unit 120 at the first transfer position Q1. The electronic component W moved by the rotation of the rotor 102 of the second rotary conveying unit 12 is then sucked and held on the suction surface 131 a of the third holding unit 130 at the second transfer position Q2. Because the suction surface 121 a of the second holding unit 120 and the suction surface 131 a of the third holding unit 130 are parallel to each other at the second transfer position Q2, the electronic component W can be transferred while maintaining the correct posture.

[0097] [4. Summary] The configuration and operation of the conveying device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention have been described above. The conveying device 1 according to this embodiment includes a position correction unit 20, located between the first rotary conveying unit 11 and the second rotary conveying unit 12 on the conveying path of the electronic components W, that corrects the position of the electronic components W received from the first holder 110 and transfers them to the second holder 120. The position correction unit 20 translates the rotary conveying table 220 using the parallel drive unit 230 while the rotary conveying table 220 is rotating, thereby correcting the planar position of the electronic components W sucked and held by the suction holding unit 210. This allows for efficient alignment of the electronic components W. Furthermore, at the second transfer position Q2, the suction surface 211a of the opposing suction holding unit 210 and the suction surface of the second holder 120 are made parallel to each other. This allows the electronic component W to be transferred while maintaining the correct posture of the electronic component W, which was corrected when the suction holding section 210 sucked the electronic component W at the first transfer position Q1.

[0098] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0099] For example, in the above embodiment, the conveying device corrects the planar position of the electronic component being conveyed, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the conveying device may perform rotational correction in addition to correcting the planar position of the electronic component being conveyed. The rotational correction of the electronic component can be performed by rotating the suction collet that suctions and holds the electronic component around an axis perpendicular to the suction surface. The rotational correction of the electronic component may be performed by either the first rotary conveying unit, the second rotary conveying unit, or the position correcting unit.

[0100] :1: Conveying device, :11: First rotary conveying unit, :12: Second rotary conveying unit, :13: Third rotary conveying unit, :20: Position correction unit, :30: Ejecting device, :35: Pin, :50: Taping unit, :70: Control unit, :101, 102, 103: Rotating body, :110: First holding unit, :111: Suction collet, :111a, 121a, 131a: Suction surface, :112: Advance / retreat drive mechanism, :113: Shaft, :114: Connecting member, :120: Second holding unit, :130: Third holding unit, :210: Suction holding unit, :211: Suction collet ret, :211a: suction surface, :213: fixing member, :220: rotary conveying table, :221: table, :223: rotation drive unit, :230: parallel drive unit, :231: base, :233: first drive mechanism, :233a, 235a: guide, :233b, 235b: slide unit, :233c: top plate, :235: second drive mechanism, :250: imaging unit, :Q0: pickup position, :Q1: first transfer position, :Q2: second transfer position, :Q3: third transfer position, :Q4: supply position, :S: wafer sheet, :W: electronic component

Claims

1. A conveying device comprising: a first holding unit that adsorbs and holds an electronic component on an adsorption surface, and a first rotary conveying unit that moves the first holding unit along a circular orbit; a second holding unit that adsorbs and holds the electronic component on an adsorption surface, and a second rotary conveying unit that moves the second holding unit along a circular orbit; and a position correction unit provided between the first rotary conveying unit and the second rotary conveying unit on the conveying path of the electronic component, which corrects the position of the electronic component received from the first holding unit and delivers it to the second holding unit. The position correction unit has an adsorption surface for adsorbing and holding the electronic component, an adsorption holding unit that performs the transfer of the electronic component with the first holding unit at a first transfer position and the transfer of the electronic component with the second holding unit at a second transfer position; a rotary conveying table provided with the adsorption holding unit and moving the adsorption holding unit along a circular orbit centered on a rotation axis; and a parallel drive unit that moves the rotary conveying table in parallel to correct the planar position of the electronic component adsorbed and held by the adsorption holding unit. At the second transfer position, the adsorption surface of the opposing adsorption holding unit and the adsorption surface of the second holding unit are parallel.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the rotary conveying table intermittently moves at a predetermined rotation pitch while stopping at the first transfer position and the second transfer position, and the parallel drive unit moves the rotary conveying table in parallel during the rotation of the rotary conveying table to correct the planar position of the electronic component adsorbed and held by the adsorption holding unit.

3. The conveying device according to claim 2, wherein the timing of delivering the electronic component from the first holding unit to the adsorption holding unit at the first transfer position and the timing of delivering the electronic component from the adsorption holding unit to the second holding unit at the second transfer position are the same.

4. The conveying device according to claim 2, wherein the timing of delivering the electronic component from the first holding unit to the adsorption holding unit at the first transfer position and the timing of delivering the electronic component from the adsorption holding unit to the second holding unit at the second transfer position are different.

Images