Pin acquisition device and pin acquisition method

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a pin acquisition device and a pin acquisition method with which it is possible to stably acquire some pins from among a large number of pins. [Solution] In a pin acquisition device 1, a pin placement part 3 in which a groove 6 is formed is vibrated to cause a large number of pins to bounce, a plurality of pins are stored inside a bottle part 23 capable of holding the pins in an upright state by an attraction arm 10 that attracts and fixes a plurality of the bounced pins, the bottle part is vibrated to discharge a single pin via an insertion hole provided in the bottom surface of an internal space in the bottle part, one end of the single pin is brought into contact with a stopper 40 arranged at a position at a distance from the outlet of the insertion hole shorter than the total length of the pins in the pin discharge direction, and the single pin is held in an upright state.

Description

Pin acquisition device and pin acquisition method

[0001] The present invention relates to a pin acquisition device and a pin acquisition method, and more particularly to a pin acquisition device and a pin acquisition method that are capable of acquiring some pins from a large number of supplied pins.

[0002] Conventionally, a large number of pins are stored in a cylindrical case, and workers would take the pins out of the case directly onto a desk or flat workbench, disperse the pins on the workbench, and then manually pick up the pins from the multiple pins scattered on the workbench using tweezers or the like.

[0003] The pins in question are very small, with a diameter of around 30 μm and a total length of 10 to 20 mm. Because the pins are small and require delicate handling, errors are likely to occur and the operator must be highly skilled.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a micro pin supply device that aligns flanged micro pins and inserts (supplies) them one by one into a predetermined position. According to Patent Document 1, the micro pin supply device is composed of a vibrating chute that aligns the micro pins in a hopper, a swivel arm that has a protrusion with a suction port that sucks and captures the micro pins arranged in contact with the front end of the vibrating chute and that moves forward and backward and rotates using a carriage, and a shutter that is inserted between the tip of the vibrating chute and the second micro pin. The protrusion on the swivel arm acts as a stopper to stop the micro pin moving forward down the vibrating chute, and after the micro pin is captured by the suction port of the protrusion, the shutter separates it from the second micro pin and moves the adsorbed micro pin to a transfer position. This makes it possible to supply micro pins one by one to a predetermined position.

[0005] JP 04-45013

[0006] Previously, the task of picking out just one pin from a large number of small pins was done manually. Because the pins were small and required delicate handling, manual work was prone to errors and required a high level of skill from the worker.

[0007] Furthermore, the pins handled by the micro-pin feeder disclosed in Patent Document 1 are approximately 0.4 mm in diameter and have flanges. Therefore, it is expected that it would be difficult to use the micro-pin feeder for pins with a diameter of around 30 μm and no flange.

[0008] In this situation, the inventor of the present invention has conducted extensive research and experimentation to overcome the above-mentioned problems, and has come up with the idea of ​​the present invention, which solves this problem by using vibration to bounce some of the pins from the large number of pins when picking them up, regulating the axial direction of the bounced pins and suction-fixing them, storing the pins that have been suction-fixed and having an internal space in which the pins are held in an upright position, and discharging a single pin through an insertion hole in the bottom of the internal space with a diameter that allows only one pin to pass through, thereby gradually reducing the number of pins from a supply of many pins and making it possible to pick out a single pin in an upright position.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a pin acquisition device and pin acquisition method that can stably acquire pins by causing some of the pins to bounce from a large number of pins using vibration, suctioning and fixing the bounced pins, and gradually reducing the number of pins, and furthermore, can extract a single pin in an upright state.

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the pin obtaining device of the present invention is a pin obtaining device for obtaining some pins from a large number of pins, and includes a pin placing section configured in a groove shape and capable of regulating the axial direction of the large number of pins placed therein so that it coincides with the groove direction; a first vibration applying section capable of vibrating the pin placing section to cause at least some of the large number of pins to bounce inside the pin placing section; a suction arm that sucks and fixes a plurality of the bounced pins above the pin placing section via the sides of the plurality of pins; and a storage device that stores the plurality of pins that have been sucked and fixed to the suction arm. The device is characterized by comprising: a bottle portion having an internal space in which the plurality of pins can be held in an upright state, capable of ejecting a single pin through an insertion hole provided on the bottom surface of the internal space and having a diameter that allows only one pin to pass through; a second vibration application portion that vibrates the bottle portion to eject the single pin through the insertion hole; and a stopper located at a distance from the outlet of the insertion hole that is shorter than the entire length of the pin in the pin ejection direction, wherein one end of the single pin is brought into contact with the stopper and the other end is brought into contact with the insertion hole to hold the single pin in an upright state.

[0011] The suction arm of the present invention is characterized in that it has an air intake port facing the pin mounting portion, the air intake port facing the pin mounting portion, being configured in a groove shape, and being disposed inside a guide portion that can regulate the axial directions of the multiple pins that are suction-fixed to the suction arm so that they coincide with the direction of the groove.

[0012] The present invention is also characterized in that the internal space of the pin placement portion has a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the groove direction that widens toward the opening.

[0013] In addition, the bottle part of the present invention is characterized in that the multiple pins are stored in the internal space via the lid part, and the single pin is ejected by vibrating the bottle part vertically with the lid part closed.

[0014] The present invention is also characterized in that it further comprises a compressed air supply unit capable of supplying compressed air to the internal space, and the compressed air supply unit supplies the compressed air when the bottle portion vibrates.

[0015] the bottle portion stores the pins fixed by the suction arm via a lid portion, and has an internal space in which the pins can be held upright, and the bottle portion has an insertion hole provided on the bottom surface of the internal space and having a diameter sufficient to allow only one pin to pass through; a compressed air supply unit supplies compressed air to the internal space when the lid portion of the bottle portion is closed, and discharges the single pin through the insertion hole; and a stopper is disposed at a distance from the outlet of the insertion hole in the pin discharge direction that is shorter than the entire length of the pin. The single pin is held in an upright position by bringing one end of the single pin into contact with the stopper and the other end into contact with the insertion hole.

[0016] The present invention also provides a pin obtaining method for obtaining some pins from a large number of pins, comprising a first step of arranging a large number of pins in a pin placement section configured in a groove shape and capable of regulating the axial direction of each of the large number of pins placed therein so that it coincides with the groove direction; a second step of vibrating the pin placement section to cause at least some of the large number of pins to bounce inside the pin placement section, and suction-fixing a plurality of the bounced pins to a suction arm above the pin placement section that sucks and adsorbs the plurality of pins via the sides of the plurality of pins; and a second step of removing the plurality of pins adsorbed and fixed to the suction arm. a third step of storing the pins in a bottle having an internal space capable of holding the pins in an upright position; and a fourth step of vibrating the bottle to eject a single pin through an insertion hole provided on the bottom surface of the internal space and having a diameter that allows only one pin to pass through, and bringing one end of the single pin into contact with a stopper located at a distance from the exit of the insertion hole in the direction of ejection of the pin that is shorter than the entire length of the pin, so that the single pin is held in an upright position by the insertion hole and the stopper, making the single pin retrievable.

[0017] The present invention also provides a pin obtaining method for obtaining some pins from a large number of pins, comprising a first step of arranging a large number of pins in a pin placement section that is configured in a groove shape and can regulate the axial direction of each of the large number of pins placed therein so that it coincides with the groove direction; a second step of vibrating the pin placement section to cause at least some of the large number of pins to bounce inside the pin placement section, and suction-fixing a plurality of the bounced pins to a suction arm that sucks and adsorbs the plurality of pins via the sides of the plurality of pins above the pin placement section; and a second step of removing the plurality of pins that have been suction-fixed to the suction arm so that the plurality of pins are aligned. The method is characterized by comprising a third step of storing the pins via a lid inside a bottle having an internal space that can be held in an upright state; and a fourth step of supplying compressed air to the bottle with the lid closed to eject a single pin through an insertion hole provided on the bottom surface of the internal space and having a diameter that allows only one pin to pass through, and bringing one end of the single pin into contact with a stopper positioned at a distance from the outlet of the insertion hole that is shorter than the entire length of the pin in the pin ejection direction, so that the single pin is held in an upright state by the insertion hole and the stopper, making the single pin retrievable.

[0018] According to the present invention, when acquiring pins, a single pin can be acquired stably by gradually reducing the number of pins supplied from a large number of pins in two stages.

[0019] That is, according to the present invention, in the first step, the pin mounting section is vibrated to cause at least some of the numerous pins to bounce inside the pin mounting section, and the suction arm sucks and fixes several of the bounced pins above the pin mounting section via the abdomens of the several pins, and because the axial direction of the sucked pins is aligned with the groove in the suction arm, some of the pins can be stably removed from the pin mounting section.

[0020] Furthermore, according to the present invention, in the second step, a plurality of pins fixed by suction to the suction arm are stored in the internal space of the bottle section, and the bottle section, which has an insertion hole on the bottom surface of the internal space with a diameter that allows only one pin to pass through, is vibrated to eject a single pin through the insertion hole, and one end of the single pin is brought into contact with a stopper located at a distance from the outlet of the insertion hole in the direction in which the pin is ejected that is shorter than the entire length of the pin, and the other end is brought into contact with the insertion hole, thereby holding the single pin in an upright position, and thereby enabling the single pin to be stably removed.

[0021] Furthermore, according to the present invention, even pins with small diameters can be obtained stably because they do not need to be pinched and gripped as with tweezers.

[0022] Furthermore, according to the present invention, when picking up a portion of pins from a large number of pins, the worker does not need to be highly skilled, and the pin picking work can be carried out continuously, thereby improving the productivity of the pin picking work.

[0023] 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of the configuration of a pin acquisition device that acquires a single pin from a large number of pins. FIG. 1 is a view including a partial cross-sectional view of a pin mounting stage in a pin mounting unit, showing the shape of the internal space in the pin mounting stage and a state in which a pin is mounted on the pin mounting stage. FIG. 2 is a view showing the shape of the tip of a pin suction arm of a pin suction arm, where (a) is a perspective view of the tip of the pin suction arm, (b) is a front view of the tip of the pin suction arm, (c) is a bottom view of the tip of the pin suction arm, and (d) is a perspective view showing a state in which the tip of the pin suction arm has suction-fixed a pin. FIG. 3 is a side view including a partial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a bottle unit. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the pin acquisition process for acquiring a single pin from a large number of pins. FIG. 4 is a view showing a state in which a pin is stored in the pin mounting stage of the pin acquisition device. FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which a pin suction-fixed by the pin suction arm is supplied to a bottle body. FIG. 6 is a view showing a state in which the bottle body is raised and the pin is stored in the bottle body. FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which the pin suction arm is retracted and the pin is stored inside the bottle body. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which the top of the bottle body is closed with the lid and vibrated. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which a pin has been ejected from an insertion hole in the bottle body. 3 is a flowchart showing a pin acquisition process in which compressed air is supplied to the internal space of the bottle body instead of using a bottle part up / down mechanism as a second vibration applying unit to eject a single pin.

[0024] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a pin acquisition device and a pin acquisition method according to the present invention will be described. The present invention provides a pin acquisition device and a pin acquisition method for acquiring a portion of pins from a large number of pins. The device vibrates a pin placement unit containing a large number of pins, causing some of the pins to bounce inside the pin placement unit, and then uses a suction arm to suck and fix some of the bounced pins via the sides of the pins. The device and method acquire a portion of the pins from the large number of pins by gradually reducing the number of pins during pin acquisition, thereby stably acquiring a portion of the pins and even extracting a single pin. The term "a portion of the pins" refers to a plurality of pins, including a single pin.

[0025] [Configuration of the Pin Acquisition Device] First, a pin acquisition device capable of acquiring some pins from a large number of small pins will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Note that the size of the pins in the pin acquisition device of the present invention is, for example, very small, with a diameter of approximately 30 μm and a total length of 10 to 20 mm, but the present invention is also contemplated for implementation as long as the diameter is 10 μm or more, and the size of the pins is not limited to very small ones, and there are no restrictions on both the diameter and the total length.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the outline of the configuration of a pin acquisition device that acquires some pins from a large number of pins. FIG. 2 is a view including a partial cross-section of the pin mounting stage in the pin placement unit, showing the shape of the internal space in the pin mounting stage and the state in which pins are placed on the pin mounting stage. FIG. 3 is a view showing the shape of the tip of the pin suction arm of the pin suction arm, with FIG. 3( a) being a perspective view of the tip of the pin suction arm, FIG. 3( b) being a front view of the tip of the pin suction arm, FIG. 3( c) being a bottom view of the tip of the pin suction arm, and FIG. 3( d) being a perspective view showing the state in which the tip of the pin suction arm has suctioned and fixed a pin. FIG. 4 is a (side) view including a partial cross-section showing the configuration of a bottle unit. As shown in FIG. 1, the pin acquisition device 1 has a pin placement unit 3, a suction arm 10, and a bottle unit 23.

[0027] [Configuration of the Pin Mounting Unit in the Pin Acquisition Device] First, the pin mounting unit 3 of the pin acquisition device 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the pin mounting unit 3 of the pin acquisition device 1 includes a pin mounting stage 5 that stores a large number of pins 50 (shown in FIG. 2) therein, and a swing mechanism 8. As shown in FIG. 2, the pin mounting stage 5 is configured in a groove shape, and the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the groove direction is configured to widen toward the opening direction. For example, the pin mounting stage 5 has a V-shaped or U-shaped groove 6. As a result, the groove 6 is arranged so that the axial direction of each of the large number of pins 50 placed therein coincides with the groove direction, thereby making it possible to regulate the axial direction of the pins 50. The groove 6 of the pin mounting stage 5 is large enough to store, for example, 100 or more pins 50.

[0028] 1, the pin mounting unit 3 has a swinging mechanism 8 as a first vibration applying unit that swings the pin mounting stage 5 and vibrates the pins 50 inside the pin mounting stage 5. The swinging mechanism 8 mounts the pin mounting stage 5 and swings the pin 50 mounting stage 5 so that the stage 5 vibrates in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the numerous pins 50 mounted inside the pin mounting stage 5. In FIG. 1, the vibration direction 43 of the pin mounting stage 5 swung by the swinging mechanism 8 is indicated by an arrow.

[0029] When the pin mounting stage 5 is oscillated by the oscillating mechanism 8, the pins 50 stored inside the pin mounting stage 5 vibrate, and the axial direction of the pins 50 becomes aligned with the groove direction of the pin mounting portion 3. Furthermore, the pins 50 whose axial directions on the surface are aligned inside the pin mounting stage 5 jump up, and the pins 50 become scattered. The pins 50 that jump up at this time are only a part of the many pins 50 stored inside the pin mounting stage 5, and are, for example, around 10 pins. It is possible to change the number of pins 50 that jump up by adjusting the vibration frequency of the oscillating mechanism 8.

[0030] The oscillation mechanism 8 serving as the first vibration applying unit is preferably a linear motor capable of generating vibration by reciprocating in one axial direction. Note that the oscillation mechanism 8 is not limited to a linear motor that generates vibration by reciprocating, and may be another mechanism that generates vibration, such as a vibrator.

[0031] [Configuration of the Suction Arm in the Pin Acquisition Device] Next, a description will be given of the suction arm that sucks and fixes the pads of multiple pins above the pin mounting stage with reference to Figures 1 and 3. As shown in Figure 1, the suction arm 10 of the pin acquisition device 1 has a pin suction arm 12, a pin suction arm tip 13, a vacuum suction connection part 17, a pin suction arm slide part 18, a pin suction arm drive mechanism 19, a rotary shaft 20, a rotary shaft arm 21, and a rotary shaft drive part (not shown).

[0032] The suction arm 10 sucks and fixes the pins 50 from the pin mounting stage 5. The pin suction arm 12 of the suction arm 10 has a pin suction arm tip 13 at its tip that sucks and fixes the multiple pins 50. FIG. 3 shows the shape of the pin suction arm tip 13 of the pin suction arm 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the pin suction arm tip 13 is arranged to face the pin mounting section 3. As shown in FIGS. 3( a), 3(b), and 3(c), the pin suction arm tip 13 has a groove-shaped guide portion 15 that can regulate the axial direction of the multiple pins 50 sucked and fixed to the pin suction arm tip 13 so that the groove direction coincides with the groove direction. An air intake 16 is provided inside the guide portion 15. As shown in FIG. 3(d), the multiple pins 50 are sucked and fixed to the pin suction arm tip 13 so that the axial direction of the pins coincides with the groove direction. Therefore, the groove direction of the groove-shaped guide portion 15 is arranged to face and coincide with the groove direction of the groove 6 of the pin mounting stage 5.

[0033] 1 , the pin suction arm 12 has a vacuum suction connection part 17 at its upper part. The vacuum suction connection part 17 is connected to an air intake port 16 at the tip end 13 of the pin suction arm by an exhaust path (not shown) provided inside the pin suction arm 12. An external vacuum suction device (not shown) is connected to the vacuum suction connection part 17 of the pin suction arm 12, and the pin 50 is sucked and fixed to the air intake port 16 by the vacuum suction device. The vacuum suction operation of the vacuum suction device can be controlled by an ON / OFF signal.

[0034] The pin absorption arm 12 is mounted on a pin absorption arm slide section 18 that can move up and down, and the pin absorption arm slide section 18 can be moved up and down by a pin absorption arm drive mechanism 19. By moving the pin absorption arm slide section 18 up and down, the pin absorption arm tip section 13 can be lowered above the pin mounting stage 5 and absorb the pins 50. The movement direction 44 of the pin absorption arm slide section 18 is indicated by an arrow in Figure 1.

[0035] A pin absorption arm drive mechanism 19 that drives the pin absorption arm slide portion 18 is provided on a rotary shaft arm 21, which is directly connected to a rotary shaft 20. The rotary shaft 20 is driven by a motor (not shown) of a rotary shaft drive portion.

[0036] The rotary shaft arm 21 is configured to be rotatable by 90 degrees in the vertical direction by the rotary shaft 20. When the rotary shaft 20 rotates the rotary shaft arm 21 by 90 degrees counterclockwise in a rotation direction 45 of the rotary shaft arm 21 indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1, the pin absorption arm slide portion 18 also rotates by 90 degrees, and the groove direction of the pin absorption arm tip portion 13 is positioned vertically. Furthermore, when the pin absorption arm 12 is rotated by 90 degrees, the pin absorption arm slide portion 18 is moved by the pin absorption arm drive mechanism 19, and the pin absorption arm tip portion 13 can be moved horizontally. Note that FIG. 8, which will be described later, shows a state in which the pin absorption arm slide portion 18 has been rotated by 90 degrees counterclockwise from the state in FIG. 1.

[0037] [Configuration of Bottle Unit in Pin Acquisition Device] Next, with reference to Figures 1 and 4, a description will be given of the bottle unit that stores multiple pins that are fixed by suction to a suction arm and holds the multiple pins in an upright position. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the bottle unit 23 of the pin acquisition device 1 has a bottle body 24, a lid 30, and a stopper 40. As shown in Figure 4, the bottle body 24 of the bottle unit 23 is generally cylindrical overall, and the lower part of the bottle body 24 gradually tapers downward to form an inverted truncated cone with a horizontal lower end.

[0038] The bottle body 24 shown in cross section in Figure 4 has an internal space 25 that stores multiple pins 50 that are fixed by suction to the pin suction arm 12 and can hold the multiple pins 50 in an upright position. An insertion hole 28 having a diameter that allows only one pin 50 to pass through is provided in the bottom surface of the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24, and the insertion hole 28 is located at the center of the bottom surface of the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24. In this way, the bottle body 24 can eject a single pin 50 through the insertion hole 28.

[0039] Although the bottom surface of the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24 shown in Figure 4 is flat, for example, the bottom surface of the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24 may have an inclined surface for guiding the pin 50 into the insertion hole 28, and the inclined surface may be provided from the inner peripheral surface at the bottom surface of the internal space 25 toward below the through hole.

[0040] 1 and 4, the lid 30 is provided on a lid slide 32 located toward the upper portion of the bottle body 24, and is movable in the up and down direction by the lid slide 32. The movement direction 47 of the lid slide 32 is indicated by an arrow in FIG.

[0041] 4, the lid portion 30 has a space at its bottom, which covers the upper part of the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24 when the bottle body 24 vibrates, preventing the pins 50 from flying out. On the other hand, when the pins 50 are supplied from the suction arm 10 to the bottle body 24, the lid portion 30 moves to open the upper part of the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24. In addition, the top surface of the lid portion 30 has an air supply connection portion 31 that supplies compressed air to the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24, and the lid portion 30 blows the compressed air supplied from the air supply connection portion 31 into the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24.

[0042] 1 and 4, the bottle body 24 and lid slide part 32 are provided on an L-shaped bottle slide part 29, with the bottle body 24 located at the bottom of the bottle slide part 29 and the lid slide part 32 located at the top of the bottle slide part 29. The bottle slide part 29 is movable up and down (vertically) and is driven by a bottle lifting mechanism 35.

[0043] Furthermore, the lid slide part 32 of the bottle slide part 29 is moved up and down by the lid drive part 33, which is provided on the bottle slide part 29. This allows the lid part 30 of the lid slide part 32 to move up and down independently on the bottle slide part 29, and further allows the lid part 30 to move up and down together with the bottle body 24 by the bottle slide part 29.

[0044] The lid drive unit 33 moves the lid 30 of the lid slide unit 32 up and down, and when the pin suction arm 12 supplies the pin 50 to the bottle body 24, it raises and retracts the lid 30 to open the upper part of the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24. When the bottle body 24 is vibrated or compressed air is supplied, it lowers the lid 30 to seal the inside of the bottle body 24.

[0045] The air supply connection 31 of the lid 30 is connected to an external air supply device (not shown), and compressed air is supplied from the top of the lid 30 to the through-hole 28 of the bottle body 24 to eject the single pin 50. The air supply device can control the air supply operation by an ON / OFF signal.

[0046] Furthermore, the bottle section 23 has a bottle section up / down mechanism 35 that moves the bottle body 24 and lid section 30 up and down in the vertical direction, and the bottle body 24 is moved up and down by the bottle section up / down mechanism 35 when the pin suction arm 12 supplies pins 50 to the bottle body 24. The bottle section up / down mechanism 35 is also used as a second vibration applying unit that vibrates the bottle body 24 (and lid section 30). By reciprocating the bottle section up / down mechanism 35 up and down at high speed over a short distance, the bottle body 24 is vibrated in the vertical direction, and a single pin 50 is ejected from the outlet of the insertion hole 28.

[0047] The ejection operation of the pin 50 in the bottle portion 23 can be exemplified by the following three operations. As a first operation, only the bottle body 24 is vibrated by the bottle portion up-and-down mechanism 35. As a second operation, compressed air is supplied to the bottle body 24. As a third operation, the bottle body 24 is vibrated and compressed air is supplied simultaneously. The ejection operation can be performed by any of these operations. Note that the bottle portion up-and-down mechanism 35 only vibrates the bottle body 24 in the vertical direction, but it may also be a mechanism that vibrates the bottle body 24 in the horizontal direction or in a direction that is a combination of the vertical and horizontal directions, for example, as a second vibration applying unit.

[0048] It is also possible to connect a vacuum ejector, which is used as a means for transporting objects by suction, to the air supply device, and to connect the negative pressure flow path of the vacuum ejector to the air supply connection part 31. The vacuum ejector performs suction by flowing compressed air into a diffuser (vacuum generating mechanism) to generate negative pressure. In this case, the air supply connection part 31 can not only supply compressed air from the air supply device, but also switch to supplying compressed air and connect the negative pressure flow path for suction by the vacuum ejector. That is, it is also possible to perform suction by flowing compressed air into the diffuser and using the vacuum ejector to reverse the air flow. When stopping this suction operation, it is possible to send breaking air (compressed air from the air supply device) into the negative pressure flow path of the vacuum ejector to ensure that the suction operation is stopped reliably.

[0049] When a vacuum ejector is connected to the air supply device, during the suction operation of the vacuum ejector, the pin 50 stored inside the bottle portion 23 is sucked and moves toward the lid portion, and when the suction operation stops, breaking air (compressed air from the air supply device) is supplied to the negative pressure flow path of the vacuum ejector, and a single pin 50 is ejected from the outlet of the insertion hole 28 along the flow of the breaking air.

[0050] 1 and 4, the stopper 40 of the bottle portion 23 is disposed at a distance from the exit of the insertion hole 28 that is shorter than the overall length of the pin 50 in the direction in which the pin 50 is ejected. The pin 50 extended from the bottle main body 24 is received by the stopper 40 located on the lower side of the bottle main body 24, causing the pin 50 to stop on the stopper 40. The bottle portion 23 holds the single pin 50 in an upright position by bringing one end of the single pin 50 into contact with the stopper 40 and the other end into contact with the insertion hole 28.

[0051] 1 and 4, a first pin detection sensor 41 that detects the presence or absence of pins 50 is provided near the top of the bottle body 24. The first pin detection sensor 41 detects the presence or absence of pins 50 in the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24, and the detection signal is used to control the supply operation of the pin suction arm 12 to supply the pins 50.

[0052] Also provided is a second pin detection sensor 42 that detects whether the pin 50 has been ejected from the bottle body 24. The second pin detection sensor 42 is provided near the midpoint between the through hole of the bottle body 24 and the stopper 40. The first pin detection sensor 41 and the second pin detection sensor 42 may be, for example, a reflective sensor that emits light from a light emitting unit and receives reflected light from an object to detect the presence of the object, thereby detecting the presence or absence of the pin 50.

[0053] The pins 50 ejected from the bottle body 24 are ready to be retrieved using a pin gripping device, pin suction device, or the like (not shown). That is, the pins 50 ejected from the bottle body 24 are held by the stopper 40 below the bottle body 24 and are in an upright position, and one pin 50 can be retrieved by sucking or gripping the pin 50 from the horizontal direction via the bottom of the pin 50 using a pin gripping device, not shown, or the like, and then raising the bottle body 24 in that state.

[0054] The pin acquisition device 1 also has a control unit (not shown) with a built-in computer, and the motors, sensors, and other components of the drive units of the pin placement unit 3, the suction arm 10, and the bottle unit 23 are controlled by executing computer programs.

[0055] [Pin Acquisition Process] Next, a pin acquisition method for acquiring a single pin from a large number of pins will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0056] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the pin acquisition process for acquiring a single pin from a large number of pins. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which a pin has been stored on the pin mounting stage of the pin acquisition device. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which a pin has been sucked and fixed by the pin suction arm of the pin acquisition device. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which a pin sucked and fixed by the pin suction arm is supplied to a bottle body. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the bottle body has risen and the pin has been stored in the bottle body. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the pin suction arm has retracted and the pin has been stored inside the bottle body. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which the top of the bottle body is closed with the lid and is vibrating. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state in which the pin has been ejected from the insertion hole in the bottle body.

[0057] 5 and 6 , in the first step, a large number of pins 50 are stored inside the grooves 6 of the pin mounting stage 5 in the pin mounting unit 3 (step S1). At this time, it is sufficient that the axial direction of each of the large number of pins 50 roughly coincides with the groove direction of the groove 6. This is because, in the next second step, the pin mounting stage 5 is vibrated, thereby making it possible to regulate the axial direction of each of the large number of pins 50 mounted therein so that it naturally coincides with the groove direction.

[0058] [Second Step of Obtaining Pins] Next, in the second step, the pin mounting stage 5 is vibrated by moving the pin mounting stage 5 back and forth at high speed by the swinging mechanism 8 in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the pins 50, as shown in the pin mounting stage vibration direction 43 indicated by the arrow in Fig. 7 (step S2). As a result, some of the pins 50 stored in the pin mounting stage 5 bounce upward within the internal space of the pin mounting stage 5.

[0059] 7 , the pin suction arm 12 is lowered above the pin mounting stage 5 to suck the bottoms of the pins 50, and the pins 50 are fixed to the pin suction arm 12 with their axial directions horizontal (step S3). At this point, the pin suction arm 12 picks up around 10 pins 50. At this time, the axial directions of the picked-up pins are aligned with the groove direction of the guide portion 15 formed in the groove shape at the tip 13 of the pin suction arm, so the pins can be stably removed from the pin mounting stage 5.

[0060] In this case, the number of pins 50 that are attracted by the pin suction arm 12 can be adjusted by changing the vibration frequency of the swinging mechanism 8, the distance between the pin suction arm tip 13 and the pin mounting stage 5 when the pin suction arm 12 is lowered, the suction force of the vacuum suction device, the groove shape of the groove-like guide portion 15 at the pin suction arm tip 13, etc.

[0061] 5 and 8, in the third step, the pin suction arm 12 is raised and the rotary shaft 20 is rotated 90 degrees toward the bottle portion 23 as indicated by the arrow 45 of the rotary shaft arm in Fig. 8, thereby changing the axial direction of the attracted pins 50 from horizontal to vertical. The pin suction arm slide unit 18 moves the pin suction arm 12 horizontally to move the pin 50 onto the bottle body 24 (step S4).

[0062] 5 and 9, after the pins 50 have moved onto the bottle body 24, the bottle body 24 is raised by the bottle section lifting mechanism 35, and the pins 50 are inserted into the internal space 25 from the top of the bottle body 24 so that part of the entire length of the pins 50 is located in the internal space 25. In this state, the pin suction arm 12 is released from suction, and after suction is released, the pins 50 drop into and are stored in the internal space 25 of the bottle body 24 (step S5). As a result, as shown in Fig. 10, the multiple pins 50 suction-fixed to the pin suction arm 12 are stored in the bottle body 24, which has an internal space 25 that can hold the multiple pins 50 in an upright position.

[0063] [Regarding the fourth step of pin acquisition] Next, as shown in Figures 5 and 11, in the fourth step, after the multiple pins 50 have been stored in the bottle body 24, the pin suction arm 12 is retracted away from the bottle body 24, and the lid portion 30 is lowered to contact the top of the bottle body 24, sealing the inside of the bottle body 24 (step S6).

[0064] 5 and 12, the bottle body 24 is then reciprocated up and down at high speed by the bottle section lifting / lowering mechanism 35, vibrating the bottle body 24 and causing the pin 50 to bounce inside the bottle body 24 (step S7). The vibration causes a single pin 50 to fall through a single pin-sized insertion hole 28 (shown in FIG. 4) on the underside of the bottle body 24. The fallen pin 50 is caught by the stopper 40 at the bottom of the bottle body 24, and the pin 50 stops at the bottom of the bottle body 24. The second pin detection sensor 42 checks whether the pin 50 has been ejected (step S8), and when the pin 50 has been ejected (step S9), the vibration of the bottle body 24 is stopped (step S10).

[0065] The stopper 40 is located at a distance shorter than the total length of the pin 50 in the direction of ejection of the pin 50 from the exit of the insertion hole 28 of the bottle body 24 of the bottle portion 23, so that one end of the single pin 50 comes into contact with the insertion hole 28 and the single pin 50 is held in an upright position by the stopper 40.

[0066] The pins 50 ejected from the bottle body 24 are ready to be retrieved using a pin gripping device, pin suction device, or the like (not shown). The pin gripping device, or the like (not shown), sucks or grips the pin 50 from the horizontal direction via the bottom of the pin 50, and then raises the bottle body 24 in this state, thereby retrieving one pin 50.

[0067] [Regarding the Alternative Fourth Step in Pin Acquisition] Meanwhile, as an alternative fourth step, instead of vibrating the bottle body 24 up and down with high-speed reciprocating movement after step S6, it is also possible to supply compressed air from an air supply device. Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the pin acquisition step in which compressed air is supplied to the internal space of the bottle body to eject a single pin, instead of using a bottle body up-and-down mechanism as the second vibration applying unit. Note that the steps shown in Figure 13 are the same as those up to step S6 shown in Figure 5, so only the steps after step S6 will be described.

[0068] As shown in Figure 13, after the interior of the bottle body 24 is sealed, compressed air is supplied to the interior (step S11). This causes a single pin 50 to be ejected (fall) along the air flow from an insertion hole 28 on the underside of the bottle body 24 that is large enough for one pin. The dropped pin 50 is caught by a stopper 40 at the bottom of the bottle body 24, and the pin 50 stops at the bottom of the bottle body 24. The second pin detection sensor 42 checks whether the pin 50 has been ejected (step S12), and when the pin 50 has been ejected (step S13), the supply of compressed air to the interior of the bottle body 24 is stopped (step S14).

[0069] The stopper 40 is provided at a position in the bottle part 23 that is shorter than the total length of the pin 50 in the direction of ejection of the pin 50 from the exit of the insertion hole 28 of the bottle main body 24. This holds the single pin 50 in an upright position.

[0070] The pins 50 ejected from the bottle body 24 are ready to be retrieved using a pin gripping device, pin suction device, or the like (not shown). The pin gripping device, or the like (not shown), sucks or grips the pin 50 from the horizontal direction via the bottom of the pin 50, and then raises the bottle body 24 in this state, thereby retrieving one pin 50.

[0071] Furthermore, as a new fourth step, it is also possible to eject a single pin by simultaneously vibrating the bottle body 24 and supplying compressed air.

[0072] If the negative pressure flow path of the vacuum ejector is also connected to the air supply connection portion 31 of the air supply device, after the interior of the bottle body 24 is sealed with the lid portion 30, a suction operation is performed at all times except when the single pin 50 is being ejected from the bottle portion 23, thereby preventing the single pin 50 from being ejected unintentionally from the outlet of the insertion hole 28 of the bottle portion 23. In this case, when the single pin 50 is being ejected from the bottle portion 23, the suction operation is stopped and breaking air (compressed air from the air supply device) is supplied to the negative pressure flow path of the vacuum ejector, and the flow of breaking air is used to eject the single pin 50 from the outlet of the insertion hole 28. In addition, in combination with this suction operation and the supply of compressed air as breaking air, vibration of the bottle body 24 can also be used simultaneously.

[0073] As described above, according to the present invention, when acquiring pins, a single pin can be acquired stably by gradually reducing the number of pins from a supply of many pins in two stages.

[0074] Furthermore, according to the present invention, in a first step, the pin mounting section is vibrated to cause at least some of the numerous pins to bounce inside the pin mounting section, and the suction arm sucks and fixes several of the bounced pins above the pin mounting section via the abdomens of the several pins, and since the axial direction of the sucked pins is aligned with the groove in the suction arm, some of the pins can be stably removed from the pin mounting section.

[0075] Furthermore, according to the present invention, in the second step, a plurality of pins fixed by suction to the suction arm are stored in the internal space of the bottle section, and the bottle section, which has an insertion hole on the bottom surface of the internal space with a diameter that allows only one pin to pass through, is vibrated to eject a single pin through the insertion hole, and one end of the single pin is brought into contact with a stopper located at a distance from the outlet of the insertion hole in the direction in which the pin is ejected that is shorter than the entire length of the pin, and the other end is brought into contact with the insertion hole, thereby holding the single pin in an upright position, and thereby enabling the single pin to be stably removed.

[0076] Furthermore, according to the present invention, even pins with small diameters can be obtained stably because they do not need to be pinched and gripped as with tweezers.

[0077] Furthermore, according to the present invention, when picking up a portion of pins from a large number of pins, the worker does not need to be highly skilled, and the pin picking work can be carried out continuously, thereby improving the productivity of the pin picking work.

[0078] Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to eject a single pin by simultaneously vibrating the bottle body 24 and, in combination with this, moving the pin by sucking in gas from the internal space of the bottle portion and supplying gas switched from the sucked gas to the internal space, thereby ensuring that the single pin can be removed.

[0079] The present invention can be embodied in many different forms without departing from its essential characteristics, and it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0080] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Pin acquisition device 3 Pin placement section 5 Pin mounting stage 6 Groove 8 Swing mechanism (first vibration application section) 10 Suction arm 12 Pin suction arm 13 Pin suction arm tip 15 Guide section 16 Air intake 17 Vacuum suction connection section 18 Pin suction arm slide section 19 Pin suction arm drive mechanism 20 Rotation axis 21 Rotation axis arm 23 Bottle section 24 Bottle body 25 Internal space 28 Insertion hole 29 Bottle slide section 30 Lid section 31 Air supply connection section 32 Lid slide section 33 Lid drive section 35 Bottle section up / down mechanism (second vibration application section) 40 Stopper 41 First pin detection sensor 42 Second pin detection sensor 43 Vibration direction of pin mounting stage 44 Movement direction of pin suction arm slide section 45 Rotation direction of rotation axis arm 46 Movement direction of bottle slide part 47 Movement direction of lid slide part 50 Pin

Claims

1. A pin obtaining device for obtaining some pins from a large number of pins, comprising: a pin placing section configured in a groove shape and capable of regulating the axial direction of the large number of pins placed therein so that it coincides with the groove direction; a first vibration applying section capable of vibrating the pin placing section to cause at least some of the large number of pins to bounce inside the pin placing section; a suction arm that sucks and fixes a plurality of the bounced pins above the pin placing section via the sides of the plurality of pins; a bottle section that stores the plurality of pins that are sucked and fixed to the suction arm, has an internal space in which the plurality of pins can be held in an upright state, and is capable of ejecting a single pin through an insertion hole provided on the bottom of the internal space with a diameter that allows only one pin to pass through; a second vibration applying section that vibrates the bottle section to eject a single pin through the insertion hole; and a stopper that is located at a distance from the outlet of the insertion hole in the pin ejection direction that is shorter than the entire length of the pin. A pin obtaining device characterized in that one end of the single pin is brought into contact with the stopper and the other end is brought into contact with the insertion hole, thereby holding the single pin in an upright position.

2. The pin acquisition device according to claim 1, characterized in that the suction arm has an air intake facing the pin placement section, the air intake facing the pin placement section, configured in a groove shape, and disposed inside a guide section that can regulate the axial direction of the multiple pins that are suction-fixed to the suction arm so that it coincides with the direction of the groove.

3. A pin acquisition device according to claim 1, characterized in that the space inside the pin placement section has a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the groove direction that widens toward the opening.

4. The pin acquisition method according to claim 1, characterized in that the bottle part stores the multiple pins in the internal space via a lid part, and the single pin is ejected by vibrating the bottle part vertically with the lid part closed.

5. The pin acquisition device according to claim 4, further comprising a compressed air supply unit capable of supplying compressed air to the internal space, the compressed air supply unit supplying the compressed air when the bottle portion vibrates.

6. A pin obtaining device for obtaining some pins from a large number of pins, comprising: a pin placing section configured in a groove shape and capable of regulating the axial direction of the large number of pins placed therein so that it coincides with the groove direction; a first vibration applying section capable of vibrating the pin placing section to cause at least some of the large number of pins to bounce inside the pin placing section; a suction arm that sucks and fixes a plurality of the bounced pins above the pin placing section via the belly portions of the plurality of pins; a bottle section that stores the plurality of pins that are sucked and fixed to the suction arm via a lid section, has an internal space in which the plurality of pins can be held in an upright state, and is capable of ejecting a single pin through an insertion hole provided on the bottom of the internal space and having a diameter that allows only one pin to pass through; a compressed air supply section that supplies compressed air to the internal space when the lid section of the bottle section is closed, thereby ejecting a single pin through the insertion hole; and a stopper that is located at a distance from the outlet of the insertion hole in the pin ejection direction that is shorter than the entire length of the pin. A pin obtaining device characterized in that one end of the single pin is brought into contact with the stopper and the other end is brought into contact with the insertion hole, thereby holding the single pin in an upright position.

7. A pin obtaining method for obtaining some pins from a large number of pins, comprising: a first step of arranging a large number of pins in a pin mounting section configured in a groove shape and capable of regulating the axial direction of each of the large number of pins mounted therein so that it coincides with the groove direction; a second step of vibrating the pin mounting section to cause at least some of the large number of pins to bounce inside the pin mounting section, and suction-fixing a plurality of the bounced pins to a suction arm that sucks and adsorbs the plurality of pins via the sides of the plurality of pins above the pin mounting section; and a third step of storing the plurality of pins suction-fixed to the suction arm inside a bottle having an internal space capable of holding the plurality of pins in an upright position. a fourth step of vibrating the bottle portion to eject a single pin through an insertion hole provided on the bottom surface of the internal space, the insertion hole having a diameter that allows only one pin to pass through, and bringing one end of the single pin into contact with a stopper located at a distance from the exit of the insertion hole that is shorter than the entire length of the pin in the pin ejection direction, thereby holding the single pin in an upright position by the insertion hole and the stopper, and making the single pin ready to be retrieved.

8. A pin obtaining method for obtaining some pins from a large number of pins, comprising: a first step of arranging a large number of pins in a pin mounting section configured in a groove shape and capable of regulating the axial direction of each of the large number of pins mounted therein so that it coincides with the groove direction; a second step of vibrating the pin mounting section to cause at least some of the large number of pins to bounce inside the pin mounting section, and suction-fixing a plurality of the bounced pins to a suction arm that sucks and adsorbs the plurality of pins via the sides of the plurality of pins above the pin mounting section; and a third step of storing the plurality of pins suction-fixed to the suction arm via a lid section inside a bottle having an internal space capable of holding the plurality of pins in an upright state. a fourth step of supplying compressed air to the bottle portion with the lid portion closed, discharging a single pin through an insertion hole provided on the bottom surface of the internal space and having a diameter that allows only one pin to pass through, and bringing one end of the single pin into contact with a stopper located at a distance from the outlet of the insertion hole that is shorter than the entire length of the pin in the pin discharging direction, thereby holding the single pin in an upright position by the insertion hole and the stopper, and making the single pin available for retrieval.

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