Component gripping device and component mounting machine

Abstract

This component gripping device comprises a cap 75 and an interlocking mechanism 76 (spacing restriction part) for defining a variable range of spacing between a pair of claw parts 711. The cap 75 restricts the spacing between the pair of claw parts 711 from deviating from the variable range. Here, the variable range of the spacing between the pair of claw parts 711 is a range from the spacing between the pair of claw parts 711 at a closed angle θ1 to the spacing between the pair of claw parts 711 at an open angle θ2. Furthermore, the cap 75 and the interlocking mechanism 76 are configured to be able to adjust the variable range of the spacing between the pair of claw parts 711. As a result, it is possible to mount components by using a gripper nozzle 7 in which the variable range of the spacing between the pair of claw parts 711 is appropriate.

Description

Component gripping device and component mounting machine

[0001] The present invention relates to a component gripping device having a pair of claws that grip a component mounted on a circuit board by clamping the component.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a component mounter that uses a suction nozzle to pick up components for mounting them on a circuit board. Also, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, a component gripping device that clamps and grips components using a pair of claws can be used to mount components on a circuit board. With such a component gripping device, the appropriate spacing between the pair of claws is sometimes important. In contrast, component gripping devices that use an air cylinder to change the spacing between the claws can only change the spacing between the minimum and maximum. To address this issue, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for adjusting the spacing between the pair of claws to an intermediate spacing between the minimum and maximum spacings. Specifically, in addition to an air cylinder that opens and closes the pair of claws, a piston drive cylinder that drives a piston within the air cylinder is provided, enabling the spacing between the pair of claws to be controlled to the intermediate spacing.

[0003] JP-A No. 11-138367 JP-A No. 07-237167

[0004] According to Patent Document 2, the gap between the pair of claws can be controlled midway through a variable range from the minimum gap to the maximum gap, and this has the advantage of being able to change the gap between the pair of claws in multiple steps. However, this requires the provision of a complex mechanism, such as driving a piston in one cylinder with another cylinder. Furthermore, such multiple-step gap changes are not always necessary. In other words, if the variable range is appropriate, there may be cases where it is not necessary to control the gap midway through the variable range.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to make it possible to perform component mounting using a component gripping device in which the variable range of the distance between a pair of claws is appropriate.

[0006] The component holding device of the present invention comprises a pair of claw portions that hold components mounted on a circuit board by clamping the components from the holding direction, a drive unit that changes the spacing between the pair of claw portions by driving the claw portions in the holding direction, and a spacing restriction unit that determines the variable range of the spacing between the pair of claw portions and restricts the spacing between the pair of claw portions from deviating from the variable range, and the spacing restriction unit has an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the variable range.

[0007] The component gripping device of the present invention configured in this manner is provided with a spacing restriction unit that defines the variable range of the spacing between the pair of claws, and the spacing restriction unit restricts the spacing between the pair of claws from deviating from the variable range. This spacing restriction unit is configured to be adjustable within the variable range. As a result, component mounting can be performed using a component gripping device with an appropriate variable range of the spacing between the pair of claws.

[0008] The part gripping device may also be configured such that the adjustment mechanism includes a rotating member that rotates in a rotational direction about the rotation axis in response to changes in the spacing between the pair of claws, and a restricting member that prevents the spacing between the pair of claws from deviating from the variable range by stopping the rotation of the rotating member with a stopper that comes into contact with the rotating member, and when the position of the restricting member is changed in the rotational direction, the position of the stopper is changed to adjust the variable range. With this configuration, the variable range of the spacing between the pair of claws can be optimized by the simple task of changing the position of the restricting member that stops the rotating member that rotates in response to changes in the spacing between the pair of claws with the stopper.

[0009] In this case, the part holding device may be configured so that the stoppers are provided on both sides of the rotation shaft.

[0010] The part gripping device may also be configured such that the adjustment mechanism has a pair of pins fixed to the pair of claws, the rotating member has a pair of hooks provided on both sides of the rotation shaft and engaging with the pair of pins, and when the pair of pins are driven in the gripping direction in response to the pair of claws being driven in the gripping direction, the rotating member rotates in the rotational direction around the rotation shaft. With this configuration, the spacing between the pair of claws can be accurately regulated within a variable range with a simple configuration in which the stopper of the regulating member comes into contact with the rotating member to stop the rotating member.

[0011] The part gripping device may further include a main body having a recess formed therein with an inner peripheral surface along a circumference centered on the rotation axis, a rotating member disposed within the recess and rotatably supported by the main body in a rotational direction, a regulating member having a disk plate with an outer peripheral surface along the circumference, the disk plate disposed within the recess overlapping the rotating member, the outer peripheral surface of the disk plate facing the inner peripheral surface of the recess, and a stopper protruding from the disk plate toward the rotating member, such that when the position of the disk plate within the recess in the rotational direction is changed, the position of the stopper is changed to adjust the variable range. With this configuration, the variable range of the gap between the pair of claws can be optimized by simply changing the position of the disk plate in the rotational direction. Furthermore, the inner peripheral surface of the recess and the outer peripheral surface of the disk plate disposed within the recess can accurately guide the change in position of the disk plate in the rotational direction. This makes it easier to change the position of the disk plate in the rotational direction.

[0012] The part gripping device may also be configured so that the disk plate overlaps the rotating member from above, with the rotating member positioned between the disk plate and the bottom surface of the recess. In this configuration, the disk plate is exposed from above. Therefore, by recognizing the disk plate from above, it is possible to confirm the position of the disk plate in the rotation direction, i.e., the variable range of the spacing between the pair of claws.

[0013] The part gripping device may further include a screw fastened to the main body, the rotating member having a flange protruding from the disk plate, and the restricting member being fixed to the main body by the screw. With this configuration, the distance between the pair of claws can be fixed and maintained at an appropriate distance.

[0014] The component gripping device may be configured so that the main body has a plurality of screw holes at different positions in the rotational direction, and the screws can be fastened to each of the plurality of screw holes. In this configuration, the disk plate can be fixed with the screws at an appropriate position depending on the position of the disk plate in the rotational direction.

[0015] In addition, the part holding device may be configured so that the drive unit has a pair of cylinders corresponding to each pair of claw portions, and each of the pair of cylinders drives the claw portion corresponding to the opposite side of the holding direction, thereby changing the spacing between the pair of claw portions.

[0016] The component gripping device may be configured such that the spacing restriction unit defines a range equal to or less than a predetermined maximum spacing as a variable range and restricts the spacing between the pair of claws from becoming wider than the maximum spacing, and the adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust the maximum spacing. In this configuration, component mounting can be performed using a component gripping device in which the maximum spacing between the pair of claws is optimized.

[0017] The component gripping device may be configured such that the spacing restriction unit defines a range equal to or greater than a predetermined minimum spacing as a variable range and restricts the spacing between the pair of claws from becoming wider than the minimum spacing, and the adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust the minimum spacing. In this configuration, component mounting can be performed using a component gripping device in which the minimum spacing between the pair of claws has been optimized.

[0018] Furthermore, a component mounter may be configured to include a camera that captures an image of the component gripping device and a calculation unit that calculates the distance between the pair of claws based on the image. With this configuration, the distance between the pair of claws can be calculated. As a result, component mounting can be performed using a component gripping device with an appropriate variable range for the distance between the pair of claws.

[0019] A component mounter may also be configured to include a holding unit that holds the component gripping device, a first camera that captures an image of the regulating member of the component gripping device held by the holding unit from above, and a calculation unit that calculates the spacing between the pair of claws based on the image. In this configuration, the position of the disk plate in the rotation direction, i.e., the variable range of the spacing between the pair of claws, can be determined based on the results of recognizing the disk plate exposed on the upper side. As a result, component mounting can be performed using a component gripping device with an appropriate variable range of the spacing between the pair of claws.

[0020] The component mounter may also be configured to include a mounting shaft on which the component gripping device is attached and a second camera that captures an image of a pair of claws of the component gripping device attached to the mounting shaft, and the calculation unit checks the state of the component gripping device by comparing the distance between the pair of claws determined based on the image captured by the first camera with the distance between the pair of claws determined based on the image captured by the second camera. Such a configuration contributes to maintaining the component gripping device in good condition.

[0021] The component mounter according to the present invention includes a camera that captures an image of a component gripping device having a pair of claws that grips a component to be mounted on a board by clamping the component from a gripping direction, and a calculation unit that calculates the distance between the pair of claws based on the image. This configuration allows the distance between the pair of claws to be calculated. As a result, component mounting can be performed using a component gripping device with an appropriate variable range for the distance between the pair of claws.

[0022] According to the present invention, component mounting can be performed using a component gripping device in which the variable range of the gap between a pair of claws is appropriate.

[0023] 3A . A partial plan view schematically showing an example of a component mounter according to the present invention. 3B is a block diagram showing an example of an electrical configuration equipped in the component mounter of FIG. 1 . 3C is a perspective view showing an example of a gripper nozzle used in the component mounter. 3D is a partial front view partially showing the internal configuration of the gripper nozzle of FIG. 3A . 3D is a partial plan view schematically showing the configuration of the top surface of the gripper nozzle of FIG. 3A . 3D is a front view schematically showing the configuration of a cap. 3E is a plan view schematically showing a part of the gripper nozzle inside the disk plate of the cap. 3F is a plan view schematically showing a part of the gripper nozzle inside the disk plate of the cap. 3G is a plan view schematically showing the inner configuration of the gripper nozzle at an opening angle θ21. 3H is a front view showing the maximum spacing between a pair of claw portions of the gripper nozzle at an opening angle θ21. 3H is a bottom view showing the maximum spacing between a pair of claw portions of the gripper nozzle at an opening angle θ21. 3J is a plan view schematically showing the inner configuration of the gripper nozzle at an opening angle θ22. 3J is a front view showing the maximum spacing between a pair of claw portions of the gripper nozzle at an opening angle θ22. 10 is a bottom view showing the maximum distance between a pair of claws of a gripper nozzle at an opening angle θ22. FIG. 11 is a front view showing a nozzle holding mechanism of a mounting head. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a schematic positional relationship between a pocket that stores components and a pair of claws. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic positional relationship between a pocket that stores components and a pair of claws. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of initial opening recognition performed by a component mounter. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic operation performed according to the flowchart of FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a schematic operation performed according to the flowchart of FIG. 10. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a nozzle check performed by a component mounter.

[0024] Fig. 1 is a partial plan view schematically showing an example of a component mounter according to the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the component mounter of Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the X direction, which is the horizontal direction, the Y direction, which is the horizontal direction perpendicular to the X direction, and the Z direction, which is the vertical direction, are appropriately shown. Furthermore, the plan view shows the field of view as seen from above in the Z direction.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2 , the mounter 1 includes a control unit 9 that controls the mounter 1. The control unit 9 includes a calculation processing unit 91, a memory unit 92, a drive control unit 93, an imaging control unit 94, and a UI (User Interface) 95. The calculation processing unit 91 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs calculation functions in the mounter 1, and the memory unit 92 is a storage device such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) or HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The drive control unit 93 controls the drive system provided in the mounter 1 in response to commands from the calculation processing unit 91, and the imaging control unit 94 controls the imaging system provided in the mounter 1 in response to commands from the calculation processing unit 91. The UI 95 includes input devices such as a mouse and keyboard that accept user input operations and an output device such as a display that outputs information to the user. Note that the input and output devices of the UI 95 do not need to be configured separately and may be integrated into a single device such as a touch panel display.

[0026] The component mounter 1 includes a base 11 that is substantially rectangular in plan view, and a board transport unit 2 attached to the base 11. The board transport unit 2 has a pair of conveyors 21 arranged parallel to the X direction, and transports a board B in the X direction (board transport direction) using the pair of conveyors 21. Specifically, the board transport unit 2 transports the board B from the upstream side in the X direction in response to a carry-in command from the drive control unit 93, and holds the board B at a predetermined board holding position Lb (the position of the board B in FIG. 1 ). Furthermore, the board transport unit 2 transports the board B, on which components E have been mounted at the board holding position Lb, from the board holding position Lb to the downstream side in the X direction in response to an unloading command from the drive control unit 93.

[0027] The component mounter 1 includes two mounting heads 3. The mounting heads 3 are inline-type mounting heads having multiple mounting shafts 31 arranged in a row in the X direction, with each mounting shaft 31 extending in the Z direction. A suction nozzle for suctioning a component E or a gripper nozzle for gripping the component E ( FIGS. 3A and 3B ) is attached to the lower end of each mounting shaft 31, and the mounting shafts 31 hold the component E using the nozzle (suction nozzle / gripper nozzle) attached to the mounting shaft 31. The component mounter 1 also includes Z motors 32 attached to the mounting heads 3. The Z motors 32 are provided for each of the multiple mounting shafts 31 of the mounting head 3 and drive the corresponding mounting shaft 31 in the Z direction. In other words, the mounting head 3 can raise and lower each mounting shaft 31 individually using the Z motors 32. The mounting head 3 places the component E held by the nozzle on a board B, thereby mounting the component E on the board B. The specific type of the mounting head 3 is not limited to the inline type, but may be a rotary type in which a plurality of mounting shafts 31 are arranged circumferentially.

[0028] The component mounter 1 also includes an XY drive mechanism 4 that drives each of the two mounting heads 3 individually in the X and Y directions. The XY drive mechanism 4 has two X beams 41, one for each of the two mounting heads 3. Each X beam 41 extends parallel to the X direction and supports the corresponding mounting head 3 movably in the X direction. A ball screw 42 extending parallel to the X direction and an X motor 43 that rotates and drives the ball screw 42 are attached to the X beam 41. In this example, the X motor 43 is a servo motor. The mounting heads 3 are attached to the nuts of the ball screws 42 of the X beam 41. The XY drive mechanism 4 also includes a pair of Y beams 44 that extend parallel to the Y direction. Both ends of each X beam 41 are supported by a pair of Y motors 45 that allow movement in the Y direction. A Y motor 45 that drives the X beam 41 in the Y direction is attached to each Y beam 44. Each Y motor 45 is a linear motor in this example, and has a mover 451 attached to both ends of the X beam 41 and a stator 452 extending parallel to the Y direction. The X beam 41 is driven in the Y direction together with the mover 451 by the magnetic force acting between the mover 451 and the stator 452. With this XY drive mechanism 4, the mounting head 3 can be moved in the X and Y directions by the X motor 43 and Y motor 45.

[0029] Furthermore, the component mounter 1 is equipped with two component supply units 5 arranged on either side of the board transport unit 2 in the Y direction. Each component supply unit 5 has a plurality of feeders 51 lined up in the X direction that are detachably attached, and each feeder 51 supplies components E such as transistors and capacitors to a component supply position Ls. The feeders 51 may be a tape feeder that supplies components E to the component supply position Ls by intermittently feeding a tape containing the components E in the Y direction, or a tray feeder that supplies components E to the component supply position Ls by feeding a tray containing the components E in the Y direction.

[0030] The mounting head 3 then performs component mounting by removing the component E supplied to the component supply position Ls by the feeder 51 from the component supply position Ls and placing it on the board B held at the board holding position Lb. That is, the drive control unit 93 drives the mounting head 3 using the XY drive mechanism 4, thereby causing the nozzle attached to the lower end of the mounting shaft 31 of the mounting head 3 to face the component E supplied to the component supply position Ls from above. The drive control unit 93 then lowers the mounting shaft 31 using the Z motor 32, thereby lowering the nozzle to the component E and holding the component E with the nozzle. The drive control unit 93 also raises the mounting shaft 31, to which the nozzle holding the component E is attached, using the Z motor 32, thereby removing the component E from the component supply position Ls. Next, the drive control unit 93 drives the mounting head 3 using the XY drive mechanism 4, thereby causing the component E held by the nozzle on the mounting shaft 31 of the mounting head 3 to face the mounting point on the board B from above. Then, the drive control unit 93 causes the mounting shaft 31 and the nozzle to descend using the Z motor 32, thereby bringing the component E held by the nozzle into contact with the surface of the board B, and the mounting head 3 releases the nozzle from holding the component E, thereby detaching the component E from the nozzle onto the board B. In this way, the component E is mounted on the board B.

[0031] The component mounter 1 also includes two board recognition cameras Cb provided to correspond to the two mounting heads 3. The board recognition cameras Cb are fixed to the corresponding mounting heads 3 and move in the X and Y directions together with the mounting heads 3. The board recognition cameras Cb are attached facing downward and are used to capture images of, for example, fiducial marks and the like attached to the board B from above.

[0032] The component mounter 1 is equipped with two component recognition cameras Ce, each arranged on either side of the board transport unit 2 in the Y direction. The component recognition cameras Ce are attached to the base 11 facing upward, and are used to capture an image of a component E, for example, held by the mounting shaft 31 via a nozzle, from below.

[0033] Furthermore, the component mounter 1 is equipped with two nozzle holders 6 provided corresponding to the two mounting heads 3. The nozzle holder 6 has a plurality of nozzle accommodating holes 61, and each nozzle accommodating hole 61 is configured to accommodate a nozzle. The nozzle holder 6 is used, for example, to replace the nozzle attached to the mounting shaft 31.

[0034] FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing an example of a gripper nozzle used in a component mounter, FIG. 3B is a partial front view showing part of the internal configuration of the gripper nozzle of FIG. 3A, and FIG. 3C is a partial plan view showing the configuration of the upper surface of the gripper nozzle of FIG. 3A. In this embodiment, the horizontal gripping direction Dg, the width direction Dw which is a horizontal direction perpendicular to the gripping direction Dg, and the vertical height direction Dh are appropriately shown. Furthermore, one side Dg(+) and the other side Dg(-) of the gripping direction Dg are appropriately shown. Here, the one side Dg(+) and the other side Dg(-) face in opposite directions.

[0035] The gripper nozzle 7 has a holder body 70 and a gripper 71 supported by the holder body 70. The gripper 71 has a pair of claws 711 arranged at an interval in the gripping direction Dg. Each of the pair of claws 711 is movable in the gripping direction Dg relative to the holder body 70. Each claw 711 has a gripping portion 712 protruding downward from the holder body 70 and an attachment portion 713 extending upward from the gripping portion 712.

[0036] The gripper nozzle 7 also has a pair of nozzle drive units 72 that drive the pair of claws 711 in the gripping direction Dg, respectively. The holder main body 70 is provided with a pair of accommodation spaces 701 that respectively correspond to the pair of nozzle drive units 72, and each nozzle drive unit 72 is accommodated in the corresponding accommodation space 701. Each of the pair of accommodation spaces 701 extends in the gripping direction Dg and has an opening 702 that opens on a side surface of the holder main body 70 in the gripping direction Dg. The openings 702 of the pair of accommodation spaces 701 open on opposite sides to each other in the gripping direction Dg.

[0037] The nozzle drive unit 72 has an air cylinder 721. The air cylinder 721 has a movable body 722 (piston) disposed within the accommodation space 701, and the movable body 722 is movable in the gripping direction Dg relative to the holder main body 70. The attachment portion 713 of the claw portion 711 is fixed by a screw to an outer end 723 (on the opening 702 side) of the movable body 722 of the nozzle drive unit 72 corresponding to the claw portion 711, and the claw portion 711 moves integrally with the movable body 722 in the gripping direction Dg. Note that the manner in which the attachment portion 713 of the claw portion 711 is fixed to the movable body 722 is not limited to fastening by a screw. The air cylinder 721 drives the movable body 722 inward in the gripping direction Dg (the opposite side of the opening 702) by negative pressure supplied from the outside. As a result, the claw portion 711 fixed to the movable body 722 is driven inward in the gripping direction Dg.

[0038] The air cylinder 721 has a negative pressure supply chamber 703 inside the movable body 722 (opposite side from the opening 702). In contrast, the nozzle drive unit 72 has a coil spring 727 arranged in the negative pressure supply chamber 703. The coil spring 727 is arranged in the gripping direction Dg and is sandwiched between a wall surface 703w at the end of the negative pressure supply chamber 703 and an inner end 724 of the movable body 722. This coil spring 727 is a compression spring that generates an elastic force that urges the movable body 722 outward in the gripping direction Dg (toward the opening 702) with respect to the wall surface 703w of the negative pressure supply chamber 703. Therefore, when negative pressure is supplied to the negative pressure supply chamber 703, the movable body 722 is driven inward in the gripping direction Dg (opposite side from the opening 702) against the elastic force of the coil spring 727. On the other hand, when the supply of negative pressure to the negative pressure supply chamber 703 is stopped, the elastic force of the coil spring 727 drives the movable body 722 outward in the grip direction Dg (toward the opening 702).

[0039] That is, in the nozzle drive unit 72 provided for the claw portion 711 on one side Dg(+) of the pair of claw portions 711, when negative pressure is supplied to the air cylinder 721, the air cylinder 721 drives the claw portion 711 to the other side Dg(-) against the biasing force toward one side Dg(+) by the coil spring 727. Furthermore, when the supply of negative pressure to the air cylinder 721 is stopped, the biasing force of the coil spring 727 toward one side Dg(+) drives the claw portion 711 to one side Dg(+).

[0040] Furthermore, in the nozzle drive unit 72 provided for the claw portion 711 on the other side Dg(-) of the pair of claw portions 711, when negative pressure is supplied to the air cylinder 721, the air cylinder 721 drives the claw portion 711 to one side Dg(+) against the biasing force of the coil spring 727 toward the other side Dg(-). Furthermore, when the supply of negative pressure to the air cylinder 721 is stopped, the biasing force of the coil spring 727 toward the other side Dg(-) drives the claw portion 711 to the other side Dg(-).

[0041] The pair of claws 711 perform a closing operation in which they move closer to each other in the gripping direction Dg as negative pressure is supplied to the air cylinder 721, and an opening operation in which they move away from each other in the gripping direction Dg as the supply of negative pressure to the air cylinder 721 is stopped. That is, in the closing operation, the claw 711 on one side Dg(+) of the pair of claws 711 moves to the other side Dg(-), and the claw 711 on the other side Dg(-) moves toward the one side Dg(+). In addition, in the opening operation, the claw 711 on one side Dg(+) of the pair of claws 711 moves toward the one side Dg(+), and the claw 711 on the other side Dg(-) moves toward the other side Dg(-).

[0042] That is, the pair of nozzle driving units 72 (driving units) has a pair of air cylinders 721 (cylinders) respectively corresponding to the pair of claw portions 711. The pair of air cylinders 721 each drive the claw portions 711 corresponding to the opposite sides of the pair of air cylinders 721 in the grip direction Dg.

[0043] The holder main body 70 has a top plate portion 704 provided above a pair of accommodation spaces 701 that each accommodate a nozzle driving unit 72. The top plate portion 704 is located at the upper end of the holder main body 70. The top plate portion 704 has an upper surface 705 that is a horizontal plane that is perpendicular to the height direction Dh.

[0044] Furthermore, the top plate portion 704 has a cap guide 73 provided on the upper surface 705. The cap guide 73 has a pair of guide frames 731 arranged at a distance from each other. Each of the pair of guide frames 731 protrudes upward from the upper surface 705. The inner wall surfaces 732 of the pair of guide frames 731 have an arc shape centered on a center line Ac parallel to the height direction Dh, and face each other across the center line Ac. A cap arrangement space 733 is provided between the inner wall surfaces 732 of each of the pair of guide frames 731. That is, in a plan view, a pair of guide frames 731 are provided at two diagonally opposite corners of the upper surface 705, and the pair of guide frames 731 face each other across the cap arrangement space 733. Furthermore, each guide frame 731 has a flange 734 protruding outward from the upper surface 705 in the grip direction Dg (opposite the cap arrangement space 733). That is, a pair of flanges 734 are provided that protrude outward in the grip direction Dg.

[0045] The top plate portion 704 also has a pair of cap fixing portions 74 spaced apart from each other. Each cap fixing portion 74 has a plurality of (three) screw holes 741 provided at different positions in the circumferential direction around the center line Ac, screws 742 that thread into the screw holes 741, and screw receivers 743 that receive the heads of the screws 742 that thread into the screws 742. The screw receivers 743 are provided outside the plurality of screw holes 741 (on the opposite side of the center line Ac). Each of the plurality of screw holes 741 opens on the top surface 705. The screw receivers 743 protrude upward from the top surface 705. In a plan view, a pair of cap fixing portions 74 is provided at two diagonally opposite corners of the four corners of the top surface 705, and the pair of cap fixing portions 74 is disposed across a cap placement space 733. Note that the two corners where the pair of cap fixing portions 74 are provided are different from the two corners where the pair of guide frames 731 are provided.

[0046] The gripper nozzle 7 includes a cap 75 that fits into the cap arrangement space 733. The cap 75 has a disk-shaped disk plate 751, and the disk plate 751 is arranged in the cap arrangement space 733. An outer peripheral surface 752 of the disk plate 751 has a circular shape centered on the center line Ac. The outer peripheral surface 752 of the disk plate 751 faces an inner wall surface 732 of the guide frame 731. The cap 75 is placed on the upper surface 705 of the holder main body 70 so as to be rotatable relative to the holder main body 70, and the rotation of the cap 75 is guided in the rotation direction centered on the center line Ac by the inner wall surfaces 732 of the pair of guide frames 731.

[0047] The cap 75 also has a pair of arc-shaped holes 753 that penetrate the disk plate 751 in the height direction Dh. The pair of arc-shaped holes 753 are provided on both sides of the center line Ac and have an arc shape centered on the center line Ac. A negative pressure supply pipe (not shown) that supplies negative pressure to the air cylinder 721 is connected to the arc-shaped holes 753.

[0048] Furthermore, the cap 75 has a pair of flanges 754 that protrude outward (opposite the center line Ac) from the disk plate 751 in a plan view. The pair of flanges 754 are provided on both sides of the center line Ac. Specifically, the pair of flanges 754 are disposed 180 degrees apart in the rotational direction around the center line Ac. The pair of flanges 754 are provided corresponding to the pair of cap fixing portions 74, respectively, and each flange 754 is fixed to the holder main body 70 by the corresponding cap fixing portion 74.

[0049] The top surfaces of the flange 754 and the screw receiver 743 are flush with each other and located at the same height in the height direction Dh. The head of the screw 742 threaded into the screw hole 741 contacts the flange 754 and the screw receiver 743 from above. Therefore, by threading the screw 742 into the screw hole 741, the cap 75 is restricted from moving relative to the screw receiver 743 (in other words, the cap 75 is fastened to the screw receiver 743), thereby fixing the cap 75 in a rotational direction about the center line Ac. Furthermore, by loosening the screw 742 from the screw hole 741, the restriction on the cap 75's movement relative to the screw receiver 743 is released (in other words, the cap 75 is released from the fastening of the screw receiver 743), allowing the cap 75 to rotate in a rotational direction about the center line Ac. Note that the position of the flange 754 changes as the cap 75 rotates. Therefore, the flange 754 can be fixed by screwing a screw 742 into one of the screw holes 741 (three holes) that the cap fixing portion 74 has, which is the screw hole 741 closest to the flange 754 .

[0050] Fig. 4 is a front view schematically illustrating the configuration of the cap. As shown in Fig. 4, the cap 75 has a stopper 755 that protrudes downward in the height direction Dh from the disk plate 751. That is, the stopper 755 and the disk plate 751 are stacked, and the bottom surface of the stopper 755 is placed on the upper surface 705 of the holder main body 70. As will be described later, this stopper 755 is used to adjust the spacing (i.e., the opening degree) of the pair of claw portions 711 in the grip direction Dg.

[0051] 5A and 5B are plan views showing the gripper nozzle 7 inside the disk plate of the cap. The gripper nozzle 7 has an interlocking mechanism 76 that operates in conjunction with the pair of claws 711.

[0052] The interlocking mechanism 76 has a pair of movable pins 761 corresponding to the pair of movable bodies 722, respectively. The pair of movable pins 761 are provided on both sides of the center line Ac. Specifically, the pair of movable pins 761 are provided 180 degrees apart in the rotational direction around the center line Ac and are arranged with dyad symmetry about the center line Ac. In other words, the pair of nozzle drive units 72 are arranged with respect to the center line Ac so that the pair of movable pins 761 are arranged with dyad symmetry about the center line Ac. The movable pins 761 protrude upward in the height direction Dh from the corresponding movable body 722. In contrast, the top plate portion 704 has a pair of elongated holes 706 corresponding to the pair of movable pins 761. The elongated holes 706 penetrate between the upper surface 705 of the holder main body 70 and the accommodation space 701 that accommodates the movable body 722 to which the corresponding movable pin 761 is connected, and open to the cap arrangement space 733. The movable pins 761 are inserted into the corresponding elongated holes 706 and protrude from the elongated holes 706 into the cap arrangement space 733. The elongated holes 706 extend in the gripping direction Dg, and the movable pins 761 move in the gripping direction Dg along the elongated holes 706 in response to movement of the movable body 722.

[0053] The interlocking mechanism 76 also includes a connecting guide 762 extending horizontally and a rotation shaft 763 that rotatably supports the connecting guide 762 about the center line Ac. The rotation shaft 763 allows the connecting guide 762 to rotate relative to the holder main body 70. The connecting guide 762 and the rotation shaft 763 are disposed inside (below) the disc plate 751 within the cap arrangement space 733. The connecting guide 762 has a pair of extension portions 764 provided on both sides of the rotation shaft 763. The pair of extension portions 764 extend in opposite directions from the rotation shaft 763. The connecting guide 762 also has a pair of hooks 765 provided on the pair of extension portions 764. Each of the pair of hooks 765 is formed by a notch that extends in the extension direction of the connecting guide 762 at both ends of the connecting guide 762. A pair of hooks 765 are provided corresponding to a pair of movable pins 761, and each hook 765 engages with the corresponding movable pin 761. In other words, the movable pin 761 fits into the corresponding hook 765.

[0054] The connecting guide 762, which is engaged with the pair of movable pins 761 in this manner, rotates around the rotation shaft 763 in conjunction with the pair of movable pins 761. Specifically, when the pair of movable pins 761 (in other words, the pair of claws 711) move toward each other in the gripping direction Dg, the connecting guide 762 rotates in the closing direction R1 (closing operation). When the pair of movable pins 761 (in other words, the pair of claws 711) move away from each other in the gripping direction Dg, the connecting guide 762 rotates in the opening direction R2 (opening operation). Here, the closing direction R1 and the opening direction R2 are rotational directions centered around the center line Ac and point in opposite directions. In the example of FIGS. 5A and 5B, the closing direction R1 is clockwise, and the opening direction R2 is counterclockwise.

[0055] In contrast, the stoppers 755 of the cap 75 restrict rotation of the connecting guide 762 in the opening direction R2. That is, the cap 75 has a pair of stoppers 755 that protrude inward (downward) from the disk plate 751. The pair of stoppers 755 are disposed on both sides of the connecting guide 762, and the connecting guide 762 is rotatably disposed in the space between the pair of stoppers 755 in the cap arrangement space 733. Each of the pair of stoppers 755 has an upright wall 756 at its end in the closing direction R1 and an upright wall 757 at its end in the opening direction R2. The upright wall 756 faces the closing direction R1 and stands upright above the top surface 705 in the height direction Dh. The upright wall 757 faces the opening direction R2 and stands upright above the top surface 705 in the height direction Dh.

[0056] The pair of stoppers 755 are provided on both sides of the center line Ac. Specifically, the pair of stoppers 755 are provided 180 degrees apart in the rotational direction around the center line Ac and are provided dyad-symmetrically with respect to the center line Ac. The pair of stoppers 755 are provided corresponding to the pair of extension portions 764, and the erected walls 756 of the stoppers 755 contact the corresponding extension portions 764 from the opening direction R2, thereby restricting rotation of the connecting guide 762 in the opening direction R2 ( FIG. 5B ). The cap 75 is disposed in the cap arrangement space 733 rotatably around the center line Ac. Therefore, the position of the erected walls 756 of the stoppers 755 can be changed by rotating the cap 75.

[0057] The gripper nozzle 7 also has a pair of stoppers 77 that restrict rotation of the connecting guide 762 in the closing direction R1. The pair of stoppers 77 are provided on both sides of the connecting guide 762. Specifically, the pair of stoppers 77 are provided 180 degrees apart in the rotational direction around the center line Ac and are provided dyad-symmetrically with respect to the center line Ac. The connecting guide 762 is rotatably disposed in the space between the pair of stoppers 77 in the cap arrangement space 733. Each of the pair of stoppers 77 is erected above the upper surface 705 in the height direction Dh. The pair of stoppers 77 are provided corresponding to the pair of extension portions 764. The stoppers 77 restrict rotation of the connecting guide 762 in the closing direction R1 by contacting the corresponding extension portions 764 in the closing direction R1 ( FIG. 5A ). The pair of stoppers 77 are fixed to the upper surface 705.

[0058] In this way, the extension portion 764 of the connecting guide 762 is located between the corresponding standing wall 756 and the stopper 77. The standing wall 756 is located on the side of the corresponding extension portion 764 in the opening direction R2, and the stopper 77 is located on the side of the corresponding extension portion 764 in the closing direction R1.

[0059] Therefore, the connecting guide 762 can rotate within a range between a closed angle θ1 (the rotation angle of the connecting guide 762 in FIG. 5A ) and an open angle θ2 (the rotation angle of the connecting guide 762 in FIG. 5B ). Here, the closed angle θ1 is the rotation angle of the connecting guide 762 (the rotation angle of the connecting guide 762 in FIG. 5A ) at which the pair of extension portions 764 contact the pair of stoppers 77. The open angle θ2 is the rotation angle of the connecting guide 762 (the rotation angle of the connecting guide 762 in FIG. 5B ) at which the pair of extension portions 764 contact the respective erect walls 756 of the pair of stoppers 755.

[0060] In the gripper nozzle 7, when negative pressure is supplied to each of the pair of air cylinders 721, the pair of movable bodies 722 approach each other in the gripping direction Dg, thereby performing a closing operation in which the pair of claw portions 711 approach each other. Accompanying this closing operation, the connecting guide 762 rotates in the closing direction R1 from the opening angle θ2 to the closing angle θ1 and comes into contact with the pair of stoppers 77. Furthermore, when the supply of negative pressure to each of the pair of air cylinders 721 is released, the pair of movable bodies 722 move away from each other in the gripping direction Dg, thereby performing an opening operation in which the pair of claw portions 711 move away from each other. Accompanying this opening operation, the connecting guide 762 rotates in the opening direction R2 from the closing angle θ1 to the opening angle θ2 and comes into contact with the erected walls 756 of the pair of stoppers 755.

[0061] As described above, the position of the cap 75 can be changed in the rotational direction about the center line Ac. Therefore, the maximum distance (maximum opening degree) between the pair of claws 711 in the gripping direction Dg can be changed by changing the opening angle θ2. Here, the maximum distance is the maximum distance between the pair of claws 711 in the gripping direction Dg, which is the distance between the pair of claws 711 in the gripping direction Dg when the connecting guide 762 is in contact with the upright walls 756 of each of the pair of stoppers 755.

[0062] Fig. 6A is a plan view schematically showing the inner configuration of the gripper nozzle at an opening angle θ21, Fig. 6B is a front view showing the maximum spacing between the pair of claws of the gripper nozzle at the opening angle θ21, and Fig. 6C is a bottom view showing the maximum spacing between the pair of claws of the gripper nozzle at the opening angle θ21. Fig. 7A is a plan view schematically showing the inner configuration of the gripper nozzle at an opening angle θ22, Fig. 7B is a front view showing the maximum spacing between the pair of claws of the gripper nozzle at the opening angle θ22, and Fig. 7C is a bottom view showing the maximum spacing between the pair of claws of the gripper nozzle at the opening angle θ22. When a coordinate axis parallel to the width direction Dw is used as a reference, the opening angle θ21 is greater than the opening angle θ22.

[0063] When the rotational position of the cap 75 is adjusted so that the opening angle θ2 becomes the opening angle θ21 (FIG. 6A), the maximum distance between the gripping directions Dg of the pair of claws 711 becomes the maximum distance I21 (FIGS. 6B and 6C). On the other hand, when the rotational position of the cap 75 is adjusted so that the opening angle θ2 becomes the opening angle θ22 (FIG. 7A), the maximum distance between the gripping directions Dg of the pair of claws 711 becomes the maximum distance I22, which is narrower than the maximum distance I21 (FIGS. 7B and 7C).

[0064] The mounting head 3 of the component mounter 1 has a nozzle holding mechanism 33 ( FIG. 8 ) that detachably holds the gripper nozzle 7. FIG. 8 is a front view schematically showing the nozzle holding mechanism of the mounting head. The nozzle holding mechanism 33 is provided at the lower end of the mounting shaft 31 of the mounting head 3. The nozzle holding mechanism 33 has a mechanism main body 331 and a pair of pivot arms 332 provided on both sides of the mechanism main body 331. The upper end of the pivot arm 332 is attached to the mechanism main body 331 by a horizontally extending rotation shaft 333 and pivots relative to the mechanism main body 331 around the rotation shaft 333. A roller 335 is attached to the lower end of the pivot arm 332 and is rotatable around a horizontally extending rotation shaft 334. The roller 335 is located below the bottom surface of the mechanism main body 331. The nozzle holding mechanism 33 also has a pair of leaf springs 336 that contact the pair of pivot arms 332 from the outside. The pair of leaf springs 336 bias the pair of pivot arms 332 in a direction in which the rollers 335 of the pair of pivot arms 332 approach each other, that is, inward.

[0065] Furthermore, the nozzle holding mechanism 33 has positioning pins 337 and 338 that protrude downward from the mechanism body 331. In contrast, the gripper nozzle 7 has a positioning hole 758 provided in the center of the cap 75 and a positioning hole 735 provided in the guide frame 731. The positioning holes 758 and 735 are provided to correspond to the positioning pins 337 and 338, respectively.

[0066] The drive control unit 93 can mount the gripper nozzle 7 housed in the nozzle holder 6 to the nozzle holding mechanism 33 by driving the nozzle holding mechanism 33 using the X motor 43, the Y motor 45, and the Z motor 32. Specifically, the drive control unit 93 drives the nozzle holding mechanism 33 in the X and Y directions to position the nozzle holding mechanism 33 facing the gripper nozzle 7 housed in the nozzle holder 6 from above. Next, the drive control unit 93 uses the Z motor 32 to lower the nozzle holding mechanism 33 toward the gripper nozzle 7, and the positioning pin 337 fits into the positioning hole 758 from above, and the positioning pin 338 fits into the positioning hole 735 from above. This positions the nozzle holding mechanism 33 and the gripper nozzle 7 relative to each other. Next, the pair of rollers 335 come into contact with the pair of flanges 734 from above. Furthermore, when the nozzle holding mechanism 33 is lowered, the pair of rollers 335 move away from each other against the biasing force of the pair of leaf springs 336 and move below the pair of flanges 734. As a result, the pair of rollers 335 engage with the pair of flanges 734, and the gripper nozzle 7 is attached to the nozzle holding mechanism 33.

[0067] The gripper nozzle 7 (component gripping device) according to the embodiment described above is equipped with a cap 75 and an interlocking mechanism 76 (spacing restriction unit) that define the variable range of the spacing between the pair of claws 711, and the cap 75 restricts the spacing between the pair of claws 711 from falling outside the variable range. Here, the variable range of the spacing between the pair of claws 711 ranges from the spacing between the pair of claws 711 at the closed angle θ1 to the spacing between the pair of claws 711 at the open angle θ2. The cap 75 and the interlocking mechanism 76 are configured to be able to adjust the variable range of the spacing between the pair of claws 711. As a result, component mounting can be performed using a gripper nozzle 7 with an appropriate variable range of the spacing between the pair of claws 711.

[0068] The interlocking mechanism 76 (adjustment mechanism) also includes a connecting guide 762 (rotating member) that rotates in rotation directions (closing direction R1 and opening direction R2) around a rotation axis 763 in response to changes in the spacing between the pair of claws 711. The interlocking mechanism 76 also includes a cap 75 (restricting member) that prevents the spacing between the pair of claws 711 from deviating from the variable range by stopping the rotation of the connecting guide 762 with a stopper 755 that contacts the connecting guide 762. When the position of the cap 75 is changed in the rotation directions R1 and R2, the position of the stopper 755 is also changed, thereby adjusting the variable range. With this configuration, the variable range of the spacing between the pair of claws 711 can be optimized by simply changing the position of the cap 75, which stops the connecting guide 762, which rotates in response to changes in the spacing between the pair of claws 711, with the stopper 755.

[0069] The interlocking mechanism 76 (adjustment mechanism) also has a pair of movable pins 761 (pins) fixed to the pair of claws 711, respectively. The connecting guide 762 has a pair of hooks 765 provided on both sides of the center line Ac and engaging with the pair of movable pins 761, respectively. When each of the pair of claws 711 is driven in the gripping direction Dg (holding direction), the pair of movable pins 761 are driven in the gripping direction Dg, causing the connecting guide 762 to rotate in rotational directions R1 and R2 around the center line Ac. With this configuration, the stopper 755 of the cap 75 comes into contact with the connecting guide 762 to stop the connecting guide 762, thereby accurately restricting the spacing between the pair of claws 711 within a variable range.

[0070] The holder body 70 (main body) is also provided with a cap arrangement space 733 (recess) having an inner wall surface 732 (inner peripheral surface) along a circumference centered on the center line Ac. The connecting guide 762 is disposed within the cap arrangement space 733 and is rotatably supported by the holder body 70 in rotation directions R1 and R2. The cap 75 has a disc plate 751 having an outer peripheral surface 752 along a circumference centered on the center line Ac. The disc plate 751 is disposed within the cap arrangement space 733, overlapping the connecting guide 762 from above. The outer peripheral surface 752 of the disc plate 751 faces the inner wall surface 732 of the cap arrangement space 733, and a stopper 755 protrudes from the disc plate 751 toward the connecting guide 762 (downward). When the position of the disk plate 751 in the cap arrangement space 733 is changed in the rotational directions R1 and R2, the position of the stopper 755 is changed, thereby adjusting the variable range. With this configuration, the variable range of the spacing between the pair of claw portions 711 can be optimized by the simple task of changing the position of the disk plate 751 in the rotational directions R1 and R2. Moreover, the inner wall surface 732 of the cap arrangement space 733 and the outer peripheral surface 752 of the disk plate 751 arranged in the cap arrangement space 733 can accurately guide the change in position of the disk plate 751 in the rotational directions R1 and R2. Therefore, the task of changing the position of the disk plate 751 in the rotational directions R1 and R2 can be more easily performed.

[0071] Furthermore, the disc plate 751 overlaps the connecting guide 762 from above, and the connecting guide 762 is positioned between the disc plate 751 and the bottom surface (upper surface 705) of the cap arrangement space 733. In this configuration, the disc plate 751 is exposed on the upper side. Therefore, by recognizing the disc plate 751 from above, it is possible to confirm the position of the disc plate 751 in the rotation directions R1 and R2, i.e., the variable range of the spacing between the pair of claw portions 711.

[0072] Also provided are screws 742 that are fastened to the holder body 70. In contrast, the cap 75 has a flange 754 that protrudes from the disk plate 751, and the flange 754 is fixed to the holder body 70 by the screws 742. With this configuration, the optimized spacing between the pair of claws 711 can be fixed and maintained.

[0073] Furthermore, the holder body 70 is provided with a plurality of screw holes 741 at different positions in the rotational directions R1 and R2, and the screws 742 can be fastened to each of the plurality of screw holes 741. In this configuration, the disk plate 751 can be fixed with the screws at an appropriate position according to the position of the disk plate 751 in the rotational directions R1 and R2.

[0074] Furthermore, the cap 75 and the interlocking mechanism 76 (spacing restriction unit) define a range equal to or less than predetermined maximum spacings I21 and I22 as a variable range, and restrict the spacing between the pair of claw portions 711 from becoming wider than the maximum spacings I21 and I22. The cap 75 and the interlocking mechanism 76 are capable of adjusting the maximum spacings I21 and I22. With this configuration, component mounting can be performed using a gripper nozzle 7 in which the maximum spacings I21 and I22 between the pair of claw portions 711 are optimized.

[0075] Such a gripper nozzle 7 is suitable for gripping a component E stored in a pocket. This point will be explained using Figures 9A and 9B. Figures 9A and 9B are diagrams that schematically show the positional relationship between a pocket that stores a component and a pair of claws. In Figure 9A, the maximum distance between the pair of claws 711 is maximum distance Ia, and in Figure 9B, the maximum distance between the pair of claws 711 is maximum distance Ib, which is wider than maximum distance Ia.

[0076] In order for the pair of claws 711 to grip the component E stored in the pocket P, the claws 711 need to be inserted into gaps Pd formed on both sides of the component E between the component E and the inner walls of the pocket P. Therefore, it is preferable that a maximum distance be provided between the pair of claws 711 so that the pair of claws 711 face the gaps Pd on both sides of the component E. In the state of FIG. 9A , the maximum distance between the pair of claws 711 is maximum distance Ia, and the component E can be accurately gripped from the pocket P. In the state of FIG. 9B , the maximum distance between the pair of claws 711 is maximum distance Ib, and the component E cannot be accurately gripped from the pocket P.

[0077] In view of this situation, with the gripper nozzle 7 according to the above embodiment, the maximum distance between the pair of claws 711 can be adjusted to the maximum distance Ia by changing the position of the cap 75 in the rotation directions R1 and R2. As a result, the component E can be accurately gripped from the pocket P.

[0078] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of initial opening degree recognition executed by a component mounter, and FIGS. 11A and 11B are diagrams schematically showing the operations executed according to the flowchart of FIG. 10 . The initial opening degree recognition in FIG. 10 is executed by the calculation processing unit 91 to recognize the maximum spacing (maximum opening degree) between the pair of grippers 71 of the gripper nozzle 7. In particular, in the example of FIG. 10 , initial opening degree recognition is executed for the gripper nozzle 7 housed in the nozzle accommodating hole 61 of the nozzle holder 6. Note that, because negative pressure is not supplied to the gripper nozzle 7 housed in the nozzle accommodating hole 61, the pair of claw portions 711 are open at the maximum spacing (maximum opening degree). In addition, the upper surface of the cap 75 (in other words, the disk plate 751) of the gripper nozzle 7 housed in the nozzle accommodating hole 61 of the nozzle holder 6 is exposed upward.

[0079] In step S101, a count value H for identifying the plurality of nozzle housing holes 61 provided in the nozzle holder 6 is reset to zero, and in step S102, the count value H is incremented by one.

[0080] In step S103, the calculation processing unit 91 controls the X motor 43 and Y motor 45 using the drive control unit 93 to cause the board recognition camera Cb to face the gripper nozzle 7 accommodated in the nozzle accommodation hole 61 with the count value H from above. In this state, the upper surface of the cap 75 (i.e., the disk plate 751) of the gripper nozzle 7 is exposed upward. Then, the calculation processing unit 91 causes the board recognition camera Cb to capture an image of the upper surface of the cap 75 including the disk plate 751, thereby acquiring the captured image (step S104). In step S105, the calculation processing unit 91 recognizes the nozzle ID of the gripper nozzle 7 shown in the captured image. Here, the nozzle ID indicates information for identifying the gripper nozzle 7 and is previously attached to the upper surface of the gripper nozzle 7. In step S106, the calculation processing unit 91 determines whether the gripper nozzle 7 is an adjustable-opening type in which the opening of the claw portion 711 is adjustable, based on the nozzle ID. If the valve is not of the adjustable opening type ("NO" in step S106), the process proceeds to step S110.

[0081] If the cap 75 is of an adjustable opening type ("YES" in step S106), the arithmetic processing unit 91 recognizes characteristic features of the cap 75 that reflect the rotation angle of the cap 75 from the captured image (step S107). In the example shown in FIG. 11A, two marks M are attached to the top surface of the cap 75, arranged dyad-symmetrically around the center line Ac. The marks M are identifiable from above. Therefore, the arithmetic processing unit 91 recognizes the two marks M from the captured image. However, the recognition target in step S107 is not limited to the marks M. Therefore, if the marks M are not attached to the cap 75, for example, a pair of arc holes 753 or a pair of flanges 754 may be recognized.

[0082] In step S108, the calculation processing unit 91 calculates the rotation angle of the cap 75 based on the recognition result in step S107. Specifically, the rotation angle of the cap 75 can be calculated from, for example, the inclination of a line N ( FIG. 11B ) passing through the two marks M with respect to the width direction Dw. In step S109, the calculation processing unit 91 converts the rotation angle of the cap 75 calculated in step S108 into the maximum opening degree of the pair of claw portions 711. Specifically, the rotation angle can be converted into the maximum opening degree based on a relational expression or a table that indicates the correspondence between the rotation angle of the cap 75 and the maximum opening degree of the pair of claw portions 711.

[0083] In step S110, it is determined whether the count value H matches the maximum value Hx (i.e., the number of nozzle receiving holes 61 in the nozzle holder 6). If the count value H is less than the maximum value Hx ("NO" in step S110), the process returns to step S102. On the other hand, if the count value H matches the maximum value ("YES" in step S110), the initial opening recognition in FIG. 10 ends. In this way, steps S103 to S109 can be performed for all nozzle receiving holes 61 in the nozzle holder 6.

[0084] In this way, the component mounter 1 is equipped with the board recognition camera Cb that captures an image of the gripper nozzle 7, and the calculation processing unit 91 (calculation unit) that calculates the spacing (maximum opening) between the pair of claws 711 based on the image. With this configuration, it is possible to calculate the spacing (maximum opening) between the pair of claws 711. As a result, component mounting can be performed using a gripper nozzle 7 with an appropriate variable range for the spacing between the pair of claws 711.

[0085] 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a nozzle check executed by the component mounter. The nozzle check in FIG. 12 is executed by the arithmetic processing unit 91 to check whether the state of the gripper nozzle 7 is good or bad.

[0086] In step S201, the target gripper nozzle 7 is accommodated in the nozzle accommodating hole 61 of the nozzle holder 6. In this state, the upper surface of the cap 75 (in other words, the disk plate 751) of the gripper nozzle 7 is exposed upward. Note that the accommodation of the gripper nozzle 7 may be performed manually by the user or automatically using the mounting shaft 31.

[0087] In step S202, the calculation processing unit 91 uses the board recognition camera Cb to capture an image of the upper surface of the target gripper nozzle 7. As a result, the upper surface of the gripper nozzle 7 including the disk plate 751 of the cap 75 is captured and an captured image is acquired. In step S203, the calculation processing unit 91 calculates the opening degree (maximum opening degree) of the pair of claw portions 711 shown in the captured image acquired by the board recognition camera Cb in step S202 as an estimated initial opening degree. Note that the method of acquiring the maximum opening degree from the captured image is as described in the initial opening degree recognition in FIG. 10 .

[0088] In step S204, the calculation processing unit 91 mounts the target gripper nozzle 7 on the nozzle holding mechanism 33 of the mounting shaft 31 by controlling the X motor 43, Y motor 45, and Z motor 32 using the drive control unit 93. In step S205, the calculation processing unit 91 acquires an image by capturing an image of the pair of claw portions 711 (gripper 71) from below using the component recognition camera Ce. At this time, no negative pressure is supplied to the gripper nozzle 7. In step S206, the opening degree (maximum opening degree) of the pair of claw portions 711 shown in the image captured by the component recognition camera Ce in step S205 is calculated as the actually measured initial opening degree.

[0089] In step S207, the calculation processing unit 91 supplies negative pressure to each air cylinder 721 of the gripper nozzle 7 to close the pair of claws 711 (gripper 71). In step S208, the calculation processing unit 91 captures an image of the pair of claws 711 (gripper 71) from below using the component recognition camera Ce. In step S209, the opening degree of the pair of claws 711 shown in the captured image acquired in step S208 is calculated as the minimum opening degree.

[0090] In step S210, the calculation processing unit 91 determines whether the estimated initial opening and the actually measured initial opening match. If the difference between the estimated initial opening and the actually measured initial opening is equal to or greater than the threshold and these initial openings do not match ("NO" in step S210), the calculation processing unit 91 determines that the coil spring 727 is deteriorated, notifies a spring defect error via the UI 95 (step S211), and proceeds to step S212. If the difference between the estimated initial opening and the actually measured initial opening is less than the threshold and these initial openings match ("YES" in step S210), the calculation processing unit 91 proceeds to step S212.

[0091] In step S212, the calculation processing unit 91 determines whether the minimum opening is normal. If the minimum opening is outside the predetermined range and is abnormal ("NO" in step S212), the calculation processing unit 91 determines that the negative pressure supplied to the air cylinder 721 is leaking, notifies an air leakage error via the UI 95 (step S213), and ends the nozzle check. If the minimum opening is within the predetermined range and is normal ("YES" in step S212), the nozzle check ends.

[0092] This nozzle check includes a nozzle holder 6 (holding unit) that houses the gripper nozzle 7 and a board recognition camera Cb (first camera) that captures an image of the disk plate 751 (cap 75) of the gripper nozzle 7 housed in the nozzle holder 6 from above. The calculation processing unit 91 (calculation unit) then determines the spacing between the pair of claws 711 based on the captured image acquired by the board recognition camera Cb (step S203). This configuration makes it possible to confirm the rotational position of the disk plate 751 in the rotation directions R1 and R2, i.e., the variable range (maximum opening) of the spacing between the pair of claws 711, based on the results of recognizing the disk plate 751 exposed on the upper side. As a result, component mounting can be performed using a gripper nozzle 7 with an appropriate variable range of the spacing between the pair of claws 711.

[0093] The system also includes a mounting shaft 31 on which the gripper nozzle 7 is attached, and a component recognition camera Ce (second camera) that captures an image of the pair of claws 711 of the gripper nozzle 7 attached to the mounting shaft 31. The calculation processing unit 91 then checks the state of the gripper nozzle 7 by comparing the distance between the pair of claws 711 (estimated initial opening) determined based on the image captured by the board recognition camera Cb with the distance between the pair of claws 711 (actually measured initial opening) determined based on the image captured by the component recognition camera Ce (steps S210 to S213). This configuration contributes to maintaining the gripper nozzle 7 in good condition.

[0094] As described above, in the above embodiment, the substrate B corresponds to an example of the "substrate" of the present invention, the component E corresponds to an example of the "component" of the present invention, the grip direction Dg corresponds to an example of the "gripping direction" of the present invention, the claw portion 711 corresponds to an example of the "claw portion" of the present invention, the nozzle drive unit 72 corresponds to an example of the "drive unit" of the present invention, the cap 75 and the interlocking mechanism 76 correspond to an example of the "gap regulating unit" and "adjustment mechanism" of the present invention, the gripper nozzle 7 corresponds to an example of the "component gripping device" of the present invention, the rotation shaft 763 corresponds to an example of the "rotation shaft" of the present invention, the closing direction R1 and the opening direction R2 correspond to an example of the "rotation direction" of the present invention, the connecting guide 762 corresponds to an example of the "rotating member" of the present invention, the stopper 755 corresponds to an example of the "stopper" of the present invention, the cap 75 corresponds to an example of the "regulating member" of the present invention, the movable pin 761 corresponds to an example of the "pin" of the present invention, and the hook 765 corresponds to an example of the "hook" of the present invention. the inner wall surface 732 corresponds to an example of an "inner peripheral surface" of the present invention, the cap placement space 733 corresponds to an example of a "recess" of the present invention, the outer peripheral surface 752 corresponds to an example of an "outer peripheral surface" of the present invention, the disc plate 751 corresponds to an example of a "disc plate" of the present invention, the screw 742 corresponds to an example of a "screw" of the present invention, the flange 754 corresponds to an example of a "flange" of the present invention, the screw hole 741 corresponds to an example of a "screw hole" of the present invention, the air cylinder 721 corresponds to an example of a "cylinder" of the present invention, the board recognition camera Cb corresponds to an example of a "camera" and a "first camera" of the present invention, the calculation processing unit 91 corresponds to an example of a "calculation unit" of the present invention, the component mounter 1 corresponds to an example of a "component mounter" of the present invention, the nozzle holder 6 corresponds to an example of a "holding unit" of the present invention, the component recognition camera Ce corresponds to an example of a "second camera" of the present invention, and the mounting shaft 31 corresponds to an example of a "mounting shaft" of the present invention.

[0095] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made to the above without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the gripper nozzle 7 may be configured so that the minimum opening angle of the pair of claws 711 can be changed, in other words, so that the closing angle θ1 can be changed. Specifically, the stopper 77 may not be provided, and the upright wall 757 of the cap 75 may be configured to restrict movement of the connecting guide 762 in the closing direction R1. This allows the minimum opening angle of the pair of claws 711 to be changed by changing the rotational position of the cap 75. With this configuration, component mounting can be performed using a gripper nozzle 7 in which the minimum spacing (minimum opening angle) between the pair of claws 711 is optimized.

[0096] 10 may be modified so that the maximum opening degree is recognized based on an image of the pair of claws 711 captured from below by the component recognition camera Ce. Alternatively, the initial opening degree recognition may be modified so that the maximum opening degree is recognized based on an image of the pair of claws 711 captured from a horizontal direction by a side-view camera instead of the component recognition camera Ce.

[0097] Furthermore, the image of the gripper 71 in steps S205 and S208 may be captured from the horizontal direction by a side-view camera instead of the component recognition camera Ce. When the image of the gripper 71 is captured from the horizontal direction by a side-view camera, the nozzle check shown in FIG. 13 may be performed.

[0098] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a modified nozzle check. The difference from the nozzle check in FIG. 12 is the addition of steps S214 and S215. That is, in the nozzle check in FIG. 13 , step S214 is executed if step S212 is “YES” or after step S213. In step S214, the calculation processing unit 91 determines whether the length of the pair of claw portions 711 captured in the side view is normal. If the length of at least one of the claw portions 711 is outside the predetermined range and abnormal (if “NO” in step S214), the calculation processing unit 91 determines that a claw portion 711 is missing, notifies a claw missing error via the UI 95 (step S215), and ends the nozzle check. If the lengths of both claw portions 711 are within the predetermined range and normal (if “YES” in step S214), the nozzle check ends.

[0099] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Component mounter 31...Mounting shaft 6...Nozzle holder 7...Gripper nozzle 711...Claw portion 72...Nozzle drive portion 721...Air cylinder 732...Inner wall surface 733...Cap arrangement space 741...Screw hole 742...Screw 75...Cap 751...Disc plate 752...Outer surface 754...Flange 755...Stopper 76...Interlocking mechanism 761...Moveable pin 762...Connecting guide 763...Rotation axis 765...Hook 91...Calculation processing unit B...Board Cb...Board recognition camera Ce...Component recognition camera Dg...Grip direction E...Component R1...Closing direction R2...Opening direction

Claims

1. A component gripping device comprising: a pair of claws that grip a component mounted on a circuit board by pinching the component from the gripping direction; a drive unit that changes the spacing between the pair of claws by driving the claws in the gripping direction; and a spacing restriction unit that determines a variable range of the spacing between the pair of claws and restricts the spacing between the pair of claws from deviating from said variable range, wherein the spacing restriction unit has an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust said variable range.

2. The part holding device described in claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism has a rotating member that rotates in a rotational direction around a rotation axis in conjunction with changes in the spacing between the pair of claw portions, and a regulating member that prevents the spacing between the pair of claw portions from deviating from the variable range by stopping the rotation of the rotating member with a stopper that comes into contact with the rotating member, and when the position of the regulating member is changed in the rotational direction, the position of the stopper is changed to adjust the variable range.

3. The part holding device according to claim 2, wherein the stoppers are provided on both sides of the rotation shaft.

4. A part holding device as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the adjustment mechanism has a pair of pins fixed to each of the pair of claw portions, the rotating member has a pair of hooks provided on both sides of the rotating shaft and engaging with each of the pair of pins, and when each of the pair of pins is driven in the gripping direction in response to each of the pair of claw portions being driven in the gripping direction, the rotating member rotates in the rotational direction around the rotating shaft.

5. A part holding device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising a main body in which a recess is formed, the recess having an inner peripheral surface along a circumference centered on the rotation axis, wherein the rotating member is disposed within the recess and rotatably supported by the main body in the rotation direction, wherein the regulating member has a disk plate having an outer peripheral surface along the circumference, the disk plate is disposed within the recess so as to overlap the rotating member, the outer peripheral surface of the disk plate faces the inner peripheral surface of the recess, and the stopper protrudes from the disk plate towards the rotating member, and when the position of the disk plate within the recess in the rotation direction is changed, the position of the stopper is changed and the variable range is adjusted.

6. A part holding device according to claim 5, wherein the disk plate overlaps the rotating member from above, and the rotating member is positioned between the disk plate and the bottom surface of the recess.

7. A part holding device according to claim 6, further comprising a screw fastened to the main body, wherein the regulating member has a flange protruding from the disk plate, and the flange is fixed to the main body by the screw.

8. A part holding device according to claim 7, wherein the main body has a plurality of screw holes at different positions in the rotation direction, and the screws can be fastened to each of the plurality of screw holes.

9. A part holding device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the drive unit has a pair of cylinders corresponding to the pair of claw portions, and each of the pair of cylinders drives the claw portion corresponding to the opposite side of the gripping direction, thereby changing the spacing between the pair of claw portions.

10. A part holding device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the spacing restriction unit defines a range equal to or less than a predetermined maximum spacing as the variable range and restricts the spacing between the pair of claws from becoming wider than the maximum spacing, and the adjustment mechanism is configured to be able to adjust the maximum spacing.

11. A part holding device as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the spacing restriction unit defines a range equal to or greater than a predetermined minimum spacing as the variable range and restricts the spacing between the pair of claws from becoming wider than the minimum spacing, and the adjustment mechanism is configured to be able to adjust the minimum spacing.

12. A component mounter comprising: a camera that captures an image of the component gripping device according to any one of claims 1 to 11; and a calculation unit that determines the distance between the pair of claws based on the image.

13. A component mounting machine comprising: a holding unit that holds the component gripping device according to claim 5 or 6; a first camera that captures an image of the regulating member of the component gripping device held by the holding unit from above to obtain an image; and a calculation unit that determines the distance between the pair of claws based on the image.

14. A component mounting machine as described in claim 13, comprising: a mounting shaft on which the component gripping device is attached; and a second camera that images the pair of claw portions of the component gripping device attached to the mounting shaft, wherein the calculation unit checks the state of the component gripping device based on a comparison between the spacing between the pair of claw portions determined based on an image captured by the first camera and the spacing between the pair of claw portions determined based on an image captured by the second camera.

15. A component mounter comprising: a camera that captures an image of a component gripping device having a pair of claws that grip a component to be mounted on a board by pinching the component from the gripping direction; and a calculation unit that calculates the distance between the pair of claws based on the image.

Images