Resin molding device and resin molded article manufacturing method

Abstract

This resin molding device comprises: an accommodation unit which accommodates a workpiece; an alignment mechanism which aligns the workpiece; a conveyance mechanism which conveys the workpiece from the accommodation unit to the alignment mechanism; and a mold which resin-molds the workpiece conveyed from the alignment mechanism. The conveyance mechanism includes: a carrier member which has a placement surface onto which the workpiece is placed; and a movement mechanism which moves, from a first position to a second position, the carrier member with the workpiece placed on the placement surface thereof. At the first position, the workpiece is received from the accommodation unit by the carrier member on the placement surface of said carrier member. At the second position, the carrier member and the workpiece together are set in the alignment mechanism.

Description

Resin molding device and method for manufacturing resin molded product

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a resin molding device in which a workpiece to be molded is pushed out of a storage unit called an in-magazine and moved to an alignment mechanism disposed adjacent to the in-magazine.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-121463

[0004] The alignment mechanism is disposed at a fixed distance from the workpiece exit of the internal magazine. Therefore, the workpieces must be transported in some way from near the exit of the internal magazine to the alignment mechanism. Although this point is not explicitly stated in Patent Document 1, conventionally, for example, a gripping mechanism is disposed near the exit of the internal magazine. The gripping mechanism grips the workpieces pushed out from the exit of the internal magazine and transports them to the alignment mechanism by pulling them.

[0005] However, depending on the type of workpiece, sufficient rigidity may not be ensured. Examples of such workpieces include lead frames made of a material that lacks rigidity and easily bends, and / or lead frames that are frequently punched. Such workpieces often need to be transported slowly to protect them from the time they leave the in-magazine until they reach the alignment mechanism. If such workpieces are transported at high speed, they may bend, warp, or otherwise deform during transport, or may fall off the transport path. However, this may result in an insufficient increase in the production speed of resin molded products, and may reduce the number of resin molded products produced per unit time.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a resin molding apparatus and a method for manufacturing a resin molded product that can increase the number of resin molded products produced per unit time.

[0007] A resin molding apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a storage unit that stores workpieces, an alignment mechanism that aligns the workpieces, a transport mechanism that transports the workpieces from the storage unit to the alignment mechanism, and a molding die that resin molds the workpieces transported from the alignment mechanism. The transport mechanism includes a carrier member having a mounting surface on which the workpieces are placed, and a moving mechanism that moves the carrier member with the workpieces placed on the mounting surface from a first position to a second position. The carrier member receives the workpieces from the storage unit onto the mounting surface at the first position, and is set in the alignment mechanism together with the workpieces at the second position.

[0008] A method for manufacturing a resin molded product according to another aspect of the present invention includes using the resin molding apparatus to resin mold a workpiece in a molding die to manufacture the resin molded product.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a resin molding apparatus and a method for manufacturing a resin molded product that can increase the number of resin molded products produced per unit time.

[0010] 2D is a plan view schematically showing a resin molding apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 2D is a plan view of the periphery of a transport mechanism according to an embodiment. FIG. 2A is a plan view of the periphery of the transport mechanism of FIG. 2A at another timing. FIG. 2B is a plan view of the periphery of the transport mechanism of FIG. 2A at yet another timing. FIG. 2C is a plan view of the periphery of the transport mechanism of FIG. 2A at yet another timing. FIG. 2D is a plan view of the periphery of the transport mechanism of FIG. 2A at yet another timing. FIG. 2D is a plan view of the periphery of the transport mechanism of FIG. 2A at yet another timing. FIG. 2D is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2D. A cross-sectional view of a carrier member and a moving mechanism according to an embodiment. A cross-sectional view of line VV of FIG. 2A.

[0011] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding parts in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, each drawing is drawn in a schematic manner with objects appropriately omitted or exaggerated.

[0012] 1. Overall Configuration of the Resin Molding Apparatus FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a resin molding apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. The resin molding apparatus 100 resin-moldes a workpiece W1, which is a molding target, using a resin material T. In the description herein, the workpiece W1 is exemplified by a thin-plate substrate to which electronic components such as semiconductor chips are fixed. The resin molding apparatus 100 is suitable for processing a workpiece W1 formed in a thin plate shape, particularly a workpiece W1 that has low rigidity and is therefore prone to deformation such as bending and distortion. Examples of such a workpiece W1 include lead frames, particularly lead frames made of a material that is low in rigidity and prone to bending, and / or lead frames that are frequently punched.

[0013] The resin molding apparatus 100 includes an in-module M1, a mold module M2, and an out-module M3. These modules M1 to M3 are connected in this order as an integrated device. While two mold modules M2 are shown in FIG. 1 , only one mold module M2 or three or more mold modules M2 may be provided. The mold module M2 includes a molding mechanism 2. The molding mechanism 2 performs resin molding by using resin material T to seal electronic components fixed to the workpiece W1 and process the workpiece W1 into a resin-molded product, the workpiece W2. The in-module M1 includes an in-magazine 7 (an example of a storage unit) that stores multiple workpieces W1 before resin molding, and a resin supply mechanism 70. The resin supply mechanism 70 is a device that supplies resin material T. The out-module M3 includes an out-magazine 8 that stores multiple workpieces W2 after resin molding.

[0014] The in-module M1 further includes an alignment mechanism 4 disposed adjacent to the internal magazine 7 and a transport mechanism 3 that transports the workpiece W1 from the internal magazine 7 to the alignment mechanism 4. The transport mechanism 3 includes a carrier member 30, a moving mechanism 50, and a pushing mechanism 60. The moving mechanism 50 reciprocates the carrier member 30 between a first position P1 indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 1 and a second position P2 indicated by a solid line in FIG. 1. The first position P1 is closer to the internal magazine 7 than the second position P2. When the carrier member 30 is disposed at the first position P1, the pushing mechanism 60 pushes the workpiece W1 out of the internal magazine 7 and transfers it to the carrier member 30. That is, the carrier member 30 receives the workpiece W1 from the internal magazine 7 at the first position P1. The workpiece W1 held by the carrier member 30 disposed at the first position P1 is also indicated in FIG. 1 by a dotted line. Thereafter, the moving mechanism 50 moves the carrier member 30 holding the workpiece W1 from the first position P1 to the second position P2.

[0015] The alignment mechanism 4 is a mechanism for aligning the workpiece W1, and has a turntable 40 that can rotate in a horizontal plane. The second position P2 is located on the turntable 40. Therefore, when the moving mechanism 50 moves the carrier member 30 holding the workpiece W1 to the second position P2, the workpiece W1 is set at a predetermined position on the turntable 40. As shown in FIG. 1 , the alignment mechanism 4 can simultaneously load two carrier members 30. When two workpieces W1 are set on the turntable 40 together with the carrier members 30, the turntable 40 rotates, and aligns the workpieces W1 so that they are in a position suitable for pickup by the loader 5, which will be described later.

[0016] The resin molding apparatus 100 further includes a guide G extending in the left-right direction, and a loader 5 and an unloader 6 that move along the guide G. Unless otherwise specified, in the description of this embodiment, the terms front (front face), rear (rear face), left, right, top, and bottom are defined as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5. The guide G is a rail along which the loader 5 and unloader 6 travel. The guide G is provided linearly along the rear side of the resin molding apparatus 100, spanning the in-module M1, mold modules M2, M2, and out-module M3. The molding mechanism 2, conveying mechanism 3, alignment mechanism 4, resin supply mechanism 70, in-magazine 7, and out-magazine 8 are disposed on the front side of the guide G.

[0017] The loader 5 is a loading mechanism that loads the workpiece W1 and the resin material T into the molding die 20. One molding die 20 is provided for each molding mechanism 2. The loader 5 includes a pickup mechanism 5a that picks up the workpiece W1 and the resin material T. The pickup mechanism 5a is movable forward and backward and vertically. The loader 5 moves along a guide G between the in-module M1 and the mold modules M2. This allows the pickup mechanism 5a to access the alignment mechanism 4 and resin supply mechanism 70 in the in-module M1, as well as the molding die 20 in the mold module M2. Although not limited thereto, the pickup mechanism 5a includes multiple pairs of claws that grip and pick up the workpiece W1 from the alignment mechanism 4, transport it to the lower die included in the molding die 20, and place it there. The pickup mechanism 5a also includes a shutter that receives the resin material T supplied from the resin supply mechanism 70 located below by holding it from below. The pickup mechanism 5a then transports the received resin material T to the lower mold of the molding die 20, opens the shutter, and supplies the resin material T to a pot (a space for temporarily storing the resin material T) of the lower mold of the molding die 20.

[0018] The molding die 20 is a die that resin-moldes the workpiece W1, which is transported from the alignment mechanism 4 by the loader 5, using the resin material T, which is also transported from the resin supply mechanism 70 by the loader 5. While not limited thereto, the molding die 20 is a die having a pair of upper and lower dies. When the loader 5 places the workpiece W1 and the resin material T in a predetermined position within the lower die, the upper and lower dies are clamped together. The upper and lower dies are heated, melting the resin material T in the pot. The molten resin material T is pushed from the pot into a cavity formed between the upper and lower dies by a plunger and hardens while covering the electronic components on the workpiece W1. This results in resin molding of the workpiece W1, producing a workpiece W2 (an example of a resin molded product). While transfer molding is illustrated here, other molding methods, such as compression molding, may also be used.

[0019] The unloader 6 is a discharge mechanism that discharges the workpiece W2 from the molding die 20 after resin molding. The unloader 6 is equipped with a pickup mechanism 6a that picks up the workpiece W2. The pickup mechanism 6a is capable of moving forward and backward in the front-rear direction and of moving up and down in the up-down direction. The unloader 6 moves along the guide G between the outer module M3 and the mold modules M2, M2. This allows the pickup mechanism 6a to access the outer magazine 8 in the outer module M3 and the molding die 20 in the mold module M2. Although not limited to this, the pickup mechanism 6a also has multiple pairs of claws, similar to the pickup mechanism 5a, and these claws are used to pinch and pick up the workpiece W2 from the lower die of the molding die 20, and transport it to the outer magazine 8 to store it there.

[0020] The resin molding apparatus 100 includes a control unit 1 that controls the operation of each unit. The control unit 1 includes a central processing unit (CPU), read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), and nonvolatile memory, and the CPU executes control programs stored in the nonvolatile memory and / or ROM to execute the operation of each unit. The resin molding apparatus 100 also includes user interface devices such as an input device and a display device, which are realized as a touch panel 9 in this embodiment. The control unit 1 and the touch panel 9 can be located at any position, not limited to the positions shown in FIG. 1 .

[0021] 2. Configuration of the Periphery of the Transport Mechanism The configuration of the periphery of the transport mechanism 3 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2A to 2I and 3. Figures 2A to 2I are plan views of the periphery of the transport mechanism 3, and show the flow of the transport operation of the transport mechanism 3 in this order. In addition to the transport mechanism 3, Figures 2A to 2I also show the in-magazine 7 and the alignment mechanism 4. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 2D.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2I and 3 , two support mechanisms 41 are arranged on the upper surface of the turntable 40 included in the alignment mechanism 4. Each of these support mechanisms 41 is mounted with a carrier member 30. These support mechanisms 41 are fixed to the turntable 40 and rotate when the turntable 40 rotates. These support mechanisms 41 have a configuration that is roughly point-symmetric with respect to the center of rotation of the turntable 40. Therefore, for simplicity, the configuration of one of the support mechanisms 41 will be described below, but the other support mechanism 41 will also have a similar (roughly point-symmetric) configuration. Note that the two carrier members 30 mounted on the two support mechanisms 41 each have a similar configuration, and therefore, only one of the carrier members 30 will be described below as appropriate.

[0023] The support mechanism 41 has a support plate 42 that is substantially rectangular in plan view and side walls 43, 44 that are disposed at both ends of the support plate 42 in the short direction. The side walls 43, 44 protrude upward from the upper surface of the support plate 42. Of the side walls 43, 44, the one closer to the rotation center of the turntable 40 is designated by 43, and the one farther from the rotation center of the turntable 40 is designated by 44. A rail 42A extending in the longitudinal direction is disposed on the upper surface of the support plate 42. Meanwhile, the carrier member 30 included in the transport mechanism 3 has a flat plate 31 that is substantially rectangular in plan view, and a rail groove 31A extending in the longitudinal direction is formed on the lower surface of the flat plate 31. The rail 42A is fitted into the rail groove 31A. It is preferable to dispose a member with good sliding properties, such as a bearing, between the rail groove 31A and the rail 42A. As described above, the carrier member 30 is supported from below by the support plate 42 and is configured to be able to slide along the longitudinal direction on the support plate 42. Note that the number of pairs of rails 42A and rail grooves 31A provided on one set of support mechanism 41 and carrier member 30 is two in the example of Fig. 3, but is not limited to this. Alternatively, rails may be provided on the carrier member 30 and rail grooves may be formed in the support mechanism 41.

[0024] The carrier member 30 has protrusions 33 and 34, which are respectively disposed at both ends of the flat plate 31 in the lateral direction. The protrusions 33 and 34 protrude upward from the upper surface of the flat plate 31. The protrusions 33 and 34 extend parallel to the side walls 43 and 44, respectively, slightly inside the side walls 43 and 44 included in the support mechanism 41. The upper surfaces of the protrusions 33 and 34 are aligned at the same height. As a result, a mounting surface C1 (see FIG. 3 ) on which the workpiece W1 is placed is formed on the upper surface of the carrier member 30. The mounting surface C1 is a virtual surface including the upper surfaces of the protrusions 33 and 34. In this embodiment, the carrier member 30 also has a protrusion 32 that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the flat plate 31. The protrusion 32 is disposed in the center of the flat plate 31 in the lateral direction and extends parallel to the protrusions 33 and 34. The upper surface of the protrusion 32 is flush with the upper surfaces of the protrusions 33 and 34, and the placement surface C1 includes the upper surface of the protrusion 32 in addition to the upper surfaces of the protrusions 33 and 34. Note that the upper surface of the protrusion 32 does not necessarily have to be flush with the upper surfaces of the protrusions 33 and 34, and may or may not be flush with them depending on the degree of warping or deflection of the workpiece W1.

[0025] The mounting surface C1 is provided with a recess 30A to reduce the contact area between the carrier member 30 and the workpiece W1 when the workpiece W1 is placed thereon. In other words, in this embodiment, the workpiece W1 does not come into contact with the carrier member 30 except on the upper surfaces of the protrusions 32-33. The recess 30A is formed between the protrusions 32-34 and is a space recessed downward from the upper surfaces of the protrusions 32-34. Therefore, the recess 30A reduces the contact area between the workpiece W1 and the object (carrier member 30), reducing the risk of the workpiece W1 being damaged or deformed due to friction with the object (carrier member 30). In this embodiment, the protrusion 32 is detachably fixed to the flat plate 31. Therefore, by removing the protrusion 32 or replacing it with a protrusion of a different shape depending on the type of workpiece W1, it is possible to appropriately protect the parts of the workpiece W1 that are particularly desired to be protected.

[0026] The side walls 43, 44 are positioned slightly outside the protrusions 33, 34, respectively, and protrude upward beyond the protrusions 33, 34. This prevents the workpiece W1 from shifting in position in the width direction (the short direction of the flat plate 31) on the carrier member 30. In particular, even if the carrier member 30 with the workpiece W1 placed thereon slides on the support plate 42 or the turntable 40 on which the carrier member 30 with the workpiece W1 placed thereon rotates, the workpiece W1 will not shift in position on the carrier member 30 due to vibration, inertial force, or the like. Therefore, the workpiece W1 is also prevented from falling off the carrier member 30. In this embodiment, the upper ends of the side walls 43, 44 are provided with protruding pieces 43A, 44A that protrude slightly toward the protrusions 33, 34 (inward) (see FIG. 3). By providing these protruding pieces 43A, 44A, it is possible to suppress upward warping of the workpiece W1.

[0027] The side walls 43, 44 are movable toward or away from each other. In FIG. 3 , the state in which the side walls 43, 44 are closest to each other is indicated by a solid line, and the state in which they are farthest apart is indicated by a dotted line. The support mechanism 41 has a biasing member 45, such as a spring. The biasing member 45 biases the side walls 43, 44 toward each other, i.e., toward the protrusions 33, 34 (inward) from the outside. Meanwhile, rod-shaped members 46, 46 extending inward are connected to the lower portions of the side walls 43, 44, respectively. The inner ends of the rod-shaped members 46, 46 are in contact with a rod-shaped member 47 extending perpendicular to the rod-shaped members 46, 46. The rod-shaped member 47 is driven by an actuator (not shown) controlled by the control unit 1 to swing in the longitudinal direction. The rod-shaped member 47 has a cam whose diameter changes smoothly along the longitudinal direction, and the inner ends of the rod-shaped members 46, 46 contact the cam. When the inner ends of the rod-shaped members 46, 46 contact the smallest diameter portion of the cam (shown by solid lines in FIG. 3), the side walls 43, 44 are closest to each other. On the other hand, when the inner ends of the rod-shaped members 46, 46 contact the largest diameter portion of the cam (shown by dotted lines in FIG. 3), the side walls 43, 44 are furthest from each other. The control unit 1 separates the side walls 43, 44 the most when the carrier member 30 receives the workpiece W1 from the in-magazine 7 onto the placement surface C1. Then, when the workpiece W1 is placed on the placement surface C1, the control unit 1 brings the side walls 43, 44 closest to each other. As a result, even if the workpiece W1 is slightly misaligned in the width direction (the short side direction of the flat plate 31) when it is received on the mounting surface C1, it is pushed inward by the side walls 43, 44, and is thereby more correctly aligned in the width direction on the carrier member 30.

[0028] The side walls 43, 44 have several notches along their longitudinal direction, and the protrusions 33, 34 also have several notches along their longitudinal direction. As shown in FIG. 2A and other figures, the notches in the side walls 43 and the notches in the protrusions 33 adjacent to the side walls 43 are aligned along the longitudinal direction, collectively forming a notch B1. Similarly, the notches in the side walls 44 and the notches in the protrusions 34 adjacent to the side walls 44 are aligned along the longitudinal direction, collectively forming a notch B2. Pairs of claws of the pickup mechanism 5a of the loader 5 are inserted into these notches B1, B2 from the outside when picking up the workpiece W1 on the placement surface C1.

[0029] Appropriate cutouts 31C are formed in the flat plate 31. The cutouts 31C reduce the weight of the carrier member 30. The cutouts 31C may be through holes or openings with a bottom.

[0030] The moving mechanism 50 reciprocates the carrier member 30 between a first position P1 (see FIG. 2C , etc.) and a second position P2 (see FIG. 2D , etc.). As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2I , the moving mechanism 50 includes a guide 51, a connecting member 52 that moves along the guide 51, and an actuator 53 (drive source) that drives the connecting member 52 to move along the guide 51. The guide 51 extends from near the first position P1 to near the second position P2 in a plan view. The actuator 53 is implemented, for example, by a servo motor. In this case, the guide 51 is implemented, for example, as a ball screw connected to the output shaft of the servo motor.

[0031] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the carrier member 30 and the moving mechanism 50. As shown in the figure, the guide 51 and the connecting member 52 are disposed above the carrier member 30. The connecting member 52 is detachably connected to the carrier member 30. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, an insertion opening 31B is formed on the upper surface of the flat plate 31 included in the carrier member 30. The insertion opening 31B may be a through-hole or a bottomed opening. Meanwhile, the connecting member 52 has an insertion member 522. The insertion member 522 is inserted into the insertion opening 31B so as to connect the carrier member 30 and the connecting member 52. Note that FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane passing through the insertion opening 31B and parallel to the short direction of the flat plate 31, and shows a state in which the insertion member 522 is inserted into the insertion opening 31B. The insertion member 522 may have any shape that allows it to be attached to and detached from the insertion opening 31B, such as a pin shape. The insertion member 522 is accommodated in the insertion opening 31B almost snugly. As a result, while the insertion member 522 is inserted into the insertion opening 31B, the carrier member 30 and the connecting member 52 are firmly connected. Alternatively, an insertion opening may be provided in the connecting member 52, and the carrier member 30 may be provided with an insertion member to be inserted therein.

[0032] The connecting member 52 includes a main body 521 supported by the guide 51 so as to move along the guide 51, and an elevating mechanism 523 supported by the main body 521 and moving together with the main body 521. The insertion member 522 is fixed to the lower end of the elevating mechanism 523, and the elevating mechanism 523 raises and lowers the insertion member 522. The elevating mechanism 523 is implemented by an actuator such as an air cylinder. The control unit 1 drives the elevating mechanism 523 to move the insertion member 522 up and down, thereby inserting and removing the insertion member 522 into and from the insertion opening 31B. That is, the connecting member 52 transitions between a connected state in which the insertion member 522 is connected to the carrier member 30 and a released state in which the connection with the carrier member 30 is released, as the insertion member 522 rises and falls relative to the insertion opening 31B. The connected state is a state in which the insertion member 522 is inserted into the insertion opening 31B. The released state is a state in which the insertion member 522 is not inserted into the insertion opening 31B. In addition, when an insertion opening is provided in the connecting member 52, the insertion opening may be raised and lowered relative to the insertion member provided in the carrier member 30.

[0033] The control unit 1 drives the actuator 53 to reciprocate the connecting member 52 along the guide 51 between the vicinity of the first position P1 and the vicinity of the second position P2. The control unit 1 also drives the lifting mechanism 523 to attach and detach the connecting member 52 to and from the carrier member 30. By combining the above operations of the actuator 53 and the lifting mechanism 523, the control unit 1 reciprocates the carrier member 30 connected to the connecting member 52 between the first position P1 and the second position P2.

[0034] The push-out mechanism 60 is a mechanism that pushes out the workpiece W1 from the internal magazine 7. A plurality of workpieces W1 are stored at intervals in the vertical direction in the internal magazine 7. When the carrier member 30 is disposed at the first position P1, the push-out mechanism 60 pushes out the workpieces W1 one by one from the internal magazine 7 so that they are placed on the placement surface C1 of the carrier member 30.

[0035] 2A to 2I, the push-out mechanism 60 has a guide 61, a pusher 62 that moves along the guide 61, and an actuator 63 (drive source) that drives the pusher 62 to move along the guide 61. The guide 61 is disposed on the opposite side of the alignment mechanism 4, with the in-magazine 7 in between. The actuator 63 is realized by, for example, a servo motor. In this case, the guide 61 is realized by, for example, a ball screw connected to the output shaft of the servo motor.

[0036] Although not limited thereto, in this embodiment, the pusher 62 is a substantially rectangular plate-like member. The pusher 62 is appropriately formed with a cutout 62A. The cutout 62A reduces the weight of the pusher 62. The cutout 62A may be a through-hole or a bottomed opening.

[0037] The pusher 62 is supported by the guide 61 so as to move along the guide 61. The control unit 1 drives the actuator 63 to reciprocate the pusher 62 along the guide 61 between a third position P3 (see FIG. 2A, etc.) and a fourth position P4 (see FIG. 2C, etc.). The third position P3 is located outside the internal magazine 7. The fourth position P4 is located partially inside the internal magazine 7. When the carrier member 30 is located at the first position P1, the pusher 62 is moved along the guide 61 from the third position P3 to the fourth position P4. As a result, one workpiece W1 in the internal magazine 7 is pushed by the pusher 62 and pops out of the internal magazine 7, and is placed on the placement surface C1 of the carrier member 30 located at the first position P1 (see FIG. 2C, etc.). The internal magazine 7 is movable up and down, and the workpiece W1 removed from the internal magazine 7 is adjusted to be at the same height as the pusher 62. Each time the push-out mechanism 60 takes out one workpiece W1, the control unit 1 moves the in-magazine 7 up and down so that the next workpiece W1 to be taken out is at the same height as the pusher 62.

[0038] A guide mechanism 80 is disposed near the outlet of the in-magazine 7 for the workpiece W1. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 2A. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 5, the guide mechanism 80 includes a support plate 81 having a generally rectangular shape in a plan view and a pair of side walls 82, 82 disposed at both ends of the support plate 81 in the front-rear direction. The side walls 82, 82 protrude upward from the upper surface of the support plate 81. Each side wall 82 has a step at its upper end, with a first step 821 located further inward and a second step 822 located further outward. The second step 822 is taller than the first step 821. When the carrier member 30 is disposed at the first position P1, the pair of first step portions 821, 821 are disposed approximately on the extensions of the protrusions 33, 34 of the carrier member 30, respectively. In the same state, the pair of second step portions 822, 822 are disposed approximately on the extension lines of the side walls 43, 44 included in the alignment mechanism 4, respectively.

[0039] When the carrier member 30 is positioned at the first position P1, the upper surfaces of the first step portions 821, 821 are aligned in height with the upper surfaces of the protrusions 33, 34. The guide mechanism 80 forms a mounting surface C2 (see FIG. 5 ), which is an imaginary plane including the upper surfaces of the first step portions 821, 821. The workpiece W1 pushed out from the outlet of the in-magazine 7 is first received on the upper surfaces of the pair of first step portions 821, 821 (i.e., on the mounting surface C2), slides over the upper surfaces of the first step portions 821, 821, passes through the guide mechanism 80, and is then received on the upper surfaces of the protrusions 33, 34 (i.e., on the mounting surface C1). In FIG. 5 , the workpiece W1 passing over the first step portions 821, 821 is indicated by dotted lines for reference. Like the mounting surface C1, the mounting surface C2 also has a recess 83 for reducing the contact area between the guide mechanism 80 and the workpiece W1 when the workpiece W1 is placed thereon. That is, the workpiece W1 does not come into contact with the guide mechanism 80 anywhere other than the upper surfaces of the first step portions 821, 821. The recess 83 is formed between the first step portions 821, 821, and is a space recessed downward from the upper surfaces of the first step portions 821, 821. Therefore, the recess 83 reduces the contact area between the workpiece W1 and the object (guide mechanism 80), reducing the risk of the workpiece W1 being damaged or deformed due to friction with the object (guide mechanism 80), etc.

[0040] The second steps 822, 822 protrude upward from the outer sides of the first steps 821, 821. Therefore, the workpiece W1 is correctly aligned in the width direction (front-to-back direction) on the first steps 821, 821, preventing it from falling off the first steps 821, 821. The spacing between the second steps 822, 822 is slightly wider than the spacing between the side walls 43, 44 of the alignment mechanism 4 when they are closest to each other. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 2A to 2I , each second step 822 has an inclined surface 822A in plan view near the exit of the magazine 7. As a result, the spacing between the second steps 822, 822 is widest at the position closest to the exit of the magazine 7, gradually narrows as the distance from the exit of the magazine 7 increases, and remains constant as the distance from the alignment mechanism 4 increases. As a result, even if the workpiece W1 is misaligned in the width direction (front-to-back direction) on the first step portions 821, 821 when it is pushed out of the in-magazine 7, it is gradually moved toward the center in the width direction while passing between the second step portions 822, 822. As a result, by the time the workpiece W1 reaches the carrier member 30 arranged at the first position P1, it will not be significantly misaligned in the width direction and will be received by the carrier member 30 in approximately the correct position.

[0041] 2A to 2I, a description will be given of the flow of a method for manufacturing a resin molded product using the resin molding apparatus 100. When an operator sets the in-magazine 7 containing multiple workpieces W1 in the in-module M1 and performs a predetermined operation via the touch panel 9, the resin molding apparatus 100 starts manufacturing the resin molded product (workpiece W2).

[0042] First, the control unit 1 sets the turntable 40 to the position shown in FIG. 2A . As a result, one of the carrier members 30 (more specifically, the front side) mounted on the turntable 40 is positioned at the second position P2. The control unit 1 also drives the actuator 53 to set the coupling member 52 to a position near the second position P2, thereby positioning the insertion member 522 of the coupling member 52 directly above the insertion opening 31B of the front side carrier member 30. In this state, the control unit 1 drives the lifting mechanism 523 to lower the insertion member 522. As a result, the insertion member 522 is inserted into the insertion opening 31B, and the front side carrier member 30 and the coupling member 52 are coupled together.

[0043] Next, the control unit 1 drives the actuator 53 to move the connecting member 52 along the guide 51 from near the second position P2 to near the first position P1 (see FIG. 2B). As a result, the carrier member 30 connected to the connecting member 52 moves from the second position P2 to the first position P1. Next, the control unit 1 separates the side walls 43, 44 of the support mechanism 41 supporting the carrier member 30 positioned at the first position P1. In this state, the control unit 1 drives the actuator 63 to move the pusher 62 along the guide 61 to the fourth position P4 shown in FIG. 2C. As a result, the workpiece W1 is pushed out of the in-magazine 7 by the pusher 62, passes through the guide mechanism 80, and is placed on the placement surface C1 of the carrier member 30 positioned at the first position P1 (see FIG. 2C). That is, the carrier member 30 receives the workpiece W1 from the in-magazine 7 onto the placement surface C1 at the first position P1. When the workpiece W1 is set on the placement surface C1, the control unit 1 aligns the workpiece W1 in the width direction on the placement surface C1 by bringing the side walls 43, 44 of the support mechanism 41 closer to each other. Note that the control unit 1 may align the workpiece W1 in the width direction after the workpiece W1 has moved to the second position P2, rather than at the first position P1.

[0044] Next, the control unit 1 drives the actuator 53 to move the connecting member 52 along the guide 51 from near the first position P1 to near the second position P2. As a result, the carrier member 30, with the workpiece W1 placed on the placement surface C1, moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2 (see FIG. 2D). As a result, the carrier member 30 is set in the alignment mechanism 4 together with the workpiece W1 at the second position P2. The control unit 1 also drives the actuator 63 to retract the pusher 62 along the guide 61 to the third position P3 shown in FIG. 2D. Furthermore, the control unit 1 raises and lowers the in-magazine 7 to set the workpiece W1 to be pushed out next at the same height as the pusher 62.

[0045] Next, the control unit 1 drives the lifting mechanism 523 to raise the insertion member 522 of the connecting member 52, thereby positioning the insertion member 522 directly above the insertion opening 31B. As a result, the insertion member 522 is removed from the insertion opening 31B, and the connection between the carrier member 30 and the connecting member 52 is released. In this state, the control unit 1 rotates the turntable 40 180° to swap the positions of the two support mechanisms 41 and, therefore, the positions of the two carrier members 30 (see FIG. 2E). As a result, the workpiece W1 is held by the carrier member 30 on the rear side, and the carrier member 30 on the front side becomes empty.

[0046] At this stage, the front carrier member 30 is positioned at the second position P2, and the insertion member 522 of the connecting member 52 is positioned directly above the insertion opening 31B of the carrier member 30. From this point on, the same operations as when the first workpiece W1 was set are repeated.

[0047] That is, the control unit 1 drives the lifting mechanism 523 to lower the insertion member 522, thereby connecting the front-side carrier member 30 and the connecting member 52. Next, the control unit 1 drives the actuator 53 to move the front-side carrier member 30 from the second position P2 to the first position P1 (see FIG. 2F).

[0048] Next, the control unit 1 drives the actuator 63, and the pusher 62 pushes the workpiece W1 from the in-magazine 7 onto the placement surface C1 of the carrier member 30 (see FIG. 2G). As with the first workpiece W1, before and after the second workpiece W1 is pushed out of the in-magazine 7, the side walls 43, 44 of the front support mechanism 41 are moved closer to and farther apart, and the workpiece W1 is aligned.

[0049] Next, the control unit 1 drives the actuator 53 to move the front carrier member 30 from the first position P1 to the second position P2 (see FIG. 2H). As a result, the second carrier member 30 is also set in the alignment mechanism 4 at the second position P2 together with the second workpiece W1. The control unit 1 also retracts the pusher 62 to the third position P3. Furthermore, the control unit 1 drives the lifting mechanism 523 to remove the insertion member 522 from the insertion opening 31B, thereby releasing the connection between the carrier member 30 and the connecting member 52.

[0050] At this stage, two workpieces W1 are set on the turntable 40. Next, the control unit 1 rotates the turntable 40 and aligns the two workpieces W1 so that they are in a position suitable for pickup by the loader 5 (see FIG. 2I). In the example of FIG. 2I, the turntable 40 rotates 90°. The control unit 1 also moves the turntable 40 to a transfer position on the loader 5 side (rear side) (see FIG. 2I) and moves the loader 5 directly above the transfer position. Once the workpieces W1 on the turntable 40 and the loader 5 are aligned in the vertical direction, the workpieces W1 are picked up from the turntable 40 by the pickup mechanism 5a and transported to the molding die 20. The pickup mechanism 5a also transports the resin material T to the molding die 20. Note that only the workpieces W1 are picked up from the turntable 40; the carrier member 30 is left on the turntable 40. When the workpiece W1 is picked up from the turntable 40, the control unit 1 resets the turntable 40, the carrier member 30, and the connecting member 52 to the positions shown in Figure 2A, and repeats the operations shown in Figures 2B to 2I and the transport operation of the workpiece W1 and the resin material to the molding die 20.

[0051] Each time the workpiece W1 and resin material T are transported to the molding die 20, the control unit 1 controls the molding mechanism 2 to resin-mold the workpiece W1 in the molding die 20 and process it into a workpiece W2. The resin-molded product (workpiece W2) manufactured in this manner is removed from the molding die 20 by the unloader 6, and after unnecessary resin such as culls and runners is removed in a removal section (not shown) for removing unnecessary resin, the workpiece W2 is transported to the out-magazine 8. This completes the operation for manufacturing a resin-molded product.

[0052] 4. Features In the above embodiment, the workpiece W1 is placed on the carrier member 30 after leaving the in-magazine 7. The carrier member 30 with the workpiece W1 placed thereon is then moved by the moving mechanism 50 to a predetermined position (second position P2) in the alignment mechanism 4. That is, instead of the workpiece W1 itself being directly pulled or dragged, the carrier member 30 carrying the workpiece W1 is transported. As a result, even if the workpiece W1 has low rigidity, the risk of deformation such as bending or warping during transport or falling off the transport path is reduced. Therefore, the workpiece W1 can be transported at high speed from the in-magazine 7 to the predetermined position (second position P2) in the alignment mechanism 4. As a result, the production speed of the resin molded product (workpiece W2) can be increased, and the number of resin molded products produced per unit time (units per hour, UPH) can be improved.

[0053] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0054] <5. Supplementary Notes> <Technology 1> (Configuration) A resin molding device comprising: a storage unit that stores workpieces; an alignment mechanism that aligns the workpieces; a transport mechanism that transports the workpieces from the storage unit to the alignment mechanism; and a molding die that resin molds the workpieces transported from the alignment mechanism, wherein the transport mechanism includes a carrier member having a mounting surface on which the workpieces are placed, and a moving mechanism that moves the carrier member with the workpieces placed on the mounting surface from a first position to a second position, and the carrier member receives the workpieces from the storage unit onto the mounting surface at the first position, and is set in the alignment mechanism together with the workpieces at the second position.

[0055] (Effects, etc.) In this resin molding device, the workpieces leaving the storage section are placed on a carrier member. Then, the carrier member with the workpieces placed on it is moved by the moving mechanism to a predetermined position (second position) of the alignment mechanism. In other words, instead of the workpieces themselves being directly pulled or dragged, the carrier member carrying the workpieces is transported. As a result, even for workpieces with low rigidity, the risk of deformation such as bending or distortion occurring during transport or falling off the transport path is reduced. Therefore, the workpieces can be transported at high speed from the storage section to the predetermined position of the alignment mechanism. As a result, the number of resin molded products produced per unit time can be increased.

[0056] <Technology 2> (Configuration) The resin molding apparatus according to Technology 1, wherein the movement mechanism includes: a guide extending from a vicinity of the first position to a vicinity of the second position; a connecting member detachably connected to the carrier member and moving along the guide; and a drive source that drives the connecting member to move along the guide.

[0057] (Effects, etc.) In this resin molding device, the carrier member can be transported with a simple configuration, which further shortens the time required to transport the workpieces and further increases the number of resin molded products produced per unit time.

[0058] <Technology 3> (Configuration) The resin molding apparatus according to Technology 2, wherein one of the carrier member and the connecting member has an insertion opening, and the other of the carrier member and the connecting member has an insertion member that is inserted into the insertion opening so as to connect the carrier member and the connecting member.

[0059] (Advantages, etc.) In this resin molding device, the connecting member can be attached to and detached from the carrier member with a simple configuration, which further shortens the time required to transport the workpiece and further increases the number of resin molded products produced per unit time.

[0060] <Technology 4> (Configuration) The resin molding device described in Technology 3, wherein the connecting member transitions between a connected state in which the insertion member is inserted into the insertion port and connected to the carrier member, and a released state in which the insertion member is not inserted into the insertion port and is released from the connection with the carrier member, by the insertion member rising and falling relative to the insertion port.

[0061] (Effects, etc.) In this resin molding device, the connecting member can be attached and detached using a simple configuration with the carrier member, which further shortens the time required to transport the workpiece and further increases the number of resin molded products produced per unit time.

[0062] <Technology 5> (Configuration) The resin molding device according to any one of Technologies 1 to 4, wherein the alignment mechanism is rotatable in a horizontal plane and can simultaneously mount two of the carrier members. (Effects, etc.) This resin molding device can simultaneously align two workpieces. Therefore, the number of resin molded products produced per unit time can be further improved.

[0063] <Technology 6> (Configuration) The resin molding device according to any one of Technologies 1 to 5, wherein the mounting surface is provided with a recess for reducing a contact area between the carrier member and the workpiece when the workpiece is mounted thereon.

[0064] (Effects, etc.) In this resin molding device, the contact area between the workpiece and the carrier member is small, reducing the risk of the workpiece being damaged or deformed due to friction with the carrier member or the like.

[0065] <Technology 7> (Configuration) The resin molding device according to any one of Technologies 1 to 6, wherein the transport mechanism further includes a push-out mechanism that pushes out the workpiece from the accommodation section so that the workpiece is placed on the placement surface when the carrier member is disposed at the first position.

[0066] (Effects, etc.) This resin molding device allows the workpieces to be placed on the placement surface of the carrier member with a simple configuration, thereby further shortening the time required to transport the workpieces and further increasing the number of resin molded products produced per unit time.

[0067] <Technology 8> (Configuration) A method for manufacturing a resin molded product, comprising: using the resin molding device according to any one of technologies 1 to 7 to resin mold the workpiece in the molding die, thereby manufacturing a resin molded product.

[0068] (Effects, etc.) In this method for manufacturing a resin molded product, it is possible to increase the number of resin molded products produced per unit time.

[0069] 100 Resin molding apparatus 1 Control unit 2 Molding mechanism 3 Conveying mechanism 4 Alignment mechanism 5 Loader 5a Pickup mechanism 6 Unloader 6a Pickup mechanism 7 In-magazine 8 Out-magazine 9 Touch panel 20 Molding mold 30 Carrier member 30A Recess 31 Flat plate 31A Rail groove 31B Insertion opening 31C Cutout 32, 33, 34 Protrusion 40 Turntable 41 Support mechanism 42 Support plate 42A Rail 43, 44 Side wall 43A, 44A Protruding piece 45 Urging member 46, 47 Rod-shaped member 50 Moving mechanism 51 Guide 52 Connecting member 521 Main body 522 Insertion member 523 Lifting mechanism 53 Actuator 60 Extrusion mechanism 61 Guide 62 Pusher 62A Cutout 63 Actuator 70 Resin supply mechanism 80 Guide mechanism 81 Support plate 82 Side wall 821 First step 822 Second step 822A Inclined surface 83 Recess B1, B2 Notch C1 Placement surface C2 Placement surface M1 In-module M2 Molded module M3 Out-module G Guide W1 Workpiece (molded object) W2 Workpiece (resin molded product) T Resin material P1 First position P2 Second position P3 Third position P4 Fourth position

Claims

1. A resin molding device comprising: a storage section that stores workpieces; an alignment mechanism that aligns the workpieces; a transport mechanism that transports the workpieces from the storage section to the alignment mechanism; and a molding die that resin molds the workpieces transported from the alignment mechanism, wherein the transport mechanism includes a carrier member having a mounting surface on which the workpieces are placed, and a moving mechanism that moves the carrier member with the workpieces placed on the mounting surface from a first position to a second position, and the carrier member receives the workpieces from the storage section onto the mounting surface at the first position, and is set in the alignment mechanism together with the workpieces at the second position.

2. The resin molding device described in claim 1, wherein the movement mechanism includes: a guide extending from the vicinity of the first position to the vicinity of the second position; a connecting member detachably connected to the carrier member and moving along the guide; and a drive source that drives the connecting member to move along the guide.

3. A resin molding device as described in claim 2, wherein one of the carrier member and the connecting member has an insertion opening, and the other of the carrier member and the connecting member has an insertion member that is inserted into the insertion opening so as to connect the carrier member and the connecting member.

4. The resin molding device described in claim 3, wherein the connecting member transitions between a connected state in which the insert member is inserted into the insert port and connected to the carrier member, and a released state in which the insert member is not inserted into the insert port and is released from the connection with the carrier member, by the insert member rising and falling relative to the insert port.

5. A resin molding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the alignment mechanism is rotatable in a horizontal plane and can simultaneously mount two of the carrier members.

6. A resin molding device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the mounting surface is provided with a recess for reducing the contact area between the carrier member and the workpiece when the workpiece is mounted thereon.

7. A resin molding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the transport mechanism further includes an extrusion mechanism that extrudes the workpiece from the storage section so that it is placed on the placement surface when the carrier member is located at the first position.

8. A method for manufacturing a resin molded product, comprising using the resin molding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 to resin mold the workpiece in the molding die to manufacture the resin molded product.

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