Substrate conveyance device and inspection method

Abstract

In the present invention, a sensor comprises: a light projection unit that projects an optical signal from a first support part side to a second support part side in the width direction of a substrate to be conveyed; a light reception unit that receives, on the second support part side, the optical signal projected from the light projection unit; an optical fiber cable that is connected to the light reception unit and transmits the optical signal received by the light reception unit; and a processing unit that is connected to the optical fiber cable on the opposite side from the light reception unit and receives the optical signal transmitted from the light reception unit through the optical fiber cable. When the light projection unit projects the optical signal of a prescribed intensity in a state where the substrate to be conveyed is not present between the light projection unit and the light reception unit, and the width between the first support part and the second support part of a conveyor is changed by a width change mechanism such that the width between the light projection unit and the light reception unit increases, if the intensity of the optical signal received by the processing unit from the light reception unit through the optical fiber cable is less than a prescribed threshold value, then the processing unit outputs a specific signal indicating the same.

Description

Substrate transport device and inspection method

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a substrate transfer apparatus that transfers a substrate.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a work system equipped with an optical sensor. The work system of Patent Document 1 comprises a work device that performs work on substrates transported using a conveyor, and a management device that manages the work device.

[0003] The optical sensor in Patent Document 1 includes a light-emitting element that emits light from one end side to the other end side in the width direction of the conveyor, and a light-receiving element that receives the light emitted by the light-emitting element, and detects a state in which the board is positioned in a light-blocking position that blocks the light. This optical sensor may be configured to guide the light emitted by the light-emitting element to the light-emitting part via an optical fiber, and to guide the light received by the light-receiving part to the light-receiving element via an optical fiber (see paragraph 0027).

[0004] The work device or management device described in Patent Document 1 has a determination unit that determines the current health status of the light sensor based on the initial amount of light received and the current amount of light received by the light receiving element.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-030735

[0006] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, the optical fiber of the optical sensor may break due to, for example, aging or other reasons. If the optical fiber breaks, it may become impossible to detect the substrate being transported. In the configuration of Patent Document 1, the current health state of the optical sensor is determined, but the state of the optical fiber that guides the light is unknown. Furthermore, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, the health state of the optical sensor is determined based on the initial amount of light received and the current amount of light received by the light-receiving element, which makes the configuration for determination complex. Therefore, this specification provides a technology that can check the state of an optical fiber cable with a simple configuration.

[0007] The substrate transport apparatus disclosed herein comprises a conveyor for transporting substrates and a sensor for detecting substrates being transported by the conveyor. The conveyor may include a first support portion that supports one side of the substrate to be transported in the width direction, a second support portion that supports the other side of the substrate to be transported in the width direction, and a width changing mechanism that can change the width between the first support portion and the second support portion according to the width of the substrate to be transported. The sensor may include a light-emitting portion that emits an optical signal from the first support portion side to the second support portion side in the width direction of the substrate to be transported, a light-receiving portion that receives the optical signal emitted from the light-emitting portion on the second support portion side, an optical fiber cable connected to the light-receiving portion and transmitting the optical signal received by the light-receiving portion, and a processing portion connected to the optical fiber cable on the opposite side of the light-receiving portion and receiving the optical signal transmitted from the light-receiving portion through the optical fiber cable. The processing unit may output a specific signal to indicate that, when the processing unit emits an optical signal of a predetermined intensity when there is no substrate to be transported between the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit, and the width between the first support and the second support of the conveyor is changed by the width-changing mechanism so that the width between the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit increases, the intensity of the optical signal received by the processing unit from the light-receiving unit through the optical fiber cable falls below a predetermined threshold.

[0008] According to this configuration, changing the width between the first support and the second support so as to increase the width between the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit can cause a portion of the optical fiber cable connected to the light-receiving unit to bend (flex or curve). If the optical fiber cable is damaged (e.g., if one of the optical fibers constituting the optical fiber cable is broken), the intensity of the optical signal transmitted through the optical fiber cable decreases, thereby reducing the intensity of the optical signal transmitted to the processing unit. According to the above configuration, if the intensity of the optical signal received by the processing unit through the optical fiber cable falls below a predetermined threshold, a specific signal indicating this is output, allowing the user to check the condition of the optical fiber cable if the optical fiber cable is damaged. Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the condition of the optical fiber cable can be checked with a simple configuration, simply by comparing the intensity of the optical signal received by the processing unit through the optical fiber cable with a predetermined threshold.

[0009] In the substrate transport device disclosed herein, the width between the light-projecting unit and the light-receiving unit may be changed by changing the width between the first support unit and the second support unit using the width changing mechanism.The inspection method disclosed herein may include a specifying step of specifying the width between the first support unit and the second support unit or the width between the light-projecting unit and the light-receiving unit when the light-receiving unit receives an optical signal of a predetermined reference intensity, and a determining step of determining deterioration of the sensor based on the width specified in the specifying step.

[0010] With this configuration, by determining sensor deterioration based on the width between the first support part and the second support part, or the width between the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part when the light-receiving part receives an optical signal of a predetermined reference intensity, the standard is clear and sensor deterioration can be accurately determined.

[0011] A schematic side view showing the component mounting device of the first embodiment. A cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 1. A schematic top view showing the conveyor of the first embodiment. A schematic block diagram showing the sensor of the first embodiment. A diagram showing an example of the intensity of the optical signal received by the photodetector of the first embodiment. A diagram showing an example of the intensity of the optical signal received by the photodetector of the second embodiment.

[0012] The main features of the embodiments described below are listed below. Note that the technical elements described below are independent technical elements that exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing.

[0013] In the substrate transport device disclosed in the present specification, the processing unit may determine that the optical fiber cable is damaged when the specific signal is output. With this configuration, it is possible to check the condition of the optical fiber cable when the optical fiber cable is damaged.

[0014] In the substrate transport device disclosed in the present specification, the processing unit may have a plurality of settable thresholds, and one threshold selected from the plurality of thresholds may be set as the predetermined threshold. With this configuration, the condition of the optical fiber cable can be checked in multiple stages.

[0015] In the substrate transport apparatus disclosed herein, the optical fiber cable may have a bent portion between the light receiving unit and the processing unit.

[0016] When an optical fiber cable has a curved section, a portion of the optical fiber cable connected to the light-receiving section may bend significantly when the width between the first and second support sections is changed to increase the width between the light-emitting and light-receiving sections. If the optical fiber cable is damaged at this time, the intensity of the optical signal transmitted through the optical fiber cable decreases significantly, resulting in a significant decrease in the intensity of the optical signal transmitted to the processing unit. With the above configuration, the condition of the optical fiber cable can be more accurately checked by significantly decreasing the intensity of the optical signal received by the processing unit through the optical fiber cable.

[0017] In the inspection method disclosed herein, the determining step may determine that the sensor is deteriorated if the width identified in the identifying step is less than a predetermined threshold. With this configuration, deterioration of the sensor can be accurately determined.

[0018] (First Embodiment) The component mounting apparatus 10 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the component mounting apparatus 10 of the first embodiment includes a plurality of component feeders 12, a feeder holding unit 14, a mounting head 16, a head moving device 18, a substrate transport device 20, a display operation device 42, and a control device 40. The component mounting apparatus 10 is a device for mounting electronic components 4 onto a circuit board 2.

[0019] Each of the multiple component feeders 12 can be installed in the component mounting apparatus 10. When the component feeders 12 are installed in the component mounting apparatus 10, the electronic components 4 are supplied from the component feeders 12 to the component mounting apparatus 10.

[0020] Each component feeder 12 contains multiple electronic components 4. The type of electronic component 4 is not particularly limited, but examples include integrated circuits, transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, inductors, sensors, switches, etc. The component feeder 12 is detachably attached to the feeder holding section 14 of the component mounting device 10 and supplies the electronic components 4 to the mounting head 16. The specific configuration of the component feeder 12 is not particularly limited. Each component feeder 12 may be, for example, a tape-type feeder that supplies multiple electronic components 4 contained on a tape, a tray-type feeder that supplies multiple electronic components 4 contained on a tray, or a bulk-type feeder that supplies multiple electronic components 4 randomly contained in a container.

[0021] The feeder holding unit 14 has a plurality of slots, and a component feeder 12 can be detachably installed in each of the plurality of slots. The feeder holding unit 14 may be fixed to the component mounting device 10, or may be detachable from the component mounting device 10.

[0022] The mounting head 16 is detachably attached to a head holding portion 19 provided on the moving base 18a of the head moving device 18. The mounting head 16 has a nozzle 6 for attracting electronic components 4. The nozzle 6 is detachably attached to the mounting head 16. The mounting head 16 is movable with the nozzle 6 in the Z direction (here, the vertical direction), allowing the nozzle 6 to move closer to and further away from the component feeder 12 and the circuit board 2. The mounting head 16 can attract electronic components 4 from the component feeder 12 with the nozzle 6 and mount the electronic components 4 attracted by the nozzle 6 onto the circuit board 2.

[0023] The head moving device 18 moves the mounting head 16 between the parts feeder 12 and the circuit board 2. In this embodiment, the head moving device 18 is an XY robot that moves the moving base 18a in the X and Y directions, and the mounting head 16 is fixed to the moving base 18a. The moving base 18a is provided with a head holding part 19 to which the mounting head 16 can be attached and detached, and the mounting head 16 is attached to the head holding part 19. The head moving device 18 can move the nozzle 6 in parallel in a plane (XY plane) parallel to the surface of the circuit board 2.

[0024] The display and operation device 42, for example, includes a touch panel and displays various visual information related to the component mounting device 10, as well as accepting various input operations related to the component mounting device 10. In a modified example, the display and operation device 42 may include a monitor and a keyboard, etc. The display and operation device 42 is provided, for example, on the front side of the component mounting device 10.

[0025] The control device 40 includes, for example, a CPU, ROM, and RAM, and performs various controls and processes related to the component mounting device 10 based on a predetermined program.

[0026] (Configuration of the substrate transport device 20) Next, the configuration of the substrate transport device 20 will be described. The substrate transport device 20 is a device that loads, positions, and loads circuit boards 2 in the component mounting device 10. The substrate transport device 20 includes a conveyor 22 for transporting circuit boards 2 and a sensor 50 for detecting the circuit boards 2 being transported by the conveyor 22.

[0027] The conveyor 22 transports the circuit board 2 into the component mounting device 10 from the input (not shown) and positions the circuit board 2 at the mounting work position within the component mounting device 10 (the position where the circuit board 2 is shown in Figure 2). The conveyor 22 also transports the circuit board 2 to the input (not shown) of an adjacent component mounting device 10. In other words, the conveyor 22 transports the circuit board 2 sequentially to adjacent component mounting devices 10.

[0028] The conveyor 22 comprises a first support section 24, a second support section 26, and a width changing mechanism 28. The first support section 24 supports one side of the circuit board 2 to be transported in the width direction (the right side in Figure 1-3 in this embodiment). The second support section 26 supports the other side of the circuit board 2 to be transported in the width direction (the left side in Figure 1-3 in this embodiment). The first support section 24 and the second support section 26 face each other in the width direction of the circuit board 2 to be transported (a direction perpendicular to the transport direction). The first support section 24 and the second support section 26 are arranged side by side with a gap between them in the width direction of the circuit board 2 to be transported. The first support section 24 and the second support section 26 transport the circuit board 2 from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction while supporting the circuit board 2 to be transported. The configuration of the conveyor 22 is not particularly limited. The conveyor 22 may be, for example, a belt conveyor, a chain conveyor, or a roller conveyor. The first support section 24 and the second support section 26 are equipped with, for example, a belt for a belt conveyor.

[0029] The width changing mechanism 28 is a mechanism that can change the width between the first support portion 24 and the second support portion 26. The width changing mechanism 28 changes the width between the first support portion 24 and the second support portion 26 according to the width of the circuit board 2 to be transported (for example, by expanding or contracting the width). The configuration of the width changing mechanism 28 is not particularly limited. The width changing mechanism 28 is configured to include, for example, an actuator, and to move the first support portion 24 and / or the second support portion 26 in the width direction of the circuit board 2 by the force of the actuator. The actuator of the width changing mechanism 28 may include, for example, a servo motor or a pulse motor. The width changing mechanism 28 can be configured automatically or manually.

[0030] The sensor 50 that detects the circuit board 2 includes an amplifier 60 (an example of a processing unit), a light-emitting unit 52, and a light-receiving unit 54 that faces the light-emitting unit 52 in the width direction of the circuit board 2 to be transported. As shown in Fig. 4, the sensor 50 also includes a first optical fiber cable 53 connected to the amplifier 60 and the light-emitting unit 52, and a second optical fiber cable 55 connected to the amplifier 60 and the light-receiving unit 54.

[0031] The amplifier 60 includes a light-emitting element 62 that emits an optical signal, a light-receiving element 64 that receives the optical signal, and a signal processing unit 66 that processes the optical signal. The light-emitting element 62 of the amplifier 60 is connected to the first optical fiber cable 53 on the side opposite to the light-emitting unit 52. The light-receiving element 64 of the amplifier 60 is connected to the second optical fiber cable 55 on the side opposite to the light-receiving unit 54.

[0032] The light-emitting element 62 is a semiconductor element that emits an optical signal for detecting the circuit board 2. The light-emitting element 62 is, for example, a laser diode (LD) or a light-emitting diode (LED). The optical signal emitted by the light-emitting element 62 is transmitted to the light-emitting unit 52 through the first optical fiber cable 53.

[0033] The first optical fiber cable 53 includes a plurality of optical fibers. The first optical fiber cable 53 is configured by bundling a plurality of optical fibers. One end of the first optical fiber cable 53 is connected to a light-emitting element 62 of the amplifier 60. The other end of the first optical fiber cable 53 is connected to the light-emitting unit 52. The first optical fiber cable 53 transmits an optical signal from the light-emitting element 62 to the light-emitting unit 52.

[0034] The first optical fiber cable 53 may bend between the light-projecting element 62 and the light-projecting unit 52 due to, for example, the influence of the arrangement space between the light-projecting element 62 and the light-projecting unit 52. The first optical fiber cable 53 has one or more bent portions 53a between the light-projecting element 62 and the light-projecting unit 52. The bent portions 53a of the first optical fiber cable 53 are portions where a part of the first optical fiber cable 53 is bent (for example, bent or curved).

[0035] The light-emitting unit 52 of the sensor 50 is composed of a lens that can transmit optical signals. The light-emitting unit 52 is attached, for example, to the first support portion 24 side of the conveyor 22. The light-emitting unit 52 faces the light-receiving unit 54 in the direction in which the first support portion 24 and the second support portion 26 of the conveyor 22 face each other (i.e., in the width direction of the circuit board 2 to be transported).

[0036] The light-projecting unit 52 projects an optical signal from the first support unit 24 side to the second support unit 26 side of the conveyor 22. The light-projecting unit 52 projects the optical signal transmitted from the light-projecting element 62 through the first optical fiber cable 53 in the width direction of the circuit board 2. The light-projecting unit 52 projects the optical signal toward the light-receiving unit 54 that faces the circuit board 2 in the width direction.

[0037] When the circuit board 2 to be transported is present between the light-projecting unit 52 and the light-receiving unit 54, the light-projecting unit 52 projects an optical signal toward the circuit board 2 to be transported. When the circuit board 2 is not present between the light-projecting unit 52 and the light-receiving unit 54, the light-projecting unit 52 projects an optical signal toward the light-receiving unit 54.

[0038] The light-receiving unit 54 is configured with a lens that can transmit optical signals. The light-receiving unit 54 is attached, for example, to the second support unit 26 side of the conveyor 22. The light-receiving unit 54 faces the light-emitting unit 52 in the width direction of the circuit board 2 to be conveyed (i.e., the direction in which the first support unit 24 and the second support unit 26 face each other).

[0039] The width between the light-emitting portion 52 and the light-receiving portion 54 of the sensor 50 is changed as the width between the first support portion 24 and the second support portion 26 of the conveyor 22 is changed by the width changing mechanism 28. When the width between the first support portion 24 and the second support portion 26 is increased, the width between the light-emitting portion 52 and the light-receiving portion 54 is increased, and when the width between the first support portion 24 and the second support portion 26 is decreased, the width between the light-emitting portion 52 and the light-receiving portion 54 is decreased.

[0040] The light receiving unit 54 receives the light signal emitted from the light transmitting unit 52. The light receiving unit 54 receives the light signal on the second support unit 26 side of the conveyor 22. The light receiving unit 54 receives the light signal emitted from the light transmitting unit 52 when there is no circuit board 2 to be transported between the light transmitting unit 52 and the light receiving unit 54. The light signal received by the light receiving unit 54 is transmitted to the light receiving element 64 of the amplifier 60 via the second optical fiber cable 55.

[0041] On the other hand, the light receiving unit 54 does not receive the light signal emitted from the light transmitting unit 52 when the circuit board 2 is located between the light transmitting unit 52 and the light receiving unit 54. When the circuit board 2 is located between the light transmitting unit 52 and the light receiving unit 54, the light signal emitted from the light transmitting unit 52 hits the circuit board 2, so the light receiving unit 54 does not receive the light signal. In this case, the sensor 50 detects the circuit board 2 to be transported.

[0042] The second optical fiber cable 55 comprises multiple optical fibers. The second optical fiber cable 55 is formed by bundling multiple optical fibers together. One end of the second optical fiber cable 55 is connected to the light receiving unit 54. The other end of the second optical fiber cable 55 is connected to the light receiving element 64. The second optical fiber cable 55 transmits optical signals from the light receiving unit 54 to the light receiving element 64.

[0043] The second optical fiber cable 55 may bend between the light-receiving unit 54 and the light-receiving element 64 due to factors such as the space available between the light-receiving unit 54 and the light-receiving element 64. The second optical fiber cable 55 has one or more bent sections 55a between the light-receiving unit 54 and the light-receiving element 64. The bent section 55a of the second optical fiber cable 55 is a portion of the second optical fiber cable 55 that is bent (for example, curved or bent).

[0044] The light receiving element 64 of the amplifier 60 is a semiconductor element that receives the optical signal transmitted from the light receiving unit 54 through the second optical fiber cable 55. The light receiving element 64 is, for example, a photodiode (PD).

[0045] The signal processing unit 66 of the amplifier 60 includes, for example, a CPU, ROM, and RAM, and performs various controls and processes related to the sensor 50 based on a predetermined program. For example, the signal processing unit 66 controls the intensity of the light signal emitted by the light-emitting element 62. More specifically, the signal processing unit 66 controls the signal input to the light-emitting element 62 so that the light-emitting element 62 emits a light signal of a predetermined intensity. The signal processing unit 66 also performs a predetermined determination process based on the intensity of the light signal received by the light-receiving element 64.

[0046] The signal processing unit 66 has a plurality of configurable thresholds related to the intensity of the optical signal received by the photodetector 64. For example, the signal processing unit 66 stores a plurality of configurable thresholds in memory. The signal processing unit 66 sets one threshold selected from the plurality of configurable thresholds as a predetermined first threshold Th1. The predetermined first threshold Th1 is selected, for example, by the user of the component mounting device 10. The user of the component mounting device 10 can select the predetermined first threshold Th1, for example, by operating the display operation device 42. Alternatively, the predetermined first threshold Th1 may be selected, for example, based on a predetermined program. The signal processing unit 66 compares the intensity of the optical signal received by the photodetector 64 with the set (selected) first threshold Th1.

[0047] In the substrate transport device 20 of the first embodiment, if some of the optical fibers in the second optical fiber cable 55 of the sensor 50 are damaged (e.g., broken), the intensity of the optical signal transmitted from the light receiving unit 54 to the light receiving element 64 through the second optical fiber cable 55 weakens. Therefore, the intensity of the optical signal received by the light receiving element 64 weakens. In particular, if the second optical fiber cable 55 is damaged at the bent portion 55a of the second optical fiber cable 55, the intensity of the optical signal transmitted from the light receiving unit 54 to the light receiving element 64 through the second optical fiber cable 55 weakens further. Furthermore, if the bent portion 55a of the second optical fiber cable 55 bends further when the width between the first support portion 24 and the second support portion 26 is changed by the width changing mechanism 28 of the conveyor 22, the intensity of the optical signal transmitted from the light receiving unit 54 to the light receiving element 64 through the second optical fiber cable 55 weakens further. In particular, when the width between the light-emitting portion 52 and the light-receiving portion 54 increases, the degree of bending of the second optical fiber cable 55 increases, and the intensity of the optical signal transmitted to the light-receiving element 64 becomes weaker.

[0048] In the board transport device 20 of the first embodiment, the signal processing unit 66 determines whether the second optical fiber cable 55 between the light-receiving unit 54 and the light-receiving element 64 is damaged in a specific case where the light-receiving unit 52 emits an optical signal of a predetermined intensity when no circuit board 2 to be transported is present between the light-receiving unit 54 and the light-projecting unit 52, and the width between the first support unit 24 and the second support unit 26 of the conveyor 22 is changed by the width change mechanism 28 so that the width between the light-receiving unit 52 and the light-receiving element 54 increases. In the specific case described above, as shown in FIG. 5 , if the intensity of the optical signal received by the light-receiving element 64 from the light-receiving unit 54 through the second optical fiber cable 55 is less than a predetermined first threshold value Th1, the signal processing unit 66 outputs a specific signal indicating this. If the intensity of the optical signal received by the light-receiving element 64 is equal to or greater than the predetermined first threshold value Th1, the signal processing unit 66 does not output the specific signal. If the signal processing unit 66 outputs a specific signal, it determines that the second optical fiber cable 55 is damaged, and if it does not output a specific signal, it determines that the second optical fiber cable 55 is not damaged.

[0049] When the signal processing unit 66 outputs a specific signal, the display operation device 42 of the component mounting device 10 may display information indicating that the second optical fiber cable 55 is damaged (for example, a screen including the string "The second optical fiber cable 55 is damaged.").

[0050] (Effects of the First Embodiment) The component mounting apparatus 10 and substrate transport apparatus 20 of the first embodiment have been described above. With the above configuration, the width between the first support portion 24 and the second support portion 26 of the conveyor 22 is changed so that the width between the light-emitting portion 52 and the light-receiving portion 54 is increased, which may cause a part of the second optical fiber cable 55 connected to the light-receiving portion 54 to bend. If the second optical fiber cable 55 is damaged at this time, the intensity of the optical signal transmitted through the second optical fiber cable 55 decreases, which in turn reduces the intensity of the optical signal transmitted to the light-receiving element 64 of the amplifier 60. With the above configuration, if the intensity of the optical signal received by the light-receiving element 64 through the second optical fiber cable 55 falls below a predetermined first threshold Th1, the signal processing unit 66 outputs a specific signal, so that the user can check the condition of the second optical fiber cable 55 if it is damaged. Furthermore, with the above configuration, the intensity of the optical signal received by the light receiving element 64 through the second optical fiber cable 55 is simply compared with the first threshold value Th1, so the state of the second optical fiber cable 55 can be checked with a simple configuration.

[0051] The signal processing unit 66 has a plurality of settable thresholds, and sets one threshold selected from the plurality of thresholds as the predetermined first threshold Th1. With this configuration, the condition of the second optical fiber cable 55 can be checked in multiple stages.

[0052] Furthermore, if the second optical fiber cable 55 includes a bent portion 55a, a portion of the second optical fiber cable 55 may be bent significantly when the width between the first support portion 24 and the second support portion 26 is changed so as to increase the width between the light-emitting portion 52 and the light-receiving portion 54. If the second optical fiber cable 55 is damaged at this time, the intensity of the optical signal transmitted through the second optical fiber cable 55 will be significantly reduced, resulting in a significant reduction in the intensity of the optical signal transmitted to the light-receiving element 64. With the above configuration, the intensity of the optical signal received by the light-receiving element 64 through the second optical fiber cable 55 will be significantly reduced, allowing the condition of the second optical fiber cable 55 to be checked more accurately.

[0053] (Second Embodiment) The inspection method according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The inspection method of the second embodiment is an inspection method for determining the deterioration of the sensor 50 in the substrate transport device 20.

[0054] In this inspection method, first, a user of the component mounting device 10 uses the width changing mechanism 28 of the conveyor 22 to change the width between the first support portion 24 and the second support portion 26 (and the width between the light-emitting portion 52 and the light-receiving portion 54) (changing step). By changing the width between the first support portion 24 and the second support portion 26, the width between the light-emitting portion 52 and the light-receiving portion 54 is also changed accordingly.

[0055] Next, when the width between the first support portion 24 and the second support portion 26 (and the width between the light-emitting portion 52 and the light-receiving portion 54) is changed in various ways, the user of the component mounting apparatus 10 specifies the width between the first support portion 24 and the second support portion 26 and / or the width between the light-emitting portion 52 and the light-receiving portion 54 when the light-receiving portion 54 of the sensor 50 receives an optical signal of a predetermined reference intensity Tr (specifying step). For example, the user specifies the width using a measuring tool such as a tape measure. In a modified example, the substrate transport apparatus 20 may be equipped with width measuring means. In another modified example, if the width changing mechanism 28 includes a servo motor or a pulse motor, the width between the first support portion 24 and the second support portion 26 may be specified based on the movement pulses of the servo motor or pulse motor.

[0056] In the substrate transport device 20, the signal processing unit 66 of the sensor 50 determines the timing for the light receiving unit 54 to receive a light signal of reference intensity Tr based on the intensity of the light signal received by the light receiving element 64. When the light receiving unit 54 receives a light signal of reference intensity Tr, the signal processing unit 66 outputs a signal indicating this. In addition, when the light receiving unit 54 receives a light signal of reference intensity Tr, the display operation device 42 of the component mounting device 10 displays information indicating this (for example, a screen containing the string "The light receiving unit 54 has received a light signal of reference intensity Tr."). This allows the user to recognize that the light receiving unit 54 has received a light signal of reference intensity Tr.

[0057] Next, the user determines the degradation of the sensor 50 based on the width specified in the above-mentioned specific step (determination step). For example, as shown in Figure 6, the user determines that the sensor 50 is degraded if the width specified in the above-mentioned specific step is less than a predetermined second threshold Th2, and determines that the sensor 50 is not degraded if it is equal to or greater than the second threshold Th2.

[0058] (Effects of the Second Embodiment) The inspection method of the second embodiment has been described above. This inspection method includes a determination step of determining the width between the first support portion 24 and the second support portion 26 of the conveyor 22, or the width between the light-emitting portion 52 and the light-receiving portion 54 of the sensor 50, when the light-receiving portion 54 of the sensor 50 receives an optical signal of a predetermined reference intensity Tr. The inspection method also includes a determination step of determining the deterioration of the sensor 50 based on the width determined by the determination step. With this configuration, the reference is clear, so the deterioration of the sensor 50 can be determined with high accuracy.

[0059] In the above-described inspection method, the user of the component mounting apparatus 10 executes each step of the inspection method, but in a modified example, a subject other than the user may execute each step.

[0060] Although specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples exemplified above. The technical elements described in this specification or drawings exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technology exemplified in this specification or drawings can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving one of these objectives itself has technical utility.

[0061] 2: Circuit board, 4: Electronic component, 6: Nozzle, 10: Component mounting device, 12: Component feeder, 14: Feeder holder, 16: Mounting head, 18: Head moving device, 19: Head holder, 20: Board transport device, 22: Conveyor, 24: First support section, 26: Second support section, 28: Width changing mechanism, 40: Control device, 42: Display operation device, 50: Sensor, 52: Light emitting section, 53: First optical fiber cable, 53a: Bending section, 54: Light receiving section, 55: Second optical fiber cable, 55a: Bending section, 60: Amplifier, 62: Light emitting element, 64: Light receiving element, 66: Signal processing section

Claims

1. A substrate transport device comprising: a conveyor for transporting substrates; and a sensor for detecting substrates transported by the conveyor, wherein the conveyor comprises: a first support section for supporting one side of the substrate in the width direction of the substrate to be transported; a second support section for supporting the other side of the substrate in the width direction of the substrate to be transported; and a width change mechanism for changing the width between the first support section and the second support section in accordance with the width of the substrate to be transported; and the sensor comprises: a light-projecting section for projecting an optical signal from the first support section side to the second support section side in the width direction of the substrate to be transported; a light-receiving section for receiving, on the second support section side, the optical signal projected from the light-projecting section; an optical fiber cable connected to the light-receiving section and transmitting the optical signal received by the light-receiving section; and a processing section connected to the optical fiber cable on the side opposite to the light-receiving section and receiving the optical signal transmitted from the light-receiving section through the optical fiber cable, The processing unit is a substrate conveying device in which, when the light-projecting unit projects an optical signal of a predetermined intensity when there is no substrate to be transported between the light-projecting unit and the light-receiving unit, and when the width between the first support unit and the second support unit of the conveyor is changed by the width change mechanism so that the width between the light-projecting unit and the light-receiving unit increases, if the intensity of the optical signal received by the processing unit from the light-receiving unit through the optical fiber cable becomes less than a predetermined first threshold, the processing unit outputs a specific signal indicating this.

2. The substrate transport device according to claim 1, wherein said processing unit determines that said optical fiber cable is damaged when said specific signal is output.

3. The substrate transport device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing section has a plurality of settable thresholds, and one threshold selected from the plurality of thresholds is set as the predetermined first threshold.

4. A substrate transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the optical fiber cable has a bent portion between the light receiving portion and the processing portion.

5. An inspection method for a substrate transport device comprising: a conveyor for transporting substrates; and a sensor for detecting substrates transported by the conveyor, wherein the conveyor comprises: a first support section for supporting one side in the width direction of the substrate to be transported; a second support section for supporting the other side in the width direction of the substrate to be transported; and a width change mechanism capable of changing the width between the first support section and the second support section in accordance with the width of the substrate to be transported; and the sensor comprises: a light projecting section for projecting an optical signal from the first support section side to the second support section side in the width direction of the substrate to be transported; and a light receiving section for receiving the optical signal projected from the light projecting section on the second support section side, wherein the width between the light projecting section and the light receiving section is changed by changing the width between the first support section and the second support section using the width change mechanism, and the inspection method comprises: a specifying step of specifying the width between the first support section and the second support section or the width between the light projecting section and the light receiving section when the light receiving section receives an optical signal of a predetermined reference intensity; a determining step of determining deterioration of the sensor based on the width identified in the identifying step.

6. The inspection method according to claim 5, wherein in the determining step, it is determined that the sensor is deteriorated if the width identified in the identifying step is less than a predetermined second threshold value.

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