Feeder

Abstract

This feeder comprises: a feeder body the sliding movement of which is guided by a rail of a component mounting machine; and a clamper that is provided to the feeder body so as to be capable of relative movement in a clamping direction intersecting the sliding direction of the feeder body, and that clamps the rail between the clamper and a guided part of the feeder body that is in contact with the rail.

Description

Feeder

[0001] The present invention relates to a feeder.

[0002] The feeder is detachably mounted on a component mounter and is used for supplying components. The feeder slides in the slot of the component mounter and is held at a predetermined mounting position where the connector is connected (see Patent Document 1). The feeder held in the slot is prevented from coming off by restricting movement in the removal direction by a locking device.

[0003] International Publication No. 2017 / 098628

[0004] Such a feeder may supply fine components, and stabilization of the supply operation is required. However, due to individual differences in the slot and the feeder body, a positional error may occur at the mounting position, and there may be a difference in the fixed state of the feeder, which may affect the supply operation.

[0005] The purpose of this specification is to provide a feeder capable of stabilizing the supply operation of components.

[0006] This specification discloses a feeder including a feeder body guided to slide on a rail of a component mounter, and a clamper provided on the feeder body so as to be relatively movable in a clamping direction intersecting the sliding direction of the feeder body, and clamping the rail between the guided portion of the feeder body that contacts the rail.

[0007] In this specification, the technical idea of changing "the feeder according to claim 2 or 3" to "the feeder according to any one of claims 2 - 4" in claim 5 at the time of initial application, the technical idea of changing "the feeder according to any one of claims 1 - 4" to "the feeder according to any one of claims 1 - 6" in claim 7 at the time of initial application, the technical idea of changing "the feeder according to any one of claims 2 - 4" to "the feeder according to any one of claims 2 - 6" in claim 9 at the time of initial application, and the technical idea of changing "the feeder according to any one of claims 1 - 4" to "the feeder according to any one of claims 1 - 9" in claim 10 at the time of initial application are also disclosed.

[0008] With this configuration, the feeder body is clamped to the rail by a clamper, resulting in improved fixing force compared to conventional configurations where it is slidably supported in a slot. This makes the feeder more integrated with the slot, and as a result, the stability of the parts feeding operation is improved.

[0009] This is a schematic plan view of the parts mounting machine. This is a schematic side view of the feeder set in the parts mounting machine. This is a perspective view of the feeder setting table of the parts mounting machine. This is a side view of the locking device and clamping unit. This is an enlarged view of the clamping unit in Figure 4. This is a side view showing the state in which the feeder has slid to the set position and the locking device and clamping unit are in operation. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in Figure 6. This is a side view showing the state in which the clamping unit is in operation in a modified form. This is a side view showing the operation of the release device.

[0010] 1. Overview of Feeder 122 As shown in Figure 1, the feeder 122 is equipped on the parts mounting machine 10 and used for supplying parts. There are various types of feeders 122, including tape feeders that supply parts by feeding and moving carrier tapes in which parts are packaged at predetermined intervals, stick feeders that supply parts by sequentially pushing out parts arranged on sticks, and bulk feeders 20 that supply parts by discharging parts stored in a bulk state (a loose state where each part is in an irregular position) from parts cases.

[0011] The component mounting machine 10 performs a mounting process to mount components supplied by the feeder 122 onto the substrate 91, thereby producing a product substrate. Multiple substrate-facing work machines, including the component mounting machine 10, are installed in multiple locations, for example, in the direction of substrate transport, to constitute a production line Ln. The production line Ln includes multiple solder printing machines, multiple component mounting machines 10, a reflow oven, and an inspection machine, which serve as multiple substrate-facing work machines.

[0012] 2. As shown in Figure 1, the component mounting machine 10 includes a substrate transport device 11 that sequentially transports the substrate 91 in the transport direction and positions the substrate 91 at a predetermined position within the machine. The component supply device 12 of the component mounting machine 10 supplies the components to be mounted on the substrate 91. The component supply device 12 has feeders 122 set in each of the multiple slots 121.

[0013] The component transfer device 13 of the component mounting machine 10 transfers components supplied by the component supply device 12 to predetermined mounting positions on the substrate 91. The head drive device 131 of the component transfer device 13 moves the mobile table 132 horizontally (X and Y directions) by a linear motion mechanism. The mounting head 133, which is detachably fixed to the mobile table 132, supports a plurality of suction nozzles 134 that are rotatable and vertically movable. The suction nozzles 134 pick up components supplied by the feeder 122 using supplied negative pressure air.

[0014] The component camera 14 and the substrate camera 15 of the component mounting machine 10 perform imaging based on control signals and transmit the image data acquired through such imaging. The component camera 14 is configured to be able to image components held by the suction nozzle 134 from below. The substrate camera 15 is mounted on a movable table 132 so as to be able to move horizontally integrally with the mounting head 133. The substrate camera 15 is configured to be able to image the substrate 91 from above.

[0015] Furthermore, in addition to imaging the surface of the substrate 91, the substrate camera 15 can also image various devices and other objects as long as they are within the movable range of the mobile stand 132. For example, the substrate camera 15 can capture images of the supply area As where the bulk feeder 20 supplies components, or a reference mark provided on the top of the bulk feeder 20, within its camera field of view. In this way, the substrate camera 15 can be used to image different objects in order to acquire image data that can be used for various image processing tasks.

[0016] The control device 16 of the component mounting machine 10 is mainly composed of a CPU, various memories, and control circuits. The control device 16 stores various data, such as control programs used to control the mounting process. The control program indicates the mounting position, mounting angle, and type of components to be mounted on the circuit board 91 in the planned mounting order during the mounting process.

[0017] 3. Configuration of the Bulk Feeder 20 As shown in Figure 2, the bulk feeder 20 is mounted on the parts mounting machine 10 and functions as part of the parts supply device 12. The bulk feeder 20 supplies parts that are stored in bulk in the parts case 35. Therefore, unlike a tape feeder, the bulk feeder 20 does not use a carrier tape, which has the advantage of eliminating the need for loading carrier tapes and collecting used tapes.

[0018] The feeder body 21 of the bulk feeder 20 is formed in a flat, box-like shape. A connector 211 and two pins 212 are provided at the front of the feeder body 21 (the right end in Figure 2). When the feeder body 21 is set in the slot 121 of the component supply device 12, it is powered via the connector 211 and becomes capable of communicating with the control device 16 of the component mounting machine 10. The two pins 212 are inserted into guide holes provided in the slot and are used for positioning when the feeder body 21 is set in the slot 121.

[0019] An operating lever 28 is provided on the upper rear side (left side in Figure 2) of the feeder body 21. The operating lever 28 is operated when removing the bulk feeder 20 from the parts mounting machine 10. The operating lever 28 is an operating unit that releases the lock on the slot 121 by the locking device 70 (described later) and cuts off the power supply to the bulk feeder 20. The locking device 70 operates when the feeder body 21 of the bulk feeder 20 is guided by the rail 126 and moved to a predetermined set position in the front-rear direction, restricting the movement of the bulk feeder 20 in the removal direction.

[0020] The feeder body 21 supports the track member 41 so that it can vibrate. The track member 41 is vibrated by the vibration exciter 50. The track member 41 forms a transport path R through which multiple parts are transported, and a supply area As that is connected to the transport path R and opens upward so that multiple parts can be picked up. The "supply area As" is an area where parts are supplied in bulk and into which parts can be picked up by the parts mounting machine 10. The "transport path R" is a path through which parts that have flowed from the parts case 35 side along the track member 41 are transported to the supply area As.

[0021] A shutter 48 is provided on the front end of the track member 41. The shutter 48 is installed on the track member 41 so as to be openable and closable, and in the closed state, it closes the opening of the supply area As. The shutter 48 is connected to a shutter drive device (not shown) and its opening and closing operation is controlled. The bulk feeder 20 can prevent parts from flying out and foreign matter from entering the supply area As by opening and closing the shutter 48. The vibration device 50 provides vibration to the track member 41 by supplying a predetermined amount of power to, for example, a piezoelectric element acting as a vibrator. As a result, parts on the transport path R are transported along the transport path R in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction in Figure 2).

[0022] When the amplitude and frequency of vibration of the track member 41 fluctuate, the transport speed of the transported parts and the degree of dispersion of the parts also fluctuate. The vibration sensor 55 detects vibration values ​​that indicate the vibration state of the vibrating track member 41. The vibration values ​​that indicate the vibration state can include amplitude, frequency, decay time, and vibration trajectory (the movement trajectory of a specific part associated with the vibration). In this embodiment, the vibration sensor 55 detects the actual amplitude of vibration of the track member 41 when the vibration exciter 50 applies vibration to the track member 41. In addition, the parts case 35 is subjected to vibration by a discharge vibration exciter different from the vibration exciter 50 described above. As a result, parts are discharged from the parts case 35.

[0023] The feeder control device 60 of the bulk feeder 20 is mainly composed of a CPU, various memories, and control circuits. When the bulk feeder 20 is set in the slot 121 of the component mounting machine 10, the feeder control device 60 is powered via the connector 211 and becomes capable of communicating with the control device 16 of the component mounting machine 10. Various data such as programs and transport parameters used to control the component supply process are stored in the feeder control device 60.

[0024] The feeder control device 60 controls the operation of the vibration exciter 50 and other components. The "transport parameters" described above are parameters used to control the operation of the vibration exciter 50 so that the vibration applied to the track member 41 is appropriate when transporting parts in the parts supply process. These parameters are set in advance, for example, in association with each type of part.

[0025] In the bulk feeder 20 having the above configuration, the track member 41 and the vibration device 50 constitute a conveying device that conveys parts discharged from the parts case 35 between the conveying path R and the supply area As. In addition to the vibration method that applies vibration to the track member 41, the conveying device of the bulk feeder 20 may also employ an air conveying method in which positive-pressure air is blown upward from the top surface of the conveying path R and the supply area As, or forward and backward from the side.

[0026] Furthermore, the feeder control device 60 adjusts the power (drive voltage and drive frequency) supplied to the vibrator in subsequent transport processes based on the current amplitude, which is the amplitude detected by the vibration sensor 55. The feeder control device 60 also performs a calibration process when power is supplied to the bulk feeder 20. This calibration process is a process to understand the current vibration environment and also a process to set initial values ​​for the initial drive voltage and drive frequency so that the track member 41, which is subjected to vibration during the parts supply process, vibrates at the target amplitude.

[0027] 4. The bulk feeder 20's parts supply processing feeder control device 60 first discharges parts from the parts case 35 and replenishes the parts to the transport path R of the track member 41. Then, based on an external supply command, the feeder control device 60 applies vibration to the track member 41 using the vibration exciter 50 and executes a transport process to transport the parts on the transport path R. As a result, multiple parts are transported forward to the supply area As. Some of the multiple parts transported to the supply area As are housed in a cavity formed in the supply area As.

[0028] Parts not placed in the cavities are retracted into the transport path R by vibrations applied by the vibration excitation device 50 and removed from the supply area As. When the shutter 48 is opened, the parts placed in the multiple cavities become available for pickup by the parts mounting machine 10. The opening and closing of the shutter 48 is performed based on an external command. After the execution of the above series of processes, the feeder control device 60 performs an adjustment process to set and adjust the frequency of vibrations applied to the track members 41 in subsequent parts transport processes.

[0029] This adjustment process adjusts the drive voltage as needed based on the actual amplitude (current amplitude) of the track member 41 detected by the vibration sensor 55 after the parts transport process has been executed, and further adjusts the drive frequency according to the adjusted drive voltage. By performing such adjustment processes as appropriate, the actual amplitude of the track member 41 is controlled to approach the target amplitude in response to the fluctuating vibration environment.

[0030] 5. Sliding and Fixing Structure of Bulk Feeder 20 5-1. Each of the multiple slots 121 of the sliding structure component supply device 12 has a rail 126 provided on the feeder set stand 125 and a connector (not shown), as shown in Figure 3. A rail 126 is formed on the upper surface of the feeder set stand 125 to guide the horizontal sliding movement of the main body of the feeder 122 (for example, the feeder body 21 of the bulk feeder 20).

[0031] Multiple rails 126 are arranged at equal intervals in the X direction parallel to the transport direction of the substrate 91. Multiple rails 126 are made up of protruding members formed on the upper surface of the feeder set stand 125 so as to extend in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction in the horizontal plane. As shown in Figure 7, the rails 126 have T-shaped guide grooves 126A that open on the upper surface of the feeder body 21 that contacts the guided portion (in this embodiment, the base portion 213) of the feeder body 21 that contacts the rails 126 when viewed in the sliding direction of the feeder body 21.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, a lock groove 127 is formed in the rail 126, which is concave downward from the upper surface of the feeder set base 125 and extends in the X direction. The lock groove 127 is used to restrict the movement of the feeder 122 in the removal direction (Y direction) when various feeders 122 are installed in the parts supply device 12.

[0033] The feeder body 21 has a base portion 213. The base portion 213 corresponds to the bottom of the flat, box-shaped feeder body 21. The lower surface of the base portion 213 is a guided portion that contacts the upper surface of the rail 126 when the feeder body 21 slides relative to the slot 121. A slider 214 extending in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in Figure 2) is provided on the lower surface of the base portion 213.

[0034] The slider 214 is formed in a T-shape so that it can be inserted in the front-rear direction into a guide groove 126A formed in the rail 126 that constitutes the slot 121. The bulk feeder 20 is guided to slide in the front-rear direction by the insertion of the slider 214 into the guide groove 126A of the rail 126. In addition, the width of the slider 214 in the X direction is greater than the opening width of the guide groove 126A. As a result, the upward movement of the slider 214 is restricted.

[0035] 5-2. Locking device 70 The locking device 70 has a locking member 71. The locking member 71 is supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction (vertical direction in Figure 2) relative to the feeder body 21. In detail, as shown in Figure 4, the locking member 71 is provided so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis 711 relative to the feeder body 21. The locking member 71 is formed to protrude downward from the lower surface of the feeder body 21 in the initial state and the locked state. As shown in Figure 6, the locking member 71 restricts the movement of the bulk feeder 20 by engaging with a locking groove 127 formed in the slot 121. In the unlocked state, the locking member 71 is embedded inside the feeder body 21 (see Figure 9), allowing the bulk feeder 20 to move.

[0036] The locking device 70 has an interlocking mechanism 72. The interlocking mechanism 72 operates the locking member 71 in conjunction with the movement of the operating lever 28 so as to release the lock when the amount of movement of the operating lever 28 exceeds a specified amount. In this embodiment, the interlocking mechanism 72 connects the operating lever 28 and the locking member 71 via a wire 73. In the initial state when the operating lever 28 is not operated, the interlocking mechanism 72 biases the locking member 71 via a rod 75 by a spring 74. As a result, the locking member 71 is at an initial angle around the rotation axis 711 and protrudes from the lower surface of the feeder body 21 (see Figures 4 and 6).

[0037] Furthermore, the interlocking mechanism 72 rotates the locking member 71 around the rotation axis 711 as the amount of movement of the operating lever 28 increases, gradually moving the portion that was protruding from the lower surface of the feeder body 21. When the amount of movement of the operating lever 28 exceeds a specified amount, the interlocking mechanism 72 moves the rod 75 against the biasing force of the spring 74, embedding the locking member 71 inside the feeder body 21. As a result, the locking device 70 is released, allowing the feeder body 21 to slide in the removal direction.

[0038] 5-3. The fixed bulk feeder 20 is set up externally and installed in the slot 121 of the parts supply device 12. At this time, the bulk feeder 20 slides along the extension direction of the slider 214 inserted into the guide groove 126A of the rail 126, and is moved to the set position guided by a pair of positioning pins 212. As a result, the connector 211 of the bulk feeder 20 is connected. Also, when there is no operation on the operating lever 28, the locking device 70 is activated (the locking member 71 is engaged in the lock groove 127), preventing it from coming out of the slot 121.

[0039] In order to stabilize the component supply operation by the feeder 122, it is desirable that the feeder 122 and the feeder set stand 125 be fixed together so that the position of the feeder 122 relative to the feeder set stand 125 does not change during the production of the product substrate. In particular, the need for stabilization of the component supply operation increases when the feeder 122 is intended to supply minute components. Furthermore, if the feeder 122 is a bulk feeder 20 equipped with a vibration-type conveying device, it is desirable that the bulk feeder 20 be suitably fixed to the feeder set stand 125 from the viewpoint of creating a suitable vibration environment and suppressing changes in the vibration environment.

[0040] The feeder body 21 is supported on the feeder set stand 125 by the base portion 213 being placed on the upper surface of the rail 126. In addition to the base portion 213, the feeder body 21 can also contact the feeder set stand 125 by a connector 211, a pair of pins 212, and a locking member 71, but these contribute little to the fixing force that integrates the feeder body 21 and the feeder set stand 125. Therefore, the feeder 122 of this embodiment employs a fixing structure that can stabilize the supply operation of parts. Specifically, the bulk feeder 20 is equipped with a clamp unit 80.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 2, the clamp unit 80 is disposed between the slider 214 and the locking device 70 in the sliding direction of the feeder body 21. Further, the clamp unit 80 operates when the feeder body 21 is slid and moved to the equipped position (the position where the connector 211 is connected and the locking device 70 is in the locked state), and is a unit that fixes the rail 126 and the feeder body 21 with a predetermined fixing force.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 4, the clamp unit 80 includes a clamper 81. The clamper 81 is provided on the feeder body 21 so as to be relatively movable in the clamping direction (in the vertical direction in this embodiment) that intersects the sliding direction of the feeder body 21. The clamper 81 is inserted into the inside of the guide groove 126A and clamps the rail 126 between the guided portion (base portion 213) that contacts the rail 126 of the feeder body 21.

[0043] The clamp unit 80 includes an elastic member 82. The elastic member 82 applies an urging force to the clamper 81 so as to move the clamper 81 toward the feeder body 21 in the clamping direction. The elastic member 82 can adopt various modes as long as it can apply an urging force to the clamper 81 as described above. In this embodiment, the elastic member 82 is formed of a resin material and is a resin block 82A having a block shape as an overall shape.

[0044] As a structure that enables the clamper 81 to move within a predetermined range in the clamping direction, for example, a mode in which the clamper 81 is supported so as to be rotatable about a predetermined axis or a mode in which the clamper 81 is translated in the clamping direction as in this embodiment can be adopted. Specifically, the clamp unit 80 includes a plate member 83 and a pair of connecting shafts 84. The plate member 83 is formed in a plate shape and is disposed on the opposite side of the clamper 81 with respect to the base portion 213 in the clamping direction.

[0045] A pair of connecting shafts 84 are inserted into through holes 213A penetrating the base portion 213 in the clamping direction. The pair of connecting shafts 84 are connecting members that connect the clamper 81 and the plate member 83. In the present embodiment, the clamping unit 80 includes a pair of connecting shafts 84 for supporting the clamper 81 at two positions in the sliding direction. As will be described later, the number of connecting shafts 84 may be single or three or more. Further, although the connecting shaft 84 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, various modes such as a rectangular cross-section may be adopted.

[0046] In the configuration as described above, as shown in FIG. 5, the clamper 81 is disposed below the base portion 213 and is supported so as to be movable (ascendable and descendable) in the clamping direction outside the feeder body 21. Further, the plate member 83 is disposed above the base portion 213 and is integrally connected to the clamper 81 by a pair of connecting shafts 84 inside the feeder body 21. And the elastic member 82 is disposed so as to be interposed between the base portion 213 and the plate member 83 in the clamping direction.

[0047] The elastic member 82 is assembled in a state of being non-compressed or slightly compressed in the vertical direction in the initial state. Thereby, the plate member 83 is maintained at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction with respect to the base portion 213, and as a result, the clamper 81 is positioned at the ascending end with respect to the feeder body 21. As shown in FIG. 5, the initial separation distance Wg between the base portion 213 and the clamper 81 in the clamping direction is set shorter than the thickness Wt of the upper wall portion 126B of the rail 126 to be clamped.

[0048] In the configuration as described above, when the slider 214 is guided on the rail 126 and the feeder body 21 slides toward the mounting position, the rail 126 is introduced between the base portion 213 and the clamper 81. Then, the clamper 81 is pushed down by the reaction force received from the rail 126 with which it contacts, and the plate member 83 connected to the clamper 81 by the pair of connecting shafts 84 descends integrally.

[0049] At this time, the elastic member 82 interposed between the base portion 213 and the plate member 83 undergoes elastic deformation so as to be compressed. As a result, an elastic force is exerted in the elastic member 82 as it attempts to return to its initial state, and the elastic member 82 applies a biasing force to the clamper 81 via the plate member 83 and the pair of connecting shafts 84. Consequently, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the clamp unit 80 fixes the feeder body 21 and the rail 126 with a fixing force corresponding to the biasing force of the elastic member 82 by sandwiching the upper wall portion 126B of the rail 126 between the base portion 213 and the clamper 81.

[0050] 5-4. Detailed Configuration of the Clamp 81 In the fixing structure using the clamp unit 80 as described above, the feeder body 21 and the rail 126 are made of metal material, and manufacturing errors and changes over time may occur. In that case, when the clamp unit 80 is in the clamped state, the lower surface of the base portion 213 and the upper surface of the upper wall portion 126B of the rail 126, and the lower surface of the upper wall portion 126B of the rail 126 and the upper surface of the clamp 81 will not be in surface contact, but rather in multiple point contacts (or a state close to point contact), raising concerns that the fixing force will not be distributed and will be uneven.

[0051] Consequently, if the bulk feeder 20 applies vibration to the track member 41, the feeder body 21 may vibrate with the part with strong fixing force as the pivot point. If it is not possible to apply vibration of the target magnitude to the track member 41, the efficiency of transporting parts may decrease in the future. Therefore, in this embodiment, a configuration is adopted to prevent unevenness in fixing force. Specifically, the clamper 81 has an inclined surface 811 on at least a part of the part that contacts the rail 126, which is inclined with respect to the sliding direction of the feeder body 21, as shown in Figure 5.

[0052] In this embodiment, the clamper 81 has an inclined surface 811 formed in a first region L1 that extends about halfway from the end on the slider 214 side of the total length in the sliding direction. As a result, the clamper 81 has a wedge shape in which the thickness increases from one end towards the center. In other words, in the first region L1, the upper surface (inclined surface 811) of the clamper 81 and the lower surface of the plate member 83 are not parallel, and the distance between them gradually decreases towards the center. In addition, the clamper 81 has a flat surface 812 formed in a second region L2 that extends from the center to the other end, which is parallel to the sliding direction and has a uniform thickness.

[0053] Here, the pair of connecting shafts 84 are positioned at different locations relative to each other in the sliding direction of the feeder body 21. This allows the clamper 81 to tilt relative to the base portion 213 when the elastic member 82 elastically deforms in response to the reaction force received from the rail 126 with which the clamper 81 contacts in the sliding direction. Therefore, when the clamper 81 is inserted into the guide groove 126A (in other words, when the rail 126 is introduced between the base portion 213 and the clamper 81), it tilts so that at least two of its inclined surface 811 and flat surface 812 contact the guide groove 126A, as shown in Figure 6. Note that Figure 6 exaggerates the tilted state of the clamper 81.

[0054] With the above configuration, even if manufacturing errors or aging changes occur in the feeder body 21 or rail 126, the clamper 81 will tilt relative to the feeder body 21 according to their shapes. As a result, when the clamping unit 80 is clamped, the lower surface of the base portion 213 and the upper surface of the upper wall portion 126B of the rail 126 will be in surface contact (or close to surface contact). In addition, the lower surface of the upper wall portion 126B of the rail 126 (the surface constituting the guide groove 126A) and the upper surface of the clamper 81 (the inclined surface 811 and the flat surface 812) will be in contact at two or more points, and the fixing force can be distributed. As a result, even if vibration occurs in the feeder body 21, the feeder body 21 will be fixed to the rail 126 with a predetermined fixing force via the clamper unit 80, thereby stabilizing the parts supply operation.

[0055] The clamp unit 80 is positioned spaced apart from the slider 214 in the sliding direction of the feeder body 21. Therefore, it is desirable that the rail 126 be assisted in smoothly introducing between the base portion 213 and the clamper 81. Accordingly, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, an introduction surface 126C is formed on the portion of the rail 126 that comes into contact with the upper surface (inclined surface 811 in this embodiment) of the clamper 81 when the feeder body 21 moves in the sliding direction.

[0056] The introduction surface 126C is formed to be inclined with respect to the sliding direction and assists in introducing the rail 126 between the base portion 213 and the clamper 81. The introduction surface 126C may be formed on the surface of the clamper 81 facing the base portion 213 (inclined surface 811 in this embodiment), or it may be formed on both the facing surface and the rail 126. In this way, the introduction of the rail 126 is assisted, and the feeder body 21 slides smoothly to its mounting position.

[0057] 6. Modified Embodiments 6-1. Inclined Surface 811 of Elastic Member 82 and Clamper 81 In the embodiment, the elastic member 82 is formed of a resin material and has a block-like overall shape. In contrast, the elastic member 82 may be formed of a material other than a resin material, as long as it can at least apply a biasing force to the clamper 81. For example, the elastic member 82 may be a coil spring 82B arranged coaxially with the connecting shaft 84, as shown in Figure 8.

[0058] However, in a fixing structure that anticipates tilting of the clamp 81, it has been found that a configuration in which the elastic member 82 is made of a resin material is preferable. In a configuration in which the elastic member 82 is made of a resin material, as illustrated in the embodiment, it has been found that even in a configuration in which the inclined surface 811 of the clamp 81 is omitted and the entire upper surface is a flat surface 812, the fixing force is improved compared to the conventional method.

[0059] Furthermore, it has been found that even when the elastic member 82 is a coil spring 82B made of a metal material, and the clamper 81 has an inclined surface 811 as illustrated in the embodiment, the fixing force is improved compared to the conventional method. Thus, in order to improve the fixing force, it is desirable to apply a fixing structure that has at least one of an elastic member 82 made of a resin material and a clamper 81 having an inclined surface 811. Moreover, as illustrated in the embodiment, having both configurations can further improve the fixing force.

[0060] 6-2. Release device 85 In this embodiment, the clamp unit 80 acts on a portion of the stroke of the feeder body 21's sliding movement, for example, immediately before the completion of installation during mounting. The clamp unit 80 is released when the feeder body 21 begins to move in the removal direction and the clamper 81 detaches from the rail 126. Therefore, sliding resistance due to the clamp unit 80 may occur in a portion of the stroke of the feeder body 21's sliding movement.

[0061] The sliding resistance described above increases as the biasing force applied by the elastic member 82 to the clamper 81 increases. Therefore, to reduce this sliding resistance, the feeder 122 may be further equipped with a release device. The release device 85 has a mechanism that unclams the clamper 81 in conjunction with the operation of removing the feeder body 21 from the rail 126. Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, the release device 85 has a release lever 86 that is rotatably mounted on the feeder body 21 around a rotation axis 861.

[0062] The release lever 86 is configured such that one end is positioned above the outer surface of the locking member 71 and the other end is positioned above the upper surface of the plate member 83. The dashed line in Figure 9 indicates that the locking device 70 is in operation, and the release device 85 is in a state that allows the clamping unit 80 to clamp the rail 126.

[0063] When the workshop operator operates the operating lever 28 as part of the operation to remove the feeder body 21 from the rail 126, the locking member 71 rotates as shown by the solid line in Figure 9, causing the release lever 86 to rotate around the rotation axis 861. As a result, the release lever 86 contacts the upper surface of the plate member 83, pushing down the plate member 83 and the clamper 81. This widens the gap between the base portion 213 of the feeder body 21 and the clamper 81, releasing the rail 126 that was sandwiched between them (unclamped state).

[0064] In this way, the release device 85 is linked to the operation of removing the feeder body 21 from the rail 126 (for example, operation on the operating lever 28) and, against the biasing force of the elastic member 82, separates the clamper 81 from the base portion 213, thereby creating an unclamped state. As a result, sliding resistance is reduced when the feeder body 21 is slid, improving operability. Furthermore, when moving the feeder body 21 to the mounting position, the release device 85 can make the distance between the base portion 213 and the clamper 81 greater than the thickness Wt of the upper wall portion 126B of the rail 126, so that the feeder body 21 slides smoothly to the mounting position.

[0065] In addition, although the release device 85 unclams the clamper 81 by pushing it down against the biasing force of the elastic member 82 as described above, it may also unclam the clamp by retracting the biasing force of the elastic member 82. For example, the release device 85 can retract the biasing force of the elastic member 82 by temporarily releasing the connection between the clamper 81 and the plate member 83 by the connecting shaft 84, or, if the elastic member 82 is a coil spring 82B, by releasing the support at one end to maintain its free length.

[0066] 6-3. Rail 126, Feeder 122 In this embodiment, the rail 126 has a T-shaped guide groove 126A that opens on its upper surface. However, the rail 126 can take on various forms. In any form, the clamp unit 80 clamps the rail 126 between the guided portion (base portion 213 in this embodiment) of the feeder body 21 that contacts the rail 126. This integrally fixes the feeder body 21 to the rail 126, improving the operational stability of the feeder 122.

[0067] Furthermore, in the embodiment, an example was given in which the feeder 122 is a bulk feeder 20 equipped with a vibration device 50. However, the feeder 122 may be a tape feeder, a stick feeder, or other form of feeder other than a bulk feeder 20. Such a configuration will also produce the same effects as in the embodiment. However, in a bulk feeder 20 that transports parts using a vibration device 50, the fixing state of the feeder body 21 affects the transport efficiency, so applying the fixing structure exemplified above to the bulk feeder 20 is particularly useful.

[0068] 10: Parts mounting machine, 12: Parts supply device, 121: Slot, 122: Feeder, 125: Feeder set stand, 126: Rail, 126A: Guide groove, 126B: Upper wall section, 126C: Introduction surface, 127: Lock groove, 20: Bulk feeder, 21: Feeder body, 213: Base section (guided section), 213A: Through hole, 214: Slider, 28: Operating lever, 41: Track member, 48: Shutter, 35: Parts case, 50: Vibration device, 55: Vibration sensor, 60: Feeder control device, 70: Locking device, 80: Clamp unit, 81: Clamper, 811: Inclined surface, 812: Flat surface, 82: Elastic member, 82A: Resin block, 82B: Coil spring, 83: Plate member, 84: Connecting shaft (connecting member), 85: Release device, 86: Release lever, 91: Substrate, As: Supply area, R: Conveyor path

Claims

1. A feeder comprising: a feeder body guided by sliding movement on a rail of a component mounting machine; and a clamper provided on the feeder body so as to be movable relative to the rail in a clamping direction intersecting the sliding direction of the feeder body, and clamping the rail between itself and a guided portion of the feeder body that contacts the rail.

2. The feeder according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic member formed of a resin material that applies a biasing force to the clamp so as to move the clamp toward the feeder body in the clamping direction.

3. The feeder according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic member that applies a biasing force to the clamp so as to move the clamp toward the feeder body in the clamping direction, wherein the clamp has an inclined surface on at least a portion of the part that contacts the rail, which is inclined with respect to the sliding direction of the feeder body.

4. The feeder according to claim 3, wherein the rail has a T-shaped guide groove that opens on the upper surface that contacts the guided portion when viewed in the sliding direction of the feeder body, and the clamper is inserted into the inside of the guide groove, and the inclined surface contacts the guide groove to clamp the rail between itself and the guided portion.

5. The feeder according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising: a plate member positioned on the opposite side of the clamper from the guided portion in the clamping direction; and a connecting member inserted through a through hole penetrating the guided portion in the clamping direction and connecting the clamper and the plate member, wherein the elastic member interposes between the guided portion and the plate member in the clamping direction, thereby applying a biasing force to the clamper via the plate member and the connecting member.

6. The feeder according to claim 5, wherein the connecting members are each positioned at different locations in the sliding direction of the feeder body, and the elastic member is elastically deformed in response to the reaction force received from the rail in which the clamper contacts in the sliding direction, thereby allowing the clamper to tilt relative to the guided portion.

7. The feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the initial separation distance between the guided portion and the clamper in the clamping direction is set to be shorter than the thickness of the upper wall portion of the rail being clamped.

8. The feeder according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the clamper's surface facing the guided portion and the portion of the rail that the feeder body moves in the sliding direction and contacts the opposing surface has an introduction surface formed on it to assist in introducing the rail between the guided portion and the clamper.

9. The feeder according to any one of claims 2-4, further comprising a release device that, in conjunction with the removal operation of the feeder body from the rail, unclams the clamper by moving it away from the guided portion against the biasing force of the elastic member or by retracting the biasing force of the elastic member.

10. The feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a track member having a transport path formed for transporting parts discharged from a parts case; and a vibration exciter for applying vibration to the track member, wherein the feeder is a bulk feeder that transports the parts on the transport path by applying vibration to the track member with the vibration exciter.

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