Electronic Component Feeder Ultrasonic Vibration

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for feeding electronic components into accommodation holes are prone to cracking or chipping due to significant impact from oscillation, and they limit the rate of filling accommodation holes effectively.

Innovation Solution

Applying horizontal and vertical vibrations to an accommodation plate while keeping it level, with a focus on reducing impact by using equal or substantially equal frequencies and adjusting phase differences and amplitudes to control the movement of electronic components, ensuring they are fed into holes with appropriate orientation and depth, allowing for a higher filling rate without damaging the components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the accommodation plate is oscillated more frequently to increase the filling rate, then the productivity is improved, but the electronic components are subjected to more frequent impact which increases cracking or chipping

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefilling rateVSAvoidcomponent integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies ultrasonic vibration to the accommodation plate at a frequency of 20 kHz or higher, which is beyond the range that causes harmful impact to electronic components. This high-frequency vibration effectively promotes component movement and feeding into accommodation holes while avoiding the damage associated with lower frequency oscillation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #18Mechanical vibration

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the vibration frequency parameter to 20 kHz or higher, transforming the oscillation from a harmful low-frequency motion into a beneficial high-frequency ultrasonic vibration that achieves the desired feeding effect without damaging components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If more electronic components are loaded onto the accommodation plate to increase the filling rate, then the productivity is improved, but each electronic component is subjected to greater impact which increases cracking or chipping

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefilling rateVSAvoidimpact on components

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The ultrasonic vibration of the accommodation plate creates a gentle shaking effect that facilitates component movement without creating harmful impact forces, allowing a large number of components to be loaded and fed simultaneously without increasing damage risk

Inventive Principle:

Principle #18Mechanical vibration

3Ease of operation

If the accommodation plate is oscillated to feed electronic components into accommodation holes, then the electronic components are moved and fed into holes, but the impact of rolling or falling by gravity causes cracking or chipping

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent feedingVSAvoidimpact from gravity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The ultrasonic vibration continuously agitates the electronic components on the accommodation plate, preventing them from accumulating and falling by gravity. This creates a controlled movement pattern that feeds components into accommodation holes without the harmful impact of gravitational collapse

Inventive Principle:

Principle #18Mechanical vibration

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method reduces the likelihood of electronic components being cracked or chipped and allows for a higher filling rate of accommodation holes with electronic components, achieving up to 100% filling without increasing the number of damaged components.

Implementation Method 1

applying a horizontal vibration in at least one of an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction and a vertical vibration in a Z-axis direction to the accommodation plate while keeping the main surface of the accommodation plate level

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVibration: Vibration

Data Source

PatentUS10752391B2Method of feeding electronic components and electronic component feeder

Publication Date: 2020.08.25 MURATA MFG CO LTD

AI summary

A method and an apparatus for feeding electronic components are capable of increasing a rate of filling accommodation holes with electronic components. An accommodation plate including accommodation holes, respective openings of which are distributed over a main surface of the accommodation plate, is prepared, and electronic components are loaded onto the main surface of the accommodation plate. A horizontal vibration in an X-axis direction and/or a Y-axis direction and a vertical vibration in a Z-axis direction are applied to the accommodation plate with the main surface of the accommodation plate level. The horizontal and vertical vibrations have an equal number of vibrations and a prescribed phase difference therebetween. The accommodation plate is vibrated so that each of the electronic components is fed into one of the accommodation holes while moving over the main surface of the accommodation plate.