Component Supply Control for Unpickable Part Reorientation

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing component supply devices face inefficiencies in picking up components due to their position or posture, requiring multiple attempts and degrading the efficiency of the component pickup operation.

Innovation Solution

A component supply device equipped with a picker base, a supplier, and a detector, utilizing a hardware processor to determine the state of components and calculate necessary adjustments to bring unpickable components into a pickable state, thereby improving the efficiency of the pickup operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the tray is tilted to break the overlap of components, then the components can be separated, but the component pickup operation requires multiple attempts which degrades efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent separationVSAvoidpickup operation efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of component states before pickup attempts. The detector captures images of components on the tray, and the hardware processor determines whether components are in a pickable state, allowing the system to plan and execute appropriate adjustment actions before the actual pickup operation begins.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses a detector to continuously monitor the state of components on the tray. Based on the detected information, the hardware processor determines whether components are pickable and calculates necessary operation amounts for adjustment. This feedback loop enables the system to adapt its pickup strategy in real-time, avoiding unnecessary multiple attempts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If multiple attempts are made to pick up components in overlapping positions, then the component can eventually be picked, but the operation time increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent pickup successVSAvoidoperation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of component states before pickup attempts. The detector captures images of components on the tray, and the hardware processor determines whether components are in a pickable state, allowing the system to plan and execute appropriate adjustment actions before the actual pickup operation begins.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses a detector to continuously monitor the state of components on the tray. Based on the detected information, the hardware processor determines whether components are pickable and calculates necessary operation amounts for adjustment. This feedback loop enables the system to adapt its pickup strategy in real-time, avoiding unnecessary multiple attempts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Speed

If the component state is not detected before pickup, then the pickup operation can proceed quickly, but the pickup success rate decreases due to unpickable component states

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepickup operation speedVSAvoidpickup success rate

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of component states before pickup attempts. The detector captures images of components on the tray, and the hardware processor determines whether components are in a pickable state, allowing the system to plan and execute appropriate adjustment actions before the actual pickup operation begins.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses a detector to continuously monitor the state of components on the tray. Based on the detected information, the hardware processor determines whether components are pickable and calculates necessary operation amounts for adjustment. This feedback loop enables the system to adapt its pickup strategy in real-time, avoiding unnecessary multiple attempts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20230389250A1Component supply device, component supply method, and program

Publication Date: 2023.11.30 KONICA MINOLTA INC

AI summary

A component supply device includes: a picker base on which a component is to be loaded; a supplier that picks up the component loaded on the picker base and supplies the component to a predetermined position; a detector that detects the component loaded on the picker base; and a hardware processor that determines a state of the component loaded on the picker base, on a basis of information detected by the detector, wherein the hardware processor determines whether the component is a component that is pickable or a component that is unpickable by the supplier on a basis of the state of the component, and calculates an operation amount for adjusting the component that is unpickable to a pickable state and adjusts only a state of the component that is unpickable by an adjuster on a basis of the calculated operation amount.