Feeder State Display for Replenishment and Collection Sorting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Operators face difficulty in accurately and efficiently distinguishing between feeders to be replenished and those to be collected in a feeder storage, leading to incorrect selection and collection due to their similar appearances.
Innovation Solution
A feeder state display system is implemented, featuring a feeder management section and a state display section on each feeder, using light emitting elements to visually indicate whether a feeder is for replenishment or collection, making it easier for operators to identify the correct action.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If feeders to be replenished and feeders to be collected are stored together in the feeder storage, then the feeder storage can efficiently utilize space and resources, but operators cannot easily distinguish between the two types of feeders, leading to incorrect selection and reduced operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color-coded labels or indicators on feeders to visually distinguish between feeders to be replenished and feeders to be collected. This allows operators to quickly identify the correct feeders without confusion, while maintaining efficient space utilization in the feeder storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary visual indicator system (such as colored tags, lights, or labels) that mediates between the feeders and operators. This intermediary provides clear visual cues about the status of each feeder, enabling accurate and efficient identification without requiring physical separation of different feeder types.
2Device complexity
If operators visually select feeders from a large number of stored feeders, then the system maintains simplicity in feeder management, but the time required for accurate feeder selection increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
By implementing color-coded visual indicators on feeders, the system maintains operational simplicity while dramatically reducing the time operators need to spend identifying and selecting the correct feeders. The color cues enable instant recognition without adding complex management procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary classification and visual marking of feeders before operators need to select them. This preliminary action of tagging or labeling feeders with their status (replenish or collect) is done in advance, so operators can quickly identify the correct feeders without spending time searching or determining their status during the selection process.
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
The system allows operators to accurately and efficiently select and collect the correct feeders by providing clear visual cues, improving the operational efficiency of feeder management in the component mounting line.
Implementation Method 1
A feeder state display system... featuring a feeder management section and a state display section on each feeder, using light emitting elements to visually indicate whether a feeder is for replenishment or collection
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are feeder storage (19) that temporarily stores feeders (14) to be replenished to multiple component mounters (12) and feeders removed from each component mounter, automatic exchanging device (26) that moves over the feeder storage and the multiple component mounters to replenish a feeder taken out from the feeder storage to each component mounter and collect a feeder removed from each component mounter to the feeder storage, and feeder management section (70) that manages whether each feeder stored in the feeder storage is a feeder to be replenished to the component mounter or a feeder to be collected. State display section (65), being provided with each feeder on an end face part on a removal direction side or an upper end face part, is configured to display a state of the feeder, and the feeder management section displays whether each feeder stored in the feeder storage is the "feeder to be replenished" or the "feeder to be collected", on the state display section of each feeder.