Tray Component Supply Device Height Calibration

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Solution Overview

Problem

The tray-type component supply device faces a risk of collision or impact due to an abnormal state where the height position of the exchanging table becomes unknown or unidentified, leading to potential safety issues and operational failures.

Innovation Solution

The device automatically moves the exchanging table to a retraction position at a low speed when an abnormal state is detected, ensuring safety by preventing overrun and allowing for calibration of the height position, thus restoring the normal operational state.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the control section continues normal control after the height position becomes unidentified, then the system maintains operational continuity, but the lifting and lowering section may collide with boundaries or trays causing safety risks

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidoperational continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The control section detects the abnormal state (unidentified height position) in advance and takes preliminary action by switching to a safe mode with limited speed range before collision can occur. This prevents the harmful effect of collision while maintaining system operation through controlled movement to a safe position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control section continuously monitors the height position through sensors and detects when the position becomes unidentified. Based on this feedback, it automatically adjusts the speed control parameters to prevent unsafe operation, creating a closed-loop safety mechanism that responds to the abnormal state in real-time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If the exchanging table moves at high speed during normal operation, then productivity is improved, but safety is compromised when the height position is unidentified due to potential overrun and collision

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperation speedVSAvoidsafety
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The speed control parameter is made dynamic rather than fixed. The control section automatically adjusts the speed limit based on the operational state: high speed is permitted during normal operation with confirmed height position, but speed is automatically reduced to a safe low value when the height position becomes unidentified, optimizing both productivity and safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The control section changes the speed parameter from a constant high value to a variable value based on the height position status. When abnormality is detected, the speed parameter is changed to a limited low value, preventing overrun while maintaining operational continuity. This parameter adaptation resolves the contradiction between speed and safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3749078B1Tray-type component supply device
Publication Date: 2023.04.19 FUJI CORP
  • EP3749078B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3749078B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3749078B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A tray-type component supply device includes an exchanging table configured to lift and lowered between an upper position and a lower position, a conveyance section configured to receive a tray from the exchanging table and convey the tray, a driving section configured to drive the exchanging table to lift and lowered, a detection sensor configured to detect the exchanging table staying in at least one of the upper position and the lower position, both the upper position and the lower position constituting a retraction position, and a control section configured to receive a detection signal from the detection sensor and cause the driving section to operate the exchanging table, the control section including an abnormality detecting section configured to detect an abnormal state in which a height position of the exchanging table becomes unidentified, a retraction operating section configured to cause the exchanging table to move to the retraction position at a low speed when the abnormal state is detected, and a calibration and restoration section configured to calibrate the height position of the exchanging table to restore a normal state.