JP7473745B2 - Bulk Feeder - Google Patents

Description

This specification discloses technology relating to bulk feeders.

The bulk feeder vibrates a track member with a transport path using a vibration device to transport supply parts on the transport path to a supply area where the component mounting machine can pick them up. As in the invention described in Patent Document 1, a bulk feeder is known that causes the component mounting machine to pick up supply parts scattered in a supply area. Also known is a bulk feeder that has a cavity unit in the supply area that has multiple cavities in which one of the supply parts transported to the supply area should be accommodated.

JP 2011-114084 A

In bulk feeders equipped with cavity units, there is a possibility that a stacked state may occur, with multiple components stuck in one cavity. As the number of stacked cavities increases, the number of cavities that can supply components decreases, which may reduce the production efficiency of board products.

In light of these circumstances, this specification discloses a bulk feeder that can eliminate the stuck state in which multiple parts are stuck in a single cavity.

This specification discloses a bulk feeder including a feeder body, a track member, a vibration device, and a cavity unit. The track member is provided so as to be vibrated with respect to the feeder body, and includes a conveying path along which supply parts, which are a plurality of parts discharged from a case, are conveyed. The vibration device vibrates the track member to convey the supply parts on the conveying path to a supply area where the parts can be picked up by a component mounting machine. The cavity unit includes a plurality of cavities in the supply area in which one of the supply parts conveyed to the supply area should be accommodated. Each of the plurality of cavities of the cavity unit includes a support portion and an escape portion. The support portion supports one of the supply parts when the one of the supply parts is accommodated in a normal position. The escape portion is a recess formed deeper than the support portion, and when a target part, which is one of a plurality of parts of the supply parts, is accommodated in a position different from the normal position, the target part is lowered to change the position of the target part.

According to the above-mentioned bulk feeder, when a target part is placed in a cavity in a posture different from the normal posture, the posture of the target part is changed. The target part whose posture has been changed is easily able to escape from the cavity by vibrating the track member using the vibration device. This eliminates the stuck state where multiple parts are stuck in one cavity.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a component mounting machine. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a bulk feeder. FIG. 3 is a plan view seen in the direction of arrow III in FIG. 2 . FIG. 13 is a plan view showing an example of a cavity unit to which a supply part is supplied. FIG. 1 is a perspective view (transparent view) of a cavity showing a stack state in which two parts are fitted into one cavity. FIG. 2 is a perspective view (transparent view) showing an example of a cavity of the present embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view seen in the direction of arrow VII in FIG. 6 . FIG. 8 is a side view taken in the direction of arrow VIII in FIG. 6 . FIG. 7 is a front view taken in the direction of arrow IX in FIG. 6 . FIG. 11 is a side view showing a state in which one component is accommodated in one cavity in a normal orientation. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a state in which two components are housed in one cavity in a position different from the normal position. FIG. 13 is a perspective view (see-through view) showing an example of a cavity in a modified form. FIG. 13 is a plan view seen in the direction of arrow XIII in FIG. 12 . FIG. 13 is a side view taken in the direction of arrow XIV in FIG. 12 . FIG. 13 is a front view taken in the direction of the arrow XV in FIG. 12 .

In this specification, multiple embodiments are described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, common reference numerals are used for parts common to each embodiment, and duplicate explanations are omitted in this specification. Furthermore, matters described in one embodiment can also be adopted in other embodiments.

1. Embodiment 1-1. Configuration Example of Component Mounting Machine 10 The component mounting machine 10 mounts a plurality of components 91 on a board 90. As shown in Fig. 1, the component mounting machine 10 includes a board transport device 11, a component supply device 12, a component transfer device 13, a component camera 14, a board camera 15, and a control device 20.

The board transport device 11 is, for example, configured with a belt conveyor or the like, and transports the board 90 in a transport direction (X-axis direction). The board 90 is a circuit board on which electronic circuits, electric circuits, magnetic circuits, etc. are formed. The board transport device 11 transports the board 90 into the component mounting machine 10 and positions the board 90 at a predetermined position within the machine. After the component mounting machine 10 has completed the mounting process of the multiple components 91, the board transport device 11 transports the board 90 out of the component mounting machine 10.

The component supply device 12 supplies a plurality of components 91 to be mounted on the board 90. The component supply device 12 includes a plurality of feeders 12b arranged along the conveying direction (X-axis direction) of the board 90. Each of the plurality of feeders 12b is detachably attached to the slot 12a. In this embodiment, the feeder 12b is at least the bulk feeder 30 of the tape feeder and the bulk feeder 30. The tape feeder pitch-feeds the carrier tape in which the plurality of components 91 are stored, and supplies the components 91 at the supply position so that they can be picked up. The bulk feeder 30 supplies the supply components 91s (a part of the plurality of components 91 stored in the case 32), which are the plurality of components 91 discharged from the case 32 that stores the plurality of components 91 in a bulk state (a state in which the posture of the plurality of components 91 is irregular), so that they can be picked up.

The component transfer device 13 includes a head drive device 13a, a moving table 13b, a mounting head 13c, and a holding member 13d. The head drive device 13a is configured to be able to move the moving table 13b in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction (direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction in a horizontal plane) by a linear motion mechanism. The mounting head 13c is detachably (replaceably) attached to the moving table 13b by a clamp member. The mounting head 13c uses at least one holding member 13d to pick up and hold the component 91 supplied by the component supply device 12, and mounts the component 91 on the board 90 positioned by the board transport device 11. The holding member 13d can be, for example, a suction nozzle, a chuck, or the like.

The component camera 14 and the board camera 15 may be made of a known imaging device. The component camera 14 is fixed to the base of the component mounting machine 10 so that the optical axis faces upward in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis directions). The component camera 14 can image the component 91 held by the holding member 13d from below. The board camera 15 is provided on the moving table 13b of the component transfer device 13 so that the optical axis faces downward in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). The board camera 15 can image the board 90 from above. The component camera 14 and the board camera 15 perform imaging based on a control signal sent from the control device 20. Image data of the images captured by the component camera 14 and the board camera 15 is transmitted to the control device 20.

The control device 20 is equipped with a known arithmetic device and a memory device, and a control circuit is configured. Information output from various sensors provided in the component mounting machine 10, image data, etc. are input to the control device 20. The control device 20 sends control signals to each device based on a control program and predetermined mounting conditions that have been set in advance.

For example, the control device 20 causes the board camera 15 to capture an image of the board 90 positioned by the board transport device 11. The control device 20 processes the image captured by the board camera 15 to recognize the positioning state of the board 90. The control device 20 also causes the holding member 13d to pick up and hold the component 91 supplied by the component supply device 12, and causes the component camera 14 to capture an image of the component 91 held by the holding member 13d. The control device 20 processes the image captured by the component camera 14 to recognize the holding posture of the component 91.

The control device 20 moves the holding member 13d toward above the intended mounting position that is set in advance by a control program or the like. The control device 20 also corrects the intended mounting position based on the positioning state of the board 90, the holding posture of the component 91, and the like, and sets the mounting position where the component 91 is actually mounted. The intended mounting position and the mounting position include a rotation angle in addition to the position (X-axis coordinate and Y-axis coordinate).

The control device 20 corrects the target position (X-axis coordinate and Y-axis coordinate) and rotation angle of the holding member 13d to match the mounting position. The control device 20 lowers the holding member 13d at the corrected rotation angle in the corrected target position to mount the component 91 on the board 90. The control device 20 repeats the above pick-and-place cycle to perform the mounting process of mounting multiple components 91 on the board 90.

1-2. Example of configuration of bulk feeder 30 The bulk feeder 30 supplies supply components 91s, which are a plurality of components 91 discharged from a case 32, to the component mounting machine 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the bulk feeder 30 of this embodiment includes a feeder main body 31, a case 32, a discharge device 33, a cover 34, a track member 40, a cavity unit 50, a vibration device 60, and a feeder control device 70. The feeder main body 31 is formed in a flat box shape. The feeder main body 31 is detachably mounted in a slot 12a of the component supply device 12.

The feeder body 31 is provided with a connector 31a and multiple (two in the figure) pins 31b, 31b at the tip side in the conveying direction of the supply part 91s. The connector 31a is provided so as to be able to communicate with the control device 20 when the bulk feeder 30 is installed in the slot 12a. The bulk feeder 30 is also powered via the connector 31a. The multiple (two) pins 31b, 31b are used for positioning the feeder body 31 when it is installed in the slot 12a.

A case 32 that stores multiple parts 91 in a bulk state is removably attached to the feeder main body 31. The case 32 can sequentially discharge the stored multiple parts 91. The case 32 in this embodiment is an external device of the bulk feeder 30. For example, an operator selects one case 32 that stores a part 91 to be used in the mounting process from among the multiple cases 32, and attaches the selected case 32 to the feeder main body 31.

The discharge device 33 adjusts the number of parts 91 discharged from the case 32. The discharge device 33 discharges the supply parts 91s into the receiving area Ar0 of the track member 40 shown in FIG. 3. The supply parts 91s are part of the multiple parts 91 discharged from the case 32 and supplied to the component mounting machine 10. The cover 34 is removably attached to the upper tip side of the supply parts 91s in the conveying direction. The cover 34 prevents the supply parts 91s conveyed on the conveying path Rd0 of the track member 40 shown in FIG. 3 from scattering to the outside.

The track member 40 has a transport path Rd0 along which the supply parts 91s, which are the multiple parts 91 discharged from the case 32, are transported. The track member 40 is provided at the upper end of the tip side in the transport direction of the supply parts 91s. As shown in FIG. 3, the track member 40 is formed so as to extend in the transport direction of the supply parts 91s (left-right direction on the paper in FIG. 3). A pair of side walls 41, 41 that protrude upward are formed on both edges of the width direction of the transport path Rd0 (up-down direction on the paper in FIG. 3). The pair of side walls 41, 41, together with the tip portion 42 of the track member 40, surround the periphery of the transport path Rd0 and suppress leakage of the supply parts 91s transported on the transport path Rd0.

As shown in FIG. 3, the track member 40 has a receiving area Ar0, a supply area As0, and a transport path Rd0. The receiving area Ar0 is an area that receives supply parts 91s in bulk. In this embodiment, the receiving area Ar0 is provided below the discharge outlet of the case 32. The supply area As0 is an area where the component mounting machine 10 can pick up the supply parts 91s. Specifically, the supply area As0 is an area where the supply parts 91s can be picked up by the holding member 13d supported by the mounting head 13c, and is included in the movable range of the mounting head 13c.

The conveying path Rd0 is provided between the receiving area Ar0 and the supply area As0, and the supply parts 91s are conveyed between the receiving area Ar0 and the supply area As0. In this embodiment, the conveying path Rd0 is formed in a groove shape with a horizontal bottom surface. The side surface of the conveying path Rd0 is formed by a pair of side walls 41, 41. The upper opening of the conveying path Rd0 is generally blocked by a cover 34. The track member 40 is supported so as to be slightly displaceable (i.e., vibrable) in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) relative to the feeder main body 31.

The cavity unit 50 has a plurality of cavities 51 (120 in this embodiment) in the supply area As0 in which one of the supply parts 91s transported to the supply area As0 is to be accommodated. In other words, each of the plurality (120) cavities 51 is intended to accommodate one part 91. Specifically, the plurality (120) cavities 51 are arranged in a matrix in the supply area As0. For example, the cavity unit 50 has a total of 120 cavities 51, with 10 cavities 51 arranged in the transport direction of the supply parts 91s and 12 cavities 51 arranged in the width direction of the transport path Rd0.

Each of the multiple (120) cavities 51 opens above the transport path Rd0, and is intended to accommodate the part 91 in a posture (normal posture described below) in which the height direction (direction of arrow H shown in Figure 5, etc.) of the rectangular prism-shaped part 91 coincides with the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). The opening of the cavity 51 is formed slightly larger than the outer shape of the part 91 when viewed in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). The depth of the cavity 51 is set appropriately depending on the type (shape, mass, etc.) of the part 91. The number of cavities 51 is set appropriately taking into account the shape of the cavities 51, the required number, and the density that may affect transportability.

In addition, the number of cavities 51 is preferably set to be greater than the maximum number of components 91 picked in one pick-and-place cycle. The above maximum number corresponds to the number of holding members 13d supported by the mounting head 13c. For example, if the mounting head 13c supports 24 suction nozzles, the number of cavities 51 is preferably set to be greater than at least 24.

The track member 40 is provided so as to be vibrated relative to the feeder body 31. The vibration device 60 vibrates the track member 40 to transport the supply parts 91s on the transport path Rd0 to the supply area As0 from which the component mounting machine 10 can pick up the parts. Specifically, the vibration device 60 causes the track member 40 to perform a clockwise or counterclockwise elliptical motion in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the supply parts 91s. At this time, the vibration device 60 vibrates the track member 40 so that an external force is applied to the supply parts 91s on the transport path Rd0 from the tip side of the supply direction (the right side of the paper in FIG. 3) and toward the top, or from the base side of the supply direction (the left side of the paper in FIG. 3) and toward the top.

The vibration device 60 includes, for example, a support member that connects the feeder body 31 and the track member 40, a piezoelectric element provided on the support member, and a drive unit that supplies power to the piezoelectric element. The drive unit varies the applied voltage and frequency of the AC power supplied to the piezoelectric element based on a command from the feeder control device 70. This adjusts the amplitude and frequency of the vibration applied to the track member 40, and determines the rotation direction of the elliptical motion of the track member 40. When the amplitude, frequency, and rotation direction of the elliptical motion caused by the vibration of the track member 40 vary, the conveying speed, degree of dispersion, conveying direction, etc. of the conveyed supply parts 91s vary.

Here, the operation of the vibration device 60 when transporting the supply part 91s on the transport path Rd0 towards the supply area As0 is referred to as the feed operation. Also, the operation of the vibration device 60 when transporting the supply part 91s on the transport path Rd0 towards the receiving area Ar0 is referred to as the return operation. The direction of the elliptical motion of the track member 40 is switched by switching between the feed operation and the return operation of the vibration device 60. The vibration device 60 functions as a storage device that stores the supply part 91s in at least some of the cavities 51 of the cavity unit 50.

The feeder control device 70 includes a known arithmetic unit and a storage device, and a control circuit is configured. When the bulk feeder 30 is installed in the slot 12a, the feeder control device 70 is powered via the connector 31a and is capable of communicating with the control device 20 of the component mounting machine 10. The feeder control device 70 executes the sending and returning operations of the vibration device 60 in the supply process of supplying the supply component 91s to the supply area As0.

Specifically, when the feeder control device 70 executes a feeding operation, it sends a command to the drive unit of the vibration device 60. This causes the drive unit to supply a predetermined amount of power to the piezoelectric element, and the track member 40 is vibrated via the support member. As a result, the supply part 91s on the conveying path Rd0 is conveyed by receiving an external force so as to move toward the tip end of the conveying direction.

In addition, the feeder control device 70 realizes various conveying modes by combining the forwarding operation and the return operation of the vibration device 60. For example, the feeder control device 70 continues the forwarding operation until the supply part 91s shown in FIG. 3 reaches the vicinity of the tip 42 of the track member 40 after at least a part of the supply part 91s on the conveying path Rd0 reaches the supply area As0. At this time, the feeder control device 70 may repeatedly execute the return operation and the forwarding operation to cause the supply part 91s to remain in the supply area As0 while the track member 40 is vibrating.

After that, the feeder control device 70 executes a return operation with at least some of the supply parts 91s on the conveying path Rd0 accommodated in the multiple cavities 51, and retreats the remaining supply parts 91s from the supply area As0 to the receiving area Ar0. This allows the parts 91 to be properly accommodated in at least a predetermined number of the multiple (120) cavities 51 of the cavity unit 50. The feeder control device 70 can appropriately set the execution time of the sending operation and the returning operation, the operation time of the retention in the accommodation process, and the number of times the repeating operation is performed. In addition, the feeder control device 70 may adjust the amplitude and frequency of the vibration when the vibration device 60 vibrates the track member 40 according to the type of the parts 91 accommodated in the case 32.

1-3. Example of the configuration of the cavity 51 Fig. 4 shows an example of a cavity unit 50 to which the supply parts 91s are supplied. The figure shows an example of the state in which the supply parts 91s are accommodated in a total of 120 cavities 51, with 10 arranged in the conveying direction of the supply parts 91s and 12 arranged in the width direction of the conveying path Rd0. For example, like the part 91 accommodated in the cavity 51 in the area AR1, there is a part 91 accommodated in the cavity 51 in a normal orientation (for example, an orientation in which the height direction (the direction of the arrow H shown in Fig. 5, etc.) of the rectangular prism-shaped part 91 coincides with the vertical direction (the Z-axis direction)).

Also, there are cavities 51 that do not contain a component 91. Furthermore, there are cavities 51 in which other components 91 are piled up (overlapped) on top of the components 91 that are contained therein. In these cavities 51, the component mounting machine 10 cannot pick up the supply components 91s, but this may be resolved as the vibration device 60 vibrates the track member 40 and the supply of the supply components 91s is repeated.

However, when a stuck state occurs in which multiple parts 91 (two in the figure) are stuck in one cavity 51, such as the parts 91 housed in the cavities 51 in areas AR21 to AR23, it is difficult to resolve the stuck state. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, multiple (two) parts 91 housed in one cavity 51 in a posture different from the normal posture collide with each other and are unable to escape from the cavity 51 even when the track member 40 is vibrated by the vibration device 60. As shown in the figure, a posture different from the normal posture is, for example, a posture in which the width direction (the direction of arrow B shown in Figure 5, etc.) of the rectangular prism-shaped part 91 coincides with the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

As the number of stacked cavities 51 increases, the number of cavities 51 that can supply supply parts 91s decreases, which may result in a decrease in the production efficiency of board products. Therefore, as shown in Figures 6 to 11, each of the multiple cavities 51 of the cavity unit 50 has a support portion 52 and an escape portion 53.

The support portion 52 supports one of the supply components 91s when the component 91 is accommodated in the correct position. The support portion 52 may take various forms as long as it can support the component 91 accommodated in the correct position. As described above, the correct position is, for example, a position in which the height direction (arrow H direction) of the rectangular prism-shaped component 91 coincides with the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). The height direction (arrow H direction) of the component 91 corresponds to the direction of the side extending in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) when the rectangular prism-shaped component 91 is normally mounted on the board 90. As shown in FIG. 10, for example, the support portion 52 may have a horizontal surface 52a that can come into surface contact with one of the supply components 91s when the component 91 is accommodated in the correct position.

6, the support portion 52 of this embodiment has a horizontal surface 52a and a base portion 52b, and the horizontal surface 52a is provided on the upper surface of the base portion 52b. The base portion 52b of this embodiment is formed in a rectangular prism shape, but the shape of the base portion 52b is not limited to a rectangular prism shape. The base portion 52b can also be omitted. In this case, the horizontal surface 52a is fixed to the wall surface of the cavity 51. Furthermore, the support portion 52 may be a plurality of pin members. The plurality of pin members are preferably provided so that their respective tips are located at a height equivalent to the height position at which the horizontal surface 52a is provided. In this case, the support portion 52 can also support the component 91 accommodated in the correct position.

The relief portion 53 is a recess formed deeper than the support portion 52, and when the target component 91t, which is one of the multiple components 91 among the supply components 91s, is accommodated in a different position from the normal position, the target component 91t is lowered to change the position of the target component 91t. As described above, the position different from the normal position is, for example, a position in which the width direction (direction of arrow B) of the rectangular prism-shaped component 91 coincides with the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) as shown in FIG. 5. The width direction (direction of arrow B) of the component 91 corresponds to the direction of one of the sides (in the figure, the side extending in the longitudinal direction) that extend in the horizontal direction when the rectangular prism-shaped component 91 is normally mounted on the board 90. As shown in FIG. 11, the target component 91t whose position has been changed from that of the component 91 shown in FIG. 5 is easily released from the cavity 51 by the vibration of the track member 40 by the vibration device 60. This eliminates the stack state in which multiple (in this case, two) components 91 are stuck in one cavity 51.

The relief portion 53 may take various forms, as long as it is a recess formed deeper than the support portion 52 and can change the posture of the target part 91t by dropping the target part 91t when the target part 91t is accommodated in a posture different from the normal posture. As shown in FIG. 6, the relief portion 53 of this embodiment has an inclined surface 53a inclined with respect to the horizontal plane 52a, but the relief portion 53 may be in a form not having the inclined surface 53a. The inclined surface 53a of this embodiment is provided on one surface of the base 53b that forms the recess of the relief portion 53. As shown in the figure, the base 53b of this embodiment is formed in a triangular prism shape, but the shape of the base 53b is not limited to a triangular prism shape. The base 53b may also be omitted. In this case, the inclined surface 53a is fixed to the end of the horizontal plane 52a and the wall surface of the cavity 51.

The horizontal surface 52a and the inclined surface 53a can also be formed integrally with the cavity 51 by injection molding or the like. Furthermore, the occupancy rate of the support portion 52 and the relief portion 53 in one cavity 51, the arrangement of the support portion 52 and the relief portion 53, the inclination angle of the inclined surface 53a relative to the horizontal surface 52a, etc. can be set in advance by simulation, verification using an actual machine, etc. The above items are set so that the target part 91t can escape from the cavity 51 by the vibration of the track member 40 by the vibration device 60.

For example, the larger the area of the horizontal surface 52a shown in FIG. 6 is toward the inclined surface 53a, the larger the inclination angle of the inclined surface 53a becomes, and the larger the drop of the target part 91t in the relief portion 53 becomes. In this way, the inclination angle of the inclined surface 53a can also be determined by the area of the horizontal surface 52a. Also, as shown in FIG. 5, when the cavity 51 does not have the relief portion 53, the area of the portion 91p of the target part 91t that can come into surface contact with the bottom surface 51b of the cavity 51 when the target part 91t is accommodated in a position different from the normal position is defined as the area S2. In this embodiment, the position different from the normal position is a position in which the width direction (arrow B direction) of the rectangular prism-shaped part 91 coincides with the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), and the portion 91p of the target part 91t corresponds to the side wall surface of the part 91.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 6, the area of region 52a1 of horizontal surface 52a that can come into surface contact with portion 91p is defined as area S1. When area S1 is equal to or greater than half of area S2, surface contact between portion 91p of target part 91t and region 52a1 of horizontal surface 52a is likely to be maintained, and target part 91t is less likely to fall into relief portion 53. Therefore, it is preferable to set area S1 of horizontal surface 52a so that it is smaller than half of area S2. As a result, target part 91t is more likely to fall into relief portion 53 compared to when area S1 is equal to or greater than half of area S2.

6, the escape portion 53 of this embodiment has multiple (two) inclined surfaces 53a. When the multiple (two) inclined surfaces 53a incline the target part 91t in the same direction with respect to the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) perpendicular to the horizontal plane 52a, the target parts 91t may collide with each other and have difficulty in escaping from the cavity 51 even if the track member 40 is vibrated by the vibration device 60.

6 and 11, it is preferable that the directions in which the multiple (two) inclined surfaces 53a incline the target part 91t with respect to the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) perpendicular to the horizontal plane 52a are different from each other. This reduces interference between the target parts 91t, making it easier for the target part 91t to escape from the cavity 51. Note that the target part 91t shown in FIG. 11 is supported by the inclined surfaces 53a and the wall surface of the cavity 51, but it may escape from the cavity 51 by changing its posture.

In addition, when three or more target parts 91t are accommodated in one cavity 51, the direction in which the target parts 91t are inclined relative to the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) may be set so that the inclination directions of adjacent target parts 91t are different. For example, assume that multiple (three) target parts 91t are accommodated in one cavity 51. One of the multiple (three) target parts 91t may be inclined to the right side of the paper in FIG. 11, another target part 91t adjacent to the target part 91t may be inclined to the left side of the paper, and the remaining target part 91t may be inclined to the right side of the paper. In this case, two of the multiple (three) inclined surfaces 53a may have different directions in which the target parts 91t are inclined relative to the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

In this way, it is preferable that at least some of the multiple inclined surfaces 53a have different directions for inclining the target parts 91t with respect to the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) perpendicular to the horizontal surface 52a. This reduces interference between the target parts 91t, making it easier for the target parts 91t to escape from the cavity 51.

The direction in which the target part 91t is tilted can also be determined by the arrangement of the horizontal plane 52a in the cavity 51. As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the support part 52 has two horizontal planes 52a. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, the two horizontal planes 52a are arranged on the diagonal Dg0 of the rectangular cavity 51 when viewed in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). In this case, the two relief parts 53 are arranged on the other diagonal of the cavity 51. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, one of the multiple (two) target parts 91t is tilted to the right side of the paper, and the remaining target part 91t is tilted to the left side of the paper. In other words, the directions in which the target parts 91t are tilted with respect to the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) are different from each other.

The two horizontal surfaces 52a may be positioned at a position that is off the diagonal line Dg0 of the rectangular cavity 51 when viewed in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). At least one of the two horizontal surfaces 52a may be spaced apart from the wall surface of the cavity 51. Furthermore, at least one of the two horizontal surfaces 52a may be positioned such that the center of the horizontal surface 52a and the center of the portion 91p are different when the target part 91t is accommodated in a position different from the normal position. For example, at least one of the two horizontal surfaces 52a may be positioned such that the distance between the center of the horizontal surface 52a and any one of the wall surfaces of the cavity 51 is shorter than the distance from the center of the portion 91p to the wall surface.

1-4. Modified form of cavity 51 As described above, the support portion 52 and the relief portion 53 can take various forms. As shown in Fig. 12 to Fig. 15, in this modified form, each of the multiple cavities 51 of the cavity unit 50 includes one support portion 52, and each support portion 52 includes one horizontal surface 52a. Furthermore, the one horizontal surface 52a is disposed in the center portion 51c of the cavity 51, which is rectangular in shape when viewed in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

As in the embodiment, one cavity 51 can accommodate one component 91 in a normal position (e.g., a position in which the height direction (arrow H direction) of the rectangular prism-shaped component 91 coincides with the vertical direction (Z-axis direction)). Also, one cavity 51 can accommodate multiple (two) components 91 in a position different from the normal position (e.g., a position in which the width direction (arrow B direction) of the rectangular prism-shaped component 91 coincides with the vertical direction (Z-axis direction)). As in the embodiment, the area S1 of one horizontal surface 52a may be set to be smaller than half the area S2. As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the area of one horizontal surface 52a can be set to twice the area S1.

13, in this modified embodiment, each of the multiple cavities 51 of the cavity unit 50 has multiple (two) relief portions 53. The multiple (two) relief portions 53 are provided on both ends of a component 91 in the width direction (direction of arrow B) when the component 91 is stored in the correct position. Furthermore, each of the multiple (two) relief portions 53 can have an inclined surface 53a.

The multiple (two) inclined surfaces 53a are different from each other in the direction in which the target part 91t is inclined with respect to the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) perpendicular to the horizontal plane 52a. Specifically, one of the multiple (two) target parts 91t is inclined to the right side of the paper in FIG. 13, and the remaining target part 91t is inclined to the left side of the paper. Note that a relief portion 53 can also be provided between the wall surface of the cavity 51 in contact with the support part 52 and the support part 52. In this case, multiple (four) relief portions 53 can be provided in the peripheral area of the support part 52, and multiple (four) inclined surfaces 53a can also be provided.

2. Example of Effects of the Embodiment and Modified Form According to the bulk feeder 30, when the target part 91t is accommodated in the cavity 51 in a posture different from the normal posture, the posture of the target part 91t is changed. The target part 91t whose posture has been changed is easily released from the cavity 51 by the vibration of the track member 40 by the vibration device 60. This eliminates the stuck state in which multiple parts 91 are stuck in one cavity 51.

10: component mounting machine, 30: bulk feeder, 31: feeder main body,
32: case, 40: raceway member, 50: cavity unit,
51: cavity, 51b: bottom surface, 51c: center portion, 52: support portion,
52a: horizontal surface, 52a1: area, 53: relief portion, 53a: inclined surface,
60: vibration device, 91: part, 91p: part, 91s: supply part,
91t: target part, As0: supply area, Dg0: diagonal line,
Rd0: transport path, S1, S2: area.

Claims (7)

A feeder main body;
a track member that is provided to be vibrated relative to the feeder body and that has a conveying path along which the supply parts, which are the multiple parts discharged from the case, are conveyed;
a vibration device that vibrates the track member to transport the supply component on the transport path to a supply area where the supply component can be picked up by a component mounting machine;
a cavity unit including a plurality of cavities in the supply area, each of which is adapted to accommodate one of the supply components conveyed to the supply area;
Equipped with
Each of the plurality of cavities of the cavity unit includes:
a support portion that supports one of the supply components when the supply component is accommodated in a normal position;
a recess formed deeper than the support portion, which allows a target component, which is one of the plurality of supply components, to fall therein and change the orientation of the target component when the target component is accommodated in an orientation different from a normal orientation;
A bulk feeder comprising: The bulk feeder of claim 1, wherein the support portion has a horizontal surface capable of making surface contact with one of the supply components when the component is accommodated in the correct position. A bulk feeder as described in claim 2, wherein the area of the horizontal surface that can come into surface contact with the bottom surface of the cavity is set to be smaller than half the area of the portion of the target part that can come into surface contact with the bottom surface of the cavity when the target part is contained in a posture different from the normal posture if the cavity does not have the escape portion. A bulk feeder as described in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the relief portion has an inclined surface inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. The relief portion includes a plurality of the inclined surfaces,
5. The bulk feeder according to claim 4, wherein at least some of the plurality of inclined surfaces differ from one another in the directions in which the target parts are inclined with respect to a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal surface. The support portion has two horizontal surfaces,
The bulk feeder according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the two horizontal surfaces are arranged on diagonals of the cavity that is rectangular when viewed in the vertical direction. The support portion has one horizontal surface,
The bulk feeder according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein one of the horizontal surfaces is disposed in the center of the cavity that is rectangular when viewed in the vertical direction.

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