JP7559902B2 - Parts Storage Device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a component housing device that houses electronic components such as chip components in a case.

Conventionally, when transporting a large number of small electronic components such as chip components, a box-shaped case that stores the electronic components in a loose state has been known (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2009-295618 A

Cases that store many loose parts are more efficient than carrier tapes, etc., in terms of the storage efficiency of storing many parts in a certain volume. To promote efficiency, there is a demand for a device that can automatically store many parts in such cases.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a component storage device that can automatically store a large number of components in a case.

The component storage device according to the present invention is a component storage device that stores multiple components through an opening inside a case that is rectangular in shape and has a longitudinal direction and an opening at one end of the longitudinal direction, and has a shutter member that opens and closes the opening by sliding. The device includes a transport unit that transports multiple components continuously, a discharge unit that drops the parts transported by the transport unit one by one under their own weight, and a setting unit in which the case is positioned and set up so that the parts discharged from the discharge unit fall into the opening. The setting unit has a holding unit that can hold the case with the opening facing upward, and an opening/closing mechanism that opens and closes the shutter member.

The present invention provides a component storage device that can automatically store a large number of components in a case.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the case according to the embodiment, seen obliquely from above, showing a state in which the exhaust port is open. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal state of the case according to the embodiment, with the exhaust port open. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal state of the case according to the embodiment, showing a state in which the exhaust port is closed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the case according to the embodiment, seen obliquely from below, showing a state in which the exhaust port is closed. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a component storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 6 is a partial cross-sectional view corresponding to the line VI-VI in FIG. 5. FIG. 2 is a partially cross-sectional side view that illustrates a schematic diagram of a discharge section according to the embodiment. 2 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing a case according to the embodiment and an installation portion on which the case is installed. FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing a state in which the case according to the embodiment is placed on a placement portion and an outlet of the case is closed. 1 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing a state in which the case according to the embodiment is placed on a placement portion and an outlet of the case is open. FIG. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a state in which a case is held by a holding portion of a component storage device according to another embodiment. 13 is a side view showing a state in which the case is placed at an angle by a holding portion according to another embodiment and electronic components are accommodated therein. FIG. 13A to 13C are side views showing a state in which an electronic component is accommodated in a case while the case is rotated from an oblique position to a vertical position by a holding portion according to another embodiment. 13 is a side view showing a state in which the case is placed horizontally by the holding portion according to another embodiment and electronic components are housed therein. FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.
Fig. 1 to Fig. 4 are diagrams relating to a case 1 according to an embodiment. Fig. 5 to Fig. 10 are diagrams relating to a component accommodation device 200 according to an embodiment. The component accommodation device 200 is a device that automatically accommodates a plurality of components in the case 1. First, the case 1 will be described.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of case 1 as seen from diagonally above. Case 1 accommodates electronic components 50 (shown in Figure 2) in a loose state as components. Case 1 is detachably set in feeder 100. Feeder 100 is a device that vibrates to eject electronic components 50 from inside case 1 and feeds the electronic components 50 to a mounting device (not shown). In this embodiment, electronic components 50 are tiny rectangular parallelepiped electronic components with a length of, for example, 1.2 mm or less in the longitudinal direction. Examples of such electronic components include capacitors and inductors, but this embodiment is not limited to these.

Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the internal state of the case 1 with the second member 22, which will be described later, removed. Figure 2 shows the state in which the outlet 6 for discharging the electronic components 50 is open, and Figure 3 shows the state in which the outlet 6 is closed. The outlet 6 is an example of an opening. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the case 1 as seen obliquely from below.

The case 1 comprises a case body 2, a shutter member 3, a slider 4 integral with the shutter member 3, and an RFID tag 5.

The case body 2 has a first member 21 and a second member 22. The case 1 is a container in which a storage space S is formed by combining and joining the first member 21 and the second member 22. The case body 2 includes a top plate portion 2U, a bottom plate portion 2D, a front wall portion 2F, a rear wall portion 2B, a right side wall portion 2R on the first member 21 side, and a left side wall portion 2L on the second member 22 side. A plurality of electronic components 50 are stored loosely inside the case 1.

In this specification, the up-down direction of the case 1 refers to the vertical direction when the case 1 is set in the feeder 100. The side of the case 1 where the discharge outlet 6 is provided is referred to as the front, and the opposite side is referred to as the rear. Left and right directions refer to the left and right directions when the case 1 is viewed from the front. The first member 21 is on the right, and the second member 22 is on the left. The case 1 has a flat box shape that is long in the front-to-rear direction and thin in the left-to-right direction.
The front wall 2F, the rear wall 2B, the right side wall 2R and the left side wall 2L are each a wall extending vertically, i.e., up-down, while the top plate 2U and the bottom plate 2D are each a plate extending horizontally, i.e., in the front-rear direction (length direction).

As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the case 1 is constructed by combining a first member 21 and a second member 22 that are configured symmetrically on the left and right and then joining them together. In other words, each of the first member 21 and the second member 22 is a half body that can be divided into left and right halves.

The case body 2 has an outlet 6 on the underside of the front wall portion 2F. In this embodiment, the outlet 6 is a rectangular opening. Note that the outlet 6 is not limited to a rectangular shape and may be an opening having a circular, elliptical, or other contour.

As shown in FIG. 2, the plate member 7 extends between the first member 21 and the second member 22 within the storage space S. The upper surface of the plate member 7 extends from the rear toward the lower edge 6a of the discharge port 6 at the front, forming an inclined surface 7a that is inclined so that the lower edge 6a side is at the lowest side. When the case 1 is set in the feeder 100, the inclination angle θ of the inclined surface 7a is preferably 3° to 10° with respect to the horizontal direction, and even better 5° to 7°.

As shown in FIG. 2, the shutter member 3 that opens and closes the discharge outlet 6 extends continuously from the bottom plate portion 2D to the front wall portion 2F. The shutter member 3 opens and closes the discharge outlet 6 by sliding along the direction in which it extends. The shutter member 3 extends continuously from the bottom plate portion 2D to the front wall portion 2F, and is slidable along the direction in which it extends. The shutter member 3 is a long, thin, strip-shaped film member. The shutter member 3 is made of a flexible material that has a certain degree of rigidity and can be bent, such as PET (Polyethylene terephthalate). The width of the shutter member 3 is slightly larger than the width of the discharge outlet 6, and is wide enough to cover the discharge outlet 6 without any gaps.

The shutter member 3 has an opening 3a at its front end, which is approximately the same shape as the discharge outlet 6. When the opening 3a and the discharge outlet 6 are aligned, the discharge outlet 6 opens. When the shutter member 3 covers the discharge outlet 6, the discharge outlet 6 is blocked by the shutter member 3. Note that the opening 3a does not need to be the same shape as the discharge outlet 6, and it is sufficient if it has a shape and size that allows the discharge outlet 6 to be open.

A recess 61 recessed from the outside to the inside of the case body 2 is provided above the discharge outlet 6 on the front wall 2F of the case body 2. A pair of guide grooves 62 extending in the vertical direction are provided on the thickness direction (i.e., left-right direction) side surface of the front wall 2F where the discharge outlet 6 and recess 61 are provided. Both side portions extending in the length direction of the shutter member 3 are inserted into the left-right guide grooves 62. The shutter member 3 slides in the vertical direction on the front wall 2F while being guided by the guide grooves 62.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a circular hole 3b is provided at the rear end of the shutter member 3. The slider 4 is attached to the shutter member 3 so as to be integrated with the shutter member 3 using the hole 3b. The slider 4 is a rectangular parallelepiped member, and as shown in Figure 4, has a lower opening 4c that opens downward, as well as a front end plate portion 4d and a rear end plate portion 4e.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the slider 4 has flanges 4a at its upper end, which extend in the left and right directions. The slider 4 has a protrusion 4b on its upper surface. The protrusion 4b fits into the hole 3b of the shutter member 3 and protrudes upward, so that the slider 4 is integrated with the shutter member 3.

As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom plate portion 2D of the case 1 is provided with a recess 23 that is long in the front-rear direction and recessed upward. A slit 24 is provided on the front surface of the recess 23. The rear end of the shutter member 3 passes through the slit 24. The rear end of the shutter member 3 extends along the bottom surface of the recess 23 through the slit 24. A pair of recesses 26a and 26b are provided on the bottom surface of the recess 23 in a front-rear manner. The protrusion 4b of the slider 4 can be fitted into each of the recesses 26a and 26b.

Grooves 25 extending in the front-rear direction are provided on both left-right surfaces of the bottom plate portion 2D where the recess 23 is provided. The left and right flange portions 4a of the slider 4 are inserted into the left and right groove portions 25, respectively. The flange portions 4a slide back and forth along the groove portions 25, causing the slider 4 to slide in the front-rear direction. At this time, the sliding range of the slider 4 is between the position where the protrusion portion 4b engages with the front recess 26a and the position where it engages with the rear recess 26b.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the convex portion 4b of the slider 4 is fitted into the front recess 26a, the opening 3a of the shutter member 3 is located within the recess 61 and does not match the discharge port 6. At this time, the entire discharge port 6 is blocked by the shutter member 3, and the electronic component 50 is not discharged to the outside through the discharge port 6. On the other hand, when the shutter member 3 slides rearward and the convex portion 4b fits into the rear recess 26b as shown in FIG. 2, the opening 3a of the shutter member 3 matches the discharge port 6. At this time, the discharge port 6 is open, and the electronic component 50 can be discharged from the discharge port 6.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the case body 2 has an upper gripping portion 10A and a rear gripping portion 10B. The upper gripping portion 10A is a pair of front and rear recesses provided at both front and rear ends of the upper side of the case body 2. The rear gripping portion 10B is a pair of upper and lower recesses provided at both top and bottom ends of the rear side of the case body 2. Each of the upper gripping portion 10A and the rear gripping portion 10B is gripped by a robot hand, for example, when the case 1 is transported by the robot hand.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a through hole 9 penetrating from left to right is provided in the lower part of the case body 2 at a position roughly corresponding to the recess 23. The through hole 9 is a slit-shaped hole extending in the front-rear direction. A strip-shaped RFID tag 5 that is long in the front-rear direction is affixed to the upper surface inside the through hole 9. The RFID tag 5 has a known configuration including a transmitter/receiver, memory, antenna, etc. As shown in Figure 1, a reader/writer 105 that reads and writes information from the RFID tag 5 is arranged in the feeder 100.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the case body 2 further has a claw portion 8 and a T-slot portion 13 that extend downward from the outer surface of the bottom plate portion 2D.

The claw portion 8 includes a front claw portion 8A and a rear claw portion 8B. The front claw portion 8A and the rear claw portion 8B have the same shape and are plate pieces that extend from above to below and have an L-shape in side view with the lower end bent rearward by approximately 90 degrees. Note that the front claw portion 8A and the rear claw portion 8B do not have to have the same shape.

The T-slot portion 13 includes a front T-slot portion 13A and a rear T-slot portion 13B. Both the front T-slot portion 13A and the rear T-slot portion 13B are inverted T-shaped protrusions when viewed from the front. The front T-slot portion 13A has a tapered portion 13c formed at the front end portion.

Feeder 100 has an engagement portion (not shown) with which claw portion 8 and T-slot portion 13 each detachably engage to allow case 1 to be set on feeder 100. Claw portion 8 and T-slot portion 13 each engage with said engagement portion to detachably set case 1 on feeder 100. In this manner, with case 1 set on feeder 100, electronic components 50 are discharged from discharge port 6 by moving down inclined surface 7a as feeder 100 vibrates with discharge port 6 open. Discharged electronic components 50 are supplied to a mounting device as described above.

Next, the component receiving device 200 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an outline of the component receiving device 200, and FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view corresponding to the line VI-VI in FIG.

The component storage device 200 is a device that automatically stores multiple electronic components 50 in the case 1 described above into the storage space S through the discharge port 6. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the component storage device 200 according to the embodiment includes a transport unit 210 that transports the electronic components 50, a discharge unit 230 that drops and discharges the electronic components 50 from the transport unit 210, a placement unit 240 on which the case 1 described above is placed, and a component detection unit 270.

The conveying unit 210 continuously conveys the electronic components 50 to the discharge unit 230. In this embodiment, the conveying unit 210 has a linear feeder 211 that continuously conveys the electronic components 50 in a straight line, and a turntable 212 that receives the components conveyed by the linear feeder 211 one by one and rotates the electronic components 50 by a rotating motion to convey them intermittently.

Multiple electronic components 50 are transported in a line toward the turntable 212 by a linear feeder 211 that is installed approximately horizontally. The linear feeder 211 is vibrated, for example, by a vibrator (not shown), and the vibrations cause the electronic components 50 to be transported sequentially in the direction of arrow F toward the turntable 212. The electronic components 50 are pushed by the succeeding electronic components 50 as they are fed along the linear feeder 211. The linear feeder 211 extends toward the center of rotation of the turntable 212, and its end reaches near the outer periphery of the turntable 212.

The turntable 212 is a disk-shaped rotating member that is installed horizontally. The turntable 212 is made of a material such as ceramic or glass epoxy resin. The turntable 212 is rotatably arranged on a base 214 via a rotating shaft 213 that extends vertically. The turntable 212 rotates intermittently around the rotating shaft 213 in the direction of arrow R in FIG. 5 by a driving source 217 that drives the rotating shaft 213 to rotate. On the outer periphery of the turntable 212, a plurality of notches 215 that open to the outer periphery are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. One electronic component 50 is housed inside one notch 215. The rotation direction of the turntable 212 is not limited to the R direction in FIG. 5, and may be the opposite direction to this R direction.

As shown in FIG. 6, the turntable 212 is disposed on the upper surface 216 of the base 214. The notches 215 open on the outer peripheral surface side and on the top and bottom surfaces of the turntable 212. The turntable 212 has air suction passages (not shown) inside that lead to each notch 215. These air suction passages open to the rear surface of each notch 215. The air suction passages are connected to a suction source such as a vacuum pump, and when this suction source is activated, the air in the notch 215 is sucked into the rear surface, creating a negative pressure state. As a result, the electronic component 50 housed in the notch 215 is attracted to the rear surface by the negative pressure action and held within the notch 215.

The electronic components 50 transported by the linear feeder 211 to the vicinity of the turntable 212 are accommodated one by one from the side into each of the multiple notches 215 of the intermittently rotating turntable 212, and are adsorbed and held on the rear surface as described above. The electronic components 50 accommodated and held in the notches 215 are intermittently transported to the discharge section 230 in the direction of arrow R by the rotation of the turntable 212. The electronic components 50 accommodated in the notches 215 move on the upper surface 216 of the base 214.

The discharge unit 230 is disposed corresponding to the turntable 212. More specifically, the discharge unit 230 is disposed on a circular transport path corresponding to the rotation trajectory of the notch 215 of the turntable 212. The discharge unit 230 is disposed at a rotation angle position of approximately 270° with respect to the transition portion from the linear feeder 211 to the turntable 212. The discharge unit 230 is a part that drops the electronic components 50 transported by the turntable 212 one by one by their own weight into the discharge opening 6 of the case 1 placed on the placement unit 240.
In addition, the discharge section 230 may be positioned at any position on the turntable 212, for example, at the rearmost position as viewed from the linear feeder 211, i.e., at a rotation angle position of 180° from the transition portion from the linear feeder 211 to the turntable 212.

7, the discharge unit 230 includes a cylindrical member 231 and a push pin 236. In the discharge unit 230, a through hole 218 corresponding to the notch 215 of the turntable 212 is provided directly below the turntable 212. The through hole 218 is large enough to allow the electronic component 50 to pass through. The discharge unit 230 is also provided with a suction release mechanism (not shown) that releases the suction and holding of the electronic component 50 by suctioning air into the notch 215. The suction release mechanism may be, for example, a mechanism that sprays air to stop or weaken the flow of the sucked air. When the turntable 212 rotates and the notch 215 matches the through hole 218, the suction release mechanism releases the electronic component 50 from the notch 215, and the electronic component 50, which has been moving on the upper surface 216 of the base 214, falls from the notch 215 into the through hole 218, and then falls through the through hole 218 into the interior of the cylindrical member 231.

The electronic component 50 that passes through the through hole 218 and falls is guided to the discharge port 6 of the case 1 by passing through the inside of a funnel-shaped cylindrical member 231. The cylindrical member 231 has an inverted cone-shaped upper cylindrical portion 233 whose inner diameter increases toward the top, and a lower cylindrical portion 234 that extends downward from the center of the lower end of the upper cylindrical portion 233. The upper cylindrical portion 233 and the lower cylindrical portion 234 are integral. The electronic component 50 that passes through the through hole 218 falls inside the upper cylindrical portion 233, reaches the inside of the lower cylindrical portion 234, and falls through the inside of the lower cylindrical portion 234. The electronic component 50 may slide down while contacting the inner surface 232 of the cylindrical member 231.
It is preferable that the inner diameter of the upper cylindrical portion 233 is larger than the longitudinal dimension of the electronic component 50, and that the inner diameter of the lower cylindrical portion 234 is larger than the longitudinal dimension of the electronic component 50 and smaller than the inner diameter of the upper cylindrical portion 233.

In order to prevent the electronic component 50 from being electrically damaged by static electricity generated by friction, it is preferable that at least the inner surface 232 of the cylindrical member 231 is made of a material that contains a conductive material such as a metal having electrical conductivity. In addition, in order to allow the electronic component 50 to slide off smoothly, it is preferable that the inner surface 232 of the cylindrical member 231 is a smooth, low-friction surface, and is preferably surface-treated with a resin such as a fluororesin.

The ejection section 230 is provided with a push pin 236 that forcibly drops the electronic component 50 from the notch 215. The push pin 236 is disposed above the notch 215 where it coincides with the passage hole 218. The push pin 236 is a rod-shaped member that extends in the vertical direction, and is driven in the vertical direction by an actuator (not shown). When the push pin 236 is driven downward, the electronic component 50 in the notch 215 is pushed downward and falls through the passage hole 218 into the interior of the cylindrical member 231. By being pushed by the push pin 236, the electronic component 50 reliably leaves the notch 215 and falls without getting caught in the notch 215.

In addition, instead of or in addition to the push-down pin 236, an airflow generating unit 237 that uses airflow to cause the electronic component 50 to fall from the notch 215 may be provided in the discharge unit 230. Examples of such an airflow generating unit 237 include a unit that has a function of blowing air from above onto the electronic component 50 to cause it to fall, or a unit that has a function of sucking air from the side to cause the electronic component 50 to fall.

Furthermore, the discharge section 230 is provided with a cleaning section 238 that cleans the path of the electronic components 50 passing through the discharge section 230. More specifically, the cleaning section 238 is disposed above the push-down pin 236, and is configured with an air suction mechanism that sucks in air. The air is sucked in by the cleaning section 238, so that air is sucked in from the path of the electronic components 50, which is the notch 215, the passage hole 218, and the inside of the cylindrical member 231. As a result, debris, dust, and the like present in the path are sucked into the cleaning section 238 and cleaned.
The cleaning unit 238 may be configured to blow air to blow away debris, dust, etc., to clean the path of the electronic components 50. In that case, it is preferable to operate the cleaning unit 238 with the exhaust port 6 closed by the shutter member 3 in order to prevent debris, dust, etc., from entering the case 1.

Figure 8 shows the state in which case 1 is installed on the installation section 240. Case 1 is installed on the installation section in a state in which it is positioned so that electronic components 50 discharged from discharge section 230 fall into discharge outlet 6. Case 1 is installed on the installation section 240 in a state in which the front-to-rear direction of case 1 is aligned vertically, i.e., in a vertically placed state.

The installation section 240 has a wall section 241, a holding section 250 that holds the case 1 in a vertical position on the wall section 241, and an opening/closing mechanism 260 that opens and closes the shutter member 3 of the case 1.

The wall portion 241 has a wall surface 241a that is a surface along a substantially vertical direction.
The holding part 250 includes a pair of upper and lower hook parts, that is, an upper hook part 251 and a lower hook part 252, which protrude from the wall surface 241a. The upper hook part 251 and the lower hook part 252 are of the same shape, and are plate pieces having an L-shape in a side view with the tip bent upward by approximately 90 degrees. As shown in FIG. 9, the front claw part 8A of the case 1 is detachably engaged from above with the upper hook part 251, and the rear claw part 8B of the case 1 is detachably engaged from above with the lower hook part 252. As a result, the case 1 is detachably held by the holding part 250 in a vertically placed state in which the discharge port 6 faces upward and the front-rear direction, i.e., the length direction, extends in the vertical direction along the wall surface 241a. The bottom plate part 2D of the case 1 faces the wall surface 241a in parallel with a gap. The upper hook part 251 and the lower hook part 252 do not have to have the same shape.

A recess 242 is formed in the wall 241, extending in the vertical direction and opening towards the wall surface 241a. An opening/closing mechanism 260 that slides the shutter member 3 is disposed within this recess 242. The opening/closing mechanism 260 has a drive pin 261 that is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction along the bottom surface of the recess 242. The tip of the drive pin 261 protrudes from the wall surface 241a. The drive pin 261 is supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction, for example, along a guide groove provided in the bottom surface of the recess 242, and is driven to reciprocate in the vertical direction by an actuator or the like. A reader/writer 243 that can write information to the RFID tag 5 without contact is disposed in the recess 242 of the wall 241.

As shown in FIG. 9, the drive pin 261 engages with the slider 4 of the case 1 held by the holding portion 250. The shutter member 3 of the case 1 shown in FIG. 9 slides forward (upward in FIG. 9) so that the convex portion 4b of the slider 4 fits into the front recess 26a, and the discharge port 6 is blocked by the shutter member 3. Meanwhile, the drive pin 261 moves upward. When the drive pin 261 is positioned upward, if the case 1 with the discharge port 6 blocked by the shutter member 3 is held by the holding portion 250, the drive pin 261 is inserted into the lower opening 4c of the slider 4 shown in FIG. 4 and positioned between the front end plate portion 4d and the rear end plate portion 4e.

When the drive pin 261 moves downward from this state in FIG. 9, the drive pin 261 comes into contact with the rear end plate portion 4e of the slider 4, pushing the slider 4 downward to slide. As the slider 4 slides downward, the shutter member 3 slides backward in the case 1. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the convex portion 4b of the slider 4 fits into the rear recess 26b, and the opening 3a of the shutter member 3 matches the discharge port 6 of the case 1, opening the discharge port 6. When the drive pin 261 returns upward from this state, the drive pin 261 comes into contact with the front end plate portion 4d of the slider 4, pushing the slider 4 upward to slide. As the slider 4 slides upward, the shutter member 3 slides forward in the case 1, and as shown in FIG. 9, the convex portion 4b fits into the front recess 26a, and the opening 3a is closed by the shutter member 3.

The part detection unit 270 detects the electronic parts 50 at any position on the path of the electronic parts 50 between the transport unit 210 and the discharge outlet 6 of the case 1 installed in the installation unit 240. The part detection unit 270 of the embodiment includes a first part detection unit 271 arranged at a predetermined position on the side of the linear feeder 211 shown in FIG. 5, a second part detection unit 272 and a third part detection unit 273 arranged on the turntable 212, and a fourth part detection unit 274 provided in the discharge unit 230 shown in FIG. 7.

The first component detector 271 detects the electronic components 50 transported on the linear feeder 211 at a fixed position. The second component detector 272 is disposed upstream of the turntable 212 in the transport path. The third component detector 273 is disposed downstream of the second component detector 272 in the transport path of the turntable 212.

Each of the first component detection unit 271, the second component detection unit 272, and the third component detection unit 273 detects any item related to the electronic component 50. The first component detection unit 271, for example, detects the passage of an electronic component 50 and functions as a counter that counts the number of electronic components 50 that have passed. The second component detection unit 272 is, for example, an image sensor that detects the shape of the electronic component 50 and detects whether or not the electronic component 50 has a shape defect from the detected shape. The third component detection unit 273 functions as a performance detection unit that detects, for example, the performance of the electronic component 50. For example, when the electronic component 50 is a capacitor, the performance detection unit may be a capacitance sensor that detects whether or not the capacitance as a function has a specified value.

The fourth component detection unit 274 includes an upstream passage detection unit 275 and a downstream passage detection unit 276, which are respectively arranged at the upstream side and downstream side of the cylindrical member 231. The upstream passage detection unit 275 is located upstream of the cylindrical member 231 and has the function of a counter that counts the number of electronic components 50 that pass through the passage hole 218 and enter the cylindrical member 231. The upstream passage detection unit 275 uses a known optical sensor composed of a light-emitting element 275a and a light-receiving element 275b. The lower flow passage detection unit 276 is located downstream of the cylindrical member 231 and has the function of a counter that counts the number of electronic components 50 that pass through the cylindrical member 231 and enter the discharge port 6 of the case 1. The downstream passage detection unit 276 is similar to the upstream passage detection unit 275 and uses a known optical sensor composed of a light-emitting element 276a and a light-receiving element 276b. In addition, the optical sensor may be of a type that receives the reflected light from an object, and the light emitting element and the light receiving element may be integrated rather than being separate.

According to the component storage device 200 according to the above embodiment, the electronic component 50 is stored in the case 1 as follows.

The electronic components 50 are transported one by one to the turntable 212 by the linear feeder 211. The electronic components 50 are detected by the first component detection unit 271. The first component detection unit 271 counts, for example, the number of transported electronic components 50. One electronic component 50 is received from the linear feeder 211 and placed in the notch 215 of the intermittently rotating turntable 212. During the intermittent rotation of the turntable 212, the electronic component 50 in the notch 215 is detected by the second component detection unit 272 and the third component detection unit 273.

The second component detection unit 272 detects, for example, the shape of the electronic component 50, and detects whether the electronic component 50 has a geometric defect from the detected shape. The third component detection unit 273 detects, for example, the performance of the electronic component 50. If the second component detection unit 272 and the third component detection unit 273 determine that the electronic component 50 is defective, the electronic component 50 is removed from the turntable 212.

The electronic components 50 are transported one by one to the discharge section 230 by the turntable 212. In the discharge section 230, when the notch 215 matches the passage hole 218, the push pin 236 descends and pushes the electronic component 50 downward. The electronic component 50 falls from the notch 215 into the passage hole 218, passes through the passage hole 218, enters the inside of the cylindrical member 231, falls inside the cylindrical member 231, and falls into the case 1 through the discharge port 6 of the case 1 and is accommodated therein. At this time, the upstream passage detection section 275 of the fourth component detection section 274 detects that the electronic component 50 that has fallen from the notch 215 has entered the cylindrical member 231, and the downstream passage detection section 276 detects that the electronic component 50 that has fallen from the cylindrical member 231 has entered the case 1.

The above operations are performed continuously, and multiple electronic components 50 are stored in the case 1. The first component detection unit 271 counts the number of electronic components 50 transported while the linear feeder 211 is transporting them. In addition, the fourth component detection unit 274, which includes the upstream passage detection unit 275 and the downstream passage detection unit 276, counts the number of electronic components 50 that have fallen from the notch 215 and are ultimately stored in the case 1. When the number of electronic components M stored in the case 1 reaches a predetermined number, the transport unit 210 stops transporting the electronic components 50, and a new empty case 1 is attached to the installation unit 240, and the storage of electronic components 50 in the case 1 is resumed.

The component storage device 200 according to the embodiment described above provides the following advantages:

(1) The component storage device 200 according to the embodiment is a component storage device that stores a plurality of electronic components 50 from the discharge port 6 inside a case 1 that is a rectangular parallelepiped having a length direction and has an outlet 6 as an opening at one end in the length direction, and has a shutter member 3 that opens and closes the outlet 6 by sliding. The component storage device includes a transport unit 210 that continuously transports the plurality of electronic components 50, a discharge unit 230 that drops the electronic components 50 transported by the transport unit 210 one by one under their own weight, and an installation unit 240 in which the case 1 is installed in a state in which it is positioned so that the electronic components 50 discharged from the discharge unit 230 fall into the discharge port 6. The installation unit 240 includes a holding unit 250 that can hold the case 1 with the outlet 6 facing upward, and an opening/closing mechanism 260 that opens and closes the shutter member 3.

This allows a large number of electronic components 50 to be automatically accommodated in the case 1.
Since the case 1 is held in the holding portion 250 of the installation portion 240 with the discharge outlet 6 facing upward, the electronic components 50 can be smoothly accommodated in the case 1 through the discharge outlet 6, and the electronic components 50 will not fall out of the discharge outlet 6 due to gravity, so that the specified number of electronic components 50 can be reliably accommodated.
With the case 1 held by the holding part 250, the shutter member 3 can be slid by the opening/closing mechanism 260 to easily open and close the discharge port 6 of the case 1. By removing the case 1 from the holding part 250 with the discharge port 6 closed by the shutter member 3, it is possible to prevent the electronic component 50 from accidentally spilling out of the discharge port 6 when the case 1 is removed.

(2) In the component storage device 200 according to the embodiment, it is preferable that the holding portion 250 is capable of holding the case 1 in a vertical position with its length aligned approximately vertically.

This allows the electronic components 50 to be accommodated in the case 1 without gaps due to gravity, so the electronic components 50 can be accommodated quickly without vibrating or rocking the case 1.

(5) In the component storage device 200 according to the embodiment, it is preferable that the slider 4 is integrally provided with the shutter member 3, and the opening/closing mechanism 260 includes a drive pin 261 that engages with the slider 4 and opens and closes the shutter member 3 by reciprocating.

This allows the discharge port 6 to be opened and closed by operating the shutter member 3 with a simple configuration. By removing the case 1 from the holding part 250 with the discharge port 6 closed by the shutter member 3, it is possible to prevent the electronic component 50 from accidentally spilling out of the discharge port 6 when removing the case 1.

Next, other embodiments will be described with reference to Figures 11 to 14. The other embodiments differ from the above embodiment in the manner in which the case 1 is installed in the installation section 240, but the other configurations are the same. Therefore, in the description of the other embodiments, the same components as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the description of those components is omitted or simplified, and mainly the differences will be described.

In another embodiment, the case 1 is not directly installed on the wall portion 241, but is installed on the wall portion 241 via a holding portion 300 shown in FIG. 11. The holding portion 300 is provided on the wall portion 241 and holds the case 1 therein, and constitutes a part of the component storage device 200 of the other embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11, the holding part 300 has a bottom plate part 301, a pair of side walls 302 and 303 that rise upward from the bottom plate part 301 and face each other, and an upper plate part 305. The holding part 300 has a case housing part 300a surrounded by the bottom plate part 301, the side walls 302, 303, and the upper plate part 305. In the embodiment, the bottom plate part 301, the side walls 303, and the upper plate part 305 are integral, and the side walls 302 have the function of a detachable cover for the bottom plate part 301 and the side walls 303. The side walls 302 open and close the opening part 300b that opens to the side. The case 1 is inserted horizontally into the holding part 300 from the opening part 300b with the discharge port 6 facing upward and the front-to-back direction along the vertical direction, and is housed in the case housing part 300a. Then, the side wall 302 is closed. The side wall 302 serving as a lid may be omitted from the holding part 300. In that case, the case 1 is inserted horizontally into the holding part 300 through the opening 300b, and the opening 300b is left open.

The upper plate portion 305 is provided with a hole 300c that penetrates the inside and outside of the holding portion 300, and the cylindrical member 231 of the discharge portion 230 is placed in this hole 300c with the upper cylinder portion 233 facing upward. The upper end opening of the upper cylinder portion 233 of the cylindrical member 231 protrudes above the upper plate portion 305, and the lower end of the lower cylinder portion 234 is placed inside the discharge port 6 of the case 1.

The holding part 300 has an upper hook part 251 and a lower hook part 252 on the inner surface of one side wall part 303, similar to the above embodiment. In addition, a recess 304 is formed between the upper hook part 251 and the lower hook part 252 on the inner surface of the side wall part 303. An opening/closing mechanism 260 having a drive pin 261 is arranged in this recess 304. The drive pin 261 is arranged so as to be movable in the vertical direction along the bottom surface of the recess 304. A reader/writer 243 that reads and writes information to the RFID tag 5 is arranged in the recess 304. The holding part 300 is attached to the wall part 241 of the above embodiment so as to be swingable in the direction of the arrow G in FIG. 11 via a rotating shaft 310 and to be able to stop at any swing angle position.

As shown in FIG. 11, the front claw portion 8A detachably engages with the upper hook portion 251 from above, and the rear claw portion 8B detachably engages with the lower hook portion 252 from above, so that the case 1 is held inside the side wall portion 303. The case 1 is held in a vertical position with the outlet 6 facing upward and the front-to-rear direction, i.e., the length direction, extending vertically along the side wall portion 303. The bottom plate portion 2D of the case 1 faces the side wall portion 303 in parallel with a gap. The lower end of the lower tube portion 234 of the cylindrical member 231 arranged on the upper plate portion 305 is arranged inside the outlet 6 of the case 1. The rotating shaft 310 of the holding portion 300 is arranged at a position where its axis passes near the center of the opening of the upper tube portion 233 of the cylindrical member 231.

In this manner, the reader/writer 243 reads and writes information from the RFID tag 5 of the case 1 held by the holding portion 300. Note that, although the reader/writer 243 in the embodiment is disposed in a recess 304 provided on the side wall portion 303 near the bottom plate portion 301, the position of the reader/writer 243 is not limited thereto. For example, it may be disposed in a position close to the upper plate portion 305 on the inner surface of the side wall portion 303 (position indicated by 243B in FIG. 11). It may also be disposed in a position close to the upper plate portion 305 on the inner surface of the other side wall portion 302 (position indicated by 243C in FIG. 11) or in a position close to the bottom plate portion 301.

In this embodiment, for example, the rotation angle position of the holding part 300 around the rotation axis 310 is set to a state in which the length direction of the case 1 is aligned with the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 11, and the electronic component 50 that falls from the discharge part 230 falls through the cylindrical member 231 and the discharge port 6 into the case 1 as in the above embodiment, and is accommodated therein.

Also, as shown in FIG. 12, the holding part 300 can be rotated to hold the case 1 in an oblique position with the length direction inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical direction, and in this state the electronic components 50 can be dropped into the case 1 from the outlet 6 and stored. By holding the case 1 in an oblique position in this manner, the electronic components 50 can be dropped onto the inclined surface 7a at the beginning of storage, which reduces the impact of the drop on the electronic components 50 and suppresses damage to the electronic components 50.

In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13(a), the case 1 may be tilted to some degree by the holding portion 300 before electronic components 50 are stored. Then, as the number of components stored increases, as shown in FIG. 13(b), the case 1 may be gradually brought closer to being vertical, and finally, as shown in FIG. 13(c), the electronic components 50 may be stored in a vertical position. This may further reduce the impact on the electronic components 50 and prevent the electronic components 50 from spilling out of the outlet 6.

The direction in which the case 1 is tilted about the rotation axis 310 may be not only to one side (the left side in FIG. 13 ) as shown in FIG. 13 , but also to the other side, and further, the case 1 may be swung left and right in FIG. 13 .
Furthermore, the case 1 may be configured to pivot and tilt to both sides within a plane along the width direction of the case 1 (the front-to-back direction of the paper in FIG. 13) with the position of the rotation shaft 310 as the center.

In addition, whether the case 1 is placed vertically or obliquely, the intersection angle (θ2 in FIG. 12) between the inclined surface 7a in the case 1 and the direction of gravity extending downward from the end of the inclined surface 7a is always an acute angle. By making θ2 an acute angle, the electronic components 50 supplied from the outlet 6 are easily accommodated in the case 1, also due to the influence of gravity. On the other hand, in the use state of the case 1 in which the case 1 is placed horizontally and electronic components 50 are supplied from the outlet 6 as shown in FIG. 1, the intersection angle (θ1 in FIG. 2) between the inclined surface 7a and the direction of gravity extending downward from the end of the inclined surface 7a is an obtuse angle. By making θ1 an obtuse angle, the electronic components 50 accommodated in the case 1 are easily discharged out of the case 1, also due to the influence of gravity. In the case 1 of the embodiment, it is preferable that θ2 is an acute angle, but it is sufficient if θ1>θ2, even if it is not an acute angle. This makes it possible to prevent the electronic components 50 supplied into the case 1 from the outlet 6 from coming out again from the outlet 6. It is also desirable that θ2>0°. This causes the electronic components 50 supplied from the outlet 6 to hit the inclined surface 7a once, shortening the distance the electronic components 50 fall. This reduces the impact of the electronic components 50 falling.

(3) In the component storage device 200 according to the embodiment, as in the other embodiments described above, it is preferable that the holding unit 300 as a holding unit is capable of holding the case 1 in an oblique position in which the longitudinal direction of the case 1 is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical direction.

By storing the electronic component 50 in a state in which the case 1 is held at an angle, the impact of the drop on the electronic component 50 can be weakened, and damage to the electronic component 50 can be suppressed.

(4) In the component storage device 200 according to the embodiment, as in the other embodiments described above, it is preferable that the holding unit 300 as a holding unit is capable of holding the case 1 from an oblique position in which the length direction of the case 1 is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the vertical direction to an upright position in which the length direction of the case 1 is approximately aligned vertically.

This can further reduce the impact on the electronic components 50 and prevent the electronic components 50 from spilling out of the outlet 6.

The holding section 300 may be provided on the wall section 231 in a horizontally placed state with the side wall section 302 and the side wall section 303 extending horizontally, as shown in FIG. 14. In that case, as shown in FIG. 14, the side wall section 303 side on which the upper hook section 251, the lower hook section 252 and the opening/closing mechanism 260 are provided is arranged on the upper side, and the side wall section 302 is arranged on the lower side. It is preferable to provide a gutter-shaped member 306 in the discharge section 230 so that the electronic components 50 falling from the turntable 212 are supplied to the inside of the cylindrical member 231 and the electronic components 50 are accommodated in the case 1. When the case 1 is placed horizontally in this way, the inclined surface 7a is arranged on the upper side, and the accommodated electronic components 50 are accommodated so as to accumulate inside the top plate section 2U of the case 1.

Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and modifications and improvements within the scope of the present invention that can achieve the object of the present invention are included in the present invention.
For example, instead of installing the case 1 vertically, it may be installed horizontally as shown in FIG. 1 so that the electronic components 50 that fall from the discharge section 230 under their own weight are received in the case 1 through the discharge opening 6.

1 Case 3 Shutter member 4 Slider 6 Discharge port (opening)
50 Electronic Components (Parts)
200 Component receiving device 210 Transport section 230 Discharge section 240 Installation section 250, 300 Holding section 260 Opening/closing mechanism 261 Drive pin

Claims (5)

A component storage device that stores a plurality of components through a case having a rectangular parallelepiped shape with a length direction, an opening at one end in the length direction, and a shutter member that slides to open and close the opening,
A conveying unit that conveys a plurality of parts continuously;
a discharge unit that drops the parts transported by the transport unit;
a placement section in which the case is placed in a positioned state so that the parts discharged from the discharge section fall into the opening,
The installation portion includes a holding portion capable of holding the case with the opening facing upward;
and an opening/closing mechanism for opening and closing the shutter member. The component storage device according to claim 1, wherein the holding section is capable of holding the case in a vertical position with its length aligned substantially vertically. The component storage device according to claim 1, wherein the holding section is capable of holding the case in an oblique position with its length inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the vertical direction. The component storage device according to claim 1, wherein the holding section can hold the case from an oblique position in which the length direction of the case is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the vertical direction to an upright position in which the length direction of the case is approximately vertical. A slider is integrally provided on the shutter member,
5. The component housing device according to claim 1, wherein the opening and closing mechanism includes a drive pin that engages with the slider and reciprocates to open and close the shutter member.

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