JP7622664B2 - Parts Storage Box - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a component storage box that stores components such as electronic components.

Conventionally, multiple small chip-like electronic components may be stored loose in a box, which is a designated storage container, for transport or storage. In some cases, the box may be subjected to a designated treatment such as heat treatment. In this type of box, when the electronic components are placed in the box and stored, the electronic components may collide with the inner surface of the box or may collide with each other and cause friction. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that suppresses the static buildup of electronic components due to friction by constructing the box from a material that has been treated with an antistatic polymer-type antistatic agent.

JP 2012-191064 A

When electronic components collide with the inner surface of the box or with each other, there is a risk that the electronic components may chip or crack. The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 is concerned with preventing electrical damage to electronic components caused by friction resulting from collisions, but does not describe measures to prevent physical damage to electronic components, such as chipping or cracking.

The present invention aims to provide a parts storage box that is less likely to cause physical damage such as chipping or cracking to parts when storing multiple parts individually.

The component storage box according to the present invention comprises at least one box body in which a component storage space is formed by a first main plate portion and a second main plate portion that face each other, a first side plate portion and a second side plate portion that face each other, and a first end plate portion and a second end plate portion that face each other, and a cushioning material is disposed in the component storage space between the first main plate portion and the second main plate portion.

The present invention provides a component storage box that is less likely to cause physical damage to the components, such as chipping or cracking, when storing multiple components individually.

1 is a perspective view of a component housing box having two box bodies according to an embodiment, showing a state in which the two box bodies are folded. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a component housing box having two box bodies according to an embodiment, showing a state in which the two box bodies are open. FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded plan view of the component housing box according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing one box body according to the embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV of Figure 4. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an inner frame of the box body. 4 is a front view showing a first plate and a second plate attached to the box body. FIG. IX-IX cross-sectional view of FIG. 7. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, which is an electronic component housed in a component housing box according to an embodiment; 11 is a manufacturing flow diagrammatically illustrating an example of a method for manufacturing the multilayer ceramic capacitor shown in FIG. 10. 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating processing steps according to an embodiment performed on a manufactured multilayer ceramic capacitor. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an inspection device used in an inspection process performed on a manufactured multilayer ceramic capacitor. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a funnel member that is attached to a box body when a multilayer ceramic capacitor is dropped from a component housing box to be supplied to the inspection section of the inspection device, in which the left side is a side view before attachment and the right side is a side view after attachment showing the state in which the multilayer ceramic capacitor is being ejected. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a heat treatment line for carrying out a heat treatment process on a manufactured multilayer ceramic capacitor.

The embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figs. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a component storage box 1 according to the embodiment. Fig. 3 is an exploded plan view of the component storage box 1. The component storage box 1 of the embodiment has a configuration in which two metal box bodies 20 of the same configuration, i.e., a first box body 20A and a second box body 20B, are foldably connected via a connecting portion 29. Fig. 1 shows a state in which the first box body 20A and the second box body 20B are folded and overlapped with each other. Fig. 2 shows an open state in which the first box body 20A and the second box body 20B are separated from each other. In the following, the first box body 20A and the second box body 20B may be described simply as box body 20 without distinction since they have a common configuration.

The connecting portion 29 in the embodiment is a hinge that connects the first box body 20A and the second box body 20B to each other in a foldable manner. The connecting portion 29 connects the first box body 20A and the second box body 20B to two states, a folded state in which they overlap each other, and an open state in which they open approximately 180 degrees from this folded state and are separated from each other, so that they can be opened and closed. The first box body 20A and the second box body 20B are rotatably connected to each other via the connecting portion 29. A plurality of components are housed in each of the first box body 20A and the second box body 20B. In the embodiment, the first box body 20A and the second box body 20B house a multilayer ceramic capacitor 10, which will be described later. The multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 is an example of a component housed in the component housing box 1 in the embodiment, and other chip-shaped electronic components such as inductors can be housed in addition to this. In addition, the electronic components and other parts stored are not limited to finished products, but may be unfinished products in the process of being manufactured.

The box body 20 will be described below. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the box body 20. The box body 20 is a box-shaped member having a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape. Due to its shape, the box body 20 has a thickness direction T2, a width direction W2, and a length direction L2. The box body 20 has a first main plate portion 21a and a second main plate portion 21b that face each other in the thickness direction T2, a first side plate portion 22a and a second side plate portion 22b that face each other in the width direction W2, and a first end plate portion 23a and a second end plate portion 23b that face each other in the length direction L2.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Figure 5. In Figure 6, reference numeral 10 denotes a multilayer ceramic capacitor housed in a box body 20. As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the box body 20 has an outer frame 24 and an inner frame 25. Both the outer frame 24 and the inner frame 25 are sheet metal members having a U-shaped cross section.

As shown in FIG. 5, the outer frame 24 has a rectangular first flat plate portion 24a, and a first outer side plate portion 24b and a second outer side plate portion 24c each formed in a manner bending from both ends of the first flat plate portion 24a in the width direction W2 to one side in the thickness direction T2. The inner frame 25 has a rectangular second flat plate portion 25a, and a first inner side plate portion 25b and a second inner side plate portion 25c each formed in a manner bending from both ends of the second flat plate portion 25a in the width direction to the other side in the thickness direction. The outer frame 24 and the inner frame 25 have approximately the same length, but the width of the inner frame 25 is slightly smaller than that of the outer frame 24.

As shown in FIG. 5, the outer frame 24 and the inner frame 25 are assembled into a box shape with the inner frame 25 housed inside the outer frame 24 with the inner spaces facing each other. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the opening 26a at one end side in the length direction L2 is blocked by the first end plate portion 23a, and the opening 26b at the other end side in the length direction L2 is blocked by the second end plate portion 23b, and the box body 20 is assembled. The first inner side plate portion 25b of the inner frame 25 faces closely to the inside of the first outer side plate portion 24b of the outer frame 24, and the second inner side plate portion 25c of the inner frame 25 faces closely to the inside of the second outer side plate portion 24c of the outer frame 24. A component storage space 20s is formed inside the box body 20.

The first flat plate portion 24a of the outer frame 24 constitutes the first main plate portion 21a of the box body 20. The second flat plate portion 25a of the inner frame 25 constitutes the second main plate portion 21b of the box body 20. The first outer side plate portion 24b of the outer frame 24 and the first inner side plate portion 25b of the inner frame 25, which are two plate portions facing each other, constitute the first side plate portion 22a of the box body 20. The second outer side plate portion 24c of the outer frame 24 and the second inner side plate portion 25c of the inner frame 25, which are two plate portions facing each other, constitute the second side plate portion 22b of the box body 20. Hereinafter, the first flat plate portion 24a of the outer frame 24 may be referred to as the first main plate portion 21a of the box body 20, and the second flat plate portion 25a of the inner frame 25 may be referred to as the second main plate portion 21b of the box body 20. In addition, the first outer side plate portion 24b of the outer frame 24 and the first inner side plate portion 25b of the inner frame 25 may be collectively referred to as the first side plate portion 22a of the box body 20, and the second outer side plate portion 24c of the outer frame 24 and the second inner side plate portion 25c of the inner frame 25 may be collectively referred to as the second side plate portion 22b of the box body 20.

As shown in FIG. 3, the second end plate portion 23b of the first box body 20A and the second end plate portion 23b of the second box body 20B are connected by a connecting portion 29. By incorporating each of the two second end plate portions 23b connected by the connecting portion 29 into the first box body 20A and the second box body 20B, the first box body 20A and the second box body 20B are connected so as to be able to open and close. When the first box body 20A and the second box body 20B are folded, the first main plate portions 21a face each other.

As shown in FIG. 3, the component storage box 1 of the embodiment is an assembly of seven metal parts: the outer frame 24, inner frame 25, and first end plate 23a of the first box body 20A, the outer frame 24, inner frame 25, and first end plate 23a of the second box body 20B, and two second end plate parts 23b connected by a connecting part 29. From the viewpoint of durability, the metal constituting the box body 20 is preferably, for example, stainless steel. Note that it is preferable that these seven metal parts are configured so that they can be assembled without using fastening members such as screws, by appropriate fitting configurations, etc. This makes it easy to disassemble and assemble the box body 20, and provides good visibility inside, so that it is easy to check and remove electronic parts remaining after removal during disassembly and assembly.

Of the first end plate portion 23a and the second end plate portion 23b, at least the first end plate portion 23a is a lid that is attached to the box body 20 in an openable and closable manner. That is, the opening 26a at one end side in the longitudinal direction of the box body 20 can be opened and closed by the first end plate portion 23a. In other words, the first end plate portion 23a is provided so as to be openable and closable so as to form an opening 26a that opens the component storage space 20s to the outside. It is preferable that the first end plate portion 23a is provided so as to be openable and closable using, for example, a latch-type opening and closing mechanism that can be opened and closed with one touch, as this provides excellent usability, but the opening and closing mechanism is not limited to this.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first main plate 21a of the box body 20 has a lattice-shaped crosspiece 31. A mesh section 32 is provided in the multiple openings separated by the crosspiece 31 as an opening that opens the component storage space 20s to the outside. The mesh section 32 is a wire mesh including multiple holes 32a. The mesh section 32 is supported by the crosspiece 31 and stretched over the multiple openings separated by the crosspiece 31. It is preferable that the opening rate of the holes 32a of the mesh section 32 is 40% or more and 90% or less.

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the inner frame 25 of the box body 20. As shown in Figure 7, the second flat plate portion 25a of the inner frame 25, i.e., the second main plate portion 21b of the box body 20, also has a lattice-shaped crosspiece portion 33 similar to the first main plate portion 21a. A mesh portion 34 is provided in the multiple openings separated by the crosspiece portion 33 as an opening portion that opens the component storage space 20s to the outside. The mesh portion 34 is a wire mesh including multiple holes 34a. The mesh portion 34 is supported by the crosspiece portion 33 and stretched over the multiple openings separated by the crosspiece portion 33. It is preferable that the opening rate of the holes 34a of the mesh portion 34 is 40% or more and 90% or less.

The mesh portion 32 on the first main plate portion 21a side and the mesh portion 34 on the second main plate portion 21b side make it easy to visually see the inside of the box body 20, and the type and shape of the laminated ceramic capacitor 10 housed therein can be confirmed. The width of the crosspieces 31 and 33 is preferably small in order to make the mesh portions 32 and 34 as large as possible, and is preferably about 10 mm, for example. In the outer frame 24, the crosspieces 31 improve the mechanical strength despite the presence of the mesh portion 32. In the inner frame 25, the crosspieces 33 improve the mechanical strength despite the presence of the mesh portion 34.

As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of cushioning materials 40 are arranged in the component storage space 20s inside the box body 20. The cushioning materials 40 in the embodiment include a plurality of first cushioning materials 41 and a plurality of second cushioning materials 42. The first cushioning materials 41 in the embodiment are formed of a first plate 43A having elasticity. The second cushioning materials 42 in the embodiment are formed of a second plate 43B having elasticity.

As shown in FIG. 7, the first plate 43A and the second plate 43B are both elongated rectangular thin plates extending in the width direction W2. Each of the first plate 43A and the second plate 43B is bridged between the first inner side plate 25b constituting the first side plate 22a of the inner frame 25 and the second inner side plate 25c constituting the second side plate 22b. The first plates 43A and the second plates 43B are arranged parallel to each other. Since the inner frame 25 is housed inside the outer frame 24, the first plate 43A and the second plate 43B are not exposed to the outer surface of the box body 20. This prevents fingers from touching the first plate 43A and the second plate 43B, which are made of thin plates, and is therefore safe.

8 shows the first plate 43A, and the lower figure shows the second plate 43B. The first plate 43A has a first mesh pattern 44A. The first mesh pattern 44A includes a plurality of first passages 45a and a plurality of first frame portions 45b between a pair of adjacent first passages 45a. In other words, the first mesh pattern 44A has a plurality of first frame portions 45b and a pair of first passages 45a formed on both sides of the first frame portion 45b. The first passages 45a are through holes having a rectangular shape that is long in the width direction of the first plate 43A (the vertical direction in FIG. 8), and are arranged at equal pitches in the longitudinal direction of the first plate 43A (the horizontal direction in FIG. 8). The multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 housed in the box body 20 can pass through the first passages 45a. The first frame portion 45b is a partition between adjacent first passages 45a. The first plate 43A has claw portions 46 at both ends in the length direction. The claw portions 46 are protrusions that are slightly smaller than the width of the first plate 43A.

The second plate 43B shown in FIG. 8 has a second mesh pattern 44B. The second mesh pattern 44B includes a plurality of second passages 47a and a plurality of second frame portions 47b between a pair of adjacent second passages 47a. In other words, the second mesh pattern 44B has a plurality of second frame portions 47b and a pair of second passages 47a formed on both sides of the second frame portion 47b. The second passages 47a are through holes having a rectangular shape that is long in the width direction of the second plate 43B (up and down direction in FIG. 8), and are arranged at equal pitches in the longitudinal direction of the second plate 43B (left and right direction in FIG. 8). The pitch of the plurality of second passages 47a is the same as the pitch of the plurality of first passages 45a of the first plate 43A. The width of the second passage 47a is the same as the width of the first passage 45a, and the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 housed in the box body 20 can pass through the second passage 47a. The second frame portion 47b is a partition between adjacent second passages 47a. The width of the second frame portion 47b is the same as the width of the first frame portion 45b. The second plate 43B has claw portions 48 at both ends in the length direction, similar to the claw portions 46 of the first plate 43A.

The first mesh pattern 44A of the first plate 43A and the second mesh pattern 44B of the second plate 43B have the same configuration in which the first passages 45a and the second passages 47a of the same width are arranged at equal pitches in the length direction (width direction W2 of the box body 20). As shown in FIG. 8, the pitch of the second passages 47a of the second mesh pattern 44B of the second plate 43B is shifted by half a pitch from the first passages 45a of the first mesh pattern 44A of the first plate 43A. Therefore, the multiple first frame parts 45b of the first plate 43A and the multiple second frame parts 47b of the second plate 43B are shifted by half a pitch. As described later, the first frame parts 45b and the second frame parts 47b each act to cushion the momentum of the falling multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 that is dropped into the box body 20 by hitting them.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 9, each of the first plates 43A is removably attached to the inner frame 25 by inserting the claws 46 at both ends into the slits 27 formed in the first inner side plate 25b and the second inner side plate 25c of the inner frame 25. The claws 46 at both ends can be inserted into the slits 27 by slightly bending the first plate 43A. The second plate 43B is also removably attached to the inner frame 25 by inserting the claws 48 at both ends into the slits 27 formed in the first inner side plate 25b and the second inner side plate 25c of the inner frame 25.

As shown in FIG. 6, the box body 20 is placed upright with the first end plate portion 23a positioned on the upper side, and multiple multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 are inserted into the component housing space 20s through the upper opening 26a that is opened by removing the first end plate portion 23a. Therefore, the second end plate portion 23b is considered to be the bottom portion 20d of the box body 20. Below, the second end plate portion 23b may be referred to as the bottom portion 20d of the box body 20.

When the box body 20 is in the insertion position shown in FIG. 6 in which the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 is inserted, the multiple first plates 43A and multiple second plates 43B are arranged at predetermined intervals from the opening 26a to the bottom 20d. In the embodiment, from the opening 26a toward the bottom 20d, three stages of the first plates 43A are arranged, then one stage of the second plates 43B is arranged, then three stages of the first plates 43A and one stage of the second plates 43B are arranged, and one stage of the first plates 43A is arranged near the bottom 20d, for a total of nine stages. Here, it is preferable that the first stage of the first plate 43A closest to the opening 26a is arranged at a position 10% to 13% of the drop distance from the opening 26a to the bottom 20d. The drop distance here is approximately equal to the length of the box body 20.

The multiple first plates 43A and second plates 43B shown in FIG. 6 are arranged, for example, as follows. The pitch E from the opening 26a, which is the upper end of the box body 20, to the first plate 43A of the first tier is 12.6 mm. The pitch F from the first plate 43A of the first tier to the first plate 43A of the third tier is the same, 5 mm, and the pitch G from the first plate 43A of the third tier to the second plate 43B of the eighth tier is the same, 10 mm. The pitch H from the first plate 43A of the ninth tier, which is closest to the bottom 20d, to the bottom 20d is 11.2 mm. The distance between the second plate 43B of the eighth tier and the first plate 43A of the ninth tier is arbitrary, and at least one first plate 43A or second plate 43B may be arranged between them. Note that the number and arrangement pattern of the multiple first plates 43A and second plates 43B of the embodiment are not limited to those shown in FIG. 6.

When the box body 20 is in the insertion position shown in FIG. 6, the second frame portion 47b of the second plate 43B is positioned so as to overlap the first passage 45a of the first plate 43A when viewed in the direction from the first end plate portion 23a to the second end plate portion 23b (the direction of arrow M), which is the direction in which the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 falls. This is because, as shown in FIG. 8, the multiple first frame portions 45b of the first plate 43A and the multiple second frame portions 47b of the second plate 43B are staggered with a half pitch offset from each other.

Two box bodies 20 having the above configuration, i.e., the first box body 20A and the second box body 20B, are connected via a connecting portion 29 to form a component housing box 1. The component housing box 1 according to the embodiment is used to house a plurality of multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 and is transported, stored, or subjected to various processes as a whole.

Before explaining examples of using the component housing box 1, we will briefly explain the structure and manufacturing method of the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10.

As shown in FIG. 10, the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. The multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 includes a laminate 11 and a pair of external electrodes 12 spaced apart from each other.

In FIG. 10, arrow T1 indicates the stacking direction of the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 and the laminate 11. In FIG. 10, arrow L1 indicates the length direction of the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 and the laminate 11 that is perpendicular to the stacking direction T1. In FIG. 10, arrow W1 indicates the width direction of the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 and the laminate 11 that is perpendicular to the stacking direction T1 and the length direction L1.

The dimensions of the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 are, for example, a so-called 3225 size, with a length direction L1 of 3.2 mm, a width direction W1 of 2.5 mm, and a stacking direction T1 of 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less, but are not limited to these.

The laminate 11 has a pair of opposing main surfaces 11a in the stacking direction T1, a pair of opposing side surfaces 11b in the width direction W1, and a pair of opposing end surfaces 11c in the length direction L1.

The laminate 11 has an internal structure in which an internal electrode layer is laminated between each of a plurality of dielectric ceramic layers laminated along the lamination direction T1. The dielectric ceramic layers are formed of a ceramic material mainly composed of barium titanate, for example. The internal electrode layers are formed of a metal material such as Ni, Cu, Ag, Pd, Ag-Pd alloy, Au, etc., or other conductive materials. A pair of external electrodes 12 are arranged to cover each of a pair of end faces 11c of the laminate 11. The external electrodes 12 are formed of a metal film mainly composed of Ni, Cu, etc., and may have a plating layer of Sn or the like on the surface. At each end face 11c of the laminate 11, the multiple internal electrode layers are in contact with the external electrodes 12 and are electrically connected. The multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 has a structure in which a plurality of capacitor elements are electrically connected in parallel between a pair of external electrodes 12.

The multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 is manufactured, for example, by stacking materials that will become the dielectric ceramic layers and the internal electrode layers to form the original form of the laminate 11, firing each material that will become the laminate 11, and then forming the external electrodes 12. The following is an example of the manufacturing method.

Figure 11 shows an outline of the manufacturing flow of the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10. First, a mother block is prepared by forming a conductive paste between multiple ceramic sheets by printing or other means (step S1). Next, the mother block is divided into individual pieces to obtain multiple laminate chips that will be the main parts of the laminate 11 (step S2). Next, a covering ceramic sheet is attached to each of the laminate chips as necessary to form the original shape of the laminate 11 (step S3). Next, the laminate 11 is pressure-molded by applying pressure while heating through thermocompression bonding (step S4). Next, the obtained laminate 11 is fired at a predetermined temperature to make the ceramic sheets into dielectric ceramic layers and the conductive paste into internal electrode layers (step S5). Next, the external electrodes 12 are formed by applying and baking a conductive paste for the external electrodes 12 (step S6).

Next, we will explain an example of how to use the component housing box 1, which can house multiple multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 described above, but the method of using the component housing box 1 is not limited to this.

Figure 12 shows an example of the process performed on multiple multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 manufactured as described above. As shown in Figure 12, the multiple multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 after manufacturing are first subjected to an inspection process to check whether they have predetermined electrical characteristics. Next, a post-inspection post-processing process is performed, and then a predetermined heat treatment process is performed.

Figure 13 shows a schematic diagram of an inspection device 100 that performs the inspection process. The inspection device 100 has an inspection section 101 that inspects the electrical characteristics of the multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 that pass through it. The component housing box 1 that houses a plurality of multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 is set on the upper side of the inspection section 101 in an upright state with the first end plate portion 23a that blocks the opening 26a of the box body 20 facing downward. The first end plate portion 23a is opened, and the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 falls from the opening 26a, and the electrical characteristics of the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 are inspected while passing through the inspection section 101. The multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 after inspection that has passed through the inspection section 101 is dropped into an empty component housing box 1 set below the inspection section 101 and transferred thereto. The empty component housing box 1 is set in an upright state with the opening 26a blocked by the first end plate portion 23a facing upward, and the first end plate portion 23a is opened.

As shown in FIG. 14, a funnel member 110 may be attached to the opening 26a of the box body 20 before inspection, which is set on the upper side. The funnel member 110 is detachably attached to the opening 26a of the box body 20 from which the first end plate portion 23a has been removed. The funnel member 110 has an attachment side opening 110a that is attached to the opening 26a of the box body 20, and a discharge side opening 110b from which the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 is discharged. The funnel member 110 is a cylindrical member having a tapered thin plate appearance with a cross-sectional area that gradually decreases from the attachment side opening 110a to the discharge side opening 110b. It is preferable that the funnel member 110 has a plurality of mesh plates 111 having a structure similar to the first plate 43A and the second plate 43B described above arranged inside it.

The mesh plate 111 has a structure in which multiple pass openings 111a through which the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 can pass and rod portions 111b on both sides of the pass openings 111a are arranged in parallel. The multiple mesh plates 111 (three in the illustrated example) are arranged at intervals in the drop introduction direction from the mounting side opening 110a toward the discharge side opening 110b. Adjacent mesh plates 111 are staggered so that the pass openings 111a and the rod portions 111b overlap when viewed in the drop introduction direction. A shutter 112 that closes the discharge side opening 110b is removably inserted near the discharge side opening 110b of the funnel member 110.

As shown in the left side of FIG. 14, the first end plate portion 23a is removed and multiple multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 are placed inside the box body 20 through the opening 26a, and then the funnel member 110 is attached to the opening 26a. From this state, as shown in the right side of FIG. 14, the box body 20 is turned upside down and the funnel member 110 is placed on the bottom, and the box body 20 is set in the inspection device 100. Then, when the multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 are dropped from the box body 20 into the inspection section 101, the shutter 112 is removed to open the opening 26a.

When multiple multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 after inspection are placed in an empty component storage box 1 for transfer located at the bottom of the inspection device 100, proceed to the next post-processing step as shown in Figure 12.

The component housing box 1 housing a plurality of multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 before inspection and the component housing box 1 to which the multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 are transferred after inspection have the same appearance and are indistinguishable. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, it is preferable to attach an identification information code 150 to the component housing box 1 so that the type of the component housing box 1 can be confirmed by reading the information code 150. Note that a barcode, QR code (registered trademark), or the like can be used as the information code 150.

The post-processing step is a predetermined step that is performed as necessary after the inspection step. For example, a predetermined number of multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 are extracted from the component housing box 1 in which a plurality of multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 are housed after the inspection step, or all of the multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 are extracted, and the presence or absence of cracks in the multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 is inspected by means of visual inspection or the like. In this step, as in the first inspection step, the multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 are housed in the component housing box 1 and supplied to the crack inspection, and the multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 after the crack inspection are housed in the component housing box 1 and collected. In addition, as a post-processing step, the electrical characteristics of the multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 that were determined to have poor electrical characteristics in the first inspection step and collected may be inspected again.

The specified processing is carried out in the post-processing process, and then the product proceeds to the heat treatment process. Between each process, the part storage box 1 is stored in a container 130, and the container 130 is transported by a transport means such as an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle). The part storage box 1 is stored horizontally in the container 130 in a folded state.

In the heat treatment process, the component housing box 1 that has been subjected to post-treatment is introduced into the heat treatment line 140 as shown in FIG. 15. In the heat treatment line 140, the component housing box 1 introduced into the introduction section 141 is sent to the heating section 142, and the multiple multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 are heated together with the component housing box 1 at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time while passing through the heating section 142. Next, the multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 are cooled to near room temperature while passing through the cooling section 143. After this, the multiple component housing boxes 1 are stocked in the stock section 146 via the first conveying path 144 and the second conveying path 145, and are carried out from the carrying-out section 147 as necessary. In the heat treatment process, it is preferable to perform the heating by the heating section 142 and the cooling by the cooling section 143 with the component housing box 1 open as shown in FIG. 2. As a result, the inside of the box body 20 of the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 is connected to the outside through the mesh section 32 on the first main plate section 21a side, thereby improving the heating efficiency and cooling efficiency.

As a result, a predetermined number of mass-produced multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 are housed in the component housing box 1, and the predetermined processing can be performed for each component housing box 1. After the inspection process is completed, the post-processing process and heat treatment process are performed consistently without transferring the multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 from the component housing box 1 to another container. In this way, the component housing box 1 is used in common for multiple processes. Therefore, physical damage such as chipping and cracking is less likely to occur to the multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 compared to when multiple multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 are transferred to different boxes for each process. In addition, the time required for the processing process can be reduced.

Next, the operation of the component housing box 1 of the embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 shows a state in which a plurality of multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 are inserted through the opening 26a into the component housing space 20s inside the box body 20. The multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 inserted through the opening 26a fall through the component housing space 20s toward the bottom 20d. Note that the number of "stages" indicating the arrangement of the first plate 43A and the second plate 43B below refers to the order of arrangement from the opening 26a to the bottom 20d.

The multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 that has passed through the opening 26a falls, for example, in the following manner up to the second plate 43B of the fourth stage. After hitting the top surface of the first plate 43A of the first stage, it passes through each first passage 45a that communicates in the vertical direction up to the first plate 43A of the third stage, or is bounced horizontally and hits the first plate 43A of the second stage or the first plate 43A of the third stage, passes through the first passage 45a, falls, and hits the top surface of the second plate 43B of the fourth stage. In addition, there are also cases where the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 does not come into contact with each of the first plates 43A of the first stage to the third stage, passes through each first passage 45a that communicates in the vertical direction of these three first plates 43A, and hits the top surface of the second plate 43B of the fourth stage. The first plate 43A of the first stage either hits the upper surface of one of the multiple first frame parts 45b or hits the upper surfaces of both ends of the first plate 43A. The second plate 43B of the fourth stage either hits the upper surface of one of the multiple second frame parts 47b or hits the upper surfaces of both ends of the second plate 43B. In either case, the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 passes through each first passage 45a while hitting at least one of the first plates 43A from the first stage to the third stage, and then hits the upper surface of the second plate 43B of the fourth stage. The falling speed of the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 is reduced by hitting the first plate 43A or the upper surface or the upper surfaces of both ends of the second frame part 47b of the second plate 43B of the fourth stage. That is, the falling momentum is buffered.

Next, the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 passes through one of the second passages 47a of the second plate 43B of the fourth stage and falls again, but the momentum of the fall is again buffered by hitting the upper surface of the first plate 43A of the next fifth stage. The multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 hits the upper surface of one of the multiple first frame parts 45b of the first plate 43A of the fifth stage. Next, the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 passes through one of the first passages 45a of the first plate 43A of the fifth stage and falls again. The multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 that has passed through the first passage 45a of the first plate 43A of the fifth stage passes through each first passage 45a that communicates in the vertical direction while hitting or not hitting at least one of the first plate 43A of the sixth stage and the first plate 43A of the seventh stage, and hits the upper surface of the second plate 43B of the eighth stage. The second plate 43B of the eighth stage either hits the upper surface of one of the multiple second frame portions 47b or hits the upper surfaces of both ends of the second plate 43B. This cushions the falling momentum of the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10.

The multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 that hits the top surface of the second plate 43B of the eighth stage passes through one of the second passages 47a of the second plate 43B of the eighth stage and falls again. The multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 then hits the top surface of the first plate 43A of the last ninth stage, or passes through the first passage 45a of the first plate 43A of the ninth stage and falls to the bottom 20d. The multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 hits the top surface of the first frame portion 45b of the ninth stage first plate 43A mainly, which buffers the momentum of the fall. During the fall as described above, the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 may be bounced off the first plate 43A or the second plate 43B and may move sideways, diagonally upward, or diagonally downward as it falls.

The above is the effect when the box body 20 is empty or when only a small number of multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 have been inserted. Multiple multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 are piled up on the bottom 20d, and thereafter, more are piled up on top of the piled up multilayer ceramic capacitors 10. As the number of capacitors inserted increases, the first plate 43A and the second plate 43B are filled with the accumulated multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 from the bottom up.

As described above, the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 inserted into the box body 20 hits the first plate 43A and the second plate 43B multiple times during the fall, and the momentum of the fall is buffered each time. This makes it difficult for physical damage such as chipping and cracking to occur in the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10. Therefore, the yield of the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 that is finally shipped is improved. In order to significantly obtain the effect of making it difficult for physical damage such as chipping and cracking to occur in the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10, it is preferable that the fall speed of the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 in the box body 20 be suppressed to, for example, 0.8 m/sec or less by the buffering action of the first plate 43A and the second plate 43B. In addition, it is preferable that the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 is configured to hit the first plate 43A of the third stage at least once, since the initial momentum of the fall can be effectively buffered.

6 and 7, the arrangement pattern of three rows of the first plate 43A and one row of the second plate 43B is repeated twice from the opening 26a toward the bottom 20d, but the arrangement pattern from the opening 26a toward the bottom 20d is not limited to this. For example, the pattern may be one row of the second plate 43B followed by three rows of the first plate 43A, or the first plate 43A and the second plate 43B may be arranged alternately. Furthermore, the mesh pattern may be arranged in any pattern including a third plate different from the first plate 43A and the second plate 43B. Furthermore, the spacing between the plates may be selected in various ways. In any case, the arrangement pattern and spacing of the first plate 43A and the second plate 43B are appropriately set so as to effectively cushion the falling multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 and suppress damage.

The component storage box 1 according to the embodiment described above includes at least one box body 20 in which a component storage space 20s is formed by a first main plate portion 21a and a second main plate portion 21b that face each other, a first side plate portion 22a and a second side plate portion 22b that face each other, and a first end plate portion 23a and a second end plate portion 23b that face each other, and a cushioning material 40 is disposed in the component storage space 20s, extending between the first main plate portion 21a and the second main plate portion 21b.

As a result, the force of the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 falling into the box body 20 is cushioned by the cushioning material 40, making it less likely that physical damage such as chipping or cracking will occur to the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10.

In the part storage box 1 according to the embodiment, the cushioning material 40 provided in the part storage space 20s of the box body 20 includes at least a first cushioning material 41 and a second cushioning material 42, and it is preferable that the cushioning position of the first cushioning material 41 and the cushioning position of the second cushioning material 42 are different from each other.

As a result, the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 that is dropped into the box body 20 can be cushioned by both the first cushioning material 41 and the second cushioning material 42, effectively preventing physical damage.

In the component storage box 1 according to the embodiment, it is preferable that at least one of the first end plate portion 23a and the second end plate portion 23b is configured to be openable and closable so as to form an opening 26a that opens the component storage space 20s to the outside.

This allows the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 to be easily inserted or transferred into the box body 20 through the opening 26a, and the opening 26a can be closed to easily maintain the capacitor contained within the box body 20.

In the component storage box 1 according to the embodiment, the first cushioning material 41 includes a first plate 43A having a first mesh pattern 44A, and the first mesh pattern 44A includes a configuration having at least one first frame portion 45b and a pair of first passages 45a arranged on both sides of the first frame portion 45b.

This allows the first cushioning material 41 to be constructed simply, and the first frame portion 45b can accurately cushion the force of the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 when it is dropped, effectively preventing physical damage.

In the component storage box 1 according to the embodiment, the second cushioning material 42 includes a second plate 43B having a second mesh pattern 44B, and the second mesh pattern 44B has at least one second frame portion 47b and a pair of second passages 47a arranged on both sides of the second frame portion 47b, and includes a form in which the second frame portion 47b is arranged in a position overlapping the first passage 45a of the first cushioning material 41 when viewed in the direction from the first end plate portion 23a toward the second end plate portion 23b.

This allows the second cushioning material 42 to be constructed simply, and in cooperation with the first cushioning material 41, the second frame portion 47b accurately cushions the force of the falling laminated ceramic capacitor 10, effectively preventing physical damage to the laminated ceramic capacitor 10.

In the component housing box 1 according to the embodiment, it is preferable to have multiple of at least one of the first plate 43A and the second plate 43B.

This increases the number of first plates 43A and second plates 43B that cushion the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 as it falls inside the box body 20, providing sufficient cushioning and further reducing physical damage to the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10.

In the component housing box 1 according to the embodiment, the box body 20 is preferably made of metal.

This improves the durability of the box body 20 and also improves the efficiency of heat conduction to the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 housed in the box body 20, thereby making the heat treatment process more efficient.

In the component storage box 1 according to the embodiment, it is preferable that the first main plate portion 21a and the second main plate portion 21b of the box body 20 are each provided with a mesh portion 32 including a hole 32a and a mesh portion 34 including a hole 34a as opening portions that open the component storage space 20s to the outside.

As a result, the inside of the box body 20 is connected to the outside through the mesh parts 32 and 34, improving the heating efficiency and heat dissipation efficiency for the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 housed in the box body 20 and making the heat treatment process more efficient.

In the component housing box 1 according to the embodiment, it is preferable that the mesh portion 32 and the mesh portion 34 have holes 32a and 34a with an opening rate of 40% or more and 90% or less, and that the first main plate portion 21a and the second main plate portion 21b each have a batten portion 31 and a batten portion 33 that support the mesh portion 32 and the mesh portion 34.

The holes 32a of the mesh portion 32 and the holes 34a of the mesh portion 34 have an opening ratio of 40% or more and 90% or less, which improves the heating efficiency and heat dissipation efficiency of the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 housed in the box body 20, and further improves the efficiency of the heat treatment process. The mesh portions 32 and 34 are supported in a reinforced state by the crosspieces 31 and 33, respectively, thereby ensuring durability.

In the part storage box 1 according to the embodiment, the box body 20 preferably includes at least two box bodies, a first box body 20A and a second box body 20B, and has a connecting portion 29 that connects the first box body 20A and the second box body 20B to each other.

This allows the storage capacity of the multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 stored in the component storage box 1 to be increased, thereby improving the efficiency of the specified processing for each component storage box 1.

In the part storage box 1 according to the embodiment, it is preferable that the connecting portion 29 connecting the first box body 20A and the second box body 20B connects the first box body 20A and the second box body 20B in such a way that they can be opened and closed between two states: a folded state in which they overlap each other, and an open state in which they are separated from each other from the folded state.

As a result, by folding the first box body 20A and the second box body 20B together, a large number of multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 can be subjected to a predetermined process in each component housing box 1 in a space-saving manner. In addition, by opening the box body 20A and the second box body 20B, it is possible to easily check the multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 housed in the first box body 20A and the second box body 20B, and the heating efficiency and heat dissipation efficiency are improved during heat treatment.

In the component housing box 1 according to the embodiment, electronic components such as multilayer ceramic capacitors 10 can be housed in the component housing space 20s inside the box body 20.

In the component housing box 1 according to the embodiment, an opening 26a is provided corresponding to the first end plate portion 23a, and the second end plate portion 23b is the bottom portion 20d. The laminated ceramic capacitor 10 is dropped from the opening 26a toward the bottom portion 20d into the component housing space 20s. A plurality of cushioning materials 40 are arranged from the opening 26a to the bottom portion 20d. Of the plurality of cushioning materials 40, the first plate 43A, which is the cushioning material 40 closest to the opening 26a, is preferably arranged at a position 10% to 13% from the opening 26a with respect to the drop distance from the opening 26a to the bottom portion 20d.

As a result, the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 placed inside the box body 20 is first effectively cushioned by the first plate 43A, which is the cushioning material 40 closest to the opening 26a. This makes it difficult for physical damage such as chipping or cracking to occur in the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10.

Although several embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and modifications, improvements, etc. that can achieve the object of the present invention are included in the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the buffer material 40 is shown as a first plate 43A and a second plate 43B having a configuration in which the passage through which the multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 passes and the frame portion against which the falling multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 hits are arranged in parallel, but any configuration may be used as long as it is configured to buffer the falling multilayer ceramic capacitor 10 so as to reduce the falling speed when it hits.

The number and arrangement pattern of the first plates 43A and second plates 43B are arbitrary. For example, a large number of slits 27 may be formed in the first inner side plate portion 25b and the second inner side plate portion 25c of the inner frame 25, and the first plates 43A and second plates 43B may be selectively attached to these slits 27, making it possible to easily adjust the number and arrangement pattern of the first plates 43A and second plates 43B.

The part storage box 1 is a combination of two box bodies 20, i.e., a first box body 20A and a second box body 20B, but one part storage box 1 may be constructed by combining three or more box bodies 20.

A mesh portion is provided on each of the first main plate portion 21a and the second main plate portion 21b of the box body 20, but in addition to this, mesh portions may be provided on at least one or all of the first side plate portion 22a and the second side plate portion 22b, and the first end plate portion 23a and the second end plate portion 23b.

1 Parts storage box 10 Multilayer ceramic capacitor (part)
20 Box body 20A First box body 20B Second box body 20d Bottom portion 20s Part housing space 21a First main plate portion 21b Second main plate portion 22a First side plate portion 22b Second side plate portion 23a First end plate portion 23b Second end plate portion 26a Opening portion 29 Connecting portion 31, 33 Crosspiece portion 32, 34 Mesh portion (open portion)
32a, 34a: holes in mesh portion 40: cushioning material 41: first cushioning material 42: second cushioning material 43A: first plate 43B: second plate 44A: first mesh pattern 44B: second mesh pattern 45a: first passage 45b: first frame portion 47a: second passage 47b: second frame portion

Claims (13)

a first main plate portion and a second main plate portion opposed to each other;
a first side plate portion and a second side plate portion opposed to each other;
The housing has at least one box body in which a component storage space is formed by a first end plate portion and a second end plate portion opposed to each other,
a buffer material is disposed in the component accommodating space and is provided between the first main plate portion and the second main plate portion,
A component housing box, wherein at least one of the first end plate portion and the second end plate portion is configured to be openable and closable so as to form an opening that opens the component housing space to the outside. The cushioning material includes at least a first cushioning material and a second cushioning material,
2. The component housing box according to claim 1, wherein a cushioning position of the first cushioning material and a cushioning position of the second cushioning material are different from each other. the first cushioning material includes a first plate having a first mesh pattern;
The component storage box according to claim 2 , wherein the first mesh pattern has at least one first frame portion and a pair of first passages disposed on both sides of the first frame portion. the second cushioning material includes a second plate having a second mesh pattern;
the second mesh pattern has at least one second frame and a pair of second passages disposed on either side of the second frame;
The component housing box according to claim 3 , wherein the second frame portion is positioned so as to overlap the first passage when viewed in a direction from the first end plate portion toward the second end plate portion. The component housing box according to claim 4 , comprising at least one of the first plate and the second plate in a plurality of pieces. The component housing box according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the box body is made of metal. The component housing box according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein each of the first main plate portion and the second main plate portion of the box body is provided with an opening portion that opens the component housing space to the outside. The component housing box according to claim 7 , wherein the opening is a mesh portion including a plurality of holes. The mesh portion has an opening rate of the holes of 40% or more and 90% or less,
9. The component housing box according to claim 8 , wherein each of the first main plate portion and the second main plate portion has a rib portion supporting the mesh portion. The box body includes at least a first box body and a second box body,
The component housing box according to claim 1 , further comprising a connecting portion that connects the first box body and the second box body to each other. The connecting portion connects the first box body and the second box body,
The component housing box according to claim 10 , wherein the component housing box is connected so as to be openable and closable between two states: a folded state in which the components overlap each other, and an open state in which the components are spaced apart from the folded state. The component housing box according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein the component housing space houses an electronic component. The opening is provided in correspondence with the first end plate portion, the second end plate portion is a bottom portion, and components are dropped from the opening toward the bottom portion into the component housing space,
A plurality of the cushioning materials are disposed from the opening to the bottom,
2. The part housing box of claim 1, wherein the cushioning material closest to the opening among the plurality of cushioning materials is positioned at a position that is greater than or equal to 10% and less than or equal to 13% of the drop distance from the opening to the bottom .

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