JP7656079B2 - Transport robot and component mounting system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a transport robot used in a manufacturing line for component-mounted boards in which components are mounted (mounted) on a substrate such as a printed wiring board, and a component mounting system equipped with this transport robot.

There are well-known production lines that manufacture component-mounted boards, in which components are mounted (placed) on a substrate such as a printed wiring board. The production line includes multiple component mounting devices arranged adjacent to each other in a row. The substrate is transported along the production line, and each component mounting device mounts components on the substrate. The component mounting device is equipped with a mounting head and a component supplying device such as a tape feeder, and the mounting head adsorbs and holds the components supplied by the component supplying device and mounts them on the substrate.

In this type of manufacturing line, it is necessary to replenish components consumed by the component mounting device and to replace the component supply device when changing the type of board being produced. Traditionally, this work was performed by workers, but in recent years, unmanned transport robots are increasingly taking over this task. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a component mounting system that uses a self-propelled cart (transport robot) equipped with a tape feeder to automatically replace tape feeders in one go before and after switching types of boards.

Incidentally, component mounting devices may be equipped with a tray feeder that supplies components arranged on a tray, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, for example. The tray feeder includes a rack (magazine) in which multiple trays on which components are placed are stored in multiple levels, a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the rack, and a pull-out mechanism that moves the tray in and out of the rack. In this tray feeder, the lifting mechanism positions the rack at a predetermined height, and the pull-out mechanism pulls the tray out of the rack. The components on the pulled-out tray are then adsorbed and held by the mounting head.

Tray feeders are relatively large parts supply devices, and it is difficult to mount them on a self-propelled cart and replace them as in Patent Document 1. For this reason, the current situation is that workers manually replenish parts consumed by the tray feeders and replace parts when switching between different types of produced boards. For this reason, there is a demand for a transport robot that can automate the parts supply and part replacement tasks for tray feeders, but Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not disclose such technology.

JP 2018-50002 A JP 2017-199816 A

The present invention aims to provide a transport robot that contributes to automating component supply and component replacement operations for a component mounting device equipped with a component supply device (tray feeder) that supplies components arranged on a tray, and a component mounting system equipped with this transport robot.

A transport robot according to one aspect of the present invention is a self-propelled transport robot that includes a component supply unit having a rack in which a plurality of trays are stored, and is capable of transferring the rack to and from the component supply unit of a component mounting device that removes components stored in the tray and mounts them on a board, and the component supply unit includes a rack support unit that supports the rack so that it can be moved in and out horizontally, and the transport robot includes a running unit that runs along a floor surface and has running wheels, and a transfer unit that is provided on the running unit so as to be able to support the rack, and that transfers the rack between the running unit and the rack support unit by moving the rack horizontally.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a component mounting system according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a component mounting device provided in the component mounting system. FIG. 3 is a side view of the component mounting apparatus. FIG. 4 is a side view of the tray storage section (housing) showing the rack insertion/removal area. FIG. 5 is a plan view of a transfer robot (first embodiment) provided in the component mounting system. FIG. 6 is a side view of the transfer robot. FIG. 7 is a front view of the transfer robot. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a control system of the transfer robot. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic diagram of a rack transport operation by the transport robot. FIG. 10 is a side view (partially in cross section) showing the tray feeder and the transport robot during rack transfer. FIG. 11 is a diagram (plan view) illustrating the operation when the transport robot is positioned. FIG. 12 is a plan view of the transfer robot according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a side view of the transfer robot. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic view of a part of the rack transport operation by the transport robot. FIG. 15 is a plan view of the transfer robot according to the third embodiment. FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic view of a part of the rack transport operation by the transport robot.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[Component Mounting System Configuration]
1 is a block diagram showing a component mounting system 100 according to the present invention. The component mounting system 100 is a system that produces component-mounted boards in which electronic components (hereinafter referred to as "components") are mounted on a substrate P such as a printed wiring board. The component mounting system 100 includes a production line PL, a storage device 6, a transport robot 7, and a management device 8.

The production line PL is located in the production area A1, and the storage device 6 is located in the preparation area A2. The production area A1 is the area where component-mounted boards are produced, and the preparation area A2 is the area where workers prepare consumables such as parts used in the production of component-mounted boards, and equipment to be replaced when the production type is changed.

The production line PL includes a printing device 1, a print inspection device 2, a component mounting device 3, a visual inspection device 4, and a reflow device 5, with these devices 1 to 5 connected in a row in the X direction in that order. In this example, multiple component mounting devices 3 are arranged in succession between the print inspection device 2 and the visual inspection device 4.

The printing device 1 executes a process of printing cream solder at component mounting locations on the substrate P, and the print inspection device 2 executes a process of inspecting the printing condition of the cream solder printed on the substrate P. The component mounting device 3 executes a process of mounting (mounting) components at predetermined mounting locations on the substrate P on which the cream solder has been printed, and the appearance inspection device 4 executes a process of inspecting the mounting condition of the components mounted on the substrate P. The reflow device 5 also executes a process of melting the solder by heating the substrate P to join the components to the substrate P. In this production line PL, while the substrate P is transported in the X direction, the printing device 1, print inspection device 2, component mounting device 3, appearance inspection device 4 and reflow device 5 execute the processes described above to produce a component-mounted substrate.

The storage device 6 includes a first storage device 6A in which supply parts and equipment prepared by workers are kept on standby, and a second storage device in which used equipment, etc. collected from the production line PL is returned.

The transport robot 7 is a self-propelled transport robot such as an AGV (Automatic Guides Vehicle) or an AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) that moves along the production line PL between the component mounting device 3 and the storage device 6. The transport robot 7 transports (supplies) refill parts and replacement equipment from the first storage device 6A to the component mounting device 3 while moving along the route indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1, and transports used equipment, etc. from the component mounting device 3 to the second storage device 6B. Note that the component mounting system 100 is equipped with multiple transport robots 7, but for convenience, only one transport robot 7 is shown in FIG. 1.

The management device 8 is configured, for example, by a personal computer that is communicatively connected to each of the devices 1 to 5 on the production line PL, the storage device 6, and the transport robot 7. The management device 8 comprehensively manages the production of component mounting boards in the component mounting system 100 by controlling each of the devices 1 to 5 on the production line PL, the storage device 6, and the transport robot 7 based on a production plan.

[Configuration of component mounting device 3]
2 and 3 show a component mounting apparatus 3 provided in the component mounting system 100. Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view, and Fig. 3 is a schematic side view, each showing the component mounting apparatus 3. The multiple component mounting apparatuses 3 provided in the component mounting system 100 have the same basic configuration.

The component mounting device 3 includes a base 31, a conveyor 32, a component supply area 33, a head unit 36, and an imaging unit 38. The base 31 is a mounting base for various devices equipped in the component mounting device 3. The conveyor 32 is a transport line for the substrate P installed on the base 31 to extend in the X direction, and is composed of a pair of belt-type conveyors. The conveyor 32 transports the substrate P from outside the machine to a predetermined work position, and transports the substrate P from the work position to outside the machine after the mounting work. The position of the substrate P shown in Figure 2 is the work position.

The component supply area 33 is an area where component supply devices for supplying mounted components are arranged, and is provided on both sides of the conveyor 32 in the Y direction. In the component supply area 33 on the Y2 side, multiple tape feeders 34F are installed along the conveyor 32. The tape feeders 34F are component supply devices that supply components by unwinding a tape containing components (small surface mount components) at regular intervals.

In the component supply area 33 on the Y1 side, multiple tape feeders 34F and tray feeders 35F are arranged side by side along the conveyor 32. The multiple tape feeders 34F are arranged on the X1 side, and the tray feeder 35F is arranged on the X2 side. The tray feeder 35F is a type of component supply device that supplies package components such as QFP (Quad Flat Package) and BGA (Ball Grid Array) while they are placed on a tray 52. The tray 52 is a dish-shaped container that is rectangular in plan view and opens upward. The configuration of the tray feeder 35F will be described later.

The head unit 36 is movable in the X and Y directions within a certain area by the head unit drive mechanism 37. The head unit 36 is equipped with multiple mounting heads 36a. Negative pressure for component suction is supplied and cut off to each mounting head 36a, thereby suctioning and holding components and releasing the supply for each mounting head 36a.

The imaging unit 38 captures an image of the component adsorbed and held by each mounting head 36a of the head unit 36 from below in order to recognize the state in which the component is adsorbed and held. The imaging unit 38 includes a camera and a lighting device. The imaging units 38 are disposed on the base 31 on both sides of the conveyor 32 in the Y direction.

In the component mounting device 3 described above, while the head unit 36 moves between the component supply area 33 and the board P arranged at the work position, the mounting head 36a performs a component suction process in which the mounting head 36a suctions and removes components from the tape feeder 34F or tray feeder 35F, and a component mounting process in which the components are transported to the board P and mounted (mounted). By repeating these processes, a predetermined number of components are mounted on the board P. After the component suction process and before the component mounting process, the state of the components being suctioned and held by the mounting head 36a is image-recognized based on the image acquired by the imaging unit 38, and the position of the head unit 36 and the like is corrected according to the result. This ensures the accuracy of mounting the components on the board P.

[Configuration of tray feeder 35F]
As described above, the tray feeder 35F is a component supplying device that supplies package components such as QFPs while they are placed on a tray 52.

2 and 3, the tray feeder 35F includes a tray storage section 40A in which multiple trays 52 are stored, a tray transfer mechanism 40B that moves the trays 52 in and out of the tray storage section 40A, and a tray pull-out mechanism 40C that pulls out the trays 52 to a predetermined component supply position. The tray storage section 40A, tray transfer mechanism 40B, and tray pull-out mechanism 40C are arranged in this order from the Y1 side along the Y direction.

The tray storage unit 40A and the tray transfer mechanism unit 40B have a common rectangular parallelepiped housing 42 that is elongated in the vertical direction. The Y1 side of the housing 42 is the tray storage unit 40A, and the tray transfer mechanism unit 40B is provided adjacent to the Y2 side of the tray storage unit 40A.

The upper part of the tray storage unit 40A is a tray storage area 42A, and the lower part is a rack loading/unloading area 42B where racks 50 are loaded and unloaded from the outside into the tray storage unit 40A. A rack 50 is a box-shaped container for transporting multiple trays 52 together. The trays 52 are transported from the first storage device 6A by the transport robot 7 while stored in the rack 50, and are handed over from the transport robot 7 to the tray storage unit 40A in the rack loading/unloading area 42B, as described below.

The trays 52 are held on a pallet 51, which is a rectangular dish-shaped member larger than the trays 52, and are stored in the rack 50 through the pallet 51. In detail, as shown in FIG. 4, the rack 50 is a hollow box-shaped container with a rectangular parallelepiped shape that penetrates horizontally (Y direction). A plurality of grooves 501 aligned in the Z direction are formed on the inner surfaces facing each other inside the rack 50. By inserting both ends of the pallet 51 into the grooves 501, the plurality of trays 52 are stored in the rack 50 in a state where they are aligned parallel to each other in the Z direction and can be inserted and removed along the grooves 501 together with the pallet 51. Note that FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a side view (schematic diagram viewed from the Y1 side) of the tray storage section 40A (housing 42) showing the rack insertion and removal area 42B.

In the tray storage area 42A, a tray storage unit 43 having the same structure as the rack 50 is arranged. The tray 52 in the rack 50 that has been delivered to the tray storage section 40A in the rack loading/unloading area 42B is pulled out of the rack 50 by the tray transfer mechanism section 40B and transferred to the tray storage unit 43, where it is stored.

The tray transfer mechanism 40B includes a tray transfer unit 44 equipped with a slide mechanism for sliding the tray 52 together with the pallet 51 in the horizontal direction (Y direction), and a drive mechanism (not shown) for moving the tray transfer unit 44 in the Z direction. The tray transfer mechanism 40B moves the tray transfer unit 44 in the Z direction between a position corresponding to the tray storage area 42A and a position corresponding to the rack loading/unloading area 42B. Then, the tray 52 is pulled out from the rack 50 arranged in the rack loading/unloading area 42B, the tray 52 is transported to the tray storage area 42A, and stored in the tray storage unit 43. The tray transfer mechanism 40B also pulls out an empty tray 52 stored in the tray storage unit 43, transports it to the rack loading/unloading area 42B, and stores the tray 52 in the rack 50. In other words, the tray transfer mechanism 40B has a function of switching the tray 52 between the tray storage unit 43 and the rack 50 arranged in the rack loading/unloading area 42B. Furthermore, the tray transfer mechanism 40B places the tray 52 pulled out from the tray storage unit 43 at a predetermined tray pull-out position relative to the tray pull-out mechanism 40C.

2 and 3, the tray pull-out mechanism 40C includes a pair of guide rails 47, 47 extending in the Y direction installed on the base 31, and a pull-out head (not shown) disposed between them. The pull-out head is configured to be movable in the Y direction and to be able to engage the pallet 51. When the pull-out head engages the pallet 51 placed at the tray pull-out position by the tray transfer unit 44 and moves in the Y2 direction, the tray 52 is pulled out together with the pallet 51 from the tray transfer unit 44 to the component supply position (position shown in FIG. 2). Conversely, the pull-out head moves in the Y1 direction, and then releases the engagement state of the pallet 51, returning the tray 52 from the component supply position to the tray transfer unit 44.

4, 10 and 11(a), a rack entrance 421 is provided on the side wall on the Y1 side of the housing 42 at a position corresponding to the rack loading/unloading area 42B. The rack entrance 421 can be opened and closed by a sliding door 422 driven by an actuator (not shown), and is closed by this door 422 except when the rack 50 is being replaced.

A roller conveyor 45 (corresponding to the "rack support section" of the present invention) is disposed in the rack loading/unloading area 42B. The roller conveyor 45 is a linear type conveyor capable of horizontally transporting the rack 50 in the Y direction while supporting it. The roller conveyor 45 comprises a pair of frames 452, 452 arranged at a predetermined interval in the X direction, and a plurality of rollers 451 arranged between them. Of the plurality of rollers 451, one or more rollers 451 are drive rollers driven by a motor not shown, and the rollers 451 other than the drive rollers are driven rollers (free rollers). In other words, the rack 50 is handed over between this roller conveyor 45 and the transport robot 7, and the tray 52 is inserted into and removed from the rack 50 supported on the roller conveyor 45 by the tray transfer unit 44.

[Configuration of Transport Robot 7 (First Embodiment)]
As described above, the transport robot 7 transports refill parts and replacement equipment from the first storage device 6A to the component mounting device 3, and transports used equipment from the component mounting device 3 to the second storage device 6B. In this example, the transport robot 7 transports the rack 50 storing refill parts from the first storage device 6A to the component mounting device 3 and supplies it to the tray feeder 35F, and also retrieves the used rack 50, i.e., the rack 50 storing the empty tray 52, from the tray feeder 35F and transports it to the second storage device 6B. For this reason, the transport robot 7 is configured to be able to transfer the rack 50 to and from the tray feeder 35F.

Figures 5 to 7 show the transport robot 7, with Figure 5 being a plan view, Figure 6 being a side view, and Figure 7 being a front view.

The transport robot 7 comprises a rectangular parallelepiped body 10 equipped with running wheels 11, a conveyor base 13 fixed onto the body 10, and a roller conveyor 12 disposed on the conveyor base 13. The longitudinal direction of the body 10 corresponds to the front-rear direction of the transport robot 7, and the short side direction corresponds to the width direction of the transport robot.

The vehicle body 10 is a travel base for the transport robot 7. The vehicle body 10 has driving wheels 11a and driven wheels (free rollers) 11b as travel wheels. The driving wheels 11a are provided in the center of the vehicle body 10 in the front-rear direction and on both sides in the width direction, and the driven wheels 11b are provided at each of the four corners of the lower part of the vehicle body 10. For example, a Mecanum wheel (registered trademark) driven by a travel motor 111 (shown in FIG. 8) is used as the driving wheel 11a, and for example, an Omni wheel (registered trademark) is used as the driven wheel 11b.

The transport robot 7 runs along the floor surface by driving the drive wheels 11a. In this case, the rotation direction and rotation speed of each drive wheel 11a are individually controlled, so that the transport robot 7 can run in any direction and turn on the spot.

The conveyor base section 13 is a roughly plate-shaped member that is narrower than the vehicle body 10 in plan view and is provided on the upper part of the vehicle body 10. A roller conveyor 12 is provided on the upper surface of the conveyor base section 13. The roller conveyor 12 (corresponding to the "transfer section" of the present invention) includes a first conveyor 12A ("first transfer section") and a second conveyor 12B ("second transfer section"), each of which can transfer the rack 50 between the tray feeder 35F. The first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B are linear type roller conveyors that can transport the rack 50 horizontally. The first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B are arranged back to back in a row so that the directions in which the rack 50 is moved are both the front and rear directions of the transport robot 7. In the following description, for the sake of convenience, the side on which the first conveyor 12A is arranged will be referred to as the front side of the transport robot 7, and the side on which the second conveyor 12B is arranged will be referred to as the rear side of the transport robot 7.

The first conveyor 12A comprises a pair of frames 14, 14 erected at both ends of the width direction of the conveyor base portion 13, and a plurality of rollers 15 arranged between them. The height of the conveying surface of the first conveyor 12A is set to be the same as the height of the conveying surface of the roller conveyor 45 of the tray feeder 35F (see FIG. 10).

The inner width Wc (Figure 7) of the frames 14, 14 is set slightly larger than the width Wr of the rack 50 shown by the imaginary line in Figure 5, and the depth Dc of the first conveyor 12A is set slightly larger than the depth Dr of the rack 50.

Of the multiple rollers 15 of the first conveyor 12A, one or more rollers 15 are drive rollers driven by a roller motor 151 (shown in Figure 8), and the rollers 15 other than the drive rollers are driven rollers (free rollers).

In other words, the first conveyor 12A is configured to support the rack 50 by each roller 15, and to move the rack 50 in the forward and backward directions of the transport robot 7 while being guided by the frames 14, 14 as the drive roller rotates. Tapered guide portions 14a, 14a are provided on the opposing surfaces of the front ends of the frames 14, 14. When the rack 50 is received on the first conveyor 12A from the tray feeder 35F, the rack 50 is guided to the center of both frames 14, 14 by these guide portions 14a.

The first conveyor 12A is also provided with a rack detection sensor 18 (shown in FIG. 8) such as a photoelectric sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a rack 50. Based on the detection of the rack 50 by this rack detection sensor 18, the operation of the drive roller is controlled.

The second conveyor 12B has the same basic configuration as the first conveyor 12A described above, and is provided symmetrically from front to back with respect to the first conveyor 12A. In other words, as described above, it is provided back to back with respect to the first conveyor 12A. Therefore, the tapered guide portions 14a, 14a are provided on the opposing surfaces of the rear end portions of the frames 14, 14.

The front and rear end faces of the vehicle body 10 are provided with robot side positioning units 16A and 16B for positioning the transport robot 7 relative to the tray feeder 35F. The robot side positioning units 16A and 16B are block-shaped members with a groove-shaped abutment surface 161 that is V-shaped (wedge-shaped) in a plan view. The front and rear robot side positioning units 16A and 16B have the same shape. In the following description, the robot side positioning unit 16A located on the front side of the vehicle body 10 (transport robot 7), i.e., on the first conveyor 12A side, will be referred to as the first robot side positioning unit 16A, and the robot side positioning unit 16B located on the rear side, i.e., on the second conveyor 12B side, will be referred to as the second robot side positioning unit 16B.

In a plan view, a travel sensor 17 is provided at each diagonal corner of the vehicle body 10. The travel sensor 17 is, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor, and the travel operation of the transport robot 7 is controlled by the travel sensor 17 detecting targets and obstacles.

As already described, the transport robot 7 has a rotationally symmetrical configuration in a plan view due to the arrangement of the roller conveyor 12, robot side positioning units 16A, 16B and running sensor 17 relative to the vehicle body 10.

Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the control system of the transport robot 7. The transport robot 7 is equipped with a robot control unit 20 that controls its operation. The transport robot 7 is equipped with a communication module 21 that can wirelessly communicate with the management device 8, and the robot control unit 20 controls the operation of the transport robot 7 based on commands sent from the management device 8. That is, the travel motor 111, roller motor 151, and sensors 17 and 18 are electrically connected to the robot control unit 20, and the robot control unit 20 controls the drive of the travel motor 111 based on information acquired by the travel sensor 17, and controls the drive of the roller motor 151 based on information acquired by the rack detection sensor 18. In addition, a battery (not shown) is installed in the vehicle body 10, and the travel motor 111, roller motor 151, etc. are operated by receiving power supply from the battery.

[Transportation Operation of Rack 50 by Transport Robot 7]
Next, the transport operation of the rack 50 by the transport robot 7 based on the control of the robot control unit 20 will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 9 to 11. Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram that shows a schematic diagram of the transport operation of the rack 50 by the transport robot 7, and Fig. 10 is a side view (partially cross-sectional view) showing the tray feeder 35F and the transport robot 7 when the rack 50 is handed over. Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram (plan view) of the operation when the transport robot 7 is positioned. Note that the configurations of the transport robot 7 and the tray feeder 35F are simplified in Fig. 9.

The transport robot 7 first receives a rack 50 (hereinafter referred to as "resupply rack 50a") containing resupply parts from the first storage device 6A, and travels along the production line PL. For example, as shown in FIG. 9(a), the transport robot 7 travels along the production line PL with the first conveyor 12A side at the front, with the rack 50 mounted on the second conveyor 12B. Then, the transport robot 7 stops when it reaches the position of the tray feeder 35F of the component mounting device 3 that is the target of component resupply, more specifically, the position of the housing 42 of the tray storage unit 40A.

The transport robot 7 then rotates 90° on the spot so that the first conveyor 12A faces the rack entrance/exit 421 of the housing 42 (tray storage section 40A), and then advances in the Y2 direction as shown in Figures 9 (b) and (c), and stops when positioned in the housing 42.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 11(a), below the rack entrance 421 of the housing 42, a feeder side positioning section 46 corresponding to the robot side positioning sections 16A and 16B is provided. The feeder side positioning section 46 is a block-shaped member having a mountain-shaped abutment surface 461 that is triangular (wedge-shaped) in plan view and corresponds to the abutment surface 161 of the robot side positioning section 16A and 16B. When the transport robot 7 advances in the Y2 direction with the first conveyor 12A facing the housing 42, the first robot side positioning section 16A and the feeder side positioning section 46 abut against each other, and the position of the transport robot 7 is corrected so that the abutment surfaces 161 and 461 of the first conveyor 12A and the feeder side positioning section 46 match each other. As a result, the transport robot 7 is positioned relative to the housing 42 as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11(b). In other words, the transport robot 7 is positioned in a state in which the first conveyor 12A and the roller conveyor 45 are aligned in the Y direction via the rack entrance 421.

In addition, markers 423 are provided on both sides in the X direction of the rack entrance 421 of the housing 42. When positioning the transport robot 7, the stopping position of the transport robot 7 is controlled based on detection of the markers 423 by the travel sensor 17. Then, while the transport robot 7 is stopped, the travel motor 111 is controlled so that the electromagnetic brake (motor brake) operates. This maintains the positioning state of the transport robot 7.

Meanwhile, a rack 50 in which the tray 52 has been replaced by the tray transfer unit 44, i.e., a used rack 50 containing an empty tray 52 (hereinafter referred to as "used rack 50b"), is placed on the roller conveyor 45 of the tray feeder 35F (as shown by the dashed double-dashed line in Figure 10).

When the positioning of the transport robot 7 is completed, the door 422 of the housing 42 is operated to open the rack entrance 421, and the roller conveyor 45 of the tray storage section 40A and the first conveyor 12A of the transport robot 7 are operated. That is, the drive rollers rotate. As a result, as shown in Figures 9(c), 10, and 11(c), the used rack 50b is handed over (recovered) from the tray feeder 35F (roller conveyor 45) to the transport robot 7 (first conveyor 12A). At this time, when the rack detection sensor 18 of the transport robot 7 detects the rack 50, the first conveyor 12A stops.

When the transfer of the used rack 50b to the transport robot 7 is completed, the transport robot 7 retreats once in the Y1 direction to release the positioning state with respect to the housing 42, as shown in FIG. 9(d), and then rotates 180° on the spot so that the second conveyor 12B on which the supply rack 50a is mounted faces the rack entrance 421. Then, as shown in FIG. 9(e), it advances in the Y2 direction and stops in a state where it is positioned with respect to the housing 42. In this case, the second robot side positioning unit 16B abuts against the feeder side positioning unit 46, thereby positioning the transport robot 7 with respect to the housing 42, and the positioning state is maintained by the electromagnetic brake (motor brake) described above.

Once the positioning of the transport robot 7 is complete, the roller conveyor 45 of the tray storage section 40A and the second conveyor 12B of the transport robot 7 are activated. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9(e), the supply rack 50a is transferred from the transport robot 7 (second conveyor 12B) to the tray feeder 35F (roller conveyor 45). In this case, the supply rack 50a moves from the first conveyor 12A to the roller conveyor 45, and when the rack detection sensor 18 no longer detects the rack 50, the drive roller is stopped.

When the exchange of the supply rack 50a and the used rack 50b is completed as described above, the transport robot 7 retreats in the Y1 direction as shown in FIG. 9(f) to release the positioning state, and then rotates 90°. Then, with the used rack 50b loaded on the first conveyor 12A, the transport robot 7 travels along the production line PL with the second conveyor 12B at the front. The transport robot 7 then returns from the production area A1 to the preparation area A2 along the route shown by the arrow in FIG. 1, and delivers the collected used rack 50b to the second storage device 6B. This completes the series of transport operations of the rack 50 by the transport robot 7.

In the above description, the transport robot 7 loads the refill rack 50a on the second conveyor 12B and the used rack 50b on the first conveyor 12A, but of course the reverse is also possible. The transport robot 7 may run on either the first conveyor 12A or the second conveyor 12B as the leading edge, and this can be changed as appropriate. This also applies to the transport robot 7A of the second embodiment described below.

[Action and Effect]
According to the transport robot 7 described above, it is possible to automatically supply the replenishing rack 50a to the tray feeder 35F and collect the used rack 50b from the tray feeder 35F. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to manually perform the part replenishing work for the tray feeder 35F as in the conventional case, and the part replenishing work for the tray feeder 35F is made more efficient.

In particular, as described above, the transport robot 7 supplies parts by exchanging the replenishing rack 50a with the used rack 50b. Therefore, the work time for replenishing parts is significantly reduced compared to when replenishing parts for the tray feeder 35F, for example, on a tray-by-tray basis. In other words, for example, when replacing a used tray 52 with a pallet 51, replacement work is required for the number of pallets 51, and the work time increases when there are a large number of pallets. However, according to the transport robot 7, even when replacing the same number of trays 52 (pallets), it is only necessary to replace the used rack 50b with the replenishing rack 50a, so that part replenishing is completed in a short time. Therefore, according to the transport robot 7, it is possible to speed up the part replenishing work for the tray feeder 35F.

In addition, as a result of speeding up the component supply operation for the tray feeder 35F in this manner, the transport robot 7 engaged in the operation is prevented from blocking the travel route of the transport robot 7 for a long period of time. Therefore, it is possible to suppress or prevent problems such as a transport robot 7 engaged in component supply operation placing the following transport robot 7 in a standby state for a long period of time, and ultimately causing other component mounting devices 3 (tray feeders 35F) to be unable to supply components in time.

In the embodiment of the tray feeder 35F, when replenishing parts, it is necessary to exchange the replenishing rack 50a with the used rack 50b. As described above, the transport robot 7 is equipped with the first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B, and the exchange work of the used rack 50b and the replenishing rack 50a can be performed continuously by a single transport robot 7. Therefore, this also has the advantage of making it possible to speed up the part replenishing work for the tray feeder 35F.

In addition, in the transport robot 7 of the embodiment, the first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B have the same configuration, and as described above, have a rotationally symmetric configuration in a plan view. In other words, there are few restrictions on the running direction when traveling along the production line PL and on the conveyors that transfer racks. Therefore, there is also the advantage that it can flexibly respond to the transportation of racks 50 (supply racks 50a, used racks 50b) according to the situation of each component mounting device (tray feeder 35F) on the production line PL.

In addition, since the transport robot 7 is equipped with Mecanum wheels or omni wheels as running wheels, the degree of freedom in the running direction is very high. Therefore, when positioning the transport robot 7 with respect to the tray feeder 35F, the position of the transport robot 7 can be easily corrected by simply moving the transport robot 7 forward so that the abutment surface 461 of the feeder side positioning unit 46 matches the abutment surfaces 161 of the robot side positioning units 16A and 16B. This has the advantage that the transport robot 7 can be positioned with high precision with respect to the tray feeder 35F, and thus the transfer of the rack 50 between the tray feeder 35F and the transport robot 7 can be performed stably and reliably.

[Second embodiment of the transport robot]
Next, a second embodiment of the transport robot will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. The basic configuration of a transport robot 7A according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the transport robot 7 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used to designate parts common to the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted or simplified, and differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described in detail. The same applies to a transport robot 7B according to a third embodiment described later.

Figure 12 is a plan view of the transport robot 7A according to the second embodiment, and Figure 13 is a side view of the transport robot 7A. As shown in Figures 12 and 13, in the transport robot 7A according to the second embodiment, the conveyor base section 13 (corresponding to the "table section" of the present invention) is rotatably supported on the vehicle body 10 via a support shaft 13a, and is configured to rotate together with the roller conveyor 12 by the driving force of a rotation motor (not shown). The rotation motor is electrically connected to the robot control section 20, and the rotation operation of the roller conveyor 12 relative to the vehicle body 10 is controlled by the robot control section 20.

Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic diagram of a part of the transport operation of the rack 50 by the transport robot 7A. The operation of the transport robot 7A to collect the used rack 50b from the tray feeder 35F is the same as the operation by the transport robot 7 of the first embodiment shown in Figures 9 (a) and (b). That is, the transport robot 7A runs along the production line PL with the first conveyor 12A side at the front, with the supply rack 50a received from the first storage device 6A mounted on the second conveyor 12B. After that, the transport robot 7A turns so that the first conveyor 12A faces the rack entrance 421 of the housing 42 (tray storage section 40A), and then further advances in the Y2 direction and stops in a state where it is positioned relative to the housing 42 by the positioning units 16A and 46. In this state, as shown in Figure 14 (a), the used rack 50b is handed over (collected) from the tray feeder 35F to the transport robot 7A.

When the transfer of the used rack 50b to the transport robot 7A is completed, as shown in FIG. 14(b), the roller conveyor 12 is rotated 180° together with the conveyor base 13 while maintaining the positioning state set by the positioning units 16A and 46. As a result, the second conveyor 12B carrying the refill rack 50a is positioned to face the rack entrance 421.

Thereafter, the roller conveyor 45 of the tray storage section 40A and the second conveyor 12B of the transport robot 7A are operated, and the supply rack 50a is transferred from the transport robot 7A (second conveyor 12B) to the tray feeder 35F (roller conveyor 45), as shown in FIG. 14 (c).

When the exchange of the supply rack 50a and the used rack 50b is completed in this manner, the transport robot 7A retreats in the Y2 direction as shown in Fig. 14(d) to release the positioning, and then rotates by 90°. Then, with the used rack 50b loaded onto the first conveyor 12A, the transport robot travels along the production line PL, with the second conveyor 12B at the front.

As described above, in the transport robot 7A of the second embodiment, the roller conveyor 12 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the vehicle body 10. According to this transport robot 7A, as described above, after collecting the used rack 50b from the tray feeder 35F, the second conveyor 12B on which the supply rack 50a is mounted can be made to face the rack entrance 421 while maintaining the positioning state by the positioning units 16A and 46 (FIG. 14(b)). Therefore, the operation as shown in FIGS. 9(d) and (e) in the transport robot 7 of the first embodiment, that is, the operation of releasing the positioning state of the transport robot 7 by the positioning units 16A and 46, turning the transport robot 7, and then repositioning the transport robot 7 with respect to the housing 42 by the positioning units 16B and 46, is not required. Therefore, since this operation is not required, the transport robot 7A of the second embodiment can further improve the efficiency of the part supply work for the tray feeder 35F.

[Third embodiment of the transport robot]
Next, a third embodiment of the transport robot will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a plan view of a transport robot 7B according to the third embodiment.

In the transport robot 7 of the first embodiment, the first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B are arranged back-to-back in a row so that the transport directions of the racks 50 are both in the front-to-rear direction of the transport robot 7. In contrast, in the transport robot 7B of the third embodiment, the first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B are arranged side-by-side along the front-to-rear direction of the transport robot 7B so that the transport directions of the racks 50 are both in the width direction of the transport robot 7B.

In addition, in the transport robot 7B of the third embodiment, a first robot side positioning unit 16A is provided on one side of the vehicle body 10 (the upper side in Figure 15) at a position corresponding to the first conveyor 12A, and a second robot side positioning unit 16B is provided at a position corresponding to the second conveyor 12B.

In the transport robot 7B according to the third embodiment, the rack 50 is transported as shown in Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic diagram of a part of the transport operation of the rack 50 by the transport robot 7B.

The transport robot 7B first receives the supply rack 50a from the first storage device 6A, and, as shown in FIG. 16(a), with the rack 50 mounted on the second conveyor 12B, travels along the production line PL with the first conveyor 12A side at the front. Then, when the first conveyor 12A reaches a position facing the tray storage section 40A of the tray feeder 35F, specifically, when it reaches a position facing the rack entrance 421 of the housing 42, it stops once and moves in the Y2 direction. This positions the transport robot 7B relative to the housing 42. That is, the first robot side positioning section 16A abuts against the feeder side positioning section 46, and the transport robot 7B is positioned in a state in which the first conveyor 12A and the roller conveyor 45 are lined up in the Y direction via the rack entrance 421, as shown in FIG. 16(b). In this state, the used rack 50b is delivered from the tray feeder 35F (roller conveyor 45) to the transport robot 7B (first conveyor 12A).

When the transfer of the used rack 50b is completed, the transport robot 7B moves in the Y1 direction as shown in FIG. 16(c) to release the positioning state, and then moves in the X2 direction. Then, when the second conveyor 12B reaches a position facing the rack entrance 421 of the housing 42, it stops once and moves in the Y2 direction. This positions the transport robot 7B with respect to the housing 42. That is, the second robot side positioning unit 16B abuts against the feeder side positioning unit 46, as shown in FIG. 16(d), so that the transport robot 7B is positioned in a state in which the second conveyor 12B and the roller conveyor 45 of the tray storage unit 40A are aligned in the Y direction via the rack entrance 421. In this state, the supply rack 50a is transferred from the transport robot 7B (second conveyor 12B) to the tray feeder 35F (roller conveyor 45).

Once the transfer of the supply rack 50a is complete, the transport robot 7B moves in the Y1 direction to release its position relative to the housing 42, and then travels in the X2 direction to travel along the production line PL.

As described above, in the transport robot 7B of the third embodiment, the first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B are arranged side by side in the front-to-rear direction of the transport robot 7B. With this transport robot 7B, it is possible to transfer the used rack 50b and the refill rack 50a simply by moving in the Y direction during positioning while traveling in the X direction. In other words, there is no need to rotate the entire transport robot 7 as in the first embodiment. Therefore, with the transport robot 7B of the third embodiment, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the part refilling work for the tray feeder 35F.

In addition, this transport robot 7B is always positioned relative to the tray feeder 35F so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the X direction. Therefore, compared to the transport robots 7 and 7A of the first and second embodiments, which need to be positioned so that their longitudinal directions are perpendicular to the X direction (Y direction) during the transfer operation of the rack 50, less space is required on the Y1 side of the tray feeder 35F. Therefore, the transport robot 7B of the third embodiment is a convenient configuration when multiple production lines PL are installed adjacent to each other with a relatively narrow interval.

In the transport robot 7B shown in Fig. 15, the robot side positioning units 16A, 16B are provided only on one side of the vehicle body 10 (the upper side in Fig. 15), but similar robot side positioning units 16A, 16B may also be provided on the other side (the lower side in Fig. 15). With this configuration, it is possible to perform the transport operation of the rack 50 as described above regardless of whether the tray feeder 35F is located on the left or right side of the traveling direction of the transport robot 7B.

[Modification]
The above-described transport robots 7, 7A, and 7B, and the component mounting system 100 including these, are examples of preferred embodiments of the transport robot and the component mounting system according to the present invention, and the specific configurations thereof can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the following configurations also belong to the present invention.

(1) In the embodiment of the component mounting system 100, one transport robot 7 (7A, 7B) exchanges the supply rack 50a and the used rack 50b for the tray feeder 35F, but a different transport robot 7 may be used. That is, for operational purposes, a transport robot 7 dedicated to rack collection and a transport robot 7 dedicated to rack supply may be provided. In this case, for example, the transport robot 7 dedicated to rack collection receives used racks 50b from two component mounting devices 3 (tray feeders 35F) on the first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B, respectively, while traveling on the production line PL. On the other hand, the transport robot 7 dedicated to rack supply travels behind the transport robot 7 dedicated to collection with the supply racks 50a loaded on the first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B, respectively, and supplies the supply racks 50a to the tray feeder 35F from which the used racks 50b have been collected by the transport robot 7 dedicated to collection.

(2) The transport robot 7 according to the first embodiment is equipped with two roller conveyors (first conveyor 12A and second conveyor 12B), but the number of roller conveyors may be one. In this case, different transport robots 7 may supply the refill racks 50a to the tray feeder 35F and collect the used racks 50b.

(3) In the embodiment, the transport robot 7, 7A, 7B is equipped with a roller conveyor (12A, 12B) as the "transfer section" of the present invention. However, as long as the rack 50 can be transferred between the tray feeder 35F (roller conveyor 45) by moving the rack 50 horizontally, the "transfer section" is not limited to the roller conveyor. For example, it may be a ball conveyor equipped with multiple rolling balls (spheres) or a wheel conveyor equipped with multiple rotatable donut-shaped wheels (rotating bodies). In this case, a thrust can be applied to the rack 50 by rotating the balls or wheels. The "transfer section" may also be a conveyor configured by appropriately combining rollers, balls, and wheels.

(4) In the first conveyor 12A and the second conveyor 12B of the embodiment, one or more of the rollers 15 are drive rollers, and the rack 50 is moved by the rotation of the drive roller. In other words, a thrust is applied to the rack 50 by the rotation of the drive roller. However, the "transfer section" of the present invention may be configured by making all of the rollers 15 into driven rollers (free rollers), and providing a separate mechanism (thrust applying mechanism) for applying a thrust to the rack 50. For example, a thrust applying mechanism may be provided that presses the rack 50 by the operation of a motor or an air cylinder. The same applies when the above-mentioned ball conveyor or wheel conveyor is applied.

(5) Although the tray feeder 35F in the embodiment is equipped with a roller conveyor 45 as the "rack support portion" of the present invention, the "rack support portion" is not limited to the roller conveyor 45 as long as it can support the rack 50 so that it can be inserted and removed horizontally. It may also be a ball conveyor or wheel conveyor as described above. It may also be a conveyor configured by appropriately combining rollers, balls, and wheels.

(6) In the tray feeder 35F of the embodiment, one or more of the rollers 451 of the roller conveyor 45 are drive rollers, and the rack 50 is moved by the rotation of the drive roller. However, all of the rollers 451 may be driven rollers (free rollers), and a separate mechanism may be provided to apply a thrust to the rack 50. The same applies when the above-mentioned ball conveyor or wheel conveyor is applied.

The present invention can be summarized as follows for the embodiments described above:

A transport robot according to one aspect of the present invention is a self-propelled transport robot that includes a component supply unit having a rack in which a plurality of trays are stored, and is capable of transferring the rack to and from the component supply unit (tray feeder) of a component mounting device that removes components stored in the tray and mounts them on a board, and the component supply unit includes a rack support unit that supports the rack so that it can be moved in and out horizontally. The transport robot includes a running unit that runs along a floor surface and has running wheels, and a transfer unit that is provided on the running unit so as to be able to support the rack, and that transfers the rack between the running unit and the rack support unit by moving the rack horizontally.

This transport robot is capable of supporting a rack and moving on its own, and of transferring the rack to and from a parts supply unit (tray feeder). This can contribute to automating parts supply work for the parts supply unit. In particular, since parts can be supplied to the parts supply unit on a rack-by-rack basis, the efficiency of parts supply work for the parts supply unit can be improved.

In the above-mentioned transport robot, the transfer section comprises, for example, a roller conveyor equipped with a plurality of rollers, including at least one drive roller capable of applying a thrust to the rack when the rack is transferred.

With this transport robot configuration, the rack can be moved smoothly by rotating the drive rollers while the rack is supported on the rollers. This contributes to smoother transfer of the rack between the transport robot and the parts supply unit.

It is preferable that the above-mentioned transport robot further includes a positioning unit for positioning the transport robot relative to the part supply unit.

This configuration suppresses or prevents the transport robot from shifting its position relative to the part supply unit. This improves the stability and reliability of the transfer of racks between the part supply unit and the transport robot.

In the above-mentioned transport robot, it is preferable that the transfer section is provided with a guide section that guides the rack when the rack is transferred.

This configuration suppresses or prevents the rack from shifting out of position during rack transfer, making it possible to transfer the rack more smoothly.

In the above-mentioned transport robot, it is preferable that the transfer section includes a first transfer section and a second transfer section, each of which is capable of transferring the rack between the rack support section and the first transfer section.

This configuration makes it possible to more efficiently supply parts to the parts supply unit. For example, the robot can travel with a supply rack supported only on the first transfer section, first receive a used rack from the parts supply unit to the second transfer section, and then transfer the supply rack from the first transfer section to the parts supply unit. In this case, a single transport robot can continuously collect used racks and transfer supply racks to the parts supply unit.

In this case, the transport robot may be configured to include a table section that supports the first transfer section and the second transfer section and is rotatable relative to the running section, and the first transfer section and the second transfer section are arranged on the table in a row back-to-back in the same direction as the direction in which the rack is moved.

With this configuration, with the transport robot positioned opposite the component supply unit, it is possible to switch between a state in which the first transfer unit faces the component supply unit and a state in which the second transfer unit faces the component supply unit by rotating only the table. Therefore, as described above, it is possible to quickly perform the collection of used racks and the transfer of replenishment racks while the traveling unit is stopped.

In addition, in the transfer robot, the first transfer section and the second transfer section may be arranged side-by-side in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the rack is moved.

With this configuration, it is possible to perform the previously described collection of used racks and transfer of replenishment racks while moving the transport robot in the alignment direction of the first transfer section and the second transfer section.

In the above-mentioned transport robot, it is preferable that the running wheels consist of Mecanum wheels and/or omni wheels.

This configuration increases the freedom of the transport robot's travel direction. This makes it possible to position the transport robot relative to the component supply unit with the minimum amount of movement required.

On the other hand, the component mounting system of the present invention includes a component mounting device that has a component supply unit having a rack in which a plurality of trays are stored, and that removes components stored in the tray and mounts them on a board, and a self-propelled transport robot that can transfer the rack to and from the component supply unit, and the component supply unit has a rack support unit that supports the rack so that it can be moved in and out horizontally, and the transport robot has a running unit that has running wheels and runs along the floor surface, and a transfer unit that is provided on the running unit so as to be able to support the rack, and that transfers the rack to and from the rack support unit by moving the rack horizontally.

This component mounting system is equipped with the transport robot described above, making it possible to efficiently produce component-mounted boards while automating the component supply work for the component supply unit.

Claims (7)

A self-propelled transport robot including a component supply unit having a rack in which a plurality of trays are stored, the component supply unit being capable of delivering the rack to and from a component mounting device that picks up components stored in the trays and mounts them on a board,
the component supply unit includes a rack support unit that supports the rack so as to be capable of being inserted and removed horizontally;
The transport robot is
A running unit having running wheels that runs along a floor surface;
a transfer section that is provided on the traveling section so as to be able to support the rack, and transfers the rack between the traveling section and the rack support section by moving the rack in a horizontal direction ;
a table section supporting the transfer section and rotatable with respect to the travel section;
a positioning unit that positions the transport robot with respect to the part supply unit,
the transfer unit includes a first transfer unit and a second transfer unit each capable of transferring the rack between the first transfer unit and the rack support unit,
the first transfer section and the second transfer section are arranged on the table section in a row back-to-back in the same direction as the direction in which the rack is moved,
The positioning unit positions the traveling unit relative to the component supply unit,
The transport robot, characterized in that the table portion is configured to be rotatable with the traveling portion positioned at the component supply portion by the positioning portion . 2. The transport robot according to claim 1,
The transport robot, characterized in that the transfer section is composed of a roller conveyor equipped with a plurality of rollers, including at least one drive roller capable of applying a thrust to the rack when the rack is transferred. 3. The transport robot according to claim 1,
The transport robot, wherein the delivery unit is provided with a guide unit that guides the rack when the rack is delivered. 4. The transport robot according to claim 1 , wherein the running wheels are comprised of Mecanum wheels and/or Omni wheels. 2. The transport robot according to claim 1 ,
a travel motor that drives the running wheels and is equipped with an electromagnetic brake;
A control unit that controls the driving motor,
The control unit activates the electromagnetic brake while the positioning unit is positioning the traveling unit. The transport robot according to claim 1 or 5 ,
when the positioning unit is defined as a robot-side positioning unit, the component supply unit is provided with a component supply unit-side positioning unit for positioning the robot-side positioning unit,
one of the robot side positioning unit and the component supply unit side positioning unit has a contact surface that is V-shaped in a plan view and has a V-groove-shaped contact surface, and the other of the robot side positioning unit has a contact surface that is triangular in a plan view and corresponds to the contact surface;
The transport robot, wherein the running wheels are made of Mecanum wheels and/or Omni wheels. a component mounting device including a component supply unit having a rack in which a plurality of trays are stored, the component mounting device removing components stored in the trays and mounting the components on a board;
A component mounting system comprising a self-propelled transport robot capable of transferring the rack to and from the component supply unit, the transport robot comprising the transport robot according to any one of claims 1 to 6 .

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