Attitude changing apparatus, aligning apparatus, attitude changing method and aligning method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10029864-B2
Application number	US-201615259367-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2016
Priority date	Mar 13, 2014
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A component having a rectangular parallelepiped shape where the component includes a pair of rectangular end surfaces which are opposite to each other and four side surfaces which connect the end surfaces to each other is stored in a cavity which penetrates between main surfaces of a conveyance member, and the conveyance member is moved relative to a base. Along with the relative movement of the conveyance member, the component having the end surface brought into contact with a reference surface has the end surface brought into contact with an inclined surface of an engaging groove and is inclined.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An attitude changing apparatus used for a component having a rectangular parallelepiped shape where the component includes a pair of rectangular end surfaces which are opposite to each other and four side surfaces which connect the end surfaces to each other, the attitude changing apparatus comprising:
a base having a reference surface and an engaging groove formed in a groove shape with respect to the reference surface, the engaging groove including an inclined surface which is inclined with respect to a direction orthogonal to a direction along which one end and the other end of the engaging groove are connected to each other, a valley on one side of the inclined surface, and the inclined surface being formed such that one of the end surfaces of the component is configured to be brought into contact with the inclined surface in a zone in the inclined surface, and the zone being extended between the one end of the engaging groove and a predetermined position that is located between the one end and the other end of the engaging groove;
a conveyance member having first and second main surfaces which are opposite to each other and a cavity which penetrates between the first and second main surfaces, the conveyance member being configured to move relatively with respect to the base such that the second main surface faces the reference surface and the cavity sequentially faces the engaging groove from the one end to the other end of the engaging groove, the cavity being formed such that the component is stored in the cavity in a state where the end surface of the component is brought into contact with the reference surface and, thereafter, the component is moved in a state where the component is stored in the cavity, and the component being brought into an attitude where the side surface of the component is brought into contact with the reference surface, and such that a portion of the component at the predetermined position projects from the first main surface; and
a biasing member, including a surface, formed such that the biasing member is brought into contact with the portion of the component which projects from the first main surface at the predetermined position, and along with the relative movement of the conveyance member with respect to the base, the component is biased so that the component is rotated about a corner or a round corner of the component on the valley side of the inclined surface such that the one end surface of the component is rotated away from the inclined surface, thus separating the end surface of the component from the inclined surface during said rotation about the corner or the round corner, wherein
the component stored in the cavity is conveyed along the engaging groove along with the relative movement of the conveyance member with respect to the base so that the component is changed into the attitude where the side surface of the component is brought into contact with the reference surface from the attitude where the end surface of the component is brought into contact with the reference surface.

2. The attitude changing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a suction unit including a hole, that sucks the component stored in the cavity, the suction unit being disposed on a second main surface side of the conveyance member, and being configured to suck the component in a direction opposite to a direction that the component is biased by the biasing member.

3. An aligning apparatus comprising:
the attitude changing apparatus described in claim 1 ; and
further comprising:
a component supplier which supplies the component into the cavity, wherein
the component supplier supplies the component into the cavity in such a manner that the end surface of the component is brought into contact with the reference surface or in such a manner that the side surface of the component is brought into contact with the reference surface,
the component which is supplied into the cavity in such a manner that the end surface is brought into contact with the reference surface is conveyed along the engaging groove along with the relative movement of the conveyance member with respect to the base, and is biased by the biasing member so that the component is changed into an attitude where the side surface is brought into contact with the reference surface, and
the component which is supplied into the cavity in such a manner that the side surface is brought into contact with the reference surface is conveyed along with the relative movement of the conveyance member with respect to the base, and the component is not biased by the biasing member so that an attitude of the component where the side surface is brought into contact with the reference surface is maintained.

4. An attitude changing method used for a component having a rectangular parallelepiped shape where the component includes a pair of rectangular end surfaces which are opposite to each other and four side surfaces which connect the end surfaces to each other, the attitude changing method comprising:
a first step of storing the component into a cavity of a conveyance member having first and second main surfaces which are opposite to each other and the cavity which penetrates between the first and second main surfaces; and
a second step of moving the conveyance member relatively with respect to a base having a reference surface and an engaging groove formed in a groove shape with respect to the reference surface and making the component stored in the cavity sequentially face the engaging groove from one end to the other end of the engaging groove, wherein
the second step includes:
a first sub step of inclining the component with respect to the reference surface along with advancing of the component from the one end of the engaging groove to a predetermined position of the engaging groove by bringing one of the end surfaces of the component, which is brought into contact with the reference surface, among components stored in the cavity by the first step, into contact with an inclined surface of the engaging groove, inclined with respect to a direction orthogonal to a direction which connects the one end and the other end of the engaging groove, from the one end of the engaging groove to the predetermined position that is located between the one end and the other end of the engaging groove; and
a second sub step of further inclining the component by bringing a biasing member, including a surface, into contact with a portion of the component projecting from the first main surface at the predetermined position, and by rotating the component about a corner or a rounded corner of the component on a valley on one side of an inclined surface of the engaging groove by biasing a portion of the component along with the relative movement of the conveyance member with respect to the base such that the one end surface of the component is rotated away from the inclined surface, thus separating the end surface of the component from the inclined surface during said rotation about the corner or the round corner, and
after the second step is finished, the attitude of the component is changed into an attitude where the side surface is brought into contact with the reference surface.

5. The attitude changing method according to claim 4 , wherein in the second step further comprises sucking the component stored in the cavity in a direction opposite to a direction that the component is biased by the biasing member.

6. An aligning method, comprising:
the attitude changing method of claim 4 , wherein
in the first step of the attitude changing method, the component is supplied to the cavity in such a manner that the end surface of the component is brought into contact with the reference surface or in such a manner that

Assignees

• Murata Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Harada Masatoshi

Classifications

• B65G47/848 Primary

  the article-engaging elements being suction or magnetic means · CPC title

• B65G47/846

  Star-shaped wheels or wheels equipped with article-engaging elements · CPC title

• B65G47/248 Primary

  by turning over or inverting them (B65G47/244 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K13/022

  with orientation of the elements · CPC title

• B65G47/763

  Fixed ploughs or transverse scrapers · CPC title