Bulk feeder and component mounting machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12439575-B2
Application number	US-201917776647-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2019
Priority date	Nov 14, 2019
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A bulk feeder includes a feeder main body, a track member having a reception region in which multiple components discharged from a component case accommodating the components in a bulk state are received, a supply region to which the components are supplied, and a conveyance path of the components from the reception region to the supply region, a vibration device configured to apply vibration to the track member such that the components on the conveyance path are conveyed, and an alignment member configured to guide the multiple components conveyed by the vibration of the track member and align the components with respect to the feeder main body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bulk feeder comprising:
a feeder main body;
a track member on an upper part of the feeder main body, the track member including:
a reception region in which components are received from a component case accommodating the components in a bulk state,
a supply region to which the components are supplied, and
a conveyance path of the components from the reception region to the supply region;

a vibration device connected to the feeder main body, the vibration device configured to apply vibration to the track member to convey the components on the conveyance path; and
an alignment member in the supply region of the track member, the alignment member configured to align the components conveyed by the vibration of the track member by the vibration device with respect to the feeder main body, and the alignment member including cavities individually accommodating the components.

2. The bulk feeder according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cavities are arranged in a matrix in the supply region.

3. The bulk feeder according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the cavities is open on an upper face of the conveyance path.

4. The bulk feeder according to claim 1 ,
wherein the alignment member has a magnet configured to guide the components into the cavities by magnetic force or hold the components accommodated in the cavities by the magnetic force.

5. The bulk feeder according to claim 1 ,
wherein the alignment member is attached to the track member to be exchangeable.

6. The bulk feeder according to claim 1 ,
wherein the alignment member is formed integrally with the track member,
the track member is attached to the feeder main body to be exchangeable.

7. A component mounting machine comprising:
a bulk feeder comprising:
a feeder main body,
a track member on an upper part of the feeder main body, the track member including:
a reception region in which components are received from a component case accommodating the components in a bulk state,
a supply region to which the components are supplied, and
a conveyance path of the components from the reception region to the supply region,

a vibration device connected to the feeder main body, the vibration device configured to apply vibration to the track member to convey the components on the conveyance path, and
an alignment member in the supply region of the track member, the alignment member configured to align the components conveyed by the vibration of the track member by the vibration device with respect to the feeder main body, and the alignment member including cavities individually accommodating the components;

a mounting head provided to be movable in a horizontal direction and configured to support multiple holding members, which are configured to hold the components supplied by the bulk feeder, respectively, to be raised and lowered; and
a control device configured to control operations of the bulk feeder and the mounting head and repeatedly execute a pick and place cycle including a collection operation of collecting the components from the bulk feeder and a mounting operation of mounting the components on a board.

8. The component mounting machine according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a camera configured to image the supply region,
wherein the control device is configured to execute recognition processing of recognizing a supply state of the components in the supply region based on image data acquired by imaging of the camera and control the operation of the mounting head in the collection operation based on a result of the recognition processing of the supply state.

9. The component mounting machine according to claim 8 ,
wherein the control device is configured to cause the bulk feeder to execute alignment processing of aligning the components in the supply region in a period from termination of the collection operation of a current pick and place cycle to start of the collection operation of a next pick and place cycle.

10. The component mounting machine according to claim 9 ,
wherein the control device is configured to omit execution of the alignment processing scheduled after the collection operation of the current pick and place cycle is terminated and control the operation of the mounting head in the collection operation of the next pick and place cycle based on the result of the recognition processing of the supply state, in a case where the number of collectable components in the result of the recognition processing of the supply state is equal to or larger than a sum of the numbers of the components scheduled to be collected in the current pick and place cycle and in the next pick and place cycle.

11. The component mounting machine according to claim 10 ,
wherein the control device is configured to cause the bulk feeder to execute the alignment processing again, in a case where the number of collectable components in the result of the recognition processing of the supply state is less than the number of the components scheduled to be collected in the current pick and place cycle.

12. The component mounting machine according to claim 8 ,
wherein the alignment member has multiple cavities individually accommodating the components, and
the control device is configured to recognize the supply state indicating whether the components are accommodated in the multiple cavities to be collectable by image processing on the image data, in the recognition processing of the supply state.

13. The component mounting machine according to claim 12 ,
wherein the mounting head is configured to support a suction nozzle configured to pick up the component by negative pressure air, and
the control device is configured to control the operation of the mounting head to position the suction nozzle at a center of the cavity accommodating the component to be collectable, in the collection operation.

14. The component mounting machine according to claim 7 ,
wherein the alignment member is configured to align the components in the supply region at a defined interval,
the mounting head is configured to support two holding members at an interval of an integral multiple of the defined interval, and
the control device is configured to collect two components by operating the mounting head such that at least parts of raising and lowering of the two holding members overlap in a state of maintaining a position of the mounting head in the horizontal direction in the collection operation.

Assignees

• Fuji Corp

Inventors

• Kawasaki Yuji
• Yamazaki Yusuke
• Aoki Shingo
• Osaki Satoshi

Classifications

• H05K13/043 Primary

  Feeding one by one by other means than belts · CPC title

• G06T1/0007

  Image acquisition · CPC title

• H05K13/0813

  Controlling of single components prior to mounting, e.g. orientation, component geometry (H05K13/0812 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K13/028 Primary

  Simultaneously loading a plurality of loose objects, e.g. by means of vibrations, pressure differences, magnetic fields · CPC title