Article dispensing – With means to agitate – vibrate or jar articles in supply...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-06
2002-01-08
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Article dispensing
With means to agitate, vibrate or jar articles in supply...
C221S167000, C198S383000, C198S390000, C198S396000, C198S443000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06336569
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for arranging a number of objects into an array and supplying the objects arranged in the array, and particularly to the art of improving reliability with which the apparatus supplies the objects.
2. Related Art Statement
Japanese Patent Application Laid open for inspection under Publication No. 8(1996)-48419 discloses an example of the above-indicated apparatus. This apparatus includes a hopper, a chute, and a discharging-promoting tube. The hopper stores a number of objects in bulk, i.e., in such a manner that each object takes an arbitrary posture. An initial-end portion of the chute is connected to an outlet of the hopper. The discharging-promoting tube is provided in the vicinity of the initial-end portion of the chute, such that the tube is vertically movable relative to the chute. The tube has an inner passage which provides a portion of the initial-end portion of the chute. The vertical movement of the tube moves objects which clog the outlet of the hopper, and/or objects which engage each other and prevent each other from entering the chute, that is, make a “bridge” over the chute. Thus, the tube eliminates the clogging and/or the bridge, thereby promoting discharging of the objects into the chute.
However, though the discharging-promoting tube is vertically moved, objects may not enter the tube with high reliability and the apparatus may fail to supply the objects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an arranging and supplying apparatus which has one or more of the technical features that are described below in respective paragraphs give parenthesized sequential numbers (1) to (20). Any technical feature which includes another technical feature shall do so by referring, at the beginning, to the parenthesized sequential number given to the latter feature. Thus, two or more of the following technical features may be combined, if appropriate. Each technical feature may be accompanied by a supplemental explanation, as needed. However, the following technical features and the appropriate combinations thereof are just examples to which the present invention is by no means limited. In addition, in the case where one technical feature recites a plurality of items, it is not essentially required that all those items be simultaneously employed. That is, it is possible that only a portion (one, two, . . . , but not all) of those items be selected and employed.
(1) According to a first feature of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for arranging and supplying a plurality of objects, the apparatus comprising a hopper which stores the objects in bulk and which has a funnelform bottom surface at least a portion of which extends in a reference direction inclined with respect to a horizontal plane; a chute which includes an end portion extending, from a lowest portion of the hopper, substantially parallel to the reference direction, and which causes the objects arrange din an array to be moved; a discharging-promoting member which is provided in a vicinity of the end portion of the chute, which is movable substantially parallel to the reference direction, and which promotes discharging of the objects from the hopper to the chute while arranging the objects into the array; and a drive device which reciprocates, relative to the chute, the discharging-promoting member between an advanced position where an end portion of the discharging-promoting member projects into the hopper and a retracted position away from the advanced position. The entirety of the bottom surface of the hopper may be inclined relative to the horizontal plane. Otherwise, at least a portion of the other portion of the bottom surface than the inclined portion thereof may be vertical. That is, the bottom surface of the hopper may be a semi-funnelform one. The objects may be any articles, for example, electric components according to the twentieth feature (20) described later. Each of the objects may be any transverse cross section, such as a polygonal (e.g., quadrangular or triangular) transverse cross section, or a circular transverse cross section. The transverse cross section of the chute may be identical with, or different from, that of each object. The discharging-promoting member being positioned at the retracted position thereof may be completely retracted into the chute, or otherwise, may be partly remaining in the hopper so long as the amount of projection of the promoting member into the hopper is smaller when being positioned at the retracted position than when being positioned at the advanced position. The discharging-promoting member may be a member which provides, according to the fourth feature (4) described later, a portion of the hopper-side end portion of the chute that defines an object-supply passage therein, or a member which does not provide any portion of the hopper-side end portion of the chute and is provided at a location around the end portion and which is reciprocated between the advanced and retracted positions. The object stored in the hopper are moved toward the chute by the inclined portion of the bottom surface of the hopper. When the discharging-promoting member is moved to the advanced position, the objects present in the lowest portion of the hopper are moved and prevented from clogging the opening of the chute in the bottom surface or making a “bridge” over the opening. Thus, the discharging-promoting member promotes or helps the objects to enter the chute. Since the end portion of the chute extends substantially parallel to the reference direction in which the inclined portion of the bottom surface extends, the objects riding on the inclined portion slide and move toward the chute owing to the inclination of the inclined portion, and only the object whose transverse-cross-section phase is equal to that of the opening of the chute can directly enter the chute. Since the objects are guided toward the chute by the continuous inclined portion of the bottom surface of the hopper, the object can more easily enter the chute. Thus, the present arranging and supplying apparatus can more reliably or stably supply the objects. When the discharging-promoting member is moved to the retracted position, the objects present around that member are moved toward the chute to follow that member, and only the object whose transverse-cross-section phase is equal to that of the opening of the chute can enter the chute. According to the first feature (1), the end portion of the chute extends substantially parallel to the reference direction in which the inclined portion of the bottom surface extends, and the discharging-promoting member is movable substantially parallel to the reference direction. Therefore, the present arranging and supplying apparatus can reliably and stably supply the objects, without needing a complicated construction. In addition, since the end portion of the chute extends from the lowest portion of the hopper and each object moves from the lowest portion into the end portion, every object stored in the hopper can enter the chute. Thus, the present apparatus can supply all the objects to the last one.
(2) According to a second feature of the present invention that includes the first feature (1), the end portion of the chute has an opening which opens in the bottom surface of the hopper, and the discharging-promoting member and the portion of the bottom surface of the hopper are located on both sides of the opening of the chute, respectively. The discharging-promoting member is, preferably, a flat member according to the third feature (3), or a grooved member according to the fifth feature (5)), but is not limited to those members. That is, the discharging-promoting member may be provided by a different member having a different shape, such as a bar-like member. In addition, the discharging-promoting member may provide at least a portion of the end portion of the chute that is connected to the bottom surface of the hopper, or may be provided separa
Kondo Takeshi
Kondo Yoshiyuki
Fuji Machine Mfg. Co. Ltd.
Tran Khoi H.
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