Article dispensing – With discharge assistant – Plural or combined with manipulating means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-27
2002-06-18
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Article dispensing
With discharge assistant
Plural or combined with manipulating means
C221S220000, C198S396000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06405895
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for arranging a number of objects each of which has a short columnar shape, 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 chute, a hopper, and a discharging-promoting tube. An upper end portion of the chute is provided by a pipe which extends vertically. The hopper is located on the side of an upper end portion of the pipe, includes a funnelform bottom portion, and stores a number of electric components (“ECs”) in bulk, i.e., in such a manner that each EC takes an arbitrary posture. The discharging-promoting tube is externally fitted on the upper end portion of the pipe, such that the tube is vertically movable relative to the pipe, and the tube is driven by a driving device, such that the tube is moved to an advanced position where the tube projects into the hopper over an upper end of the pipe and to a retracted position located below the upper end of the pipe and retracted from the hopper. The driving device is designed such that each time one EC is taken out from the apparatus, the driving device reciprocates, one time, the discharging-promoting tube between its advanced and retracted positions. The reciprocative movement of the tube moves the ECs present in the bottom portion of the hopper, thereby preventing the ECs from engaging one another and making a “bridge” over the pipe, and thereby promoting discharging of the ECs into the pipe. Through the discharging-promoting tube, the ECs enter the pipe, and then move downward because of their own weights, so that the ECs are arranged in an array and are moved toward the other end portion of the chute. It can be thought that the discharging-promoting tube provides a guide which is located between a lower end of the bottom portion of the hopper and an upper end of the upper end portion of the chute and which guides the ECs from the hopper to the chute.
However, even the above-described apparatus that employs the discharging-promoting tube sometimes fails to supply the ECs. For example, an EC cannot enter the tube unless the EC takes a posture which allows the EC to enter the tube, i.e., a posture in which the lengthwise direction of the EC is vertical and simultaneously the entire transverse cross section of the EC is positioned in an opening of the tube. For example, an EC which lies on an upper end surface of the tube, in such a posture that the lengthwise direction of the EC is horizontal, cannot change its posture even if the tube may be vertically moved, and can just move together with the tube, and accordingly the EC cannot enter the tube. Meanwhile, the upper end surface of the tube is inclined downward as it extends radially inward toward the center of the tube, thereby providing a guide surface for guiding each EC to the tube. However, in a state in which a plurality of ECs fill a space surrounded by the guide surface and prevent one another from entering the tube, that is, the tube is clogged with the ECs, this clogging cannot be easily eliminated even if the tube is vertically moved. Thus, the ECs cannot enter the discharging-promoting tube, and accordingly the apparatus fails to supply the ECs.
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 given parenthesized sequential numbers (1) to (40). 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 chute which includes at least one end portion extending in a direction inclined with respect to a horizontal plane, and which causes the objects arranged in an array to be moved; a hopper which is provided on a side of the one end portion of the chute, which stores the objects in bulk, and which includes a funnelform bottom portion; a guide which is provided between a lower end of the bottom portion of the hopper and an upper end of the one end portion of the chute, and which guides, in a guiding direction, the objects from the hopper to the chute while arranging the objects into the array, the guide including a plurality of guide members comprising at least one movable guide member which is movable relative to at least one other guide member in the guiding direction; and a movable-guide-member moving device which moves the movable guide member relative to the other guide member in the guiding direction. Generally, each of the objects has a short columnar shape, such as a short prismatic shape or a short cylindrical shape. Each object may be an electric component according to the thirty-ninth feature (39). Thus, each object may have a polygonal transverse cross section, such as a quadrangular or triangular transverse cross section, or a circular transverse cross section. A passage formed through the guide, and/or the chute, may have a transverse cross section which may, or may not, be identical with that of each object. The one end portion of the chute may be vertical, or may be inclined relative to a vertical direction, so long as the one end portion causes each object to be moved by gravity. In the former case, the weight of each object can be most effectively utilized; and in the latter case, if the other end portion of the chute is horizontal, an angle contained by the two end portions is smaller than 90 degrees and accordingly each object can be moved more smoothly. All of the plurality of guide members of the guide may be movable in the guiding direction, or only a portion (one, two, . . . , but not all) of the guide members may be movable. In the former case, for example, respective movement amounts, respective movement directions, and/or respective movement timings of the guide members may differ from each other, so that the guide members are moved relative to each other in the guiding direction. In the latter case, naturally, one or more movable guide members are moved relative to one or more stationary guide members. If, in the latter case, the guide includes two or more movable guide members, those movable guide members may be moved relative to each other. When at least one movable guide member of the guide is moved relative to at least one other guide member of the same, the objects present in the bottom portion of the hopper are moved, so that those objects are prevented from making a bridge over the guide, or clogging the guide, and are smoothly introduced into the guide. In addition, as compared with the conventional arranging and supplying device in which a guide member is entirely moved, each object can take, with higher probability, its specific posture which allows itself to enter the guide. For example, in the case where an object lies on its side on two guide members which are movable relative to each other, if those two guide members are moved relative to each other in the guiding direction, the object can be easily raised fro
Kondo Takeshi
Kondo Yoshiyuki
Tsuda Mamoru
Ellis Christopher P.
Fuji Machine Mfg. Co. Ltd.
Tran Khoi H.
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