Component conveying device

Details Component conveying device Component conveying device

1999-10-27

2001-12-25

Bidwell, James R. (Department: 3651)

Conveyors: power-driven

Conveyor system for moving a specific load as a separate unit

System includes gate means

C198S690100, C198S396000, C198S459100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06332529

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a component conveying device, and more particularly to apparatus which separates a head component and a second component among the components conveyed by aligning in a single line.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as a conveying device of small components like chip components, an apparatus has previously been proposed in which a bottom surface of a groove for conveying and guiding the components includes an endless belt and the components are conveyed by intermittently driving the endless belt. (See Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 8-48419). In the case of this apparatus, in order to take out a head component, a mechanism is provided that separates the head component on the belt from a second component. When the component on the belt moves forward along with the belt, this separation mechanism moves a stopper into contact with a front end of the guide groove and stops the head component in a fixed position. When the head component is in contact with the stopper and movement of the entire component stops, the stopper is released forward while holding the second component in position by a hold pin, and the head component is made to move forward by a permanent magnet in the stopper. A gap is forcibly formed between the second component and the head component, and the separated head component is taken out by an extractor, such as a chip mounter.
However, in the separation mechanism described above, in which the head component is moved by the permanent magnet provided in the stopper, when the belt stops and is pulled out forward by the magnetic force, friction occurs between the component and the belt when pulling out the head component, and the force between the permanent magnet and the component may decrease. Therefore, there is a problem, in that the separation reliability is insufficient.
Thus, an objective of the present invention is to provide a component conveying device which can reliably separate the head component from the second component and can easily take out the head component.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a device useful for conveying a component which is magnetically attractable comprises a guide groove for guiding and aligning a component in a single line, the guide groove extending along a longitudinal direction and including a bottom surface and a tip portion. A conveying member is disposed on the bottom surface of the guide groove and has a magnetic force generating element for magnetically attracting the component, the conveying member being longitudinally movable in the groove to convey the component forward, and a driving means for reciprocally and longitudinally driving the conveying member. A first stopper is movable in synch with the reciprocating movement of the conveying member for holding a second component in a fixed position in the guide groove. After the first stopper holds the second component, when the conveying member moves longitudinally forward by a predetermined distance, a first component is integrally conveyed forward with the conveying member by a total friction force from the combined force of the attraction power of the magnetic force generating element and gravity, thereby isolating the first component from the second component.
According to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method of conveying a component comprises the steps of aligning a first component having a magnetic part in a single line to guide the first component to a guide groove, conveying the first component forward by a conveying member disposed on a bottom surface of the guide groove, the conveying member having a magnetic force generating element for attracting the magnetic part of the first component and moving backward and forward in the groove direction, holding a second component at a predetermined position of the guide groove by a first stopper which operates in synch with the backward and forward movement of the conveying member, and moving the conveying member forward by a predetermined distance, the first component being attracted by the magnetic force generating element and being conveyed forward integrally with the conveying member, so that the first component is separated from the second component.
Still other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of embodiments constructed in accordance therewith, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 6032783 (2000-03-01), Saito et al.
patent: 6073800 (2000-06-01), Saito et al.
patent: 8-048419 (1996-02-01), None

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