Article dispensing – With discharge assistant – Article adhering or gripping type
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-17
2004-11-09
Bollinger, David H. (Department: 3653)
Article dispensing
With discharge assistant
Article adhering or gripping type
C221S236000, C221S239000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06814258
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric-component feeder which supplies, from a component-supply portion thereof, a plurality of electric components (e.g., electronic components).
2. Discussion of Related Art
There is known an electric-component feeder which includes a component conveying device that conveys a plurality of electric components, one by one, to a component-supply portion of the feeder, and which is used in, e.g., an electric-component mounting system. Each electric component supplied to the component-supply portion is taken by a component taking device, and is mounted on a component-mount place on a circuit substrate so as to produce an electric circuit. The conventional component taking device includes a component positioning member that accurately positions each electric component, which is mounted on the circuit substrate. Alternatively, from the electric-component feeder, each electric component is sucked and taken by a suction nozzle and, during a time duration in which the electric component is conveyed by the suction nozzle to the component-mount place on the circuit substrate, an image of the component is taken by an image taking device and the taken image is processed to detect a positional error of the component held by the nozzle. In the latter case, after the suction nozzle and the circuit substrate are positioned at a relative position that has been modified by the detected positional error, the electric component is mounted on the circuit substrate.
However, in the case where a component positioning member is used to position each electric component, it is needed to change the current component positioning member with a different component positioning member corresponding to the size or sort of each electric component. Thus, the component taking device needs to have a complex construction, and additionally it needs a long time to change the component positioning members. This leads to making it difficult to increase the operation efficiency. Meanwhile, in the case where the taken image is processed to detect the positional error of the electric component held by the suction nozzle, it is needed to take the image of each electric component and complete the processing of the taken image during the time duration from the time when the component taking device takes the electric component from the electric-component feeder to the time when the taking device mounts the component on the circuit substrate. Thus, it needs a long time to take and mount each electric component. In addition, if an electric component is inaccurately positioned in the component-supply portion, the component taking device may fail to take the component.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to solve one of the above-identified problems by accurately positioning an electric component or supplying an electric component in a state in which a positional error of the component is known. This object may be achieved according to any one of the following modes of the present invention in the form of an electric-component feeder, each of which is numbered like the appended claims and may depend from the other mode or modes, where appropriate, to indicate and clarify possible combinations of technical features. It is, however, to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the technical features or any combinations thereof that will be described below for illustrative purposes only. It is to be further understood that a plurality of features included in any one of the following modes of the invention are not necessarily provided altogether, and that the invention may be embodied without some of the features described with respect to the same mode.
(1) An electric component feeder, comprising:
a component conveying device which conveys, in a component-convey direction, a plurality of electric components, one by one, to a component-supply portion of the feeder; and
at least one of (a) a positioning device which is provided in the component-supply portion of the feeder and which positions each of the electric components in each of the component-convey direction and a lateral direction perpendicular to the component-convey direction, and (b) a position detecting device which is provided in the component-supply portion of the feeder and which detects a position of each of the electric components.
In the present electric-component feeder, in the case where the electric component conveyed to the component-supply portion is positioned in each of the component-convey direction and the lateral direction perpendicular to the component-convey direction, a component taking device can take the electric component with reduced possibilities of failing to take, or can take the component being accurately positioned and mount the component at an accurate position on a circuit substrate. Meanwhile, in the case where the position detecting device is employed to detect the position of the electric component, the component taking device can be positioned relative to the electric-component feeder while the positional error is modified, before the taking device takes the component. This leads to reducing the possibilities of failing to take an electric component, or eliminating the need of taking and processing an image of an electric component after the taking of the component and before the mounting of the component and thereby improving the efficiency of mounting of electric components. In the case where both of the above-indicated two elements (a), (b), an appropriate one of the two elements can be selectively used depending upon an aim, or both of them can be used to obtain both of the effect of preventing failure to take and the effect of improving the mounting efficiency or the mounting accuracy.
(2) A feeder according to the mode (1), comprising the positioning device, wherein the positioning device comprises two positioning surfaces which face the component-convey direction and the lateral direction, respectively; and a close-contact causing device which causes a close contact between the each electric component and each of the two positioning surfaces.
Since the electric component is brought into the close contact with each of the two positioning surfaces facing the component-convey direction and the lateral direction perpendicular to the component-convey direction, respectively, the electric component can be accurately positioned.
(3) A feeder according to the mode (2), wherein the close-contact causing device comprises:
a pressing member which presses an opposite side surface of the each electric component that is opposite to an other side surface thereof facing one of the two positioning surfaces; and
a pressing-member driving device which drives the pressing member so as to press the opposite side surface of said each electric component and thereby cause the close contact between the other side surface of said each electric component and said one positioning surface.
(4) A feeder according to the mode (2) or (3), wherein the component conveying device comprises:
an endless, conveying belt which has a component-support surface supporting the electric components; and
a belt circulating device which circulates the conveying belt,
and wherein the close-contact causing device comprises the component conveying device that causes the close contact between the each electric component and one of the positioning surfaces that faces the component-convey direction.
If, after the component conveying device causes the close contact between the each electric component and one of the positioning surfaces that faces the component-convey direction, the electric component is brought into close contact with the other positioning surface facing the lateral direction facing the component-convey direction, the electric component can be easily positioned. Since the close-contact causing device comprises the component conveying device, the present electric-component feeder can enjoy a simple construction.
(5) A fee
Bollinger David H.
Fuji Machine Mfg. Co. Ltd.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
LandOfFree
Electric component feeder does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Electric component feeder, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Electric component feeder will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3350144