Parts feeder

Details Parts feeder Parts feeder

1999-07-15

2001-03-20

Noland, Kenneth W. (Department: 3651)

Article dispensing

Cellular magazine type

With non-gravity means to remove articles from cells

C221S277000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06202890

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved structure of a parts feeder which may be employed in feeding electronic parts such as chip components to a mounting device for mounting them on a printed circuit board, for example.
2. Background Art
Parts feeders are known which are designed to lift up parts supplied to a parts orientation chamber to an outlet along an inner peripheral surface of the parts orientation chamber using a magnetic mechanism. A parts orienting path is defined upstream of the outlet which allows only the parts oriented in given directions to pass therethrough. Only the parts oriented in alignment with a transport path leading to the outlet when arriving at the outlet are allowed ultimately to enter the transport path through the outlet, while the others are dropped on the bottom of the parts orientation chamber without entering the transport path. The drawback may, therefore, be encountered in that the dropping parts are accumulated on the bottom of the parts orientation chamber, thereby blocking the parts orienting path.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a parts feeder designed to supply parts to a parts pickup station in sequence in a desired orientation.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a parts feeder feeding parts in sequence in a desired orientation. The parts feeder includes: (a) a base; (b) a parts storage disposed on the base, storing therein a plurality of parts; (c) a parts orientation chamber formed in the base, the parts orientation chamber having a parts inlet and a parts outlet, the parts inlet leading to the parts storage so that the parts within the parts storage are supplied to the parts orientation chamber through the parts inlet, the parts outlet being formed in an upper portion of the parts orientation chamber and leading to a parts pickup station through a transport path; (d) a parts lining up path extending from a lower portion of the orientation chamber to the parts outlet, the parts lining up path being designed to allow the parts oriented in a given direction to pass through the parts lining up path; (e) a parts lifting mechanism lifting the parts supplied to the orientation chamber through the parts inlet toward the parts outlet through the parts lining up path; and (f) a guide member disposed within the parts orientation chamber, the guide member having a parts guiding surface which extends between an upper end of the parts lining up path leading to the parts outlet and the parts inlet for guiding the parts dropping from the parts lining up path without entering the parts outlet toward the parts inlet.
In the preferred mode of the invention, the parts guiding surface of the guide member has a lower end located at a given interval away from the parts inlet.
The given interval is greater than a length of the parts.
The parts orientation chamber is a cylindrical chamber having an inner circumferential wall. The parts outlet is formed in an upper portion of the inner circumferential wall. The parts inlet is formed in a lower portion of the inner circumferential wall.
The parts lifting mechanism has a plurality of magnets arranged on a given circular line substantially coinciding with the inner circumferential wall of the parts orientation chamber. The parts lifting mechanism turns the magnets along the circular line to transport the parts magnetically toward the parts outlet along the inner circumferential wall through the parts lining up path.
Each of the magnets produces a magnetic force attracting one of the parts lying within a given range on the inner circumferential wall. The given interval between the lower end of the parts guiding surface of the parts guide member and the parts inlet may fall within the given range.
The magnets are each made of a magnetic disc having a preselected radius and arranged at centers thereof on the circular line. The given interval between the lower end of the parts guiding surface of the guide member and the parts inlet may be smaller than the radius of the magnets.
The parts lifting mechanism has a rotary disc having an end surface on which the magnets are arranged at regular intervals on the given circular line. The rotary disc is rotated to move the magnets along the given circular line so that each of the magnets may produce a magnetic force at least between the parts inlet and the lower end of the parts guiding surface of the guide member when each of the magnets travels near the parts inlet.
The center of the given circular line on which the magnets are arranged may be shifted upward from that of the inner circumferential wall of the parts orientation chamber for urging the parts magnetically against the inner circumferential wall as the parts advance upward.
The parts guiding surface of the guide member is mirror finished. The parts guiding surface has an upper end connecting to an upper inner wall of the parts orientation chamber upstream of the parts outlet.
The width of the guide member is substantially equal to that of the parts orientation chamber.
A parts orienting member is disposed between the guide member and an inner wall of the parts orientation chamber. The parts orienting member has a parts orienting surface to define the parts lining up path between the parts orienting surface and the inner wall of the parts orientation chamber.
A lower end of the parts guiding surface of the guide member is located below the parts orienting member.
The parts orienting member is formed integrally with the guide member.
At least the lower end portion of the guide member is made of a strip member.
The parts guiding surface of the guide member extends straight to the parts inlet.
The parts outlet is made of a material harder than that of the parts orientation chamber.
The transport path is greater in sectional area than the parts outlet.
The transport path includes an upstream portion which leads to the parts outlet and which is curved along the given circular line on which the magnets are arranged.
The upstream portion of the transport path extends downward from the parts outlet.
A parts drawing mechanism is provided which draws the parts entering the parts outlet to the parts pickup station through the transport path.
A pickup nozzle is provided which picks up one of the parts transported to the parts pickup station. The parts drawing mechanism stops drawing the parts when the pickup nozzle picks up one of the parts.
The base has a given length. The transport path extends in a lengthwise direction of the base to one end of the base. A parts drawing force is supplied from the other end of the base to the parts drawing mechanism.
The parts drawing mechanism draws a vacuum from the transport path.
The guide member may be made of a non-magnetic conductive material.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a parts feeder feeding parts in sequence in a desired orientation. The parts feeder comprises: (a) a base; (b) a parts orientation chamber defined in the base by a first side wall, a second side wall opposite the first side wall, a third side wall, a fourth side wall opposite the third side wall between the first and second side walls, an upper wall, and a lower wall, the parts orientation chamber having a parts inlet and a parts outlet, the parts outlet being formed in the upper wall of the parts orientation chamber and leading to a parts pickup station through a transport path; (c) a parts lining up path defined within the parts orientation chamber which extends from at least the third side wall to the parts outlet so that the parts oriented in a given direction may pass through the parts lining up path; (d) a parts lifting mechanism moving at least one magnet along a given travel path to attract and lift the parts supplied to the orientation chamber through the parts inlet upward from at least the lower wall to the parts

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