Component placing device and component placing method

• US 10,638,651 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2018
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okuda, Osamu, Sakai, Kazunobu, Watari, Eyri
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Peter Dungba
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Joshua D
• Application Number:
  US15/886,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20180235118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0408 Incorporating a pick-up tool
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0409 Sucking devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/041 having multiple pick-up tools
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0413 with orientation of the component while holding it; Drive mechanisms for gripping tools, e.g. lifting, lowering or turning of gripping tools
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/043 Feeding one by one by other means than belts
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0452 Mounting machines or lines comprising a plurality of tools for guiding different components to the same mounting place H05K13/0406, H05K13/041 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/08 Monitoring manufacture of assemblages
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0813 Controlling of single components prior to mounting, e.g. orientation, component geometry H05K13/0812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53174 Means to fasten electrical component to wiring board, base, or substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53191 Means to apply vacuum directly to position or hold work part

Abstract

A component placing device has a configuration where a plurality of nozzle shafts are moved in turn to a plurality of stations including a component holding and placing station and a component detecting station by rotating a rotating object having the plurality of nozzle shafts, in which nozzles are installed, about a rotation axis. A configuration where a flow path switcher, which selectively connects a suction path of each of the nozzles to a positive pressure source and to a negative pressure source by movement of a spool, is disposed on an inside of a corresponding one of the nozzle shafts, and air for power to drive the spool is supplied to the rotating object via a manifold, in which a communication plug for power air that comes into contact with an exterior surface of the rotating object is provided, is adopted.

Claims

1. A component placing device comprising:

a plurality of nozzles that put suction paths under a negative pressure to hold components;

a plurality of nozzle shafts that hold the plurality of nozzles at lower end portions of the nozzle shafts so as to be freely replaceable and each of which has an internal flow path leading to a corresponding one of the suction paths;

a rotating object that holds the plurality of nozzle shafts at equal pitches on a circumference of a circle, of which a center is a rotation axis, so that the plurality of nozzle shafts rise and fall freely and the rotating object rotates about the rotation axis to move the plurality of nozzles in turn to a plurality of stations including a component holding and placing station where operation of holding the components or placing components held by the plurality of nozzles at predetermined placement positions on a workpiece is performed and a component detecting station where detection of the components held by the plurality of nozzles is performed;

a nozzle rising and falling mechanism that causes the plurality of nozzles to rise and fall at the component holding and placing station;

a component detector that detects the components held by the plurality of nozzles at the component detecting station;

a negative pressure flow path that is an air flow path formed inside the rotating object and leads to an external negative pressure source;

a positive pressure flow path that is an air flow path formed inside the rotating object and leads to an external positive pressure source;

a contact flow path that is an air flow path formed inside the rotating object and communicates with the internal flow path of each of the plurality of nozzle shafts;

a flow path switcher that is internally provided in the rotating object, has a spool which moves by air for power, and causes the contact flow path to selectively communicate with the negative pressure flow path and the positive pressure flow path by movement of the spool;

a first pilot flow path and a second pilot flow path, which are internally provided in the rotating object and through which air for power to drive the spool of the flow path switcher is supplied; and

a communication plug for power air, which comes into contact with an exterior surface of the rotating object and through which air for power is supplied to the first pilot flow path and the second pilot flow path from the outside.

2. The component placing device of claim 1,

wherein the rotating object has a flat ring-shaped contact surface that is an annulation, of which a center is the rotation axis, and that has a predetermined width in a radial direction when seen from a center of the rotation axis,

a first opening, which is an inlet of the first pilot flow path, and a second opening, which is an inlet of the second pilot flow path, are disposed in the contact surface,

the communication plug for power air includes at least a first communication plug for power air and a second communication plug for power air,

the first communication plug for power air communicates with the first pilot flow path from the first opening in a state of being in contact with the contact surface, and

the second communication plug for power air communicates with the second pilot flow path from the second opening in a state of being in contact with the contact surface.

3. The component placing device of claim 2,

wherein the flow path switcher has a structure in which a first space provided on one end side of the spool and a second space provided on an other end of the spool side are included, the contact flow path communicates with the negative pressure flow path when the spool has moved to the other end side by air for power supplied to the first space, and the contact flow path communicates with the positive pressure flow path when the spool has moved to the one end side by air for power supplied to the second space,

the first pilot flow path communicates with the first space,

the second pilot flow path communicates with the second space,

the first communication plug for power air communicates with the first pilot flow path from the first opening at the component holding and placing station, and

the second communication plug for power air communicates with the second pilot flow path from the second opening at the component holding and placing station.

4. The component placing device of claim 3, further comprising:

a third communication plug for power air,

wherein the third communication plug for power air communicates with the first pilot flow path from the first opening at one of the plurality of stations after the component holding and placing station and before the component detecting station.

5. The component placing device of claim 4,

wherein the third communication plug for power air communicates with the first pilot flow path from the first opening at a station next to the component holding and placing station.

6. The component placing device of claim 4,

wherein, before the nozzles which have performed component placement operation at the component holding and placing station reach the component detecting station, air for power is supplied to the first pilot flow path through the third communication plug for power air in order to put the suction paths of the nozzles which have performed the component placement operation under a negative pressure.

7. The component placing device of claim 6,

wherein in a case where the components are not detected at the component detecting station, air for power is supplied to the second pilot flow path through the fourth communication plug for power air in order to destroy vacuums of the suction paths of the nozzles where the components are not detected.

8. The component placing device of claim 6,

wherein in a case where the nozzles perform placement operation of the components at the component holding and placing station and a case where the nozzles discard the components at the component holding and placing station, positive pressure air is supplied to the positive pressure flow path through the communication plug for positive pressure air in order to put the suction paths of the nozzles that perform placement operation of the components or the nozzles that discard the components under a positive pressure.

9. The component placing device of claim 3, further comprising:

a fourth communication plug for power air,

wherein the fourth communication plug for power air communicates with the second pilot flow path from the second opening at the component detecting station or a station after the component detecting station.

10. The component placing device of claim 2,

wherein a third opening, which is an inlet of the positive pressure flow path, is disposed in the contact surface, and

the component placing device further comprises a communication plug for positive pressure air that communicates with the positive pressure flow path from the third opening in a state of being in contact with the contact surface at the component holding and placing station.

11. A component placing method for a component placing device that includes a plurality of nozzles that put suction paths under a negative pressure to hold components, a plurality of nozzle shafts that hold the plurality of nozzles at lower end portions of the nozzle shafts so as to be freely replaceable and each of which has an internal flow path leading to a corresponding one of the suction paths, a rotating object that holds the plurality of nozzle shafts at equal pitches on a circumference of a circle, of which a center is a rotation axis, so that the plurality of nozzle shafts rise and fall freely and the rotating object rotates about the rotation axis to move the plurality of nozzles in turn to a plurality of stations including a component holding and placing station where operation of holding the components or placing components held by the plurality of nozzles at predetermined placement positions on a workpiece is performed and a component detecting station where detection of the components held by the plurality of nozzles is performed, a negative pressure flow path that is an air flow path formed inside the rotating object and leads to an external negative pressure source, a positive pressure flow path that is an air flow path formed inside the rotating object and leads to an external positive pressure source, a contact flow path that is an air flow path formed inside the rotating object and communicates with the internal flow path of each of the plurality of nozzle shafts, a flow path switcher that is internally provided in the rotating object, has a spool which moves by air for power, and causes the contact flow path to selectively communicate with the negative pressure flow path and the positive pressure flow path by movement of the spool, a first pilot flow path, which is internally provided in the rotating object and through which air for power to move the spool to a position where the contact flow path communicates with the negative pressure flow path is sent, and a second pilot flow path, which is internally provided in the rotating object and through which air for power to move the spool to a position where the contact flow path communicates with the positive pressure flow path is sent, the method comprising:

positioning a target nozzle, out of the plurality of nozzles by rotating the rotating object at the component holding and placing station;

supplying air for power to the first pilot flow path to put the suction path of the target nozzle under a negative pressure;

holding the component by sucking the component by means of the target nozzle which is put under the negative pressure;

moving the target nozzle to the component detecting station by rotating the rotating object;

examining presence or absence of the component held by the target nozzle at the component detecting station;

in a case where the component is not detected at the component detecting station, blocking the suction path of the target nozzle from the negative pressure flow path by supplying air for power to the second pilot flow path;

positioning the target nozzle at the component holding and placing station by rotating the rotating object; and

placing the component held by the target nozzle by supplying air for power to the second pilot flow path to put the suction path of the target nozzle under a positive pressure from the positive pressure source.

12. The component placing method of claim 11, further comprising:

after the placing of the component held by the target nozzle, supplying air for power to the first pilot flow path to put the suction path of the target nozzle under a negative pressure;

moving the target nozzle to the component detecting station by rotating the rotating object;

examining whether or not the component is left at a tip of the target nozzle at the component detecting station; and

in a case where the component is not detected at the tip of the target nozzle at the component detecting station after placing of the component held by the target nozzle, blocking the suction path of the target nozzle from the negative pressure flow path by supplying air for power to the second pilot flow path.

13. The component placing method of claim 12, further comprising:

in a case where the component is detected at the tip of the target nozzle at the component detecting station after placing of the component held by the target nozzle,

positioning the target nozzle at the component holding and placing station by rotating the rotating object; and

discarding the component left at the target nozzle at a predetermined component collection position by supplying air for power to the second pilot flow path to put the suction path of the target nozzle under a positive pressure from the positive pressure source.