Transfer apparatus of chip components

• US 6,227,345 B1
• Filed: 03/17/1999
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kramer, Dean J.
• Application Number:
  US09/268,752
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 198/380, 198/392, 198/397.02, 198/482.1, 198/493, 198/803.5, 221/167
• US Class Current: 198/392
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/1457 Rotating movement in the plane of the rotating part
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67721 the substrates to be conveyed not being semiconductor wafers or large planar substrates, e.g. chips, lead frames H01L21/6773 takes precedence

Abstract

A relatively simple and small-sized drive mechanism for high-speed transfer of chip components. A transfer disc is disposed so that it may be inclined to a horizontal surface, and the disc has a transfer groove on the upper surface thereof, and has a cavity at the peripheral edge part of the transfer groove. A chip component is made to fall into the transfer groove in connection with the rotation of the transfer disc. The chip components are aligned in a predetermined direction, and one chip component is maintained in a cavity by effect of gravity. A conveying disc has cavities for receiving chip components from the transfer disc. Those cavities are provided at an equal pitch interval in the outer peripheral portions of the disc. When a chip-component is transferred from the transfer disc to a cavity, an adsorption hold is performed by an air suction hole provided in the cavity. Synchronization is maintained and a continuous drive of the transfer disc and the conveying disc is performed so that both cavities oppose each other.

Claims

1. A transfer apparatus of chip components, comprising:

a transfer side conveying disc provided with a plurality of cavities for containing chip components one by one, said plurality of cavities being provided at pitch intervals on outer peripheral portions of said transfer side conveying disc;

a transferred side conveying medium provided with a plurality of cavities for receiving the chip components one by one, said plurality of cavities being provided at pitch intervals on said transferred side conveying medium;

a driving means for continuously driving the transfer side conveying disc and the transferred side conveying medium in synchronization, wherein the cavities of the transfer side conveying disc oppose the cavities of the transferred side conveying medium at a position where the transfer side conveying disc and the transferred side conveying medium are closest; and

wherein said transfer side conveying disc is disposed so that the upper surface thereof is inclined to horizontal and an inclined highest portion of the transfer side conveying disc is in the closest proximity to the transferred side conveying medium.

2. A transfer apparatus of chip components according to claim 1, wherein said transfer side conveying disc is a scattering disc having a plurality of scattering grooves for aligning the chip components, said grooves extending from an inner radial position to an outer radial side of the scattering disc and extending to the cavities of the transfer side conveying disc.

3. A transfer apparatus of chip components according to claim 2, wherein said cavities of the transfer side conveying disc are dimensioned to hold the chip components so that the chip components in said cavities project outward from an outer peripheral surface of the transfer side conveying disc.

4. A transfer apparatus of chip components according to claim 2, wherein said cavities of the transfer side conveying disc include a step portion having a depth measurement smaller than a length measurement of said chip components.

5. A transfer apparatus of chip components according to claim 2, further comprising a base supporting said transfer side conveying disc, wherein said base includes an air blowing opening for blowing air onto chip components in said cavities of said transfer side conveying disc adjacent to said position where the transfer side conveying disc and the transferred side conveying medium are closest.

6. A transfer apparatus of chip components according to claim 2, wherein said transferred side conveying medium is a rotating disc provided with a plurality of cavities disposed at equal pitch intervals in outer peripheral portions of the transferred side conveying medium.

7. A transfer apparatus of chip components according to claim 2, wherein said transferred side conveying medium is a continuous conveying body provided with a plurality of cavities disposed at equal pitch intervals on the upper surface of the transferred conveying medium.

8. A transfer apparatus of chip components according to claim 2, wherein each cavity of the transferred side conveying medium includes an air suction path for drawing and holding chip components.

9. A transfer apparatus of chip components according to claim 1, wherein said cavities of the transfer side conveying disc are dimensioned to hold the chip components so that the chip components in said cavities project outward from an outer peripheral surface of the transfer side conveying disc.

10. A transfer apparatus of chip components according to claim 9, further comprising a base supporting said transfer side conveying disc, wherein said base includes an air blowing opening for blowing air onto chip components in said cavities of said transfer side conveying disc adjacent to said position where the transfer side conveying disc and the transferred side conveying medium are closest.

11. A transfer apparatus of chip components according to claim 9, wherein said transferred side conveying medium is a rotating disc provided with a plurality of cavities disposed at equal pitch intervals in outer peripheral portions of the transferred side conveying medium.

12. A transfer apparatus of chip components according to claim 9, wherein said transferred side conveying medium is a continuous conveying body provided with a plurality of cavities disposed at equal pitch intervals on the upper surface of the transferred conveying medium.

13. A transfer apparatus of chip components according to claim 9, wherein each cavity of the transferred side conveying medium includes an air suction path for drawing and holding chip components.

14. A transfer apparatus of chip components according to claim 1, wherein said cavities of the transfer side conveying disc include a step portion having a depth measurement smaller than a length measurement of said chip components.

15. A transfer apparatus of chip components according to claim 1, wherein said cavities of the transfer side conveying disc includes a guide ring attached thereto for aligning said chip components in said plurality of cavities provided at pitch intervals on outer peripheral portions of said transfer side conveying disc.

16. A transfer apparatus of chip components according to claim 1, further comprising a base supporting said transfer side conveying disc, wherein said base includes an air blowing opening for blowing air onto chip components in said cavities of said transfer side conveying disc adjacent to said position where the transfer side conveying disc and the transferred side conveying medium are closest.

17. A transfer apparatus of chip components according to claim 1, wherein said transferred side conveying medium is a rotating disc provided with a plurality of cavities disposed at equal pitch intervals in outer peripheral portions of the transferred side conveying medium.

18. A transfer apparatus of chip components according to claim 1, wherein said transferred side conveying medium is a continuous conveying body provided with a plurality of cavities disposed at equal pitch intervals on the upper surface of the transferred conveying medium.

19. A transfer apparatus of chip components according to claim 1, wherein each cavity of the transferred side conveying medium includes an air suction path for drawing and holding chip components.

20. A transfer apparatus of chip components, comprising:

a transfer side conveying disc provided with a plurality of cavities for containing chip components one by one, said plurality of cavities being provided at pitch intervals on outer peripheral portions of said transfer side conveying disc;

a transferred side conveying medium provided with a plurality of cavities for receiving the chip components one by one, said plurality of cavities being provided at pitch intervals on said transferred side conveying medium;

a driving means for continuously driving the transfer side conveying disc and the transferred side conveying medium in synchronization, wherein the cavities of the transfer side conveying disc oppose the cavities of the transferred side conveying medium at a position where the transfer side conveying disc and the transferred side conveying medium are closest; and

a base supporting said transfer side conveying disc, wherein said base includes an air blowing opening for blowing air onto chip components in said cavities of said transfer side conveying disc adjacent to said position where the transfer side conveying disc and the transferred side conveying medium are closest.