JPH06246236A - Parts feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a parts feeder in which sorting capacity of parts is enhanced by providing a vacuum suction port for once stopping the parts on this side of the position wherein the parts are photographed in the parts feeder for supplying the desired parts. CONSTITUTION:A parts feeder 1 conveys parts (m) by vibration through the prescribed transfer paths 3, 5. The image of the conveyed parts (m) is photographed by a CCD camera 6. The attitude, the shape and dimension of the parts (m) are discriminated through the image pickup output thereof. The desired parts (m) are supplied by the parts feeder. A vacuum suction port 9 is provided by which the parts (m) are stuck and once stopped on this side of the position wherein the parts (m) are photographed. As a result, whenever the parts may be mutually stuck and conveyed, the respective parts (m) are sucked to the vacuum suction port 9 and stopped by constant time. Thereby the parts are mutually separated. Since the image of the parts (m) is photographed in a state wherein the parts are always separated, the attitude or the like of the parts (m) are discriminated easily and surely.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a parts feeder, and more particularly, it conveys parts while vibrating them, picks up images of the parts to be conveyed, and determines their postures, shapes and dimensions.
The present invention relates to a parts feeder that supplies desired parts.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 (a) is a plan view of a conventional parts feeder 31 which conveys parts by applying vibration, and FIG. 2 (b) is a sectional view taken along line ZZ of FIG. 2 (a). In FIG. 2, the parts feeder 31 is provided with a ball 32, and a spiral track 33 (transfer path) for transferring parts is formed on the inner peripheral wall of the ball 32. A predetermined area of the track 33 is formed by a transparent plate (or a semitransparent plate) 34, and an image pickup device (hereinafter, CCD camera) 35 is provided above the transparent plate 34. Transparent plate 34
A light source 36 is provided below the CCD camera 35 with the light source 36 interposed therebetween, and the component m is irradiated with light from the light source 36, and the shadow of the light is captured by the CCD camera 35. Also CCD
An air ejecting device 37 is provided on the downstream side of the camera 35.

However, a large number of parts m are provided on the bottom of the ball 32.
When the ball 32 is turned on and the ball 32 is rotated and vertically vibrated, the part m is gradually moved up on the track 33 and is imaged when passing under the CCD camera 35. The image captured by the CCD camera 35 is processed by a computer (not shown), and when it is determined that the component m is not the desired component m, the component m is blown into the ball 32 by the compressed air from the air ejection device 37. Therefore, only the desired component m is supplied to the component supply unit 38.

[0004]

However, in such a parts feeder 31, as shown in FIG. 2B, when a plurality of parts m come into close contact with each other and reach the image pickup position, Eliminates all of the plurality of parts m including the desired part m because it is different from the taught shape or indistinguishable from the front and back. Therefore, the conventional part feeder 31 has a low ability to sort the parts m.

Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a parts feeder having a high capability of selecting parts.

[0006]

According to the present invention, a component is conveyed by vibrating along a predetermined transfer path, an image of the conveyed component is picked up, and the posture, shape and size of the part are discriminated based on the image pickup output. Then, in a parts feeder for supplying a desired component, a vacuum suction port for sucking the component and temporarily stopping it is provided before the position where the component is imaged.

[0007]

In the parts feeder according to the present invention, since the vacuum suction port for adsorbing and temporarily stopping the parts before the position where the parts are imaged is provided, even if the parts are in close contact with each other. Even when being conveyed, the components can be separated from each other by sucking each component into the vacuum suction port for a certain period of time and stopping the components. Therefore, the image of the component can always be taken in a state where the components are separated from each other, and the posture and the like of the component can be easily and reliably determined. Therefore, the sorting ability of parts is significantly improved as compared with the conventional one.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1A is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a parts feeder 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
It is an X section enlarged view of (a). In FIG. 1, the parts feeder 1 is provided with a ball 2, and on the bottom wall portion of the ball 2, a movable core, an electromagnet, etc. are arranged, although not shown. Due to these actions, the ball 2 is vibrated. A spiral track 3 for transferring parts is formed on the inner peripheral wall of the ball 2, and a discharge end of the track 3 is a linear track 5 from which parts m are supplied to the next step. The ball 2 is formed of a transparent plate (or a semi-transparent plate) 4 from a predetermined range of the track 3 and a portion in close contact with that portion to the outer edge. A CCD camera 6 is provided above the transparent plate 4, and a light source 7 is provided below the CCD camera 6 with the transparent plate 4 interposed therebetween.

A vacuum suction port 9 for adsorbing the component m and temporarily stopping it is formed on a portion of the surface of the truck 3 that contacts the component m on the upstream side of the CCD camera 6, and the vacuum suction port 9 is formed. The air tube 11 is connected to the exhaust pump 13 via the electromagnetic valve 12. An optical sensor 8 for detecting passage of the component m is provided further upstream of the vacuum suction port 9. The optical sensor 8 is embedded in the surface of the track 3 and the inner peripheral wall of the ball 2 in a portion in contact with the component m, for example. On the contrary, CCD camera 6
On the downstream side of, the air ejection device 10 is fixed to the ball 2 and the nozzle portion 10a of the air ejection device 10 is fixed to the track 3 in close proximity thereto.
It is provided facing the.

However, when a large number of parts m are put into the bottom of the ball 2 and the ball 2 is rotated and vibrated in the vertical direction, the part m receives a force such as a centrifugal force and gradually moves up the track 3. When a computer (not shown) detects that a plurality of components m have come into close contact with each other by the optical sensor 8, the computer turns on / off the electromagnetic valve 12 at an appropriate timing,
The components m are sucked into the vacuum suction port 9 and each component m is stopped for a predetermined time. As a result, the parts are separated from each other, and the parts m individually reach below the CCD camera 6 and are imaged. The image captured by the CCD camera 6 is processed by a computer, and when it is determined that the component m does not have the desired posture, shape and size, the component m is blown into the ball 2 by the compressed air from the air ejection device 10. Be done. The part m that has fallen to the bottom of the ball 2 moves up the track 3 again due to vibration.

In this embodiment, the optical sensor 8
Although it has been detected that the components m have come into close contact with each other through the above, it is not limited to the optical sensor 8 and may be detected by any sensor. Further, it may be possible to detect that the components m are conveyed in close contact with each other from the image captured by the CCD camera 6 without providing the sensor.

In this embodiment, the CCD camera 6 and the light source 7 are arranged above and below the transparent plate 4 and the component m is arranged from above.
However, the CCD camera 6 and the light source 7 may be arranged to face each other on the outer side and the inner side of the bowl 2 with the transparent plate 4 interposed therebetween, and the component m may be imaged from the horizontal direction.

Further, it is not always necessary to provide the transparent plate 4. However, in that case, it is necessary to provide a light source with a reflecting mirror, for example, on the CCD camera 6 side and irradiate the component m with light substantially parallel to the optical axis of the CCD camera 6.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the vacuum suction port is provided in front of the position where the images of the parts are picked up, even if the parts are conveyed in close contact, The components can be separated from each other by sucking each component into the vacuum suction port for a certain period of time and stopping it. Therefore, it is possible to always pick up images with the parts separated from each other, and it is possible to easily and surely determine the postures of the parts. Therefore, compared to the conventional method in which all the components that are conveyed in close contact are eliminated, the component selection capability is significantly improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1A is a partially cutaway perspective view of a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of part X of FIG.

FIG. 2A is a plan view of a conventional parts feeder,
(B) is a ZZ line sectional view of (a).

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Parts Feeder 2 Ball 3,5 Track (Transfer Path) 4 Transparent Plate (or Semi-Transparent Plate) 6 CCD Camera 8 Optical Sensor 9 Vacuum Suction Port m Parts

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A component is conveyed by vibrating along a predetermined transfer path, an image of the conveyed component is picked up, the posture, shape and size of the component are discriminated based on the imaged output, and a desired component is supplied. In the parts feeder, the part feeder is provided with a vacuum suction port for adsorbing and temporarily stopping the component before the position where the component is imaged.