JPH0946097A - Positioning device and method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To precisely level the heights of works in a magazine and to prevent the works from coming out during the leveling. SOLUTION: Bar-shaped substrates 14 are held by a magazine 11 (A). A positioning table 19 is lifted to the bottom face of the magazine 11 (B). Pressing by a clamper 15 is released. A pressing member 20 is made to descend (C). The bar-shaped substrates 14 attaching to the side wall of gap are removed from them. All bar-shaped substrates 14 fall on the positioning table 19 and are held between the table and the pressing member 20. The positioning table 19 is lifted to a predetermined height (D). The bar-shaped substrates 14 and the pressing member 20 are lifted at the same time. The bar-shaped substrates 14 are pressed between the walls of grooves 13 by the clamper 15 and are fixed (E). The pressing member 20 is lifted and the positioning table 19 is made to descend (F). The heights of many bar-shaped substrates 14 are leveled in the magazine 11 at the same time.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a positioning device and a positioning method, and more particularly to a device and a method for aligning heights of a plurality of rectangular ceramic substrates in a magazine in a manufacturing process of a rectangular chip resistor or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In some cases, a plurality of products (hereinafter, works) are arranged in a magazine or a case (hereinafter, magazine), and a predetermined coating material is simultaneously applied to the side surfaces of the works in a printing process or the like. In this case, it is necessary that these works are all aligned at the same height in the magazine.

Alignment and height alignment (positioning) in such a magazine have been conventionally performed as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of works (bar-shaped substrates) 1 are put into predetermined positions in the magazine 2 so that both ends thereof are inserted into the grooves, and both ends of these bar-shaped substrates 1 are inserted. Is fixed by a clamper (leaf spring) 3. However, the work 1 in this case is fixed at various height positions by each clamper 3 (A). Therefore, the positioning table 4 is raised from below to the bottom surface of the magazine 2 (B). Then, the clamper 3 is released from the clamp, and the work 1 is naturally dropped onto the positioning table 4 by its own weight. Further, the positioning table 4 is raised to the positioning position and the heights of the respective works 1 are made uniform (C). Then, again, each work 1 is fixed in the magazine 2 by the clamper 3. Then, the positioning table 4 is lowered (D). In this way, the heights of the plurality of works 1 held in the magazine 2 are made uniform.

[0004]

However, the following problems have occurred in such a conventional technique. Firstly, since the work is made to drop on the positioning table by its own weight, as shown in FIG. 8A, when the work is in close contact with the magazine side wall (when it is attached), In some cases, the work did not drop and the position could not be determined. Secondly, when the workpiece is positioned by the positioning table and the work is re-fixed by the clamper, as shown in FIG. 8 (B), the work may jump up in the groove by the urging force of the clamper and be fixed while being displaced. is there.

[0005]

[Object] An object of the present invention is to ensure that the heights of a plurality of works are uniformly aligned. Another object of the present invention is to make the heights of a plurality of works uniform in the magazine at the same time.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a positioning device for aligning height positions of a plurality of products held in a magazine by being urged in a substantially horizontal direction by a plurality of clampers. , A positioning device provided below the magazine and capable of simultaneously pushing up these plural products, and a pressing member provided above the magazine and capable of simultaneously pushing down these plural products. is there.

The invention described in claim 2 is a positioning method for urging a plurality of products inserted in a predetermined position in a magazine in a substantially horizontal direction to align the height positions of the plurality of products held in the magazine. It includes a step of pushing up the plurality of products from below with a positioning table and a step of pushing down the plurality of products from above with a pressing member, and these pushing up and pushing down are performed at a constant timing. This is a positioning method. The timing is set, for example, so that the product does not come out of the magazine. Alternatively, it may be performed at the timing of sandwiching the product from above and below in the magazine.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the plurality of products are held in the magazine by being urged by the clamper. The positioning table is raised from below the plurality of products to push up the plurality of products. At this time, the bias by the clamper is released. Then, for example, in synchronism with this pushing up, the product is pushed down from above by the pressing member. As a result, even products having different heights can be made uniform in height at the same time. After adjusting the height, the clamper urges the product to hold it again in the magazine. The product is sent to the next step together with the magazine, and the upper surface of the product is uniformly coated with, for example, paint.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of a positioning device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 4 are views for explaining a positioning device according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a case where the magazine according to the embodiment is sent to a post process. FIGS. 6A to 6F are views for explaining the operation in one embodiment.

1 to 4, reference numeral 11 denotes a magazine which is a U-shaped frame. This magazine is placed and held substantially horizontally with respect to the positioning device, and has a pair of opposed sides 12A and 12B that are parallel to each other and a connecting side that connects one end of each of the opposed sides 12A and 12B. 12C
It is composed of A plurality of grooves 13 are juxtaposed on the facing sides 12A and 12B so as to face each other in a substantially horizontal plane. Each groove 13 extends in the vertical direction. In addition, the grooves 13 on the opposite sides 12A and 12B are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance and open so as to face each other, and the bar-shaped substrate 14 as a work is arranged such that its thickness direction is substantially horizontal. Is inserted in. The bar-shaped substrates 14 are held in the magazine 11 by pressing both ends of the bar-shaped substrates 14 against the side walls of the groove 13 by leaf springs (clamps) 15.

Each leaf spring 15 has its tip end facing the side wall of the groove 13 and its base end fixed to the rods 16A and 16B. The rods 16A, 16B have opposite sides 12A, 12
B is slidable along its length, and is biased by springs 17A and 17B in the direction (arrow X) sandwiching the bar-shaped substrate 14. Therefore, the rod 16 is opposed to these spring forces.
When A and 16B are urged in the arrow Y direction, each leaf spring 15 releases the pinching force of the bar-shaped substrate 14 at its tip. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 18 is an arm for releasing the pinching pressure. Also,
Reference numeral 18A is a table for positioning the magazine 11 in the vertical position, and the magazine 11 is placed on the table 18A and moved vertically.

Then, in the positioning station in which the magazine 11 having such a configuration is set substantially horizontally on the table 18A, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a positioning table 19 is provided below the positioning table 19 by cylinders, cams and the like. It is provided so that it can move up and down. A pressing member 20 is similarly provided above the magazine 11 so as to be vertically movable.
Both the positioning table 19 and the pressing member 20 have a U-shaped vertical cross section, and are configured to be capable of engaging and pressing the plurality of bar-shaped substrates 14 substantially at the same time. That is,
The bottom surface and the top surface of the plurality of bar-shaped substrates 14 held in the magazine 11 with the width direction vertical are provided on the positioning table 1
The flat upper surface 9 and the flat lower surface of the pressing member 20 can be brought into contact with each other.

FIG. 5 illustrates a printing process which is the next process of the positioning station. In this step, the magazine 11 in which the heights of the plurality of bar-shaped substrates 14 are aligned at the positioning station is placed on the printing table 22. The printing table 22 is provided to be movable up and down by a cylinder 23. A paint table 23 for applying paint is provided so as to be movable in the front-rear direction Z. In this device,
A large number of bar-shaped substrates 1 whose height is positioned in the magazine 11
The coating material is evenly applied to the side surface (thickness surface) of No. 4.

The operation of the positioning device will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 (A) to 6 (F). First, as shown in (A), a plurality of bar-shaped substrates 14 are held in the magazine 11. At this time, the height position of the bar-shaped substrate 14 pressed by the clamper 15 in the groove 13 varies.
Therefore, as shown in (B), the positioning table 19 is first raised to the lower surface of the magazine 11. Then, the clamper 15 is moved in the arrow w direction to release the pressing force. As a result, the bar-shaped substrate 14 is unfixed and most of it falls by its own weight.

However, the bar-shaped substrate 14 adhered to the wall surface of the groove 13 may remain, and in order to drop the bar-shaped substrate 14, as shown in FIG.
Decrease 0. The descent at this time is performed with a small force such that the positioning table 19 stopped below does not move downward. As a result, the attached bar-shaped substrate 14 is also included in the magazine 1.
It is peeled from the side wall of the groove 13 and dropped onto the positioning table 19. In this way, all bar-shaped substrates 14
Regarding, it falls on the positioning table 19 and is sandwiched between the holding member 20 and the holding member 20.

Next, as shown in (D), the positioning table 19 is raised by a predetermined height. At this time, the bar-shaped substrate 14 and the pressing member 20 are also pushed up at the same time. Next, as shown in (E), the rods 16A and 16B are slid to move the clamper 15 in the arrow u direction. Again, the bar-shaped substrate 14 is pinched and fixed between the bar-shaped substrate 14 and the side wall of the groove 13 of the magazine 11. At this time, since it is sandwiched between the pressing member 20 and the positioning table 19, the bar-shaped substrate 14 can be completely prevented from jumping out of the groove 13.

Finally, as shown in (F), the pressing member 20 is raised and the positioning table 19 is lowered. As a result, the heights of many bar-shaped substrates 14 in the magazine 11 can be made uniform at the same time. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate variations in the coating width of each bar-shaped substrate 14 in the printing in the subsequent process. That is, printing defects can be reduced.

[0018]

According to the present invention, the heights of the works in the magazine can be surely made uniform. It is possible to prevent troubles and quality abnormalities in subsequent processes.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a magazine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the outline of a positioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a relationship between a magazine and a positioning table according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view schematically showing a positioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the outline of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view for explaining each step of the positioning device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining each step of a conventional positioning device.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining a defect in a conventional positioning device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 magazines, 13 grooves, 14 bar-shaped substrates (workpieces, products), 15 clampers, 19 positioning tables, 20 holding members.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A positioning device for aligning the height positions of a plurality of products held in a magazine by being urged in a substantially horizontal direction by a plurality of clampers, the positioning device being provided below the magazine. A positioning device that includes a positioning table that can push up products at the same time and a pressing member that is provided above the magazine and that can push down a plurality of these products at the same time. 2. A positioning method for aligning the height positions of a plurality of products held in a magazine by urging a plurality of products inserted in a predetermined position in a magazine in a substantially horizontal direction. A positioning method that includes a step of pushing up a plurality of products from below with a positioning table and a step of pushing down a plurality of products from above with a holding member, and performing the pushing up and pushing down at a constant timing.