US 6,332,529 B1 · Component conveying device

Abstract

A component conveying device can reliably separate a head component and a second component and can easily take out the head component. A guide groove for aligning and guiding a component P, a conveying member M which is arranged on a bottom surface of the guide groove and is movable forward and backward in the direction of the groove, and a driving means to provide backward and forward movement of the conveying member M are provided. The component P is conveyed forward by moving the conveying member forward in a low speed and moving the conveying member backward in a high speed. A first stopper S1 holds a second component P2 from the head component P1 conveyed on the conveying member M. After the first stopper S1 holds the second component P2, the conveying member M moves forward further, causing a head component P1 to move forward integrally with the conveying member M due to the frictional force, generated by the combined force of the attraction force of a magnetic force generating portion Mg and gravity, so that the head component P1 is separated from the second component P2.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A device useful for conveying a component which is magnetically attractable, the device comprising:

a guide groove for guiding and aligning a component in a single line, the guide groove extending along a longitudinal direction and including a bottom surface and a tip portion;
a conveying member disposed on the bottom surface of the guide groove and having a magnetic force generating element for magnetically attracting the component, the conveying member being longitudinally movable in the groove to convey the component forward;
a driving means for reciprocally and longitudinally driving the conveying member;
a first stopper movable in synch with the reciprocating movement of the conveying member for holding a second component in a fixed position in the guide groove;
wherein after the first stopper holds the second component, when the conveying member moves longitudinally forward by a predetermined distance, a first component is integrally conveyed forward with the conveying member by a total friction force from the combined force of the attraction power of the magnetic force generating element and gravity, thereby isolating the first component from the second component.

2 more elements

A method of conveying a component comprising the steps of:

aligning a first component having a magnetic part in a single line to guide the first component to a guide groove;
conveying the first component forward by a conveying member disposed on a bottom surface of the guide groove, the conveying member having a magnetic force generating element for attracting the magnetic part of the first component and moving backward and forward in the groove direction;
holding a second component at a predetermined position of the guide groove by a first stopper which operates in synch with the backward and forward movement of the conveying member;
and
moving the conveying member forward by a predetermined distance, the first component being attracted by the magnetic force generating element and being conveyed forward integrally with the conveying member, so that the first component is separated from the second component.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Component conveying device

Life of this patent

Component conveying device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13