Feeder system and method for supplying electrical components to a pick up location

A feeder system (1) for supplying electrical components (20) to a pick-and-place machine (14). The feeder system has a two storage hoppers (2a,2b) respective storage outlets (6a,6b), There is a pick up location (3) and a passage (4) provides communication between the storage outlets (6a,6b) and the pick up location (3). A first fluid jet outlet 31 associated with storage outlets (6a,6b) provides fluid blasts to agitate components (20) the hoppers (2a,2b). A second fluid jet outlet (32) associated provides fluid blasts to propel the components (20) towards the pick up location (3).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a feeder system and method for supplying 
electrical components to a pick up location. The invention is particularly 
useful for, but not necessarily limited to, supplying surface mountable 
electrical components, stored in hoppers, to pick up locations for 
subsequent mounting to a circuit board. 
BACKGROUND ART 
Component feeding is a well-known process in Surface Mounting Technology 
(SMT). In general, a feeder is used to sequentially supply surface 
mountable electrical components to a pick up location for subsequent 
placing, by a pick-and-place machine, onto a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 
which is pre-printed with solder paste. 
One form of feeder is a tape and reel feeder in which the electrical 
components are packaged on a tape that is wound onto a reel. The tape 
comprises individual pockets each containing one of the electrical 
components that are individually sealed in the pockets by a covering of 
thin film. In use, the film is removed when the tape enters the pick up 
location therefore leaving a pocket containing one of the electrical 
components in a position accessible by the pick-and-place machine. 
Unfortunately, the tape is substantially wider than the components located 
in the pockets thereby increasing the width of the feeder. Further, the 
reel and apparatus for removing the film also add to the width and overall 
size of the feeder. 
Hopper feeders also known as bulk or tube feeders are an alternative to 
tape and reel feeders. Hopper feeders usually comprise a hopper in 
communication, along a downwardly sloping passage, with the pick up 
location. The downwardly sloping passage makes use of gravity for 
supplying the components to the pick up location. To further assist the 
supplying of the components to the pick up location a combination of 
gravity and air blasting has also been used. However, the components can 
sometimes be removed from the pick up location faster than they can be 
supplied especially when high speed carousel or rapid pick up robot arms 
are used for removing the components from the pick up location. This can 
result in an undesirable delay as it can reduce the efficiency of the 
pick-and-place machine which may have to wait for components to be 
delivered to the pick up location. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an aim of this invention to overcome or alleviate at least one of the 
problems associated with prior art feeder systems and methods for 
supplying components to a pick up location. 
According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a feeder system 
for supplying electrical components to a pick-and-place machine, the 
feeder system comprising: 
at least one component storage means with two or more storage outlets; 
a pick up location; 
a passage providing communication between said storage outlets and said 
pick up location; 
a first fluid jet outlet associated with one or more of said storage 
outlets for providing fluid blasts to agitate components in said component 
storage means; and 
a second fluid jet outlet associated with said passage for providing fluid 
blasts to propel said components located in said passage towards said pick 
up location. 
Suitably, said first fluid jet outlet may be located to provide air blasts 
through at least a first and second one of said storage outlets. 
Suitably, said first fluid jet outlet may be located in a wall of said 
passage. 
Preferably, said second fluid jet outlet may be located in a wall of said 
passage. 
Preferably, there may be pressurised air supply means operatively coupled 
to said first and second fluid jet outlets by respective valves. 
Alternatively, there may be a third fluid jet outlet, wherein said first 
fluid jet outlet is located to provide air blasts through at least a first 
one of said storage outlets, and said third fluid jet outlet is located to 
provide air blasts through at a second one of said storage outlets. 
Suitably, there may be a controller for selectively controlling said valves 
to alternately supply air blasts to said first and third fluid outlets. 
Preferably, said passage may comprise an upwardly inclined portion which is 
upwardly inclined towards said pick up location 
Suitably, an end of said upwardly inclined portion may be directly coupled 
to said pick up location. 
In an alternative form there may be an intermediate portion of said passage 
between said pick up location and said upwardly inclined portion. 
Suitably, said intermediate portion may have a component supporting surface 
angled relative to a component supporting surface of said upwardly 
inclined portion. 
The said component supporting surface of said intermediate portion may be 
substantially aligned in a horizontal plane. 
Preferably, a component supporting surface of said pick up location can be 
angled relative to a component supporting surface of said upwardly 
inclined portion. The said component supporting surface of said pick up 
location may be substantially aligned in a horizontal plane. 
Suitably, said passage may include a first portion providing communication 
between said storage means and upwardly inclined portion, wherein a length 
of said first portion is angled relative to said upwardly inclined 
portion. 
Preferably, said storage means may be at least two hoppers, each hopper 
being associated with one of said storage outlets. 
Suitably, each of said hoppers may comprise a first funnel portion for 
guiding components into a second funnel portion, 
wherein said second funnel portion is adapted to receive said components 
such that a surface thereof is aligned to an alignment plane, 
and wherein said second funnel portion is adapted to funnel said components 
into said hopper outlet. 
According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a method 
for supplying electrical components to a pick-and-place machine by a 
feeder system having a component storage means with two or more storage 
outlets coupled by a passage to a pick up location, the method comprising 
the steps of: 
providing air blasts to a first fluid jet outlet associated with said 
storage outlets to agitate said electrical components stored in said 
component storage means, the agitation thereof allowing for the 
possibility of one or more components to pass through said storage outlets 
and into said passage; and 
supplying air blasts to a second fluid jet outlet associated with said 
passage thereby propelling said components located in said passage towards 
said pick up location. 
According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a method 
for supplying electrical components to a pick-and-place machine by a 
feeder system having a component storage means with two or more storage 
outlets coupled by a passage to a pick up location, the method comprising 
the steps of: 
providing air blasts to a first fluid jet outlet associated with a first 
one of said storage outlets to agitate said electrical components stored 
in said component storage means, the agitation thereof allowing for the 
possibility of one or more components to pass through said first one of 
said storage outlets and into said passage; 
alternately supplying air blasts to third fluid jet outlet associated with 
a second one of said storage outlets to agitate said electrical components 
stored in said component storage means, the agitation thereof allowing for 
the possibility of one or more components to pass through said second one 
of said storage outlets and into said passage; and 
supplying air blasts to a second fluid jet outlet associated with said 
passage thereby propelling said components located in said passage towards 
said pick up location.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is illustrated a feeder system 1 for 
supplying electrical components 20 to pick-and-place machine 14. The 
feeder system 1 comprises a storage means in the form of two hoppers 
2a,2b, a pick up location 3 with respective storage outlets 6a,6b and a 
passage 4. The passage 4 provides communication between the storage 
outlets 6a,6b and the pick up location 3 so that electrical components 20 
in hoppers 2a,2b can transferred to the pick up location 3. 
The passage 4 comprises an upwardly inclined portion 5 that is upwardly 
inclined towards the pick up location 3. The passage 4 has an intermediate 
portion 7 between the pick up location 3 and the upwardly inclined portion 
5. The intermediate portion 7 has a component supporting surface 8b in a 
horizontal plane angled relative to a component supporting surface 8a of 
the upwardly inclined portion 5. 
The pick up location 3 has a component supporting surface 9 that is aligned 
with surface 8b. There is also an abutment wall 10 for stopping and 
positioning the components 20 and an access aperture 11 allows removal of 
the components 20, by the pick-and-place machine 14 from the pick up 
location 3. 
The passage 4 also has a first portion 12 and second portion 13 angled 
relative to each other. The second portion 13 is coupled at one end to 
outlets 6a,6b and at the other end of second portion 13 is coupled to an 
end of the second portion 12. The other end of the second portion 12 is 
coupled to an end of the upwardly inclined portion 5 and the first portion 
12 is angled relative to the upwardly inclined portion 5. 
There is a first fluid jet outlet 31 associated with and located to provide 
air blasts through storage outlets 6a,6b to allow for agitating the 
components 20 in hoppers 2a,2b so that some of them may drop into the 
passage 4. There is second fluid jet outlet 32 associated with the passage 
4, for propelling the components 20 that have dropped into the passage 4 
towards the pick up location 3. As illustrated the first and second fluid 
jet outlets 31,32 are in a wall of passage 4 and they are coupled to 
respective air conduits 17,18 which allow for air to be supplied 
respectively to fluid jet outlets 31,32. The passage 4, pick up location 
3, hoppers 2a,2b and air conduits 17,18 are machined into a surface of a 
block 15 and enclosed by a transparent plate 16 that is glued and bolted 
to the block 15 (bolts not shown). 
As specifically illustrated in FIG. 2, the conduits 17,18 are operatively 
coupled to respective solenoid valves S1,S2 by flexible piping 27,28. The 
solenoid valves S1,S2 selectively allow for coupling of piping 27,28 to a 
pressurised air supply means in the form of a compressor 30. There is also 
a controller 29 associated with the pick and place machine 14 for use in 
selectively controlling the solenoid valves S1,S2. 
The feeder system 1 is located adjacent a conveyor track 22 of the 
pick-and-place machine 14. The conveyor track 22 is used to transport a 
printed circuit board 24 to a position near the pick up locations 3 so 
that a robot arm 25 (or some other pick up device such as a carousel) can 
remove the components 20 in the location 3 via the access aperture 11. The 
robot arm 25 sequentially places the components onto the board 24 in their 
required positions. Although only one feeder system 1 is illustrated, it 
will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that a plurality of feeder 
systems 1 can be mounted side by side and the conduits 17,18 of each 
feeder system 1 would typically be operatively coupled to further solenoid 
valves that are selectively controllable by controller 29. 
In operation the controller 29 will control solenoid valves S1,S2 to allow 
pulsed air blasts to be provided alternatively through fluid jet outlet 31 
and fluid jet outlet 32. Accordingly, after each air blast through the 
first fluid jet outlet 31, one or more components 20 may drop through the 
storage outlets 6a,6b and into the passage 4. Similarly, after each air 
blast through the second fluid jet outlet 32, some of the components 20 
that have dropped into passage 4 will be propelled along the passage 4 and 
up the upwardly inclined portion 5. Further, if there is available space, 
a leading one of the components 20 in the queue will be pushed into the 
intermediate portion 7. However, upon completion of each alternate air 
blast through fluid jet outlet 32, some of the components 20 will slide 
down the inclined portion 5 due to the effects of gravity. 
When there is no component located in pick up location 3, the next air 
blast through fluid jet outlet 32 will push the leading one of the 
components 20 into location 3. This leading component will abut wall 10 
and be positioned underneath the access aperture 11 ready for removal by 
pick-and-place machine 14. Further, if there is a component 20 located in 
the intermediate portion 7, this will push against, and assist in, 
maintaining positioning of the leading component against the wall 10. This 
positioning allows for the leading component to be removed from the pick 
up location 3 with reduced friction against wall 10. This is because the 
inclined portion 5 effectively separates the bulk of components 20 in 
passage 4 from this leading component. 
Referring to FIG. 3 there is illustrated a second embodiment of the 
invention. In this regard, only the differences from the embodiment of 
FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described to avoid repetition. In FIG. 3 part of a 
hopper feeder system is shown and comprises two hoppers 40, 41 with a 
respective first funnel portion 47,48 for guiding components into a 
respective second funnel portion 49,50. The hoppers 40,41 are adapted to 
receive the components 20 such that one surface of each hopper is aligned 
in an alignment plane. Further, the second funnel portion 49,50 of the 
respective hoppers 40,41 is shaped to funnel the components into 
respective storage outlets 42,43. There are first and third fluid jet 
outlets 45,46 associated with and adjacent respective the storage outlets 
42,43. In addition, there is a second fluid jet outlet 51 associated and 
located in a passage 44, this passage 44 having an end coupled to outlets 
42,43 and the other end of the passage 44 is coupled to a pick up location 
as will be apparent to a person skilled in the art. 
The fluid jet outlets 45,46,51 are operatively coupled to respective 
controllable solenoid valves S1,S3,S3. In use, S1 allows compressed air to 
be supplied to fluid jet outlet 45 thereby agitating components 20 in 
hopper 40, then S3 allows compressed air to be supplied to fluid jet 
outlet 46 thereby agitating components 20 in hopper 41. This agitating of 
components 20 in hoppers 40,41 may provide for some components to drop 
into passage 44. Thus, by S2 allowing air blasts to be provided to fluid 
jet outlet 51, components in passage 44 may be propelled towards the pick 
up location. 
The present invention, as will be apparent to a person skilled in the art, 
increases the likelihood of more components 20 entering passage 4 and 
being supplied to the pick up location 3. Accordingly, this advantageously 
reduces the possibility of the pick and place machine 14 having to wait 
for components 20 to be delivered to the pick up location 3. 
Although this invention has been described with reference to a preferred 
embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to 
the specific embodiment described herein. For instance, the controller 31 
could be incorporated into circuitry of the pick and place machine and the 
hoppers 2a,2b could be a single hopper with two outlets. Further, the 
sequence of air blasts through outlets 45,46,51 of FIG. 3 may be altered 
and still provide a similar result.