Hitachi, Ltd.

Ryu Takizawa

Kazuo Honma

Seiji Hata

Tadaaki Ishikawa

Mitsuo Nakamura

Makoto Honma

Sotozi Hiramoto

Masamichi Tomita

Shigemi Igarashi

An apparatus for transporting an electronic component includes a head for holding the component when the component is picked up from a suitable storage device. The head is movable relative to a base with an imaging apparatus being fixed to the head and allowing position of the component relative to the head to be determined while the component is being transported. A movable optical component is provided on the head which, in one position, contributes to defining an optical path between the component and the imaging apparatus, and in another position, is withdrawn. A further imaging apparatus may be provided, on the base or on the head with the further imaging apparatus detecting the position of large components, if the first imaging apparatus has a narrow filed of view for small components. Alternatively, when the further imaging apparatus is on the head, the imaging apparatus may detect the position to which the component is to be transported.

Component transporting apparatus and method

Growing community of inventors

Inayoshi, Japan

Ryu Takizawa