The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 04, 2003
Filed:
Jul. 02, 1998
Shigeki Takahashi, Omihachiman, JP;
Nihei Kaishita, Omihachiman, JP;
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Nagaokakyo, JP;
Abstract
A subject part-aligning apparatus has a simple structure and causes less damage to chip parts, and operates well even if a chip discharge passage thereof is clogged or overflows with the chip parts. The apparatus has a part-holding chamber for accommodating a number of chip parts. An arc-shaped chute groove is formed in the inner surface of the bottom of the part-holding chamber to orient the chip parts in a given direction and to slidably guide the chips. A gate port is formed at the lower end of the chute groove to permit the chip parts sliding downward in a given orientation along the chute groove to pass in series (e.g., one by one). The discharge passage is formed to be tangential to the chute groove to align the passed chip parts in a line and to discharge the chip parts. A rotary impeller having blades is mounted in the part-holding chamber. The blades urge any chip part halted in an abnormal orientation in the gate port toward a direction opposite to the direction in which the chips are discharged.