Tape feeder

Abstract

The present invention provides a tape feeder capable of reliably suppressing the exposure of two adhesive sections provided at both ends of a cover tape peeled off from a base tape. The tape feeder uses a carrier tape to supply components, and the carrier tape is configured to include: a base tape having a plurality of chambers in which the components are accommodated; the tape feeder includes a base tape having a plurality of chambers, a cover tape having two adhesive portions at both end portions of a back surface thereof, the cover tape being adhered to the base tape via the adhesive portions to cover the plurality of chambers, the tape feeder including: a center bending guide configured to bend the cover tape peeled from the base tape at a center portion between the two adhesive portions in a tape width direction, and to bend the center portion between the two adhesive portions in the tape width direction; the two end parts are opposite to each other by taking the back surface as the inner side; bending and bonding parts for bending both end parts of the cover tape in a state in which both ends face each other to form a two-end bent state in which both end parts are bent with the back surface as the inner side, and bonding the two bonding parts to the central part of the back surface; and a tape conveying mechanism which conveys the cover tape from the central bending guide to the bending and bonding part.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present specification relates to a tape feeder that supplies components using a tape carrier. BACKGROUND

[0002] Techniques for producing substrate products in mass production by performing a substrate work on a substrate on which a circuit pattern is formed are becoming widespread. Further, a plurality of substrate work machines are arranged and configured to constitute a production line of substrate products. As a representative example of the substrate work machine, there is a component mounting machine that performs a component mounting work using a tape feeder that supplies components using a tape carrier. The tape carrier is configured by a base tape in which components are housed in a plurality of cavities and a cover tape that is attached to the base tape by two adhesive portions. The tape feeder can take out the components by peeling the cover tape from the base tape. The peeled cover tape is discharged to the outside of the feeder or is recovered to the inside of the feeder. One technical example of such a tape feeder is disclosed in Patent Literature 1.

[0003] In Patent Literature 1, a component supply device is disclosed that has a tape carrier tape transport section that transports a top tape (cover tape) peeled from a tape carrier (base tape), in which the tape carrier tape transport section has a tape standing section that stands both end portions of the top tape with the adhesive surfaces on the inner side, a tape folding section that folds the stood portion of the top tape to the unstood portion, and a tape discharge section that transports the folded top tape by a constant amount each time. Thereby, the adhesive surfaces of the top tape are reliably closed, the adhesive components do not adhere to the contact portions of the discharge path of the top tape, and periodic cleaning work can be unnecessary or reduced.

[0004] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0005] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent No. 3969257 SUMMARY

[0006] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0007] However, in the technical example of Patent Literature 1, it is preferable that the adhesive surfaces are not exposed by folding both end portions of the cover tape. However, it is possible that the folded portion returns to the original shape and the adhesive surfaces are exposed again, and in addition, it is possible that a part of the adhesive surfaces remains exposed at one end portion due to the two end portions being folded asymmetrically. In the case where the adhesive surfaces are exposed, in addition to the disadvantage that the adhesive components adhere to the discharge path, it is possible that the cover tape adheres to the discharge path and becomes a discharge failure.

[0008] Therefore, in the present specification, the problem to be solved is to provide a tape feeder that can reliably prevent exposure of the two adhesive portions provided at both end portions of the cover tape after being peeled from the base tape.

[0009] MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0010] The present specification discloses a tape feeder that feeds components using a carrier tape, the carrier tape being configured to include: a base tape having a plurality of cavities that accommodate the components; and a cover tape having two adhesive portions that extend along a tape length direction at both end portions in a tape width direction of a back surface, the cover tape being attached to the base tape by the adhesive portions to cover the plurality of cavities, the tape feeder being provided with: a central bending guide that bends a central portion of the cover tape between the two adhesive portions in the tape width direction, peeled from the base tape, to form a state in which the both end portions face each other with the back surface inside; a bent and attached portion that bends the both end portions of the cover tape in the both end facing state to form a state in which the both end portions are bent with the back surface inside, and further attaches the two adhesive portions to the central portion of the back surface; and a tape conveying mechanism that conveys the cover tape from the central bending guide to the bent and attached portion.

[0011] Further, the present specification discloses a tape feeder that feeds components using a carrier tape, the carrier tape being configured to include: a base tape having a plurality of cavities that accommodate the components; and a cover tape having two adhesive portions that extend along a tape length direction at both end portions in a tape width direction of a back surface, the cover tape being attached to the base tape by the adhesive portions to cover the plurality of cavities, the tape feeder bending different two portions of a central portion of the cover tape between the two adhesive portions in the tape width direction, peeled from the base tape, and attaching the two adhesive portions to the central portion of the back surface.

[0012] Further, in the present specification, the technical idea of changing "the tape feeder described in claim 2 or 4" to "the tape feeder described in any one of claims 2, 4, 5" in the original claim 6 of the application, the technical idea of changing "the tape feeder described in claim 2 or 4" to "the tape feeder described in any one of claims 2, 4-10" in the original claim 11 of the application, the technical idea of changing "the tape feeder described in claim 2 or 4" to "the tape feeder described in any one of claims 2, 4-11" in the original claim 12 of the application, and the technical idea of changing "the tape feeder described in any one of claims 1, 2, 4" to "the tape feeder described in any one of claims 1, 2, 4-14" in the original claim 15 of the application are disclosed.

[0013] Effects of Invention

[0014] According to the disclosed tape feeder, since the two end portions of the cover tape having the two adhesive portions are bent and the two adhesive portions are attached to the central portion of the back surface, the creases bent due to the adhesion of the adhesive portions can be prevented from recovering to the original shape, and the two adhesive portions attached to the central portion can be reliably prevented from being exposed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 is a sectional view in the tape width direction of a carrier tape used for the tape feeder of the embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the tape feeder of the embodiment.

[0017] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a tape guide unit having a central bending guide and two end bending guides.

[0018] Figure 4 is a side partial sectional view showing the tape guide unit, the attachment portion, and the cover tape being deformed.

[0019] Figure 5 is Figure 4 a V-V sectional view of FIG. 1, is a front view showing a state in which the central bending guide bends the cover tape.

[0020] Figure 6 is Figure 4 a VI-VI sectional view of FIG. 1, is a front sectional view showing a state in which the two end bending guides start bending the two end portions of the cover tape at a position on the downstream side compared to Figure 5 .

[0021] Figure 7 is Figure 4 a VII-VII sectional view of FIG. 1, is a front sectional view showing a state in which the two end bending guides bend the two end portions of the cover tape at a position on the downstream side compared to Figure 6 .

[0022] Figure 8 is Figure 4 a VIII-VIII sectional view of FIG. 1, is a front sectional view showing a state in which the two end bending guides further bend the two end portions of the cover tape at a position on the downstream side compared to Figure 7 .

[0023] Figure 9 is Figure 4 a IX-IX sectional view of FIG. 1, is a front sectional view showing a state in which the two end bending guides end bending the two end portions of the cover tape at a position on the downstream side compared to Figure 8 .

[0024] Figure 10 is Figure 4X-X cross-sectional view, is a view showing the state in which the two adhesive portions 97 of the cover tape 96 are adhered to the two side edges of the base tape 91 on the downstream side of the two adhesive portions 97. Figure 9 A front cross-sectional view showing the state in which the two adhesive portions 97 of the cover tape 96 are adhered to the two side edges of the base tape 91 on the downstream side of the two adhesive portions 97.

[0025] Figure 11 A front cross-sectional view showing the state in which the two adhesive portions 97 of the cover tape 96 are adhered to the two side edges of the base tape 91 on the downstream side of the two adhesive portions 97.

[0026] Figure 12 A plan view showing the state in which the operator deforms the front end portion of the cover tape 96 at the start of use of the tape carrier 9.

[0027] Figure 13 A side partial cross-sectional view showing the deformation mode of the adhesive portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] 1. Structure of tape carrier 9

[0029] The tape feeder 1 of the embodiment is equipped to a component mounting machine and supplies components using a tape carrier. There are a plurality of kinds of tape carriers having different materials and forms. First, a structure example of a paper tape carrier 9 will be described with reference to Figure 1 The tape carrier 9 is configured to include a base tape 91 and a cover tape 96.

[0030] The base tape 91 is formed by processing a paper tape of substantially constant thickness and attaching a film-made bottom tape 92 to a bottom surface. A plurality of chambers 93 are provided at equal intervals along a tape length direction at positions of side edges of the base tape 91 on a side closer to the center in a tape width direction. The plurality of chambers 93 are each formed in a cuboid space shape and each houses a component 94. A plurality of feed holes 95 are provided at equal intervals along the tape length direction at positions of side edges on the other side of the base tape 91. The feed holes 95 are engaged with teeth of a sprocket provided to convey the tape carrier 9.

[0031] The cover tape 96 is formed of a film tape and can be the same material as the bottom tape 92. The cover tape 96 has two adhesive portions 97 extending along the tape length direction near side edges of a back surface in the tape width direction. The two adhesive portions 97 are adhered to both sides of the base tape 91 across the chambers 93. Thus, the cover tape 96 covers the plurality of chambers 93 to prevent scattering of the components 94. The width dimension of the cover tape 96 is smaller than the width dimension of the base tape 91, and the cover tape 96 covers the chambers 93 but does not cover the feed holes 95.

[0032] The resin-made carrier tape is mostly called embossed tape. The embossed tape is configured to include a resin-made base tape and a cover tape 96. The resin-made base tape is subjected to expansion processing (embossing processing) at equal intervals in the tape length direction of the resin-made tape to form chambers. In the resin-made embossed tape, the feed hole 95, the cover tape 96, and the two adhesive portions 97 are in the same form as the paper-made carrier tape 9. The resin-made embossed tape and the paper-made carrier tape 9 have interchangeability in use.

[0033] In this specification, in the tape width direction of the cover tape 96, the range from the adhesive portion 97 to the side edge (the range including the adhesive portion 97) is called an end portion, and the two end portions taken together are called both end portions 9E. As shown in Figure 1 the adhesive portion 97 can reach the side edge. The two end portions are often in a symmetrical shape in the tape width direction, but the symmetrical shape is not a necessary condition. In addition, in the tape width direction, the range between the two adhesive portions 97 (the range not including the adhesive portion 97) is called a central portion 9C. It is a necessary condition that even if the width dimension of the two end portions is added, it is smaller than the width dimension of the central portion 9C. In addition, the adhesive portion 97 can be in a form that is discontinuous in the tape length direction, such as a dotted line form.

[0034] 2. Overall structure of the tape feeder 1

[0035] Next, the overall structure of the tape feeder 1 of the embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 2 and Figure 3 . As shown in the right upper arrow in Figure 2 , the front, back, left, and right of the tape feeder 1 are determined. The tape feeder 1 conveys the carrier tape 9 (or the resin-made embossed tape) supplied from the back to a predetermined conveying direction and supplies the component 94 at the supply position 22 on the front upper portion. Therefore, the direction from the back side to the front side of the tape feeder 1 becomes the conveying direction of the carrier tape 9. A tape reel (omitted from the drawing) on which the carrier tape 9 is wound is held to the tape feeder 1 or is separately placed at the back of the tape feeder 1. The tape feeder 1 is configured of a feeder main body 2, a carrier tape conveying mechanism 3, a cover tape conveying mechanism 4, a tape guide unit 5, and the like.

[0036] The feeder main body 2 is formed to be long in the front-back direction and thin in the left-right direction, and forms the outer shape of the tape feeder 1. A downwardly protruding dismounting rail (omitted from the drawing) is provided on the lower surface of the feeder main body 2. The dismounting rail is used for mounting to the equipment of the component mounting machine. A carrier tape 9 insertion port 21 is provided on the back surface of the feeder main body 2. A supply position 22 at which the component 94 is supplied is provided on the front upper portion of the feeder main body 2. A return portion 23 is provided at a position on the back side of the supply position 22 of the feeder main body 2.

[0037] An upper positioning pin 24, a connector 25, and a lower positioning pin 26 are provided in this order from the upper side to the lower side of the front surface of the feeder main body 2. The upper positioning pin 24 and the lower positioning pin 26 position the tape feeder 1 equipped with a component mounting machine. When the tape feeder 1 is positioned, the connector 25 is automatically connected to the main body side of the component mounting machine. Thus, the tape feeder 1 is supplied with power, and is communicatively connected to the control device of the component mounting machine. A handle 27 for carrying is provided at the upper rear portion of the feeder main body 2. An input display portion 28 is provided at the rear side of the handle 27. The input display portion 28 accepts an input operation by an operator, and displays the operation status of the tape feeder 1 and the like.

[0038] The tape carrier transport mechanism 3 is disposed at the lower side of the feed position 22 and the return portion 23 inside the feeder main body 2. The tape carrier transport mechanism 3 transports the tape carrier 9 inserted into the insertion port 21 in the transport direction along a tape transport path which is not shown. The tape carrier 9 advances forward at the lower side of the return portion 23. The cover tape 96 is peeled from the base tape 91 in the vicinity of the feed position 22. The tape carrier transport mechanism 3 transports the tape carrier 9 by the pitch dimension of the transport chamber 93 at a time, whereby the base tape 91 can be transported to the feed position 22 to sequentially extract a plurality of components.

[0039] On the other hand, the peeled cover tape 96 is reversed in the transport direction at the front side of the return portion 23, and is transported in a horizontal U-letter shape when viewed in the side view. In other words, the peeled cover tape 96 is transported backward through the upper side of the return portion 23 in a state where the back surface having the adhesive portion 97 becomes the upper side. The tape carrier transport mechanism 3 is constituted by, for example, a sprocket having teeth which fit into the feed holes 95 of the base tape 91, and a motor which rotationally drives the sprocket via a gear mechanism.

[0040] The cover tape transport mechanism 4 is disposed at the lower portion in the vicinity of the middle in the front-rear direction inside the feeder main body 2. The cover tape transport mechanism 4 is constituted by including a guide roller 41 disposed at the upper portion in the vicinity of the middle of the feeder main body 2, and a direction conversion roller 42 (see FIG. 2) disposed at the lower portion in the vicinity of the middle of the feeder main body 2. Figure 3 The guide roller 41 is located at the rear of the return portion 23. The guide roller 41 is supported to the feeder main body 2 so as to be able to rotate around a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. The guide roller 41 is in contact with the surface of the cover tape 96 transported from the return portion 23 which becomes the lower side, and rotates, guiding the cover tape 96 toward the direction conversion roller 42.

[0041] The direction conversion roller 42 is located at a position close to the rear side of the guide roller 41. The direction conversion roller 42 is supported to the feeder main body 2 so as to be able to rotate around a rotation axis inclined by 45° in the horizontal plane with respect to the rotation axis of the guide roller 41. The direction conversion roller 42 is in contact with the surface of the cover tape 96 transported from the guide roller 41 to the substantially horizontal rear side, and rotates. Thus, the direction conversion roller 42 twists the width direction of the cover tape 96 by 45° and converts the transport direction to the lower side.

[0042] Further, the third roller is omitted so as to further twist the cover tape 96 in a manner that the width direction of the cover tape 96 coincides with the front-rear direction of the tape feeder 1, and is guided to the cover tape conveying mechanism 4. The cover tape 96 does not interfere with the carrier tape 9 conveyed along the tape conveying path due to the twisting. Thus, the cover tape 96 reaches the cover tape conveying mechanism 4 smoothly.

[0043] The cover tape conveying mechanism 4 peels the cover tape 96 from the base tape 91 by pulling. The cover tape conveying mechanism 4 also conveys the peeled cover tape 96 from the return portion 23 by pulling via the guide roller 41, the direction conversion roller 42, and the third roller. The cover tape conveying mechanism 4 finally discharges the cover tape 96 downward. The cover tape conveying mechanism 4 operates in synchronization with the carrier tape conveying mechanism 3, and conveys the cover tape 96 at the same pitch each time.

[0044] The cover tape conveying mechanism 4 can also have a tension adjustment mechanism that adjusts the tension of the cover tape 96 to suppress occurrence of slack or elongation. In addition, the cover tape conveying mechanism 4 can not discharge the cover tape 96, but can wind it on a winding reel provided in the feeder main body 2, or can recover it to a recovery container provided in the feeder main body 2. The matters described so far do not change the structure of the existing tape feeder.

[0045] The tape guide unit 5 is provided between the return portion 23 and the guide roller 41. Thus, when viewed from the tape guide unit 5, the return portion 23 is on the upstream side of the conveying direction of the cover tape 96, and the guide roller 41 is on the downstream side. The tape guide unit 5 is detachable with respect to the feeder main body 2. Thus, the tape guide unit 5 can be installed after the existing tape feeder to configure the tape feeder 1 of the embodiment. The tape guide unit 5 deforms the cover tape 96. As described later, the width dimension of the cover tape 96 in the tape width direction is deformed to half, but even so, modification or design change of the existing cover tape conveying mechanism 4 (including the guide roller 41, the direction conversion roller 42, and the third roller) is not required.

[0046] 3. Detailed structure and function of the tape guide unit 5

[0047] Next, the detailed structure and function of the tape guide unit 5 will be described with reference to Figures 3-9 In Figure 4 , for convenience, the cover tape 96 is indicated by hatching Figure 13 . In addition, as indicated by the arrow on the right upper side in Figure 4 , the left side of the paper is the upstream side of the conveying direction of the cover tape 96, and the right side of the paper is the downstream side. As indicated by the arrow on the right upper side in Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the guide unit 5 is composed of a base plate 51 and a guide body 55, and the like. The guide body 55 is fixed to the upper side of the base plate 51 using two screws 59. The upstream end of the guide body 55 is disposed at the upstream side of the upstream end of the base plate 51. The downstream end of the guide body 55 is disposed at the upstream side of the downstream end of the base plate 51.

[0048] The guide body 55 has a central curved guide 6, two end bent guides 7, and an opening portion 56. A portion of the upstream side of the guide body 55 corresponds to the central curved guide 6. More than half of the downstream side of the guide body 55 corresponds to the two end bent guides 7. According to this positional relationship, the cap tape conveying mechanism 4 conveys the cap tape 96 from the central curved guide 6 to the two end bent guides 7. The opening portion 56 is provided between the central curved guide 6 and the two end bent guides 7, and is formed in a rectangular shape that is open upward. The opening portion 56 is a site for the operator to perform the cap tape 96 loading work (details will be described later).

[0049] The central curved guide 6 curves the cap tape 96 at the central portion 9C, and forms the two end portions 9E in a state in which the two end portions 9E face each other with the back surfaces as the inner sides. In detail, as shown in Figure 5 The central curved guide 6 has a pair of left and right inclined surface-shaped guide surfaces 61. The guide surfaces 61 are chamfered at the front ends to form chamfered portions 62, so that the cap tape 96 easily enters. The upper sides of the pair of left and right guide surfaces 61 are separated from each other by a separation distance Dl, and this gap is continuous with the opening portion 56 described above.

[0050] The separation distance Dl of the upper sides of the pair of left and right guide surfaces 61 is smaller than the separation distance D2 of the lower sides. Therefore, the cap tape 96 is deformed into a U-shaped form in which the upper portion is narrower than the lower portion in the front view. In other words, the cap tape 96 is deformed in a manner in which the two end portions 9E that stand and face each other are inclined inward and approach each other. Thus, the cap tape 96 easily enters the two end bent guides 7 on the downstream side. In addition, the inclination angles and the separation distances (Dl, D2) of the pair of left and right guide surfaces 61 can be appropriately designed based on the width dimension, the thickness, and the material of the cap tape 96, and the like.

[0051] The two end bent guides 7 bend the two end portions 9E of the cap tape 96 in the two end facing state conveyed from the central curved guide 6. In detail, the two end bent guides 7 bend the two end portions 9E of the cap tape 96 in a two end bent state in which the two end portions 9E are bent with the back surfaces as the inner sides (see FIG. 6). The two end bent guides 7 are formed in a rectangular shape that is open upward. Figure 9The two ends 9E are bent in a manner that allows the end-bending guide 7 to bend the cover strip 96 at two different locations in the central portion 9C. In other words, the end-bending guide 7 does not bend the end 9E midway in the width direction, but rather bends the entire end 9E in a way that forms a crease in the central portion 9C. This prevents the end-bending guide 7 from covering the two adhesive portions 97 and exposing them.

[0052] The bending guide 7 at both ends is described in detail, and its lower surface has a concave guide surface 71. The central portion of the guide surface 71 in the width direction is flat and high, gradually decreasing in height as it approaches both ends. The separation distance between the two ends of the guide surface 71 is approximately half the width dimension of the cover strip 96 before it is bent by the central bending guide 6. The guide surface 71 is configured to maintain the separation distance between the two ends and gradually decrease in height as it moves downstream.

[0053] The upper surface 52 of the base plate 51 functions as part of the guide surface 71. An upstream portion of the upper surface 52 of the base plate 51 forms a lower, inclined surface 53 on the upstream side. A through hole 54 is formed between the guide surface 71 of the bending guides 7 at both ends and the upper surface 52 of the base plate 51, allowing the cover strip 96 to pass rearward. The conveyed cover strip 96 is deformed as it advances through the through hole 54.

[0054] The guide surface 71 causes the conveyed cover strip 96 (the cover strip 96 advancing through the through hole 54) to gradually deform from a state where both ends face each other to a state where both ends are bent. For example... Figures 6-9 As shown, the height dimension of the through hole 54 gradually decreases as it advances downstream. Therefore, the two ends 9E of the cover strip 96 are guided by the guide surface 71, gradually tilting inwards from an opposing state while approaching each other, and simultaneously approaching the central portion 9C. On the other hand, the curved portion of the central portion 9C of the cover strip 96 first contacts the inclined surface 53 of the base plate 51, then contacts the flat upper surface 52, gradually becoming planarized, deforming into two curved portions, left and right. Furthermore, as the cover strip 96 advances through the through hole 54, the radius of curvature of the curved portion gradually decreases.

[0055] Through the functions of the aforementioned guide surface 71, such as Figure 9 As shown, on the upper side of the central portion 9C, the two side edges of the two ends 9E of the cover strip 96 are close to each other, and the curved portions at the left and right sides of the central portion 9C are deformed into a bent-end state. Therefore, the width of the cover strip 96 in the bent-end state is approximately half the width of the cover strip 96 before deformation. The shape of the guide surface 71 can be appropriately determined in a way that performs this function.

[0056] Furthermore, gaps are permissible between the two side edges of the two ends 9E of the bend due to machining errors in the deformation process or dimensional tolerances of the cover strip 96, or even if the two side edges overlap vertically. In this embodiment, effective deformation processing is implemented through a combination of the central bending guide 6 and the two end bending guides 7. In contrast, it is possible to use a single guide surface of a guide to deform the cover strip 96 from a planar state to a bent-end state, but the guide is elongated compared to the embodiment.

[0057] 4. Adhesive part 8

[0058] When the cover strip 96 is bent at both ends, the creases may return to their original shape due to the elasticity of the film material, thus exposing the adhesive portion 97. As a countermeasure, in this embodiment, a bonding portion 8 is provided. The bonding portion 8 bonds the two adhesive portions 97 of the cover strip 96 to the central portion 9C on the back side, maintaining the creases.

[0059] The fitting part 8 has a top plate 81 that allows the cover strip 96 in its bent-end state to contact, and a pressing part that presses the cover strip 96 in its bent-end state against the top plate 81 to flatten it thinner. The top plate 81 is formed by a portion of the belt guide unit 5. Specifically, as... Figure 4 As shown, the top plate 81 is formed by the lower surface of the guide surface 71 of the two bent guide members 7 located downstream.

[0060] On the other hand, guide roller 41 is used in the pressing section. Specifically, as... Figure 4 As shown, the guide roller 41 is positioned downstream of the top plate 81 in the conveying direction of the cover tape 96. Based on this positional relationship, the cover tape conveying mechanism 4 conveys the cover tape 96 from the central bending guide 6 via the two end bending guides 7 to the bonding section 8.

[0061] Furthermore, the guide roller 41 is configured such that the uppermost part of the roller in contact with the surface of the cover strip 96 is higher than the top plate 81 and the through hole 54. Therefore, the guide roller 41 can deflect the conveying direction of the cover strip 96 upwards from the horizontal direction, pressing the cover strip 96, which is bent at both ends, against the top plate 81 and smoothing it. Thus, as... Figure 10 As shown, the cover strip 96 is flattened to a thinner thickness, so the adhesive portion 97 is pressed against the center portion 9C on the back side for a reliable fit. Furthermore, the cover strip 96 retains a firmly creased crease.

[0062] The adhesive force of the adhesive portion 97 and the crease action prevent the crease from returning to its original shape. Therefore, the fitting portion 8 covers the adhesive portion 97 and reliably prevents it from being exposed. The bending guides 7 at both ends and the fitting portion 8 can be collectively referred to as bending fitting portions. Assuming that the fitting portion 8 is not provided, even if the two ends 9E are bent using the bending guides 7 at both ends, it is not necessarily possible to press the two adhesive portions 97 against the center portion 9C of the back side (see reference).Figure 9 (This makes reliable bonding impossible.)

[0063] Furthermore, the guide unit 5 and the fitting portion 8 are configured to be approximately symmetrical from left to right. Nevertheless, at least a portion along the length direction may result in the deformation of the cover strip 96 being asymmetrical in the width direction. In this case, such as... Figure 11 As shown, the bending positions of the two ends 9E are asymmetrical, and the contact positions of the two adhesive portions 97 are also asymmetrical. Nevertheless, because the two ends 9E are bent in such a way that the width of the cover tape 96 is half of the original width, even if the contact positions are offset, the adhesive portions 97 can be reliably attached to the central portion 9C without causing any obstruction.

[0064] 5. Filling operation with cover belt 96

[0065] The explanation up to this point mainly assumes the operation of the belt feeder 1. When a new carrier belt 9 is used in the belt feeder 1, a loading operation is required. This involves loading the front end 9F of the cover belt 96 along its length into the cover belt conveyor 4. For details regarding the loading operation of the cover belt 96, please refer to... Figure 12 Let me explain. Figure 12 In the diagram, for clarity, the adhesive portion 97 of the cover tape 96 is shown in shaded. Furthermore, the filling operation of the base tape 91 is the same as the existing operation of existing belt feeders, therefore its description is omitted.

[0066] In the filling operation of the cover tape 96, the operator first peels the cover tape 96 from the base tape 91. The peeled length needs to be longer than the distance from the fold-back section 23 to the cover tape conveyor 4. The operator then pre-plans as follows... Figure 12 The front end 9F of the cover strip 96 is deformed as shown. That is, the operator bends the front end 9F into a bent-end state and attaches the two adhesive portions 97 to the central portion 9C on the back side. The length of the deformed front end 9F needs to be longer than the through hole 54 of the guide unit 5. Here, as mentioned above, there is no obstacle even if the attachment positions of the two adhesive portions 97 are asymmetrical, so the deformation process is easy and does not require a high level of skill.

[0067] The subsequent portion 9R of the cover strip 96, which is connected to the front end portion 9F, is not deformed and does not become bent at both ends. As a supplement, the portion of the subsequent portion 9R near the front end portion 9F is affected by the deformation of the front end portion 9F and becomes bent at the center portion 9C. Furthermore, the subsequent portion 9R approaches a planar state as it moves away from the front end portion 9F.

[0068] The operator then inserts the front end 9F and the subsequent portion 9R of the cover tape 96 into the opening portion 56. That is, the operator inserts the front end 9F directly from the opening portion 56 into the through hole 54 of the both-end bending guide 7 while inserting the subsequent portion 9R in the bent state into the central bending guide 6. Next, the operator pulls out the front end 9F that has passed through the through hole 54 in the downstream direction and mounts in the order of the guide roller 41, the direction conversion roller 42, and the third roller.

[0069] At this time, the front end 9F, for which the deformation processing and the attachment have been completed in advance, is conveyed only in the conveying direction. On the other hand, the subsequent portion 9R is deformed by the both-end bending guide 7 when passing through the through hole 54 and is attached by the attachment portion 8 when passing through the top plate 81. The operator finally mounts the front end 9F to the cover tape conveying mechanism 4. Thus, the loading operation of the cover tape 96 ends.

[0070] In the tape feeder 1 of the embodiment, the central bending guide 6 makes the cover tape 96 after peeling into a state in which both ends face each other to easily enter the both-end bending guide 7, the both-end bending guide 7 bends both end portions 9E of the cover tape 96 having two adhesive portions 97, and the attachment portion 8 attaches the two adhesive portions 97 to the central portion 9C of the back surface. Thus, it is possible to suppress the creases that are bent due to the adhesion of the adhesive portions 97 from recovering to the original shape, thereby reliably preventing the two adhesive portions 97 attached to the central portion 9C from being exposed. Also, since the cover tape 96 does not adhere to the discharge path, it is possible to suppress discharge failure.

[0071] 6. Attachment portion 8A of the deformation mode

[0072] Next, the attachment portion 8A of the deformation mode will be described with reference to Figure 13 The attachment portion 8A of the deformation mode has a top plate 83, a press contact plate 84, and a force applying member 85. The top plate 83 is constituted by a lower surface that is horizontal on the downstream side of the guide surface 71 of the both-end bending guide 7. The press contact plate 84 is formed by bending the upstream side end portion of a rectangular plate material that is horizontally arranged downward. The press contact plate 84 is arranged so as to be able to move up and down on the lower side of the cover tape 96 in the both-end bent state. The force applying member 85 is arranged between the press contact plate 84 and the bottom plate 51. The force applying member 85 applies, for example, a compression state of a coil spring to apply a force upward to the press contact plate 84. Thus, the press contact plate 84 can press the cover tape 96 in the both-end bent state against the top plate 83 to be press contacted. Thus, the cover tape 96 is pressed thin, and thus the adhesive portions 97 are reliably attached to the central portion 9C of the back surface to be reliably prevented from being exposed.

[0073] 7. Application and deformation of the embodiment

[0074] In addition, the central bending guide 6, the both-end bending guide 7, and the attachment portion 8 can be formed in separate pieces. In addition, the both-end portion 9E can be bent so that the width dimension of the cover tape 96 is greater than one-half of the original width dimension. In addition, in another manner of bending the both-end portion 9E so that the width dimension of the cover tape 96 is one-third of the original width dimension, one end of the cover tape 96 is bent first, and one of the adhesive portions 97 is attached to the central portion 9C of the back surface. Next, the other end is bent, and the other of the adhesive portions 97 is attached to the surface of the bent portion.

[0075] In addition, the attachment portion 8A of the deformation manner can be deformed upside down. That is, the press plate 84 is pressed downward by the pressing member 85, and the cover tape 96 in the both-end bent state can be pressed against the bottom plate 51 to be pressed. In addition to this, the embodiment and the deformation manner can be applied and deformed in various manners.

[0076] [Legend]

[0077] 1: tape feeder; 2: feeder body; 22: supply position; 23: return portion; 3: carrier tape conveying mechanism; 4: cover tape conveying mechanism; 41: guide roller; 42: direction conversion roller; 5: tape guide unit; 51: bottom plate; 54: through hole; 55: guide member body; 56: opening portion; 6: central bending guide; 61: guide surface; 7: both-end bending guide; 71: guide surface; 8, 8A: attachment portion; 81: top plate; 83: top plate; 84: press plate; 85: pressing member; 9: carrier tape; 91: base tape; 93: chamber; 94: component; 96: cover tape; 97: adhesive portion; 9C: central portion; 9E: both-end portion; 9F: front-end portion; 9R: subsequent portion; D1, D2: mutual separation distance.

Claims

1. A belt feeder that uses a carrier belt to supply elements, the carrier belt being configured to include: a base belt having a plurality of chambers for receiving the elements; and a cover belt having two adhesive portions extending along the length direction at both ends on its back side in the belt width direction, the cover belt being adhered to the base belt via the adhesive portions to cover the plurality of chambers. The belt feeder includes: A central bending guide bends the cover strip peeled from the base strip at the center between the two adhesive portions in the strip width direction, forming a two-end facing state with the back side as the inside. The bending and bonding portion involves bending the two ends of the cover strip, which are in a facing-to-face state, to form a bent-end state where the two ends are bent with the back side as the inside, thereby bonding the two adhesive portions to the center of the back side; and A conveyor mechanism transports the cover tape from the central bending guide to the bending and bonding section.

2. The belt feeder according to claim 1, wherein, The bending and bonding portion includes: bending guides at both ends to form a bent state at both ends of the cover strip; and bonding portion to bond the two adhesive portions to the central portion of the back side.

3. A belt feeder that uses a carrier belt to supply elements, the carrier belt being configured to include: a base belt having a plurality of chambers for receiving the elements; and a cover belt having two adhesive portions extending along the length direction at both ends on its back side in the belt width direction, the cover belt being adhered to the base belt via the adhesive portions to cover the plurality of chambers. The belt feeder bends the cover tape peeled from the base tape at two different locations in the central portion between the two adhesive portions in the tape width direction, and attaches the two adhesive portions to the central portion of the back side.

4. The belt feeder according to claim 3, wherein, The belt feeder includes: A central bending guide causes the cover strip to bend at the central part, forming a two-end facing state with the back side as the inside; The two-end bending guide bends the two ends of the cover strip in the face-to-face state, forming a two-end bending state in which the two ends are bent with the back side as the inside. The bonding portion, wherein the two adhesive portions are bonded to the central portion of the back side; and A conveyor mechanism transports the cover tape from the central bending guide to the bonding portion via the two end bending guides.

5. The belt feeder according to claim 2 or 4, wherein, The bending guide at both ends has a guiding surface that causes the conveyed cover strip to gradually deform from a facing-to-facing state to a bent-at-both-ends state.

6. The belt feeder according to claim 2 or 4, wherein, The bonding portion includes: a top plate or a bottom plate that can contact the cover strip in the bent state at both ends; and a pressing portion that presses the cover strip in the bent state at both ends against the top plate or the bottom plate to flatten the cover strip.

7. The belt feeder according to claim 6, wherein, The pressing part is a guide roller, which is positioned downstream of the top plate in the conveying direction of the cover strip, so that the conveying direction of the cover strip is deflected upward from the horizontal direction and the cover strip with both ends bent is pressed against the top plate.

8. The belt feeder according to claim 7, wherein, The top plate is composed of a guide unit having the central bending guide and the two end bending guides and disposed on the feeder body.

9. The belt feeder according to claim 8, wherein, The guide unit is designed to be detachable from the feeder body.

10. The belt feeder according to claim 6, wherein, The pressing part is a pressing plate that presses and presses the cover strip, which is bent at both ends, onto the top plate or the bottom plate by applying force through a force-applying component.

11. The belt feeder according to claim 2 or 4, wherein, The bending guides at both ends ensure that the width of the cover strip in the bent state is half the width of the cover strip before it is bent by the central bending guide.

12. The belt feeder according to claim 2 or 4, wherein, The two-end bending guide allows the front end of the cover tape to be pre-bent into a bent-end state along its length, and the two adhesive portions are directly inserted into the front end of the central portion of the back side. The central bending guide allows for the insertion of a subsequent portion that is connected to the front end of the cover strip and is not in a bent-end state.

13. The belt feeder according to claim 12, wherein, The belt guide unit, which has the central bending guide and the two end bending guides and is located on the feeder body, has an opening, and the front end and the rear end of the cover belt can be inserted into the opening together.

14. The belt feeder according to claim 13, wherein, The guide unit is designed to be detachable from the feeder body.

15. The belt feeder according to any one of claims 1, 2, and 4, wherein, The central curved guide has a pair of inclined guide surfaces with a smaller separation distance between the upper and lower sides.

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