Tape guide and tape feeder

Abstract

This tape guide is provided in a tape feeder that supplies components by feeding a carrier tape in a predetermined feeding direction along a tape passage member provided in a feeder body, the carrier tape being configured to include a base tape having a plurality of cavities that accommodate the components, and a cover tape peelably attached to the base tape and covering the plurality of cavities. The tape guide comprises: a tape pressing part that is biased toward the tape passage member, and that, in order to restrict lifting of the base tape from the tape passage member, comes into contact with the base tape from which the cover tape has been peeled off during operation of the tape feeder; and a tape folding part that is disposed on the upstream side of the tape pressing part in the feeding direction, and that folds back the cover tape peeled off during operation in a direction opposite to the feeding direction. The tape pressing part has a cover tape facing surface that faces the cover tape of the carrier tape that has been fed beyond the tape folding part during loading work of the carrier tape, while a part or the entirety thereof does not come into contact with the cover tape.

Description

Tape Guide and Tape Feeder

[0001] This specification relates to a tape guide provided in a tape feeder that supplies components using a carrier tape.

[0002] Technologies for mass-producing substrate products by performing substrate work on a substrate with a circuit pattern formed thereon have become widespread. Furthermore, it has become common to arrange a plurality of types of substrate working machines side by side to form a production line for substrate products. As a representative example of a substrate working machine, there is a component mounting machine that performs a component mounting operation with a tape feeder that supplies components using a carrier tape. The carrier tape is composed of a base tape having a plurality of cavities for accommodating components and a cover tape that is detachably attached to the base tape. The tape feeder can peel off the cover tape from the base tape to take out the components. The tape feeder has a tape guide above a tape passage member, which smooths the peeling of the cover tape and the supply of components. One technical example of this type of tape feeder is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic component supply device (tape feeder) having a taping transport unit that transports a taping member (carrier tape), a peeling unit that peels off the cover tape of the taping member, a pair of rotators that engage with the cover tape, a drive motor that rotates the rotators, and a motor control unit that measures the current value flowing through the drive motor and compares it with a predetermined value. Furthermore, according to the description of the embodiment, the motor control unit prevents an excessive tensile load from being applied to the cover tape by detecting an increase in the current value flowing through the drive motor when an excessive tensile load is applied to the cover tape, thereby preventing the cover tape from breaking.

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-243886

[0005] Incidentally, the technology described in Patent Document 1 is preferable because it can suppress the breakage of the cover tape when the tape feeder is in operation. However, the breakage of the cover tape is not a problem limited to operation, but may also occur during the process of loading the carrier tape into the tape feeder. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 is not a technology that addresses the breakage of the cover tape that peels off during the carrier tape loading process.

[0006] Therefore, the problem to be solved in this specification is to provide a tape guide that can reduce the risk of the cover tape being torn off during the loading of the carrier tape, and a tape feeder equipped with this tape guide.

[0007] This specification discloses a tape guide provided in a tape feeder that supplies components by feeding a carrier tape, comprising a base tape having a plurality of cavities for accommodating components, and a cover tape peelably attached to the base tape and covering the plurality of cavities, along a tape passage member provided in the feeder body in a predetermined feeding direction, the tape guide comprising: a tape pressing portion that is biased toward the tape passage member and, when the tape feeder is in operation, contacts the peeled base tape to restrict the lifting of the cover tape from the tape passage member; and a tape folding portion positioned upstream of the tape pressing portion in the feeding direction and folding back the peeled cover tape in the opposite direction to the feeding direction during operation, wherein the tape pressing portion has a cover tape facing surface of the carrier tape that is fed beyond the tape folding portion during the loading operation of the carrier tape, while part or all of it does not come into contact with the cover tape.

[0008] Furthermore, this specification discloses a tape guide provided in a tape feeder that supplies components by feeding a carrier tape, comprising a base tape having a plurality of cavities for accommodating components and a cover tape detachably attached to the base tape and covering the plurality of cavities, along a tape passage member provided in the feeder body in a predetermined feeding direction, the tape guide comprising: a tape pressing portion that is biased toward the tape passage member and, when the tape feeder is in operation, contacts the peeled base tape to restrict the cover tape from floating away from the tape passage member; and a tape folding portion positioned upstream of the tape pressing portion in the feeding direction and folding back the peeled cover tape in the opposite direction to the feeding direction during operation, wherein the tape pressing portion has a cover tape pressing surface that contacts the cover tape of the carrier tape fed beyond the tape folding portion during the loading operation of the carrier tape, and a base tape pressing surface that contacts the base tape without the cover tape, and the first surface pressure generated on the cover tape pressing surface is less than or equal to the second surface pressure generated on the base tape pressing surface.

[0009] Furthermore, this specification discloses a tape feeder comprising the tape guide described above, the feeder body, a carrier tape feeding mechanism for feeding the carrier tape in the feeding direction, and a cover tape feeding mechanism for feeding the cover tape in synchronization with the operation of the carrier tape feeding mechanism.

[0010] Furthermore, this specification discloses the technical idea of ​​changing "the tape guide described in claim 1" to "the tape guide described in claim 1 or 2" in claim 3 of the original application; the technical idea of ​​changing "the tape guide described in claim 3" to "the tape guide described in claim 3 or 4" in claim 5 of the original application; the technical idea of ​​changing "the tape guide described in any one of claims 1-8" to "the tape guide described in any one of claims 1-9" in claim 10 of the original application; the technical idea of ​​changing "the tape guide described in any one of claims 1-8" to "the tape guide described in any one of claims 1-10" in claim 11 of the original application; and the technical idea of ​​changing "the tape guide described in any one of claims 1-8" to "the tape guide described in any one of claims 1-10" in claim 11 of the original application. In addition, this specification discloses the technical idea of ​​changing "a tape feeder comprising the tape guide described in any one of claims 1-8" to "a tape feeder comprising the tape guide described in any one of claims 1-12" in claim 13 of the original application.

[0011] According to the disclosed tape guide, when peeling off the cover tape during the carrier tape loading process, part or all of the surface of the tape pressing part that faces the cover tape does not come into contact with the cover tape. As a result, the contact area is reduced compared to the conventional technology, or the first surface pressure generated on the cover tape pressing surface of the tape pressing part is reduced compared to the conventional technology. This makes it possible to reduce the contact of the tape pressing part with the cover tape being peeled off during the loading process, thereby reducing the risk of the cover tape breaking.

[0012] This is a schematic plan view showing an example of the configuration of a component mounting machine equipped with a tape feeder having a tape guide according to the embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view of the embossed carrier tape in the tape width direction. This is an overall perspective view of the tape feeder. This is a partially enlarged perspective view of the tape guide shown in Figure 3. This is a side view showing the discharge form of the base tape and the winding and recovery form of the cover tape in the tape feeder. This is a perspective view showing the operating state near the tape guide. This is a perspective view illustrating the peeling operation of the cover tape performed near the tape guide during the loading operation of the carrier tape. This is a schematic plan view showing the tape pressing portion of the tape guide. This is a schematic side view showing the cover tape facing surface of the tape pressing portion. This is a cross-sectional view taken along the X-X line in Figure 8, schematically showing the tape pressing portion. This is a front cross-sectional view at the same position as in Figure 10, schematically showing the tape pressing portion of a conventional configuration. This is a partial perspective view of an applied form of tape guide applicable to an extra-wide type tape feeder. This is a schematic side view showing a modified form of tape pressing portion.

[0013] 1. Example Configuration of Component Mounting Machine 9 The tape guide in this embodiment is provided on the tape feeder 1 equipped on the component mounting machine 9. First, an example configuration of the component mounting machine 9 will be explained with reference to Figure 1. The component mounting machine 9 performs mounting work to produce circuit board products by mounting components onto a circuit board K. In Figure 1, the horizontal direction from the left to the right of the paper is the X-axis direction for transporting the circuit board K, the horizontal direction from the bottom (front) to the top (rear) of the paper is the Y-axis direction, and the vertical direction is the Z-axis direction. The component mounting machine 9 is configured by assembling a circuit board transport device 92, a component supply device 93, a component transfer device 94, and a control device (not shown) on a base 91.

[0014] The substrate transport device 92 consists of a pair of guide rails 921, a pair of transport conveyors (not shown), and a clamping mechanism 922. The pair of guide rails 921 extend in the X-axis direction across the center of the upper surface of the base 91 and are assembled to the base 91 parallel to each other. The pair of transport conveyors rotate along the guide rails 921 with two parallel sides of the substrate K placed on them, transporting the substrate K to a stopping position near the center of the base 91. The clamping mechanism 922 is located below the stopping position and pushes up the substrate K and clamps it between itself and the guide rails 921 to position it. After the component mounting work by the component transfer device 94 is completed, the clamping mechanism 922 releases the substrate K, and the transport conveyors carry the substrate K out of the machine.

[0015] The parts supply device 93 is positioned at the front of the upper surface of the base 91 in the Y-axis direction. The parts supply device 93 consists of a pallet stand 931 and a plurality of tape feeders 1, etc. The pallet stand 931 is formed in a roughly rectangular shape in plan view. The pallet stand 931 may be formed in a trolley shape with casters for movement and be detachable from the base 91. The pallet stand 931 has a ceiling plate (not shown) with a plurality of upper slots formed therein that are spaced apart from each other and extend parallel to each other in the Y-axis direction. The plurality of tape feeders 1 are each detachably inserted into the upper slots and mounted. Each of the tape feeders 1 supplies parts using a carrier tape containing a plurality of parts.

[0016] Carrier tapes are available in multiple widths according to standards to accommodate parts of various sizes. Multiple types of tape feeders 1 with different widths are used to accommodate these different widths. The standard type tape feeder 1 has a standard width in the X-axis direction and is mounted in a single upper slot. The standard type tape feeder 1 often uses paper carrier tapes. The wide type tape feeder 1 has a wider width in the X-axis direction than the standard type and is mounted across multiple upper slots. The wide type tape feeder 1 often uses embossed carrier tapes 8 (see Figure 2), which will be described later. In other words, many types of large parts are contained in the embossed carrier tape 8 and supplied using the wide type tape feeder 1.

[0017] The component transfer device 94 consists of a Y-axis moving body 941, an X-axis moving body 942, a mounting head 943, a nozzle holder 944, a plurality of suction nozzles 945, a substrate camera 946, and a component camera 947. The Y-axis moving body 941 and the X-axis moving body 942 constitute an X-Y drive mechanism that moves the mounting head 943 in two horizontal directions. A rotationally symmetric nozzle holder 944 is provided below the mounting head 943. The nozzle holder 944 is equipped with a plurality of (20 in the example in Figure 1) suction nozzles 945 that can be automatically replaced. The suction nozzles 945 perform the mounting operation by picking up components supplied from the tape feeder 1 and mounting them on the substrate K at the stopping position. The mounting head 943 may be provided with a plurality of suction nozzles 945 arranged in a line or in a grid pattern. Furthermore, other component mounting devices besides the suction nozzle 945, such as a chuck for gripping a component, may be automatically replaceable on the mounting head 943.

[0018] The substrate camera 946 is mounted facing downwards on the X-axis moving body 942, alongside the mounting head 943. The substrate camera 946 captures position marks on the substrate K from above to accurately determine the stopping position of the substrate K. The component camera 947 is mounted facing upwards between the substrate transport device 92 and the component supply device 93. The component camera 947 captures and recognizes components held by the suction nozzle 945 from below while the mounting head 943 is moving from the component supply device 93 to the substrate K. This allows for the determination of whether the component is correct or incorrect, and also detects the position and orientation of the component relative to the suction nozzle 945, which is then reflected in the mounting operation. Examples of substrate cameras 946 and component cameras 947 include digital imaging devices having image sensors such as CCD (Charge Coupled Device) and CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor).

[0019] The control device, not shown in the figure, is mounted on the base 91, and its position is not particularly limited. The control device is configured using a computer. The control device may also be configured with multiple CPUs distributed within the machine and connected via communication. Based on mounting work data created for each type of substrate product (substrate K), the control device controls the substrate transport device 92, the component supply device 93, and the component transfer device 94 to proceed with the component mounting work. The mounting work data includes material information such as the type and shape of the substrate K and components, coordinate information indicating the suction position and mounting position of the components, and correspondence information that associates the type of component with the type of tape feeder 1 used.

[0020] 2. Configuration of the Embossed Carrier Tape 8 Next, the configuration of the embossed carrier tape 8, which is mainly used by the wide-type tape feeder 1, will be explained with reference to Figure 2. The embossed carrier tape 8 is composed of a base tape 81 and a cover tape 86.

[0021] The base tape 81 is embossed (expanded) at equal pitches along the length of the resin tape to form multiple cavities 82. Each of the multiple cavities 82 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and accommodates a component 83. However, the multiple cavities 82 near the leading edge of the embossed carrier tape 8 are initially left empty and do not accommodate a component 83. Both sides of the multiple cavities 82 in the tape width direction are left unexpanded and become side ends 84. At least one side end 84 is provided with multiple feed holes 85 arranged in a line at equal pitches along the length of the tape. The teeth of a sprocket 31 (see Figures 5 and 8), which is provided to feed the embossed carrier tape 8, engage with the feed holes 85.

[0022] The cover tape 86 is made of a thin film tape. The cover tape 86 has two adhesive sections 87 extending in the length direction of the tape near the side edge in the width direction of the tape on the back side. The two adhesive sections 87 are peelably attached to both sides of the cavity 82 of the base tape 81. As a result, the cover tape 86 covers multiple cavities 82 and prevents the scattering of parts 83. The width dimension of the cover tape 86 is smaller than the width dimension WT of the base tape 81 and does not cover both side edges of the base tape 81 or the feed holes 85. The adhesive sections 87 may be in a form that is not continuous in the length direction of the tape, for example, in a dashed line form.

[0023] The base tape 81 has a thickness dimension T1 in the central part with a cavity 82, while the thickness dimensions T2 of both side edges 84 are smaller. The width dimension WT of the embossed carrier tape 8 is the sum of the outer width dimension WC of the cavity 82, the width dimension WS1 of one side edge 84, and the width dimension WS2 of the other side edge 84. The width dimension WS1 of the side edge 84 with the feed holes 85 is greater than or equal to the width dimension WS2 of the other side edge 84 without the feed holes 85.

[0024] The embossed carrier tape 8 has its thickness dimension T1 and outer width dimension WC appropriately changed to accommodate the size of the component 83 to be contained, without changing the width dimension WT. The width dimensions (WS1, WS2) of the side edges 84 are adjusted accordingly in accordance with the change in the outer width dimension WC. For embossed carrier tapes 8 with a particularly large width dimension WT, a row of feed holes 85 is provided on each of the side edges 84 of the base tape 81. In this configuration, the embossed carrier tape 8 is configured symmetrically on both sides in the width direction, and the width dimensions (WS1, WS2) of both side edges 84 are formed to be equal to each other.

[0025] 3. Overall Configuration of Tape Feeder 1 Next, the overall configuration of tape feeder 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 3-7. In Figure 5, the base tape 81 is shown by a thick dashed line, and the cover tape 86 is shown by a thick solid line. Also, in Figures 6 and 7, the base tape 81 and cover tape 86 are shown with hatching for convenience. The front, back, left, and right of tape feeder 1 are determined as shown by the arrow in the upper right of Figure 3. Tape feeder 1 pulls out the embossed carrier tape 8 from the reel 29 it holds and feeds it in a predetermined feeding direction, supplying parts 83 at the upper front part supply position 53. The direction from the rear to the front of tape feeder 1 is the feeding direction of the embossed carrier tape 8. Tape feeder 1 consists of a feeder body 2, a carrier tape feeding mechanism 3, a cover tape feeding mechanism 4, and a tape guide 5, etc.

[0026] The feeder body 2 is long in the front-to-back direction and thin in the left-to-right direction, forming the external shape of the tape feeder 1. An upper rail 21 with a T-shaped cross-section is provided on the upper surface of the feeder body 2, projecting upward and extending in the front-to-back direction. The upper rail 21 is used to mount the parts mounting machine 9 onto the pallet stand 931. In other words, the upper rail 21 is inserted into the upper slot of the pallet stand 931 (not shown). A tape guide 5 is attached to the front upper part of the feeder body 2.

[0027] An upper positioning pin 24, a connector 25, and a lower positioning pin 26 are provided in order from the top to the bottom of the front surface of the feeder body 2. The upper positioning pin 24 and the lower positioning pin 26 are fitted into positioning holes provided in the pallet base 931 to position the tape feeder 1. When the tape feeder 1 is positioned, the connector 25 automatically engages with the receiving connector provided in the pallet base 931. As a result, the tape feeder 1 is supplied with power and connected to the control device of the component mounting machine 9. A locking mechanism 27 is provided at the upper rear of the feeder body 2. The locking mechanism 27 restricts the removal operation of the tape feeder 1 mounted on the pallet base 931.

[0028] A reel holding section 28 is provided approximately in the center of the feeder body 2. The reel holding section 28 holds a reel 29 on which the embossed carrier tape 8 is wound. In Figures 3 and 5, the reel 29 is held on the back side of the reel holding section 28, which is made of a thin plate material. The reel holding section 28 can be opened, allowing the reel 29 to be replaced. However, the tape feeder 1 may not have a reel holding section 28, and the embossed carrier tape 8 may be inserted into the feeder body 2 from a reel 29 that is placed separately at the rear of the feeder body 2.

[0029] Furthermore, the feeder body 2 is provided with two tape passage members 2A (see Figures 9 and 10) that are spaced apart to the left and right, parallel to each other, and extending in the front-to-back direction. The tape passage members 2A extend from the front upper part of the reel holding section 28 to the lower side of the tape guide 5, and guide the embossed carrier tape 8 in the feeding direction. The upper surfaces of the two tape passage members 2A serve as tape passages through which each of the side ends 84 of the embossed carrier tape 8 passes.

[0030] The carrier tape feeding mechanism 3 is positioned below the tape guide 5 of the feeder body 2, as shown in Figure 5. The carrier tape feeding mechanism 3 pulls the embossed carrier tape 8 from the reel 29 and feeds it in the feeding direction along the tape passage member 2A and the tape guide 5. The carrier tape feeding mechanism 3 consists of a sprocket 31 (see Figures 8 and 10) having teeth that penetrate grooves formed in the tape passage member 2A and fit into the feeding holes 85, and a motor that rotates the sprocket 31 via a gear mechanism.

[0031] The embossed carrier tape 8, fed by the carrier tape feeding mechanism 3, has its cover tape 86 peeled off at an upstream position within the tape guide 5. The peeled cover tape 86 is folded back in the opposite direction of the feeding. Meanwhile, the base tape 81 is fed along the tape guide 5 to the component supply position 53. When the tape feeder 1 is installed on the component mounting machine 9 and starts operating, the suction nozzle 945 moves to the component supply position 53 and picks up the component 83 from the cavity 82.

[0032] The used base tape 81, from which the component 83 has been removed, is sent further forward and enters the discharge duct 2B. The discharge duct 2B is located at the front of the feeder body 2, as shown in Figure 5, and guides the discharge of the base tape 81 to the outside. The discharge duct 2B is positioned to extend from near the front end of the tape passage member 2A to the lower front of the feeder body 2, and is formed to gradually bend downward from the horizontal front. As a result, the used base tape 81 is discharged downward from the tape feeder 1, as shown by arrow M1 in Figure 5, and is collected on the side of the component mounting machine 9.

[0033] The cover tape feeding mechanism 4 operates in synchronization with the carrier tape feeding mechanism 3 to feed the peeled cover tape 86. The cover tape feeding mechanism 4 consists of three guide sections and a winding drum 44 provided on the feeder body 2, as shown in Figure 5. The first guide section 41 is positioned between the upper rail 21 and the locking mechanism 27 of the feeder body 2. The first guide section 41 is equipped with a tension adjustment mechanism that adjusts the tension of the cover tape 86 to suppress slack and stretching. The second guide section 42 is positioned behind the reel holding section 28. The third guide section 43 is positioned below the second guide section 42. The winding drum 44 is positioned at the lower rear of the feeder body 2, corresponding to the position below the third guide section 43.

[0034] The cover tape 86, folded back by the tape guide 5, is guided to the take-up drum 44 by being placed over the first guide section 41, the second guide section 42, and the third guide section 43, as shown by arrow M2 in Figure 5. The leading end of the cover tape 86 is locked onto the take-up shaft 45 of the take-up drum 44. The take-up shaft 45 is driven by a motor via a different transmission path than the gear mechanism of the carrier tape feeding mechanism 3. Therefore, the take-up shaft 45 operates in synchronization with the carrier tape feeding mechanism 3 and winds the cover tape 86 into the take-up drum 44. In other words, the cover tape feeding mechanism 4 feeds the cover tape 86 in a winding manner and retrieves it into the take-up drum 44.

[0035] As described above, the tape guide 5 is attached to the upper front part of the feeder body 2. As shown in Figure 4, the tape guide 5 is formed to be long in the feeding direction (front-to-back direction). Furthermore, the tape guide 5 has a top plate 51 and two side plates 56 and is formed in a crank shape with a cross section perpendicular to the feeding direction opening downwards. The tape guide 5 may be composed of multiple members joined together. The top plate 51 is provided with an opening 52 that is long in the feeding direction. The width dimension of the opening 52 in the left-to-right direction is smaller than the width dimension of the cover tape 86 and larger than the outer width dimension WC of the cavity 82.

[0036] The area near the center of the opening 52 becomes the component supply position 53. The upstream (rear) part of the opening 52 is widened to form a tape rise space 54 that is wider than the width dimension of the cover tape 86. In the tape rise space 54, the cover tape 86 that has been peeled off from the base tape 81 rises up. The part of the ceiling plate 51 corresponding to the upstream edge (rear edge) of the opening 52 becomes the tape fold-back section 55. As shown in Figure 6, the tape fold-back section 55 folds back the cover tape 86 that has been peeled off and risen up in the tape rise space 54 when the tape feeder 1 is in operation, toward the rear (in the opposite direction of feeding), and hands it over to the cover tape feeding mechanism 4.

[0037] The ceiling panel 51 is divided into two sections, left and right, by the opening 52, which form the tape pressing sections 6. Below each of the two tape pressing sections 6, the tape passage member 2A of the feeder body 2 is positioned. Therefore, when the cover tape 86 is peeled off the base tape 81, both side ends 84 pass between the tape passage member 2A and the tape pressing section 6. One of the tape pressing sections 6, through which the side end 84 with the feed hole 85 passes, has a groove 61 formed to avoid interference with the sprocket 31.

[0038] Elongated holes 57 are provided near the front end of each of the two side plates 56. A cylindrical engaging projection 2C provided on the feeder body 2 engages with the elongated holes 57. As a result, the tape guide 5 is supported by the feeder body 2 so as to be able to move up and down. The tape guide 5 is also biased downward by a biasing member (not shown). In other words, the tape pressing part 6 is biased toward the tape passage member 2A.

[0039] When starting to use the embossed carrier tape 8 with the tape feeder 1, a loading operation is required. In the loading operation, the operator first manually drives the carrier tape feeding mechanism 3 to feed the leading edge of the embossed carrier tape 8 to a position downstream of the tape pressing unit 6 in the feeding direction. At this time, the tape pressing unit 6 presses the embossed carrier tape 8 toward the tape passage member 2A. Next, the operator starts the peeling operation, peeling the cover tape 86 from the base tape 81, with the leading edge of the embossed carrier tape 8 as the starting point of the peeling position. The operator then peels off the cover tape 86 and moves the peeling position from the downstream position through the tape pressing unit 6 to the tape rising space 54, as shown by arrow M3 in Figure 7.

[0040] The operator then places the peeled cover tape 86 over the first guide section 41, the second guide section 42, and the third guide section 43 in that order, and locks the tip of the cover tape 86 onto the winding shaft 45. The operator also confirms that the tip of the base tape 81 is discharged downward from the discharge duct 2B. Finally, the operator manually drives the carrier tape feeding mechanism 3 to adjust the feeding position of the embossed carrier tape 8 so that the last empty cavity that does not contain a part 83 or the first cavity 82 that contains a part 83 stops at the part supply position 53. This completes the loading of the embossed carrier tape 8.

[0041] During the tape loading process, when peeling off the cover tape 86, the operator must peel off the cover tape 86 while resisting the surface pressure acting from the tape pressing section 6 and peeling off the two adhesive sections 87, thereby moving the peeling position. In addition, when the cover tape 86 passes through the opening 52, which is narrower than itself, it inevitably bends and deforms in the width direction. As a result, in conventional tape feeders, stress tends to concentrate in one place on the cover tape 86, leading to a problem where breakage is likely to occur. To solve this problem, in this embodiment, the shape of the conventional tape pressing section 6X shown in Figure 11 has been improved to the shape of the tape pressing section 6 shown in Figure 10.

[0042] The tape pressing portion 6X of the conventional structure has a pressing surface 6Y with a flat bottom surface. This pressing surface 6Y contacts and presses the side end portion of the cover tape 86, and presses the side end portion 84 of the base tape 81 in the region where the cover tape 86 does not exist. In FIG. 11, since the thickness dimension of the cover tape 86 is exaggerated, the pressing surface 6Y appears to be separated from the base tape 81, but actually the pressing surface 6Y not only contacts the cover tape 86 but also contacts the base tape 81. Since the cover tape 86 is closer to the pressing surface 6Y by the amount of its thickness dimension compared to the base tape 81, it is pressed by a large surface pressure from the pressing surface 6Y. This large surface pressure strengthens the contact of the tape pressing portion 6X against the cover tape 86 to be peeled off, and has been a major factor causing breakage when peeling the cover tape 86.

[0043] 4. Detailed Shape and Action of Tape Pressing Portion 6 Next, the detailed shape and action of the improved tape pressing portion 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 - 10. In the plan view of FIG. 8, the approximate outer shape of the tape pressing portion 6 is shown by a thick line, and the standing state of the tip of the cover tape 86 during peeling is shown. For the base tape 81, a feed hole 85 is provided only at one side end portion 84, and a configuration in which the width dimensions (WS1, WS2) of both side end portions 84 are equal is illustrated. As shown in the figure, the tape pressing portions 6 are arranged one by one on both sides in the width direction orthogonal to the feed direction. And the tape pressing portions 6 are arranged side by side in the width direction of the sprocket 31. The bottom surface of the tape pressing portion 6 becomes a cover tape facing surface 62 and a base tape pressing surface 63.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the first tape pressing portion 6 on the side where the sprocket 31 is arranged has the cover tape facing surface 62 inside the groove 61 (inside in the width direction of the sprocket 31). Also, the first tape pressing portion 6 has the base tape pressing surface 63 outside the groove 61 (outside in the width direction of the sprocket 31). The second tape pressing portion 6 on the side where the sprocket 31 is not arranged is formed in a shape that is generally mirror-symmetrical to the first tape pressing portion 6, except for the difference that the groove 61 is not formed.

[0045] The cover tape opposing surface 62 faces the cover tape 86 of the embossed carrier tape 8, which is fed beyond the tape folding portion 55 during the loading operation of the embossed carrier tape 8. As shown in Figure 9, the cover tape opposing surface 62 has a surface shape that bulges upward in an arc shape in the middle of the feeding direction when viewed from the side. The middle portion of the cover tape opposing surface 62 in the feeding direction becomes the intermediate opposing surface 622, the portion upstream of the intermediate opposing surface 622 becomes the upstream opposing surface 621, and the portion downstream of the intermediate opposing surface 622 becomes the downstream opposing surface 623. Compared to the intermediate opposing surface 622, the upstream opposing surface 621 and the downstream opposing surface 623 are closer to the tape passage member 2A. In addition, the upstream opposing surface 621 and the downstream opposing surface 623 are located at an equidistant distance from the base tape pressing surface 63 with respect to the tape passage member 2A.

[0046] The member having the cover tape facing surface 62 is manufactured separately from the main body member of the tape pressing section 6 and joined later. However, it is not limited to this, and the tape pressing section 6 may be an integrally molded product. Furthermore, the surface shape of the cover tape facing surface 62 is not limited to the above. For example, the cover tape facing surface 62 may have a surface shape in which a part of it protrudes upward in a crank shape in the middle of the feeding direction when viewed from the side. Alternatively, the cover tape facing surface 62 may have a surface shape in which two or more points dispersed in the feeding direction protrude upward and move away from the tape passage member 2A, while the remaining three or more points approach the tape passage member 2A. In other words, a requirement of the surface shape of the cover tape facing surface 62 is that a part of it is located further away from the tape passage member 2A than the base tape pressing surface 63.

[0047] When the tape feeder 1 is in operation, the tape pressing portion 6 presses the side end portion 84 of the base tape 81 from which the cover tape 86 has been peeled off. Strictly speaking, the upstream facing surface 621 and the downstream facing surface 623 of the cover tape facing surface 62, and the base tape pressing surface 63 contact and press the side end portion 84 of the base tape 81. Therefore, the tape pressing portion 6 can press the base tape 81 to restrict the floating from the tape passage member 2A. As a result, the height positions of the cavity 82 and the component 83 at the component supply position 53 are stabilized, and the reliability of the suction operation of the component 83 by the suction nozzle 945 is ensured. In addition, the fitting state of the sprocket 31 fitted into the feed hole 85 is stabilized.

[0048] Also, when loading the embossed carrier tape 8, the tape pressing portion 6 presses the embossed carrier tape 8 fed beyond the tape folding portion 55. Strictly speaking, the upstream facing surface 621 and the downstream facing surface 623 of the cover tape facing surface 62 contact and press the side end portion of the cover tape 86, and the base tape pressing surface 63 contacts and presses the side end portion 84 of the base tape 81 without passing through the cover tape 86. In FIG. 10, since the thickness dimension of the cover tape 86 is exaggerated, the base tape pressing surface 63 appears to be separated from the base tape 81, but actually the base tape pressing surface 63 contacts the base tape 81.

[0049] At this time, the intermediate facing surface 622 of the cover tape facing surface 62 does not contact the cover tape 86 and does not generate surface pressure. To supplement, considering the elastic deformation and winding distortion of the embossed carrier tape 8, etc., the curvature of the arc-shaped bulge of the cover tape facing surface 62 is set such that the intermediate facing surface 622 does not contact the cover tape 86. Therefore, compared with the conventional configuration, the impact of the tape pressing portion 6 on the cover tape 86 peeled off during the loading operation can be weakened by the amount that the intermediate facing surface 622 does not generate surface pressure. Or, it can be said that the contact area is reduced by the amount of the intermediate facing surface 622 compared with the conventional configuration, and the impact of the tape pressing portion 6 on the cover tape 86 can be weakened.

[0050] According to the tape guide 5 of this embodiment, when peeling off the cover tape 86 during the loading operation of the embossed carrier tape 8, the intermediate opposing surface 622, which is part of the cover tape opposing surface 62 of the tape pressing part 6, does not come into contact with the cover tape 86, thus reducing the contact area compared to the conventional technology. As a result, the contact of the tape pressing part 6 with the cover tape 86 that is peeled off during the loading operation can be weakened, and the risk of the cover tape 86 breaking can be reduced.

[0051] 5. Applied Tape Guide 5A Next, an applied tape guide 5A for use with the extra-wide tape feeder 1A will be described with reference to Figure 12. The embossed carrier tape 8 used by the extra-wide tape feeder 1A has a particularly large width dimension WT, and a row of feed holes 85 is provided on both side ends 84. This tape feeder 1A is equipped with two tape passage members 2A and two sprockets 31 that are spaced close to the width dimension TW of the embossed carrier tape 8.

[0052] The applied tape guide 5A has two tape pressing sections 6A on its front side, which are separated and arranged on the left and right. The rear sides of the two tape pressing sections 6A are connected and integrated into one unit. Furthermore, the integrated rear portion of the tape guide 5A is provided with a tape rise space 54 and a tape fold-over section 55. The configuration, operation, and effect of the two tape pressing sections 6A are the same as those of the tape pressing section 6 in the embodiment, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0053] 6. Modified Tape Pressing Section 6B Next, the modified tape pressing section 6B will be described with reference to Figure 13. The modified tape pressing section 6B has a base tape pressing surface 63 with the same shape as the embodiment, and instead of a cover tape opposing surface 62 with an arc-shaped bulge, it has a flat cover tape opposing surface 65. This cover tape opposing surface 65 is separated from the tape passage member 2A by an additional difference distance DD compared to the base tape pressing surface 63. The difference distance DD is set to be greater than or equal to the thickness dimension of the cover tape 86. Depending on the size of the set difference distance DD, one of the following two types of effects, (1) and (2), will occur.

[0054] (1) The difference distance DD can be set to be slightly larger than the thickness dimension of the cover tape 86. In this case, as the tape guide 5 is lowered toward the embossed carrier tape 8, the base tape pressing surface 63 contacts the base tape 81 first, and then the cover tape opposing surface 65 contacts the cover tape 86. Therefore, the cover tape opposing surface 65 functions as a cover tape pressing surface. Furthermore, the first surface pressure generated on the cover tape opposing surface 65 (cover tape pressing surface) is smaller than the second surface pressure generated on the base tape pressing surface 63. As a result, the first surface pressure generated on the cover tape opposing surface 65 (cover tape pressing surface) is smaller compared to the conventional configuration. Therefore, the contact of the tape pressing part 6B with the cover tape 86 can be weakened, and the risk of the cover tape 86 breaking can be reduced.

[0055] (2) The difference distance DD can be set to be significantly larger than the thickness dimension of the cover tape 86. In this case, as the tape guide 5 is lowered toward the embossed carrier tape 8, the base tape pressing surface 63 only contacts the base tape 81, and the cover tape opposing surface 65 does not contact the cover tape 86. As a result, the entire cover tape opposing surface 65 is separated from the cover tape 86, so the contact of the tape pressing part 6B with the cover tape 86 can be weakened, and the risk of the cover tape 86 breaking can be reduced. However, it should be noted that when the tape feeder 1 is in operation, the contact area in which the tape pressing part 6B presses the base tape 81 is smaller compared to the conventional configuration.

[0056] 7. Applications and Modifications of Embodiments The tape pressing section 6 in the embodiment and the tape pressing section 6B in the modified form may be provided only once on one side of the sprocket 31. In addition, although the tape pressing sections (6, 6A, 6B) are arranged side by side in the width direction of the sprocket 31 in the embodiment, the invention is not limited to this. For example, the tape pressing sections (6, 6A, 6B) may be distributed on the upstream and downstream sides in the feeding direction of the sprocket 31. Furthermore, the cover tape feeding mechanism 4 may discharge the cover tape 86 to the outside instead of collecting it in the winding drum 44. Many other applications and modifications are possible for the embodiments.

[0057] 1, 1A: Tape feeder 2: Feeder body 2A: Tape passage member 2B: Discharge duct 3: Carrier tape feeding mechanism 31: Sprocket 4: Cover tape feeding mechanism 41: First guide section 42: Second guide section 43: Third guide section 44: Take-up drum 45: Take-up shaft 5: Tape guide 51: Top plate 52: Opening 53: Parts supply position 54: Tape rise space 55: Tape fold section 56: Side plate 6, 6A, 6B: Tape pressing section 62: Cover tape opposing surface 621: Upstream opposing surface 622: Intermediate opposing surface 623: Downstream opposing surface 63: Base tape pressing surface 65: Cover tape opposing surface 6X: Conventional tape pressing section 6Y: Pressing surface 8: Embossed carrier tape 81: Base tape 82: Cavity 83: Parts 84: Side end 85: Feeding hole 86: Cover tape 87: Adhesive part 9: Component mounting machine DD: Difference distance

Claims

1. A tape guide provided in a tape feeder that supplies components by feeding a carrier tape, comprising a base tape having a plurality of cavities for housing components and a cover tape peelably attached to the base tape and covering the plurality of cavities, along a tape passage member provided in the feeder body in a predetermined feeding direction, the tape guide comprising: a tape pressing portion that is biased toward the tape passage member and, when the tape feeder is in operation, contacts the peeled base tape to restrict the lifting of the cover tape from the tape passage member; and a tape folding portion positioned upstream of the tape pressing portion in the feeding direction and folding back the peeled cover tape in the opposite direction to the feeding direction during operation, wherein the tape pressing portion has a cover tape facing surface of the carrier tape that has been fed beyond the tape folding portion during the loading operation of the carrier tape, but part or all of it does not come into contact with the cover tape.

2. The tape guide according to claim 1, wherein the tape pressing portion has a base tape pressing surface that contacts the base tape without going through the cover tape during the loading operation.

3. The tape guide according to claim 1, wherein the tape pressing portion is arranged on at least one side in the width direction perpendicular to the feeding direction, and during the loading operation, a portion of the surface facing the cover tape does not come into contact with the cover tape, while the remainder comes into contact with the side edge of the cover tape.

4. The tape guide according to claim 3, wherein the cover tape facing surface has a surface shape in which the upstream and downstream facing surfaces, located upstream and downstream of the intermediate facing surface and corresponding to the remaining portion, are closer to the tape passage member compared to the intermediate facing surface located in the middle of the feeding direction and corresponding to a part thereof.

5. The tape guide according to claim 3, wherein the feeder body has a sprocket that feeds the carrier tape by fitting into a row of feed holes provided on the side end of the carrier tape, and the tape pressing portion is arranged in the width direction of the sprocket.

6. The tape guide according to claim 5, wherein the tape pressing portion has the cover tape opposing surface on the inside in the width direction of the sprocket, and the base tape pressing surface that contacts the side end of the base tape without going through the cover tape during the loading operation is on the outside in the width direction of the sprocket.

7. A tape guide provided in a tape feeder that supplies components by feeding a carrier tape, comprising a base tape having a plurality of cavities for housing components and a cover tape peelably attached to the base tape and covering the plurality of cavities, along a tape passage member provided in the feeder body in a predetermined feeding direction, the tape guide comprising: a tape pressing portion biased toward the tape passage member and in contact with the base tape after the cover tape has been peeled off when the tape feeder is in operation, thereby restricting the cover tape from floating away from the tape passage member; and a tape folding portion positioned upstream of the tape pressing portion in the feeding direction, and folding back the cover tape that has been peeled off during operation in the opposite direction to the feeding direction, wherein the tape pressing portion has a cover tape pressing surface that contacts the cover tape of the carrier tape that has been fed beyond the tape folding portion during the loading operation of the carrier tape, and a base tape pressing surface that contacts the base tape without going through the cover tape, and the first surface pressure generated on the cover tape pressing surface is less than or equal to the second surface pressure generated on the base tape pressing surface.

8. The tape guide according to claim 7, wherein the cover tape pressing surface is separated from the tape passage member by a distance equal to or greater than the thickness dimension of the cover tape, compared to the base tape pressing surface.

9. The tape guide according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the carrier tape is an embossed carrier tape having a thickness dimension at the side end that is smaller than the thickness dimension of the central part having the cavity, and the tape passage member is through which the side end of the embossed carrier tape passes.

10. The tape guide according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the tape guide is provided with a tape rise space formed between the tape pressing portion and the tape folding portion in the feeding direction, which is wider than the width dimension of the cover tape, and the cover tape rises up after being peeled from the base tape, and the loading operation includes peeling the cover tape from the base tape with the leading edge of the carrier tape, which has been fed to a position downstream of the tape pressing portion in the feeding direction, as the starting point of the peeling position, and moving the peeling position from the downstream position through the tape pressing portion to the tape rise space.

11. The tape guide according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the tape pressing portions are arranged one on each side in the width direction perpendicular to the feeding direction.

12. The tape guide according to claim 11, wherein the feeder body has two sprockets that feed the carrier tape by fitting into each row of a plurality of feed holes in two rows provided on both side ends of the carrier tape, and the two tape pressing portions are each arranged side by side in the width direction of the sprocket.

13. A tape feeder comprising: a tape guide as described in any one of claims 1 to 8; the feeder body; a carrier tape feeding mechanism for feeding the carrier tape in the feeding direction; and a cover tape feeding mechanism for feeding the cover tape in synchronization with the operation of the carrier tape feeding mechanism.

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