Component Feeder Tape Guide with Adjustable Inserting Portion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing component feeders for surface mounters face challenges in minimizing contact between components and inserting members, such as blades, during the exposure process, leading to potential damage or misalignment.
Innovation Solution
A component feeder design incorporating a tape guide with a guide body, a component exposing portion, and an adjustment portion, where the inserting portion can be precisely positioned and adjusted to minimize contact with components, using a rotary member that reduces the projection amount of the cutter blade after loading, allowing easy insertion between tapes without contacting components during normal operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the blade is projected from the pressed surface of the component feeding tape to insert between the tapes, then the blade can be easily inserted between the carrier tape and covering tape, but the projected blade may contact the components in the component holding portions
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its projection amount. During tape loading, the blade projects sufficiently to insert between the tapes. During normal feeding, the blade retracts to minimize projection and avoid component contact. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between ease of insertion and prevention of harmful contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The projection amount of the blade from the pressed surface is changed as a variable parameter. By adjusting this parameter based on operational phase (loading vs. normal feeding), the system achieves both easy insertion during loading and minimal contact during normal operation. The projection amount is controlled within a specific range to balance these requirements.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the projection amount of the inserting portion is reduced to avoid component contact, then component safety is improved, but the ease of insertion between tapes may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is positioned to project adequately before the tape loading process begins, enabling easy insertion between the tapes. Once loading is complete, the blade projection is reduced for normal operation. This preliminary positioning ensures insertion ease is achieved at the appropriate time without compromising component safety during subsequent operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade projection follows a periodic pattern: high projection during loading phase for easy insertion, then low projection during normal feeding phase to avoid component contact. This periodic adjustment of the projection parameter allows the system to optimize for ease of operation when needed while minimizing harmful effects during normal operation.
3Device complexity
If a fixed pressing surface is used to press the component feeding tape, then the structure is simple, but the projection amount of the inserting portion cannot be adjusted
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing surface is designed with movable components that allow dynamic adjustment of the blade projection amount relative to the pressing surface. This maintains structural simplicity while enabling adaptability - the pressing surface itself remains simple, but its relationship to the blade can be adjusted to change the projection amount as needed for different operational phases.
Data Source
AI summary
A component feeder for feeding components to a component feeding position using a component feeding tape including a carrier tape holding the components at equal intervals and a covering tape attached to the upper surface of the carrier tape. The component feeder includes a driving sprocket and a tape guide. The driving sprocket is configured to feed the component feeding tape to the component feeding portions. The tape guide includes a pressing surface to press an upper surface of the component feeding tape fed to the component feeding position. The tape guide includes a component exposing portion and an adjustment portion. The component exposing portion includes an inserting portion to be inserted between the carrier tape and the covering tape. The adjustment portion is configured to adjust a projection amount of the inserting portion from the pressing surface.