Tape Curving Feeder Attachment for Stable Component Orientation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Components stored in component storage tape tend to adhere to the top tape due to adhesiveness, especially at the curved end of the reel, leading to orientation errors and potential pickup failures during image processing and suction nozzle operation.

Innovation Solution

A tape curving attachment is integrated into the feeder to curve the component storage tape, ensuring the top tape side has a smaller radius of curvature than the carrier tape side, reducing component adherence and ensuring components fall into the cavity, maintaining proper orientation for accurate pickup.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the component storage tape is fed from the reel with the reel curved at the end, then the tape can be continuously supplied, but the components adhere to the top tape due to small radius of curvature and adhesiveness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontinuous tape supplyVSAvoidcomponent orientation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies curvature by introducing a tape curving section that curves the component storage tape such that the top tape side has a smaller radius of curvature than the carrier tape side. This differential curvature stretches the adhesive interface between components and top tape, preventing unwanted adhesion while maintaining continuous tape supply from the reel.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Ease of operation

If the top tape is peeled from the carrier tape at the curved end of the reel, then the components may flip inside the cavity, but peeling is necessary for component pickup

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetop tape peelingVSAvoidcomponent orientation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The tape curving section creates differential curvature where the top tape side has a smaller radius of curvature than the carrier tape side. This curvature configuration ensures that during peeling, components remain stable in the cavity and do not flip, while still allowing the top tape to be successfully peeled for component pickup.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Reliability

If the component storage tape is fed with large radius of curvature, then components do not adhere to top tape, but the reel cannot be efficiently utilized especially at the end

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent adhesion preventionVSAvoidreel curvature management

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using a large radius of curvature throughout, the patent introduces a localized tape curving section that creates differential curvature only where needed. The top tape side has a smaller radius of curvature than the carrier tape side, which prevents adhesion while maintaining efficient reel utilization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The curvature is applied locally at the tape curving section rather than uniformly throughout the entire tape path. This localized application of differential curvature (smaller radius on top tape side, larger radius on carrier tape side) prevents adhesion at the critical peeling location while maintaining overall system efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11153998B2Tape curving attachment and feeder

Publication Date: 2021.10.19 FUJI CORP

AI summary

A tape curving attachments is provided with tape curving sections configured to curve component storage tape wound around a reel, the component storage tape being carrier tape with cavities in which components are stored and top tape attached to an upper surface of the carrier tape, such that the top tape side of the component storage tape has a smaller radius of curvature than the carrier tape side of the component storage tape, the tape curving attachment being attached to a feeder that pitch feeds the component storage tape from the reel.