Patent ID: 6199738
Filing Date: 2001-03-13
Classification: H05K,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of displacing a table supporting a plurality of component supplying units each of which carries a plurality of electric components, along a reference line along which respective component-supply portions of the component supplying units are arranged, so as to sequentially position the respective component-supply portions at a component-supply position, and causing an external drive device to operate a drive member thereof to drive a driven member of a feeding device of said each component supplying unit to perform a component feeding action and a component-feeding preparing action and thereby feed the electric components of said each unit, one by one, to the component-supply portion of said each unit, the component feeding action causing one of the electric components of said each unit to be fed to the component-supply portion of said each unit, the component-feeding preparing action causing the feeding device to be prepared for the component feeding action, the method comprising the steps of:stopping displacing the table so that the component-supply portion of a first one of the component supplying units is positioned at the component-supply position;causing, after the table is stopped, the drive member of the external drive device to engage the driven member of the feeding device of the first component supplying unit;storing, in the first component supplying unit, an energy which is transmitted from the drive member to the driven member of the first unit;causing the drive member to be moved off the driven member of the first component supplying unit;operating the feeding device of the first component supplying unit to utilize, after the drive member is moved off the driven member of the first unit, the stored energy for performing at least a portion of at least one of the component feeding action and the component-feeding preparing action; andstarting, before the feeding device of the first component supplying unit finishes utilizing the stored energy and thereby performing said portion of said at least one of the component feeding action and the component-feeding preparing action, displacing the table so that the component-supply portion of the first component supplying unit is replaced with the component-supply portion of a second one of the component supplying units, at the component-supply position.