Component mounting apparatus

A component mounting apparatus includes a first pair of clamping members installed to face each other and to move toward and away from a hollow rod, and a second pair of clamping members installed to face each other at a predetermined angle with respect to the first clamping members and to move toward and away from the hollow rod. The first clamping members are driven by a first actuator and the second clamping members are driven by a second actuator. Thus, components of various configurations including any rectangle can be easily clamped. Another component mounting apparatus includes a lightweight component positioning unit. A component is picked up by a component pick-up unit protruding from the component positioning unit whose width becomes larger, positioned, and held by the component positioning unit. Thus, damage of the component can be prevented and component pick-up and mounting operations can be rapidly performed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a component mounting apparatus for 
automatically mounting electronic components on a board such as a printed 
circuit board. 
An electronic component mounting apparatus is used to automatically mount 
various electronic components on a printed circuit board. The electronic 
component mounting apparatus is comprised of guide rails, used as a board 
supporting stage, for guiding the board to a predetermined position, and a 
component stage for supporting the various components to be mounted. It is 
further provided with a mounting head which moves in a plane according to 
X-Y coordinates to transfer an electronic component to the desired 
location on the board for mounting. The mounting head has a suctorial bit 
or in other words a suction nozzle for picking up an electronic component 
by vacuum pressure. The suctorial bit or suction nozzle can move up and 
down with respect to both the board supporting stage and the component 
stage. 
The versatility of an electronic component mounting apparatus, and in turn, 
its ultimate use, can be measured in terms of its ability to handle a 
variety of electronic components of different shapes and varying 
dimensions. A conventional component mounting apparatus, however, has 
limitations in this regard. Another problem with the conventional 
apparatus is the difficulty in accurately positioning such variously sized 
electronic components once they are picked up. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
To overcome the above problems, the present invention provides a component 
mounting apparatus for clamping and positioning multi-sized components 
held onto suction bits or in other words, suction nozzles. 
To achieve the above object, there is provided a component mounting 
apparatus for automatically mounting a component onto a board, comprising: 
a mounting head movably installed between the board and a component stage 
for supporting the component; a pressing member driving housing installed 
at an end portion of the mounting head; a hollow rod installed so as to 
axially slide through the pressing member driving housing, having provided 
on an end portion of a suctorial bit for picking up and holding the 
component; and a first pair of pressing members or in other words clamping 
members installed in the pressing member driving housing facing each other 
to move toward and away from the hollow rod; a second pair of pressing 
members or in other words clamping members disposed at a predetermined 
angle with respect to the first pressing members to move toward and away 
from the hollow rod; a first actuator for driving the first pair of 
pressing members; and a second actuator for driving the second pair of 
pressing members, so that the component held by the suctorial bit is 
clamped and released. 
Preferably, each of the first and second pair of pressing members has an 
inner pressing portion and an outer pressing portion, each pair of 
pressing portion capable of clamping a component; the first and second 
pair of pressing members are detachably installed in the pressing member 
driving housing; and a spring member is further provided to elastically 
bias each pressing member toward the hollow rod, so that components are 
elastically supported by the pressing members. 
According to the component mounting apparatus as constituted above, a 
component held by the suctorial bit is accurately clamped and positioned 
by the pressing members installed in the pressing member driving housing. 
Any rectangular component can be clamped since the first pressing members 
are driven by the first actuator and the second pressing members are 
driven by the second actuator. Further, components of various sizes can be 
clamped with reduced movement stroke since each pressing member has an 
inner pressing portion and an outer pressing portion. 
The detachably installed pressing members can be easily replaced when worn. 
Also, a component can be clamped without collision between the pressing 
members and the component since the pressing members are elastically 
biased toward the hollow rod by the spring member. 
In another aspect, there is also provided a component mounting apparatus 
comprising: a mounting head movably installed between a board and a 
component stage for supporting a component; a bit main body combined with 
the mounting head; a hollow pipe member combined with the bit main body to 
move along the axis thereof; component positioning means combined with the 
hollow pipe member to be biased inwardly and protruding from the end of 
the hollow pipe, the width of the component positioning means becoming 
larger when the bit main body descends, and smaller when the bit main body 
ascends; and component pick-up means installed to move along the axis of 
the bit main body within the component positioning means, for moving away 
from the component positioning means to pick up and hold the component 
when the width of the component positioning means gets larger, wherein the 
component picked up by the component pick-up means is accurately 
positioned with respect to the component pick-up means and held when the 
width of the component positioning means gets smaller. 
A plate spring may be used as the component positioning means to hold and 
laterally position the held component. The use of the lightweight plate 
spring as the component positioning means prevents component damage, and 
thus the component can be smoothly positioned without receiving any great 
impact during rapid positioning.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
FIG. 1 is a plan view of an electronic component mounting apparatus 
according to the first embodiment of the present invention and FIG. 2 is a 
front view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1. 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the electronic component mounting apparatus has 
a pair of main supports 1 and 2 disposed in parallel and guide rails 3 and 
4 combined with the main supports 1 and 2, respectively. Orthogonal to the 
main supports 1 and 2, a cross-bar 5 whose end portions are respectively 
coupled to the guide rails 3 and 4 is guided in the Y-axis direction along 
the main supports 1 and 2. A head unit 6 is slidably coupled on a 
cross-bar 5 to move in the X-axis direction. 
To move the cross-bar 5 in the Y-axis direction, a ball screw 8 driven by a 
motor 7 is rotatably combined with the main support 2. The ball screw 8 is 
threaded with an end portion of the cross-bar 5. An interlocking shaft 10 
is installed to the cross-bar 5 in parallel with the cross-bar 5. Pinion 
gears 11 and 12, being fixed to either end of the interlocking shaft 10, 
engage rack gears 13 and 14 fixed to the main supports 2 and 1, 
respectively. Therefore, when the ball screw 8 is driven by the motor 7, 
the cross-bar 5 moves in the Y-axis direction. Then, the pinion gears 11 
and 12 engaged with the rack gears 13 and 14 rotate, thus moving the 
cross-bar 5 in the Y-axis direction at right angles with respect to the 
main supports 1 and 2. 
A ball screw 15 is rotatably installed to the cross-bar 5 to move a head 
unit 6 in the X-axis direction. The ball screw 15 is threaded with the 
head unit 6 and may be driven by a timing belt (not shown) travelling over 
a pulley (not shown) installed on the shaft of a motor 16 and a pulley 
(not shown) installed at the ball screw 15. 
A pair of guide members 21 and 22 are installed in parallel under the main 
supports 1 and 2 extending orthogonally with respect to the guide members. 
The guide members 21 and 22 form a conveyer for transferring a board 20, 
e.g., a printed circuit board. The board 20 is guided to a predetermined 
position on a board supporting stage (not shown) by the guide members 21 
and 22. The guide member 21 can move toward and away from the guide member 
22, according to the size of the board 20. 
A plurality of component stages 23 for supporting various electronic 
components are provided on both sides of the conveyer formed by the guide 
members 21 and 22. A plurality of mounting heads 24 are installed on the 
head unit 6 to mount the component of each component stage 23 on the board 
20. 
As shown in FIG. 2, a mounting head 24 has a suctorial bit 25 (nozzle) 
which can move up and down. The suctorial bit 25 picks up a component from 
the component stage 23 and mounts the component at a predetermined 
position on the board 20 by moving the cross-bar 5 along the main supports 
1 and 2 in the Y-axis direction and by simultaneously moving the mounting 
head 24 along the cross-bar 5 in the X-axis direction. To pick up the 
component, the suctorial bit 25 first moves downward towards the component 
stage 23, and then upward and to the predetermined position of the board 
20. Thereafter, by lowering the suctorial bit 25, the component is mounted 
at the predetermined position on the board 20. 
The suctorial bit 25 has a nozzle hole 26 communicating with a vacuum pump 
27. The component is picked up and held against the end of the suctorial 
bit 25 by vacuum pressure provided by the vacuum pump 27 through the 
nozzle hole 26. A pressure sensor 28 is provided to detect the pressure at 
the nozzle hole 26, which approximates atmospheric pressure when the 
suctorial bit 25 is free of the component and, using the vacuum pump 27, 
is set at a predetermined level below atmospheric pressure whenever the 
suctorial bit 25 holds a component. Although FIG. 2 shows one pressure 
sensor 28 installed only in a single mounting head 24, same pressure 
sensors are in fact provided for each mounting head 24. 
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of one of the three mounting heads 24 shown in 
FIGS. 1 and 2. A cylindrical member 32 is rotatably installed by a bearing 
33 at a supporting plate 31 vertically fixed to the frontal surface of the 
cross-bar 5. A pressing member driving housing 34 is fixed to an end of 
the cylindrical member 32. To rotate the cylindrical member 32, a pulley 
36 fixed to the shaft or a motor 35, a pulley 37 fixed to the cylindrical 
member 32, and a timing belt 38 for connecting the pulleys 36 and 37, are 
used. 
A hollow rod 40 is installed in the middle portion of the cylinder member 
32 by a thrust bearing 41 so that the hollow rod 40 can axially slide. As 
shown in FIG. 4, to axially descend and ascend the hollow rod 40, a guide 
rail 42 extending in parallel with the hollow rod 40 is combined with the 
supporting plate 31. A slider 43 installed to slide along the guide rail 
42 is combined with a rear end of the hollow rod 40 by a bearing 44. A 
pulley 46 is fixed to the shaft of a motor 45 fixed to the upper end of 
the supporting plate 31. A timing belt 48 is installed between the pulley 
46 and a pulley 47 rotatably combined with the lower end of the supporting 
plate 31. The slider 43 is fixed to the timing belt 48. Thus, when the 
motor 45 operates, the slider 43 slides along the guide rail 42, thus 
moving the hollow rod 40 up and down. 
FIG. 6 is a front view of the mounting head 24 shown in FIG. 3. Two ball 
screws 51 and 52 are rotatably installed in the mounting head 24. The ball 
screws 51 and 52 are rotated by a motor 53 as a first actuator for driving 
later-described first pair of pressing, or in other words clamping, 
members and a motor 54 as a second actuator for driving later-described 
second pair of pressing, or in other words clamping members and threaded 
with nuts 55 and 56, respectively. 
As shown in FIG. 7, the nut 55 is fixed to a sliding plate 58 which is 
installed to slide along a guide rail 57. The guide rail 57 is fixed to 
the supporting plate 31 in parallel with the guide rail 42. Similarly, the 
nut 56 is fixed to a sliding plate 60 which is installed to slide along a 
guide rail 59. The guide rail 59 is fixed to the supporting plate 31 in 
parallel with the guide rail 42. 
As shown in FIG. 3, the sliding plate 58 is combined with a sleeve 61 
installed to axially slide in the outside of the hollow rod 40 by a 
bearing 62a. The sleeve 61 is connected to a cam member 63 by the 
connection member 62. Similarly, the sliding plate 60 is connected to a 
ring retainer 64 installed to axially slide in the outside of the sleeve 
61 by a bearing 65. The ring retainer 64 is connected to a cam member 67 
by a connection member 66. 
Therefore, when the motors 53 and 54 are driven, the cam members 63 and 67 
move by means of the ball screws 51 and 52 in the same direction as the 
sliding of the hollow rod 40. Pins 68 and 69 are rotated by the axial 
movement of the cam members 63 and 67. As shown in FIG. 8, the two pins 68 
rotated by the cam member 63 are installed to face or in other words 
diametrically opposite each other at a rotation member 70a. The two pins 
69 rotated by the cam member 67 are installed to face or in other words 
diametrically opposite each other at a rotation member 70b. 
FIG. 9 shows a bottom plate 71 of the pressing member driving housing 34. 
The bottom plate 71 has a hollow portion 72 having the general shape of a 
plus sign. Four guide rods 73a-73d are fixed on the bottom plate 71 into a 
rectangular pattern. Each of the guide rods 73a-73d is combined with a 
pressing member driving plate so that the pressing member driving plate 
can axially slide along its respective guide rod. FIG. 9, for convenience 
of illustration shows only two pressing member driving plates 74a and 74b 
combined with the two parallel guide rods 73a and 73b so that the pressing 
member driving plates 74a and 74b can slide. The other guide rods 73c and 
73d are combined with pressing member driving plates (not shown) so that 
the pressing member driving plates can slide. 
The pressing member driving plates 74a and 74b are elastically biased in 
their mutual advancing direction by tension coil springs 75a and 75b. Two 
pins 76 fixed to the rotation member 70a having the pins 68 are combined 
with the rotation member 70a having the pins 68 are combined with the 
pressing member driving plates 74a and 74b shown in FIG. 9. Therefore, 
when the rotation member 70a is rotated, the pressing member driving 
plates 74a and 74b move away from each other by resisting the elasticity 
of the tension coil springs 75a and 75b, respectively. Similarly, two pins 
77 fixed to the rotation member 70b having the pins 69 are combined with 
pressing member driving plates (not shown) which are combined with the 
guide rods 73c and 73d to slide along the guide rods 73c and 73d. Thus, 
when the rotation member 70b is rotated, the pressing member driving 
plates move away from each other. 
As shown in FIG. 10, each of the pressing member driving plates 74a and 74d 
is combined with a combination pin 78 and a plate spring 79. In FIG. 10, 
the pressing member driving plates 74a-74d have fully advanced toward one 
another. In FIG. 11, the pressing member driving plates are shown fully 
retracted or moved apart. 
As shown in FIG. 12, pressing members 81a81d are inserted between the 
combination pins 78 and the plate springs 79 in the pressing member 
driving plates 74a-74d so that the pressing members 81a-81d can be 
detached. 
First pressing members 81a and 81b are disposed to face each other, and 
second pressing members 81c and 81d are disposed to face each other at a 
predetermined angle with the first pressing members 81a and 81b. 
FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line XIII--XIII of FIG. 12. FIG. 14 
is a sectional view taken along line XIV--XIV of FIG. 12. The first 
pressing members 81a and 81b combined with the pressing member driving 
plates 74a and 74b have outer pressing portions 82a, and inner pressing 
portions 82b lower than the outer pressing portions 82a. The second 
pressing members 81c and 81d combined with the pressing member driving 
plates 74c and 74d have outer pressing portions 82c, and inner pressing 
portions 82d lower than the outer pressing portions 82c. The inner 
pressing portions 82b of the first pressing members 81a and 81b are higher 
than the inner pressing portions 82d of the second pressing members 81c 
and 81d. 
Since the pressing members 81a-81d have different heights as described 
above, and they have relatively short movement strokes, from the virtual 
lines to the solid lines, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, electronic 
components of various sizes can be clamped while reducing movement stroke. 
The process of mounting an electronic component on the board 20 by the 
above component mounting apparatus will be described. 
The suctorial bit 25 of the mounting head 24 moves to the predetermined 
component stage 23 by simultaneously moving the cross-bar 5 in the Y-axis 
direction and the mounting head 24 along the cross-bar in the X-axis 
direction. Here, the hollow rod 40 advances downwardly or descends by the 
driving force of the motor 45, such that the suctorial bit 25 makes 
contact with the component. The component is then picked up and held 
against the suctorial bit 25 by vacuum pressure provided by the vacuum 
pump 27. 
Then, the hollow rod 40 retreats upward or ascends by the driving force of 
the motor 45. After the suctorial bit 25 holding the component ascends to 
the pressing members 81a-81d, the first pair of pressing members 81a and 
81b and the second pair of pressing members 81c and 81d approach each 
other, independently, by the driving motors 53 and 54. Thus, even if the 
component is not square but some other rectangle, proper clamping and 
positioning the component are ensured. In the case of a rectangular 
component, the component can be clamped by rotating the motors 53 and 54 
at different rotating speeds. 
While clamped, the component is positioned and fixed by a little elasticity 
or the plate spring 79. This clamping operation can be performed while the 
component is being transferred to a predetermined position on the board 20 
by the mounting head 24. In the process of transferring, the component is 
clamped by the pressing members 81a-81d. Therefore, even if the component 
is rapidly transferred, the component is prevented from falling off the 
suctorial bit 25. 
FIG. 15 is a schematic plan view of a component mounting apparatus 
according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a 
schematic front view of the component mounting apparatus of FIG. 15. 
Reference numerals in FIGS. 15 and 16 denote the same elements as those of 
FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 17 is a schematic sectional view of suctorial bit of 
the component mounting apparatus of FIG. 16. FIGS. 18A and 18B are views 
for explaining the positioning of the plate spring of FIG. 17. 
Like the mounting head 24 of the first embodiment, a mounting head 124 of 
the second embodiment is installed to move between a component supporting 
stage 23 for supporting a component and the board 20 where the component 
is mounted, and has a suctorial bit 125 which moves up and down. However, 
unlike the first embodiment, the mounting head 124 is not provided with 
the pressing member driving housing 34, the pressing members 81a-81d, and 
the motors 53 and 54 for driving these pressing members. 
The suctorial bit 125 of the second embodiment picks up and mounts a 
component onto the printed board 20 in the same manner as that of the 
first embodiment. That is, the component is picked up from a component 
stage 23 and mounted onto a predetermined position of the printed board 20 
by moving the cross-bar 5 in the Y-axis direction along the horizontal 
supporting members 1 and 2, and moving the mounting head 124 in the X-axis 
direction along the cross-bar 5. To pick up the component, the suctorial 
bit 125 moves down toward the component stage 23 to pick-up the component 
and then moves upward towards the predetermined position of the printed 
board 20. Then, the suctorial bit 125 moves down again, mounting the 
component onto the predetermined position of the printed board 20. 
The main body 127 of the suctorial bit 125 is fixed in an up-and-down, or 
in other words a vertical, driving portion 128 of the mounting head 124. 
The vertical driving portion 128 corresponds to the hollow rod 40 of FIG. 
3 in the first embodiment. A through hole 129 is vertically formed in the 
main body 127. The space between the main body 127 and the vertical 
driving portion 128 is sealed by seal members 130 which fit into grooves 
formed into the outer surface of the main body 127, thereby making the 
through hole 129 airtight. 
A hollow pipe member 131 fits with the main body 127 to move up and down 
along the axis of the main body 127. A flange 131a is formed in the upper 
portion of the hollow pipe member 131 to be caught over a fixing portion 
132 of the mounting head 124, so that the hollow pipe member 131 is 
prevented from moving down. 
A plurality of screw holes 131b are formed into the side surfaces of the 
hollow pipe member 131, and four plate springs 134 serving as the 
component positioning means are combined with the outer surface of the 
hollow pipe member 131 by screws 133 fit into the screw holes 131b, while 
being inserted into spring grooves 131c. The plate springs 134 protrude 
from the leading end of the hollow pipe member 131. That is, the ends of 
the plates 134 are disposed lower than that of the hollow pipe member 131. 
The plate springs 134 are elastically biased inward, that is, the ends 
approaching one another, and the end portions of the plate springs 134 are 
bent inward. As shown in FIGS. 18A & B, the bent portions of a pair of 
plate springs 134a and 134b, the respective end portions facing each other 
in parallel, are the same in size, while the ends of the other pair of 
plate springs 134c and 134d are different from each other in size. 
Therefore, the edges of these four plate springs 134 form a rectangle 
corresponding to the shape of the component to be picked up (bottom view). 
An inner hollow pipe member 135 is installed to slide along the main body 
127 in the hollow pipe member 131. Slots 127b and 131f are axially 
extended in the bit main body, 127 and the hollow pipe member 131, 
respectively. A pin 136 is combined with the slots 127b and 131f to 
penetrate through the inner hollow pipe member 135. Therefore, the hollow 
pipe member 131, the main body 127 and the inner hollow pipe member 135 
are prevented front rotating separately and, due to a pin 136, axially 
slide to a predetermined extent. 
A compression coil spring 137 is installed between a flange 127a formed on 
the outer surface of the bit main body 127 and a flange portion 131e 
formed on the inner surface of the hollow pipe member 131. The pin 136 is 
brought into contact with the slot 127b of the main body 127 by the 
elasticity of the compression coil spring 137. A compression coil spring 
139 is inserted between a detent ring 138 installed in an annular groove 
127c which is formed on the outer surface of the main body 127 and the pin 
136, to elastically bias the detent ring 138 and the pin 136 in the 
direction in which they retreat or move away from each other. 
A component pick-up member 140 is slidably installed in the inner hollow 
pipe member 135. Therefore, the component pick-up member 140 can move 
along the axis of the main body 127 by the inner hollow pipe member 135. A 
groove 140a is axially formed to fit with the pin 136 in the component 
pickup member 140 in the four plate springs 134, thus preventing the 
movement of the component pick-up member 140. A compression coil spring 
141 is installed between the component pick-up member 140 and the pin 136. 
An end of the compression coil spring 141 is inserted into a 
small-diameter portion 136a formed in the center of the pin 136. Thus, the 
axial deviation of the pin 136 is prevented. 
The component pick-up member 140 is formed with a nozzle hole 142 axially 
communicating with the through hole 129 of the main body 127. The 
electronic component is picked up by the vacuum pressure of the vacuum 
pump 27 (see FIG. 16) through the through hole 129 and the nozzle hole 
142. 
In the component mounting apparatus as constituted above, if the vertical 
driving portion 128 of the mounting head 124 moves downwardly toward the 
component placed on the component stage 23, the entire suctorial bit 125 
moves downward. The hollow pipe member 131 stops in a predetermined 
position in its descent by the fixing portion 132 caught over the flange 
131a. 
Since the pin 136 is in close contact with the upper end of the slot 131f 
formed in the hollow pipe member 131 by the pressing force of the 
compression coil spring 139, the inner hollow pipe member 135 and the 
component pick-up member 140 through which the pin 136 penetrates a stop, 
and only the bit main body 127 continues descending by the vertical 
driving portion 128. 
As the bit main body 127 thus descends toward the component stage 23, the 
plate springs 134, their ends being elastically biased inward, are pressed 
by the end of the main body 127 and opened outward. Thus, the widths 
between the ends of the plate springs 134 get larger. 
Thereafter, if the main body 127 continues its downwardly movement, the pin 
136 contacts the other end, i.e., the upper end of the slot 127b, and thus 
the pin 136 moves further downward together with the bit main body 127. 
Therefore, the inner hollow pipe member 135 through which the pin 136 
passes and the component pick-up member 140 connected to the inner hollow 
pipe member 135 by the compression coil spring 141 move downwardly along 
with the main body 127. Thus, the component pick-up member 140 protrudes 
from the plate springs 134 of which the widths get larger and descends 
toward the component. 
The suctorial surface of the component pick-up member 140 contacts the 
upper surface of the component, before the main body 127 reaches its 
lowest point, and the component is picked up and held by the component 
pick-up member 140 by the vacuum pressure applied to the nozzle hole 125 
communicating with the vacuum pump 27 via the through hole 129 of the main 
body 127. When the component pick-up member 140 contacts the component, 
even though the main body 127 moves further downwardly by the vertical 
driving portion 128, the component pick-up member 140 moves relative to 
the main body 127 while compressing the compression coil spring 141 by the 
groove 140a combined with the pin 136. Accordingly, an overstroke 
condition, which occurs when the component is picked up and which is 
caused by an error between the stroke of the vertical portion 128 and the 
height of the component, is prevented, and thus the component pick-up 
member 140 is prevented from applying excess force to the component. 
When the component is picked up by the component pick-up member 140, the 
main body 127 moves upwardly by the vertical driving portion 128. 
When the main body 127 moves upward, that is, ascends, and the pin 136 
moves toward the opposite end of the slot 127b of the main body 127, the 
component pick-up member 140 temporarily stops, and the main body 127 is 
detached from the plate springs 134. Then, the widths between the ends of 
the plate springs 134 decrease. For instance, as shown in FIG. 18A, the 
component picked up in an improper position is moved and/or rotated while 
being laterally pressed by the individual plate spring 134a, 134b, 134c 
and 134d which face one another, and is properly positioned and inserted 
among the plate springs 134, as shown in FIG. 18B. The component is raised 
to its uppermost position by the main body 127 which moves upwardly by the 
vertical driving portion 128. 
The suctorial bit 125 holding the component moves toward a predetermined 
position of the printed board 20 by the movement of the mounting head 124. 
At the proper position, the component moves downwardly in the same 
procedure as described above, until the lower surface of the component 
reaches the mounting surface of the printed board 20. Then, when the 
vacuum pressure is removed, the component is detached from the component 
pick-up member 140, and mounted onto the predetermined position of the 
printed board 20. 
Thereafter, the suctorial bit 125 moves upwardly and moves back to the 
component stage 23 by the mounting head 124. To mount a new component onto 
the printed board 20, the thus-described pick-up procedure repeats. 
As described above, in this embodiment, the widths between the ends of the 
plate springs 134 attached to the hollow pipe member 131 become larger by 
the downward movement of the bit main body 127. In this state, the 
component pick-up member 140 protrudes from the plate springs 134 and 
picks up the component. Then, the component picked up by the component 
pick-up member 140 is positioned with respect to the component pick-up 
member 140 while being pressed by the plate springs 134, widths between 
the ends which become smaller by the retreating movement of the main body 
127. Accordingly, the component is inserted into and held by the plate 
springs 134. 
Therefore, the component is positioned by the plate springs 134 which are 
light, and high-speed positioning can be performed without great impact on 
the component. As a result, damage of the component is prevented. 
Further, since the plate springs 134 for positioning the component are 
installed in the suctorial bit 125, the vertical distance between a 
positioning portion of the plate springs 134 and the suctorial surface of 
the component pick-up member 140 is minimized. Thus, when picking up and 
mounting a component, the up and down stroke of the suctorial bit 125 can 
be reduced to a great extent, and mounting operations can be performed 
rapidly. 
As described above, the present invention is depicted on the basis of the 
above embodiment. The present invention, however, is not limited to the 
above embodiment and many variations are possible within the scope and 
spirit of the present invention by one skilled in the art. 
For instance, the four plate springs 134 used as component positioning 
means in the present invention can be replaced with two L-shaped plate 
springs which are elastically biased inward. In addition, the plate 
springs are an exemplary application, and thus a pin bent into a 
predetermined shape can be used instead. Therefore, articles other than 
the plate springs 134 can be used and their number can also be varied, so 
long as the component is positioned according to decrease in the width. 
According to the first embodiment, the present invention has following 
advantages: (1) components of various configurations including any 
rectangle can be clamped since a plurality of pressing member pairs are 
provided, each pressings member pair being driven by its corresponding 
motor; (2) components of different dimensions can be clamped without 
increasing the movement stroke of the pressing members; and (3) while 
clamped, a component can be accurately positioned. 
According to the second embodiment, the present invention has following 
advantages: (1) since an electronic component is accurately positioned 
with respect to component pick-up means and held by reducing the width of 
component positioning means, the positioning is smooth and rapid 
positioning can be performed without great physical impact on the 
component; and (2) the vertical distance between a positioning portion of 
the component positioning means and the suctorial surface of the component 
pick-up means can be minimized, due to the incorporated installation of 
the component positioning means and the suctorial bit. Accordingly, the 
stroke while picking up and mounting the component is short and mounting 
operations can be rapidly performed.