Abstract:
A device for mounting components using mounting heads having a plurality of suction nozzles that provide a plurality of component pickups, positions or mounting operating positions. The mounting heads are positioned on a rotating table that is cooperatively positioned adjacent a component supply table having a plurality of component feeder members. The control unit can rotate the rotating table to position a mounting head at a component supply position and further position one of the plurality of suction nozzles to a first, second and third section operating position for picking up a component from a component feeder. The relative movement of the component supply table and the positioning of first and second suction operating positions relative to our reference point where the edge of the rotating table contacts the line of movement of the component supply table can increase the pickup speed of components.

Description:
The is a divisional application of U.S. Ser. No. 09/281,468 filed on Mar. 30, 1999, now U.S Pat. No. 6,195,878, issued Mar. 6, 2001. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a method and device for mounting components whereby components such as electronic components, or the like, are mounted onto a substrate. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     As shown in FIG. 7, a conventional high-speed-type electronic component mounting device is generally constituted in such a manner that a component is extracted at a mounting section  1  from a desired component feeder  3  of a component supplying section  2 , and the component is mounted automatically onto a substrate  5  set on an XY table  4 . Numeral  6  denotes a transporting rail for transporting the substrate  5  to and from the device, and numeral  7  denotes a display section for displaying the operational state and any irregular states of the component mounting device. 
     As shown in FIG. 8, in the component supplying section  2 , a plurality of component feeders  3 , into which component reels  8 , wherein components are held on a tape and wound into a reel, are set, are mounted on a component feeder table  9  which is movable in leftward and rightward directions. The component feeder table  9  being constituted in such a manner that any desired component feeder  3  can be located in a component supply position  10 , which is determined at a certain point, by moving the component feeder table  9  along a guide rail  9   a . In the mounting section  1 , a plurality of mounting heads  12  are provided on the outer circumference of a rotating table  11 , which rotates intermittently, a component in the component feeder  3  located at the aforementioned component supply position  10  is picked up and held by a suction nozzle provided on a mounting head  12 , whereupon the rotating table  11  rotates and the component held by suction is mounted to a substrate  5  located in position by the XY table  4 , at the point that the mounting head  12  comes to rest in the component mounting position. 
     A single suction nozzle or a plurality of suction nozzles are provided on each mounting head  12 . In case a plurality of suction nozzles are provided, then the device is constructed in such a manner that a suction nozzle dedicated to a type of component can be selected. In either case, the device is constituted in such a manner that the single suction nozzle or the selected suction nozzle locates in the component suction position or the component mounting position when a mounting head  12  comes to rest in the component suction position or component mounting position, the operations of component suction and component mounting being carried out by an upward and downward action of the mounting head  12 . 
     However, in recent years, even higher component mounting speed has been demanded, and in this case, whilst it is relatively simple to shorten the movement time of the mounting heads  12  by increasing the speed of rotation of the rotating table  11  in the mounting section  1 , the time that can be used for moving the component supply table  9  and the XY table  4  is more restricted than the movement time for the mounting heads, and therefore it is difficult to shorten this movement time any further. In other words, movement of the component supply table  9  can only be started after a component has been picked up by the suction nozzle and raised to a prescribed height, and the movement thereof must be completed before the next suction nozzle descends to a position which is a prescribed height above the component suction height. The time which can be used for movement of the XY table  4  is similarly restricted in the case of component mounting. It is extremely difficult to shorten this movement time further, because improvement in the movement speed of the component supply table  9  and the XY table  4  is already approaching its limit. Therefore, whilst it is necessary to shorten the distance of movement of the component supply table  9  and the XY table  4  in order to increase the speed of component mounting, this is not possible with a conventional device construction, and therefore presents a major impediment to achieving higher speeds for component mounting. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the forgoing problems of the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and device for mounting components, whereby increases in mounting speed can be achieved by reducing the movement distance of the component feeder and the substrate. 
     The method for mounting components according to the present invention is a method for mounting components, whereby a component is picked up by a suction nozzle provided in a mounting head moving intermittently by rotation along a uniform path, when the mounting head comes to rest in a prescribed component supply position, and the component held by suction is mounted to a substrate when the mounting head comes to rest in a prescribed component mounting position, comprising: using a mounting head constructed such that a plurality of suction operating positions are set for the suction nozzle when the mounting head comes to rest in the component supply position, a first step of selecting a component supply position such that the amount of movement of component feeder holding a component to be mounted next becomes a minimum, and moving the component feeder accordingly; and a second step of selecting a suction nozzle position in accordance with the component supply position in the first step, whilst the mounting head is moving towards the component suction position, any of these suction operating positions being selectable; thereby enabling the amount of movement of the component feeder towards the component supply position to be reduced and the movement time to be shortened accordingly, and hence allowing increases in mounting speed to be achieved. 
     Moreover, by using a mounting head, wherein a plurality of mounting operating positions are set for the suction nozzle when the mounting head comes to rest in the component mounting position, any of these suction operating positions being selectable, and by comprising: a first step of selecting a component mounting position such that the amount of movement of the substrate towards the mounting position for the component to be mounted next becomes a minimum, and moving the substrate accordingly; and a second step of selecting a suction nozzle position in accordance with the component mounting position in the first step, whilst the mounting head holding the component by suction is moving towards the component mounting position; the amount of movement of the component feeder towards the component supply position can be reduced and the movement time can be shortened accordingly, thereby allowing increases in mounting speed to be achieved. 
     Furthermore, by using a mounting head wherein a plurality of suction or mounting operating positions are set for the suction nozzle when the mounting head comes to rest in the component supply position or the component mounting position, any of these suction or mounting operating positions being selectable, and by comprising: a first step of selecting a component supply position such that the amount of movement of component feeder holding a component to be mounted next becomes a minimum, and moving the component feeder accordingly; a second step of selecting a suction nozzle position in accordance with the component suction position in the first step, whilst the mounting head is moving towards the component suction position; a third step of selecting a component mounting position such that the amount of movement of the substrate towards the mounting position for the component to be mounted next becomes a minimum, and moving the substrate accordingly; and a fourth step of selecting a suction nozzle position in accordance with the component mounting position in the third step, whilst the mounting head holding the component by suction is moving towards the component mounting position; the amount of movement of the component feeder towards the component supply position can be reduced and the movement time can be shortened accordingly, thereby allowing increases in mounting speed to be achieved. 
     Moreover, the device for mounting components according to the present invention is a device for mounting components, whereby a component is picked up by a suction nozzle provided in a mounting head moving intermittently by rotation along a uniform path, when the mounting head comes to rest in a prescribed component supply position, and the component held by suction is mounted to a substrate when the mounting head comes to rest in a prescribed component mounting position, wherein the mounting head comprises a device for setting a plurality of suction nozzle positions for suction operations or mounting operations when the mounting head is at rest in the component supply position or component mounting position, and selecting one of these suction nozzle positions, thereby enabling the aforementioned methods to be implemented by selecting the suction nozzle position and hence enabling high-speed mounting to be achieved. 
     Specifically, by providing a rotating member capable of rotating about a vertical axis of rotation in the mounting head, and providing suction nozzles in positions on the rotating member which are displaced eccentrically from the axis of rotation, it is possible to select the operating position of a suction nozzle by rotating the rotating member. 
     Moreover, by providing a nozzle block, which is capable of being positioned rotationally about an oblique axis of rotation intersecting obliquely with the axis of rotation of the rotating member and comprises suction nozzles of plural types arranged on the circumference thereof, on the rotating member, in such a manner that a desired suction nozzle can be located selectively in a position that is parallel to and eccentric from the aforementioned axis of rotation by rotating the nozzle block, it is possible to select an appropriate suction nozzle by rotating the nozzle block according to the type of component, and moreover, it is also possible to select the operating position of the suction nozzle by rotation of the rotating member. 
     By providing suction nozzles of plural types on the circumference of the rotating member in parallel with the axis of rotation thereof, and providing a device for switching the vertical position of each suction nozzle, it is possible to select an appropriate suction nozzle by selecting the vertical position of each suction nozzle according to the type of component, and moreover, it is also possible to select the operating position of that suction nozzle by rotation of the rotating member. 
     Moreover, if a nozzle block, which is capable of being positioned rotationally about an horizontal axis of rotation intersecting orthogonally with the axis of rotation of the rotating member and comprises suction nozzles of plural types arranged on the circumference thereof, is provided on the rotating member, the nozzle block being constituted in such a manner that the plane in which the suction nozzles are installed is displaced from the axis of rotation of the rotating member and any of the suction nozzles can be located to a position parallel to the axis of rotation by rotating the nozzle block, it is possible to select an appropriate suction nozzle by rotating the nozzle block according to the type of component, and moreover, it is also possible to select the operating position of that suction nozzle by rotation of the rotating member. 
     Furthermore, the method for mounting components according to the present invention is a method for mounting components, whereby a plurality of mounting heads provided on the circumference of a rotating table rotating intermittently in one direction come to rest successively in a component supply position, whilst, of a plurality of component feeders mounted in a sequential fashion on a component feeder table which moves in a direction contacting the rotating edge of the rotating table, component feeder supplying components that are to be picked up come to rest successively in a prescribed position, a component being picked up from the component feeder by a suction nozzle provided in the mounting head in the aforementioned component supplying position, and the component held by suction being mounted to a substrate when the mounting head reaches a component mounting position by means of the intermittent rotation of the rotating table, wherein the mounting heads used are constituted in such a manner that, for the suction operating position for the suction nozzle when the mounting head is at rest in the component supply position, it is possible to select any one of two positions from a first suction operating position displaced upstream in the direction of rotation of the rotating table from a reference point where the rotating edge of the rotating table contacts the line of movement direction of the component supply table, and a second suction operating position displaced downstream in the direction of rotation of the rotating table from the reference point, the component supply table is moved in pitch movements in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation of the rotating table. In a first cycle, a mounting head for which the first suction operating position has been selected picks up a component from a component feeder located in a corresponding position; in a second cycle, the second suction operating position is selected for the next mounting head reaching the component supply position, and the mounting head picks up a component from the next component feeder which has been located in a corresponding position by a pitch movement; in a third cycle, the first suction operating position is selected for the third mounting head reaching the component supply position, and the mounting head picks up a further component from the component feeder used in the second cycle and located in a corresponding position by a pitch movement; in a fourth cycle, the second suction operating position is selected for the fourth mounting head reaching the component supply position, and the mounting head picks up a component from a third component feeder which has been located in a corresponding position by a pitch movement; and subsequently, a component is picked up from a third component feeder by the next mounting head reaching the component supply position, in a similar manner to the first cycle, whereupon the process of picking up components is carried out by repeating the aforementioned cycles. The amount of movement per cycle of a component supply tape, which is heavy in weight and thus is difficult to be moved in an increased mounting speed, can be reduced, and hence the movement time can be shortened accordingly, and increases in mounting speed can be achieved. 
     In the aforementioned invention, if the displacement of the first suction operating position and the second suction operating position from the reference point is taken as p/4, respectively, and a single pitch movement of the component supply table is taken as p/2, when the pitch between the component feeder on the component supply table is taken as p, it is possible to halve the amount of movement of the component supply table compared to the prior art, and hence significant increases in mounting speed can be achieved, in addition to which the pitch movement of the component supply table can be set appropriately to a uniform value of p/2. 
     In the aforementioned invention, if plural rows of component assembly tapes are provided in a single parts cassette, each respective component assembly tape constituting component feeder, the actual pitch p between the component feeder can be reduced, thereby contributing to the achievement of increased mounting speeds. 
     In the foregoing methods for mounting components according to the present invention, when the component suction operation in any one of the first cycle-fourth cycle is repeated in a state where the component supply table is at rest, a corresponding suction operating position is selected for the next mounting head arriving at the component supply position, in such a manner that components supplied by the same component feeder are picked up, thereby making it possible to conform to an actual operational state. 
     Furthermore, the device for mounting components according to the present invention is a device for mounting components, whereby a plurality of mounting heads provided on the circumference of a rotating table rotating intermittently in a single direction come to rest successively in a component supply position, whilst, of a plurality of component feeders mounted in a sequential fashion on a component feeder table which moves in a direction contacting the rotating edge of the rotating table, component feeder supplying components that are to be picked up come to rest successively in a prescribed position, a component being picked up from the component feeder by a suction nozzle provided in the mounting head in the aforementioned component supplying position, and the component held by suction is recognized by a component recognition camera when the mounting head reaches a component recognition position by means of the intermittent rotation of the rotating table, whereupon the component held by suction is mounted to a substrate when the mounting head reaches a component mounting position, wherein the mounting heads used are constituted in such a manner that, for the suction operating position for the suction nozzle when the mounting head is at rest in the component supply position, it is possible to select any one of three positions from a first suction operating position displaced upstream in the direction of rotation of the rotating table from a reference point where the rotating edge of the rotating table contacts the line of movement direction of the component supply table, a second suction operating position displaced downstream in the direction of rotation of the rotating table from the reference point, and a third suction operating position, which is the position of the aforementioned reference point, and when the mounting head is in the component recognition position and the component mounting position, component recognition and component mounting are carried out by positioning the suction nozzle at the aforementioned reference point, regardless of the suction operating position. Therefore, when a component is picked up in the first or second suction operating positions, in addition to achieving increased mounting speed, as stated previously, when the component is picked up in the third suction operating position, it is possible to carry out component recognition using the recognition camera whilst maintaining a correct suction attitude. 
     In particular, if the suction operating position of the mounting head is selected according to the size of the component and more specifically, if the third suction operating position is selected for larger components having sides 5 mm or more in length, it is possible to prevent problems, such as a portion of larger components projecting outside the field of view of the recognition camera. In other words, supposing that a large component is picked up at the first or second suction operating position, and at the component recognition position, it is recognized by the recognition camera that the suction nozzle is in a state where it has moved to the reference point, then the attitude of the large component will be inclined by the angle of movement of the suction nozzle, so an angle of inclination corresponding to the aforementioned movement angle will arise between the reference center line of the field of view of the recognition camera and the reference center line of the larger component, thereby causing a problem in that a portion of the larger component will lie outside the field of view of the recognition camera. By picking up only large components at the third suction operating position, it is possible to carry out component recognition in a state where the reference center line of the component matches the reference center line of the field of view of the recognition camera, and consequently, in addition to resolving the aforementioned problems, it is possible to achieve increases in mounting speeds for smaller components also. 
     These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description and drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front vertical section of a mounting head of an electronic component mounting device according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a horizontal section in plan view at line II—II in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an illustrative diagram of a state where a suction nozzle switches position in the same embodiment; 
     FIGS. 4A-4D are illustrative diagrams of a component supply process in the same embodiment and the prior art, respectively; 
     FIG. 5 is a front vertical section of a mounting head of an electronic component mounting device according to a further embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6A is a perspective view and  6 B is a schematic side view, both illustrating a mounting head of electronic component mounting device according to yet a further embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the overall schematic construction of a prior art electronic component mounting device; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a component supplying section and mounting section in the same prior art example; 
     FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing yet a further embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIGS. 10A-10E are illustrative diagrams showing the component mounting method according to the present invention in sequence; and 
     FIGS. 11A and 11B are illustrative diagrams showing the component mounting method by comparing two cases. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Below, the method and device for mounting electronic components according to the present invention is described with reference to FIG.  1 -FIG.  4 . The overall construction of the device for mounting electronic components is substantially the same as the prior art example described with reference to FIG.  7  and FIG. 8, and hence the description thereof is omitted here and only the characteristic features of the present embodiments are explained. 
     In FIG.  1  and FIG. 2, a plurality of mounting heads  12  are provided at regular intervals on the outer periphery of a rotating table  11  in a mounting section  1 . Numeral  13  denotes the main section of a mounting head  12 , which is held on the rotating table  11  such that it is movable in an upward and downward direction by means of a sliding guide  14 , and a cam follower (not shown) which engages with a grooved cam (not shown) provided on the periphery of the rotating table  11  is mounted to the upper portion of this main section  13 , such that the mounting head  12  moves upwards and downwards with the rotation of the rotating table  11 , for the purpose of component suction, component mounting, or the like. 
     A rotating shaft  15  is provided on the main section  13  rotatably about a vertical axis of rotation O, and it is constituted such that it can be rotated in a forward or reverse direction by a motor  16  provided in the upper portion of the main section  13 , via a gear reduction mechanism  17 , such as a harmonic gear reduction mechanism, or the like. A rotating unit  18  is fixed to the lower end of the rotating shaft  15 . A nozzle block  19 , which can be located rotationally about an oblique axis P that intersects with the axis of rotation O of the rotating shaft  15  and in which suction nozzles  20  of plural types are arranged, is provided in the rotating unit  18 . A desired suction nozzle  20  can be located selectively in a position that is parallel to the axis of rotation O and displaced therefrom by a prescribed radius, r, by rotating the aforementioned nozzle block  19 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3, by rotating the rotating shaft  15  through an angle of ±θ from the original position thereof, it is possible to change the position of a suction nozzle  20  by a distance of d (=2r sin θ) about a center line C passing through the center of rotation of the rotating table  11 . 
     In FIG. 1,  21  is a connector for connecting suction air mounted to the lower end of the main section  13 ,  22  is an air passage provided in the main section  13 , and  23  is an air passage provided in the rotating shaft  15 . An annular groove  23   a  and a radial groove  23   b  are provided in the outer circumference of the rotating shaft  15  at the upper end of the air passage  23 , in such a manner that connection with the air passage  22  is ensured even if the rotating shaft  15  is rotated.  24  is a filter provided on the lower end of the rotating shaft  15 , and  25  is an air passage formed in the rotating unit  18  in such a manner that it connects an interlocking section  15   a  at the lower end of the rotating shaft  15  with a bearing section  19   a  in the nozzle block  19 . 
       26  is a rotating shaft of the nozzle block  19 , one end of which is inserted into a hole with a bottom  19   b  which also forms an air passage bored in the axial position of the nozzle block  19  on the opposite side to the bearing section  19   a , and the other end of which is fixed to the rotating member  18 .  27  is a spring which is provided between the rotating unit  18  and the nozzle block  19  and presses the nozzle block  19  to the bearing section  19   a  side thereof. An air passage  19   c  comprising an annular groove and a radial hole is formed in the bearing section  19   a  of the nozzle block  19  as to allow the air passage  25  to communicate with the hole with a bottom  19   b  even when the nozzle block  19  is rotated. A further air passage  28 , connecting the hole with a bottom  19   b  with the air passage  20   a  of the suction nozzle  20  located in a downward facing position in the nozzle block  19 , is formed in the rotational shaft  26 .  29  is a spring which presses the suction nozzle  20  downwards such as to allow the suction nozzle  20  to be retracted upwards. 
     Moreover, a coupling boss  19   d  projects from the end face of the bearing section  19   a  of the nozzle block  19  and is constituted in such a manner that by rotating the nozzle block  19  by means of a rotation operating shaft  30  which engages with this coupling boss  19   d  at a prescribed position at which the suction head  12  comes to rest, a desired suction nozzle  20  can be selected and set in a vertical downward-facing operational state. 
     The operation according to the foregoing construction is now described in comparison to a prior art example, with reference to FIGS. 4A-4D. In a case where component a is currently held by suction and component b is subsequently to be held by suction, in the present embodiment, A 1  of the suction nozzle positions A 1  and A 2  is selected in the mounting head  12  which is at rest in the component supply position, and the component a is picked up accordingly, as shown in FIG.  4 A. On the other hand, the component feeder  3  holding component b which is to be picked up next is positioned apart from the component feeder  3  holding component a, to the upstream side in the direction of rotation of the rotating table  11 . Therefore, in addition to selecting the component supply position in such a manner that the amount of movement of the component feeder  3  holding component b which is to be mounted next becomes a minimum, and moving the component feeder by a distance of La, as shown in FIG. 4B, in the subsequent mounting head  12 , position B 2  of the suction nozzle positions B 1 , B 2  is selected by rotating the rotating shaft  15  whilst the subsequent mounting head  12  is moving towards the component supply position, and component b is picked up accordingly at the suction nozzle position B 2 . 
     On the other hand, in the prior art example, as shown in FIG. 4C, the suction nozzle in the mounting head  12  which is at rest in the component supply position simply picks up component a at suction nozzle position A, and wherever the component feeder  3  holding component b which is to be picked up next may be positioned, before next component suction operation, the component feeder  3  holding component b is moved through a distance Lb to the component supply position, as shown in FIG. 4D, and component b is picked up in the component supply position, at suction nozzle position B. 
     Thus, in the present embodiment, the amount of movement of the component feeder  3  until reaching the component supply position can be reduced by the distance d (see FIG. 3) between the selected positions A 1  and A 2  of the suction nozzle  20 , namely, to the amount of movement La, compared to Lb in the prior art, and hence the movement time can be shortened accordingly and increased mounting speed can be achieved. 
     The foregoing description related to a case where components are picked up in the component supply section  2 , but in the operation of mounting components onto a substrate  5  on the XY table  4  also, the movement distance of the XY table  4  can similarly be reduced and the movement time therefor shortened accordingly, by selecting the operational position of the suction nozzle  20  in accordance with the subsequent mounting position. In other words, in addition to selecting the component mounting position such that the amount of movement of the substrate  5  until it reaches the next component mounting position becomes a minimum, and moving the substrate  5  by means of the XY table  4  accordingly, by selecting the position of the suction nozzle  20  in accordance with the aforementioned selected component mounting position whilst the mounting head  12  is moving towards the component mounting position after the component has been picked up, it is possible to reduce the amount of movement of the substrate  5  until it reaches the component mounting position and hence the movement time can be shortened accordingly, and increases in mounting speed can be achieved. 
     Next, a further embodiment of the invention is described with reference to FIG.  5 . Like elements having the same function as those of the foregoing embodiment are given the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted here, only the points of difference being explained. 
     In FIG. 5, suction nozzles  20  of plural types are provided on the outer circumference of a rotating unit  18  fixed to the lower end of a rotating shaft  15 , in parallel with the axis of rotation thereof. Each suction nozzle  20  is installed on the lower end of a moving shaft  31  supported movably in a vertical direction on the outer circumference of the rotating unit  18 , positioning steps  32   a ,  32   b  for halting each nozzle in a downward position or an upward position being provided on the upper portion of each moving shaft  31 , and furthermore, a spring  33  pressing in a downward direction being inserted between the upper end of each moving shaft  31  and the rotating unit  18 . Moreover, swingable engaging hooks  34  are provided around the outer circumference of the rotating unit  18  corresponding to each of the moving shafts  31 , such as to be pivoted between a position where they engage with the positioning steps  32   a ,  32   b  and a position where they are released therefrom, and a ring spring  35  pressing towards the engagement position is fitted externally to the outer circumference thereof. Each engaging hook  34  comprises, at the lower end portion thereof, an engaging hook portion  34   a  corresponding to the positioning steps  32   a ,  32   b , in the middle portion thereof, a projecting fulcrum portion  34   b , and at the upper end portion thereof, a rocking operation lever  34   c , such that the engaging hook portion  34   a  can be moved to the engagement release position by applying pressure to the rocking operation lever  34   c , thereby allowing the moving shaft  31  to move to the downward position. 
     An air passage  36  connecting to the suction nozzle  20  is formed in the lower portion of the moving shaft  31 , and an air passage  37  consisting of a radial groove and a circumferential annular groove is formed in the lower portion of the air passage  23  of the rotating shaft  15 , in such a manner that when any one of the moving shafts  31  is engaged in the lower position, the air passage  36  in the moving shaft  31  and the air passages  37 ,  23  in the rotating shaft  15  are mutually connected. Consequently, by pressing on the rocking operation lever  34   c  of the engaging hook  34  and causing the moving shaft  31  to move to a downward position, it is possible to perform a suction operation by means of the corresponding suction nozzle  20 . 
     In the present embodiment, by operating an engaging hook  34  corresponding to a suction nozzle  20  suited to a component type, the suction nozzle  20  in question is lowered and assumes an operational state, and in this state, the operational position of the suction nozzle  20  can be selected by rotating the rotating unit  18 , thereby enabling similar suction or mounting operations as in the aforementioned embodiment to be carried out and hence displaying the merits of same. 
     Next, a further embodiment is described with reference to FIG.  6 . Like elements having the same function as those in the foregoing embodiments are given the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted, only the points of difference thereto being described here. 
     In FIG. 6, a rotating unit  18  fixed to the lower end of a rotating shaft  15  is constituted by a square U-shaped bracket having an open side facing downwards. A nozzle block  38 , which can be located rotationally about a horizontal axis intersecting orthogonally the axis of rotation O and wherein suction nozzles  20  of plural types are arranged about the circumference thereof, is provided in such a manner that the plane in which these suction nozzles  20  are installed is displaced by an amount e from the rotational axis O of the rotating unit  18 , it being possible to locate any desired suction nozzle  20  in a position parallel to the axis of rotation O by means of rotating the nozzle block  38 . 
     In the present embodiment, a suitable suction nozzle  20  can be selected by rotating the nozzle block  38  in accordance with the type of component, and furthermore, the operating position of the suction nozzle  20  can be selected by rotating the rotating shaft  18 , thereby enabling similar suction or mounting operations to the foregoing embodiments to be carried out and similar merits to be displayed. 
     Yet a further embodiment is now described with reference to FIG.  9  and FIG.  10 . 
     As shown in FIG. 9, the method for mounting components according to this embodiment is devised such that a plurality of mounting heads  12  provided on the circumference of a rotating table  11  which rotates intermittently in one direction S is caused to stop successively at a component supply position F, whilst, out of a plurality of component feeders  3  mounted in a sequential fashion on a component supply table  9  moving in a direction W and contacting the rotating edge M of the rotating table  11 , component feeder  3  supplying a component which is to be picked up stops sequentially in a prescribed position, the component is picked up from the component feeder  3  by the suction nozzle  20  provided on the mounting head  12  at the aforementioned component supply position F, the mounting head  12  is moved by the intermittent rotation of the rotating table  11  to a component recognition position G, where the component held by suction is recognized by a component recognition camera  51 , whereupon it moves to a component mounting position H, where the component held by suction is mounted to a substrate  5 . 
     The mounting heads  12  are constituted in such a manner that, for the suction operating position by the suction nozzle  20  when the mounting head  12  is at rest at the component supply position F, it is possible to select one of two positions, namely, a first suction operating position K which is displaced upstream in the rotational direction S of the rotating table  11  from the reference point C where the rotating edge M of the rotating table  11  contacts the line of movement of the component supply table  9 , and a second suction operating position L which is displaced downstream in the rotational direction S of the rotating table  11  from the aforementioned reference point C. Specifically, a mounting head as described previously with reference to FIG. 5 and a mounting head as shown in FIG. 1 may be used. 
     Component feeder  3  are arranged on the component supply table  9  at a pitch, p, and the component supply table  9  is moved at a pitch of P/2 in an opposite direction W to the rotational direction S of the rotating table  11 . 
     The displacements from the reference point C of the aforementioned first suction operating position K and second suction operating position L are p/4, respectively. 
     In the first cycle shown in FIG. 10A, a mounting head  12   a  for which the first suction operating position K has been selected picks up a component Za from component feeder  3   a  located in a corresponding position; 
     in the second cycle shown in FIG. 10B, the second suction operating position L is selected for the next mounting head  12   b  reaching the component supply position F, and the mounting head  12   b  picks up a component Zb 1  from the subsequent component feeder  3   b  which has been located in a corresponding position by a movement of pitch p/2. 
     in the third cycle shown in FIG. 10C, the first suction operating position K is selected for the third mounting head  12   c  reaching the component supply position F, and the mounting head  12   c  picks up another component Zb 2  from the component feeder  3   b  used in the second cycle and located in a corresponding position by a movement of pitch p/2; 
     in the fourth cycle shown in FIG. 10D, the second suction operating position L is selected for the fourth mounting head  12  reaching the component supply position F, and the mounting head  12   d  picks up a component Zc 1  from a third component feeder  3   c  which has been located in a corresponding position by a movement of pitch p/2; 
     and then, as shown in FIG. 10E, a component Zc 2  is picked up from the third component feeder  3   c  by the next mounting head  12   e  reaching the component supply position F, in a similar manner to the first cycle, and thereafter the process of picking up components is carried out by repeating the aforementioned steps. 
     When the component suction operation in any of the first cycle-fourth cycle described above is repeated in a state where the component supply table  9  is at rest and not subjected to a pitch movement, then the corresponding suction operating position should be selected for the next mounting head  12  arriving at the component supply position F such that component supplied by the same component feeder  3  is picked up. For example, in a case where a component is picked up from the component feeder  3   a  for second time in the state shown in FIG.  10 A, then component suction should be carried out by selecting the first suction operating position K for the next mounting head  12   b.    
     In this way, by adopting the present embodiment, it is possible to set the amount of movement of the component feeder  3  in each cycle to half of the pitch p (p/2) between component feeder  3 , thereby halving the amount of movement in comparison to the prior art. Since a plurality of component feeders  3  are mounted on the component supply table  9  and the inertia thereof is very large, the key point in reducing component mounting tact time has been reducing the amount of movement per cycle of the component supply table  9 . According to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the pitch movement of the component supply table  9  by one half compared to the prior art, thereby enabling a large reduction in component mounting tact time to be achieved. 
     The present embodiment is premised on the fact that at least two or more components are picked up consecutively from the same component feeder  3 . However, in cases where only one component is picked up from each component feeder  3 , or in cases where the pitch between component feeder carrying large components is larger than p, for example, then the first cycle-fourth cycle described above cannot be used, and therefore the suction and mounting operations for the aforementioned special cases should be carried out after suction operations using the series of cycles described above have been completed. 
     If the pitch p between component feeder  9  mounted on the component supply table  9  is made smaller, then the amount of movement of the component supply table  9  per cycle can be reduced accordingly. Therefore, this method is suitable for use with a system wherein plural rows of component assembly tapes are provided in a single parts cassette (see Japanese Published Examined Patent Application No. 7-114319). 
     Next, yet a further embodiment is described with reference to FIG.  9  and FIG.  11 . 
     In this embodiment, for the suction operating position for the suction nozzle  20  in a state where the mounting head  12  is at rest in the component supply position F, it is possible to select one of three positions, namely, a first suction operating position K which is displaced upstream in the rotational direction of the rotating table  11  from the reference point C where the rotating edge M of the rotating table  11  contacts the line of movement of the component supply table  9 , a second suction operating position L which is displaced downstream in the rotational direction of the rotating table  11  from the aforementioned reference point C, and a third suction operating position C which is the position of the aforementioned reference point. 
     When the mounting head  12  has reached the component recognition position G, the suction nozzle  20  is moved to the aforementioned reference point C, regardless of the suction operating position, and its position is recognized by the component recognition camera  51 . Moreover, when the mounting head  12  has reached the component mounting position H, the suction nozzle  20  is moved to the aforementioned reference point C and, after carrying out positional correction as required on the basis of data obtained from the component recognition camera  51 , the component is mounted onto the substrate  5 . 
     As shown in FIG. 10, for smaller components, component suction is carried out by selecting the first or second suction operating position K, L, thereby achieving a significant increase in mounting speed. 
     On the other hand, for larger components, (for example, components having sides of 5 mm or more,) component suction is carried out by selecting the third suction operating position C. This is in order to prevent larger components from being partially out of the field of view  51   a  of the recognition camera  51 . 
     In other words, as shown in FIG. 11B, supposing that a large component Z is picked up at the first suction operating position K, and at the component recognition position G it is recognized by the recognition camera  51  in a state where the suction nozzle  20  has moved to the reference point C, then the attitude of the large component A will be inclined by the angle θ of movement of the suction nozzle  20 , i.e., by the angle KOC in the figure. An angle of inclination corresponding to the aforementioned movement angle θ will thus occur between the reference center line of the field of view  51   a  of the recognition camera  51  and the reference center line t of the larger component Z, thereby causing a problem in that a portion of the larger component Z will lie outside the aforementioned field of view  51   a.    
     However, if, as shown in FIG. 11A, the larger component Z is picked up at the third suction operating position C, then component recognition can be carried out in a state where the reference center line t of the larger component Z matches the reference center line of the aforementioned field of view  51   a , and consequently the aforementioned problem can be eliminated. 
     According to the method for mounting components of the present invention, by using mounting heads for which a plurality of suction operating positions for suction nozzles are set and any of the set positions can be selected, it is possible to reduce the amount of movement of component feeder until reaching a component supply position, and consequently the movement time can be shortened accordingly and increased mounting speed can be achieved. In particular, by adopting pitch movement of the component supply table in a single direction and picking up a plurality of components from the same component feeder, it is also possible to halve the amount of movement of the component supply table per cycle, compared to the prior art, thereby enabling significant increases in mounting speed to be achieved. 
     Moreover, according to the component mounting device of the present invention, it is possible to achieve high-speed mounting by implementing the aforementioned methods. 
     While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.