Patent Description:
As described in Patent Literature <NUM>, which discloses the preamble of independent claim <NUM>, in some of tape feeders configured to be attached to a feeder setting section of a component mounter, to save space, there is provided a reel displacement mechanism for holding a reel holder, in which a tape reel is loaded, in such a manner as to be displaced in a width direction thereof relative to a feeder main body. In this case, in attaching a tape feeder to a slot situated adjacent to a tape feeder which is already attached to the feeder setting section of the component mounter, a front or head end section (an end section directed in an attaching direction) of a feeder main body of the tape feeder to be attached is brought into abutment with a taper surface of a rear or tail end section (an end section directed in a removing direction) of a reel holder of the adjacent tape feeder, so as to displace the reel holder of the adjacent tape feeder in a width direction to a position which enables the tape feeder, which is brought into abutment with the reel holder, to be inserted. As a result, more tape feeders can be attached to the feeder setting section by making effective use of the space in the feeder setting section of the component mounter.

Patent Literature <NUM>, falling under Art. <NUM>(<NUM>) EPC, discloses a further example of a tape feeder.

In general, a reel holder in which a tape reel is loaded is formed from a resin, and a holder cover made of sheet metal is attached with a screw to at least a part of a side surface thereof for protection, reinforcement, or the like of the side surface. Due to this, in attaching or detaching a tape feeder to or from a tape feeder setting section of a component mounter, there is a possibility that end edges of the holder cover of the tape feeder which is attached or detached in attaching and detaching directions come into contact with an adjacent tape feeder. The holder cover tends to be deformed since the holder cover is formed of a thin sheet of stainless steel to make the tape feeder thin in thickness and light in weight. As a result, there is a case in which the holder cover is deformed into such a state that the end edges of the holder cover in the attaching and detaching directions are slightly raised from the side surface of the reel holder. As this occurs, the end edges in the attaching and detaching directions of the holder cover of the tape feeder which is attached or detached tend to be easily caught by the adjacent tape feeder, leading to a risk of the attachability and detachability of the tape feeder being deteriorated as a result of the end edges being so caught. Consequently, it is necessary to take some measures to improve the attachability and detachability of the tape feeder.

To solve the problem described above, the present invention provides a tape feeder as defined in independent claim <NUM>. Preferred embodiments are laid down in the dependent claims.

Since the guide section is provided at both the end portions of the reel holder in the attaching and detaching directions to guide the tape feeder when the tape feeder is attached to or detached from the feeder setting section in such manner that the end edges in the attaching and detaching directions of the holder cover of the tape feeder are not caught by the adjacent tape feeder, the end edges in the attaching and detaching directions of the holder cover of the tape feeder that is attached or detached can be prevented from being caught by the adjacent tape feeder, thereby making it possible to improve the attachability and detachability of the tape feeder.

Hereinafter, an embodiment, which is disclosed in the present description, will be described. Firstly, an overall configuration of tape feeder <NUM> will be described.

As show in <FIG> and <FIG>, feeder main body <NUM> of tape feeder <NUM> is formed flat. Hole section <NUM> (refer to <FIG>) is formed in this feeder main body <NUM> in such a manner as to allow resin reel holder <NUM>, in which tape reel <NUM> around which a component supply tape (not shown) is wound is loaded rotatably, to pass therethrough in a width direction thereof. Reel holder <NUM> is provided within hole section <NUM> in feeder main body <NUM> via a reel displacement mechanism (slide mechanisms <NUM>, <NUM>), which will be described later, in such a manner as to be displaced in the width direction (a left-right direction) of reel holder <NUM> in question. Holder cover <NUM>, which is made of sheet metal such as a sheet of stainless steel, is attached with screws <NUM> to a front surface side (a right surface side) of a lower-side portion of reel holder <NUM> in such a manner as to cover a lower-side portion of tape reel <NUM>. This holder cover <NUM> extends as far as a lower end portion of reel holder <NUM>. Reel presser plate <NUM>, which is configured to cover an upper-side portion of tape reel <NUM> accommodated within holder cover <NUM>, is provided on a front surface side of an upper-side portion of reel holder <NUM> in such a manner as to be swung to be opened and closed about hinge sections <NUM>, <NUM> at both sides of an upper end portion thereof as fulcrums. Additionally, holder cover <NUM> (refer to <FIG>), which is made of sheet metal such a sheet of stainless steel and which extends as far as a lower end portion of reel holder <NUM>, is also attached to a rear surface side (a left surface side) of the lower-side portion of reel holder <NUM> with screws (not shown).

When tape reel <NUM> is removed from reel holder <NUM>, reel presser plate <NUM> is swung upwards about hinge sections <NUM>, <NUM> at both the sides of the upper end portion thereof as the fulcrums to open the upper-side portion of reel holder <NUM>, and then, tape reel <NUM> is pulled out obliquely upwards while grabbing an upper side of tape reel <NUM> inside reel holder <NUM> with fingers to slightly incline tape reel <NUM> towards a near side. When tape reel <NUM> is loaded in reel holder <NUM>, loading tape reel <NUM> in reel holder <NUM> is completed by inserting tape reel <NUM> obliquely from above into reel holder <NUM> with reel presser plate <NUM> left open so that a lower-side portion of tape reel <NUM> is put in an inside of holder cover <NUM> and closing reel presser plate <NUM>. A closed state of reel presser plate <NUM> is held by a magnet, a spring, or the like.

In this case, a configuration may be adopted in which a short reel holding shaft (not shown), which is configured to fit in center hole <NUM> in tape reel <NUM>, is provided at a central portion of reel holder <NUM>, so that tape reel <NUM> is supported rotatably by the short reel holding shaft. In the case that this configuration is adopted, it is preferable that a length of reel holding shaft is made shorter than a length of center hole <NUM> in tape reel <NUM> (for example, a length of a half or one third of the length of center hole <NUM>) so that the reel holding shaft, which fits in center hole <NUM> in tape reel <NUM>, deteriorates the attachability and detachability of tape reel <NUM>. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which multiple rollers (not shown) are provided along an outer circumference of tape reel <NUM> at a lower side of reel holder <NUM> (inside holder cover <NUM>), so that the outer circumference of tape reel <NUM> is borne and supported rotatably by the multiple rollers.

A component pickup position, where a component is picked up by a pickup nozzle (not shown) of the component mounter, is set in a position near an end face portion of an upper end face section of feeder main body <NUM> which lies frontmost (at a front side) in an attaching direction of feeder main body <NUM>. Tape guide <NUM>, which is configured to guide a component supply tape pulled out of tape reel <NUM> to the component pickup position, is provided at a lower side of the upper end face section of feeder main body <NUM>.

A space defined in feeder main body <NUM> between reel holder <NUM> and the end face portion of feeder main body <NUM> which lies frontmost (at the front side) in the attaching direction thereof constitutes electric equip;ment accommodating space <NUM>. This electrical equipment accommodating space <NUM> accommodates various types of electrical equipment including a tape feeding device (not shown) for pulling out the component supply tape from tape reel <NUM> in reel holder <NUM> to feed the component supply tape so pulled out to the component pickup position, a control section (not shown) for controlling a pitch feeding operation performed by the tape feeding device, and the like.

Two positioning pins <NUM>, <NUM>, which are configured to position tape feeder <NUM> or feeder main body <NUM> with respect to feeder setting section <NUM> (refer to <FIG> and <FIG>) of the component mounter, are provided in such a manner as to be spaced apart at a predetermined interval in an up-down direction at the front end face portion of feeder main body <NUM> which lies frontmost (at the front side) in the attaching direction thereof in a position higher than a height-wise center of the end face portion (in the present embodiment, a position near the upper end face section of feeder main body <NUM>). Connector <NUM> for power supply and communication is provided between these two positioning pins <NUM>, <NUM>, and by inserting connector <NUM> on feeder main body <NUM> into a connector (not shown) on the component mounter for connection, power is supplied from the component mounter to the various types of electrical equipment including the tape feeding device, the control section, and the like provided inside feeder main body <NUM>, and various types of signals such as a control signal, a sensor signal, and the like are transmitted and received between a control section (not shown) on the component mounter and the control section on feeder main body <NUM>.

Next, a configuration will be described which holds a state in which feeder main body <NUM> is attached to feeder setting section <NUM> of the component mounter.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, guide rail <NUM> having a T-shaped cross section is provided, as a holding member, at a portion of the upper end face section of feeder main body <NUM> which lies at the upper-side portion of reel holder <NUM> in such a manner as to extend in the attaching and detaching directions (the front-rear direction) of feeder main body <NUM>. To match guide rail <NUM> so provided, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, slot groove <NUM>, in which guide rail <NUM> having the T-shaped cross section fits in such a manner as to slide and move in the attaching and detaching directions of feeder main body <NUM>, is provided on upper-side member 31a of feeder setting section <NUM> of the component mounter in such a manner as to extend in the attaching and detaching directions of feeder main body <NUM>, and guide rail <NUM> having the T-shaped cross section on feeder main body <NUM> fits in slot groove <NUM> having the T-shaped cross section on feeder setting section <NUM>, whereby feeder main body <NUM> is held in a state in which feeder main body <NUM> is guided so as to slide and move in the attaching and detaching directions and is prevented from being dislocated downwards. As shown in <FIG>, multiple slot grooves <NUM> are provided at predetermined intervals on upper-side member 31a of feeder setting section <NUM>, so that multiple tape feeders <NUM> can be set on feeder setting section <NUM> in such a manner as to be aligned side by side in the left-right direction.

In addition, clamping device <NUM> (refer to <FIG>), which is configured to clamp feeder main body <NUM> in such a state in which feeder main body <NUM> is attached to feeder setting section <NUM> of the component mounter, is provided on the upper end face section of feeder main body <NUM> in a position lying near an end face portion (at a rear side) in the detaching direction of feeder main body <NUM>. This clamping device <NUM> includes clamp member <NUM>, which projects obliquely upwards from the upper end face section of feeder main body <NUM> for clamping, spring <NUM> such as a spring for biasing clamp member <NUM> obliquely upwards, that is, a clamping direction, and operation lever <NUM>, which is operated for a clamp releasing operation in which clamp member <NUM> is retracted obliquely downwards, that is, in a clamp releasing direction. Operation lever <NUM> is disposed in such a manner as to project from the end face portion of feeder main body <NUM> which lies in the detaching direction (at the rear side) of feeder main body <NUM>.

On the other hand, as shown in <FIG>, clamp hole <NUM> is provided on an upper side of feeder setting section <NUM> of the component mounter in a position corresponding to clamp member <NUM>, and feeder main body <NUM> is clamped in the attached state by clamp member <NUM> fitting in this clamp hole <NUM>. In this case, when clamp member <NUM> is pushed up obliquely upwards in the detaching direction (at the rear side) of feeder main body <NUM> by spring <NUM>, an upper end portion of clamp member <NUM> is put in a state in which the upper end portion is pressed against a side surface of clamp hole <NUM> which lies in the detaching direction (at the rear side) of feeder main body <NUM>, and feeder main body <NUM> is pressed in the attaching direction (towards the front side) thereof by means of a reaction of the pressing of clamp member <NUM> against clamp hole <NUM>, whereby not only is feeder main body <NUM> positioned with good accuracy, but also the connection state of connector <NUM> is held properly.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, guide rail <NUM> having an I-shaped cross section is provided as a lower holding member on a lower end face section of feeder main body <NUM> in such a manner as to extend in the attaching and detaching directions of feeder main body <NUM>. To match guide rail <NUM> so provided, a rail groove (not shown), in which guide rail <NUM> having the I-shaped cross section on feeder main body <NUM> fits in such a manner as to slide and move in the attaching and detaching directions of feeder main body <NUM>, is provided on a lower-side member (not shown) of feeder setting section31 of the component mounter, and when guide rail <NUM> having the I-shaped cross section on feeder main body <NUM> fits in the rail groove of the I-shaped cross section on the lower side member of feeder setting section <NUM>, not only is feeder main body 11guided so as to slide and move in the attaching and detaching directions guided but also is held in such a manner as to be allowed to be dislocated upwards. As a result, even though a variation in production of feeder setting section <NUM> of the component mounter in relation to a height dimension or a variation in production of feeder main body <NUM> in relation to a height dimension is increased somehow, a friction resistance is prevented from being increased when feeder main body <NUM> slides and moves in the attaching and detaching directions thereof, whereby attaching and detaching of feeder main body <NUM> can be performed smoothly.

Next, a configuration of a reel displacement mechanism will be described which holds reel holder <NUM> in such a manner as to be displaced in a width direction (the left-right direction) thereof relative to feeder main body <NUM>. As in the case with Patent Literature <NUM> described above, a reel displacement mechanism may be configured using a link mechanism; however, in the present embodiment, a reel displacement mechanism is configured using slide mechanisms <NUM>, <NUM> shown in <FIG>. These slide mechanisms <NUM>, <NUM> are configured of upper slide holes <NUM>, <NUM> (refer to <FIG> and <FIG>), which are provided at both front and rear sides of an upper portion of feeder main body <NUM> in such a manner as to open downwards, lower projections <NUM>, <NUM> (refer to <FIG> and <FIG>), which are provided at both front and rear sides of a lower portion of feeder main body <NUM> in such a manner as to project upwards therefrom, upper projections <NUM>, <NUM> (refer to <FIG> and <FIG>), which are provided at both front and rear sides of an upper portion of reel holder <NUM> in such a manner as to project upwards therefrom, and lower slide holes <NUM>, <NUM> (refer to <FIG> and <FIG>), which are provided at both front and rear sides of a lower portion of reel holder <NUM> in such a manner as to open downwards. As shown in <FIG>, upper projections <NUM>, <NUM> of reel holder <NUM> are fitted in upper slide holes <NUM>, <NUM> in feeder main body <NUM>, respectively, in such a manner as to slide in a width direction (a left-right direction) of feeder main body <NUM>, and as shown in <FIG>, lower projections <NUM>, <NUM> of feeder main body <NUM> are fitted in lower slide holes <NUM>, <NUM> in reel holder <NUM>, respectively, in such a manner as to slide in the width direction (the left-right direction) of feeder main body <NUM>, whereby reel holder <NUM> is held in such a manner as to be displaced in a width direction (a left-right direction) thereof relative to feeder main body <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, taper surfaces <NUM>, <NUM> (refer to <FIG>), having a substantially triangular horizontal cross section, are provided at both end portions in a front-rear direction (attaching and detaching directions) of reel holder <NUM> so as to allow reel holder <NUM> to smoothly slide in the width direction thereof. A width of feeder main body <NUM> is set slightly narrower than an interval or pitch at which slot grooves <NUM> are formed on feeder setting section <NUM>, whereas as shown in <FIG>, a width of reel holder <NUM> is set wider than the width of feeder main body <NUM> (wider than the pitch at which slot grooves <NUM> are formed on feeder setting section <NUM>) and at a width of not wider than <NUM> times of the pitch at which slot grooves <NUM> are formed. As a result, when feeder main body <NUM> is attached to slot groove <NUM> on feeder setting section <NUM>, reel holder <NUM> projects from feeder main body <NUM> towards an adjacent slot groove <NUM>, and a projection amount of reel holder <NUM> then is set to be not greater than a half of the pitch at which slot grooves <NUM> are formed.

Further, as shown in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, guide sections <NUM>, <NUM> (refer to <FIG>), which are configured to guide end edges of holder covers <NUM>, <NUM> so as not to be caught by adjacent tape feeder <NUM> when tape feeder <NUM> is attached to or detached from feeder setting section <NUM>, are provided at least a lower end portion of both the end portions in the front-rear direction (the attaching and detaching directions) of reel holder <NUM>. In the present embodiment, guide sections <NUM>, <NUM> are each formed from a resin as a separate member from reel holder <NUM>, and as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, guide sections <NUM>, <NUM> are attached to reel holder <NUM> in an exchangeable fashion with screws <NUM>, <NUM>, respectively, which are tightly screwed into screw holes <NUM> in guide sections <NUM>, <NUM> from outer sides of holder covers <NUM>, <NUM> in such a state that guide sections <NUM>, <NUM> are held between holder covers <NUM>, <NUM>.

Respective portions of guide sections <NUM>, <NUM>, which project in the front-rear direction from the end edges of holder covers <NUM>, <NUM>, each have a taper shape. Further, as show in <FIG>, outer edge sections of taper surfaces of each of guide sections <NUM>, <NUM> are formed in such a manner as to protrude transversely outwards from surfaces of guide sections <NUM>, <NUM> where holder covers <NUM>, <NUM> are attached by an amount coinciding with a thickness of holder covers <NUM>, <NUM> or slightly more than the thickness, and guide sections <NUM>, <NUM> are configured so as to provide a state in which the outer edge sections of the respective taper surfaces of guide sections <NUM>, <NUM> cover the end edges of holder covers <NUM>, <NUM> as viewed from the attaching and detaching directions of tape feeder <NUM>.

With the present embodiment that has been described heretofore, since guide sections <NUM>, <NUM>, which are configured to guide tape feeder <NUM> so that the end edges of holder covers <NUM>, <NUM> are not caught by adjacent tape feeder <NUM> when tape feeder <NUM> in question is attached to or detached from feeder setting section <NUM>, are provided at both the end portions in the front-rear direction of reel holder <NUM> of tape feeder <NUM> in question, end edges in the attaching and detaching directions of holder cover <NUM> of tape feeder <NUM> to be attached or detached can be prevented from being caught by adjacent tape feeder <NUM>, thereby making it possible to improve the attachability and detachability of tape feeder <NUM>.

Moreover, since guide sections <NUM>, <NUM> are attached in the exchangeable fashion to both the end portions in the front-rear direction of reel holder <NUM> with screws <NUM>, <NUM>, guide sections <NUM>, <NUM> can be provided separately from tape feeders <NUM> to the user as an exchangeable repair part, whereby the user can exchange guide sections <NUM>, <NUM> which get worn or damaged as a result of being used for a long period of time with new exchangeable repair parts as required, thereby making it possible to extend the life of tape feeder <NUM>.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment that has been described heretofore, and can be carried out by being modified variously without departing from the scope of the present invention, which is solely defined by the appended claims. Resulting modifications may include, for example, configurations in which the positions, shapes and lengths of guide sections <NUM>, <NUM> are changed as required, the positions, shapes, and sizes of holder covers <NUM>, <NUM> are changed as required, and the configuration of feeder main body <NUM> and/or the configuration of reel holder <NUM> is modified as required.

Claim 1:
A tape feeder (<NUM>) configured to be attached to and detached from a feeder setting section (<NUM>) of a component mounter, the tape feeder (<NUM>) comprising:
a feeder main body (<NUM>);
a reel holder (<NUM>) configured to load a tape reel (<NUM>) around which a component supply tape is wound;
a reel displacement mechanism (<NUM>, <NUM>) for holding the reel holder (<NUM>) in such a manner as to be displaced in a width direction thereof relative to the feeder main body (<NUM>);
a holder cover (<NUM>, <NUM>) of sheet metal which is attached to at least a part of a side surface of the reel holder (<NUM>); and
guide sections (<NUM>, <NUM>) provided at both end portions of the reel holder (<NUM>) in attaching and detaching directions to guide the tape feeder (<NUM>) when the tape feeder (<NUM>) is attached to or detached from the feeder setting section (<NUM>) in such manner that end edges in the attaching and detaching directions of the holder cover (<NUM>, <NUM>) of the tape feeder (<NUM>) are not caught by an adjacent tape feeder,
wherein respective portions of the guide sections (<NUM>, <NUM>) that project in the attaching and detaching directions from the end edges of the holder covers (<NUM>, <NUM>) each have a taper shape, outer edge sections of taper surfaces of each of the guide sections (<NUM>, <NUM>) are formed in such a manner as to protrude transversely outwards from surfaces of the guide sections (<NUM>, <NUM>) where the holder covers (<NUM>, <NUM>) are attached by an amount coinciding with a thickness of the holder covers (<NUM>, <NUM>) or slightly more than the thickness, and the guide sections (<NUM>, <NUM>) are configured so as to provide a state in which the outer edge sections of the respective taper surfaces of the guide sections (<NUM>, <NUM>) cover the end edges of the holder covers (<NUM>, <NUM>) as viewed from the attaching and detaching directions of the tape feeder (<NUM>),
characterized in that
the guide sections (<NUM>, <NUM>) are attached to both end portions of the reel holder (<NUM>) in the attaching and detaching directions in an exchangeable manner.