Patent ID: 6976304

Claim:
An electronic component placing apparatus for placing electronic components onto at least two boards, each board having a first length L along a board carrying direction, said electronic component placing apparatus comprising: an electronic component feeding unit operable to feed the electronic components; a carrying unit operable to carry each of the at least two boards in the carrying direction from a first board retreat position to a first component placement position, from the first component placement position to a second board retreat position, from the second board retreat position to a second component placement position and from the second component placement position to a position outside of the second component placement position; a plurality of head units operable to hold the components from said electronic component feeding unit and then to place the held components onto the boards; and a drive unit operable to move the plurality of head units between said electronic component feeding unit and each of the at least two boards, wherein the first board retreat position, the first component placement position, the second board retreat position and the second component placement position do not overlap with one another, wherein a space for positioning a board stop mechanism is provided at each of the first board retreat position, the first component placement position, the second board retreat position and the second component placement position, wherein a substantial apparatus width of said component placing apparatus is a total dimension 4L+SL along the board carrying direction, wherein 4L denotes a second length of the sum of the length of the first board retreat position, the length of the first component placement position, the length of the second board retreat position and the length of the second component placement position, wherein SL denotes a third length of the sum of the length of the space for positioning a board stop mechanism provided at the first board retreat position, the length of the space for positioning a board stop mechanism provided at the first component placement position, the length of the space for positioning a board stop mechanism provided at the second board retreat position and the length of the space for positioning a board stop mechanism provided at the second component placement position, and wherein the substantial apparatus width is between 450 mm and 1000 mm inclusively.