Patent ID: 8438722

Claim:
An apparatus for detecting component attachment, the apparatus comprising: a detection head for detecting a presence or an absence of a component or whether or not the component is attached; and a driving mechanism for driving the detection head in an attachment direction of the component, wherein the detection head includes a movable element having a front end portion capable of being brought into contact with a predetermined portion of the component and a rear portion on an opposite side of the front end portion, a guide passage for guiding the movable element so as to be capable of reciprocal motion in the attachment direction, a fluid passage formed so as to cross and communicate with the guide passage for passing a fluid when the front end portion is brought into contact with the predetermined portion of the component and pushed and the movable element is moved to a predetermined position, and a detection portion for detecting a pressure or a flow rate of the fluid flowing through the fluid passage, wherein the movable element has a diameter-reduced movable portion forming the front end portion, and a diameter-enlarged movable portion having a diameter larger than that of the diameter-reduced movable portion and forming the rear end portion and a communication path communicating with the fluid passage so as to enable a flow of the fluid when moved to the predetermined position, and the guide passage has a diameter-reduced guide passage formed at a side of the front end portion for containing the diameter-reduced movable portion with a predetermined gap space, and a diameter-enlarged guide passage formed at a side of the rear end portion for slidably containing and guiding the diameter-enlarged movable portion, and wherein the detection head further includes a front-end side auxiliary passage that communicates with the diameter-enlarged guide passage at a side of the front end portion with respect to the fluid passage and passes the fluid outward from the diameter-enlarged guide passage, and a rear-end side auxiliary passage that communicates with the diameter-enlarged guide passage at a side of the rear end portion with respect to the fluid passage and passes the fluid outward from the diameter-enlarged guide passage.