JP7570029B2 - Tape feeder and component placement device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tape feeder that transports a carrier tape containing components and supplies the components to a component supply position, and a component mounting device that mounts the components supplied by the tape feeder onto a substrate.

Conventionally, component mounting devices are known as devices that use a mounting head to pick up components supplied by a parts feeder and mount them on a positioned board. Tape feeders, which are widely used as part feeders for component mounting devices, are configured to transport a carrier tape, which contains components in each of multiple pockets arranged in a row, through a transport path formed in a frame, and supply the components to the component supply position.

In order for the tape feeder with this configuration to reliably pick up the components supplied to the component supply position by the mounting head with the nozzle, the components in the carrier tape must be in the correct position (horizontal position) when they reach the component supply position. However, if the components move around in the pocket while the carrier tape is being transported, they may not be in the correct position when they reach the component supply position, which may result in a pickup error by the mounting head. In particular, with embossed carrier tapes, pickup errors due to component movement are particularly likely to occur. For this reason, a suction block made of a hollow block-shaped member with a suction port on the top surface is installed on a frame, and vacuum pressure is supplied to the internal space of the suction block to generate suction force at the suction port, thereby pulling downward the components in the carrier tape that approach the component supply position as the carrier tape is transported, thereby suppressing the movement of the components (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below).

JP 2005-35637 A

However, in order for the suction block to suck up parts, a pipeline (vacuum pipeline) was required to supply vacuum pressure to the suction block, and this vacuum pipeline had to be arranged along the side of the frame. This resulted in an increase in the overall size of the tape feeder, and when installing tape feeders side-by-side, the number that could be installed was reduced, which created the problem of a corresponding decrease in productivity.

The present invention aims to provide a tape feeder that is compact in size while still having a suction block, and a component mounting device equipped with this tape feeder.

The tape feeder of the present invention is a tape feeder that transports a carrier tape storing components and supplies the components to a component supply position, and comprises a frame in which a transport path for the carrier tape is formed, a tape transport unit provided in the frame and transporting the carrier tape in the transport path so as to pass through the component supply position, a suction block that generates a suction force at a suction port provided on an upper surface thereof when vacuum pressure is supplied, and sucks downward the carrier tape approaching the component supply position as a result of transport of the carrier tape by the tape transport unit, a vacuum pipeline that supplies vacuum pressure to the suction block, and a vacuum pipeline installation passage provided below the transport path in the frame and extending along the transport path, and the vacuum pipeline is installed in the vacuum pipeline installation passage.

The component mounting device of the present invention includes the tape feeder of the present invention described above, and a mounting head that uses a nozzle to pick up the components supplied by the tape feeder to the component supply position and mounts them on a substrate.

The present invention provides a tape feeder that has a suction block but is compact in overall size, and a component mounting device that includes this tape feeder.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a main part of a component mounting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a side view of a tape feeder provided in a component mounting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a carrier tape fed by a tape feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention together with a nozzle of a mounting head. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a carrier tape according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a tape feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a tape feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of a tape feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a tape feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a tape feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1A, 1B, and 1C are cross-sectional views of a portion of a tape feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an embossing depth of a carrier tape fed by a tape feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention and a combination of spacers used correspondingly. 1A and 1B are perspective views of a portion of a tape feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention;

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a component mounting device 1 in embodiment 1 of the present invention. The component mounting device 1 is a device that performs a component mounting operation to mount components BH on a board KB, and includes a base 11, a board transport unit 12, a dolly 13, a tape feeder 14, a mounting head 15, a head movement mechanism 16, a component recognition camera 17, and a control device 18.

In FIG. 1, the board transport unit 12 is provided on a base 11, and supports and transports the board KB from below using a pair of conveyors 12a extending horizontally. In this embodiment, for ease of explanation, the direction in which the board KB is transported by the board transport unit 12 is the X direction (left-right direction), and the up-down direction is the Z direction. In addition, the direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Z direction is the Y direction (front-back direction).

In FIG. 1, the dolly 13 is connected to the end of the base 11 in the Y direction. A feeder base 13F is provided on the top of the dolly 13. A plurality of tape feeders 14 are provided side by side in the lateral direction (X direction) of the feeder base 13F. A reel RL around which a carrier tape CT containing components BH is wound is held below the feeder base 13F. Each tape feeder 14 transports the carrier tape CT in a direction along the Y direction (forward) toward the board transport section 12 while pulling it out from the reel RL. As the tape feeder 14 transports the carrier tape CT forward, the components BH stored on the carrier tape CT are sequentially supplied to a predetermined component supply position 14K (FIGS. 1 and 2(a)).

In FIG. 1, the mounting head 15 has multiple nozzles 15N extending downward. The mounting head 15 raises and lowers each nozzle 15N individually and rotates it around the Z axis. The mounting head 15 can generate an adsorption force at the lower end of the nozzle 15N by supplying vacuum pressure into the nozzle 15N. The head movement mechanism 16 is, for example, composed of an XY table mechanism, and moves the mounting head 15 within a horizontal plane (within the XY plane). As a result, the mounting head 15 picks up the component BH that the tape feeder 14 supplies to the component supply position 14K above the tape feeder 14 using the nozzle 15N, and then passes above the component recognition camera 17 and moves above the board KB, where it mounts the picked-up component BH on the board KB.

In FIG. 1, the part recognition camera 17 is attached to the base 11 with its imaging optical axis facing upward. The part recognition camera 17 captures an image of the part BH from below as the mounting head 15 that picked up the part BH passes above it.

The control device 18 (Fig. 1) of the component mounting device 1 controls the operation of each part of the component mounting device 1 based on a pre-stored component mounting program, and executes the component mounting work of mounting the components BH on the board KB. In the component mounting work, the board transport unit 12 first receives and transports the board KB sent from upstream of the component mounting device 1, and positions it at the work position. Once the board transport unit 12 has positioned the board KB at the work position, the head movement mechanism 16 moves the mounting head 15 back and forth between the tape feeder 14 and the board KB, repeatedly executing a mounting turn to mount the components BH supplied by the tape feeder 14 onto the board KB.

One mounting turn by the mounting head 15 consists of the operation of picking up the component BH supplied by the tape feeder 14 to the component supply position 14K with the nozzle 15N, the operation of passing above the component recognition camera 17 while holding the picked-up component BH to allow the component recognition camera 17 to capture the component BH, and the operation of mounting the component BH captured by the component recognition camera 17 at the target mounting coordinates on the board KB. When the component BH is mounted at the target mounting coordinates, the position of the mounting head 15 (nozzle 15N) is corrected based on the recognition information of the component BH obtained by capturing the image of the component BH by the component recognition camera 17.

As the mounting head 15 repeatedly performs the mounting turns, when all the components BH to be mounted on the board KB have been mounted, the board transport unit 12 operates to remove the board KB from the component mounting device 1. This completes the component mounting work for one board KB.

In the component mounting device 1 configured as above, the tape feeder 14 in this embodiment is a feature that will be explained below. First, the configuration of the carrier tape CT will be explained.

In Figures 3 and 4 (Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V1-V1 in Figure 3), the carrier tape CT has a configuration in which a top tape TT is attached to the upper surface of a base tape BT. The base tape BT has a number of pockets (embossed portions EB) that are recessed downward and aligned in a row in the longitudinal direction, and a number of feed holes SH are aligned in a row parallel to the row of embossed portions EB.

As shown in FIG. 4, a component BH is housed in each embossed portion EB. The component BH in each embossed portion EB is sealed in the embossed portion EB by attaching the top tape TT to the base tape BT. An air hole EH with a minute inner diameter is provided at the bottom of each embossed portion EB (see also FIG. 3).

In FIG. 2(a), the tape feeder 14 comprises a frame 21, a cover member 22, a tape transport section 23, and a top tape recovery section 24. The frame 21 has a thin box shape that extends in the YZ plane as a whole. A slider 21T that protrudes downward is formed on the underside of the frame 21, and the tape feeder 14 is attached to the feeder base 13F by sliding the slider 21T into a slot (not shown) provided on the upper surface of the feeder base 13F.

In Figures 2(a) and 2(b) (Figure 2(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of region R1 in Figure 2(a)), a transport path 21L that guides the transport of the carrier tape CT is formed in the frame 21. The transport path 21L extends from the rear end to the front end of the frame 21, and opens at both the lower rear end and the upper front end of the frame 21. The opening at the lower rear side of the transport path 21L is an entrance opening 21A through which the carrier tape CT is inserted, and the opening at the upper front side of the transport path 21L is an exit opening 21B through which the carrier tape CT is discharged.

In FIG. 2(a), the transport path 21L extends almost horizontally downstream from the inlet opening 21A at the rear end of the frame 21, then becomes uphill in the middle of the frame 21, and extends almost horizontally from where the uphill slope ends to the outlet opening 21B. A certain area of the transport path 21L immediately before the outlet opening 21B of the frame 21 is open above the frame 21.

In Fig. 2(a), the cover member 22 is provided at the upper front end of the frame 21, and covers from above at least a portion of the transport path 21L, which is open upward. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 (V2-V2 cross-sectional view in Fig. 5), the cover member 22 has a horizontal upper wall portion 22a and left and right side wall portions 22b extending downward from both left and right ends of the upper wall portion 22a, and has a channel-shaped shape that extends in the front-rear direction (Y direction) of the frame 21 and opens downward.

In Figures 5 and 6, when the cover member 22 covers part of the upper part of the frame 21, the upper wall portion 22a of the cover member 22 is located above the frame 21, and the left and right side wall portions 22b are located outside the left and right sides of the frame 21. The upper wall portion 22a of the cover member 22 is provided with a component removal opening 22G that penetrates the upper wall portion 22a in the thickness direction (Figures 5 and 6). The component removal opening 22G is an opening that allows the mounting head 15 to use the nozzle 15N to remove a component BH from within the embossed portion EB of the carrier tape CT located at the component supply position 14K.

In FIG. 2(a), the tape transport unit 23 includes a sprocket 31 mounted on the frame 21 and a drive motor 32 that drives the sprocket 31 to rotate. The sprocket 31 is mounted in the upper region of the front end of the frame 21 so as to be rotatable about an axis parallel to the X direction. The sprocket 31 has engagement pins 31P at regular intervals on its outer periphery (FIG. 3). Of these engagement pins 31P, the one located directly above the center of rotation of the sprocket 31 (referred to as the "uppermost engagement pin 31G") engages from below with the feed hole SH of the carrier tape CT located in the upper region of the sprocket 31 in the transport path 21L (FIG. 3).

When the drive motor 32 is operated to rotate the sprocket 31, the top engagement pin 31G of the sprocket 31 moves forward. This causes the entire carrier tape CT to be pulled forward and transported forward within the transport path 21L.

In Figures 5 and 6, the cover member 22 has an escape opening 22M extending in the front-rear direction (Y direction) of the frame 21 at a portion located directly above the center of rotation of the sprocket 31. The uppermost engagement pin 31G of the sprocket 31 moves within the escape opening 22M, so the sprocket 31 can rotate without interfering with the cover member 22.

In FIG. 2(a), the top tape recovery unit 24 is provided on the upper side of the middle part in the front-rear direction of the frame 21. The top tape recovery unit 24 includes a pair of feed rollers 24a and a tension applying unit 24b.

As shown in Figures 5 and 7 (Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of region R2 in Figure 2(a)), the top tape TT of the carrier tape CT is peeled off from the base tape BT at the peeling position 22H, which is the top tape pull-out section 22T (or the rear edge of the component removal opening 22G), which is located behind the component supply position 14K (component removal opening 22G) on the frame 21, and folded back toward the rear. It is then sandwiched between a pair of feed rollers 24a, and an appropriate tension is applied by the tension applying section 24b.

When the sprocket 31 rotates and transports the carrier tape CT forward, the pair of feed rollers 24a rotate in synchronization with the rotation of the sprocket 31. As a result, the top tape TT is pulled rearward by the pair of feed rollers 24a (arrow P shown in Figures 2(a) and 5), and is sent into and collected in a top tape storage space 21K (Figure 2(a)) formed at the rear of the frame 21. The top tape TT stored in the top tape storage space 21K can be removed to the outside of the frame 21 by opening a top tape removal door 21D (Figure 2(a)) provided at the rear end of the frame 21.

As described above, the top tape TT of the carrier tape CT is peeled off from the base tape BT before reaching the component supply position 14K, so that each embossed portion EB is open upward when it reaches the component supply position 14K. This allows the mounting head 15 to remove (pick up) the component BH located at the component supply position 14K from the component removal opening 22G using the nozzle 15N (Figures 3 and 7). The carrier tape CT (base tape BT) that has passed through the lower area of the cover member 22 is discharged from the exit opening 21B to the outside of the frame 21 (Figure 2(a)).

In this manner, the tape feeder 14 in this embodiment is configured to transport the carrier tape CT in the transport path 21L by the tape transport unit 23 so that the carrier tape CT passes through the component supply position 14K.

In Figures 8 and 9, a bracket 41 extending in the Y-axis direction is provided in the area covered by the cover member 22 of the frame 21. The bracket 41 has a horizontal mounting surface 41H, and a suction block 44 is attached to this mounting surface 41H via a base body 42 and a spacer 43. The base body 42 is attached to the bracket 41 with a screw S1, and the suction block 44 is attached to the base body 42 together with the spacer 43 with a screw S2 (Figure 9).

In FIG. 9, the base bodies 42 each have an elongated shape extending in the Y direction. The base body 42 is a block-shaped member with flat lower and upper surfaces, and its upper surface 42a serves as a base that supports the suction block 44. The spacer 43 is a plate-shaped member with flat upper and lower surfaces. The spacer 43 adjusts the vertical position of the upper surface 44a of the suction block 44, and the required number of spacers (including 0) according to the thickness of the carrier tape CT (depth of the embossed portion EB) are installed sandwiched between the base body 42 and the suction block 44.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the suction block 44 is a hollow block-shaped member that is elongated in the Y direction and has an internal space 44V. The suction block 44 has a flat upper surface 44a and a flat lower surface 44b. The upper surface 44a and the lower surface 44b are parallel. The upper surface 44a of the suction block 44 is provided with a slit-shaped suction port 44S that opens upward and extends in the Y direction. The slit width HH (Figure 6), which is the dimension of the suction port 44S in the width direction (X direction), is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the air hole EH provided at the bottom of the embossed portion EB, and is positioned directly below the air hole EH.

A vacuum line 45 is connected to the suction block 44. The vacuum line 45 is made of a tube-shaped member, and is connected to the internal space 44V from the side of the suction block 44. In this way, by connecting the vacuum line 45 to the side of the suction block 44 instead of the underside 44b, the spacer 43 can be sandwiched between the underside 44b and the upper surface 42a of the base body 42 without being obstructed by the vacuum line 45. As shown in FIG. 2(a), a vacuum line installation passage 51 is provided below the transport path 21L, extending along the transport path 21L, and the vacuum line 45 is installed in the vacuum line installation passage 51.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2(a), (b) and 10(a) (Figure 10(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line V3-V3 in Figure 2(b)), the vacuum pipe installation passage 51 is made up of the lower half of the upper and lower regions formed by dividing the transport path 21L by a partition member 52. In this embodiment, because the transport path 21L is divided by the partition member 52 in this way, the embossed portion EB of the carrier tape CT advances through the transport path 21L using the upper surface of the partition member 52 as the guide surface 52M (with the bottom surface of the embossed portion EB in contact with the guide surface 52M) instead of the original bottom surface 21M of the transport path 21L.

Figures 10(b) and 10(c) show another example of how to set up the vacuum pipe installation passage 51. Figure 10(b) is similar to Figure 10(a) in that the transport path 21L is made up of the lower half of the upper and lower regions formed by partitioning by a partition member 52, but the width direction (X direction) dimension of the vacuum pipe installation passage 51 is smaller than the width direction dimension of the transport path 21L. Therefore, the area in which the vacuum pipe 45 can move within the vacuum pipe installation passage 51 is more limited than in the case of Figure 10(a), and the position of the vacuum pipe 45 within the vacuum pipe installation passage 51 can be stabilized.

Figure 10(c) shows an example in which a vacuum pipe installation passage 51 is formed without dividing the transport path 21L by a partition member 52. The height of the transport path 21L is made lower than in the cases of Figures 10(a) and (b), and a vacuum pipe installation passage 51 is formed below the transport path 21L as a dedicated passage for installing the vacuum pipe 45. In Figure 10(c), the transport path 21L and the vacuum pipe installation passage 51 are vertically connected by a communication passage 53, but by making the width direction (X direction) dimension of this communication passage 53 smaller than the width direction dimension of the embossed portion EB, it is possible to prevent the embossed portion EB from dropping from the communication passage 53 into the vacuum pipe installation passage 51. Note that the communication passage 53 does not necessarily have to be provided.

In FIG. 2(a), the rear end of the vacuum pipe 45 installed in the vacuum pipe installation passage 51 extends rearward (outside the frame 21) from the rear end of the frame 21, and the end is connected to an extension 21E formed by extending downward from the rear of the frame 21 (FIG. 2(a)). The vacuum pipe 45 extends from the rear of the frame 21 to the outside of the frame 21, but because it extends to the outside of the frame 21 from below the inlet opening 21A formed in the frame 21, it does not interfere with the carrier tape CT and does not affect the transport of the carrier tape CT.

In FIG. 2(a), a diffuser/speed control unit 21S is provided in the extension 21E, and a vacuum line 45 is connected to the diffuser/speed control unit 21S. The diffuser/speed control unit 21S is a mechanism that converts the positive pressure supplied from outside the tape feeder 14 through the line VT into negative pressure.

When vacuum pressure is supplied to the internal space 44V of the suction block 44 through the diffuser/speed control unit 21S and the vacuum line 45, a suction force is generated in the upper region of the suction block 44 through the suction port 44S of the suction block 44. The diffuser/speed control unit 21S is provided with a control knob 21C (Figure 2(a)), and the operator can change the suction force generated in the upper region of the suction port 44S by operating the control knob 21C to change the magnitude of the negative pressure.

When suction force is generated in the area above the suction port 44S, the component BH in the embossed portion EB passing above the suction port 44S is drawn downward through the air hole EH provided at the bottom of the embossed portion EB in which the component BH is housed. As a result, the component BH in the embossed portion EB is in close contact with the upper surface of the embossed portion EB, and the movement of the component BH within the embossed portion EB is suppressed.

In this embodiment, the suction port 44S extends in the Y direction through an area including the component supply position 14K and a certain area upstream of the component supply position 14K, and among the components BH in the carrier tape CT moving through the area covered by the cover member 22, several components BH approaching the component supply position 14K are drawn downward (Figure 7). Therefore, when the components BH in the carrier tape CT reach the component supply position 14K, they are in a stable position with less movement within the embossed portion EB.

In this manner, the tape feeder 14 in this embodiment is equipped with a suction block 44 that generates a suction force at the suction port 44S provided on the upper surface 44a when vacuum pressure is supplied to the internal space 44V, and this suction block 44 is adapted to suck (pull) downward the component BH in the carrier tape CT that approaches the component supply position 14K as the carrier tape CT is transported by the tape transport unit 23. This prevents the component BH in the embossed portion EB from moving wildly when it reaches the component supply position 14K, so that the mounting head 15 can reliably pick up the component BH located at the component supply position 14K using the nozzle 15N.

In addition, in the tape feeder 14 of this embodiment, the vacuum pipe 45 that supplies vacuum pressure to the suction block 44 is installed in a vacuum pipe installation passage 51 that is provided below and along the transport path 21L in the frame 21. Therefore, the lateral dimensions of the tape feeder 14 are the same as those without the suction block 44 (i.e., without the vacuum pipe 45), and it is compact (slim) even though it has the suction block 44 (and the vacuum pipe 44).

Next, the height adjustment of the suction block 44 will be described. In this embodiment, a plurality of the above-mentioned spacers 43 are prepared in advance, and one or a plurality of spacers 43 are selected from the plurality of spacers 43 according to the thickness of the carrier tape CT and are installed below the suction block 44. The plurality of spacers 43 includes spacers with different thicknesses, and for example, five spacers 43 with thicknesses of 0.2 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.8 mm, and 1.0 mm are prepared.

11 shows an example of a combination of the depth (referred to as the embossing depth) of the embossed portion EB of the carrier tape CT transported by the tape feeder 14 and the spacers 43 used corresponding to the depth. In this example, a plurality of spacers 43 with different thicknesses (five spacers 43 with thicknesses of 0.2 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.8 mm, and 1.0 mm) are combined and stacked one on top of the other, so that the total thickness (referred to as the spacer thickness) of the spacers 43 can be set to an optimal thickness. Here, the "optimal thickness" refers to a thickness (spacer thickness) that ensures a suction force capable of sucking the component BH in the air hole EH by shortening the distance between the upper surface 44a, which is the suction surface of the suction block 44, and the bottom surface of the embossed portion EB of the carrier tape CT. Note that "optimum thickness" also includes setting the spacer thickness to a height where the top surface 44a just touches the bottom surface of the embossed portion EB of the carrier tape CT, but it is preferable to ensure a small gap between the top surface 44a and the bottom surface of the embossed portion EB, as in this embodiment, to reduce resistance when the carrier tape CT is transported.

In this way, the tape feeder 14 in this embodiment is capable of adjusting the height of the suction block 44 according to the thickness of the carrier tape CT (depth of the embossed portion EB) by placing one or more spacers 43 selected from a plurality of spacers 43 prepared in advance below the suction block 44. As a result, only one type of suction block 44 is required, and it is only necessary to prepare a plurality of spacers 43, so that the height of the suction block 44 can be adjusted according to the thickness of the carrier tape CT with an inexpensive configuration. Furthermore, the height adjustment of the suction block 44 can be performed by the simple task of replacing the spacers 43, which provides good workability.

In the tape feeder 14 of this embodiment, of the multiple spacers 43 prepared in advance, the spacers 43 other than the spacer 43 installed below the suction block 44 can be attached to the spacer holding holes 61, which serve as spacer holding portions, formed in the rear part of the frame 21 using holding screws 62, as shown in Figures 12(a) and (b). Therefore, the spacers 43 that are not being used can be held integrally with the frame 21, and loss of the spacers 43 can be prevented. In addition, the spacers 43 that need to be used can be quickly removed, so that the height adjustment work for the suction block 44 can be completed in a short time.

As described above, the tape feeder 14 provided in the component mounting device 1 in this embodiment is configured such that the vacuum line 45 that supplies vacuum pressure to the suction block 44 is installed in a vacuum line installation passage 51 that is provided below and along the transport path 21L in the frame 21. Therefore, the lateral dimensions of the tape feeder 14 are the same as those that do not include the suction block 44 (i.e., do not include the vacuum line 45), and the tape feeder 14 can be made compact (slim) even while including the suction block 44 (and the vacuum line 45).

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described so far, the present invention is not limited to the above, and various modifications are possible. For example, the shape of the suction block 44 shown in the above embodiment is one example, and the shape is not particularly limited as long as a suction force is generated at the suction port 44S provided on the upper surface 44a by supplying a vacuum pressure to the internal space 44V, and the component BH in the carrier tape CT approaching the component supply position 14K by the transport of the carrier tape CT by the tape transport unit 23 can be sucked downward. In addition, the suction block 44 may form a unit (suction block unit) together with the bracket 41, the base body 42, and the spacer 43, and the unit may be attached to and detached from the frame 21.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the spacer 43 is held by attaching it to the spacer holding hole 61 using the holding screw 62, but this is just one example, and a storage space may be formed in the frame 21, and unused spacers 43 may be stored in that storage space.

In the above embodiment, the bracket 41 is provided in the area covered by the cover member 22 of the frame 21, and the suction block 44 is attached to the bracket 41 via the base body 42 and the spacer 43. However, the suction block 44 does not necessarily need the bracket 41 or the base body 42 as long as it can suck downward the components BH in the carrier tape CT that approach the component supply position 14K due to the transport of the carrier tape CT by the tape transport unit 23. For example, a configuration in which a part of the frame 21 protrudes below the transport path 21L and the suction block 44 is attached to the protruding upper surface via the spacer 43 may be used. That is, a part of the frame 21 may be used as a base for mounting the suction block 44. The type (thickness) of the spacer 43 shown in the above embodiment is one example, and spacers 43 having other thicknesses may be used. Furthermore, the combination of spacers 43 shown in FIG. 11 is only one example, and the spacers 43 may be combined in a manner different from that shown in FIG. 11.

In the above embodiment, the carrier tape CT is described as being of the embossed type, but the present invention can also be applied to carrier tapes CT that are not of the embossed type.

To provide a tape feeder that is compact in size while having a suction block, and a component mounting device equipped with this tape feeder.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Component mounting device 14 Tape feeder 14K Component supply position 15 Mounting head 15N Nozzle 21 Frame 21L Transport path 23 Tape transport section 44 Suction block 44a Upper surface 44S Suction port 45 Vacuum pipe 51 Vacuum pipe installation passage 52 Partition member CT Carrier tape BH Component

Claims (4)

A tape feeder that conveys a carrier tape containing components and supplies the components to a component supply position,
a frame in which a transport path of the carrier tape is formed;
a tape transport unit provided on the frame and configured to transport the carrier tape in the transport path so as to pass through the component supply position;
a suction block that generates a suction force at a suction port provided on an upper surface thereof by supplying a vacuum pressure, and that sucks downward the carrier tape that approaches the component supply position as a result of the transport of the carrier tape by the tape transport unit;
a vacuum line for supplying a vacuum pressure to the suction block;
a vacuum pipe installation passage provided below the transport path in the frame and extending along the transport path;
Equipped with
The vacuum pipe is installed in the vacuum pipe installation passage. The tape feeder according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum pipe installation passage is made up of a lower half area of the conveying path partitioned by a partition member. 2. The tape feeder according to claim 1, wherein the carrier tape has an embossed portion for accommodating a component, and the suction block draws the component downward through an air hole formed in a bottom of the embossed portion. A tape feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ;
a mounting head that picks up the component supplied to the component supply position by the tape feeder using a nozzle and mounts the component on a board;
A component mounting device comprising:

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