Material or article handling – Device for emptying portable receptacle – With container opening means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-11
2001-07-17
Bratlie, Steven A. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Device for emptying portable receptacle
With container opening means
C156S583200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261047
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an electronic component feeder capable of extracting electronic components accommodated in a container while peeling a top tape of a carrier tape.
BACKGROUND ART
FIGS. 6
to
9
show a conventional electronic component feeder.
As shown in
FIG. 6
, an electronic component
3
is accommodated in a container
2
in a carrier tape
1
, and the surface of the carrier tape
1
is covered with a peelable top tape
4
in order to prevent the electronic component
3
from falling off.
The carrier tape
1
containing the electronic component
3
therein is fed from a carrier tape feeding-out reel
6
disposed at the base end of an electronic component feeder
5
to a tape feeding wheel
8
by means of a feed lever
7
, as shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
. At the tip end of the electronic component feeder
5
, the carrier tape
1
is transferred while being pressed against a tape transfer surface
12
by means of a tape press body
9
.
While the top tape
4
of the carrier tape
1
, transferred at a predetermined pitch by means of the tape feeding wheel
8
, is peeled at a peeling portion
13
formed at the tape press body
9
, the electronic component
3
is extracted through a window portion
14
formed downstream of the tape press body
9
by means of a suction nozzle
10
. The peeled top tape
4
is taken up around a taking-up reel
11
.
The base end (upstream end) of the tape press body
9
is pivotally supported by a main block
17
centering on a shaft
15
(i.e., in a direction indicated by an arrow A), as specifically shown in
FIG. 8
, and the tape press body
9
is urged in such a direction as to be pressed against the tape transfer surface
12
by a spring
16
.
With the conventional configuration as described above, since a clearance between the tape transfer surface
12
and the tape press body
9
becomes large in the vicinity of the peeling portion
13
upstream in a tape transfer direction (i.e., in a direction indicated by an arrow B), in the case where the thickness of the carrier tape
1
is thin, as shown in FIG.
9
(
a
), there arises a problem that the electronic component
3
accommodated in the container
2
is rotated under wind pressure induced by the movement of the top tape
4
in the peeling portion
13
.
Furthermore, since the clearance between the tape transfer surface
12
and the tape press body
9
becomes large in the vicinity of the window portion
14
downstream in the tape transfer direction (i.e., in the direction indicated by an arrow B), in the case where the thickness of the carrier tape
1
is thick, as shown in FIG.
9
(
b
), there arises another problem that the electronic component
3
cannot be normally extracted due to the vibration of the electronic component
3
based on a pulsation in the feeding direction of the carrier tape
1
.
Moreover, if the urging force of the spring
16
is so strong as to deform the tape press body
9
to eliminate the clearance between the carrier tape
1
and the tape press body
9
, there arises a further problem that the carrier tape
1
is deficiently transferred due to excessive pressing of the carrier tape
1
.
The present invention has been accomplished to solve the above problems of the prior art. Therefore, on object of the present invention is to provide an electronic component feeder capable of stably feeding electronic components in the processes of transferring a tape accommodating the electronic components therein, and peeling a top tape so as to extract the electronic components.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An electronic component feeder according to the present invention is configured such that a tape press body for pressing a carrier tape in order to stably supply electronic components is slidably supported in a direction in which the carrier tape is pressed against a tape transfer surface according to the thickness of the carrier tape to be transferred.
According to the present invention, it is possible to provide the electronic component feeder capable of stably feeding the electronic components in the process of transferring the tape accommodating the electronic component therein, and peeling a top tape so as to extract the electronic component.
In an electronic component feeder according to a first aspect of the invention, which can take electronic components out of a container while peeling a peelable top tape in the process of transferring, along a tape transfer surface, a carrier tape accommodating the electronic components in the container and being covered with the top tape, the electronic component feeder, includes a tape press body abuttable against the tape transfer surface via the carrier tape and including a peeling portion for peeling the top tape and a window portion for taking out the electronic components therethrough, and being slidably supported in a direction in which the carrier tape is pressed against the tape transfer surface; and an urging member for urging the tape press body against the tape transfer surface.
With this configuration, the tape press body slides with respect to the tape transfer surface according to the thickness of the carrier tape to be transferred, so that a clearance between the tape transfer surface and the tape press body can be kept constant over a long section, thereby eliminating any rotation of the electronic components at the time of peeling the top tape or any vibration of the electronic component at the time of extracting the electronic component. As a result, a supplying rate of the electronic components can be increased.
According to a second aspect of the invention a first end of the tape press body on an inlet side of the carrier tape is slidably supported in the direction in which the carrier tape is pressed against the tape transfer surface; a second end of the tape press body on an outlet side of the carrier tape engages with a pivotably supported turning body; and the urging means comprises a first spring for urging the end of the tape press body on the inlet side of the carrier tape toward the tape transfer surface, and a second spring for urging the turning body in the direction in which the tape press body is pressed against the tape transfer surface.
With this configuration, the tape press body slides in the direction in which the carrier tape is pressed against the tape transfer surface by means of the first and second springs.
According to a third aspect of the invention, the first spring is interposed between the upper surface of the tape press body (
9
) and a projecting tip (
29
) of a bracket (
25
) fixed at the side surface of the tape transfer surface (
12
), in the vicinity of the peeling portion of the carrier tape.
According to a fourth apsect of the invention, the turning body is disposed in such a manner as to be engaged with a projection projecting outward of the tape transfer surface at a part of the tape press body.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4586670 (1986-05-01), Vancelette et al.
patent: 5310301 (1994-05-01), Aono
patent: 5342474 (1994-08-01), Mohara et al.
patent: 5531859 (1996-07-01), Lee et al.
patent: 5759344 (1998-06-01), Yasunaga et al.
patent: 4-171893 (1992-06-01), None
patent: 9-36589 (1997-02-01), None
Bratlie Steven A.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Parkhurst & Wendel L.L.P.
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