Feeder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9914609-B2
Application number	US-201314914867-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2013
Priority date	Aug 26, 2013
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

A non-splicing feeder provided with multiple sprockets in the conveyance direction. Provided are a second sprocket that is rotatably provided at a position adjacent to a supply position of a main body and on which is formed a second engaging protrusion, a third sprocket that is rotatably provided at a position adjacent to an insertion section of the main body and on which is formed a third engaging protrusion, and a rail, the upper surface of which forms a conveyance path of a carrier tape, which is provided above the second sprocket and third sprocket, wherein space is formed above the rail between the second sprocket and third sprocket, and in a case in which engaging protrusions of both the third sprocket and second sprocket have engaged with engaging holes of a carrier tape, the carrier tape is slackened such that the carrier tape separates from the rail into space.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A feeder for inserting carrier tape, in which many components are successively stored in a conveyance direction and in which engaging holes which have a prescribed relationship with the components are formed at a regular hole pitch in the conveyance direction, into an insertion section, and feeding the carrier tape such that the components are sequentially supplied to a supply position on a side opposite to the insertion section, the feeder comprising:
a main body;
a downstream sprocket that is rotatably provided at a position adjacent to the supply position of the main body, and has an engaging protrusion that engages with the engaging holes formed on an outer circumference section thereof;
an upstream sprocket that is rotatably provided at a position adjacent to the insertion section of the main body, and has an engaging protrusion that engages with the engaging holes formed on an outer circumference section thereof;
a rail, the upper surface of which forms a conveyance path of the carrier tape, that is provided above the downstream sprocket and the upstream sprocket along the conveyance direction;
a space above the rail and between the downstream sprocket and the upstream sprocket;
a raising prevention member provided in the space above the rail, the raising prevention member moving relative to the main body by a shaft support section of the raising prevention member that is axially supported on the main body; and
a torsion spring attached to the main body that biases the raising prevention member toward the rail;
wherein, in a case in which engaging protrusions of both the upstream sprocket and the downstream sprocket are respectively engaged with the engaging holes of the carrier tape, the carrier tape slackens into the space so as to separate from the rail and be guided by the raising prevention member.

2. The feeder according to claim 1 , wherein the distance between a rotation axis of the downstream sprocket and a rotation axis of the upstream sprocket is set to be shorter than a specified distance which is a multiple of the hole pitch.

3. The feeder according to claim 2 , wherein the feeder includes
a rotation drive section that rotates the upstream sprocket and the downstream sprocket,
a leading end detecting section that detects a leading end of the carrier tape upstream of the downstream sprocket, and
an engaging control section that controls the rotation drive section such that, when the leading end detecting section detects the leading end of the carrier tape, the engaging protrusion of the downstream sprocket engages with the engaging hole formed in the leading end of the carrier tape.

4. The feeder according to claim 3 , wherein the engaging control section, when engagement occurs between the engaging holes formed in the leading end of the carrier tape and the engaging protrusion of the downstream sprocket, controls the rotation drive section such that the timing to start rotation of the downstream sprocket and the timing to start rotation of the upstream sprocket are not synchronized.

5. The feeder according to claim 1 , wherein the shaft support section of the raising prevention member is in the space above the rail.

6. The feeder according to claim 1 , wherein, in the conveyance direction, a tooth thickness dimension of the engaging protrusion of the downstream sprocket is set to be smaller than a tooth thickness dimension of the engaging protrusion of the upstream sprocket.

Assignees

• Fuji Machine Mfg

Inventors

• Ohashi Hiroyasu
• Murase Hiroki

Classifications

• B65H20/22 Primary

  to effect step-by-step advancement of web · CPC title

• H05K13/0417

  Feeding with belts or tapes · CPC title

• H05K13/0419 Primary

  tape feeders · CPC title

• B65H20/20

  by web-penetrating means, e.g. pins · CPC title