JP7600320B2 - Retractable feeder - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a feeder for sending components arranged in a component tape to a placement machine, and to a placement machine.

The present invention generally relates to the technical field of mounting electronic components onto component carriers, such as printed circuit boards (PCBs), substrates or workpieces, in the so-called surface mount technology (SMT) or placement process.

The production of such electronic subassemblies is typically performed by so-called placement or "pick-and-place" machines, in which electronic components are automatically picked from a component supply device and placed on a component carrier, e.g. a printed circuit board. The transfer of the components from the component supply device to their respective placement positions is performed by a component handling device, e.g. a so-called placement head.

The most common packaging for small electronic components uses a carrier tape, sometimes referred to as a "belt," with small pockets formed therein. Within each pocket, one component is brought. Only one type of component is placed within each belt. To save space and for easier transport, the tape is conventionally wound on a spool and formed into a reel. For convenience, such tapes will be referred to in this specification as "component tape." Typically, the tape reels are placed within a feeder module, which includes a drive means for advancing the component tape, such as a motorized pinwheel that engages holes provided along the length of the tape, and a pick-up area or window that provides access to the components. The feeder module is removably insertable into a placement machine, and the feeder and placement machine may be provided with centering/guidance mechanisms that cooperate with each other to ensure proper alignment of the feeder and placement machine. Additionally, a foil stripping mechanism is provided within the feeder that removes the cover foil from the component tape to expose the component pockets, the foil stripping mechanism being located upstream of the pick-up area. Additionally, most commonly, a tape cutter is provided on the placement machine to cut off sections of tape that have been emptied, i.e., sections of the component tape from which components have been removed by the machine. The cut-off sections of the component tape may be sent to a waste receptacle provided on the machine.

In FIG. 1 an exemplary known feeder 1 is shown diagrammatically from the side. The feeder 1 is engaged with the placement machine 2 by sliding the feeder 1 in the horizontal X direction shown, such that an engagement section 8 arranged on the base 10 of the feeder 1 engages with a cooperating section (not shown) of the placement machine 2. The Z direction shown is aligned vertically. The engagement section 8 may, for example, comprise an omega-shaped section that provides centering and guidance for the feeder 1 when it is engaged with the placement machine 2. In use, the feeder 1 delivers the component tape 3 from the tape spool 4 to the pick-up area 6. From there, a placement head (not shown) of the placement machine 2 can pick up components from the respective pockets of the component tape 3. The empty component tape is then fed to a tape cutter 7. As shown, the tape cutter 7 is part of the placement machine 2, but may also be arranged on the feeder 1 itself. During delivery, the tape sprocket wheel 5 is driven by a gear motor (not shown) such that the teeth of the tape sprocket wheel 5 engage corresponding holes in the component tape 3. The tape 3 is thereby pulled from the tape spool 4, which consequently rotates in a counterclockwise direction, to a pick-up area 6 and then towards the base 10 onto a tape cutter 7. It should be understood that the motor driving the tape may alternatively be provided elsewhere in the overall system, for example it may be located within the placement machine 2 itself and engage the tape 3 or tape spool 4 either directly or via, for example, a gear chain. In either case, the drive mechanism is referred to throughout as the "tape actuator."

Also shown diagrammatically in the drawings is a foil spool 9 that may be used to collect foil peeled from the component tape 3. Foil peel-and-collection mechanisms are well known in the art and will not be described further herein.

Replenishing materials (i.e. component tapes) on the line as well as changeovers (i.e. installing different feeders/cartridges) are currently manual processes that require very high levels of manpower input. Over the last few years, there has been a lot of effort into automating material replenishment and changeovers.

However, a problem with such known devices is that, as shown in FIG. 1, the tape cutter 7 typically cuts the component tape 3 a significant distance from the pick-up area 6 to form a loose end 3', such that the length of loose tape extending from the feeder can be, for example, 45 mm or more. This length of loose tape is problematic because it can overhang and obstruct the engagement section 8, again as shown in FIG. 1, thereby preventing automatic feeder replacement. Furthermore, known systems may require a human operator to manually trim the loose tape to avoid obstruction.

One solution to this problem would be to mount the tape cutter 7 closer to the pick-up area, so that the overhang length would be correspondingly reduced. Unfortunately, in practice, such a solution is not possible due to installation space limitations and the necessity for vibration decoupling.

One alternative solution would be to retract or rewind the overhanging component tape back into the feeder, for example by driving the spool 4 in reverse. However, this is also problematic as the overhanging tape has had its cover foil removed and the foil needs to be somehow placed back on the component tape before or during the retraction.

The present invention seeks to overcome these problems and provide an alternative, reliable way to ensure that loose component tapes cannot interfere with the feeder replacement process without the need for human operator intervention.

In accordance with the present invention, this object is achieved by providing a feeder including a movable tape duct that is movable between an outgoing configuration in which the component tape in the tape duct extends towards the base and close to the tape cutter, and a retracted configuration in which the path length to the tape cutter is increased, thus preventing interference with the centering/guidance mechanism by the component tape.

The present invention is applicable to both conventional feeders that include both a tape storage portion (such as a spool) and a drive mechanism for feeding component tapes within a single unit, and to dedicated feeder units that include a drive mechanism for use with removable cartridges that each include a tape storage portion. For convenience, both of these units will be referred to herein as "feeders" since the exact location of the tape storage portion (i.e., whether located within the feeder unit or provided within the removable cartridge) is irrelevant to the present invention.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a feeder adapted to removably couple to a placement machine for delivering components arranged in a component tape to a placement machine, the feeder comprising:
With the base,
a pick-up area where components can be picked up by the placement machine thus emptying the component tape;
a tape actuator for, in use, moving the component tape to the pick-up area and for moving the emptied component tape from the pick-up area;
a tape duct extending in use to receive an emptied component tape from the pickup area and guide it along an exit path;
the tape duct is at least partially movable between a delivery configuration in which the exit path leads from the pick-up area towards the base and a retracted configuration in which the exit path is at least partially deflected away from the base;
A feeder is provided.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a placement machine comprising an actuation section particularly adapted to cooperate with a duct actuator of a feeder according to the first aspect.

Other specific aspects and features of the present invention are set forth in the accompanying claims.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings (not to scale).

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a prior art feeder loaded into a placement machine. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a feeder according to the invention in a delivery configuration; FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the feeder of FIG. 2 in a retracted configuration; FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a portion of the feeder of FIG. 2 when engaged with a placement machine. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a portion of the feeder of FIG. 2 when engaged with a placement machine. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a portion of the feeder of FIG. 2 when engaged with a placement machine. FIG. 13 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the front of another embodiment feeder in a retracted configuration; FIG. 13 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the front of another embodiment feeder in a delivery configuration.

2 shows a schematic side cross-section of a feeder according to a first embodiment of the invention in a delivery configuration, as will be described in more detail below. The feeder 11 has many similarities to the feeder 1 shown in FIG. 1 and therefore their features will not be described in detail and, as a specific example, all details of the foil stripping and collecting machine included will be omitted. However, the feeder 11, which is similar to the feeder 1, is adapted to engage with a placement machine, shown very diagrammatically at 12. Also similar to the feeder 1, the feeder 11 comprises a spool 14 for storing the component tape 3, driven by a tape actuator, here comprising a tape sprocket wheel 15 driven by a gear motor (not shown) to deliver the component tape 3 from the spool 14 to a pick-up area 16 from which a placement head (not shown) of the placement machine 12 can pick up components from the respective pockets of the component tape 3. It should be appreciated that in an alternative embodiment, the tape actuator may be located elsewhere in the overall system, for example, within the placement machine 12 itself, and engage the spool 14 either directly or, for example, via a gear chain that in this case constitutes the tape actuator. The depleted component tape 3 is subsequently fed to a tape cutter 17 that may be located on the placement machine 12 or otherwise attached to the feeder 11 itself.

In use (and as shown in more detail in Figures 4A-4C), the feeder 11 is engaged with the placement machine 12 by sliding the feeder 11 in the horizontal X direction as shown, such that the engagement section 18, located at or near the base 13 of the feeder 11, engages with a cooperating section (not shown) of the placement machine 12. The Z direction as shown is vertically aligned such that the base 13 is at the vertically lowest side of the feeder 11 in use. The engagement section 18 provides centering and guidance for the feeder 11 as it engages with the placement machine 12, and to achieve this, may comprise, for example, an omega-shaped section (not shown) that meshes and engages with a cooperating section (not shown) of the placement machine 12. In Figure 2, the feeder 11 is shown engaged with the placement machine 12, and is therefore generally within the footprint of the placement machine 12.

The feeder 11 further comprises a tape duct extending from the pick-up area 16 for receiving an empty component tape in use and guiding it along an exit path, which in this embodiment comprises an at least partially flexible channel, in which case the tape duct is formed as an energy chain 19 as known per se in the art, comprising a plurality of mutually pivotable chain elements 20 connected in series together to form a chain. The upper end of the illustrated energy chain 19 is fixedly attached to the body of the feeder 11, while the lower end of the energy chain 19 is free, i.e. connected to the remainder of the feeder 11 only by the length of the energy chain 19. In this way, the tape duct is at least partially movable between an outgoing configuration as shown in FIG. 2, in which the exit path leads from the pick-up area 16 towards the base 13 and further towards the tape cutter 17 as shown near the base 13, and a retracted configuration as shown in FIG. 3, in which the exit path is at least partially deflected away from the base 13. As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the energy chain 19 is aligned in a straight line in the outfeed configuration, thereby minimizing the exit path and causing the component tape 3 to pass straight past the base 13 to the tape cutter 17. It can be seen that in this outfeed configuration, the free end 3' of the component tape 3 overhangs the engagement section 18 and thus may impede subsequent engagement between the feeder 11 and the placement machine 12.

Figure 3 shows a schematic side cross-section of the feeder 11 of Figure 2 with the tape duct in a retracted configuration. It can be seen that the feeder 11 is first disengaged from the placement machine 12, i.e. by moving it in the illustrated negative X direction away from the placement machine 12. In such a disengaged state of the feeder 11, the energy chain 19 can be moved to its illustrated retracted configuration in which the exit path for the component tape 3 is deflected away from the tape cutter 17. More specifically, the energy chain 19 is curled upwards to raise the free end 3' of the component tape 3 away from the tape cutter 17, so that it points upwards, i.e. in the illustrated positive Z direction. It can be seen that in this configuration, the free end 3' does not overhang above the engagement section 18 and therefore cannot impede the subsequent engagement between the feeder 11 and the placement machine 12. The energy chain may remain in this retracted configuration until the feeder 11 is engaged with the placement machine 12 and the energy chain 19 is moved to the delivery configuration as shown in FIG. 2.

Naturally, it is necessary to move the tape duct between the delivery and retraction configurations. A mechanism for automatically achieving this movement during engagement and disengagement of the feeder 11 with the placement machine 12 is shown in Figures 4A-4C, which show schematic side cross-sections of a portion of the feeder of Figure 2 as the feeder 11 is engaged with the placement machine 12.

In FIG. 4A, the feeder 11 is approaching but disengaged from the placement machine 12, so that the energy chain 19 is in its retracted configuration. The feeder 11 is provided with a recessed female mating member 21 at its front end (i.e., the end of the feeder 11 that is located closest to the placement machine 12 when engaged). The duct actuator is provided within the feeder 11 and includes a toothed pinion 22, a spur gear 23 and a pivotable lever 24. The pinion 22 is provided below the female mating member within the feeder 11 such that the teeth on the upper edge of the pinion 22 protrude into a recess in the female mating member 21. The pinion 22 is in meshing engagement with the spur gear 23, which carries the pivotable lever 24 for rotation therewith. The distal end of the lever 24 is attached to the free end of the energy chain 19. The placement machine 12 comprises an actuating section that is particularly adapted to cooperate with the duct actuator of the feeder 11, here comprising a protruding male member 25 that is toothed on its underside to form a rack and that is arranged on the placement machine 12 to enter into the female mating member 21 during engagement of the feeder 11 with the placement machine 12.

In FIG. 4B, the feeder 11 is shown just beginning to engage the placement machine 12, with the energy chain 19 still in its retracted configuration. The male meshing member 25 is received in the female meshing member 21 so that its teeth mesh with the teeth of the pinion 22. Further movement of the feeder 11 in the positive X direction, as shown, towards the placement machine 12 has the effect of rotating the pinion 22 in the clockwise direction as shown, which imparts a counterclockwise rotation to the spur gear 23.

FIG. 4C shows the feeder 11 fully engaged with the placement machine 12 with the energy chain 19 moved into its delivery configuration. When the male mating member 25 is fully engaged with the female mating member 21, the pinion 22 is rotated a full rotation in a clockwise direction and the spur gear 23 is also rotated a full rotation in a counterclockwise direction. This rotation of the spur gear 23 then causes the lever 24 to rotate counterclockwise, which causes the free end of the energy chain 19 to move downward in the negative X direction as shown, so that it is positioned directly next to the main body of the feeder 11. The energy chain remains in this delivery configuration while the feeder 11 remains engaged with the placement machine 12.

When the feeder 11 is disengaged from the placement machine 12, i.e. the feeder 11 is moved away from the placement machine 12 in the negative X direction as shown, the reverse sequence occurs and the energy chain 19 returns to the retracted configuration as the male mating member 25 is withdrawn from the female mating member 21.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 2 to 4, movement of the tape duct in both directions, i.e. into and out of the delivery configuration, is directly controlled by the male mating member 25. However, it may be advantageous to bias the tape duct into the retracted configuration so that it cannot be inadvertently unwound from that configuration, for example during transport or storage.

Figures 5A and 5B show schematic side cross-sections of the front of the feeder 31, i.e. the end of the feeder 31 closest to the placement machine 32 in use, in retracted and outgoing configurations, respectively, according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Feeder 31 has many similarities to feeder 11 shown in FIG. 2, and therefore a detailed description of those features will not be provided. However, the front end of feeder 31 is different, specifically including a recess or depression 33 extending from the front end into the body of feeder 31. In this embodiment, the lower extent of depression 33 is defined by an inclined first abutment surface 38, as described in more detail below. In this embodiment, the tape duct includes a pivot section, or pivot channel 34, rotatably connected to the body of feeder 31 by pivot 35 so as to be at least partially retained within depression 33. Pivotable channel 34 is adapted to receive and guide empty component tape 3 along its length, as shown. Pivotable channel 34 includes an upper cam surface 36, in this case provided on an arcuate projection extending from the upper end of pivotable channel 34. In this embodiment, the duct actuator is provided within the feeder 31 and comprises a linearly movable shuttle 37 mounted to the body of the feeder 31 for linear movement along the X-axis as shown. The shuttle 37 is biased in the negative X direction, i.e. to the right as shown, so that when the feeder 31 is not engaged with the placement machine 32 as shown in Figure 5A, the shuttle 37 is forced into abutting engagement with the upper cam surface 36, which causes the pivot channel 34 to rotate clockwise about the pivot axis 35. The extent of pivoting movement of the pivotable channel 34 in the clockwise direction is defined by a first abutment surface 38 which abuts the pivotable channel 34 at its furthest extent of clockwise rotation. As can be seen in FIG. 5A, in the retracted configuration, the pivotable channel 34 guides the component tape 3 away from the base 13 and the tape cutter 17 (i.e., the exit path for the component tape 3 is moved away from the tape cutter 17), and it can also be seen that in this configuration the loose end of the tape 3 does not overhang the engagement section 18.

The lower end of the pivotable channel 34, i.e., below the pivot axis 35, is provided with a lower cam surface 39. This is adapted for contacting engagement with an actuating member 40 which projects outwardly from the working section of the placement machine 32, in this embodiment in the negative X direction, from the placement machine 32. As shown in FIG. 5B, when the feeder 31 is engaged with the placement machine 32, the actuating member 40 is engaged with the lower cam surface 39 and rotates the pivot channel 34 in a counterclockwise direction against the bias exerted by the shuttle 37 until it abuts a second abutment surface 41 provided on the body of the feeder 31 and which defines the extent of the counterclockwise rotation.

As seen in FIG. 5B, in the delivery configuration, the pivotable channel 34 guides the component tape 3 straight through the base 13 and onto the tape cutter 17, and further, in this configuration, the loose end of the tape 3 can be seen to overhang the engagement section 18.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that there are various ways in which the present invention can be embodied apart from the specific examples given above. For example, the duct actuator can take many different forms. As a specific example, the duct actuator can comprise a passive system in which movement of the tape duct is generated either by engagement of the feeder with the placement machine or by actuation of a locking mechanism that secures the feeder to the placement machine; such a passive system can include:
- Bistable mechanisms (with/or in combination with spring loading),
- conversion of linear to rotary motions, for example with linkages, slider cranks, rack and pinion systems,
- Including a rope mechanism, for example the use of a Bowden cable which acts to pull the tape duct from one configuration to another.

In each of these cases, the duct actuator is adapted to cooperate with an actuating section of the placement machine, said cooperation enabling the duct actuator to move the tape duct from a retracted configuration to a delivery configuration.

Alternatively, various forms of active systems may be used in which the duct actuators are driven directly, including, for example, linear actuators, dedicated electromagnetic motors, thermal actuators, pneumatic actuators, hydraulic actuators, piezoelectric actuators, etc. that push all or part of the tape duct from one configuration to another.

With such an active system, there may be no need to bias the tape duct into the retracted configuration, nor may there be a need for an actuating section in the placement machine.

Similarly, the tape duct itself may be embodied in various forms other than the specific examples described above.
- ducts made of flexible materials such as plastic or rubber,
- multiple relatively rotatable sections,
- It may comprise a flexible structure formed from a flexible, resilient metal sheet.

The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative and other possibilities and alternative embodiments within the scope of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

1 Feeder
2 Placement machine
3 Component Tape
3' Free end of component tape
4 Tape Spools
5 Tape sprocket wheel
6 Pick-up Area
7 Tape cutter
8 Engagement Section
9 Foil winding spool
10 Base
11 Feeder
12 Placement Machine
13. Base
14 Spool
15 Tape sprocket wheel
16 Pick-up Area
17 Tape cutter
18 Engagement Section
19 Energy Chain
20 Chain Elements
21 Female mating member
22 Pinion
23 Spur Gear
24 Lever
25 Male mating member
31 Feeder
32 Placement Machine
33 Hollow
34 Pivotable Channel
35 Swivel Axis
36 Upper cam surface
37 Shuttle
38 First contact surface
39 Lower cam surface
40 Operating member
41 Second contact surface

Claims (15)

1. A feeder adapted to be removably coupled to a placement machine for delivering components disposed in a component tape to the placement machine, the feeder comprising:
With the base,
a pick-up area where components can be picked up by the placement machine thus allowing the component tape to be emptied;
a tape actuator for, in use, moving a component tape into the pick-up area and for moving an emptied component tape out of the pick-up area;
a tape duct extending in use to receive the emptied component tape from the pickup area and guide it along an exit path;
the tape duct being at least partially movable between a delivery configuration in which the exit path leads from the pick-up area towards the base and a retracted configuration in which the exit path is at least partially deflected away from the base.
feeder. The feeder of claim 1, wherein the tape duct comprises an at least partially flexible channel, and bending of the at least partially flexible channel moves the tape duct between the delivery configuration and the retracted configuration. The feeder of claim 2, wherein the at least partially flexible channel comprises an energy chain. The feeder of claim 1, wherein the tape duct includes a pivotable section, and pivoting of the pivotable section moves the tape duct between the delivery configuration and the retracted configuration. The feeder of claim 1, wherein the tape duct is biased into the retracted configuration. The feeder of claim 1, comprising a duct actuator adapted to move the tape duct between the retracted configuration and the delivery configuration. The feeder of claim 6, wherein the duct actuator comprises a pivotable lever. The feeder of claim 6, wherein the duct actuator comprises a linearly movable shuttle. The feeder of claim 6, wherein the duct actuator comprises a Bowden cable. The feeder of claim 6, wherein the duct actuator is adapted to cooperate with an actuation section of the placement machine, the cooperation causing the duct actuator to move the tape duct from the retracted configuration to the delivery configuration. The feeder of claim 6, wherein the duct actuator comprises a motor for controllably moving the tape duct between the delivery configuration and the retracted configuration. The feeder of claim 1, further comprising a tape cutter disposed adjacent the base for cutting the depleted component tape. The feeder of claim 1, comprising an engagement section for engaging the placement machine, the component tape being moved away from the engagement section in the retracted configuration compared to the delivery configuration. The feeder of claim 13, wherein the engagement section is disposed adjacent to the base. A placement machine comprising an actuating section specifically adapted to cooperate with the duct actuator of the feeder of claim 10.