EP1206408A1

EP1206408A1 - Feeder device

Info

Publication number: EP1206408A1
Application number: EP00901357A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mikael Eriksson; Jan R. Jansson
Original assignee: Forpackningsinnovation Norden AB
Current assignee: Forpackningsinnovation Norden AB
Priority date: 1999-03-10
Filing date: 2000-01-05
Publication date: 2002-05-22
Also published as: WO2000056649A1; SE517579C2; SE9900911L; PL350283A1; AU2140000A; SE9900911D0

Abstract

Feeder device (1) for feeding a tape (7) installed on a fixing device (6) arranged at a distance from a feeder unit (2), which tape (7) comprises side edges (8, 9), a storage part (10) with pockets (11) intended to hold components and a protective part (13), which feeder unit (2) is arranged in the feeder device (1) for feeding the tape (7) and at least one of its pockets (11) to a pickup position (U) where the components can be removed after the protective part (13) has been separated from the storage part (10), which feeder device (1) comprises a rolling-up unit (15) interacting with the feeder unit (2) for rolling up the protective part (13) and a drive member (M) for driving the feeder unit (2) and the rolling-up unit (15), where the feeder device (1) comprises a first and a seconde side piece (21, 22) between which the feeder unit (2) is arranged, where each side piece (21, 22) is provided with a groove (23, 24) for taking up the respective side edge (8, 9) of the tape (7).

Description

Feeder device

This invention concerns a feeder device in accordance with the preamble to the following patent claim 1.

The invention is intended for the assembly industry, but is not restricted to this. Feeder devices, or so-called feeder modules, for example tape and reel, are used to feed tapes containing components, for example components for the manufacturing industry, to a predetermined position on the feeder device for removal by a robot device, the so-called pickup position. The tape has pockets which contain the components. The tape is supplied to an assembly shop in a roll and is connected to the feeder device. The tape is delivered to an assembly area in a rolled-up state and attached to the feeder device. One end of the tape is inserted in the feeder device and the tape is gradually fed forward by the feeder device while a sealed or glued-on covering tape is removed from the tape. When the covering tape has been separated from the tape, the components can be removed from their respective pockets.

A feeder device in accordance with US 5 531 859 is already known. These feeder devices generally have the disadvantage that they are awkward to operate and take a long time to adjust for different widths of tape and different pitches, that is the distance between the centres of two adjacent pockets. These disadvantages result in high costs. In addition, known feeder devices are only designed for automatic removal of the components, which results in a lack of flexibility in the use of the feeder device. It is sometimes desirable to be able to set up the feeder device for non-automatic operation at manual workstations. Present automatic designs are too awkward and complicated for this purpose, resulting in unnecessary costs.

The aim of this invention is to achieve a feeder device which can be adjusted simply for different tape widths.

The aim of this invention is also to achieve a feeder device which can be adjusted simply for different pitches.

The aim of this invention is also to achieve a feeder device which is simple to operate and in which the position for removing the component is variable. Another aim of the invention is to achieve a feeder device which takes up little space and has as few movable parts as possible.

A further aim of the invention is to achieve a device in which a number of feeder devices according to the invention work together.

Similarly, the aim of this invention is to achieve a feeder device with a good ergonomic design where operation is concerned.

The aim is also for the feeder device to be very flexible, permitting controllable feeding of the tape to a variable pickup position in both automatic and manual operation.

The aim is also for the part of the tape containing the pockets to able to be reused or recycled.

This is achieved by a feeder device of the kind described in the introduction, where the feeder device comprises a first and a second side piece between which the feeder unit is arranged, where each side piece has a groove to take up the respective side edge of the tape.

Further solutions for the aims and characteristics of the invention are described in the other patent claims.

The invention means that the feeder device is simple to adjust for different tape widths.

The invention also means that the pickup position, where removal of the component takes place, can be variable.

In addition, the invention means that a very small area of the workbench is required for setting up the feeder device on a workbench.

The invention also means that only one drive wheel is required for feeding the tape. This means that less space is required and results in a reduction in the number of parts, which leads to greater reliability than is the case for already known designs. The invention also means that flexibility concerning the removal of components and the separation of the rolled up protective part is improved in comparison with known technology.

In addition, the invention means that an operator who removes the components can select a pickup position which suits him or her at the time. This reduces the risk of occupational injury and is cost-effective in the long term as the turnover of personnel is reduced.

The invention means that the feeder device can be adjusted simply with regard to the pitch of the tape. The pitch is the distance between the centres of two adjacent pockets and corresponds to the amount that the tape is fed forward between two adjacent stationary positions. A stationary position is defined in the description below also as the pickup position. By controlling the feeding of the tape, the pickup position can be determined as required by the operator. The invention also means, however, that removal can be carried out without the tape needing to be stopped.

The invention also means that the operator can control the feeder device in such a way that the stationary position, that is the pickup position, is within the area of curving. In this way an ergonomically correct feeder device is achieved.

The invention also means that the tape or tape material can be reused or recycled as it can be rolled up or cut off after it has been fed through the feeder device.

In the following the invention will be described in greater detail utilizing examples of preferred embodiments and with reference to the attached figures, in which

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a perspective view of a feeder device according to a first embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 shows diagrammatically a perspective exploded view of a feeder device according to a second embodiment of the invention,

Figure 3 a shows diagrammatically a perspective view of a feeder device according to the first embodiment of the invention with a tape, Figure 3b shows diagrammatically an enlarged perspective view of the feeder device in figure 3 a and a part of this,

Figure 4a shows diagrammatically a view from above of a feeder device according to the first embodiment in cross section,

Figure 4b shows diagrammatically a side view of a feeder device shown in figure 4a and in cross section,

Figure 5 shows diagrammatically a part of the invention in side view,

Figure 6 shows diagrammatically an indexing means according to the first embodiment,

Figure 7 shows diagrammatically an indexing stop according to the invention,

Figure 8 shows diagrammatically a feeder device according to a third embodiment of the invention,

Figure 9 shows diagrammatically a feeder device according to a fourth embodiment of the invention, and

Figure 10 shows diagrammatically a feeder device according to a fifth embodiment of the invention.

Terms in this description such as upwards and downwards indicate general directions, where the device in the figures is shown in a upright position, that is in an operating position. For the sake of clarity parts not essential to the invention have been omitted in the figures.

Figure 1 shows a feeder device 1 according to the invention in a first embodiment of the invention and shows the feeder device 1 in an assembled condition.

A feeder unit 2 is arranged in a central part of the feeder device 1. The figure shows a drive wheel 3 a with teeth 4. At a first end 5 of the feeder device 1 there is a fixing device 6. This can be designed in such a way that a through-hole 7 goes through the fixing device 6 to take a spindle (not shown) for a tape roll (not shown). This tape roll is thus mounted in the fixing device 6 of the feeder device 1 before removal of the components can take place. The removal of the components is described below and the pickup position is indicated by (U). The tape roll further comprises a tape 7 (see figure 3 a) according to known technology, with side edges 8, 9 (see figure 3a) and a storage part 10 containing pockets (shown in greater detail in figures 3a and 3b) holding components (not shown). The tape 7 also has holes 12 in which the teeth 4 of the drive wheel 3a engage for feeding the tape. A protective part 13 (see figure 3a) is applied over the pockets 11 in order to protect the components during transportation of the tape 7 (see figure 3a). This protective part 13 can be a so-called protective tape 14 according to known technology, which is intended to protect the components in the pockets from dust, dirt and moisture, etc.

The protective tape 14 is rolled up on a rolling-up unit 15 with a coiling spindle 16 at the same time as the tape 7 is fed forward. According to the invention, a rolling-up reel 15a such as a board reel can be arranged on the coiling spindle 16 to take up the protective tape 14 (see figure 3a) removed from the tape 7. When the removal from the tape is completed, the board reel with the rolled-up protective tape 14 can be removed from the coiling spindle 16 and a new board reel can be fitted to take up the protective tape 14 of the next tape 7. The length of the rolling-up reel therefore corresponds to the width of the tape 7.

The feeder device 1 is suitably positioned on a workbench (not shown). This workbench can hold a large number of feeder devices 1 and in addition there can be a large number of workbenches inside an assembly area (not shown). The feeder device 1 according to the invention is designed to take up as little space as possible on such a workbench. The feeder device 1 is attached to the workbench by a holder 17 consisting of a fixing plate 18 and an angled tie 19 with threads (not shown) to take a wing nut 20. A bottom plate (not shown) permanently screwed to the feeder device 1 can also be used, which bottom plate is then attached to the workbench in the conventional way. The feeder device 1 according to the invention comprises few parts in comparison to known technology and has such an arrangement that it can be made narrow and low. This means that it takes up little space, for example on a workbench. According to the embodiment in figure 1 a first and a second side piece 21 , 22 enclose the feeder unit 2. As the first side piece 21 is designed essentially to hold the feeder unit 2 and the second side plate 22 is designed essentially as a protective plate with a thickness for example of 5 mm, the width of the feeder device 1 can be made narrower than that of feeder devices 1 constructed according to known technology. Service and setting-up work can also be made simpler.

As the first side piece 21 is wider than the second side piece 22, the second side piece can advantageously include a handle (not shown) for transportation.

There are grooves 23, 24 along both side pieces 21, 22 and in their sides facing each other. The grooves 23, 24 extend in this embodiment with an incline, indicated in figure 1 by the designation L (an angle in relation to the surface of the bench (not shown)). The grooves 23, 24 extend in the direction of feed F from the feeder unit 2 in a direction which is towards the opposite side to the side where the fixing device 6 is situated. The incline L which is provided means that the operator or a robot arm can easily reach the component which is to be removed.

The grooves 23, 24 are arranged to take up the side edges 8, 9 of the tape. The depth of the grooves 23, 24 can be 3 mm and they can have a width of 1 mm for holding the side edges 8, 9 in such a way that the friction generated by the feeding is as low as possible. The distance between the bottoms (not shown) of the grooves 23, 24 is approximately the width of the tape 7. For example, depending upon the width of the tape, there can be a play of 2-5 tenths of a millimetre.

The feeder device 1 can be adjusted simply for different tape widths by means of an adjustment device 25. According to this embodiment, the side pieces 21, 22 are adjustable in a direction at right angles to the direction of feed F by means of three spacing elements 26 in the form of spacing sleeves 27 which are placed between the first side piece 21 and the second side piece 22. Three stud bolts 28 pass through the spacing sleeves 27 and fix the side pieces 21 , 22 to each other. The length of the respective spacing sleeve 27 is determined by the width of the tape 7. That is to say a certain width of tape means that the spacing sleeves concerned are of a certain length which means that the distance between the bottoms of the grooves 23, 24 approximately corresponds to the width of the tape 7.

As can be seen in figure 1, the grooves 23, 24 curve downwards at the other end 29 of the feeder device 1, that is to say at the end of the feeder device 1 where the contents of the pockets 11 can be removed. This curve is indicated by C in figure 1. According to the invention, the grooves 23, 24 extend also in the vertical plane so that the pockets 11 of the tape 7 are not curved during feeding. The curving of the tape 7 can be carried out at a flexible part 30 (see figure 5) of the tape 7 within the area between the pockets 11, according to known technology. The design of the side pieces 21, 22 is such that their upper side 31 follows the curve of the grooves 23, 24. This makes it easier for the operator (not shown) to reach the components to be removed even where the tape 7 curves. The advantages of and the design of the grooves 23, 24 will be described in greater detail below.

Figure 2 shows diagrammatically the feeder device 1 in an exploded view. The feeder device 1 in figure 2 shows a second embodiment where the feeder unit 2 is controlled manually by means of a control member, such as a push-button 32. This push-button 32 operates a drive member M comprising a double-action pneumatic cylinder 33 with two air nipples 34 which can be connected to a compressed air supply (not shown) by means of compressed air hoses (not shown). A fixing element 35 in the form of a forked bracket 36 is arranged at the first side piece 21 in such a way that it can pivot and can also be connected to the cylinder casing 37 of the pneumatic cylinder 33, where the piston 38 of the pneumatic cylinder 33 can be connected to an arm 39 which in turn can be connected to a drive shaft 40, which drive shaft 40 drives all the mechanical devices for feeding the tape. The arm 39 feeds the tape 7 forward by a distance corresponding to the relevant pitch distance of the tape 7. The pitch distance is the distance between the centres of two adjacent pockets 11 and corresponds to the distance the tape 7 is required to be fed forward between two adjacent stationary positions.

As the tape 7 curves downwards the operator can select a pickup position U (see figure 3 a) which corresponds to the most suitable position for him or her ergonomically. The advantages of the design of the pickup position U according to the invention will be described in greater detail below. The pickup position U is thus a section where the protective part of the tape 7 has been removed. The invention means that the components can be removed even if the tape is not stationary. Such an embodiment (not shown here) comprises for example an air motor which drives the tape continually without it being stopped for removal of the components.

Different tapes 7 can have different distances between the pockets 11, depending upon the design of the pockets 11. The stroke length of the piston 38 can be determined using an indexing means 41 in the form of an indexing stop 42 (see figure 7). According to the invention the indexing stop 42 can be changed for different pitches by means of a simple manual action. The indexing stop 42 is described in greater detail in connection with the description of figure 7.

Figure 2 also shows an indexing means in the form of a conical guide pin 43 which is designed to index the drive wheel 3 a in a very precise way. The guide pin 43 is also described in greater detail in connection with the description of figure 6. For automatic removal it is very important that each pocket 1 1 in the tape which is fed forward ends up in exactly the same position in the section with the pickup position (U). In order to achieve this, according to the embodiment according to figure 2, the conical guide pin 43 is arranged with a micro-cylinder 44 which moves the guide pin 43 in a direction transverse to the direction of feed (F). In a pushed- forward position the conical guide pin 43 engages in one of the bores 45 (see figure 6) which are located adjacent to each tooth 4 of the drive wheel 3a. The number of bores 45 is the same as the number of teeth 4 and each bore 45 is located on a line between the centre of the drive shaft 40 and each tooth 4. When the conical guide pin 43 is in a retracted position it allows the drive wheel 3 a to rotate. After the pneumatic cylinder 33 has extended the arm 39 by means of the piston 38, a signal is transmitted via a sensor (not shown) and a control unit (not shown), which can be a conventional computer, for example a PLC (not shown), to a micro- valve 44 causing it to push the conical guide pin 43 into the abovementioned extended position, in which the conical pin 43 indexes the drive wheel 3 a by aligning the drive wheel 3 a by means of the respective bore 45.

The conical guide pin 43 can be in a permanent resting position, that is in a retracted position, when the feeder device 1 is used for manual removal. A margin of error is of less importance as a margin of error can be adjusted during the manual method. The drive shaft 40 in figure 2 is supported on two bearings 46 and a free wheel 47. This free wheel 47 is designed in a known way in such a way that the drive shaft 40 with the drive wheel 3 a can only be turned in one direction, in this case only in the drive direction, that is to say the direction where the drive wheel 3 a drives the tape in the direction of feed (F).

In addition a pulley 48 is shrunk onto the free wheel 47. The drive wheel 3a can be attached to the pulley 48 by means of four bolts 49. The pulley 48 drives the rolling-up unit 15 via a drive belt. The rolling-up unit 15 comprises the abovementioned coiling spindle 16 which is supported by two ball bearings 51. While the tape 7 is being fed forward, the protective tape 14 (see figure 3a) is rolled up onto the rolling-up reel 15a threaded onto the coiling spindle 16.

For setting the indexing stop 42 and the distance between the grooves 23, 24, the three bolts 28 are removed, whereby the second side piece 22 is released and the spacing sleeves 27 are replaced and/or the indexing stop 42 is set to a different pitch. The indexing stop 42 will be described in greater detail below in figure 7.

Figure 3 a shows diagrammatically part of the feeder device 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention, where a tape 7 with pockets 11 is placed in the feeder device 1. The figure shows diagrammatically the device according to the invention in an operating position. The protective tape 14 is rolled up on the coiling spindle 16. The components are not shown in the figure. When the protective tape 14 has been removed the pockets 1 1 are exposed and the components can be removed from the tape 7. The removal of the components can be carried out automatically by a robot arm (not shown). At the curve C the pockets 1 1 are given a different angle, for example a change in angle of β, and the component which is to be removed from the pocket is thereby placed at an angle. This can be an advantage when a robot arm is to remove the component as the position in which the component is removed can be the assembly position. For example if the component is to be assembled at a certain angle, time can be saved if the robot arm can pick up the component already turned to that angle. The pitch distance which is described in greater detail below determines which pocket 1 1 comes within the area of the curve C and thus the angle of the pocket 11 and the component. Figure 3 a shows how the tape 7 can be folded downwards under the workbench. This is not shown in its entirety, but can easily be understood. Using a return track 52 the tape can be guided in the required direction. This track 52 can be placed directly at the end 29 of the feeder device where the tape 7 comes out, so that the tape 7 goes round and down to a cutting device (not shown) which consists of a fixed cutting edge and a movable cutting edge (not shown). This cutting device can be operated by compressed air, that is to say supplied by the same source of power as the rest of the feeder device 1. It is also possible to use the feeder unit 2 of the feeder device 1 to operate the cutting device. The tape 7 is thus cut below the workbench so that the pieces fall down into a box (not shown) for collection. The return track 52 is so positioned that the tape makes a loop and is fed backwards under the bench. The track 52 can for example be screwed in place underneath the bench. Instead of a cutting device the band from which the components have been removed can be rolled up on a rolling-up arrangement (not shown) which is driven by an electric motor with friction drive (not shown). The rolling-up device thus rolls up the empty tape which can later be reused for new transportation of components.

Other details in figure 3 a show parts described in previous figures and are therefore not explained in connection with this figure.

Figure 3b shows diagrammatically an enlarged perspective view of the feeder device 1. Figure 3b shows how the teeth 4 of the drive wheel 3a engage in the holes 12 in the tape 7. The device according to the invention comprises grooves 23, 24 (which are described above), which means that only one drive wheel 3 a is required. Known technology involves designs where two drive wheels must be used. The second side piece is not shown in figure 3b for the sake of clarity. The drive wheel 3a moves the tape 7 a required distance, the so-called pitch distance.

Figures 4a and 4b show the feeder device 1 in cross section from above and from the side. These show clearly how the spacing elements 27 hold the second side piece 22 at a distance from the first side piece 21, depending upon which width of tape is used. The predetermined distance, which the spacing sleeves 27 are designed to provide, is the distance between the bottoms of the grooves 23, 24. In figures 4a and 4b the pneumatic cylinder 33 is in a retracted position. When feeding is to be carried out a piston 38 is pushed out of the cylinder casing 37 of the pneumatic cylinder 33. This piston 38 operates the arm 39, which in turn operates the drive wheel 3 a. An indexing means 41 in the form of an indexing stop 42 determines the stroke length of the piston 38 and thereby also the feeding distance. The indexing stop 42 can pivot asymmetrically around a fixing bolt 53 (see figure 7), which means that the contact surface between the arm 39 and the indexing stop 42 can be variably adjustable. The indexing stop 42 is shown in greater detail in figure 7. The indexing stop 42 can also be moved to a suitable hole 54 to adjust the feeding distance.

Figure 5 shows a part of the feeder device 1 according to the invention in cross section and in a side view. The drive wheel 3a drives the tape in the direction of feed (F). The grooves 23, 24 (only one groove is shown) curve downwards, which means that the tape 7 with its pockets 1 1 can assume a more inclined position according to the invention. As each individual pocket 11 is not intended to be able to bend significantly, but only the flexible part 30 of the tape between the pockets 11, the grooves 23, 24 according to the invention are enlarged in the vertical plane. This enlargement is indicated by X. This means that the tape within the area of the pockets 11 can remain essentially straight. This facilitates the removal of components within the area of the curve (C). Other members essential to the invention are not shown in figure 5 for the sake of clarity. The pickup position is indicated by U in figure 5. This indicates a section where the removal of components can be carried out.

Figure 6 shows diagrammatically an indexing means according to the first embodiment, where the feeding is carried out automatically. Figure 6 shows the conical guide pin 43 described in figure 2. Figure 6 shows only the end of the conical pin 43 and also how it engages in a bore 45. The abovementioned bores 45 are arranged in line with each tooth towards the centre of the drive shaft 40. The conical guide pin 43 is designed to engage in the relevant bore 45 where the required feeding distance gives a certain position on the drive wheel 3 a. The conical pin 43 is inserted in the respective bore 45 after the indexing of the drive wheel 3a has been achieved using the indexing means 41 (not shown here, see figure 7). In order for the feeding distance not to change gradually, the conical guide pin 43 is controlled by means of a drive member 57, for example a micro-cylinder 44 (see figure 2). The micro-cylinder 44 is controlled by means of a control unit 58 (see figure 2) which gives commands to the micro-cylinder 44 using a signal from a sensor (not shown) to cause it to push or pull the conical guide pin 43 in or out of the relevant bore. This control unit can also be arranged to control the drive member (M).

Figure 7 shows the indexing stop 42 according to the invention. This indexing stop 42 can advantageously be used for both automatic and manual feeding. The indexing means 41 according to the invention thus comprises the indexing stop 42, which in figure 7 is designed as a right-angled element, the bottom surface of which (not visible in figure 7 as this bottom surface faces towards the first side piece) is attached to the first side piece 21 by means of a fixing bolt 53. The indexing stop 42 has also two contact surfaces each of which can engage with the arm 39 in order to stop it. The fixing bolt 53 is inserted in one of the through-holes 54 in the side piece 21. The choice of hole 54 is made by the operator when setting the feeding distance in order to obtain the required pitch. With a simple manual action, the indexing stop 42 can similarly be turned through 180 degrees. By this means the contact surface is moved half the distance between two adjacent through-holes 54. Naturally other designs of indexing stop can be arranged within the framework of the invention.

Figure 8 shows a third embodiment of the invention. Here the grooves 23, 24 in the first and second side piece respectively, which pieces take up the side edges 8, 9 of the tape (see figure 3a) are arranged with horizontal extension. This embodiment differs from the embodiments described previously in that the drive wheel 3b has a smaller radius than in both the previously described embodiments. This means that the feeder device 1 according to the invention can be designed so that the grooves 23, 24 have a low height above the feeder bench which is advantageous for automatic removal as the robot arm does not need to be raised as much. This embodiment also provides an ergonomically correct design for manual removal, as the operator is required to do less lifting. The drive wheel 3b is arranged with a free wheel 60 which in turn sits on a spindle 61 which is arranged on an elongated member such as a slide block 62. The slide block 62 which constitutes part of the drive member M can be a non-rotating double-action cylinder where the piston (not shown) is connected to a sliding rod 63. The free wheel 60 is so arranged that when the sliding rod 63 is moved in the direction of feed F this is locked together with the drive wheel 3b whereupon the teeth 4 of the drive wheel 3b engage in the holes (not shown) in the tape and drive the tape 7 in the direction of feed. Later when the sliding rod 63 is moved back in the opposite direction to the direction of feed F the free wheel 60 can rotate freely, so that the tape remains in a position for removal of components and the free wheel 60 rotates freely with its teeth 4 below the tape. At both end positions 64, 65 of the slide block there is an indexing means 41 according to the invention which consists of two adjustment devices 66 for the feeding length. These indexing stops define the stroke length of the sliding rod and hence also the feeding distance, the so-called pitch distance. The bench fixing is arranged for the feeder device 1 according to the same principle as for the other embodiments. Two spacing sleeves 27 with associated fixing bolts 28 provide the required distance between the grooves 23, 24 and between the bottom of the grooves. By undoing the fixing bolts 28 the second side piece 22 can be removed from the feeder device 1 according to the invention. The spacing sleeves 27 can then be replaced, for example by longer spacing sleeves, so that a wider tape can be used in the feeder device 1. The length of the two respective spacing sleeves 27 is suitably standardized to fit different tape widths. Naturally the device according to the invention can be adjusted for all widths.

Figure 9 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention. According to this embodiment the feeder unit 2 comprises a rotating cylinder 70 which has a drive shaft 71 which is connected to a first toothed wheel via a free wheel. The first toothed wheel is connected to a second toothed wheel 73 via a toothed belt 74. This second toothed wheel 73 is connected to the drive wheel 3a' and these are arranged on a drive wheel shaft 75 which is supported by the respective side piece 21, 22. By means of its teeth 4 the drive wheel 3a' drives the tape with a feeding movement in the way described above. The grooves 23, 24 are arranged as described above on the inside of the respective side piece to take up the side edges of the tape. There is a first pulley arranged on the drive wheel shaft. This drives a second pulley 77 by means of a belt 78, which second pulley 77 is connected to a rolling-up unit 15. A front piece 80 and a back piece 81 are arranged around the feeder unit. The fourth embodiment can also be designed with spacing sleeves in the same way as described above. The bolts 82 are used to fasten the side pieces together. In this embodiment a control member comprising a push button 32 for manual operation is arranged on the upper side of the feeder device. This push button 32 can be arranged to bring about a feeding movement when the operator so requires. The push button 32 is connected to a power supply system (not shown) which drives the rotating cylinder 70 in order to bring about rotation of the drive shaft 71 with such a direction of rotation that feeding of the band is brought about. This can suitably consist of a compressed air source of a known type.

Figure 10 shows a fifth embodiment of the feeder device according to the invention. In this embodiment the grooves turn through a radius R after the component's pickup position is presented, which means that the emptied tape 7 can be collected at the back of the feeder device. By this means a vertical pickup position is also provided. Otherwise the parts shown are the same as in figure 9. The references are thus described in greater detail in figure 9. However 100 refers to a handle.

The invention is not restricted to the embodiments described above, but can be varied within the framework of the following patent claims. Operation has been simplified by means of the invention. The operator can insert the tape in the grooves 23, 24 and components can be placed right to to the end (not shown) of the tape 7. With conventional feeder devices the first part of the tape, which is to be inserted in the feeder device, must be empty.

According to the invention, there can be only one drive wheel for the feeding unit, if so required. This simplifies the operation of the feeder device and the manufacture of the device. By means of the grooves according to the invention the tape 7 can be fed forward using only one drive wheel. The grooves help to guide the tape so that it lies in the direction of feed, even though the drive wheel only drives one side of the tape. If the grooves were not there a single drive wheel would twist the tape 7 and force it in a different direction than the abovementioned direction of feed.

Claims

Patent claims

1. Feeder device (1) for feeding a tape (7) installed on a fixing device (6) arranged at a distance from a feeder unit, which tape (7) comprises side edges (8), (9), a storage part (10) with pockets (11) intended to hold components and a protective part (13), which feeder unit (2) is arranged in the feeder device (1) for feeding the tape (7) and at least one of its pockets (11) to a pickup position (U) where the components can be removed after the protective part (13) has been separated from the storage part (10), which feeder device (1) comprises a rolling-up unit (15) interacting with the feeder unit (2) for rolling up the protective part (13) and a drive member (M) for driving the feeder unit (2) and the rolling-up unit (15), characterized in that the feeder device (1) comprises a first and a second side piece (21), (22) between which the feeder unit (2) is arranged, where each side piece (21), (22) is provided with a groove (23), (24) for taking up the respective side edge (8), (9) of the tape (7).

2. Feeder device (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the side pieces (21), (22) are adjustable by means of an adjusting device (25) in a direction at right angles to the direction of feed (F) so that the distance between them corresponds to the width of the tape (7).

3. Feeder device (1) according to Claim 2, characterized in that the adjusting device (25) comprises at least one spacing element (26) arranged between the side pieces (21), (22), by means of which spacing element (26) the side pieces (21), (22) can be kept apart at a predetermined distance.

4. Feeder device (1) according to any of Claims 1-3, characterized in that the respective grooves (23), (24) extend essentially horizontally in the direction of feed (F) and continue in a curve (C) downwards in relation to the principal direction of feed (F) in order to provide a pickup position (U) which is inclined downwards.

5. Feeder device (1) according to any of Claims 1-3, characterized in that the respective groove (23), (24) extends essentially with an incline (L) in relation to the horizontal plane and continue in a curve (C) downwards in relation to the principal direction of feed (F) in order to provide a pickup position (U) which is inclined downwards.

6. Feeder device (1) according to either of Claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the respective groove (23), (24) is enlarged in the vertical plane at the abovementioned curve (C) in order that the side edges (8), (9) of the tape (7) remain essentially straight within the area of respective pocket (11).

7. Feeder device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive member (M) is controlled manually via a control member (32) and/or in that the drive member (M) is controlled automatically via a control unit (58).

8. Feeder device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that feeder unit (2) comprises an elongated member (33), (62) to provide a forwards and return movement of the feeder unit (2) where the device can be connected to at least one drive wheel (3a), (3b) with teeth (4) which engage with holes (12) arranged in the side edges (8), (9) of the tape (7) and an adjustable indexing means (41) arranged in the first side piece (21) to limit the feeding movement and thereby provides a feeding of the tape (7) in stages by a predetermined distance depending upon the pitch length between each pocket (11).

9. Feeder device (1) according to Claim 8, characterized in that the feeder unit (2) comprises only one drive wheel (3 a).

10. Feeder device (1) according to either of Claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the drive wheel (3a) is driven by means of a single-action or double- action pneumatic cylinder (33) which is arranged between the drive wheel (3 a) and a fixing element (35) whereby a rotation of the drive wheel (3 a) on its shaft is brought about.

11. Feeder device (1) according to any of Claims 8-10, characterized in that the drive wheel (3b) is arranged on the elongated member (62) in such a way that it can be moved and is arranged to engage so that it can be locked with the member during the feeding movement to provide a feeding of the tape (7), where the drive wheel (3b) is arranged to be able to rotate freely during the return movement.

12. Feeder device (1) according to Claims 1-7, characterized in that the feeder unit (2) comprises a rotating cylinder (70) which drives at least one drive wheel (3a') and the rolling-up unit (15).

13. Feeder device (1) according to any of Claims 8-10, characterized in that the drive wheel (3a) comprises bores (45) adjacent to each tooth (4) and on a line between the drive shaft (40) and the respective tooth (4), where at least one conical guide pin (43) is connected to a drive member (57), which guide pin (43) is arranged on the first side piece (21) and can be inserted in the respective bore (45) to achieve an indexing of the drive wheel (3a).

14. Feeder device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rolling-up unit (15) comprises a rolling-up reel ( 15a) on which the tape (7) is rolled up, which rolling-up reel (15a) can be put on and taken off the feeder device (1).

O 00/56649 AMENDED CLAIMS PCT/SE00^/000¹4

[received by the International Bureau on 4 July 2000 (04.07.00); original claims 1-14 replaced by new claims 1-12 (3 pages)]

1. Feeder device (1) for feeding a tape (7) installed on a fixing device (6) arranged at a distance from a feeder unit, which tape (7) comprises side edges (8), (9), a storage part (10) with pockets (11) intended to hold components and a protective part (13), which feeder unit (2) is arranged in the feeder device (1) for feeding the tape (7) and at least one of its pockets (11) to a pickup position (U) where the components can be removed after the protective part (13) has been separated from the storage part (10), which feeder device (1) comprises a rolling-up unit (15) interacting with the feeder unit (2) for rolling up the protective part (13) and a drive member (M) for driving the feeder unit (2) and the rolling-up unit (15), characterized in that the feeder device (1) comprises a first and a second side piece (21), (22) between which the feeder unit (2) is arranged, where each side piece (21), (22) is provided with a groove (23), (24) for taking up the respective side edge (8), (9) of the tape (7), the side pieces (21), (22) are adjustable by means of an adjusting device (25) in a direction at right angles to the direction of feed (F) so that the distance between them corresponds to the width of the tape (7), and the adjusting device (25) comprises at least one spacing element (26) arranged between the side pieces (21), (22), by means of which spacing element (26) the side pieces (21), (22) can be kept apart at a predetermined distance.

2. Feeder device (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the respective grooves (23), (24) extend essentially horizontally in the direction of feed (F) and continue in a curve (C) downwards in relation to the principal direction of feed (F) in order to provide a pickup position (U) which is inclined downwards.

3. Feeder device (1) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the respective groove (23), (24) extends essentially with an incline (L) in relation to the horizontal plane and continue in a curve (C) downwards in relation to the principal direction of feed (F) in order to provide a pickup position (U) which is inclined downwards.

4. Feeder device (1) according to any of Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the respective groove (23), (24) is enlarged in the vertical plane at the above mentioned curve (C) in order that the side edges (8), (9) of the tape (7) remain essentially straight within the area of respective pocket (11).

5. Feeder device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive member (M) is controlled manually via a control member (32) and/or in that the drive member (M) is controlled automatically via a control unit (58).

6. Feeder device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that feeder unit (2) comprises an elongated member (33), (62) to provide a forwards and return movement of the feeder unit (2) where the device can be connected to at least one drive wheel (3a), (3b) with teeth (4) which engage with holes (12) arranged in the side edges (8), (9) of the tape (7) and an adjustable indexing means (41) arranged in the first side piece (21) to limit the feeding movement and thereby provides a feeding of the tape (7) in stages by a predetermined distance depending upon the pitch length between each pocket (11).

7. Feeder device (1) according to Claim 6, characterized in that the feeder unit (2) comprises only one drive wheel (3a).

8. Feeder device (1) according to either of Claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the drive wheel (3 a) is driven by means of a single-action or double- action pneumatic cylinder (33) which is arranged between the drive wheel ^"(3 a) and a fixing element T35) whereby a rotation of the drive wheel 3 a) on its shaft is brought about.

9. Feeder device (1) according to any of Claims 6-8, characterized in that the drive wheel (3b) is arranged on the elongated member (62) in such a way that it can be moved and is arranged to engage so that it can be locked with the member during the feeding movement to provide a feeding of the tape (7), where the drive wheel (3b) is arranged to be able to rotate freely during the return movement.

10. Feeder device (1) according to Claims 1-5, characterized in that the feeder unit (2) comprises a rotating cylinder (70) which drives at least one drive wheel (3a') and the rolling-up unit (15).

11. Feeder device (1) according to any of Claims 6-8, characterized in that the drive wheel (3a) comprises bores (45) adjacent to each tooth (4) and on a line between the drive shaft (40) and the respective tooth (4), where at least one conical guide pin (43) is connected to a drive member (57), which guide pin (43) is arranged on the first side piece (21) and can be inserted in the respective bore (45) to achieve an indexing of the drive wheel (3a).

12. Feeder device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rolling-up unit (15) comprises a rolling-up reel (15a) on which the tape (7) is rolled up, which rolling-up reel (15a) can be put on and taken off the feeder device (1).