GB2166111A - Tape feeder for electronic components - Google Patents

Abstract

A machine for removing micro- electronic components (c) from a carrier tape (10) having a series of such components (c) and placing the components (c) into an air conveyor (16) for further downstream processing is described. An indexing mechanism (12) incrementally moves the carrier (10) under a spindle which removes an exposed component (c) from the tape (10) and orients the component (c). As the spindle positions the component (c) onto the conveyor (16), a pair of fingers retains the component (c) in position at the conveyor (16) to permit a blast of air to send the component (c) down the conveyor (16). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tape feeder for electronic components A A mechanism for removing electronic components from a taped series of components and placing the components in a conveyor.

In the assembly of micro-electronic components of a leadless type (called chips) to printed circuit boards, the components can be supplied in a carrier tape. The carrier can comprise a tape having spaced recesses each holding an electronic component. The carrier may also comprise upper and lower covering strips that retain the components in the recesses. The carrier tape is fed through an apparatus which removes a covering strip to expose the component and the component is then removed from the recess for further processing in the component assembly to the circuit board. Examples of such tape feeders are illustrated in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,307,832; 4,327,482 and 4,440,355.

In the process of mounting chip components to substrates, it is desirable to select a component from a bank of a plurality of taped component sources and deposit the preselected component onto a transfer mechanism which places the component in a conveyor for further downstream processing and ultimate placement on a printed circuit board. This general arrangement of parts of randomly selecting a predetermined component from a source and transferring the component onto a common machine conveyor for transport to a placement mechanism is illustrated in U.K. Patent Application No. 8225424 (serial No.

2105 224).

It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus that can be combined with a plurality of apparatus of the same nature for removing components from a carrier tape and orienting the components in a conveyor for transport to further processing stations in an overall component assembly machine which mounts components on the surface of printed circuit boards. The individual apparatus are each operated in response to a programed control so that preselected components are obtained for processing in the proper sequence.

It is also an object of this invention to extract an electrical component from a carrier tape and place the component in a conveyor for processing. An upper strip of the carrier tape is removed to expose the component held in a recess of the tape. A vacuum spindle is lowered to remove the component from the tape recess. The spindle then raises and orients the component for positioning in a conveyor. A pair of opposed component retaining fingers coact with the spindle to position the component at the end of the enclosed air conveyor through which the component is transported for further processing.The fingers are secured to the lower portion of arms that are camed to the mechanism which raises and lowers the spindle so that the fingers can open to permit the spindle to pass therebetween to pick up and orient the component and close to retain the component at the end of the conveyor when the component is released from the spindle. Thereafter, a blast of air will propel the component down the air conveyor for further processing.

There now follows a detailed description to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings of mechanism for removing components from a tape embodying the invention. It will be realised that this mechanism has been selected for description to illustrate the invention by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tape feeder; Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the drive for the tape indexing mechanism; Figure 3 is a sectional view of the apparatus for removing the components from the carrier tape showing the component retaining fingers in a closed position; Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating the component retaining fingers in an open position; Figure 5 is a side elevational view illustrating the carrier tape indexing mechanism and the apparatus for removing the component from the carrier; Figure 6 is an exploded view of the apparatus for removing the component from the carrier tape; Figure 7 is a top plan view of the tape feeder illustrating the means for removing the upper strip of the carrier tape to expose the component;; Figure 8 is an enlarged view, partially in section, of the component removal apparatus with the retaining fingers in an open position; and Figure 9 is an enlarged view similar to Figure 8 illustrating the retaining fingers in closed position.

Attention is now directed to Figure 1 which illustrates the tape feeder 8 as having a component carrier tape 10 which is fed between an indexing mechanism 12 and apparatus 14 for removing the component (c) from the carrier tape 10 and placing the component in a conveyor 16 for further downstream processing. The tape feeder 8 is adapted to be positioned in a bank of feeders each of which contain reels (not shown) of taped components of similar kinds that can be preselected for processing and ultimate mounting on a printed circuit board.

The component carrier tape 10 is fed from a supply reel (not shown) around an idler feeder pulley 18 mounted on the support frame 20. The carrier tape 10 comprises a tape strip 22 having spaced recesses 24 re taining individual chip-type components (c).

The carrier 10 also has spaced openings 26 which coact with the indexing mechanism 12 which draws the carrier tape 10 through the feeder 8.

Attention is now directed to Figures 1, 5 and 7 which illustrate the mechanism 30 for removing the upper strip 32 of carrier tape 10 to expose the component (c) in the tape 10.

A A stripper 34 is retained in frame 20, and has a slanted opening 36 with a rearwardly extending beveled surface 38. The strip 32 is passed through the opening 36 and across surface 38 and around pulley 40 on motor 42. The strip 32 is maintained in frictional contact with the pulley 40 by the roller 44 on the L-shaped lever 46 pivoted at 48 to the motor housing. The leg 50 of lever 46 has a roller 52 in contact with leaf spring 54 carried on bracket 58 secured to the motor housing.

The spring 54 acting against roller 52 will force the lever 46 in a clockwise direction (Figure 1) to force the roller 44 against the strip 32 so that the motor will pull the strip 32 rearward to remove the strip 32 from the carrier tape 10. The extension 60 on lever 46 can be grasped to pivot the lever 46 counterclockwise (Figure 1) to cause the spring 54 to act on roller 52 holding the roller 44 spaced from pulley 40. Then, the strip 32 can be inserted between the roller 44 and the pulley 40 while separating strip 32 from tape 22 during machine set up.

Attention is now directed to Figures 1 to 5, 8 8 and 9 which illustrate various portions of the indexing mechanism 12 which draws the tape strip 22 through the feeder. An indexing wheel 62 is mounted through one-way clutch 65 on shaft 64 carried on frame 20. The tape strip 22 rests on a guide 67 which passes the strip 22 over the indexing wheel 62. The wheel 62 has a plurality of projections 63 which are adopted to extend into the openings 26 in the tape strip 22. The shaft 64 is incrementally rotated to rotate the wheel 62 to draw the strip 22 through the feeder 8.

The shaft 64 is carried in a bearing 66 secured within the opening 68 in the frame 20.

Secured on the end 70 of shaft 64, is an arm 72 secured by bracket 73 to the rod 74 of the pneumatic drive cylinder 76 mounted to frame 20 at 78. Air supplied to cylinder 76 will extend rod 74 to pivot arm 72 and rotate the shaft 64. This will rotate the indexing wheel 62 through one-way clutch 65 to draw the strip 22 through the feeder. A stop 80 on frame 20 limits the movement of arm 72 and thus, rotation of shaft 64. Upon the release of the cylinder 76, the arm will pivot against the stop 82 on frame 20. During this return movement of arm 72, the indexing wheel 62 remains stationary (unless acted upon by centering mechanism 69) since this is the nondrive direction of the one-way clutch 65. The stop 82 is adjustable to adjust the throw of arm 72 to locate recess 24 through the wheel projections 63 in the tape strip openings 26.

To maintain the tape recess 24 (and thus component c) in the exact desired location on each increment of indexing of the strip 22, a centering mechanism 69 comprising wheel 79 (Figure 5) is attached to indexing wheel 62. A pair of rollers 71 are carried on arms 75 pivoted to frame 20. The springs 77 bias rollers 71 into the grooves 81 in the periphery of the wheel 79 to position and lock the wheel 79 and thus indexing wheel 62 after each indexing movement. The rollers 71 alternate between being positioned in the grooves 81 since one-half incremental rotation of wheel 79 occurs during each movement of the strip 22 from one recess 24 to the next of the strip 22.

In the operation of the above described indexing mechanism, the spent tape from which the component has been removed is guided out of the feeder 8 by passing downwardly through a chute 84 (See Figure 1).

Attention is now directed to Figures 1 and 3 to 6 which illustrate the details of the apparatus 14 for removing the component (c) from the tape strip 22. A cylindrical housing 86 is part of a block 88 secured to frame 20. An outer sleeve 90 in the housing 86 is mounted to a pneumatic cylinder 92 for movement up and down in the housing 86. The cylinder 92 is secured by a pin 94 to the flanges 96 on housing 86. The rod 98 of cylinder 92 is bolted at 100 to the bracket 102. The bracket 102 has an end portion 104 extending through the slot 106 in housing 86 and is secured to the sleeve 90 by bolts 108. Thus, air supplied to cylinder 92 will move the rod 98 upward raising the bracket 102 and moving the sleeve 90 upward in the housing 86.

An inner sleeve 110 is pinned at 112 inside the opening 114 in the outer sleeve 90. A spindle 116 passes through the opening 118 in an inner sleeve 110 and bearing surface 120 in the outer sleeve 90. A spring 122 is positioned between the surface 124 of sleeve 90 and the cap 126, which is on bearing 204, on the shoulder 128 of the end pin 130 threaded into the spindle 116. An end plug 132 is threaded into the end 134 of housing 86 and is retained by a lock nut 136. The end of the spindle 116 has a threaded nose piece 138 that is adapted to contact and pick up the component.

The operation of the apparatus 14 for removing a component from the tape strip is as follows: The raised position of the rod 98 is illustrated in Figure 3. As the rod 98 is retracted in cylinder 92, the outer sleeve 90 is lowered. At this time, the pin 140 extending from spindle 116 rides up the ramp 142 in an inner sleeve 110 and around helix 144 to rotate the spindle 90 . Upon further downward movement of the sleeve 90, the end 146 of the sleeve 90 will contact snapring 148 on the spindle 116. This will lower the nose piece 138 out of housing 86 downward to a position above the exposed component in the tape strip 22 (Figure 8). At this point, vacuum applied through the passage 150 in a spindle 116 will draw the component (c) from the tape strip onto the nose piece 138 on the spindle 116.As the rod 98 is extended and the sleeve 90 raised in housing 86, the spring 122 between sleeve 90 and cap 126 will cause the spindle 116 to retract. Further upward movement will cause bearing 204 to abut end plug 136 and stop the upward movement of the spindle 116. At this point, the nose piece 138 is positioned in the recess 152 in the end 154 of the housing 86. Further, upward movement of sleeve 90 (against the spring 122) will cause the pin 140 to ride down the helix 144 rotating the spindle 90 during the removal of the component from the tape strip. This orients the component in the proper direction for further processing downstream in the component handling machine of which the tape feeder is an operative part.

Once the component has been removed from the tape strip 22, and the spindle 116 raised to the position illustrated in Figure 3, a pair of opposed fingers 156, 158 are in position to retain the component in line with the end 160 of the enclosed conveyor 162. A blast of air through line 164 will then send the component down the conveyor 162 for further processing.

The fingers 156, 158 are secured by bolts 166 to the ends of the opposed arms 168 each of which are pivotally attached by pins 169 at 170 to flanges 172 on the opposite sides of the housing 86. Each of the arms 168 have upper and lower cams 174, 176, respectively, that extend into the upper and lower openings 178, 180, respectively, of the housing 86. The cams 174, 176 coact with the upper and lower beveled cam ends 182, 184 of the sleeve 90 to cause the arms to pivot to open and close the fingers 156, 158 during the up and down movement of sleeve 90 in housing 86.

As the sleeve 90 is lowered in housing 86 (Figure 3) the cam end 184 of sleeve 90 contacts lower cams 176 and pivots the arms to open the fingers 156, 158. This permits the spindle 116 to be lowered to the tape strip 22 so that a component can be placed on nose piece 138. As the sleeve 90 is raised, the cam end 182 on sleeve 90 contacts upper cams 174 to pivot the arms (Figure 3 ) to close the fingers 156, 158 against nose piece 138 to support the component. At this point, the vacuum to the spindle can be released and the fingers 156, 158 will retain the component in alignment with end 160 of the opening 186 in the conveyor 162. The finger 158 has a recess 187 and shelf 188 cooperating with the surface 190 of finger 156 which -will support the component at the desired location (See Figures 8 and 9) at the end 160 of the conveyor 162. Thereafter, a blast of air through line 164 will send the component down conveyor 162 to the next processing station of the machine.

It can thus be seen that this invention provides a mechanism for removing individual components from a carrier tape of a series of components and placing the components in a conveyor for further processing.

Claims (16)

1. A mechanism for removing electronic components from a carrier tape of components and placing the components in a conveyor, comprising: a.) means adjacent the conveyor for incrementally advancing the carrier tape along a path toward the conveyor; b.) means for selecting individual components from the carrier tape and presenting the components to a position for placement onto the conveyor, said selecting means including a vacuum spindle and means for vertically displacing said spindle from a lowered position to select a component from said carrier to a raised position for presenting the component to the conveyor; and c.) means coacting with said vertical displacing means to retain the component in the position for placement onto the conveyor.

2. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said advancing means is an indexing mechanism coacting with the carrier to incrementally advance the carrier along said path.

3. The mechanism of claim 2 wherein said indexing mechanism comprises a wheel having a plurality of projections each of which coact with the carrier to advance the carrier along said path.

4. The mechanism of claim 3 wherein said indexing mechanism includes a centering means to precisely locate the carrier during each incremental advancement of the carrier.

5. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said carrier has a recess containing individual components which are covered by an upper strip and means for removing said upper strip for exposure of the component to said selecting means.

6. The mechanism of claim 1 comprising means coacting with said spindle to orient the component to the conveyor.

7. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said selecting means includes a housing having an internal sleeve slidably disposed therein and operatively connected to said spindle and power means to raise and lower said sleeve to raise and lower said spindle.

8. The mechanism of claim 7 wherein said retaining means includes opposed arms pivoted to said housing with fingers carried on said arms adapted to retain the component for placement into the conveyor.

9. The mechanism of claim 8 comprising means coacting between said arms and said sleeve causing said arms to pivot to open and close said fingers during the raising and lowering of said spindle.

10. The mechanism of claim 9 comprising an internal sleeve disposed within said sleeve and coacting with said spindle to rotate said spindle to orient the selected component during the raising and lowering of said spindle.

11. A mechanism for removing components from a carrier tape and placing the components into one end of an air conveyor, comprising: a.) indexing means for advancing the carrier along a path toward the one end of the conveyor; b.) means for selecting the components from the carrier and presenting the component to the end of the conveyor; c.) means for coacting with said selecting means for retaining the components adjacent the end of the conveyor; and d.) means for removing the component from said retaining means and placing the component into the air conveyor.

12. The mechanism of claim 11 comprising a housing and said retaining means comprising a pair of arms pivotally attached to said housing and having fingers to retain the component in the desired position.

13. The mechanism of claim 12 wherein said selecting means includes a sleeve slidably movable in said housing with said coacting means including cam surfaces on said sleeve contacting cams on said arms to open and close said fingers during the selecting of the component from the carrier.

14. The mechanism of claim 13 comprising an inner sleeve supported with said sleeve and coacting with said spindle to rotate said spindle to orient the component to the conveyor.

15. The mechanism of claim 11 comprising means to supply a blast of air to said conveyor to propel the component down said conveyor.

16. A mechanism for removing electronic components from a carrier tape constructed arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.