JP7466103B2 - Tape feeder and component mounting device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tape feeder that transports a carrier tape to supply components, and a component mounting device equipped with the tape feeder.

Conventionally, component mounting devices are known that use a mounting head to pick up components supplied from a parts feeder and mount them on a board. Tape feeders are often used as part feeders, which transport a carrier tape containing components and supply the components to a specified component supply position. Tape feeders are equipped with a frame in which a transport path for the carrier tape is formed, and a tape transport section that transports the carrier tape using a sprocket attached to the frame. The sprocket transports the carrier tape on the transport path by rotating with the outer teeth located at the top engaged with feed holes provided in the carrier tape.

In such tape feeders, parts can be replenished by connecting the beginning end of a replenishment carrier tape to the end end of the carrier tape being transported with a connecting tape before the end is pulled into the frame. When carrier tapes are connected with a connecting tape, the position of the connecting tape indicates the part lot change position, so detecting the position of the connecting tape is extremely important from the perspective of part management. For this reason, the tape feeder is equipped with a connecting tape detection unit that detects the position of the connecting tape on the transport path.

The concatenated tape detection unit is configured with a light projector that projects inspection light onto the location where the carrier tape's feed hole passes at the inspection position, and a light receiver that receives the inspection light projected by the light projector through the carrier tape's feed hole. When the concatenated tape is attached to the carrier tape so as to cover the feed hole, the light receiver intermittently receives the inspection light that the feed hole crosses in the location where the concatenated tape is not attached, but does not receive the inspection light in the location where the concatenated tape is attached. Therefore, the position of the concatenated tape can be grasped by detecting the timing at which the light receiver switches from a state in which it intermittently receives the inspection light to a state in which it does not continuously receive the inspection light for a certain period of time (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2013-58511 A

However, because the transport path formed in the frame has a width dimension that is slightly larger than the width of the carrier tape, the carrier tape may meander on the transport path. If the carrier tape meanders on the transport path and the feed holes no longer cross the inspection light, the receiver will continue to not receive the inspection light, and there is a risk that the connected tape detection unit will mistakenly identify a part that is not connected tape as connected tape.

The present invention aims to provide a tape feeder and component mounting device that can accurately grasp the position of the connecting tape and perform accurate component lot management.

The tape feeder of the present invention is a tape feeder that transports a carrier tape on which components are stored along a transport path to supply the components to a predetermined component supply position, and includes a frame in which the transport path is formed, a tape transport unit provided in the frame and transporting the carrier tape on the transport path, a light spotlight that projects inspection light onto an inspection position on the transport path, a color sensor that detects RGB values of the reflected light of the inspection light projected from the light spotlight at the inspection position based on the RGB values detected by the color sensor, and a detection unit that detects connecting portions that connect the carrier tapes by determining the type of light reflecting object that reflects the inspection light at the inspection position based on the RGB values detected by the color sensor, and the detection unit detects components stored in the carrier tape passing through the inspection position by determining the type of light reflecting object based on the RGB values detected by the color sensor .

The component mounting device of the present invention includes the tape feeder of the present invention described above and a mounting head that picks up components supplied by the tape feeder and mounts them on a board.

According to the present invention, the position of the connecting tape can be accurately determined, and part lot management can be performed accurately.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a main part of a component mounting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a side view of a tape feeder provided in the component mounting apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a carrier tape, together with a reel, used by a tape feeder to supply components in an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a carrier tape according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of a tape feeder provided in the component mounting device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1A, 1B, and 1C are perspective views showing a state in which a color sensor unit included in a tape feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention detects RGB values of reflected light at an inspection position on a transport path. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an RGB value correspondence table used by the tape feeder in the embodiment of the present invention to determine the type of light reflecting object. A flowchart showing the flow of a detection operation using a color sensor provided in a tape feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a component mounting device 1 in one embodiment of the present invention. The component mounting device 1 is a device that repeatedly performs a component mounting operation in which components BH are mounted on a board KB brought in from the upstream process side and then the board KB is carried out to the downstream process side. For ease of explanation, the transport direction of the board KB in the component mounting device 1 (left-right direction as seen by the worker OP) is defined as the X-axis direction, and the horizontal direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction (front-back direction as seen by the worker OP) is defined as the Y-axis direction. The up-down direction is defined as the Z-axis direction.

In FIG. 1, the component mounting device 1 comprises a base 11, a board transport conveyor 12, a tape feeder 13, a mounting head 14, a head movement mechanism 15, a board recognition camera 16, a component recognition camera 17, and a control device 18. The base 11 is placed on the floor surface FL, and the board transport conveyor 12 is provided extending in the X-axis direction on the base 11. The board transport conveyor 12 carries in the board KB sent from the upstream process side, and positions the board KB at a predetermined working position.

In FIG. 1, a feeder cart 21 is connected to the front side (the side of the worker OP) of the base 11. The feeder cart 21 has a flat feeder base 22 on its upper part, and the tape feeder 13 is detachably attached to the feeder base 22 (see also FIG. 2). A plurality of tape feeders 13 can be attached to the feeder base 22 in an array in the X-axis direction. When the feeder cart 21 is connected to the base 11, the plurality of tape feeders 13 attached to the feeder base 22 are collectively connected to the base 11.

In FIG. 1, a reel 32 around which a carrier tape 31 is wound is held rotatably on the feeder cart 21. A reel 32 is provided for each tape feeder 13, and the carrier tape 31 pulled out from the reel 32 is attached to the corresponding tape feeder 13. Each tape feeder 13 transports the carrier tape 31 forward (toward the board transport conveyor 12) and supplies a component BH to a predetermined component supply position 13K (see also FIG. 2).

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the carrier tape 31 is composed of a base tape 33 and a cover tape 34. The base tape 33 has a number of pockets 35 for storing components, which are open upward and arranged in a row at equal intervals along the length of the base tape 33. Each pocket 35 stores one component BH. A number of feed holes 36 are arranged in a row at equal intervals in a position parallel to the row of pockets 35 on the base tape 33. The cover tape 34 is attached to the top surface of the base tape 33 in a position that does not block the feed holes 36 (Fig. 4), preventing the components BH from falling out of the pockets 35. The cover tape 34 is peeled off from the base tape 33 before the pockets 35 on the base tape 33 reach the component supply position 13K.

In FIG. 1, the mounting head 14 is equipped with multiple nozzles 14N extending downward. Each nozzle 14N can move up and down relative to the mounting head 14 and rotate around the Z axis. The mounting head 14 picks up components BH supplied to the component supply position 13K by the tape feeder 13 by adsorbing them to the lower end of each nozzle 14N. The head movement mechanism 15 is, for example, an XY movement mechanism, and moves the mounting head 14 in a horizontal plane and up and down.

In FIG. 1, the board recognition camera 16 is attached to the mounting head 14. The board recognition camera 16 has an imaging optical axis facing downward, and moves together with the mounting head 14 to capture an image of the board KB that has been positioned at the work position by the board transport conveyor 12.

In FIG. 1, the component recognition camera 17 is provided in the area between the board transport conveyor 12 and the tape feeder 13 on the base 11. The component recognition camera 17 has an imaging optical axis facing upward, and when the mounting head 14, which has adsorbed a component BH on each of the multiple nozzles 14N, moves so as to pass through the area above the component recognition camera 17 in the X-axis direction, it images each component BH from below.

The control device 18 stores various data in addition to the component mounting program. The control device 18 performs the component mounting work of mounting the component BH on the board KB by operating each part of the component mounting device 1 according to the component mounting program.

In component mounting work, first the board transport conveyor 12 operates to receive the board KB sent from the upstream process and position it at the work position. Once the board KB is positioned at the work position, the head movement mechanism 15 moves the mounting head 14 to above the board KB. This causes the board recognition camera 16 to capture an image of the board KB, and the control device 18 recognizes the board KB based on the image captured by the board recognition camera 16.

Once the control device 18 recognizes the board KB, the mounting head 14 repeatedly executes mounting turns. In one mounting turn, the mounting head 14 performs the following operations in order: picking up a component BH supplied by the tape feeder 13, moving in the X-axis direction to pass above the component recognition camera 17 to allow the component recognition camera 17 to capture an image of the component BH, and mounting the component BH at a specified component mounting position on the board KB.

The control device 18 performs component recognition based on the captured image of the component BH captured by the component recognition camera 17. When the mounting head 14 mounts the component BH on the board KB, it performs position correction of the component BH relative to the board KB based on the result of the component recognition performed by the control device 18.

The above mounting pattern is repeated until all the components BH to be mounted on the board KB have been mounted, and then the board transport conveyor 12 transports the board KB to the downstream process side. This completes the component mounting work for one board KB.

During the above-mentioned component mounting operation, if the carrier tape 31 is transported and its end comes off the reel 32, the start end of a replenishment carrier tape 31 pulled out from a newly prepared reel 32 can be spliced to the end of the carrier tape 31 using a connecting tape RT (Figure 3) to replenish the components BH. As shown in Figure 3, the connecting tape RT is attached across the cover tapes 34 of the two carrier tapes 31 so as not to block the feed holes 36 of each of the two carrier tapes 31. In this case, the connecting tape RT functions as a connecting part that connects the carrier tapes 31.

In this embodiment of the component mounting device 1, the configuration of the tape feeder 13 is unique, and is described below.

In FIG. 2, the tape feeder 13 includes a frame 41, a tape holder 42, a tape transport section 43, a cover tape recovery section 44, a color sensor unit 45, and a feeder control section 46. As shown in FIG. 2, the frame 41 has a box shape that extends in the YZ plane as a whole, and a connecting section (not shown) formed on the underside is adapted to be connected to the feeder base 22.

In FIG. 2, a transport path 41L for the carrier tape 31 is formed in the frame 41. The transport path 41L extends forward from the rear end 41G of the frame 41 (the end on the side of the worker OP) in a substantially horizontal direction, and then extends upward and diagonally forward near the center of the frame 41 in the fore-aft direction. The front end of the transport path 41L is exposed on the upper surface of the frame 41.

In FIG. 2, the tape holder 42 covers the upper surface area of the front end of the frame 41 from above, and a gap is formed between the upper surface area of the frame 41 and the tape holder 42, allowing the carrier tape 31 to pass through. A component removal opening 42G is provided in the middle of the tape holder 42 in the front-to-rear direction.

In FIG. 2, the tape transport unit 43 includes a sprocket 51 provided on the frame 41 and a sprocket drive unit 52 including a drive motor. The sprocket 51 is attached to the upper front end of the frame 41 so as to be rotatable about the X-axis. Of the outer teeth 51G of the sprocket 51, the one located directly above the center of rotation of the sprocket 51 (the uppermost outer tooth 51G) protrudes upward from the upper surface area of the frame 41.

When the sprocket 51 is rotated by the sprocket drive unit 52, the top outer tooth 51G of the sprocket 51 moves forward. The top outer tooth 51G of the sprocket 51 engages with the feed hole 36 of the carrier tape 31 located in the area between the upper surface area of the frame 41 and the tape holder 42. Therefore, when the top outer tooth 51G of the sprocket 51 moves forward, the carrier tape 31 is pulled by the sprocket 51 and advances on the transport path 41L toward the front of the frame 41 (arrow A shown in FIG. 2).

In FIG. 2, the cover tape recovery unit 44 is provided at a position toward the rear on the top of the frame 41. The cover tape recovery unit 44 is configured to pull rearward the cover tape 34 that has been peeled off the base tape 33 and pulled rearward from the component removal opening 42G of the tape holder 42 (arrow B shown in FIG. 2). The cover tape 34 pulled rearward by the cover tape recovery unit 44 is sent to a cover tape storage space 41K formed at the rear of the frame 41, and is then recovered by the operator OP.

Each pocket 35 on the carrier tape 31 sequentially reaches the component supply position 13K (component removal opening 42G) as the carrier tape 31 is transported forward on the transport path 41L. When the pocket 35 reaches the component supply position 13K, the cover tape 34 has already been peeled off, so the mounting head 14 can pick up the component BH through the component removal opening 42G of the tape holder 42. The carrier tape 31 (base tape 33) that has passed the tape holder 42 is discharged to the outside from the front end of the frame 41 (Figure 2).

In FIG. 2, the color sensor unit 45 is provided near the center of the frame 41 in the front-to-rear direction, at a portion where the transport path 41L extends upward and forward. As shown in FIG. 5, the color sensor unit 45 includes an LED light source 61, a color sensor 62, a timer 63, and a sensor unit control unit 64.

In Figures 6(a), (b), and (c), the LED light source 61 functions as a light projector and projects an inspection light KL at an inspection position KP on the transport path 41L. The color sensor 62 detects the RGB values of the reflected light HL at the inspection position KP of the inspection light KL projected from the LED light source 61. Here, the "RGB value" is a value for expressing a color, and is made up of a combination of numbers when each of the colors red (R), green (G), and blue (B) is expressed by a number corresponding to a number of stages of light intensity (voltage) levels. In this embodiment, the light intensity levels of each of the colors red, green, and blue are expressed by a combination of four numbers "0", "1", "2", and "3" that represent four ranks.

In this embodiment, the objects that reflect the inspection light KL at the inspection position KP (referred to as "light reflecting objects") are defined as the surface (sheet metal) of the frame 41 at the inspection position KP, the carrier tape 31 (cover tape 34), the connecting tape RT attached to the carrier tape 31, and the component BH in the pocket 35 of the carrier tape 31, and the correspondence between these light reflecting objects and their RGB values is defined in the RGB value correspondence table shown in Figure 7. The timer 63 measures the set time.

The sensor unit control unit 64 controls the operation of the LED light source 61, the color sensor 62, and the timer 63. As shown in FIG. 5, the sensor unit control unit 64 includes an RGB value acquisition unit 64a and a judgment unit 64b. The RGB value acquisition unit 64a repeatedly acquires and stores the RGB values detected by the color sensor 62 at a predetermined time interval measured by the timer 63. The judgment unit 64b judges whether the RGB value acquired this time by the RGB value acquisition unit 64a has changed from the RGB value acquired last time. The time measured by the timer 63 can be set arbitrarily by the RGB value acquisition unit 64a.

The determination unit 64b determines that the RGB value of the reflected light HL has changed when at least one of the intensity levels of the red, green, and blue light constituting the RGB value acquired by the RGB value acquisition unit 64a has changed. In this case, the determination unit 64b may determine that the RGB value has changed when the ranks of the intensity levels of the red, green, and blue light of the RGB value (for example, the ranks "0", "1", "2", and "3" shown in FIG. 7) have changed to different ranks, or may determine that the RGB value has changed when the magnitude of the difference between the intensity level of the light acquired last time and the intensity level of the light acquired this time has changed by a predetermined percentage or more with respect to the intensity level of the light acquired last time.

As shown in FIG. 5, the feeder control unit 46 includes a sprocket drive control unit 71, a detection unit 72, and an RGB value correspondence table 73. The sprocket drive control unit 71 controls the operation of the sprocket drive unit 52 included in the tape feeder 13.

The detection unit 72 of the feeder control unit 46 detects the presence or absence of the connecting tape RT as a connecting part connecting the carrier tape 31 and the carrier tape 31 by determining the type of light reflecting object (object reflecting the inspection light KL at the inspection position KP) based on the RGB values detected by the color sensor 62. More specifically, when the determination unit 64b determines that the RGB value has changed, the RGB value acquisition unit 64a determines the type of light reflecting object based on the RGB value acquired this time, thereby detecting a state in which the carrier tape 31 has not passed the inspection position KP (FIG. 6(a)), a state in which the carrier tape 31 has passed the inspection position KP (FIG. 6(b)), and a state in which the connecting tape RT has reached the inspection position KP (FIG. 6(c)).

In this way, the feeder control unit 46 can accurately grasp the position of the concatenated tape RT by detecting when the concatenated tape RT has reached the inspection position KP. Information on the position of the concatenated tape RT in each tape feeder 13 is sent from the feeder control unit 46 provided in that tape feeder 13 to the control device 18 of the component mounting device 1, and is used for the lot management of components BH targeted at each tape feeder 13 performed by the control device 18.

The RGB value correspondence table 73 shown in FIG. 7 records the correspondence between light reflecting objects and their RGB values. In this embodiment, the light reflecting objects are the surface (sheet metal) of the frame 41 at the inspection position KP, four types of cover tape 34 (cover tape (A), cover tape (B), cover tape (C), cover tape (D)), and three types of connecting tape RT (connecting tape (A), connecting tape (B), connecting tape (C)), and the RGB values of each are recorded in the RGB value correspondence table 73.

In FIG. 7, the RGB values of the surface (sheet metal) of the frame 41 at the inspection position KP are (0,0,0). Therefore, if the light intensity levels of each color of the RGB values detected by the color sensor 62 are all "0", the detection unit 72 determines that the light-reflecting object is the surface (sheet metal) of the frame 41.

In FIG. 7, the RGB values of cover tape (A) are (1,1,1), the RGB values of cover tape (B) are (2,1,1), the RGB values of cover tape (C) are (1,2,1), and the RGB values of cover tape (D) are (1,1,2). Therefore, when the light intensity levels of each color of the RGB values detected by color sensor 62 are all "1" or "2," detection unit 72 determines that the light-reflecting object is cover tape 34.

In FIG. 7, the RGB values of the connecting tape (A) are (3, 1, 1), the RGB values of the connecting tape (B) are (1, 3, 1), and the RGB values of the connecting tape (C) are (1, 1, 3). Therefore, when at least one of the light intensity levels of each color of the RGB values detected by the color sensor 62 is "3," the detection unit 72 determines that the light-reflecting object is the connecting tape RT.

In this embodiment, the RGB value acquisition unit 64a and the judgment unit 64b, together with the color sensor 62, constitute the color sensor unit 45, and the detection unit 72 constitutes part of the feeder control unit 46 that controls the operation of the tape feeder 13, including the transport operation of the carrier tape 31. The color sensor unit 45 judges whether the RGB value of the reflected light HL detected by the color sensor 62 has changed, and the feeder control unit 46 determines the type of light reflecting object only when the color sensor unit 45 judges that the RGB value has changed.

In this manner, in this embodiment, the determination that must be made at all times, whether the RGB values of the reflected light HL detected by the color sensor 62 have changed, is made by a control unit other than the feeder control unit 46 (the sensor unit control unit 46), thereby reducing the processing load on the feeder control unit 46, which controls the tape feeder 13 in general. This means that the original operation of the tape feeder 13, which is the transport operation of the carrier tape 31, is not impeded, thereby improving the productivity of the component mounting device 1.

Next, the flow chart shown in Figure 8 will be used to explain the process flow for detecting the presence or absence of the carrier tape 31 at the inspection position KP of the transport path 41L of the tape feeder 13 and the state in which the connected tape RT has reached the inspection position KP. In Figure 8, the left-hand flow chart shows the process flow of the sensor unit control unit 64, and the right-hand flow chart shows the process flow of the feeder control unit 46.

In FIG. 8, when power is supplied to the tape feeder 13, the sensor unit control unit 64 and the feeder control unit 46 start processing. When processing starts, the sensor unit control unit 64 first initializes the RGB values (step ST1). In initializing the RGB values, the sensor unit control unit 64 causes the LED light source 61 to project inspection light KL toward the inspection position KP and causes the color sensor 62 to detect the RGB values of the reflected light HL. Here, the RGB values of the surface (sheet metal) of the frame 41 at the inspection position KP are set to initial values by projecting the inspection light KL and detecting the RGB values of the reflected light HL by the color sensor 62 when there is no carrier tape 31 in the transport path 41L.

After the sensor unit control unit 64 initializes the RGB values, the feeder control unit 46 requests the RGB values initialized in step ST1 from the sensor unit control unit 64 (step ST2). When the sensor unit control unit 64 receives a request for the RGB values from the feeder control unit 46 (step ST3), it transmits the RGB values initialized in step ST1 to the feeder control unit 46 (step ST4).

When the feeder control unit 46 receives the RGB values from the sensor unit control unit 64 (step ST5), the detection unit 72 determines the type of light reflecting object that reflected the inspection light KL in step ST1 based on the received RGB values (step ST6). Here, the detection unit 72 of the feeder control unit 46 determines that the type of light reflecting object is the surface (sheet metal) of the frame 41 at the inspection position KP based on the RGB values that were set to the initial values in step ST1.

After transmitting the RGB values to the feeder control unit 46 in step ST4, the sensor unit control unit 64 causes the LED light source 61 to project the inspection light KL toward the inspection position KP, and starts detecting the RGB values with the color sensor 62 (step ST7). Thereafter, it is determined whether a predetermined time measured by the timer 63 has elapsed (step ST8), and each time the predetermined time elapses, the RGB values detected by the color sensor 62 are acquired by the RGB value acquisition unit 64a (step ST9).

When the sensor unit control unit 64 acquires the RGB values detected by the color sensor 62 in step ST9, the judgment unit 64b compares the currently acquired RGB values with the previously acquired RGB values, and judges whether the currently acquired RGB values have changed from the previously acquired RGB values in the manner described above (step ST10).

If the sensor unit control unit 64 determines in step ST10 that the RGB values have not changed since the previous time, it returns to step ST8, but if it determines that the RGB values have changed since the previous time, it sends an I/O request to the feeder control unit 46 (step ST11). When the feeder control unit 46 receives an I/O request from the sensor unit control unit 64 (step ST12), it requests the RGB values from the sensor unit control unit 64 (step ST13). Then, when the sensor unit control unit 64 receives a request for the RGB values from the feeder control unit 46 (step ST14), it sends the current RGB values to the feeder control unit 46 (step ST15). After sending the RGB values to the feeder control unit 46 in step ST15, the sensor unit control unit 64 returns to step ST8 and acquires the RGB values (step ST9).

When the feeder control unit 46 receives the RGB values transmitted by the sensor unit control unit 64 in step ST15 (step ST16), the detection unit 72 determines the type of light reflecting object that reflected the inspection light KL based on the received RGB values (step ST17). If the type of light reflecting object determined to be the surface (sheet metal) of the frame 41, the feeder control unit 46 determines that the carrier tape 31 is not present at the inspection position KP (the carrier tape 31 is not passing through the inspection position KP). If the type of light reflecting object determined to be the cover tape 34 (either cover tape (A), cover tape (B), cover tape (C), or cover tape (D)), the feeder control unit 46 determines that the carrier tape 31 is present at the inspection position KP (the carrier tape 31 is passing through the inspection position KP).

Furthermore, if the type of light reflecting material determined to be concatenated tape RT (either concatenated tape (A), concatenated tape (B), or concatenated tape (C)), the feeder control unit 46 determines that the inspection position KP has reached the concatenated tape RT (the concatenated tape RT has passed the inspection position KP), and grasps the position of the concatenated tape RT at that time as the lot change position for the component BH. Furthermore, when the type of light reflecting material changes from the carrier tape 31 to concatenated tape RT, the feeder control unit 46 notifies the control device 18 of the component mounting device 1 of this fact. When the component mounting device 1 receives this notification, it begins preparations to switch the information on the component BH supplied from the tape feeder 13 that issued the notification.

In addition, when the feeder control unit 46 determines that the carrier tape 31 is at the inspection position KP (the carrier tape 31 is passing the inspection position KP), and the RGB values that subsequently change do not correspond to the surface of the frame 41, and do not correspond to the connecting tape RT, it determines that the component BH stored in the carrier tape 31 is passing the inspection position KP. That is, in this embodiment, the detection unit 72 of the feeder control unit 46 is configured to detect the component BH that is stored in the carrier tape 31 and passes the inspection position KP by determining the type of light reflecting object based on the RGB values detected by the color sensor 62.

To make such a determination, it is necessary to determine the colors (RGB values) of the cover tape 34 and the connecting tape RT so that none of the RGB values of the surface of the frame 41, the carrier tape 31, and the connecting tape RT recorded in the RGB value correspondence table 73 match the RGB values corresponding to the component BH. After determining the type of light reflecting object in step ST17, the feeder control unit 46 continues to wait for an I/O request to be sent from the sensor unit control unit 64 (step S11).

As described above, the tape feeder 13 provided in the component mounting device 1 in this embodiment projects the inspection light KL at the inspection position KP on the transport path 41L of the carrier tape 31, and detects the RGB value of the inspection light KL (reflected light HL) reflected at the inspection position KP using the color sensor 62. Then, based on the RGB value of the detected reflected light HL, the type of object (light reflecting object) that reflected the inspection light KL at the inspection position KP is determined, thereby detecting the connecting portion (connecting tape RT) that connects the carrier tapes 31 and the presence or absence of the carrier tape 31.

In this embodiment, the presence or absence of the carrier tape 31 at the inspection position KP and the state in which the connected tape RT has reached the inspection position KP are detected by detecting the color of the connected tape RT, which has a certain width. Therefore, even if the carrier tape 31 meanders as it progresses within the transport path 41L, it is possible to reliably detect the state in which the connected tape RT has reached the inspection position KP. Therefore, with the tape feeder 13 in this embodiment, the position of the connected tape RT can be reliably grasped, and the lot management of the parts BH can be performed accurately.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described so far, the present invention is not limited to the above, and various modifications are possible. For example, the RGB value correspondence table shown in FIG. 7 of the above embodiment is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to this, including the type of light reflecting material. Also, unlike the above embodiment, the connecting tape RT may be attached to a position that blocks the feed hole 36, but the outer teeth 51G of the sprocket 51 may not fully engage with the feed hole 36 blocked by the connecting tape RT, and the carrier tape 31 may vibrate, which may reduce the supply accuracy of the component BH at the component supply position 13K. For this reason, it is preferable that the connecting tape RT is attached to a position that does not block the feed hole 36. Also, a metal or resin clip may be used instead of the connecting tape RT to connect the carrier tapes 31 together. For this clip, it is also possible to obtain the RGB values and perform detection in the same manner as described above.

To provide a tape feeder and component mounting device that can accurately grasp the position of the connecting tape and perform accurate component lot management.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Component mounting device 13 Tape feeder 13K Component supply position 14 Mounting head 31 Carrier tape 36 Feed hole 41 Frame 41L Transport path 43 Tape transport section 45 Color sensor unit 46 Feeder control section 51G Outer peripheral teeth 61 LED light source (projector)
62 Color sensor 64a RGB value acquisition unit 64b Determination unit 72 Detection unit RT Connection tape (connection unit)
KP Inspection position KL Inspection light HL Reflected light BH Component KB Board

Claims (6)

A tape feeder that conveys a carrier tape containing components on a conveying path and supplies the components to a predetermined component supply position,
A frame in which the transport path is formed;
a tape transport unit provided on the frame and configured to transport the carrier tape on the transport path;
a light projector that projects an inspection light onto an inspection position on the transport path;
a color sensor that detects RGB values of reflected light of the inspection light projected from the light projector at the inspection position;
a detection unit that detects a connection portion that connects the carrier tape by determining a type of a light reflecting object that reflects the inspection light at the inspection position based on the RGB value detected by the color sensor ,
The detection unit detects components stored on the carrier tape passing the inspection position by determining the type of the light-reflecting object based on the RGB values detected by the color sensor . The tape feeder according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit determines the presence or absence of the carrier tape based on the RGB values detected by the color sensor. A tape feeder according to claim 1 or 2, comprising an RGB value acquisition unit that repeatedly acquires the RGB values detected by the color sensor at a predetermined time interval, and a judgment unit that judges whether the RGB value acquired this time by the RGB value acquisition unit has changed from the RGB value acquired last time, and the detection unit judges the type of the light reflecting object based on the RGB value acquired this time by the RGB value acquisition unit when the judgment unit judges that the RGB value has changed. The tape feeder of claim 3 , wherein the RGB value acquisition unit and the judgment unit form a color sensor unit together with the color sensor, and the detection unit forms part of a feeder control unit that controls the operation of the tape feeder, including the transport operation of the carrier tape. A tape feeder as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tape transport section transports the carrier tape by engaging the outer teeth of a sprocket with feed holes provided in the carrier tape, the connecting section is a connecting tape that connects two of the carrier tapes, and the connecting tape is attached across the two carrier tapes so as not to block the feed holes provided in the carrier tape. 6. A component mounting device comprising: a tape feeder according to claim 1 ; and a mounting head that picks up components supplied by the tape feeder and mounts them on a board.

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