Holder arrangement
AssigneeMycronic AB
InventorJohan Bergstrom
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A holder arrangement for releasably holding a plurality of component feeders, configured to feed a component tape towards a picking position of a component mounting machine, is disclosed. The arrangement comprises a first mechanical interface configured to releasably attach the plurality of component feeders to the holder arrangement, and a second mechanical interface configured to releasably attach the holder arrangement to a component tape magazine configured to be loaded into the component mounting machine, such that the component feeders are positioned to guide the component tape to the picking position. Furthermore, a method for handling at least one component feeder, is disclosed.
Claims16
A holder arrangement for releasably holding a plurality of component feeders that are each configured to feed a separate component tape towards a picking position of a component mounting machine, the holder arrangement comprising:
- a first mechanical interface configured to releasably attach the plurality of component feeders to the holder arrangement;
- and
- a second mechanical interface configured to releasably attach the holder arrangement to a component tape magazine configured to be loaded into the component mounting machine, the second mechanical interface configured to releasably attach the holder arrangement to the component tape magazine independently of the plurality of component feeders, such that the plurality of component feeders are positioned to guide separate, respective component tapes to the picking position based on operation of the component tape magazine, based on the plurality of component feeders remaining releasably attached to the holder arrangement while the holder arrangement is releasably attached to the component tape magazine independently or the plurality of component feeders.
A method for handling at least one component feeder configured to feed a component tape towards a picking position of a component mounting machine, wherein said at least one component feeder is arranged to be releasably held by a holder arrangement, the method comprising;
- attaching the at least one component feeder to the holder arrangement by means of a first mechanical interface;
- attaching the holder arrangement to a tape bin using a second mechanical interface;
- carrying said tape bin to a tape magazine and moving said tape bin into the tape magazine, the tape magazine configured to be loaded into the component mounting machine;
- detaching the holder arrangement from the tape bin while the at least one component feeder remains attached to the holder arrangement and attaching said holder arrangement to the tape magazine using the second mechanical interface independently of the at least one component feeder and while the at least one component feeder remains attached to the holder arrangement, such that that the at least one component feeder is positioned to guide the component tape to the picking position based on operation of the tape magazine, based on the at least one component feeder remaining attached to the holder arrangement while the holder arrangement is attached to the tape magazine independently of the at least one component feeder;
- and
- loading the tape magazine into the component mounting machine for the at least one component feeder to feed the component tape to the picking position of the component mounting machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.