Tape feeder and method of mounting tape onto tape feeder

A tape mounting method of mounting a carrier tape into a tape feeder that feeds the carrier tape pitch by pitch to sequentially feed electronic components to a pickup position of a transfer head and comprises:

• a main body comprising a tape travel path for guiding the carrier tape holding the electronic components;
• a tape feed mechanism that intermittently rotates a sprocket in a state in which a feed pin of the sprocket disposed in the main body engages a feed hole disposed in the carrier tape to feed the carrier tape at a given pitch;
• and a guide part that guides the carrier tape fed by the tape feed mechanism in a given range including the pickup position on the main body, and is detachably attached to the main body, wherein the guide part comprises:
• a lower member that guides a lower surface side of the carrier tape, and includes an attachment/detachment mechanism that is attached to and detached from the main body;
• an upper member that is provided to include a pin engagement range where the feed pin of the sprocket engages the feed hole, guides a width direction of the carrier tape, and presses down the carrier tape from above to guide an upper surface thereof;
• a tape introduction part that is disposed at an upstream side of the upper member in a tape feed direction, and guides the carrier tape into the upper member;
• a confirmation opening part disposed in the upper member for visually confirming that the introduced carrier tape arrives at the pin engagement range;
• an open/close mechanism that opens and closes the upper member with respect to the lower member;
• and a positioning mechanism that fits a positioning pin into the feed hole of the carrier tape in the guide part, thereby positioning a relative position of the carrier tape and the guide part in the tape feed direction,
• said tape mounting method comprising:
• introducing the carrier tape into the upper member from the tape introduction part in a state in which the guide part is detached from the main body;
• visually confirming that the introduced carrier tape arrives at the pin engagement range;
• adjusting the relative position of the carrier tape and the guide part in the tape feed direction by fitting the positioning pin into the feed hole of the introduced carrier tape;
• and
• fixedly mounting the guide part on the main body after the relative position is adjusted.