Component supplying apparatus and component supplying method

A component supplying method for serially-feeding a plurality of carrier tapes accommodating components in a tape feeding direction which is a tape longitudinal direction, and for keeping a subsequent carrier tape waiting with the subsequent carrier tape stacked on a preceding carrier tape, the component supplying method comprising:

• preparing:
• a tape guiding part having a tape guide surface facing a lower surface of the carrier tape and guiding the carrier tape so as to make the carrier tape move along a tape path,
• a preceding tape contact part capable to climb onto a upper surface of the preceding carrier tape by coming into contact with the preceding tape moving in the tape feeding direction along the tape guide surface of the tape guiding part, and
• a subsequent tape blocking part configured to wait on the upstream side of the preceding tape contact part in the tape feeding direction while facing to and keeping a distance from the tape guide surface of the tape guiding part so as to enable the carrier tape to pass between the subsequent tape blocking part and the tape guiding part, to move downwardly from the waiting position toward the upper surface of the preceding carrier tape when the preceding tape contact part is climbed onto the upper surface of the preceding carrier tape, and to move upwardly from the preceding carrier tape toward the waiting position when the preceding tape contact part is climbed down from the upper surface of the preceding carrier tape,
• feeding the preceding carrier tape in the tape feeding direction along the tape guide surface such that the preceding tape contact part is climbed onto the upper surface of the preceding carrier tape and thereby the subsequent tape blocking part moves downwardly toward the upper surface of the preceding carrier tape, and
• feeding the subsequent carrier tape in the tape feeding direction along the upper surface of the preceding carrier tape onto which the preceding tape contact part has been climbed until a front end of the subsequent carrier tape comes into contact with the subsequent tape blocking part on the preceding carrier tape.