Tape feeder

A tape feeder that rotates a sprocket with feed pins of an outer circumference of the sprocket engaged with sprocket holes of a carrier tape to feed the carrier tape, the tape feeder comprising:

• a feeder bottom support that rotatably holds the sprocket and that has a sprocket drive section that rotationally drives the sprocket;
• and
• a tape presser mechanism that presses the carrier tape toward the feeder bottom support, wherein
• the tape presser mechanism includes
• a tape presser that is at one end pivotally supported by the feeder bottom support and swingable with respect to the feeder bottom support and that presses the carrier tape toward the sprocket while situated at a close position where the tape presser is closed with respect to the feeder bottom support, and
• a tape presser operation member that is swingably attached to the feeder bottom support and that swings between a fixed position where the tape presser operation member presses the other end of the tape presser toward the feeder bottom support to fix the tape presser at the close position and an unfixed position where the other end of the tape feeder is released from pressure, and,
• when the tape presser operation member is swung to the unfixed position from the fixed position, the tape presser operation member lifts up the other end of the tape presser from below to form a carrier tape insertion space that enables insertion of the carrier tape between the tape presser and the feeder bottom support.