Method and apparatus for taking electronic component out of carrier tape

A method of taking an electronic component in the form of a chip out of each of a number of chip-holding pockets, which are formed at regular intervals along a longitudinal direction of a carrier tape and which have openings in a top surface of said tape, while said carrier tape is intermittently fed in a feeding direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of said tape, the method, utilizing a suction member which has an air-suction hole open in a lower face thereof for the purpose of taking said chip out of each chip-holding pocket, comprising the steps of:

• bringing at least one of said chip-holding pockets having said chip therein into a position in which said opening of said at least one pocket is covered with covering means which has a notch with a width narrower than that of said chip and wider than that of said suction member;
• feeding said carrier tape a distance equal to said regular interval in said feeding direction, and permitting a leading chip of said at least one chip to be brought into a suction position in which said leading chip is right below said suction member and said notch;
• lowering said suction member through said notch of said covering means so as to allow the suction member to suck and hold said leading chip;
• retracting said covering means while said carrier tape is kept in a stationary state, so as to clear said covering means from above said leading chip held by said suction member;
• and
• lifting said suction member so as to take said leading chip out of said chip-holding pocket.