US 5,725,140 AGranted

Tape feeder for a surface mount placement system

AssigneeAmistar Corporation

InventorsJerome L. Weber, George M. Wohlhieter

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A tape feeder for advancing a carrier tape with pockets containing parts in a surface mount placement system enhances the precision and reliability with which the tape is advanced and reduces the risk of loss of parts in uncovered pockets due to vibration by provision of a sprocket wheel to advance the tape, a reciprocating shutter to retain parts in uncovered pockets, and a retaining member disposed above an edge of the tape for contacting a portion of a top surface of the tape to retain the top surface portion in a plane when the tape is engaged by the sprocket wheel. The operation of the retaining member is assisted by a guide member including front and rear guides that contact the top surface of the tape and a support block that is pressed by a support spring against the bottom surface of a portion of tape between the front and rear guides. The operation of the tape feeder is adjusted to accommodate different pitches.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A tape feeder operable in a surface mount placement system for providing parts contained in a tape with two edges, a top surface and a bottom surface, and a sequence of pockets for carrying the parts, the tape feeder comprising:

an actuating lever reciprocateable between two positions;
a cam with two surfaces on the actuating lever;
a sprocket wheel with teeth for engaging the bottom surface;
a first reciprocateable linkage with a ratchet link in driving engagement with the sprocket wheel, the first linkage interlocked with the actuating lever for rotating the sprocket wheel to advance the tape when the actuating lever is moved to a first position;
a shutter for contacting the top surface of the tape to retain a part in a pocket;
a second reciprocateable linkage interlocked with the actuating lever, the second linkage including a cam follower for being engaged by a first cam surface to move the shutter in a first direction with the tape when the actuating lever is moved to the first position, and for being engaged by the second cam surface to move the shutter in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the actuating lever is moved to the second position;
and
a member disposed laterally of the shutter, above an edge of the tape, for contacting a portion of the top surface to retain the portion of the top surface in a plane when the tape is engaged by the sprocket wheel.

5 more elements

A tape feeder for advancing a carrier tape in a surface mount placement system (SMPS), the carrier tape including top and bottom surfaces, two edges, a sequence of pockets spaced at a predetermined pitch, a sequence of sprocket holes, and a cover tape on the surface the tape feeder comprising:

means for removing the cover tape from the top surface at a first location;
a rotatable sprocket wheel for engaging the sprocket holes;
a first linkage coupled to the sprocket wheel for intermittently advancing the carrier tape by a predetermined pitch by rotating the sprocket wheel by a predetermined amount;
a shutter disposed over the pockets;
a second linkage coupled to the shutter for advancing the shutter with the carrier tape by the predetermined pitch from near said first location toward a pick location, and for returning the shutter toward the first location;
an actuating lever interlinking the means for removing, the first linkage, and the second linkage, and responsive to an actuating force applied from the SMPS for synchronizing removal of the cover tape with rotation of the sprocket wheel and movement of the shutter;
and
a retainer disposed laterally of the shutter for contacting the top surface of the tape near a first edge of the tape and extending along the first edge for a distance of at least one pitch.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.