Method and apparatus for inserting electronic component

A method of inserting electronic components into a board, each of the electronic components having a pair of lead wires that extend in an axial direction, and each of the electronic components being tape bonded at a fixed separation distance, said method comprising:

• holding a series of the electronic components with tapes such that the electronic components are tape bonded;
• cutting the tapes so as to remove one of the electronic components;
• simultaneously holding the tapes and the lead wires of the removed one of the electronic components and transferring the removed one of the electronic components to an insertion position;
• cutting and folding the lead wires to a pitch of the insertion holes of the board into which the lead wires are to be inserted with insertion guides that are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the pitch of the insertion holes and positioned for a specified insertion direction for insertion of the removed one of the electronic components, and guiding and inserting the lead wires into the insertion holes of the board with the insertion guides;
• concurrently changing the insertion direction in which a subsequent electronic component is to be inserted into the board by changing the position of the of the insertion guides and the pitch by which the subsequent electronic component is to be inserted into the board by changing the distance which the insertion guides are spaced apart to a distance corresponding to the pitch of the insertion holes for the subsequent electronic component;
• and
• fixing the removed one of the electronic components to the board by folding lead wires of the removed one of the electronic components under the board.

A electronic component inserting apparatus for inserting electronic components into insertion holes of a board, each of the electronic components having a pair of lead wires that extend in an axial direction and tape bonded at a fixed separation distance, said apparatus comprising:

• a holding member;
• a cutting device positioned adjacent to said holding member;
• a transferring member that comprises a pair of holding hooks adapted to simultaneously hold tapes and lead wires of an electronic component that has been held by said holding member and removed by cutting with said cutting device;
• an inserting unit capable of receiving an electronic component from said transferring member, said inserting unit being rotatable about an axis extending in the axial direction, and said inserting unit comprising a pair of slide blocks, wherein said slide blocks comprise mechanisms for cutting and folding lead wires of an electronic component in correspondence to a pitch of insertion holes of a board and guiding and inserting the lead wires of an electronic component into the insertion holes;
• a driving unit mounted in said inserting unit, said driving unit being connected with said sliding blocks such that said driving unit can relatively move said sliding blocks so as to change the pitch thereof;
• and
• a fixing member adapted to fold the lead wires under the board to secure the electronic component to the board when the electronic component is mounted to the board.

A electronic component inserting apparatus for inserting electronic components into insertion holes of a board, each of the electronic components having a pair of lead wires that extend in an axial direction and are tape bonded at a fixed separation distance, said apparatus comprising:

• a holding member;
• a cutting device positioned adjacent to said holding member;
• a transferring member that comprises a pair of holding hooks adapted to simultaneously hold tapes and lead wires of an electronic component that has been held by said holding member and removed by cutting with said cutting device;
• an inserting unit that is rotatable about an axis extending in the axial direction, said inserting unit comprising a pair of slide blocks, a guide member engaged with said slide blocks so as to slidably guide said slide blocks, a ball screw parallel to said guide member having threads formed in opposite directions, said threads being engaged with respective ones of said slide blocks, a driving device in said inserting unit operatively connected with said ball screw, wherein said slide blocks comprise mechanisms for cutting and folding lead wires of an electronic component in correspondence to a pitch of insertion holes of a board and guiding and inserting the lead wires of an electronic component in to the insertion holes, and whereby the pitch of said pair of slide blocks can be changed in correspondence with the pitch of the insertion holes of the board by rotating said ball screw with said driving device;
• and
• a fixing member adapted to fold the lead wires under the board to secure the electronic component to the board when the electronic component is mounted to the board.