Cover-tape treating method and apparatus and electric-component supplying unit

An apparatus for treating a cover tape of a carrier tape including (a) an accommodating tape having, at a predetermined pocket pitch, a plurality of pockets accommodating a plurality of electric components, respectively, and (b) the cover tape fixed to the accommodating tape to close respective openings of the pockets, comprising:

• a cover-tape peeling and feeding device which peels a portion of the cover tape from the accommodating tape, and feeds the peeled portion of the cover tape in a lengthwise direction thereof;
• a cutting device which cuts off a free end portion of the fed portion of the cover tape, into a cut-off piece of the cover tape;
• a suction device which includes a suction passage and which sucks the cut-off piece of the cover tape with an ambient air into the suction passage, and thereby carries away the cut-off piece;
• and
• a moving device which moves at least one of the cover-tape peeling and feeding device and the cutting device relative to the other of the cover-tape peeling and feeding device and the cutting device, in a reference direction,
• the cutting device comprising a pair of shearing blades which cooperate with each other to shear off the free end portion of the cover tape,
• at least one of the pair of shearing blades having a V-shaped cutting edge line which is inclined with respect to the reference direction in a plane in which at least one of the shearing blades is moved relative to the other shearing blade to shear off the free end portion of the cover tape,
• the V-shaped cutting edge line including (a) a central portion protruding toward the other of the pair of shearing blades, and (b) two side portions on both sides of the central portion, the two side portions being inclined such that a distance between each of the two inclined portions and said other shearing blade increases in a direction toward a corresponding one of opposite ends of the V-shaped cutting edge line.

An apparatus for supplying a plurality of electric components, comprising:

• a carrier-tape feeding device which feeds a carrier tape including (a) an accommodating tape having, at a predetermined pocket pitch, a plurality of pockets accommodating the plurality of electric components, respectively, and (b) a cover tape fixed to the accommodating tape to close respective openings of the pockets, at a tape-feed pitch equal to a quotient obtained by dividing the pocket pitch with an integral number;
• a cover-tape peeling and feeding device which peels a portion of the cover tape of the carrier tape being fed, so as to sequentially open the respective openings of the pockets of the accommodating tape, and feeds the peeled portion of the cover tape in a lengthwise direction thereof;
• a first cutting device which cuts off a free end portion of the fed portion of the cover tape, into a cut-off piece of the cover tape;
• and
• a first suction device which includes a first suction passage and which sucks the cut-off piece of the cover tape with an ambient air into the suction passage, and thereby carries away the cut-off piece.

An apparatus for supplying a plurality of electric components, comprising:

• a carrier-tape feeding device which feeds a carrier tape including (a) an accommodating tape having, at a predetermined pocket pitch, a plurality of pockets accommodating the plurality of electric components, respectively, and (b) a cover tape fixed to the accommodating tape to close respective openings of the pockets at a tape-feed pitch equal to a quotient obtained by dividing the pocket pitch with an integral number;
• a cover-tape peeling and feeding device which peels a portion of the cover tape of the carrier tape being fed, so as to sequentially open the respective openings of the pockets of the accommodating tape, and feeds the peeled portion of the cover tape in a lengthwise direction thereof;
• a first cutting device which cuts off a free end portion of the fed portion of the cover tape, into a cut-off piece of the cover tape;
• a first suction device which includes a first suction passage and which sucks the cut-off piece of the cover tape with an ambient air into the suction passage, and thereby carries away the cut-off piece;
• a second cutting device which cuts off a free end portion of the accommodating tape from which the cover tape has been peeled, into a cut-off piece of the accommodating tape;
• and
• a second suction device which includes a second suction passage and which sucks the cut-off piece of the accommodating tape with an ambient air into the second suction passage, and thereby carries away the cut-off piece.

An apparatus for supplying a plurality of electric components, comprising:

• a carrier-tape feeding device which feeds, in a tape-feed direction, a carrier tape including (a) an accommodating tape having, at a predetermined pocket pitch, a plurality of pockets accommodating the plurality of electric components, respectively, and (b) a cover tape fixed to the accommodating tape to close respective openings of the pockets, at a tape-feed pitch equal to a quotient obtained by dividing the pocket pitch with an integral number, to a component-supply position where each of the electric components is supplied from a corresponding one of the pockets of the accommodating tape to an electric-component receiver;
• a cover-tape peeling and feeding device which peels, on an upstream side of the component-supply position in the tape-feed direction, a portion of the cover tape of the carrier tape being fed, so as to sequentially open the respective openings of the pockets of the accommodating tape, and feeds the peeled portion of the cover tape in a lengthwise direction thereof;
• a cutting device which cuts off, on said upstream side of the component-supply position in the tape-feed direction, a free end portion of said peeled portion of the cover tape, into a cut-off piece of the cover tape;
• and
• a suction device which includes a first suction passage and which sucks the cut-off piece of the cover tape with an ambient air into the suction passage, and thereby carries away the cut-off piece.