Reel

Abstract

It is an object to provide a reel capable of expecting strength and dimensional accuracy almost equivalent to those of a metal reel, preventing product failures from being caused by the generation of metal powder, exchanging only a damaged part even in the case in which the part of a member for protecting the reel main body is damaged, being manufactured at a low cost by the miniaturization of a metal mold structure, and preventing a carrier tape and a wiring pattern from being damaged or broken as much as possible. The reel including a reel main body 10a is characterized by comprising; a core member 2 made of resin on which a lengthy tape is taken up; a spoke member 4 made of resin that is arranged radially on the both edges of the core member 2 and that regulates the movement in the transverse direction of the tape taken up on the core member 2; and a ring-shaped member 6 that is arranged to be coupled with the spoke member 4; wherein the ring-shaped member 6 includes a ring-shaped stiffener member 14 made of metal used as a stiffener material and includes a cover member 15 made of resin that covers the ring-shaped stiffener member 14.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a reel that is used for feeding and taking up a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components and that can house a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components while protecting it in each process such as manufacturing, inspection, and mounting of IC chips for a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components (a TAB (Tape Automated Bonding) tape, a COF (Chip on Film) tape, a T-BGA (Tape Ball Grid Array) tape, a CSP (Chip Size Package) tape, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) tape, a 2-metal (double-sided wiring) tape, a tape for multilayer wiring, or the like) (which will be hereinafter referred to as “a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components” or simply “a film carrier tape”).

BACKGROUND ART

With the development of electronics industries, a demand for a printed circuit board for mounting an electronic component such as an IC (integrated circuit) chip and an LSI (large scale integrated circuit) chip has exponentially been increased. However, a reduction in a size, a decrease in a weight, and an enhancement in a function for an electronic apparatus have been demanded, and a mounting method using an FPC (flexible printed circuit) and a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components such as a TAB tape, a COF tape, a BGA tape, an ASIC tape, and a 2-metal (double-sided wiring) tape has recently been employed as a method for mounting these electronic components. In the electronics industry using a liquid crystal display (LCD) for which an increase in a fineness, a reduction in a thickness, and a decrease in the frame area of a liquid crystal panel are demanded, for example, a personal computer, a television, a portable telephone, or the like, an importance thereof has been increased in particular.

In addition, a demand for a film carrier tape has also been extremely increased in the field of a printing control for a printer that is connected to a personal computer.

In general, such a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components is manufactured through each processing such as exposure, development, etching, resist stripping, solder resist treatment, electrical inspection, and visual inspection.

In particular, in each processing during the manufacturing process, a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components that was wound on a reel is fed out, specified processing is performed, the film carrier tape for mounting electronic components to which the processing was completed is wound again on a take-up reel, and the whole reel with the tape is carried to the place of the next processing.

As a reel of a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components that is used for such a purpose, a reel made of aluminum has been preferably used from a viewpoint of strength, dimensional accuracy, and lightweight in the manufacturing process in particular.

However, in the case of a reel made of aluminum, rubbing contact between reels or between a reel and a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components causes metal powder (dust) of aluminum to be generated, and such metal powder of aluminum adheres to the film carrier tape for mounting electronic components. Thus, in many cases, such metal powder may cause irreparable short-circuit of wiring patterns.

As described in the Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-274758), it has been proposed that the surface of a reel made of aluminum is plated with magnetic metal such as nickel or magnetic alloy, and magnetic metal powder generated by rubbing contact or the like is adsorbed by a magnet. However, even in the case in which magnetic metal powder is adsorbed by a magnet, it is difficult that the entire magnetic metal powder is adsorbed completely, and therefore a part of magnetic metal powder may remain on the surface of a tape.

Alternatively, a reel made of resin can be used to prevent metal powder from being generated.

However, in the case in which a reel made of resin, for instance, a large size resin reel is used in the manufacturing process of a film carrier tape, since a length of the tape taken up on the reel is 80 m or longer (120 m for example), the entire tape is too heavy and massive. As a result, the strength of the reel tends to be insufficient.

In addition, a large size metal mold with a complicated structure is required to form a large size reel made of resin, thus causing a cost of a metal mold to be increased.

Moreover, in the case in which two massive reels on which a tape has been taken up collide with each other, a part of a side plate may be damaged. Even in the case in which a damage of a reel occurs, the partial repair of the reel cannot be performed. Therefore, the maintenance of the reel cannot be efficiently implemented.

Furthermore, for a reel made of resin, a side plate section of a reel may be bent in the case in which the reel is carried, thus causing a distance between the both side plate sections of the reel to be changed.

As a result, in the case in which a distance between the both side plate sections of the reel is longer than the specified width, the right and left edge sections (edges in the transverse direction) of a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components may move in the transverse direction, thus causing the right or left edge section of the film carrier tape to be damaged or broken. On the contrary, in the case in which a distance between the both side plate sections of the reel is shorter than the specified width, the right and left edge sections (edges in the transverse direction) of a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components may be bent, thus causing the wiring pattern to be damaged in the section on which an electronic component is mounted.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-274758

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a reel capable of maintaining strength and dimensional accuracy almost equivalent to those of a metal reel, preventing product failures from being caused by the generation of metal powder, exchanging only a damaged part even in the case in which the part of the reel is damaged, being manufactured at a low cost by the miniaturization of a metal mold structure, and preventing a carrier tape and a wiring pattern from being damaged or broken.

Means for Solving the Problems

A reel of the present invention includes a reel main body comprising:

a core member made of resin on which a lengthy tape is taken up;

a spoke member made of resin that is arranged radially on the both edges of the core member and that regulates the movement in the transverse direction of the tape taken up on the core member; and

a ring-shaped member that is arranged to be coupled with the spoke member;

wherein the ring-shaped member includes a ring-shaped stiffener member made of metal used as a stiffener material and includes a cover member made of resin that covers the ring-shaped stiffener member.

By the above configuration, the ring-shaped stiffener member made of metal is disposed as a stiffener material in the ring-shaped member that is arranged on the periphery of the reel main body, and the core member is coupled with the ring-shaped member, that is the ring-shaped stiffener member made of metal, by a plurality of spoke members.

As a result, since the ring-shaped stiffener member made of metal used as a stiffener material functions as a reinforcing member, the specified mechanical strength can be maintained for the entire reel, thus preventing the reel from being damaged by mechanical shock.

Moreover, since the ring-shaped stiffener member made of metal functions as a reinforcing member, even in the case in which external pressure or mechanical shock is applied to the reel during transportation, each side plate section of the reel is not bent or deformed. Therefore, a distance between the both side plate sections of the reel is not changed, thus preventing the edge sections in the transverse direction of a tape from being damaged or broken.

Consequently, in the case in which a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components is used as a tape for instance, the edge sections in the transverse direction of the film carrier tape for mounting electronic components can be prevented from being damaged or broken, thus preventing the wiring pattern from being damaged.

Furthermore, the core member and the spoke member are both made of resin, and the ring-shaped stiffener member made of metal used as a stiffener material in the ring-shaped member is covered with the cover member made of resin.

As a result, since each section that comes into contact with a tape is made of resin, metal dust does not occur unlike a conventional aluminum reel even in the case of rubbing contact between reels or between a reel and a tape, thus preventing metal powder from adhering to the tape.

Consequently, in the case in which the reel is used for a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components, metal powder of aluminum does not occur unlike a conventional aluminum reel. Accordingly, such metal powder of aluminum does not adhere to the film carrier tape for mounting electronic components, thus preventing a short circuit of a wiring pattern.

The ring-shaped stiffener member made of metal is disposed as a stiffener material in the ring-shaped member that is arranged on the periphery of the reel main body, thus including a metal section as a stiffener material. The side plate sections for holding the both edges (the edge sections in the transverse direction) of a tape are configured by a plurality of spoke members that are arranged radially.

As a result, the greater part of a region that configures the side plate sections, that is a face plate section, is ensured as a space between the spoke members, thus reducing the total weight of the reel.

Moreover, the reel of the present invention is characterized in that the spoke member and the core member are detachably attached to each other.

By the above configuration, the spoke member and the core member can be formed in each separate body and combined with each other as an integral structure. In the case in which the spoke members have been attached to the core member with screws and any one of the spoke members is damaged or broken, only the damaged spoke member can be detached and exchanged easily. Consequently, the maintenance efficiency of the reel can be improved, and the specified strength and dimensional accuracy of the reel can be ensured.

Moreover, since the spoke member and the core member can be formed in each separate body, the structure of a metal mold can be simplified and made compact, thus reducing a cost of the metal mold.

Furthermore, the reel of the present invention is characterized in that the spoke member and the ring-shaped member are detachably attached to each other.

By the above configuration, the spoke member and the ring-shaped member can be formed in each separate body and combined with each other as an integral structure. In the case in which any one of the spoke members or the ring-shaped member is damaged or broken, only the damaged member can be detached and exchanged easily. Consequently, the maintenance efficiency of the reel can be improved.

Moreover, since the spoke member and the ring-shaped member can be formed in each separate body, the structure of a metal mold can be simplified and made compact, thus reducing a cost of the metal mold.

Still further, the reel of the present invention is characterized in that the cover member made of resin is configured by a plurality of divided sections arranged in the circular direction.

By the above configuration, in the case in which the cover member made of resin in the ring-shaped member is damaged or broken, only the damaged divided section can be detached and exchanged easily. Consequently, the maintenance efficiency of the reel can be improved.

Moreover, the structure of a metal mold can be simplified and made compact, and one type of a metal mold can be used to form the cover member in the case in which the cover member is configured by divided sections of a size arranged in the circular direction, thus reducing a cost of the metal mold.

Still further, the reel of the present invention is characterized in that the divided section includes an internal divided section that is arranged at the internal surface side of the reel main body and an external divided section that is arranged at the external surface side of the reel main body.

By the above configuration, since only the internal divided section and the external divided section that configure the cover member can be detached from the ring-shaped stiffener member made of metal used as a stiffener material in the ring-shaped member, the cover member can be easily attached or detached, the structure of a metal mold is not complicated, a partial exchange is possible, and a manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Still further, the reel of the present invention is characterized in that a coupling position of a plurality of the divided sections arranged in the circular direction corresponds to a coupling position of the spoke member with the ring-shaped member.

By the above configuration, in the fabrication of the reel, a coupling section of the edges of the divided sections arranged in the circular direction and a coupling section of the spoke member are fixed to each other, thus simplifying a fabrication process and improving the mechanical strength of the reel.

Moreover, since a coupling section of the edges of the divided sections arranged in the circular direction is not located in the space between the spoke members, the mechanical strength of the reel is not lowered.

Still further, the reel of the present invention is characterized in that the ring-shaped stiffener member is sectionally L-shaped.

By making the ring-shaped stiffener member to be sectionally L-shaped as described above, the mechanical strength such as flexural strength for the ring-shaped stiffener member can be improved, thus preventing the side plate sections of the reel from being bent.

By the above configuration, the edge sections in the transverse direction of a tape can be effectively prevented from being damaged or broken.

Still further, the reel of the present invention is characterized in that a stiffener material made of metal is disposed in the spoke member.

As described above, since a stiffener material made of metal is disposed in the spoke member, the metal stiffener material functions as a reinforcing member. In addition, the stiffener material is coupled with the ring-shaped stiffener member made of metal of the ring-shaped member, thus further improving the reinforcing function and the mechanical strength of the side plate sections of the reel. Consequently, the side plate sections of the reel can be prevented from being bent.

By the above configuration, the edge sections in the transverse direction of a tape can be effectively prevented from being damaged or broken.

Still further, the reel of the present invention is characterized in that a stiffener material made of metal is disposed in the core member.

As described above, since a stiffener material made of metal is disposed in the core member, the metal stiffener material functions as a reinforcing member, thus further improving the reinforcing function of the entire reel and preventing the side plate sections of the reel from being bent.

By the above configuration, the edge sections in the transverse direction of a tape can be effectively prevented from being damaged or broken.

Still further, the reel of the present invention is characterized in that the core member is configured by a plurality of divided sections arranged in the circular direction.

By the above configuration, even in the case in which the core member is damaged or broken, only the damaged divided section can be exchanged, thus simplifying a maintenance process.

Still further, the structure of a metal mold can be simplified and made compact, and one type of a metal mold can be used to form the core member in the case in which the core member is configured by divided sections of a size arranged in the circular direction, thus extremely reducing a cost of the metal mold.

Effect of the Invention

By the present invention, the ring-shaped stiffener member made of metal is disposed as a stiffener material in the ring-shaped member that is arranged on the periphery of the reel main body, and the core member is coupled with the ring-shaped member, that is the ring-shaped stiffener member made of metal, by a plurality of spoke members.

As a result, since the ring-shaped stiffener member made of metal used as a stiffener material functions as a reinforcing member, the specified mechanical strength can be maintained for the entire reel, thus preventing the reel from being damaged by mechanical shock.

Moreover, since the ring-shaped stiffener member made of metal functions as a reinforcing member, even in the case in which external pressure or mechanical shock is applied to the reel during transportation, each side plate section of the reel is not bent or deformed. Therefore, a distance between the both side plate sections of the reel is not changed, thus preventing the edge sections in the transverse direction of a tape from being damaged or broken.

Consequently, in the case in which a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components is used as a tape for instance, the edge sections in the transverse direction of the film carrier tape for mounting electronic components can be prevented from being damaged or broken, thus preventing the wiring pattern from being damaged.

Furthermore, the core member and the spoke member are both made of resin, and the ring-shaped stiffener member made of metal used as a stiffener material in the ring-shaped member is covered with the cover member made of resin.

As a result, since each section that comes into contact with a tape is made of resin, metal dust does not occur unlike a conventional aluminum reel even in the case of rubbing contact between reels or between a reel and a tape, thus preventing metal powder from adhering to the tape.

Consequently, in the case in which the reel is used for a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components, metal powder of aluminum does not occur unlike a conventional aluminum reel. Accordingly, such metal powder of aluminum does not adhere to the film carrier tape for mounting electronic components, thus preventing a short circuit of a wiring pattern.

The ring-shaped stiffener member made of metal is disposed as a stiffener material in the ring-shaped member that is arranged on the periphery of the reel main body, thus including a metal section as a stiffener material. The side plate sections for holding the both edges (the edge sections in the transverse direction) of a tape are configured by a plurality of spoke members that are arranged radially.

As a result, the greater part of a region that configures the side plate sections, that is a face plate section, is ensured as a space between the spoke members, thus reducing the total weight of the reel.

By the present invention, the spoke member and the core member can be formed in each separate body and combined with each other as an integral structure. In the case in which the spoke members have been attached to the core member with screws and any one of the spoke members is damaged or broken, only the damaged spoke member can be detached and exchanged easily. Consequently, the maintenance efficiency of the reel can be improved, and the specified strength and dimensional accuracy of the reel can be ensured.

Moreover, since the spoke member and the core member can be formed in each separate body, the structure of a metal mold can be simplified and made compact, thus reducing a cost of the metal mold.

By the present invention, the cover member made of resin is configured by a plurality of divided sections arranged in the circular direction. Consequently, in the case in which the cover member made of resin in the ring-shaped member is damaged or broken, only the damaged divided section can be detached and exchanged easily. Consequently, the maintenance efficiency of the reel can be improved.

Moreover, the structure of a metal mold can be simplified and made compact, and one type of a metal mold can be used to form the cover member in the case in which the cover member is configured by divided sections of a size arranged in the circular direction, thus extremely reducing a cost of the metal mold.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a reel related to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the reel shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line A-A shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a divided section that configures a cover member adopted in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4(A) is a disassembling perspective view showing an internal divided section and an external divided section that configure the divided section. FIG. 4(B) is a perspective view showing the divided section in which the internal divided section and the external divided section that are shown in FIG. 4(A) are combined with each other.

EXPLANATIONS OF LETTERS OR NUMERALS

• 2: core member
• 4: spoke member
• 4a: rib
• 4b: inner surface
• 6: ring-shaped member
• 8: bearing
• 8a: notch groove
• 10: reel
• 10al : reel main body
• 12; rib
• 14: ring-shaped stiffener member
• 15: cover member
• 18: divided section
• 18a: internal divided section
• 18b: external divided section

BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show a reel 10 related to an embodiment of the present invention.

The reel 10 of the present invention is, in particular, a large size reel that is used for taking up a film carrier tape, a rape-shaped insulating film, a spacer tape (hereafter simply referred to as “a lengthy tape”) or the like, in the case in which;

• (1) a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components is manufactured,
• (2) an electronic component such as an IC chip is mounted on the film carrier tape, or
• (3) a film carrier tape or a film carrier tape on which an IC chip has been mounted is transported, stored, or used.

In the reel 10 shown in FIG. 1, in the case in which a lengthy tape (not shown) is taken up on the reel 10, each section that is in contact with the lengthy tape is made of synthetic resin as described later.

As shown in FIG. 1, the reel 10 is configured by a reel main body 10a. The reel main body 10a is mainly composed of a core member 2, on which a lengthy tape with a length of the range of 80 to 200 m is taken up, and a pair of wheel-shaped side plate forming members disposed on the both sides in the axis direction of the core member 2. The side plate forming members on both sides of the core member 2 have the same structure.

That is to say, the side plate forming members disposed on the both sides of the core member 2 are mainly composed of a plurality of (six pieces in the present embodiment) spoke members 4 disposed radially from the core member 2 and a ring-shaped member 6 with which the spoke members 4 are coupled at the positions of the peripheral edges of the spoke members 4.

The spoke members 4 are formed by resin and provided with many ribs 4a on the external surface. In particular, a pitch between ribs 4a is made shorter at the both edges of the spoke members 4 that are sections attached to the core member 2 and the ring-shaped member 6, respectively, in such a manner that the both edges are strengthened.

Since the spoke members 4 are provided with many ribs 4a as described above, the spoke members 4 include spaces in the main body, thus lightening the spoke members 4 and reducing the amount of resin material. In addition, the ribs 4a can improve the structural strength of the spoke members 4.

As shown in FIG. 3, the inner surface 4b of the spoke members 4 is flat. As shown in FIG. 2, a width H of the spoke members 4 is set to comparatively wide. Consequently, the spoke members 4 made of resin can be kept to be highly strengthened.

Although the spoke members 4 have a shape of a linear plate in this embodiment, a shape of the spoke members 4 can be suitably modified, for example, to be a curved plate shape.

As resin making the spoke members 4 and the core member 2, ABS, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyphenylene ether, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, or the like can be used. However, the material is not restricted to them.

The core member 2 on which a lengthy tape is taken up is formed to be almost cylindrically shaped and is provided with a bearing 8 for fixing the reel 10 on a center shaft. Notch grooves 8a are formed on the inner surface of the bearing 8. By engaging protrusions that are formed on a driving shaft coupled with a driving motor (not shown) with the notch grooves 8a, the bearing 8 and the driving shaft are positioned and locked with each other using the notch grooves 8a. By such a configuration, the reel 10 is rotated with the driving force of the driving motor.

In the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in order to attach the base edges of the spoke member 4 to the core member 2, six pairs of ribs 12, two ribs per one spoke member 4 are formed radially between the core member 2 and the bearing 8. In addition, this rib 12 is formed to extend to both side of axial direction of the core member 2. Furthermore, the number and shape of the ribs 12 are not restricted to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ring-shaped member 6 that configures the peripheral section of the reel main body 10a is provided with a ring-shaped stiffener member 14 made of metal used as a stiffener material and with a cover member 15 made of resin for covering the ring-shaped stiffener member 14.

In this case, the material of the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 is not restricted provided that it is made of metal. For instance, a metal stiffener material such as aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, and magnesium alloy can be used.

The ring-shaped stiffener member 14 made of metal is preferably made of aluminum or aluminum alloy. In the case in which the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 is made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 is light and has appropriate strength.

As a method for covering the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 made of metal with the cover member 15 made of resin, the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 made of metal can be covered with resin as an integral structure by the insert forming.

However, as described later, it is preferable that the cover member 15 is provided in such a manner that the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 made of metal is detachably attached to the external surface of the rib 4a of the reel main body 10a. By such a configuration, the cover member 15 can be exchanged even in the case in which the cover member 15 is damaged or broken.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 made of metal is sectionally L-shaped, and an arm side 14a of the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 is fitted into a depression 4c on the inner surface 4b of the spoke members 4 in such a manner that the inner surface 4b of the spoke members 4 and the arm side 14a of the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 become flat.

By making the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 to be sectionally L-shaped as described above, the mechanical strength such as flexural strength for the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 can be improved, thus preventing the side plate section of the reel 10 from being bent.

By the above configuration, the edge sections in the transverse direction of a tape can be effectively prevented from being damaged or broken.

In the present embodiment, an arm side 14a of the sectionally L-shaped ring-shaped stiffener member 14 is fitted into a depression 4c on the inner surface 4b of the spoke member 4. However, it is also possible that the entire inner surface 4b of the spoke member 4 is made flat and the arm side 14a of the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 is arranged at the external surface side of the spoke member 4.

In such a case, the cover member 15 is made of resin and the kind of such resin is not restricted. For instance, ABS, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyphenylene ether, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, or the like can be used for the cover member 15.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cover member 15 is composed of a plurality of (six pieces in the present embodiment) divided sections 18 separated in the circular direction (not configured in one body).

As shown in FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B), the divided section 18 that configures the cover member 15 is composed of an internal divided section 18a sectionally L-shaped that is arranged at the internal surface side of the reel main body 10a and an external divided section 18b sectionally L-shaped that is arranged at the external surface side of the reel main body 10a. The shapes of the internal divided section 18a and the external divided section 18b are complementary to each other.

In order to configure the cover member 15, six pieces of the divided sections 18 composed of the internal and external divided sections 18a and 18b are arranged in the circular direction of the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 in such a manner that the edges of the adjacent divided sections 18 are abutted to each other.

Although six pieces of the divided sections 18 are used in the present embodiment, the number of the divided sections 18 are not restricted but can be suitably modified.

Consequently, one piece of the divided section 18 can also be used for configure the cover member 15, which is configured by one internal divided section 18a and one external divided section 18b.

Moreover, divided sections 18 with different sizes can also be used for configure the cover member 15. However, in the case in which divided sections 18 of a size are arranged in the circular direction to configure the cover member 15, only one type of a metal mold is required to form the divided sections 18, thus reducing a cost of the metal mold.

As shown in FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B), the divided section 18 is formed by putting together the opening edge surface sides of the internal divided section 18a and the external divided section 18b, that is, the surface sides facing to the ring-shaped stiffener member 14. To attach the internal divided section 18a and the external divided section 18b to each other, an adhesive can be applied between the opening edge surfaces, a protrusion can be fitted into a depression, or a screw member can be used.

By the above configuration, even in the case in which the resin cover member 15 of the ring-shaped member 6 is damaged or broken, only the damaged divided section 18 can be exchanged, that is, it is only required that the internal divided section 18a and the external divided section 18b of the damaged divided section 18 are detached, thus simplifying a maintenance process.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the reel 10 related to the present embodiment, a coupling position 18c of a plurality of the divided sections 18 arranged in the circular direction corresponds to a coupling position of the spoke member 4 with the ring-shaped member 6.

By the above configuration, in the fabrication of the reel 10, a coupling section of the edges of the divided sections 18 arranged in the circular direction and a coupling section of the spoke member 4 are fixed to each other, thus simplifying a fabrication process and improving the mechanical strength of the reel 10.

Moreover, since a coupling section of the edges of the divided sections 18 arranged in the circular direction is not located in the space between the spoke members 4, the mechanical strength of the reel 10 is not lowered.

The configuration of the reel 10 related to the present embodiment has been described above, and the fabrication of the reel 10 will be described in the following. However, the fabrication of the reel 10 is not restricted to the present embodiment.

First, the core member 2 made of resin, the spoke member 4 made of resin, and the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 made of metal are formed in each separate body.

Next, the spoke members 4 of the specified number are radially attached to the both sides in the axis direction of the core member 2, that is, to the ribs 12 of the core member 2, with screw members 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the screw members 20 can be lengthy screw members that penetrate through the rib 12 in the axis direction of the core member 2. Alternatively, it is also possible that short screw members 20 are screwed from the both sides of the rib 12.

The ring-shaped stiffener member 14 made of metal is then attached to the edge of the spoke members 4, that is, to the peripheral side of the reel 10, with screw members 22. When the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 is attached to the spoke members 4, six pieces of the divided sections 18 made of resin can be simultaneously attached to the periphery of the ring-shaped stiffener member 14. That is to say, while the internal divided section 18a and the external divided section 18b are combined with each other, the spoke members 4 and the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 can be combined with each other. The fabrication of the reel 10 is thus completed.

It is also possible that the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 and six pieces of the divided sections 18 are combined with each other in advance, and this fabricated peripheral unit section is then attached to the spoke members 4.

As described earlier, it is preferable that a coupling position 18c of a plurality of the divided sections 18 arranged in the circular direction corresponds to a coupling position of the spoke member 4 with the ring-shaped member 6 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. That is to say, it is preferable that the coupling position of the divided sections 18 corresponds to the center in the transverse direction of the spoke member 4.

By the above configuration, the both edges in the circular direction of one divided section 18 can be attached to the spoke members 4 with the screw members 22 as shown in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, it is required that the edge of the screw member 22 does not protrude to the side of the tape housing section in such a manner that the tape is not damaged or broken. In the case in which the internal divided section 18a and the external divided section 18b are combined with each other, an adhesive can be applied to the coupling sections at the edges in the circular direction of the internal divided section 18a and the external divided section 18b and to the opening edge surface sides of the internal divided section 18a and the external divided section 18b. That is to say, an adhesive can be applied between the edge surfaces facing to the ring-shaped stiffener member 14.

In thus configured reel 10 related to the present embodiment, the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 made of metal is disposed as a stiffener material in the ring-shaped member 6 that is arranged on the periphery of the reel main body 10a, and the core member 2 is coupled with the ring-shaped member 6, that is, with the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 made of metal, by a plurality of spoke members 4.

As a result, since the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 made of metal used as a stiffener material functions as a reinforcing member, the specified mechanical strength can be maintained for the entire reel, thus preventing the reel from being damaged by mechanical shock.

Moreover, since the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 made of metal functions as a reinforcing member, even in the case in which external pressure or mechanical shock is applied to the reel 10 during transportation, each side plate section of the reel 10 is not bent or deformed. Therefore, a distance between the both side plate sections of the reel 10 is not changed, thus preventing the edge sections in the transverse direction of a tape from being damaged or broken.

Consequently, in the case in which a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components is used as a tape for instance, the edge sections in the transverse direction of the film carrier tape for mounting electronic components can be prevented from being damaged or broken, thus preventing the wiring pattern from being damaged.

Furthermore, the core member 2 and the spoke member 4 are both made of resin, and the ring-shaped stiffener member 14 made of metal used as a stiffener material in the ring-shaped member 6 is covered with the cover member 15 made of resin.

As a result, since each section that comes into contact with a tape is made of resin, metal dust does not occur unlike a conventional aluminum reel even in the case of rubbing contact between reels or between a reel and a tape, thus preventing metal powder from adhering to the tape.

Consequently, in the case in which the reel is used for a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components, metal powder of aluminum does not occur unlike a conventional aluminum reel. Accordingly, such metal powder of aluminum does not adhere to the film carrier tape for mounting electronic components, thus preventing a short circuit of a wiring pattern.

The ring-shaped stiffener member 14 made of metal is disposed as a stiffener material in the ring-shaped member 6 that is arranged on the periphery of the reel main body 10a, thus including a metal section as a stiffener material. The side plate sections for holding the both edges (the edge sections in the transverse direction) of a tape are configured by a plurality of spoke members 4 that are arranged radially.

As a result, the greater part of a region that configures the side plate sections, that is a face plate section, is ensured as a space between the spoke members 4, thus reducing the total weight of the reel.

By the present invention, the spoke member 4 and the core member 2 can be formed in each separate body and combined with each other as an integral structure. In the case in which the spoke members 4 have been attached to the core member 2 with screws and any one of the spoke members 4 is damaged or broken, only the damaged spoke member 4 can be detached and exchanged easily. Consequently, the maintenance efficiency of the reel can be improved, and the specified strength and dimensional accuracy of the reel can be ensured.

Moreover, since the spoke member 4 and the core member 2 can be formed in each separate body, the structure of a metal mold can be simplified and made compact, thus reducing a cost of the metal mold.

By the present invention, the cover member 15 made of resin is configured by a plurality of the divided sections 18 arranged in the circular direction, and the divided section 18 is composed of the internal divided section 18a that is arranged at the internal surface side of the reel main body 10a and the external divided section 18b that is arranged at the external surface side of the reel main body 10a. By such a configuration, even in the case in which the resin cover member 15 of the ring-shaped member 6 is damaged or broken, only the damaged divided section 18 can be exchanged, that is, it is only required that the internal divided section 18a and the external divided section 18b of the damaged divided section 18 are detached, thus simplifying a maintenance process.

Moreover, the structure of a metal mold can be simplified and made compact, and one type of a metal mold can be used to form the cover member 15 in the case in which the cover member 15 is configured by divided sections of a size arranged in the circular direction, thus extremely reducing a cost of the metal mold.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not restricted to the embodiment. For example, while a large size reel used for manufacturing a film carrier tape has been particularly described in the embodiment above, the present reel structure can also be applied to a middle size reel such as a reel for delivering to customers, and applied to the case in which a lengthy tape for other applications is used.

The external shape of the core member 2, the external shape and the number of the spoke members 4, and the sectional shape of the divided section 18 of the cover member 15 are not restricted.

For the reel of the present invention, a stiffener material made of metal can also be disposed in the spoke member.

As described above, in the case in which a stiffener material made of metal is disposed in the spoke member, the metal stiffener material functions as a reinforcing member. In addition, the stiffener material is coupled with the ring-shaped stiffener member made of metal of the ring-shaped member, thus further improving the reinforcing function and the mechanical strength of the side plate section of the reel. Consequently, the side plate section of the reel can be prevented from being bent.

By the above configuration, the edge sections in the transverse direction of a tape can be effectively prevented from being damaged or broken.

Furthermore, for the reel of the present invention, a stiffener material made of metal can also be disposed in the core member.

As described above, in the case in which a stiffener material made of metal is disposed in the core member, the metal stiffener material functions as a reinforcing member, thus further improving the reinforcing function of the entire reel and preventing the side plate section of the reel from being bent.

By the above configuration, the edge sections in the transverse direction of a tape can be effectively prevented from being damaged or broken.

Still further, for the reel of the present invention, the core member can be configured by a plurality of divided sections arranged in the circular direction.

By the above configuration, even in the case in which the core member is damaged or broken, only the damaged divided section can be exchanged, thus simplifying a maintenance process.

Still further, the structure of a metal mold can be simplified and made compact, and one type of a metal mold can be used to form the core member in the case in which the core member is configured by divided sections of a size arranged in the circular direction, thus extremely reducing a cost of the metal mold.

Claims

1. A reel including a reel main body comprising:

a core member made of resin on which a lengthy tape is taken up;

a spoke member made of resin that is arranged radially on the both edges of the core member and that regulates the movement in the transverse direction of the tape taken up on the core member; and

a ring-shaped member that is arranged to be coupled with the spoke member;

wherein the ring-shaped member includes a ring-shaped stiffener member made of metal used as a stiffener material and includes a cover member made of resin that covers the ring-shaped stiffener member.

2. A reel as defined in claim 1, wherein the spoke member and the core member are detachably attached to each other.

3. A reel as defined in claim 1, wherein the spoke member and the ring-shaped member are detachably attached to each other.

4. A reel as defined in claim 1, wherein the cover member made of resin is configured by a plurality of divided sections arranged in the circular direction.

5. A reel as defined in claim 1, wherein the divided section includes an internal divided section that is arranged at the internal surface side of the reel main body and an external divided section that is arranged at the external surface side of the reel main body.

6. A reel as defined in claim 4, wherein a coupling position of a plurality of the divided sections arranged in the circular direction corresponds to a coupling position of the spoke member with the ring-shaped member.

7. A reel as defined in claim 1, wherein the ring-shaped stiffener member is sectionally L-shaped.

8. A reel as defined in claim 1, wherein the core member is configured by a plurality of divided sections arranged in the circular direction.