Air-guided tape-and-reel system and method

1. A tape-and-reel system for processing circuit components, the tape-and-reel system comprising:

a first carrier tape reel for holding an unloaded carrier tape;

a circuit component loading system for loading circuit components into a plurality of pockets of the unloaded carrier tape to form a loaded carrier tape;

an air-guided cover tape feeder through which a cover tape travels, the air-guided cover tape feeder comprising:

a vertical channel over which the cover tape travels, wherein the cover tape is fed horizontally across the top of the upper end of the vertical channel; and

a pressurized fluid interface positioned over the upper end of the vertical channel, wherein the carrier tape is fed horizontally across the upper end of the vertical channel, and wherein the pressurized fluid interface is configured to inject externally pressurized fluid through the pressurized fluid interface perpendicular to a major surface of the cover tape being horizontally across the upper end of the vertical channel and into the channel to apply pressure via the pressurized fluid on the cover tape to hold tension on a slack of the cover tape, the slack being a loop of cover tape in excess of the amount of cover tape needed by an alignment tool;

wherein the alignment tool is configured to guide the cover tape into alignment with the loaded carrier tape and adhere the cover tape to the loaded carrier tape to secure the circuit components into the loaded carrier tape; and

a second carrier tape reel configured to hold the loaded carrier tape.

2. The tape-and-reel system of claim 1 , wherein the pressurized fluid interface is configured to apply the pressure via the pressurized fluid on the cover tape to force the cover tape in a downward direction in the channel.

3. The tape-and-reel system of claim 1 , wherein the pressurized fluid interface comprises at least one pressurized fluid outlet configured to inject the pressurized fluid into the channel.

4. The tape-and-reel system of claim 3 , wherein the pressurized fluid outlet and the channel are configured to inject the pressurized fluid into the channel perpendicular to a major surface of the cover tape.

5. The tape-and-reel system of claim 3 , wherein the pressurized fluid outlet is configured to continually inject the pressurized fluid into the channel to hold tension on the cover tape.

6. The tape-and-reel system of claim 1 , wherein the air-guided cover tape feeder comprises:

a rear panel;

at least two spacers coupled to the rear panel; and

a cover plate having a plurality of openings;

wherein the cover plate is separated from the rear panel by the at least two spacers such that cover tape can pass over the spacers between the rear panel and the cover plate; and

wherein the at least two spacers are spaced horizontally apart to create a vertical channel into which the pressurized fluid can be injected perpendicular to a major surface of the cover tape.

7. The tape-and-reel system of claim 6 , wherein the air-guided cover tape feeder further comprises an optical sensor system positioned along the rear panel and behind the plurality of openings in the cover plate.

8. A method for processing circuit components using a tape-and-reel system, the method comprising:

feeding carrier tape from a first carrier tape reel holding unloaded carrier tape into a circuit component loading system;

loading each of a plurality of circuit components into a plurality of respective pockets of the carrier tape to form a loaded carrier tape;

feeding a cover tape through an air-guided cover tape feeder, the air-guided cover tape feeder comprising:

a vertical channel over which the cover tape travels, wherein the cover tape is fed horizontally across the top of the upper end of the vertical channel, and

a pressurized fluid interface positioned over the upper end of vertical channel, wherein the carrier tape is fed across the upper end of the vertical channel, wherein the pressurized fluid interface is configured to inject externally pressurized fluid through the pressurized fluid interface perpendicular to a major surface of the cover tape being fed horizontally across the upper end of the vertical channel and into the vertical channel over which the cover tape horizontally travels to apply pressure via the pressurized fluid on the major surface of the cover tape to hold tension on a slack of the cover tape, the slack being a loop of cover tape in excess of the amount of cover tape needed by an alignment tool;

feeding the loaded carrier tape and the cover tape to the alignment tool;

aligning the cover tape with the loaded carrier tape and adhering the cover tape to the loaded carrier tape to secure the circuit components into the loaded carrier tape; and

reeling the loaded carrier tape onto a second carrier tape reel.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the pressurized fluid is continually injected into the channel to hold tension on the cover tape.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the feeding of the cover tape through an air-guided cover tape feeder is performed in response to an optical detector failing to detect cover tape within the air-guided cover tape feeder.