Mask transfer device and mask transfer method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of electronic product production, and particularly discloses a mask transfer device and a mask transfer method.The mask transfer device is characterized in that an uncovering mechanism is arranged on a base and used for opening a cover body of a mask storage box; the transfer mechanism is arranged on the base, the output end of the transfer mechanism is provided with a grabbing assembly used for grabbing the mask from the mask storage box, and in the grabbing assembly, two clamping pieces are movably restrained to a grabbing seat in the width direction and can be close to or away from each other; the two rotating pieces are arranged in the width direction in a spaced mode and can rotate with the axes of the rotating pieces as axes. The clamping transmission part is in a strip shape and is wound between the two rotating parts, two transmission parts which extend in the width direction and are parallel to each other are formed between the two rotating parts, and the two transmission parts are in transmission connection with the corresponding clamping parts respectively; the clamping driver is arranged on the grabbing base, and the output end of the clamping driver is in driving connection with the clamping piece or one of the rotating pieces. Through the arrangement, the labor intensity of workers is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of electronic product production, and in particular to a mask transfer device and a mask transfer method. Background Art

[0002] The mask, also known as the photomask, is a graphic template in the photolithography process. The mask needs to be placed in a mask storage box for shipment or storage. The mask storage box includes a box body and a cover body. The box body is used to position and store the mask. The cover body is connected to the box body by a hinge, which can press the mask and has a certain sealing effect. During use, the cover body needs to be opened manually and the mask inside is taken out. With the development of the semiconductor industry, the number of mask storage boxes used is increasing, and the disadvantages of manual handling are becoming more and more obvious. Among them, workers need to concentrate highly in the process of grabbing the mask, which is labor-intensive and consumes a lot of manpower; and if there is a slight deviation in the grabbing process, such as the mask tilting, the film under the mask will be damaged, resulting in damage to the mask storage box. In addition, manual picking requires a long preparation time, so that after the cover body is opened, the mask is in an unprotected state. Long-term unprotected state increases the probability of mask contamination.

[0003] Therefore, it is urgent to study a mask transfer device and a mask transfer method to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a mask transfer device and a mask transfer method to solve the problems in the prior art that the mask transfer is labor-intensive, the mask storage box is easily damaged, and the probability of mask contamination is high.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] The mask transfer device can open the mask storage box and take out the mask therein, including:

[0007] Base;

[0008] A cover opening mechanism, disposed on the base and used for opening the cover of the mask storage box;

[0009] The transfer mechanism is arranged on the base, and the output end of the transfer mechanism has a grabbing component, the grabbing component is used to grab the mask from the box body of the mask storage box, and the grabbing component includes:

[0010] Grab seat;

[0011] Two clamping members are both movably constrained to the grabbing seat along the width direction and can move closer to or farther from each other;

[0012] Two rotating members are arranged at intervals in the width direction and are arranged to rotate around their own axes;

[0013] The clamping transmission member is in the form of a belt and is wound between the two rotating members, and two transmission parts extending in the width direction and parallel to each other are formed between the two rotating members, and the two transmission parts are respectively connected to the corresponding clamping members in a transmission manner;

[0014] The clamping driver is arranged on the grabbing seat, and the output end is drivingly connected to the clamping member or one of the rotating members.

[0015] As an optional technical solution for a mask transfer device, the rotating member includes a rotating wheel and a mounting shaft rotatably matched with the rotating wheel, the mounting shaft extends in the height direction, and one end is fixed to the grabbing seat; the clamping member is provided with a limiting slide groove extending in the width direction, the other end of the mounting shaft is passed through the limiting slide groove, and can slide relative to the limiting slide groove in the width direction, and can be stopped by abutting against the side wall of the limiting slide groove.

[0016] As an optional technical solution for the mask transfer device, the rotating wheel is a synchronous wheel with teeth arranged circumferentially, the clamping transmission member is a synchronous belt with teeth on the inner side adapted to the two synchronous wheels, and the synchronous belt meshes with the synchronous wheel for transmission.

[0017] As an optional technical solution of the mask transfer device, the grabbing assembly further includes a grabbing elastic member, and the grabbing elastic member applies an elastic force to the two clamping members to bring the two clamping members closer to each other.

[0018] As an optional technical solution for a mask transfer device, the grabbing elastic member includes a tension spring, and a connecting block with a hook is installed on the clamping member. The connecting block is located below the grabbing seat, and the opening of the hook faces upward, and the hanging ring at the end of the tension spring can be hooked on the hook from top to bottom.

[0019] As an optional technical solution for a mask transfer device, the transfer mechanism also includes a position detection member and a trigger member, wherein the trigger member is connected to one of the clamping members, and the position detection members have two and are arranged at intervals on the moving path of the trigger member; during the movement of the two clamping members, the trigger member can be located in an open position, a clamping position and a clamping position in sequence; when the trigger member is located in the open position, it can trigger one of the position detection members; when the trigger member is located in the clamping position, it can trigger the other position detection member; and when the trigger member is located in the clamping position, it can trigger both position detection members at the same time.

[0020] As an optional technical solution for a mask transfer device, the transfer mechanism also includes a rotary drive and two orientation detection components. The output end of the rotary drive is connected to the grab seat to drive the grab seat to rotate around its own axis. The two orientation detection components are spaced apart along the length direction, and the distance between the two orientation detection components is greater than 0 and less than the difference between the length and width of the mask.

[0021] As an optional technical solution for a mask transfer device, the clamping drive is a linear drive, the side wall of the linear drive parallel to its own axis is connected to the grabbing seat, the output end of the linear drive can reciprocate along the width direction and is driven and connected to the clamping member.

[0022] As an optional technical solution for a mask transfer device, the transfer mechanism also includes a transfer seat, a transverse member and a transverse drive. The transfer seat is arranged on the base, the transverse member is movably constrained to the transfer seat along the length direction, the grabbing seat is arranged on the transverse member, and the output end of the transverse drive is drivingly connected to the transverse member.

[0023] A mask transfer method, applied to any of the mask transfer devices described above, comprises the following steps:

[0024] S100, placing the mask storage box on a supporting seat;

[0025] S200, the cover opening mechanism opens the cover;

[0026] S300, two clamping members approach each other to clamp the mask;

[0027] S400, moving the mask out of the box.

[0028] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0029] The present invention provides a mask plate transfer device, which comprises a cover opening mechanism and a transfer mechanism, wherein the cover opening mechanism is used to open the cover body of a mask plate storage box to expose the mask plate, and the gripping component of the transfer mechanism can take out the mask plate in the box body and move it out of the box body, so as to facilitate docking with other material receiving mechanisms, thereby realizing automatic cover opening of the mask plate storage box and automatic mask plate taking-out action, and reducing manual labor intensity; at the same time, the transfer mechanism completes the gripping of the mask plate through the clamping action of two clamping members, which can ensure the precise gripping position and avoid the mask plate from tilting, so as to ensure the integrity of the film under the mask plate; finally, the clamping member is driven by a clamping driver, which can ensure the gripping efficiency, so that the gripping action can be quickly completed after the cover body is opened, thereby reducing the preparation time and reducing the probability of the mask plate being contaminated.

[0030] The present invention provides a mask transfer method, which can realize the automatic opening of a mask storage box and the automatic removal of the mask, saving manpower; ensuring the grasping efficiency, reducing the preparation time, and reducing the probability of the mask being contaminated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a mask transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a base in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the cover opening mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of a transfer mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a grabbing component from a first viewing angle in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of a second viewing angle of a grabbing component in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of a mask storage box in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 8 4 is a flow chart of a mask transfer method in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] In the figure:

[0040] 1000, mask storage box; 1100, box body; 1110, lock slide rail; 1200, cover body; 1210, lock buckle; 1300, lock body;

[0041] 2000, Mask;

[0042] 100, base; 110, in-position detection member; 111, detection bracket; 120, handle; 130, bearing driver; 131, air inlet; 132, decoupling member; 133, support bracket; 134, linear bearing; 135, upper limit bracket; 1351, upper limit sensor; 136, lower limit bracket; 1361, lower limit sensor; 140, second limit block;

[0043] 200, cover opening mechanism; 210, bearing seat; 211, first limit block; 212, guide rod; 213, limit sheet metal; 214, fixed driver; 215, fixing member; 216, cover detection sensor; 217, left guide block; 218, right guide block; 219, rear guide block; 220, cover opening member; 221, suction cup; 222, floating member; 223, connector; 224, connecting rod; 225, swing rod; 2251, connecting shaft; 230, cover opening driver; 231, cover opening bracket; 240, unlocking assembly; 241, unlocking driver; 242, unlocking elastic member; 243, unlocking member; 244, steering member; 245, unlocking transmission member; 246, centering adjustment member;

[0044] 300, transfer mechanism; 310, grab assembly; 311, grab seat; 3111, limit block; 312, clamping member; 3121, first slider; 3122, limit slide groove; 3123, connecting block; 3124, clamping plate; 313, mounting shaft; 314, clamping transmission member; 315, clamping driver; 3151, floating joint; 3152, transmission plate; 316, tensioning plate; 317, elongated hole; 318, grabbing elastic member; 320, transfer seat; 321, buffer member; 322, rear limit sensor; 323, second slide rail; 330, transverse member; 340, transverse drive; 341, screw rod; 342, nut; 343, connecting member; 350, trigger member; 351, position detection member; 360, orientation detection member; 361, telescopic drive; 362, orientation bracket; 370, mask detection member; 380, rotation drive; 381, rotation detection member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The technical solution of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0046] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", etc. are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. Among them, the terms "first position" and "second position" are two different positions, and the first feature "above", "above" and "above" the second feature include the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature "below", "below" and "below" the second feature include the first feature being directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0047] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0048] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0049] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, this embodiment provides a mask transfer device. Figure 7The invention relates to a mask storage box 1000, a mask transfer device can open the mask storage box 1000, and take out the mask 2000 therein, or put the mask 2000 into the mask storage box 1000, and the mask transfer device comprises a base 100, a cover opening mechanism 200 and a transfer mechanism 300. The cover opening mechanism 200 is arranged on the base 100 and is used to open or close the cover body 1200 of the mask storage box 1000; the transfer mechanism 300 is arranged on the base 100, and the output end of the transfer mechanism 300 has a gripping assembly 310, and the gripping assembly 310 is used to grip the mask 2000 from the box body 1100 of the mask storage box 1000, and the gripping assembly 310 comprises a gripping seat 311, two clamping members 312, two rotating members, a clamping transmission member 314 and a clamping driver 315. The two clamping members 312 are both movably constrained to the grabbing seat 311 along the width direction, and can approach or move away from each other; the two rotating members are arranged at intervals along the width direction, and are arranged to rotate around their own axes; the clamping transmission member 314 is in the shape of a belt, and is wound between the two rotating members, and two transmission parts extending along the width direction and parallel to each other are formed between the two rotating members, and the two transmission parts are respectively connected to the corresponding clamping members 312; the clamping driver 315 is arranged on the grabbing seat 311, and the output end is connected to the clamping member 312 or one of the rotating members. The clamping member 312 is connected with a clamping plate 3124, and the clamping plate 3124 clamps the transmission part.

[0050] The above-mentioned arrangement realizes the automatic opening of the mask storage box 1000 and the automatic removal of the mask 2000, thereby reducing the labor intensity of manual labor; at the same time, the transfer mechanism 300 completes the gripping of the mask 2000 through the clamping action of the two clamping members 312, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the gripping position and avoiding the tilting of the mask 2000, thereby avoiding damage to the film under the mask 2000; finally, the clamping member 312 is driven by the clamping driver 315, thereby ensuring the gripping efficiency, thereby quickly completing the gripping action after the cover 1200 is opened, thereby reducing the preparation time and reducing the probability of the mask 2000 being contaminated.

[0051] In addition, the clamping transmission member 314 has a belt-like structure, which can realize power transmission between two clamping members 312 that are far apart in the width direction, and the overall height is relatively small, which is conducive to reducing the height dimension of the transfer mechanism 300.

[0052] The rotating member includes a rotating wheel and a mounting shaft 313 that rotates with the rotating wheel. The mounting shaft 313 extends in the height direction, and one end of the mounting shaft 313 is fixed to the grab seat 311. The clamping member 312 is provided with a limiting slide groove 3122 extending in the width direction. The other end of the mounting shaft 313 is passed through the limiting slide groove 3122 and can slide relative to the limiting slide groove 3122 in the width direction. The first aspect of the above-mentioned arrangement enables the cooperation between the mounting shaft 313 and the limiting groove 3122 to limit the extreme position of the clamping member 312, thereby avoiding damage to the mask plate 2000; the second aspect, the setting of the limiting groove 3122 can avoid the mounting shaft 313, thereby reducing the height dimension of the transfer mechanism 300; the third aspect, the rotating wheel rotates relative to the mounting shaft 313, and the mounting shaft 313 is fixedly connected to the grabbing seat 311, thereby avoiding direct connection between the rotating wheel and the grabbing seat 311, reducing the machining accuracy requirements for the grabbing seat 311, thereby reducing the machining difficulty of the grabbing seat 311; the fourth aspect, the setting of the limiting groove 3122 can serve as a mounting interface, that is, the mounting shaft 313 can pass through the limiting groove 3122 and be screwed to the grabbing seat 311.

[0053] In some embodiments, the gripping seat 311 is provided with a limit block 3111. When the two clamping members 312 are close to each other, at least one of the clamping members 312 can abut against the limit block 3111 to limit the minimum distance between the two clamping members 312, prevent the two clamping members 312 from colliding, or prevent the mask 2000 from falling or being damaged due to over-clamping. The limit slide groove 3122 limits the opening position of the clamping member 312, and the limit block 3111 limits the clamping position of the clamping member 312.

[0054] In order to achieve the tensioning of the clamping transmission member 314, the tensioning plate 316 is adjustably arranged on the grab seat 311, one of the two rotating members is rotatably arranged on the tensioning plate 316, the tensioning plate 316 can be close to or away from the other rotating member, and can be screwed to the grab seat 311 by screws. The tensioning plate 316 is provided with an elongated hole 317 extending in the width direction, and the screw passes through the elongated hole 317 and is screwed to the grab seat 311.

[0055] In order to reduce the wear between the rotating wheel and the clamping transmission member 314, in some embodiments, the rotating wheel is a synchronous wheel with teeth provided on the circumference, and the clamping transmission member 314 is a synchronous belt with teeth on the inner side adapted to the two synchronous wheels, and the synchronous belt and the synchronous wheels are meshed for transmission. The above arrangement enables the synchronous belt to drive the synchronous wheels to rotate synchronously during the movement process, avoiding relative sliding friction between the two, reducing the wear rate between the rotating wheel and the clamping transmission member 314, and improving durability; at the same time, it can also reduce the probability of different degrees of stretching between the two transmission parts due to friction between the two, thereby causing the two clamping members 312 to move asynchronously and fail to clamp.

[0056] During the process of clamping and transferring the mask 2000, if there is a power outage and the clamping driver 315 loses power, the clamping force between the two clamping members 312 may disappear, thereby causing the mask 2000 to fall. To solve the above problem, the gripping assembly 310 also includes a gripping elastic member 318, which applies an elastic force to the two clamping members 312 to bring them closer to each other. Even if there is a power outage, the two clamping members 312 lose the drive of the clamping driver 315. Under the action of the gripping elastic member 318, the two clamping members 312 can always maintain a clamped state to prevent the mask 2000 from falling, thus playing a role of power-off protection.

[0057] During use, the elastic member may become fatigued and lose its elasticity. If the relaxed elastic member falls, it will affect the normal grasping of the mask 2000. When the elastic member and the mask 2000 are grasped synchronously during the grasping process, the mask 2000 will be grasped unsteadily and fall. In this embodiment, the grasping elastic member 318 includes a tension spring, and the clamping member 312 is installed with a connecting block 3123 with a hook. The connecting block 3123 is located below the grasping seat 311, and the opening of the hook faces upward. The hanging ring at the end of the tension spring can be hooked on the hook from top to bottom. The above-mentioned structure is set up so that the tension spring can be hung on the hook even when the elastic force disappears, and will not fall from the hook, thereby avoiding affecting the normal grasping of the mask 2000 and ensuring the safety of the mask 2000 during the grasping process.

[0058] The clamping member 312 is connected to a first slide block 3121. The grabbing seat 311 is provided with a first slide rail, and the first slide block 3121 is slidably arranged on the first slide rail. Each clamping member 312 corresponds to two first slide rails spaced apart along the length direction.

[0059] The transfer mechanism 300 also includes a position detection member 351 and a trigger member 350. The trigger member 350 is connected to one of the clamping members 312. There are two position detection members 351, which are arranged at intervals on the moving path of the trigger member 350. During the movement of the two clamping members 312, the trigger member 350 can be located in the open position, the clamping position and the clamping position in sequence. When the trigger member 350 is in the open position, it can trigger one of the position detection members 351. When the trigger member 350 is in the clamping position, it can trigger another position detection member 351. When the trigger member 350 is in the clamping position, it can trigger two position detection members 351 at the same time. This setting enables the two position detection members 351 to cooperate to complete the detection of the trigger member 350 in three positions, saving costs. In particular, when the trigger member 350 is in the clamping position, the controller can control the clamping driver 315 to stop the action and send a fault message to the staff. Exemplarily, two position detection members 351 are arranged at intervals along the width direction, and the trigger member 350 is connected to the right clamping member 312. When the two clamping members 312 are separated, the trigger member 350 is in the open position, which can trigger the right position detection member 351; when the two clamping members 312 are close to and clamp the mask 2000, the trigger member 350 is in the clamping position, which can trigger the two position detection members 351 at the same time; when the two clamping members 312 are close to the gap, and the distance between the two clamping members 312 is less than the width of the mask 2000, the trigger member 350 is in the gap position, which can trigger the left position detection member 351. Among them, the position detection member 351 can be a photosensor, and the trigger member 350 is in the form of a sheet, which can cover the detection end of the photosensor.

[0060] In order to reduce the height of the transfer mechanism 300, and thus reduce the height of the mask transfer device, in some embodiments, the clamping driver 315 is a linear driver, the side wall of the linear driver parallel to its own axis is connected to the grab seat 311, and the output end of the linear driver can reciprocate along the width direction and is drivingly connected to the clamping member 312. The clamping driver 315 is a linear motor, a telescopic cylinder or an electric push rod, the moving direction of its output end is perpendicular to the height direction, and is connected to the transmission plate 3152 through a floating joint 3151, and the transmission plate 3152 is drivingly connected to one of the clamping members 312.

[0061] The cover opening mechanism 200 includes a bearing seat 210 and a cover opening member 220. The bearing seat 210 is movably arranged on the base 100 along the height direction. The cover opening member 220 is rotatably arranged on the bearing seat 210. A suction cup 221 is arranged on the cover opening member 220 to adsorb the cover 1200 of the mask storage box 1000. The transfer mechanism 300 also includes a transfer seat 320, a transverse member 330 and a transverse driver 340. The transfer seat 320 is arranged on the base 100. The transverse member 330 is movably constrained to the transfer seat 320 along the length direction. The grab seat 311 is arranged on the transverse member 330. The output end of the transverse driver 340 is connected to the transverse member 330. In this embodiment, the telescopic driver 361 is arranged on the transfer seat 320. Among them, the length direction is the front-to-back direction, the width direction is the left-to-right direction, and the height direction is the up-down direction; the length direction, the width direction and the height direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0062] The bearing driver 130 is disposed on the base 100, and the output end is drivingly connected to the bearing seat 210. The bearing driver 130 is a cylinder, and the air inlet 131 and the air outlet of the cylinder are both connected to the external air source. The bearing driver 130 is connected to the support bracket 133 through the decoupling member 132, and the bearing seat 210 is disposed on the support bracket 133.

[0063] The above arrangement enables the separation of the mask 2000 and the box body 1100 of the mask storage box 1000 when the gripping assembly 310 grips the mask 2000 and the carrier 210 descends, thereby preventing the gripping assembly 310 from moving the mask 2000 upward after gripping the mask 2000, thereby preventing the inertia generated during the upward movement from causing the gripping assembly 310 to slide between the clamping member 312 and the mask 2000, or even the mask 2000 slipping off between the two clamping members 312. In addition, the bearing driver 130 is disposed on the base 100, and the transverse drive 340 is disposed on the transfer seat 320. Both drivers are fixedly disposed, thereby improving the connection stability of the bearing driver 130 and the transverse drive 340, and improving the convenience of wiring.

[0064] The transfer seat 320 is provided with a second slide rail 323, and the second slider connected to the transverse member 330 is slidably provided on the second slide rail 323. The transverse drive 340 is a servo motor, and the screw rod 341 is rotatably provided on the transfer seat 320 and is transmission-connected to the output end of the transverse drive 340. The nut 342 is threadedly matched with the screw rod 341 and is connected to the transverse member 330 through the connecting member 343. In order to limit the transverse member 330 from crossing the extreme position on the rear side, the transfer seat 320 is provided with a buffer 321 and a rear limit sensor 322. When the transverse member 330 moves backward to the extreme position, the buffer 321 is triggered first, and then the rear limit sensor 322 is triggered. The buffer 321 is a hydraulic buffer, which is used to reduce noise and prevent violent collision between the transverse member 330 and the transfer seat 320.

[0065] A sliding groove is provided on each of the left and right sides of the bearing seat 210, and the base 100 is provided with two sliding blocks, which slide in the two sliding grooves correspondingly. The bearing seat 210 is provided with a first limit block 211, and the base 100 is provided with a second limit block 140; when the bearing seat 210 descends, it stops at the position where the first limit block 211 abuts against the second limit block 140. In order to improve the stability of the lifting and lowering of the bearing seat 210, the bearing seat 210 and the base 100 are connected by a linear bearing 134. A guide rod 212 is provided on the lower side of the bearing seat 210, and the guide rod 212 is connected to the linear bearing 134 fixed to the base 100.

[0066] In order to limit the extreme position of the supporting seat 210, the base 100 is provided with an upper limit frame 135 and a lower limit frame 136, the upper limit sensor 1351 and the lower limit sensor 1361 are respectively fixed to the upper limit frame 135 and the lower limit frame 136, and the supporting seat 210 is provided with a limit sheet metal 213. When the supporting seat 210 rises to the upper limit position, the limit sheet metal 213 triggers the upper limit sensor 1351. When the supporting seat 210 descends to the lower limit position, the limit sheet metal 213 triggers the lower limit sensor 1361.

[0067] The traverse member 330 is provided with a mask detection member 370 for detecting whether a mask 2000 is placed in the box body 1100 of the mask storage box 1000. A handle 120 for holding is provided on each of the left and right sides of the base 100 to facilitate the transfer of the entire device.

[0068] The mask 2000 is a rectangular parallelepiped structure, and its length and width are different. When transferring, the orientation of the length side and the width side of the mask 2000 needs to be determined according to the material receiving mechanism. For example, when grabbing, the length side and the width direction of the mask 2000 are parallel. When transferring, the mask 2000 needs to be rotated 90 degrees to make its length side parallel to the length direction. The transfer mechanism 300 also includes a rotary driver 380 and two orientation detection members 360. The rotary driver 380 is arranged on the transverse member 330, and the output end is connected to the grab seat 311 to drive the grab seat 311 to rotate around its own axis. The two orientation detection members 360 are arranged at intervals along the length direction, and the distance between the two orientation detection members 360 is greater than 0 and less than the difference between the length and width of the mask 2000. If the two orientation detection members 360 are blocked by the sidewalls on the length side of the mask 2000 at the same time, it means that the length side of the mask 2000 is parallel to the length direction of the mask transfer device. If one of the orientation detection members 360 is blocked by the sidewalls on the width side of the mask 2000 and the other orientation detection member 360 is not blocked, it means that the length side of the mask 2000 is perpendicular to the length direction of the mask transfer device. If both orientation detection members 360 are not blocked, it means that the mask 2000 is not clamped. The mask 2000 can be rotated 90 degrees according to the needs to adapt to different docking positions of the mask 2000. Among them, the rotation detection member 381 is arranged on the transverse member 330 to detect whether the mask 2000 is rotated in place.

[0069] During the detection, the orientation detection member 360 needs to be close to the mask 2000 to ensure the reliability of the detection. However, after the orientation detection member 360 is close to the mask 2000, when the mask 2000 needs to rotate, the orientation detection member 360 will interfere with the mask 2000 and affect the rotation of the mask 2000. For this reason, in some embodiments, the transfer mechanism 300 also includes a telescopic driver 361, and an orientation bracket 362 is provided at the output end of the telescopic driver 361. Both orientation detection members 360 are provided on the orientation bracket 362. This arrangement makes the position of the orientation detection member 360 adjustable, and the orientation detection member 360 can detect the mask 2000 when the output end of the telescopic driver 361 is extended, and can avoid the rotating mask 2000 after the output end of the telescopic driver 361 is retracted.

[0070] To improve the degree of automation and automatically open the cover 1200 of the mask storage box 1000 , the cover opening mechanism 200 further includes a cover opening driver 230 . The cover opening driver 230 is disposed on the supporting seat 210 , and its output end is drivingly connected to the cover opening member 220 .

[0071] The rotation axis of the cover opening member 220 coincides with the rotation axis of the cover body 1200 in the mask storage box 1000 placed on the support seat 210, so that the relative position of the cover opening member 220 and the cover body 1200 will not change during the rotation process, thereby preventing the suction cup 221 adsorbed on the cover body 1200 from falling off, improving the success rate of opening the cover, and being able to keep the cover body 1200 in an open state, so as to facilitate the subsequent smooth removal of the mask 2000. To ensure that the cover body 1200 is in an open state, the support seat 210 is provided with a cover detection sensor 216, and the cover body 1200 in an open state can trigger the cover detection sensor 216.

[0072] When in use, the mask storage box 1000 is first placed on the carrier 210, and then the cover opening member 220 is actuated to open the cover body 1200. To ensure that the mask storage box 1000 is successfully placed on the carrier 210, the carrier 210 is provided with a detection bracket 111, and the detection bracket 111 is installed with an in-position detection member 110, which can detect whether the mask storage box 1000 is placed on the carrier 210. Among them, the carrier 210 is provided with a left guide block 217 and a right guide block 218 arranged at intervals on the left and right, and a rear guide block 219 located at the rear side of the carrier 210. The placement process of the mask storage box 1000 is guided by the left guide block 217, the right guide block 218 and the rear guide block 219, so as to facilitate accurate placement.

[0073] The supporting base 210 is provided with a fixed driver 214, and the fixing member 215 moves relative to the supporting base 210 along the length direction and is driven and connected to the output end of the fixed driver 214. When the fixing member 215 moves forward, the mask storage box 1000 can be abutted against the front fixed block on the front side of the supporting base 210.

[0074] Due to reasons such as assembly precision, during the rotation process, there may be a risk of relative misalignment between the cover opening member 220 and the cover body 1200, which may cause misalignment or even separation between the suction cup 221 and the cover body 1200. To avoid misalignment or even separation between the suction cup 221 and the cover body 1200, the cover opening mechanism 200 further includes a floating member 222, one end of which is connected to the cover opening member 220, and the other end of which can float relative to the cover opening member 220 and can be elastically reset. The suction cup 221 is arranged at the other end of the floating member 222. The other end of the floating member 222 can float relative to the cover opening member 220 and can be elastically reset. Therefore, during the opening process, even if the cover opening member 220 and the cover body 1200 are relatively misaligned, due to the existence of the floating member 222, the position of the suction cup 221 can be kept fixed with the cover body 1200, and can move relative to the cover opening member 220, so that the opening action of the cover body 1200 can be successfully completed. When the suction cup 221 is separated from the cover body 1200 , the suction cup 221 returns to its initial position relative to the cover opening member 220 under the elastic force of the floating member 222 .

[0075] The floating member 222 is in the form of a sheet and is elastic. One end of the floating member 222 is screwed to the connector 223, and the other end is screwed to the suction cup 221. The floating member 222 is a bent member, including a first connecting portion, a second connecting portion, and an intermediate connecting portion, wherein the intermediate connecting portion is located between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion, the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are parallel, and the intermediate connecting portion and the first connecting portion are arranged at an angle, the first connecting portion is connected to the connector 223, and the second connecting portion is connected to the suction cup 221.

[0076] The cover opening member 220 is provided with a rotating part on both sides along the width direction, and the two rotating parts are both rotatably connected to the bearing seat 210, and the output end of the cover opening driver 230 is drivingly connected to at least one of the rotating parts; the cover opening member 220 has an avoidance part to avoid the cover body 1200 of the mask storage box 1000. The two rotating parts make the cover opening member 220 rotate more smoothly; the cover opening driver 230 is driven and connected to one of the rotating parts, so that the cover opening driver 230 is easy to install.

[0077] Exemplarily, the cover opening member 220 is a frame structure, and includes two swinging rods 225 hinged to the bearing seat 210 and a connecting rod 224 connected between the two swinging rods 225, and a evacuation portion is formed between the swinging rods 225 and the connecting rods 224, and the suction cup 221 is arranged on the connecting rod 224. In this embodiment, one end of the floating member 222 is connected to the connecting rod 224, and the other end can float relative to the connecting rod 224 and can be elastically reset. When in use, the two swinging rods 225 are arranged on both sides of the cover body 1200 so that the rotation axis of the swinging rod 225 coincides with the rotation axis of the cover body 1200; the frame structure is conducive to saving materials and costs; in addition, the frame structure helps to reduce weight and save driving costs.

[0078] Each of the two swinging rods 225 is provided with a connecting shaft 2251 whose axis is perpendicular to the axis of the swinging rod 225. The connecting shaft 2251 forms a rotating part. The output end of the cover opening driver 230 can rotate around its own axis and is drivingly connected to one of the two connecting shafts 2251. When in use, the space between the two swinging rods 225 can adapt to covers 1200 of various shapes or structures. Even if the cover 1200 has a partial structure behind the connecting shaft 2251, the swinging rods 225 are arranged at intervals in the width direction, which will not interfere with the rotation of the cover 1200. Among them, the two connecting shafts 2251 are arranged on both sides of the two swinging rods 225. The cover opening driver 230 is fixed to the bearing seat 210 through the cover opening bracket 231.

[0079] Since the price of the mask 2000 is expensive, in order to ensure the buckling stability of the cover 1200 and the box 1100, to prevent the cover 1200 from being separated from the box 1100, and to prevent the mask 2000 from falling out and being damaged during transportation or accidental collision, a sliding lock is provided between the box 1100 and the cover 1200. The sliding lock includes a lock buckle 1210 extending along the width direction provided on the cover 1200, a lock slide rail 1110 provided on the box 1100, and a lock body 1300 slidingly provided on the lock slide rail 1110 along the width direction, and the lock body 1300 is provided with a lock groove extending along the width direction. Under the sliding action of the lock body 1300, the lock groove of the lock body 1300 cooperates with the lock buckle 1210 to lock the cover 1200 and the box 1100. Two sets of sliding locks are arranged between the box body 1100 and the cover body 1200. The two lock bodies 1300 in the two sets of sliding locks can lock the box body 1100 and the cover body 1200 by sliding relative to each other, and can unlock the box body 1100 and the cover body 1200 by sliding opposite to each other.

[0080] To facilitate opening the sliding lock, the mask transfer device includes an unlocking component 240, which includes an unlocking driver 241, an unlocking elastic member 242, two unlocking members 243, two steering members 244 and two unlocking transmission members 245. The two unlocking members 243 are both slidably constrained on the supporting seat 210 along the width direction and can approach or move away from each other. The two steering members 244 are arranged at intervals along the width direction and are arranged on both sides of the two unlocking members 243. The two unlocking transmission members 245 are respectively wound around the corresponding steering members 244 and one end is respectively connected to the corresponding unlocking member 243. The unlocking driver 241 is located between the two unlocking members 243, and the output end is connected to the other end of the two unlocking transmission members 245 and drags the two unlocking transmission members 245 to drive the two unlocking members 243 to move away from each other. The unlocking elastic member 242 applies elastic force to the two unlocking members 243 to bring them closer to each other. The unlocking member 243 is provided with an unlocking groove extending in the height direction. When the mask storage box 1000 is placed on the support seat 210, the two lock bodies 1300 can be respectively inserted into the two unlocking grooves. When the unlocking driver 241 drives the two unlocking transmission members 245 to move, the two unlocking members 243 move away from each other to separate the two lock bodies 1300 in opposite directions, thereby unlocking the two sliding locks. When locking is required, the unlocking driver 241 can be reversed or powered off. Under the action of the unlocking elastic member 242, the two unlocking members 243 move closer to each other, thereby driving the two lock bodies 1300 to move closer to each other, so as to complete the locking of the two sliding locks.

[0081] To simplify the structure, the unlocking elastic member 242 is a tension spring, which is located between the two unlocking members 243, and the two ends of the tension spring are detachably connected to the corresponding unlocking members 243. One tension spring can complete the driving of the two unlocking members 243, which helps to reduce costs. In other embodiments, the unlocking elastic member 242 can also be a compression spring, which has two compression springs and is elastically connected to the corresponding unlocking members 243 respectively, so as to drive the two unlocking members 243 to approach each other.

[0082] The unlocking member 243 has a dragging part on both sides along the width direction. Among the four dragging parts of the two unlocking members 243, the two inner dragging parts have the same height H1 from the bearing seat 210, and the two outer dragging parts have the same height H2 from the bearing seat 210, and H1≥H2. The two ends of the tension spring are respectively connected to the two inner dragging parts, and one end of the two unlocking transmission members 245 is respectively connected to the two outer dragging parts. The above arrangement makes the external force points of the two unlocking members 243 located below the internal force points. When the unlocking member 243 is pulled outward, the unlocking member 243 moves outward and is acted upon by the elastic force on the upper side of the inner side, so that the unlocking member 243 has a tendency to tilt outward and upward, so that the unlocking member 243 raises its head and moves forward, which helps to avoid the jamming between the unlocking member 243 and the bearing seat 210 during the unlocking process.

[0083] In order to improve the smoothness of the transmission of the unlocking transmission member 245, the steering member 244 is a rotating wheel, which is arranged on the bearing seat 210 and is arranged to be able to rotate about its own axis, and the two unlocking transmission members 245 are respectively rollingly matched with the corresponding rotating wheels. The rolling match reduces the friction between the unlocking transmission member 245 and the roller, thereby improving the service life.

[0084] The supporting seat 210 is fixed with a centering adjustment piece 246, and the centering adjustment piece 246 is provided with an adjustment hole. The centering piece is slidably arranged on the supporting seat 210 along the width direction and has an adjustment screw hole. The steering piece 244 is arranged on the centering piece to move synchronously with the centering piece. The adjustment screw passes through the adjustment hole and is screwed in the adjustment screw hole. The adjusting screw is screwed to move the centering piece, thereby adjusting the position of the steering piece 244 to adapt to the lock body 1300 in different positions.

[0085] This embodiment also provides a mask transfer method, which is applied to the mask transfer device in any of the above embodiments, combined with Figure 8 The mask transfer method comprises the following steps:

[0086] S100 , placing the mask storage box 1000 on the supporting base 210 .

[0087] S200 , the cover opening mechanism 200 opens the cover body 1200 .

[0088] S300 , the clamping driver 315 drives the clamping members 312 or one of the rotating members to drive the two clamping members 312 to move closer to each other to clamp the mask 2000 .

[0089] S400 , moving the mask plate 2000 out of the box body 1100 .

[0090] In S100, after the mask storage box 1000 is placed on the supporting seat 210, the in-position detection part 110 detects whether the mask storage box 1000 is placed in, and if so, the fixing part 215 moves forward and fixes the mask storage box 1000, and unlocks the sliding lock, and then the cover body 1200 is adsorbed by the suction cup 221 of the cover opening part 220, and the cover opening part 220 rotates to open the cover body 1200.

[0091] In S200 , the suction cup 221 first absorbs the cover body 1200 , and then the cover opening member 220 rotates to open the cover body 1200 and keep it in the opened position.

[0092] In S300, the transverse moving member 330 moves so that the grasping assembly 310 moves above the mask storage box 1000, and then the supporting seat 210 rises to the upper limit position. The mask detection member 370 detects whether there is a mask 2000 in the box body 1100 of the mask storage box 1000. If yes, the mask 2000 is clamped; if not, an alarm is sounded.

[0093] In S300, the gripping assembly 310 further includes a gripping elastic member 318, which applies elastic force to the two clamping members 312 to bring the two closer to each other. Even if the power is off, the two clamping members 312 lose the drive of the clamping driver 315. Under the action of the gripping elastic member 318, the two clamping members 312 can always maintain a clamped state to prevent the mask 2000 from falling, thus playing a role of power-off protection.

[0094] In S400 , the carrier 210 descends to the lower limit position, so that the mask 2000 is taken out of the mask storage box 1000 .

[0095] After S400 , the position of the mask 2000 is detected by the position detection member 360 , the mask 2000 is driven to a required angle by the rotation driver 380 , and is connected to other material receiving mechanisms.

[0096] After the mask plate 2000 is handed over, the cover opening member 220 rotates in the opposite direction, so that the cover body 1200 is closed and reset, and then the sliding lock is locked.

[0097] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other different forms of changes or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is not necessary and impossible to list all the embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mask transfer device, capable of opening a mask storage box (1000) and taking out a mask (2000) therein, characterized in that: include: Base (100); A cover opening mechanism (200), disposed on the base (100) and used for opening the cover (1200) of the mask storage box (1000); A transfer mechanism (300) is arranged on the base (100), and an output end of the transfer mechanism (300) has a grabbing component (310), the grabbing component (310) is used to grab the mask (2000) from the box body (1100) of the mask storage box (1000), and the grabbing component (310) comprises: Grab seat (311); The two clamping members (312) are both movably constrained to the grabbing seat (311) along the width direction and can move closer to or farther from each other; Two rotating members are arranged at intervals in the width direction and are arranged to rotate around their own axes; The clamping transmission member (314) is in the form of a belt and is wound between the two rotating members, and forms two transmission parts extending in the width direction and parallel to each other between the two rotating members, and the two transmission parts are respectively connected to the corresponding clamping members (312) in transmission connection; The clamping driver (315) is arranged on the grabbing seat (311), and the output end is drivingly connected to the clamping member (312) or one of the rotating members.

2. The mask transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating member comprises a rotating wheel and a mounting shaft (313) rotatably matched with the rotating wheel, wherein the mounting shaft (313) extends in the height direction and one end of the mounting shaft is fixedly connected to the grab seat (311); the clamping member (312) is provided with a limiting slide groove (3122) extending in the width direction, and the other end of the mounting shaft (313) is passed through the limiting slide groove (3122) and can slide relative to the limiting slide groove (3122) in the width direction, and can be stopped by abutting against the side wall of the limiting slide groove (3122).

3. The mask transfer device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rotating wheel is a synchronous wheel with teeth arranged in the circumference, and the clamping transmission member (314) is a synchronous belt with teeth on the inner side adapted to the two synchronous wheels, and the synchronous belt meshes with the synchronous wheels for transmission.

4. The mask transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The grabbing assembly (310) further comprises a grabbing elastic member (318), wherein the grabbing elastic member (318) applies elastic force to the two clamping members (312) to bring the two clamping members closer to each other.

5. The mask transfer device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The grabbing elastic member (318) comprises a tension spring, and a connecting block (3123) having a hook portion is mounted on the clamping member (312), the connecting block (3123) is located below the grabbing seat (311), and the opening of the hook portion faces upward, and the hanging ring at the end of the tension spring can be hooked on the hook portion from top to bottom.

6. The mask transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transfer mechanism (300) further comprises a position detection member (351) and a trigger member (350), wherein the trigger member (350) is connected to one of the clamping members (312), and the position detection members (351) are provided in two and are arranged at intervals on the moving path of the trigger member (350); during the movement of the two clamping members (312), the trigger member (350) can be located in an open position, a clamping position and a clamping position in sequence; when the trigger member (350) is located in the open position, it can trigger one of the position detection members (351); when the trigger member (350) is located in the clamping position, it can trigger another of the position detection members (351); and when the trigger member (350) is located in the clamping position, it can trigger both position detection members (351) at the same time.

7. The mask transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The transfer mechanism (300) further comprises a rotation driver (380) and two orientation detection members (360), wherein an output end of the rotation driver (380) is drivingly connected to the grab seat (311) to drive the grab seat (311) to rotate around its own axis, and the two orientation detection members (360) are arranged at intervals along the length direction, and a distance between the two orientation detection members (360) is greater than 0 and less than a difference between a length and a width of the mask (2000).

8. The mask transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The clamping driver (315) is a linear driver, and the side wall of the linear driver parallel to its own axis is connected to the grab seat (311). The output end of the linear driver can reciprocate along the width direction and is drivingly connected to the clamping member (312).

9. The mask transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The transfer mechanism (300) further comprises a transfer seat (320), a transverse member (330) and a transverse driver (340), wherein the transfer seat (320) is arranged on the base (100), the transverse member (330) is movably constrained to the transfer seat (320) along the length direction, the grabbing seat (311) is arranged on the transverse member (330), and the output end of the transverse driver (340) is drivingly connected to the transverse member (330).

10. A mask transfer method, applied to the mask transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S100, placing the mask storage box (1000) on the supporting seat (210); S200, the cover opening mechanism (200) opens the cover body (1200); S300, two clamping members (312) are brought closer to each other to clamp the mask (2000); S400, removing the mask plate (2000) from the box body (1100).

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