Deformation correction device for a front cover of a goods loading table and correction method thereof

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of shape correction device and its correction method for the front cover of goods loading platform, the shape correction device includes: guide wheel assembly, fixedly installed in the inner side edge of the free end of front cover, guide wheel assembly includes rotatable guide wheel;Guide block, fixedly installed on frame and with a wedge-shaped guide surface;Wherein, the installation position of guide wheel on front cover, the installation position of guide block on frame and the orientation of wedge-shaped guide surface are configured as: in the closing process of front cover, before plug lock moves to contact with lock body, guide wheel is configured to first contact with wedge-shaped guide surface and roll along it, to correct the shape deformation displacement of front cover due to gravity acting on its free end by wedge-shaped guide surface, so that plug lock can be aligned and inserted into lock body.The present application can correct the shape deformation displacement of front cover due to gravity acting on its free end, effectively avoid the hard impact of plug lock with lock body and sensor, prolong the service life of equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a deformation correction device and method for the front cover of a cargo loading platform. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing industry, loading platforms are critical interfaces connecting cleanrooms to internal storage or processing equipment (such as material handling systems and shelving). They typically consist of a frame, a front cover connected to the frame via a single-sided hinge, and latches and lock bodies located on the free end of the front cover and the frame, respectively. To ensure airtightness, cleanliness, and security, the front cover must be closed to ensure the latches are precisely inserted into the lock body, and sensors typically detect whether the latches are fully engaged.

[0003] Because the front cover is large and supported only by a single-sided hinge, its free end will undergo downward bending deformation (i.e., sagging) under its own weight over a long period. This deformation causes the latch mounted on the free end to misalign with the lock body on the frame when the front cover is closed, often resulting in the latch striking the lock body or even the sensor. This not only causes physical damage to the latch, lock body, and precision sensor, leading to equipment failure and high maintenance costs, but also requires operators to manually lift the deformed front cover to barely close it, increasing the operator's workload. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a deformation correction device and method for the front cover of a cargo loading platform, which can automatically correct the deformation displacement caused by gravity during the closing process of the front cover, ensuring the precise alignment of the latch and the lock body, thereby effectively improving the service life of the equipment components.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a deformation correction device for the front cover of a cargo loading platform. The cargo loading platform includes a frame, a front cover hinged to one side of the frame, a latch disposed at the free end of the front cover, and a lock body disposed on the frame. The deformation correction device includes:

[0006] A guide wheel assembly is fixedly installed on the inner edge of the free end of the front cover, and the guide wheel assembly includes a rotatable guide wheel;

[0007] A guide block is fixedly installed on the frame and has a wedge-shaped guide surface;

[0008] The mounting positions of the guide wheel on the front cover, the mounting positions of the guide block on the frame, and the orientation of the wedge-shaped guide surface are configured such that, during the closing process of the front cover, before the latch moves to contact the lock body, the guide wheel is configured to first contact the wedge-shaped guide surface and roll along it, so as to correct the deformation displacement of the front cover caused by gravity acting on its free end through the wedge-shaped guide surface, thereby enabling the latch to be aligned and inserted into the lock body.

[0009] Optionally, the guide wheel assembly further includes a mounting base and a spindle. The mounting base is fixed to the inner edge of the free end of the front cover by fasteners. The mounting base has mounting grooves for accommodating both ends of the spindle. The guide wheel is rotatably sleeved on the spindle.

[0010] Optionally, the mounting base is a split structure, comprising two mounting blocks connected by the fasteners, with the mandrel clamped and fixed between the two mounting blocks.

[0011] Optionally, the guide wheel is a standard deep groove ball bearing.

[0012] Optionally, the guide block is made of engineering plastic.

[0013] Optionally, the wedge-shaped guide surface is configured to provide displacement compensation for the front cover in the Z and X directions, wherein the Z direction is perpendicular to the front cover closing plane, and the X direction is parallel to the closing plane and perpendicular to the front cover closing direction.

[0014] Optionally, the wedge-shaped guide surface is configured to compensate for displacement in the Z direction with a range of 0-11 mm and for displacement in the X direction with a range of 0-5 mm.

[0015] Based on this, the present invention also provides a cargo loading platform, including a frame, a front cover hinged to one side of the frame, a latch disposed at the free end of the front cover, a lock body disposed on the frame, a sensor, and a deformation correction device as described above, wherein the sensor is used to detect whether the latch is inserted in place.

[0016] Optionally, the sensor is a proximity sensor or a position sensor disposed on the lock body.

[0017] Based on this, the present invention also provides a deformation correction method for the front cover of a cargo loading platform, which uses the deformation correction device for the front cover of a cargo loading platform as described above for correction, and includes the following steps:

[0018] Install a guide wheel assembly on the inside of the free end of the front cover;

[0019] A guide block with a wedge-shaped guide surface is installed on the frame at a position corresponding to the guide wheel of the guide wheel assembly;

[0020] When the front cover is closed, the contact and relative rolling between the guide wheel and the wedge-shaped guide surface are used to forcibly correct the deformation displacement of the front cover caused by gravity acting on its free end, thereby aligning the mortise lock and inserting it into the lock body.

[0021] The deformation correction device and correction method for the front cover of a cargo loading platform provided by the present invention have at least one of the following beneficial effects:

[0022] (1) Before the mortise lock contacts the lock body, the front cover that has been deformed (such as drooping or swaying) is automatically and smoothly guided back to the correct position by the forced rolling contact between the guide wheel and the wedge-shaped guide surface on the guide block. This fundamentally avoids hard impact between the mortise lock and the lock body / sensor, significantly extends the service life of the equipment and reduces maintenance costs.

[0023] (2) There is no need to modify the bulky front cover body or hinge system. Complex functions can be achieved by simply adding two small mechanical parts (guide wheel assembly and guide block). The implementation cost is low and the modification is convenient.

[0024] (3) It adopts a rolling friction structure, which has low resistance and smooth operation; and the parts are durable and do not require frequent adjustment or maintenance. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Those skilled in the art will understand that the accompanying drawings are provided to better understand the invention and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of the invention. Wherein:

[0026] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of a deformation correction device for the front cover of a cargo loading platform according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Assembly drawing;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of a deformation correction device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the deformation correction device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] The attached figures are labeled as follows:

[0031] 100-Frame; 200-Front cover; 300-Mould; 400-Lock body; 500-Guide wheel assembly; 510-Guide wheel; 520-Mounting base; 521-Mounting block; 530-Mandrel; 600-Guide block; 610-Wedge guide surface; 700-Fastener. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0033] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without original effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0034] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product is in use, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly understood by those skilled in the art. They are only used to facilitate the description of this invention and to simplify the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0035] Furthermore, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such an article or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the article or apparatus that includes said element. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0036] Please refer to Figures 1-4This invention provides a deformation correction device for the front cover of a cargo loading platform. The cargo loading platform includes a frame 100, a front cover 200 hinged to one side of the frame 100, a latch 300 disposed at the free end of the front cover 200, and a lock body 400 disposed on the frame 100. The deformation correction device includes:

[0037] The guide wheel assembly 500 is fixedly installed on the inner edge of the free end of the front cover 200, and the guide wheel assembly 500 includes a rotatable guide wheel 510;

[0038] The guide block 600 is fixedly installed on the frame 100 and has a wedge-shaped guide surface 610;

[0039] The mounting positions of the guide wheel 510 on the front cover 200, the guide block 600 on the frame 100, and the orientation of the wedge-shaped guide surface 610 are configured such that, during the closing process of the front cover 200, before the mortise lock 300 moves to contact the lock body 400, the guide wheel 510 is configured to first contact the wedge-shaped guide surface 610 and roll along it, so as to correct the deformation displacement of the front cover 200 caused by gravity acting on its free end through the wedge-shaped guide surface 610, thereby enabling the mortise lock 300 to be aligned and inserted into the lock body 400.

[0040] Specifically, the deformation correction device is applied to a cargo loading platform, which serves as a standard loading interface and can be widely used in applications requiring high-precision positioning and sealing, such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment (e.g., WAT automatic probe stations) and flat panel display production lines. Taking its application to a WAT ​​automatic probe station as an example, this deformation correction device ensures the precise closure of the wafer loading front cover, thereby guaranteeing the sealing and positioning accuracy of the testing process. The cargo loading platform typically includes a fixed frame 100, a front cover 200 connected to the frame 100 via a single-sided hinge and rotatable around the hinge axis for opening and closing, a latch 300 installed on the inner side of the free end of the front cover 200 away from the hinge, and a lock body 400 installed at a corresponding position on the frame 100 for engaging with the latch 300. A sensor (not shown in the figure) is typically located inside or next to the lock body 400 to detect whether the latch 300 is fully inserted and locked.

[0041] The deformation correction device of the present invention mainly consists of two parts: a guide wheel assembly 500 and a guide block 600.

[0042] The guide wheel assembly 500 is fixedly mounted on the inner edge of the free end of the front cover 200, and includes a rotatable guide wheel 510. In a preferred embodiment, the guide wheel 510 is a standard deep groove ball bearing. Deep groove ball bearings are chosen because they can withstand radial and certain axial loads, rotate flexibly, are standard parts, and are low in cost and highly reliable. Of course, in other alternative embodiments, the guide wheel 510 can also be other types of rolling bearings (such as needle roller bearings, tapered roller bearings), or a simple roller mounted on a bushing, as long as it can achieve the functions of rotation and low friction.

[0043] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the guide wheel assembly 500 also includes a mounting base 520 and a spindle 530 for mounting and supporting the guide wheel 510. The mounting base 520 can be fixed to the inner edge of the free end of the front cover 200 by fasteners 700 such as bolts. The mounting base 520 has mounting grooves or through holes for accommodating the two ends of the spindle 530. The spindle 530 passes through the inner hole of the guide wheel 510 (such as a bearing), and its two ends are fixed in the mounting grooves or through holes. The guide wheel 510 is rotatably fitted onto the fixed spindle 530. This arrangement provides structural stability and direct torque transmission.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment, the mounting base 520 can be designed as a split structure. For example, as... Figure 2 As shown, it includes two mounting blocks 521. The two mounting blocks 521 are connected and clamped to the inner edge of the front cover 200 by the same set or more sets of fasteners 700 (such as bolts), that is, the two mounting blocks 521 and the front cover 200 have corresponding connection holes for bolt connection. The spindle 530 is pre-placed in the mounting groove of one of the mounting blocks 521. When the two mounting blocks 521 are joined and tightened, the spindle 530 is firmly clamped and fixed between the two mounting blocks 521. The great advantage of this split design is that installation and maintenance are extremely convenient. During assembly, there is no need to laboriously install the guide wheel 510 from the shaft end. Simply put the guide wheel 510 on the spindle 530, place the spindle 530 in the mounting groove of the mounting block 521, close the other mounting block 521 and tighten the bolts / nuts. When the guide wheel 510 needs to be replaced, simply loosen the bolts / nuts, open the mounting base 520, and the entire wheel axle assembly can be easily removed, greatly reducing maintenance difficulty and time costs. Of course, the mounting base 520 can also be an integral structure, fixing the spindle 530 by press-fitting or threading, etc., and this invention does not limit this.

[0045] In this embodiment, the guide block 600 can also be fixedly installed on the frame 100 of the cargo loading platform by fasteners 700 such as bolts, and its position precisely corresponds to the position of the guide wheel 510 when closed. The core design of the guide block 600 is that it has a wedge-shaped guide surface 610, which is an inclined surface with a carefully designed inclination angle and profile. In a preferred embodiment, the wedge-shaped guide surface 610 is specifically constructed to provide displacement compensation for the front cover 200 in the Z and X directions. It should be noted that the "Z direction" mentioned here is the direction perpendicular to the closing plane of the front cover 200 (usually corresponding to the vertical up and down direction), and the X direction is the direction parallel to the closing plane and perpendicular to the closing direction of the front cover 200 (usually corresponding to the horizontal left and right direction). The deformation of the front cover 200 due to gravity is usually a downward sag in the Z direction, and may also be accompanied by a slight sway in the X direction. The wedge-shaped guide surface 610 can compensate for the deviation in these two directions simultaneously by contacting and guiding the guide wheel 510.

[0046] More specifically, through the measurement and analysis of a large amount of deformation data of the front cover 200, the wedge-shaped guide surface 610 of the present invention is optimized to provide a displacement compensation range of approximately 0-11 mm in the Z direction and approximately 0-5 mm in the X direction. This range covers the maximum deformation that most of the front covers 200s of such cargo loading platforms may experience after long-term use, ensuring the effectiveness and versatility of the correction. The precise value of the compensation range can be adjusted according to the size of the specific loading platform model, the material of the front cover 200, and its weight; the present invention does not limit this.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment, the guide block 600 is made of engineering plastic, such as nylon (PA). The advantages of using engineering plastics are: they have good self-lubricating and wear-resistant properties, resulting in a low coefficient of friction and low noise when mating with the metal guide wheel 510 (bearing outer ring); secondly, engineering plastics are softer than metals, effectively protecting the expensive metal guide wheel 510 from scratches even in the event of abnormal contact; thirdly, engineering plastics can absorb some vibration and impact, making the correction process smoother; and finally, engineering plastics are lightweight, easy to process and mold, and have lower costs. Of course, the guide block 600 can also be made of other materials as needed, such as metals with hardened or coated surfaces; this invention does not limit this.

[0048] The core improvement of this invention lies in the spatial position and orientation configuration of the guide wheel 510, the guide block 600, and the wedge-shaped guide surface 610. For example... Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the mounting positions of the guide wheel 510 on the front cover 200, the guide block 600 on the frame 100, and the orientation of the wedge-shaped guide surface 610 are configured such that there is a specific "correction phase" throughout the entire closing stroke of the front cover 200. Specifically, before the latch 300 moves to the point of contact with the lock body 400, the guide wheel 510 first contacts and begins to roll along the wedge-shaped guide surface 610 of the guide block 600. Since the guide block 600 is fixed to the stable frame 100, and the guide wheel 510 moves with the front cover 200, which may have already deformed, the interaction force generated when they contact each other forces the front cover 200, along with the latch 300 on it, to produce a small, forced displacement along the preset path of the wedge-shaped guide surface. This process is precisely the dynamic correction of the deformation of the front cover 200 (such as the drooping of the free end). Through this rolling contact, the free end of the front cover 200 is "lifted" and "centered" to the correct position. Once the calibration is complete, after the guide wheel 510 rolls past the highest point of the wedge-shaped guide surface or enters the straight section, the position of the front cover 200 has been precisely calibrated. At this point, the mortise lock 300 moves precisely to the front of the lock body 400 and can be inserted into the lock body 400 without any obstruction, thus completing the locking action.

[0049] Based on this, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, this embodiment of the invention also provides a cargo loading platform, including a frame 100, a front cover 200 hinged to one side of the frame 100, a latch 300 disposed at the free end of the front cover 200, a lock body 400 disposed on the frame 100, a sensor, and a deformation correction device as described above. The sensor is used to detect whether the latch 300 is inserted into place.

[0050] The sensor can be a proximity sensor (such as an inductive or capacitive one) installed inside the lock body 400, triggering a signal when the metal latch 300 is inserted to a specific depth; or it can be a position sensor (such as a microswitch or photoelectric sensor) used to detect a specific mechanical position of the latch 300. The sensor signal is typically connected to the control system of the cargo loading platform or a host computer as one of the safety interlocking conditions allowing subsequent operations (such as data transfer). The deformation correction device of this invention fundamentally ensures that the latch 300 accurately reaches a position reliably detected by the sensor every time, thereby greatly improving the safety and operational reliability of the entire cargo loading platform system.

[0051] Since the cargo loading platform provided by this invention and the deformation correction device for the front cover of the cargo loading platform described above belong to the same inventive concept, the cargo loading platform provided by this invention has all the advantages of the deformation correction device for the front cover of the cargo loading platform described above. Therefore, the beneficial effects of the cargo loading platform provided by this invention will not be described in detail here.

[0052] Based on this, the present invention also provides a deformation correction method for the front cover of a cargo loading platform, which uses the deformation correction device for the front cover of a cargo loading platform as described above for correction, and includes the following steps:

[0053] First, install the guide wheel assembly 500 on the inside of the free end of the front cover 200;

[0054] Secondly, a guide block 600 with a wedge-shaped guide surface 610 is installed on the frame 100 at a position corresponding to the guide wheel 510 of the guide wheel assembly 500;

[0055] In actual operation, when the front cover 200 needs to be closed, it is driven to rotate (manually or automatically) in the closing direction. During the closing stroke of the front cover 200, the contact and relative rolling between the guide wheel 510 and the wedge-shaped guide surface 610 forcibly corrects the deformation displacement of the front cover 200 caused by gravity acting on its free end. This correction process is a smooth and continuous mechanical process. After the correction action is completed, the front cover 200 and its latch 300 have been guided to the precise theoretical position. At this time, continuing to close the front cover 200 allows the latch 300 to be aligned and inserted into the lock body 400 on the frame 100 without interference, completing a reliable locking.

[0056] Since the deformation correction method for the front cover of the cargo loading platform provided by this invention belongs to the same inventive concept as the deformation correction device for the front cover of the cargo loading platform described above, the deformation correction method for the front cover of the cargo loading platform provided by this invention has all the advantages of the deformation correction device for the front cover of the cargo loading platform described above. Therefore, the beneficial effects of the deformation correction method for the front cover of the cargo loading platform provided by this invention will not be described in detail here.

[0057] In summary, the core innovation of the deformation correction device and method for the front cover of a cargo loading platform provided by this invention lies in proposing a novel solution for "correcting the deformation of the front cover of the cargo loading platform." By innovatively setting a mechanical coupling mechanism consisting of a "rotatable guide wheel" and a "guide block with a wedge-shaped guide surface" between the free end of the front cover and the frame, and precisely configuring their spatial relative positions and action sequences, the guide wheel can contact the wedge-shaped guide surface of the guide block before the latch during the closing action. Through low-resistance rolling friction, the deformed front cover is forced to move along a preset path, correcting the deformation displacement of the front cover caused by gravity acting on its free end. This correction mechanism effectively avoids hard impacts between the latch and the lock body and precision sensors, significantly improving the service life and reliability of the core components of the equipment.

[0058] The above description is merely a description of preferred embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the above disclosure are within the protection scope of the present invention. Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the present invention and its equivalents, the present invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A deformation correction device for the front cover of a cargo loading platform, the cargo loading platform comprising a frame, a front cover hinged to one side of the frame, a latch disposed at the free end of the front cover, and a lock body disposed on the frame, characterized in that, The deformation correction device includes: A guide wheel assembly is fixedly installed on the inner edge of the free end of the front cover, and the guide wheel assembly includes a rotatable guide wheel; A guide block is fixedly installed on the frame and has a wedge-shaped guide surface; The mounting positions of the guide wheel on the front cover, the mounting positions of the guide block on the frame, and the orientation of the wedge-shaped guide surface are configured such that, during the closing process of the front cover, before the latch moves to contact the lock body, the guide wheel is configured to first contact the wedge-shaped guide surface and roll along it, so as to correct the deformation displacement of the front cover caused by gravity acting on its free end through the wedge-shaped guide surface, thereby enabling the latch to be aligned and inserted into the lock body.

2. The deformation correction device for the front cover of a cargo loading platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide wheel assembly also includes a mounting base and a spindle. The mounting base is fixed to the inner edge of the free end of the front cover by fasteners. The mounting base has mounting grooves for accommodating both ends of the spindle. The guide wheel is rotatably sleeved on the spindle.

3. The deformation correction device for the front cover of a cargo loading platform according to claim 2, characterized in that, The mounting base is a split structure, comprising two mounting blocks connected by the fasteners, and the spindle is clamped and fixed between the two mounting blocks.

4. The deformation correction device for the front cover of a cargo loading platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide wheel is a standard deep groove ball bearing.

5. The deformation correction device for the front cover of a cargo loading platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide block is made of engineering plastic.

6. The deformation correction device for the front cover of a cargo loading platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wedge-shaped guide surface is configured to provide displacement compensation for the front cover in the Z and X directions, wherein the Z direction is perpendicular to the front cover closing plane, and the X direction is parallel to the closing plane and perpendicular to the front cover closing direction.

7. The deformation correction device for the front cover of a cargo loading platform according to claim 6, characterized in that, The wedge-shaped guide surface is configured to compensate for displacement in the Z direction with a range of 0-11 mm and for displacement in the X direction with a range of 0-5 mm.

8. A cargo loading platform, characterized in that, The device includes a frame, a front cover hinged to one side of the frame, a latch disposed at the free end of the front cover, a lock body disposed on the frame, a sensor, and a deformation correction device according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the sensor is used to detect whether the latch is inserted into place.

9. The cargo loading platform according to claim 8, characterized in that, The sensor is a proximity sensor or a position sensor installed on the lock body.

10. A method for deformation correction of a front cover for a cargo loading platform, comprising using a deformation correction device for a front cover for a cargo loading platform according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Install a guide wheel assembly on the inside of the free end of the front cover; A guide block with a wedge-shaped guide surface is installed on the frame at a position corresponding to the guide wheel of the guide wheel assembly; When the front cover is closed, the contact and relative rolling between the guide wheel and the wedge-shaped guide surface are used to forcibly correct the deformation displacement of the front cover caused by gravity acting on its free end, thereby aligning the mortise lock and inserting it into the lock body.

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