Solder ball separation device

Abstract

The present invention provides a solder ball separation device, including a hopper for storing solder balls, a machine platform for supporting the hopper, a cover body covering the hopper, and a material transfer mechanism for removing solder balls from the hopper, wherein the hopper is located in the cover body, and the cover body is provided with a material taking port for a suction head of a manipulator to extend into the cover body; the material transfer mechanism includes a material transfer column arranged in the hopper and a first linear drive mechanism for driving the material transfer column to transfer the solder balls to the material taking port position for the suction head to absorb, the first linear drive mechanism is arranged on the machine platform, and the material transfer column is connected to the first linear drive mechanism. When in use, the first linear drive mechanism drives the material transfer column to transfer the solder balls in the hopper to the material taking port position on the cover body, so that the solder balls in the hopper can be automatically separated quickly and efficiently, and there will be no ball jamming. The solder ball separation efficiency is high, and it can also be applicable to the separation of solder balls of different sizes, without the need to configure a variety of different solder ball separation devices for solder balls of different sizes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of solder ball welding, and more specifically, relates to a solder ball separation device. Background Art

[0002] With the development of science and technology, precision components such as electronic products are becoming increasingly miniaturized, manufacturing processes are becoming increasingly complex, and welding conditions are becoming increasingly demanding. Tin ball welding technology is widely used in cutting-edge packaging technology and micro-welding applications. At present, the tin ball separation device of tin ball welding equipment has a complex structure, and the tin balls generally have strong viscosity, which makes it easy for the balls to get stuck during separation, resulting in low tin ball separation efficiency, which affects the welding efficiency of tin ball welding. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a solder ball separation device, aiming to solve the problem that solder ball separation devices in the prior art are prone to ball jamming, resulting in low solder ball separation efficiency.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is to provide a solder ball separation device, including a hopper for storing solder balls, a machine platform supporting the hopper, a cover body covering the hopper and a material transfer mechanism for separating and removing the solder balls in the hopper, wherein the hopper is located in the cover body, and the cover body is provided with a material taking port for allowing a suction head of a robot to extend into the cover body; the material transfer mechanism includes a material transfer column arranged in the hopper and a first linear drive mechanism driving the material transfer column to transfer the solder balls to the material taking port position, the first linear drive mechanism is arranged on the machine platform, and the material transfer column is connected to the first linear drive mechanism.

[0005] Furthermore, the material transfer column is vertically arranged in the hopper, and the bottom of the hopper is provided with a through hole for allowing the bottom end of the material transfer column to extend out of the hopper, and the material taking port is located directly above the material transfer column.

[0006] Furthermore, a transfer trough for quantitatively transferring the solder balls is provided at the top of the transfer column.

[0007] Furthermore, the solder ball separation device also includes a blowing mechanism for blowing off excess solder balls adhering to the suction head.

[0008] Furthermore, the blowing mechanism includes an air pipe connected to the air supply system and a second linear drive mechanism for driving the air pipe to move into the cover body, the air pipe is provided with a blowing hole, and the cover body is correspondingly provided with an opening for the air pipe to extend into, and the air pipe is connected to the second linear drive mechanism.

[0009] Furthermore, there are multiple blowing holes.

[0010] Furthermore, the material transfer mechanism also includes a linear guide rail for guiding the movement of the material transfer column and a slider installed on the linear guide rail, the linear guide rail is installed on the machine platform, the slider is connected to the first linear drive mechanism, and the material transfer column is connected to the slider.

[0011] Furthermore, the material moving mechanism also includes a sliding seat fixedly connected to the sliding block, and the material moving column is fixed on the sliding seat.

[0012] Furthermore, the hopper is funnel-shaped or hemispherical.

[0013] Furthermore, there are multiple hoppers, all of which are located in the cover body; the cover body is provided with multiple material taking ports, which are arranged one-to-one with the multiple hoppers; there are multiple material transfer mechanisms, which are arranged one-to-one with the multiple hoppers.

[0014] The beneficial effect of the tin ball separation device provided by the present invention is that: compared with the prior art, the tin ball separation device provided by the present invention is provided by arranging a hopper for storing tin balls in the cover body on the machine platform, arranging a material transfer column in the hopper, and arranging a first linear drive mechanism on the machine platform to drive the material transfer column to separate and remove the tin balls in the hopper. When in use, the material transfer column is driven by the first linear drive mechanism to transfer the tin balls in the hopper to the material taking port position on the cover body, and the suction head of the manipulator can extend into the cover body through the material taking port to suck the tin balls separated and removed by the material transfer column, so that the tin balls in the hopper can be automatically separated and loaded quickly and efficiently, effectively avoiding the situation that the tin balls are stuck during the separation process, and improving the separation efficiency of the tin balls. In addition, the tin ball separation device provided by the present invention has a simple structure, not only will there be no ball jamming, but also the tin ball separation efficiency is high, and it can also be suitable for the separation of tin balls of different sizes, and there is no need to configure a variety of different tin ball separation devices for tin balls of different sizes, saving production costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a solder ball separation device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the solder ball separation device provided by an embodiment of the present invention when the cover body and the hopper are separated;

[0018] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a material transfer mechanism of a solder ball separation device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a blowing mechanism of a solder ball separation device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the partially enlarged structure.

[0021] Among them, the main marks of the drawings in the figure are:

[0022] 1- hopper; 2- machine platform; 3- cover body; 31- material taking port; 32- opening;

[0023] 4-material transfer mechanism; 41-material transfer column; 411-material transfer trough; 42-first cylinder; 43-linear slide rail; 44-sliding block; 45-sliding seat;

[0024] 5-blow mechanism; 51-air pipe; 511-blow hole; 52-second cylinder. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0026] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "connected to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0027] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined. The meaning of "several" is one or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0028] 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 an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0029] Please also read Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the solder ball separation device provided by the present invention is now described. The solder ball separation device provided by the present invention comprises a hopper 1 for storing solder balls, a machine platform 2 for supporting the hopper 1, a cover body 3 covering the hopper 1, and a material transfer mechanism 4 for separating and removing the solder balls in the hopper 1. The hopper 1 is located in the cover body 3, and the cover body 3 is provided with a material taking port 31 for the suction head of the manipulator to extend into the cover body 3; the material transfer mechanism 4 comprises a material transfer column 41 arranged in the hopper 1 and a first linear drive mechanism that drives the material transfer column 41 to transfer the solder balls to the position of the material taking port 31. The first linear drive mechanism is arranged on the machine platform 2, and the material transfer column 41 is connected to the first linear drive mechanism. When in use, the first linear drive mechanism drives the material transfer column 41 to transfer the solder balls in the hopper 1 to the material taking port 31 on the cover body 3. The suction head of the robot arm can extend into the cover body 3 through the material taking port 31 to suck the solder balls separated and removed by the material transfer column 41, so that the solder balls in the hopper 1 can be automatically separated and loaded quickly and efficiently.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the solder ball separation device provided by the present invention is characterized in that a hopper 1 for storing solder balls is arranged in the cover body 3 on the machine 2, a material transfer column 41 is arranged in the hopper 1, and a first linear drive mechanism for driving the material transfer column 41 to separate and remove the solder balls in the hopper 1 is arranged on the machine 2. When in use, the first linear drive mechanism drives the material transfer column 41 to transfer the solder balls in the hopper 1 to the position of the material taking port 31 on the cover body 3, and the suction head of the manipulator can extend into the cover body 3 through the material taking port 31 to suck the solder balls separated and removed by the material transfer column 41, so that the solder balls in the hopper 1 can be automatically separated and loaded quickly and efficiently, effectively avoiding the situation that the solder balls are stuck during the separation process, and improving the separation efficiency of the solder balls. In addition, the solder ball separation device provided by the present invention has a simple structure, not only will there be no ball jamming, but also has a high solder ball separation efficiency, and can also be applied to the separation of solder balls of different sizes, without the need to configure a variety of different solder ball separation devices for solder balls of different sizes, thus saving production costs.

[0031] Specifically, the first linear drive mechanism is a first cylinder 42, which is fixed on the machine 2, and the piston rod of the first cylinder 42 is connected to the material transfer column 41, and the material transfer column 41 is driven by the first cylinder 42 to move axially, so that the material transfer column 41 can separate and remove the solder balls in the hopper 1. Of course, the first linear drive mechanism can be a cylinder, but is not limited to a cylinder. For example, the first linear drive mechanism can also be a drive mechanism with a linear drive function such as a hydraulic cylinder, an electric cylinder or an electric push rod, which can be selected and set according to actual needs, and is not limited here.

[0032] Please also refer to Figure 2 As a specific embodiment of the solder ball separation device provided by the present invention, a material transfer column 41 is vertically arranged in the hopper 1, and a through hole is provided at the bottom of the hopper 1 for the bottom end of the material transfer column 41 to extend out of the hopper 1, and the material taking port 31 is located directly above the material transfer column 41.

[0033] In this embodiment, the material transfer column 41 is vertically arranged in the hopper 1, and the material taking port 31 on the cover body 3 is arranged directly above the material transfer column 41, so that the material transfer column 41 can quickly and stably separate the solder balls in the hopper 1 and transfer them to the position of the material taking port 31, so that the suction head of the robot can smoothly absorb the solder balls on the material transfer column 41, thereby ensuring the stability of solder ball separation and feeding, and improving the efficiency of solder ball separation and feeding.

[0034] Please also refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 As a specific embodiment of the solder ball separation device provided by the present invention, a transfer trough 411 for quantitatively transferring solder balls is provided at the top of the transfer column 41.

[0035] In this embodiment, a material transfer column 41 is vertically arranged in the hopper 1, and a material transfer groove 411 is provided at the top of the material transfer column 41. The solder balls in the hopper 1 are quantitatively separated and removed through the material transfer groove 411, thereby improving the accuracy and efficiency of separation and loading of the solder ball separation device, and avoiding the situation where there are no solder balls on the material transfer column 41, resulting in the robot arm suction head being unable to load the material.

[0036] Please also refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As a specific embodiment of the solder ball separation device provided by the present invention, the solder ball separation device also includes a blowing mechanism 5 for blowing off the excess solder balls adhering to the suction head. Since the solder balls generally have strong viscosity, the excess solder balls adhering to the suction head of the manipulator are blown off by the blowing mechanism 5, wherein the blowing force formed by the high-speed airflow of the blowing mechanism 5 is smaller than the adsorption force formed by the negative pressure of the fine holes of the suction head, so that all the excess solder balls except the solder balls adsorbed at the suction holes of the suction head can be blown off from the suction head, so as to achieve the purpose of accurate material collection.

[0037] Please also refer to Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As a specific embodiment of the solder ball separation device provided by the present invention, the blowing mechanism 5 includes an air pipe 51 connected to the air supply system and a second linear driving mechanism for driving the air pipe 51 to move into the cover body 3. The air pipe 51 is provided with a blowing hole 511, and the cover body 3 is correspondingly provided with an opening 32 into which the air supply pipe 51 extends, and the air pipe 51 is connected to the second linear driving mechanism.

[0038] In this embodiment, the blowing mechanism 5 includes an air pipe 51 connected to the air supply system and a second linear driving mechanism for driving the air pipe 51 to move to the cover body 3. When the suction head absorbs the solder balls, the air pipe 51 is driven to move to a position close to the suction head in the cover body 3, and a high-pressure airflow is output toward the suction head through the blowing holes 511 on the air pipe 51. The blowing force formed by the high-speed airflow of the blowing mechanism 5 is smaller than the adsorption force formed by the negative pressure of the fine holes of the suction head, so that all the excess solder balls except the solder balls adsorbed at the suction holes of the suction head can be blown off from the suction head, so as to achieve the purpose of accurate material collection.

[0039] Specifically, the second linear drive mechanism is a second cylinder 52, which is fixed on the machine 2, and the piston rod of the second cylinder 52 is connected to the air pipe 51. The air pipe 51 is driven to move laterally by the second cylinder 52, so that the air pipe 51 moves to a position close to the suction head in the cover body 3 when the suction head absorbs the solder balls, so that the blowing mechanism 5 can blow off all the excess solder balls on the suction head except the solder balls absorbed by the suction hole position of the suction head. Of course, the second linear drive mechanism can be a cylinder, but is not limited to a cylinder. For example, the second linear drive mechanism can also be a driving mechanism with a linear drive function such as a hydraulic cylinder, an electric cylinder or an electric push rod, which can be selected and set according to actual needs, and is not limited here.

[0040] Please also refer to Figure 5 As a specific embodiment of the solder ball separation device provided by the present invention, the number of the blowing holes 511 is multiple. The air pipe 51 is provided with multiple blowing holes 511, and the high-speed airflow is output through the multiple blowing holes 511, which can increase the blowing area of ​​the blowing mechanism 5 on the suction head, improve the blowing effect of the blowing mechanism 5 on the solder balls adsorbed on the suction head, and can quickly and efficiently blow off all the excess solder balls from the suction head except the solder balls adsorbed at the suction hole position of the suction head, so as to achieve the purpose of accurate material collection.

[0041] Preferably, further, please refer to Figure 5As a specific embodiment of the solder ball separation device provided by the present invention, a plurality of blowing holes 511 are evenly spaced (matrix arrangement) on the air pipe 51, so that the blowing mechanism 5 can output a larger area and more balanced high-speed airflow toward the suction head, thereby improving the blowing effect and blowing efficiency of the blowing mechanism 5 on the solder balls adsorbed on the suction head, thereby improving the separation and feeding efficiency of the solder ball separation device.

[0042] Please also refer to Figure 3 As a specific embodiment of the solder ball separation device provided by the present invention, the material moving mechanism 4 also includes a linear slide rail 43 for guiding the movement of the material moving column 41 and a slider 44 installed on the linear guide rail. The linear slide rail 43 is installed on the machine table 2, the slider 44 is connected to the first linear drive mechanism, and the material moving column 41 is connected to the slider 44.

[0043] In this embodiment, a linear slide rail 43 is provided to guide the axial movement of the material transfer column 41, a slider 44 is installed on the linear guide rail, and the material transfer column 41 is connected to the slider 44. Then, on the sliding cooperation line of the linear slide rail 43 and the slider 44, the first linear drive device can stably and smoothly drive the material transfer column 41 to move axially, thereby realizing fast and efficient separation and removal of the solder balls in the hopper 1, thereby improving the separation and loading efficiency of the solder ball separation device.

[0044] Please also refer to Figure 3 As a specific embodiment of the solder ball separation device provided by the present invention, the material moving mechanism 4 also includes a sliding seat 45 fixedly connected to the slider 44, and the material moving column 41 is fixed on the sliding seat 45. By fixing the sliding seat 45 on the slider 44 and fixing the material moving column 41 on the sliding seat 45, the stability and reliability of the movement of the material moving column 41 are enhanced, thereby enhancing the stability and reliability of the solder ball separation device in separating solder balls.

[0045] Please also refer to Figure 2 As a specific embodiment of the solder ball separation device provided by the present invention, the hopper 1 is funnel-shaped or hemispherical. By setting the hopper 1 to be funnel-shaped or hemispherical, it is convenient for the material transfer column 41 to separate and remove the solder balls in the hopper 1, and avoid the situation where the solder balls in the hopper 1 are too dispersed, causing the material transfer column 41 to be unable to separate and move the solder balls, thereby achieving the continuity of the solder ball separation device to separate the solder balls, and to a certain extent improving the separation and feeding efficiency of the solder ball separation device.

[0046] Please also refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2As a specific embodiment of the solder ball separation device provided by the present invention, there are multiple hoppers 1, and the multiple hoppers 1 are all located in the cover body 3. The cover body 3 is provided with multiple material taking ports 31, and the multiple material taking ports 31 are arranged one-to-one corresponding to the multiple hoppers 1; there are multiple material transfer mechanisms 4, and the multiple material transfer mechanisms 4 are corresponding one-to-one to the multiple hoppers 1.

[0047] In this embodiment, three or more hoppers 1 are arranged on the machine 2, and a material transfer mechanism 4 equal to the number of the hoppers 1 is arranged on the machine 2. The multiple hoppers 1 are all located in the cover body 3. The cover body 3 is provided with multiple material taking ports 31. The multiple material taking ports 31 are arranged one-to-one correspondingly to the multiple hoppers 1, and the multiple material transfer mechanisms 4 are corresponding one-to-one to the multiple hoppers 1, so that the multiple material transfer mechanisms 4 can separate the solder balls in the multiple hoppers 1 respectively, thereby improving the separation and loading efficiency of the solder ball separation device.

[0048] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. 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 present invention.

Claims

1. A solder ball separation device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a hopper for storing solder balls, a machine platform for supporting the hopper, a cover body covering the hopper and a material transfer mechanism for separating and removing the solder balls in the hopper, wherein the hopper is located in the cover body, and the cover body is provided with a material taking port for a suction head of a robot to extend into the cover body; the material transfer mechanism comprises a material transfer column arranged in the hopper and a first linear drive mechanism for driving the material transfer column to transfer the solder balls to the position of the material taking port, the first linear drive mechanism is arranged on the machine platform, the material transfer column is connected to the first linear drive mechanism, the material transfer column is vertically arranged in the hopper, a through hole is provided at the bottom of the hopper for the bottom end of the material transfer column to extend out of the hopper, and the material taking port is located directly above the material transfer column, and the solder ball separation device also comprises a material blowing mechanism for blowing off excess solder balls adhering to the suction head.

2. The solder ball separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the material transfer column is provided with a material transfer groove for quantitatively transferring the solder balls.

3. The solder ball separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The blowing mechanism includes an air pipe connected to the air supply system and a second linear drive mechanism for driving the air pipe to move into the cover body. The air pipe is provided with a blowing hole, and the cover body is correspondingly provided with an opening for the air pipe to extend into. The air pipe is connected to the second linear drive mechanism.

4. The solder ball separation device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The number of the blowing holes is multiple.

5. The solder ball separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material transfer mechanism also includes a linear slide rail for guiding the movement of the material transfer column and a slider installed on the linear slide rail. The linear slide rail is installed on the machine platform. The slider is connected to the first linear drive mechanism, and the material transfer column is connected to the slider.

6. The solder ball separation device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The material shifting mechanism further comprises a sliding seat fixedly connected to the sliding block, and the material shifting column is fixed on the sliding seat.

7. The solder ball separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hopper is in a funnel shape or a hemispherical shape.

8. The solder ball separation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: There are multiple hoppers, all of which are located in the cover body. The cover body is provided with multiple material taking ports, which are arranged one-to-one with the multiple hoppers; there are multiple material transfer mechanisms, which are arranged one-to-one with the multiple hoppers.

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