Flexible carrier for multi-station automatic assembly of antenna radiating elements and method of use

Abstract

The application provides a flexible carrier and a use method for multi-station automatic assembly of an antenna radiation unit, comprising a cover plate, a child carrier and a parent carrier. The parent carrier is used for running on a flow line, the child carrier is used for clamping and positioning the product, and the cover plate is used for pressing the antenna radiation unit from above the child carrier. The carrier can be used for double-sided automatic assembly and disassembly of the antenna radiation unit in multiple stations such as assembly and welding, and can be compatible with multiple specifications of products, has the advantages of simple structure, convenient use, reliable clamping and the like, and has important significance for batch production of the antenna radiation unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated assembly of antenna radiating elements, and more specifically to a flexible carrier and method for automated assembly of antenna radiating elements at multiple workstations. Background Technology

[0002] An antenna radiating element is a type of antenna where a thin metal layer is attached to one side of a thin dielectric substrate as a ground plane, and a metal radiating patch of a specific shape is formed on the other side using methods such as photolithography. The patch is fed using a microstrip line and an axial probe. Compared to conventional microwave antennas, microstrip antennas offer advantages such as small size, low cost, light weight, low profile, easy conformal integration with the carrier, small scattering cross section, and wide beamwidth. They are widely used in microwave detection systems, with high demand, necessitating automated assembly production.

[0003] The assembly process of antenna radiating elements involves multiple steps, including microstrip board welding, adhesive dispensing, connector assembly, connector welding, and quality inspection. Assembly must be performed from both the top and bottom surfaces. Furthermore, antenna radiating elements come in various specifications, categorized by the number of arrays (single-array and dual-array) and by the number of channels (12-channel, 16-channel, 20-channel, 24-channel, 25-channel, etc.). Therefore, to meet the demands for automated assembly of antenna radiating elements, there is an urgent need to develop flexible carriers capable of multi-station assembly.

[0004] Automated and flexible assembly fixtures (tooling) play a crucial role in improving production efficiency and ensuring product manufacturing quality. Although automated assembly fixtures are widely used nowadays, they are limited in the types of assembly processes they can handle, and their flexibility and automation capabilities are insufficient. They cannot meet the full-process automated assembly requirements of antenna radiating units, including microstrip board welding, dispensing, connector assembly, connector welding, and quality inspection. Furthermore, the flexibility of these fixtures is insufficient to meet the multi-station assembly needs of diverse products. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a flexible carrier for the automated multi-station assembly of antenna radiating units. The antenna radiating unit includes a patch base and a microstrip board. The patch base has multiple through holes arranged in an array, and positioning mounting holes and base bosses at both ends. The microstrip board is disposed on the upper surface of the patch base and includes a cover plate, a sub-carrier, and a mother carrier. The cover plate includes a cover plate body, a longitudinal locking mechanism, and spring-loaded clamping posts. The longitudinal locking mechanism is mounted on the upper surface of the cover plate body. The spring-loaded clamping posts are arranged in an array on the lower surface of the cover plate body. The sub-carrier includes a sub-carrier body with at least one product mounting slot on its upper surface for supporting the patch. The device includes: a substrate base; each product mounting slot has at least one row of arrayed assembly clearance through holes that match the through holes on the substrate base; a locking pin, vertically mounted on the upper surface of the sub-carrier body, for connection with a longitudinal locking mechanism to fix the cover plate and the sub-carrier, so that the spring clamping column presses the microstrip plate on the substrate base; the mother carrier includes: a mother carrier body, a positioning pin assembly, and positioning pins; the positioning pin assembly and positioning pins are vertically mounted on the upper surface of the mother carrier body; the positioning pin assembly is symmetrically arranged at both ends of the mother carrier body for connection with the sub-carrier; the positioning pin array is arranged between the positioning pin assemblies, corresponding to the assembly clearance through holes, for positioning the microstrip plate.

[0006] Preferably, the cover plate body includes two parallel first cover plates and two parallel second cover plates, with each end of the second cover plate connected to the first cover plate; the cover plate also includes longitudinal tie rods located at both ends of the cover plate body, each longitudinal tie rod being parallel to the first cover plate, and each end of the longitudinal tie rod being connected to a longitudinal locking mechanism for controlling the opening or closing of the longitudinal locking mechanism.

[0007] Preferably, each product mounting slot is further provided with at least two product positioning pins and at least one auxiliary positioning block; the positioning pins are located at one end of the product mounting slot and are used to connect with the positioning mounting holes of the patch base so that the patch base is mounted on the subcarrier; the auxiliary positioning blocks are distributed at intervals along the product mounting slot, and the height of the auxiliary positioning blocks is 0.5mm to 1mm higher than the upper surface of the product mounting slot; each of the assembly clearance through holes is provided with a stepped clearance groove on one side to accommodate the base boss.

[0008] Preferably, the subcarrier further includes: clamping pins, a lateral pressing mechanism, and a lateral tie rod; the clamping pins are disposed on the two lateral sides of the subcarrier body, with two clamping pins symmetrically disposed on each lateral side, for positioning the subcarrier; the lateral tie rods are disposed along the longitudinal direction of the subcarrier body on the upper surface of the subcarrier body, and each lateral tie rod is connected to a lateral pressing mechanism at both ends, and pressure is applied to the lateral tie rods by the lateral pressing mechanism, causing the lateral tie rods to press against the side of the patch base, thereby fixing the patch base in the product mounting slot on the subcarrier.

[0009] Preferably, the upper surface of the subcarrier body is provided with a QR code block that can be quickly switched, and different types of antenna radiating units are identified by setting the corresponding QR code block.

[0010] Preferably, one side of the horizontal tie rod is provided with a disassembly groove, and the disassembly groove can be moved to fix or disassemble the patch base.

[0011] Preferably, the sub-carrier body is provided with a central clearance groove; the transverse tie rod is also provided with side notches on both sides of the disassembly groove; wherein, the height of the central clearance groove and the side notches is 3mm to 4mm lower than the upper surface of the patch base, which facilitates the installation and removal of the patch base.

[0012] Preferably, the subcarrier body is provided with positioning pin holes for connection with the positioning pin assembly; each positioning pin assembly includes a low pin and a high pin arranged at cross intervals; when the subcarrier body is assembled and positioned with the low pin through the positioning pin hole, the product microstrip board can be positioned by the positioning pin, which is 0.5mm to 1mm higher than the surface of the microstrip board; when the subcarrier body is assembled and positioned with the high pin through the positioning pin hole, the lower surface of the subcarrier body is 1mm to 3mm higher than the positioning pin.

[0013] Preferably, the longitudinal locking mechanism includes a cover plate screw, a locking cover plate, a housing, a locking spring, a locking slider, a connecting post, and a housing screw; wherein, the locking cover plate is fastened to the housing by the cover plate screw; the housing is fastened to the cover plate body by the housing screw; the locking spring is connected to the locking slider, disposed in the housing, and can slide in the housing; the lower end of the connecting post is connected to the locking slider, and the upper end is connected to the longitudinal tie rod; the housing is provided with a locking through hole for connecting to the subcarrier.

[0014] The present invention also provides a method for using a flexible carrier for the automatic assembly of antenna radiating elements at multiple stations. The method includes the following steps:

[0015] Step S1: Install the sub-vehicle onto the mother vehicle using the locating pin assembly;

[0016] Step S2: Install the patch base into the product mounting slot, so that the through hole of the patch base corresponds to the assembly clearance through hole in the product mounting slot;

[0017] Step S3: Install the microstrip board onto the patch base;

[0018] Step S4: Install the cover plate on top of the subcarrier and press the patch base on which the microstrip board was installed in step S3 by spring clamping column. This can be used for welding the microstrip board and patch base of the antenna radiating unit.

[0019] Step S5: The automatic gripper releases the fixed connection between the cover plate and the subcarrier and removes the cover plate.

[0020] Step S6: The automatic gripper picks up the two sides of the subcarrier and assembles and positions the subcarrier on the high pin of the mother carrier. This can be used to perform flatness detection and ground resistance detection operations on the antenna radiating element.

[0021] Step S7: The automatic gripper picks up the side of the subcarrier and moves it upward. The subcarrier is flipped 180° by the flipping mechanism so that the lower surface of the subcarrier faces upward. This can be used to apply glue to the threaded hole of the antenna radiating unit and tighten the connector.

[0022] Step S8: The subcarrier is flipped 180° again by the flipping mechanism so that the upper surface of the subcarrier is facing upward and is mounted on the high pin of the mother carrier. This can be used to perform connector pin soldering and solder joint detection operations on the antenna radiating unit.

[0023] Step S9: Use an automatic push rod to pull the horizontal pull rod outward, release the fixation of the antenna radiating unit, clamp and remove the antenna radiating unit from both the central clearance slot and the side notch, which can be used for automated picking and placing of the antenna radiating unit after assembly.

[0024] In summary, compared with the prior art, the flexible carrier and method for automatic multi-station assembly of antenna radiating elements provided by the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0025] 1. The carrier has a high degree of flexibility and can be compatible with single-array or dual-array antenna radiating unit products with 10 to 25 channels;

[0026] 2. The carrier can be used for the automated assembly and production of antenna radiating units, including microstrip board welding, process inspection, base dispensing, connector assembly, connector welding, solder joint inspection, product removal and other processes.

[0027] 3. The carrier has a simple structure and is easy to use. It can be widely applied to the welding, assembly and other production of various thin-walled and slender structural products. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is the front view of the antenna radiating element;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view (AA) of the antenna radiating element;

[0030] Figure 3 This is an assembly diagram of the flexible carrier for the multi-station automated assembly of antenna radiating units of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 This is an assembly diagram of the flexible carrier cover plate for the multi-station automated assembly of the antenna radiating unit of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 This is an assembly diagram of the longitudinal locking mechanism for the flexible carrier cover plate of the multi-station automated assembly of the antenna radiating unit of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 6 This is a front view of the subcarrier assembly of the multi-station automated assembly flexible carrier for antenna radiating units of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 7 This is a top view of the subcarrier assembly of the multi-station automated flexible carrier for assembling antenna radiating elements according to the present invention.

[0035] Figure 8 This is a front view of the assembly of the mother carrier of the multi-station automated assembly flexible carrier for antenna radiating elements of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the mother carrier assembly of the multi-station automated assembly flexible carrier for antenna radiating units of the present invention (BB view).

[0037] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating the use of the flexible carrier for the multi-station automated assembly of the antenna radiating unit of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 11 This is a diagram of the carrier clamping structure for the automatic removal, displacement, and upper surface assembly of the antenna radiating unit of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 12 This is a diagram of the mounting structure of the carrier for assembling the antenna radiating element on the reverse side of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 13 This is a diagram of the carrier clamping structure for automatically picking up and placing products after the antenna radiating unit of the present invention is assembled. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The following will be combined with the appendix in the embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 ~Attached Figure 13 The technical solutions, structural features, objectives and effects achieved in the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0042] It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions. They are only used to facilitate and clarify the purpose of illustrating the embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the implementation conditions of the present invention. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in the proportional relationship, or adjustments to the size should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention, provided that they do not affect the effects and objectives that the present invention can produce.

[0043] It should be noted that, in this invention, 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 the elements expressly listed, but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0044] Figure 1 and Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the antenna radiating element 4 to which this invention applies, with reference to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The antenna radiating element 4 includes: a patch base 41 with multiple through holes arrayed thereon, and positioning mounting holes 41a and base bosses 41b at both ends for positioning and connection with a carrier; a microstrip board 42, which is soldered to the upper surface of the patch base 41; a connector 43 disposed in the through holes on the patch base 41; the top of the connector 43 is connected to a pin 43a; the pin 43a passes through the upper surface of the patch base 41 and the microstrip board 42 in sequence, so that the top of the pin 43a protrudes from the upper surface of the microstrip board 42, the connector 43 is assembled into the through hole and connected to the pin 43a, and the pin 43a is connected to the microstrip board 42 by a soldering process.

[0045] The assembly process of the antenna radiating unit 4 involves multiple complex steps, including microstrip board 42 welding, post-weld flatness and resistance testing, adhesive application to the threaded holes of the patch base 41, connector 43 tightening, and pin 43a welding and testing. Therefore, the product needs to be repeatedly flipped during assembly. Furthermore, the antenna radiating unit 4 employs an array structure, with each radiating unit constituting a channel, and all channels being equidistant from each other. There are numerous types of antenna radiating units 4, categorized by the number of rows (single-array or dual-array) and by the number of columns (10-25 channels). Designing a dedicated carrier for each type would result in a large number of carriers and complex model changes. Therefore, it is necessary to design flexible carriers that incorporate the structural characteristics of the antenna radiating unit 4, covering assembly, welding, and testing processes to ensure automated assembly.

[0046] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a flexible carrier for the automated assembly of multi-station antenna radiating elements, such as... Figure 3 As shown, it includes: a cover plate 1, a sub-carrier 2 and a mother carrier 3; the antenna radiating unit 4 is mounted on the sub-carrier 2, and the upper surface of the antenna radiating unit 4 is covered and fixed by the cover plate 1; the bottom of the sub-carrier 2 is connected to the mother carrier 3 to realize the assembly of the antenna radiating unit 4.

[0047] Specifically, such as Figure 4As shown, the cover plate 1 includes a cover plate body 11, a longitudinal locking mechanism 12, a longitudinal tie rod 13, and a spring clamping column 14. The cover plate body 11 includes two parallel first cover plates 111 and two parallel second cover plates 112. Each second cover plate 112 has its two ends connected to a first cover plate 111, meaning the first cover plates 111 and the second cover plates 112 are perpendicularly connected to each other, forming an "H"-shaped cover plate body 11 (e.g., ...). Figure 4 (As shown); four longitudinal locking mechanisms 12, two of which are symmetrically arranged on the upper surface of one of the first cover plates 111, and the other two are symmetrically arranged on the upper surface of the other first cover plate 111; the longitudinal tie rods 13 are located at both ends of the cover plate body 11, each longitudinal tie rod 13 is arranged parallel to the first cover plate 111, and each longitudinal tie rod 13 is connected at both ends to two longitudinal locking mechanisms 12 located on the same first cover plate 111; the spring pressing columns 14 are installed in an array on the lower surface of the second cover plate 112; in this embodiment, each second cover plate 112 has a set of spring pressing columns 14 on its lower surface, each set including two rows of spring pressing columns 14, and each row array having 12 spring pressing columns 14.

[0048] Furthermore, such as Figure 5 As shown, the longitudinal locking mechanism 12 includes a cover plate screw 12a, a locking cover plate 12b, a housing 12c, a locking spring 12d, a locking slider 12e, a connecting post 12f, and a housing screw 12g. The locking cover plate 12b is fastened to the housing 12c by the cover plate screw 12a; the housing 12c is fastened to the cover plate body 11 by the housing screw 12g; the locking spring 12d is connected to the locking slider 12e, both are disposed within the housing 12c, and can slide within the housing 12c; the lower end of the connecting post 12f is connected to the locking slider 12e, and the upper end is connected to the longitudinal pull rod 13; when the longitudinal pull rod 13 is moved, the locking slider 12e can be moved within the housing 12c via the connecting post 12f; the housing 12c is provided with a locking through hole 12h for connection to the subcarrier 2. When the locking spring 12d is in an uncompressed state, the locking slider 12e is located at the locking through hole 12h, blocking the locking through hole 12h and keeping it closed. When the locking spring 12d is compressed by the longitudinal tie rod 13, it moves the locking slider 12e away from the locking through hole 12h, thereby opening the locking through hole 12h and allowing it to connect with the subcarrier 2.

[0049] Specifically, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, the sub-carrier 2 includes: a sub-carrier body 22, the upper surface of which has two product mounting slots. Each product mounting slot is provided with two product positioning pins 22c and three auxiliary positioning blocks 22d. The positioning pins 22c are located at one end of the product mounting slot and are used to connect with the positioning mounting holes 41a of the patch base 41, so that the patch base 41 is mounted on the sub-carrier 2. The auxiliary positioning blocks 22d are distributed at intervals along the product mounting slots (in this embodiment, the auxiliary positioning blocks 22 are located at both ends and the middle of the product mounting slots), and the height of the auxiliary positioning blocks 22d is 0.5mm to 1mm higher than the upper surface of the product mounting slot. The patch base 41 can be positioned by the positioning pins 22c and the auxiliary positioning blocks 22d, that is, when the patch base 41 is placed on the product mounting slot, the patch base 41 is positioned. During installation, the positioning pin 22c passes through the positioning mounting hole 41a on the patch base 41, and the side of the patch base 41 is restricted in the product mounting slot by the auxiliary positioning block 22d, thereby positioning the patch base 41. Furthermore, each product mounting slot is provided with two rows of arrayed assembly clearance through holes 22e (in this embodiment, there are 25 assembly clearance through holes 22e in each row). The assembly clearance through holes 22e match the through holes on the patch base 41, and a stepped clearance groove 22f is provided on one side of each assembly clearance through hole 22e to accommodate the base boss 41b. The product mounting slot provided in this embodiment is compatible with 10-channel to 25-channel single-array or dual-array antenna radiating units 4, expanding the applicability of the carrier and improving the compatibility of the carrier.

[0050] Furthermore, such as Figure 6 As shown, the sub-carrier 2 further includes: clamping pins 21, locking pins 23, a transverse pressing mechanism 24, and a transverse tie rod 25; the clamping pins 21 are disposed on the two transverse sides of the sub-carrier body 22, with two clamping pins 21 symmetrically disposed on each transverse side, for positioning the sub-carrier 2, and for shifting or flipping the sub-carrier 2 by automatically gripping the clamping pins 21 on the transverse sides; the locking pins 23 are vertically installed on the upper surface of the sub-carrier body 22 for connecting with the locking through hole 12h, so that... The cover plate 1 is fixedly connected to the subcarrier 2; the transverse tie rod 25 is arranged longitudinally along the upper surface of the subcarrier body 22, and each transverse tie rod 25 is connected to a transverse pressing mechanism 24 at both ends. The structure of the transverse pressing mechanism 24 is similar to that of the longitudinal locking mechanism 12, that is, the compression spring in the transverse pressing mechanism 24 applies pressure to the transverse tie rod 25, and the transverse tie rod 25 presses the side of the patch base 41, so that the patch base 41 is fixed in the product mounting slot on the subcarrier 2.

[0051] Furthermore, such as Figure 6As shown, the upper surface of the sub-carrier body 22 is provided with a quickly switchable QR code block 22b; in this embodiment, the QR code block 22b is disposed between the locking pins 23, and the QR code block 22b can be quickly replaced according to different product models. The program can be quickly called and switched by scanning the QR code on the QR code block 22b.

[0052] Furthermore, such as Figure 6 As shown, a disassembly groove 25a is provided on one side of the transverse pull rod 25. Pulling the disassembly groove 25a outward causes the transverse pull rod 25 to move away from the product mounting groove, expanding the accommodating space of the product mounting groove. This allows the patch base 41 to be installed in the product mounting groove on the subcarrier 2. After the transverse pull rod 25 is released (i.e., the transverse pull rod 25 is no longer subjected to the outward pulling force), the transverse pull rod 25 moves towards the product mounting groove (i.e., the transverse pull rod 25 resets), so that the transverse pull rod 25 contacts the side of the patch base 41 after resetting. Furthermore, under the action of the transverse pressing mechanism 24, the transverse pull rod 25 applies a pressing force to the side of the patch base 41, thereby fixing the patch base 41. Pulling the disassembly groove 25a outward again releases the fixation of the patch base 41.

[0053] Furthermore, such as Figure 6 As shown, the sub-vehicle body 22 is provided with two central clearance grooves 22g; as Figure 7 As shown, the transverse tie rod 25 is also provided with side notches 25b on both sides of the disassembly groove 25a; wherein, the height of the central clearance groove 22g and the side notches 25b is 3mm to 4mm lower than the upper surface of the patch base 41, which facilitates the installation and removal of the patch base and improves work efficiency.

[0054] like Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, the mother carrier 3 includes: a mother carrier body 31, a positioning pin assembly, and positioning pins 33; both the positioning pin assembly and the positioning pins 33 are vertically mounted on the upper surface of the mother carrier body 31; the positioning pin assemblies are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the mother carrier body 31, and each positioning pin assembly includes a low pin 32 and a high pin 34 arranged at cross intervals, that is, a high pin 34 is arranged between two low pins 32, and similarly, a low pin 32 is arranged between two high pins 34; the positioning pins 33 are arranged in an array on the positioning pin assembly. In this embodiment, the positioning pins 33 include two sets, each set having two rows of positioning pins 33 arranged in an array at intervals, with 12 positioning pins 33 in each row; wherein, the upper diameter of the positioning pin 33 is (0.4±0.03) mm, which matches the pin holes on the microstrip board 42. The positioning pins 33 protrude from the pin holes and protrude from the upper surface of the microstrip board 42, thereby positioning the microstrip board 42 on the patch base 41, that is, the pin holes correspond one-to-one with the through holes of the patch base 41, so that the pins 43a can be installed in the pin holes later. The mother carrier body 31 is also provided with two lifting pin holes 31a for positioning the mother carrier 2.

[0055] It should be noted that when assembling the cover plate 1 and the sub-carrier 2, firstly, the longitudinal tie rods 13 on both sides of the cover plate 1 are pulled inward simultaneously. The longitudinal tie rods 13 apply pressure to the locking spring 12d, which drives the locking slider 12e to move, causing the locking slider 12e to move away from the locking through hole 12h, thereby opening the locking through hole 12h. The cover plate 1 is then moved so that the locking through hole 12h is aligned with the four locking pins 23 on the sub-carrier 2. After that, the four locking pins 23 of the sub-carrier 2 are inserted into the locking through hole 12h, so that the lower surface of the cover plate body 11 is aligned with the locking pins 23. When the upper surface of the locking pin 23 is in contact with the surface, the spring clamping column 14 is in a compressed state, which clamps the upper surface of the patch base 41 with the microstrip plate 42 installed in the subcarrier 2; when the longitudinal tie rod 13 is released, the locking spring 12d is released from the compressed state, and pushes the locking slider 12e to lock the locking pin 23 inserted in the locking through hole 12h, thereby fixing the cover plate 1; when the longitudinal tie rod 13 is pulled inward again, the locking spring 12d in the locking mechanism 12 is compressed, which drives the locking slider 12e to release the locking pin 23, thereby releasing the locking mechanism 12 from fixing the cover plate 1.

[0056] Furthermore, the sub-vehicle 2 and the mother vehicle 3 are equipped with both high-position and low-position configurations; for example... Figure 6As shown, each end of the subcarrier body 22 has two positioning pin holes 22a, which can be used for assembly and positioning by either the low-position pin 32 or the high-position pin 34. When the subcarrier 2 is assembled and positioned on the low-position pin 32 through the positioning pin holes 22a, the microstrip plate 42 on the patch base 41 can be positioned by the positioning pin 33. That is, the positioning pin 33 corresponds one-to-one with the assembly clearance through hole 22e on the subcarrier 2. The positioning pin 33 passes through the assembly clearance through hole 22, the through hole on the patch base 41 and the microstrip plate 42 in sequence, so that the positioning pin 33 is higher than the high-position pin 34. The surface thickness of the microstrip board 42 is 0.5mm to 1mm, which enables the microstrip board 42 to be positioned on the patch base 41. In this state, it can be used for welding and assembling the microstrip board 42 and the patch base 41. When the subcarrier 2 is assembled and positioned on the high pin 34 through the positioning pin hole 22a, the lower surface of the subcarrier body 22 is 1mm to 3mm higher than the positioning pin 33. In this state, the patch base 41 with the microstrip board 42 welded is far away from the positioning pin 33, and the flatness detection and ground resistance detection operations of the microstrip board 42 after welding can be performed.

[0057] like Figure 10 As shown, the present invention also provides a method for using a flexible carrier for the automated multi-station assembly of antenna radiating elements, comprising the following steps:

[0058] Step S1: Install the subcarrier 2 onto the mother carrier 3 using the positioning pin assembly; specifically, the positioning pin hole 22a on the subcarrier 2 is connected to the low pin 32 on the mother carrier 3, so that the positioning pin 33 passes through the assembly clearance through hole 22e.

[0059] Step S2: Install the patch base 41 in the product mounting slot; specifically, pull open the transverse pull rod 25 of the sub-carrier 2, install the patch base 41 in the product mounting slot, and reset the transverse pull rod 25 to contact the side of the patch base 41 in the product mounting slot, so that the patch base 41 is fixed between the transverse pull rod 25 and the auxiliary positioning block 22; further, positioning is performed by the product positioning pin 22c, and the assembly clearance through hole 22e of the product mounting slot corresponds to the through hole on the patch base 41, so that the positioning pin 33 on the mother carrier 3 can pass through the assembly clearance through hole 22e and the through hole of the patch base 41 in sequence and protrude from the upper surface of the patch base 41;

[0060] Step S3: Install the microstrip board 42 on the patch base 41; specifically, place solder pads on the upper surface of the patch base 41, place the microstrip board 42 on the patch base 41, and position the microstrip board 42 using positioning pins 33.

[0061] Step S4: Install the cover plate 1 on top of the subcarrier 2, and press the patch base 41 on which the microstrip board 42 was installed in step S3 by the spring clamping column 14. The longitudinal locking mechanism 12 clamps the locking pin 23 to fix the cover plate 1, which can be used to weld the microstrip board 42 and the patch base 41 to the antenna radiating unit 4.

[0062] Step S5: The automatic gripper picks up the longitudinal pull rods 13 at both ends and pushes the longitudinal locking mechanism 12 inward to release the cover plate 1 from the subcarrier 2 and remove the cover plate 1.

[0063] Step S6: The automatic gripper picks up the two sides of the subcarrier 2 and reassembles and positions the subcarrier 2 on the high pin 34 of the mother carrier. This can be used to perform flatness detection and ground resistance detection operations on the antenna radiating unit 4.

[0064] Step S7: The automatic gripper picks up the side of the subcarrier 2 and moves it upward. The subcarrier 2 is flipped 180° by the flipping mechanism so that the lower surface of the subcarrier faces upward. This can be used to apply glue to the threaded hole and tighten the connector of the antenna radiating unit 4.

[0065] Step S8: The subcarrier 2 is flipped 180° again by the flipping mechanism so that the upper surface of the subcarrier 2 is facing upward and reassembled and positioned on the high pin 34 of the mother carrier. This can be used to perform connector pin soldering and solder joint detection operations on the antenna radiating unit 4.

[0066] Step S9: Use the automatic push rod to pull the horizontal pull rod 25 outward to release the fixation of the antenna radiating unit 4, clamp and remove the antenna radiating unit 4 from both the central relief groove 22g and the side notch 25b. This can be used for the automated picking and placing of the antenna radiating unit 4 after assembly.

[0067] The following illustrations will provide a more detailed explanation of how to use the vehicle.

[0068] The carrier is used as follows during the assembly operation before welding the microstrip board of the antenna radiating element:

[0069] Step A1: Place the sub-carrier 2 on the mother carrier 3. The low pin 32 of the mother carrier 3 engages with the positioning pin hole 22a of the sub-carrier 2, and the positioning pin 33 passes through the assembly clearance through hole 22e.

[0070] Step A2: Pull out the horizontal pull rod 25 of the subcarrier 2 and install the patch base 41 of the antenna radiating unit 4 into the product mounting slot of the subcarrier 2. The patch base 41 is positioned by the product positioning pin 22c and the auxiliary positioning block 22d.

[0071] Step A3: Apply flux to the soldering surface of the chip mount 41 and place the solder pads thereon;

[0072] Step A4: Place the microstrip board 42 on the patch base 41. The microstrip board 42 is positioned by the positioning pin 33.

[0073] Step A5: Install the cover plate 1 on top of the subcarrier 2, and press the assembled antenna radiating unit 4 with the spring clamping column 14 of the cover plate 1. The longitudinal locking mechanism 12 clamps the locking pin 23 to fix the cover plate 1.

[0074] like Figure 11 As shown, Figure 11 This diagram illustrates the clamping structure of a carrier for the automatic removal, relocation, and upper surface assembly of antenna radiating elements. The carrier can be moved to achieve flatness and ground resistance detection. Based on this clamping structure, the method of using the carrier provided by this invention is as follows when operations such as flatness and ground resistance detection are required after microstrip board welding:

[0075] Step B1: The antenna radiating unit 4 moves along the carrier to the working position (i.e., the first lifting plate 54 of the lifting mechanism device) via the transmission line.

[0076] Step B2: The first lifting cylinder 57 extends, driving the first lifting plate 54 to move upward, and aligning the lifting positioning pin 55 with the lifting pin hole 31a on the mother carrier 3.

[0077] Step B3: The first lifting cylinder 57 drives the carrier to move upward until the upper surface of the mother carrier body 31 of the mother carrier 3 contacts the lower surface of the first carrier pressure plate 56.

[0078] Step B4: The three-axis motion mechanism 51 drives the carrier gripper 53 to move to the longitudinal tie rod 13 of the cover plate 1;

[0079] Step B5: The carrier gripping cylinder 52 retracts, driving the carrier gripper 53 to clamp the longitudinal tie rod 13, compressing the locking spring 12d in the longitudinal locking mechanism 12 of the cover plate 1, causing the locking slider 12e to no longer jam the locking pin 23, thereby allowing the locking pin 23 to separate from the longitudinal locking mechanism 12.

[0080] Step B6: The vehicle gripper 53 grabs the cover plate 1 and, under the movement of the three-axis motion mechanism 51, transfers the cover plate 1 to the vehicle buffer position.

[0081] Step B7: The three-axis motion mechanism 51 drives the carrier gripper 53 to move to the side of the sub-carrier 2 and is positioned by the clamping pin 21.

[0082] Step B8: The carrier gripper 53 grabs the sub-carrier 2 and, under the action of the three-axis motion mechanism 51, places the sub-carrier 2 in the high mounting position of the mother carrier 3, so that the positioning pin hole 22a engages with the high position pin 34, thereby performing flatness and ground resistance detection.

[0083] like Figure 12 As shown, Figure 12The diagram shows the mounting structure of a carrier for assembling the antenna radiating element from the reverse side. By flipping the carrier, the antenna radiating element dispensing and connector tightening operations can be performed using the carrier provided by this invention. When it is necessary to perform antenna radiating element dispensing and connector tightening operations from the reverse side, the method of using the carrier provided by this invention is as follows:

[0084] Step C1: The antenna radiating unit 4 moves along the carrier to the working position (i.e., the material picking position of the flipping mechanism) via the conveyor line.

[0085] Step C2: Under the action of the tilting mechanism 61 and the up-down moving mechanism 62, the tilting frame 63 moves to the material picking position, and the tilting mechanism gripper 64 aligns with the clamping pin 21 of the subcarrier 2.

[0086] Step C3: The cylinder 65 of the flipping mechanism retracts, causing the gripper 64 of the flipping mechanism to clamp the subcarrier 2.

[0087] Step C4: The up-and-down moving mechanism 62 drives the flipping frame 63 to move upward to the assembly height;

[0088] Step C5: The flipping mechanism 61 drives the flipping frame 63 to rotate 180°, so that the lower surface of the subcarrier 2 faces upward, that is, the bottom of the antenna radiating unit 4 faces upward, and performs the antenna radiating unit glue dispensing and connector tightening operations.

[0089] like Figure 13 As shown, Figure 13 This is a clamping structure diagram of a carrier for automatically picking up and placing products after the antenna radiating element assembly is completed. When performing automatic product picking and placing operations after the product (i.e., the antenna radiating element) is assembled, the method of using the carrier provided by this invention is as follows:

[0090] Step D1: The antenna radiating unit 4 moves along the carrier to the working position (i.e., the second lifting plate 78 of the product clamping mechanism) via the conveyor line.

[0091] Step D2: The second lifting cylinder 79 extends and lifts the vehicle through the second lifting plate 78 until it contacts the second vehicle pressure plate 77, thus fixing the vehicle.

[0092] Step D2: The four-axis motion mechanism 71 drives the product gripping mechanism 72 to move above the carrier;

[0093] Step D3: Push out the pressing cylinder 73 in the product clamping mechanism 72, so that the automatic push rod 74 extends into the disassembly slot 25a of the subcarrier 2;

[0094] Step D4: The four-axis motion mechanism 71 drives the automatic push rod 74 to move, pulling open the transverse pull rod 25;

[0095] Step D5: The product gripping cylinder 75 retracts, providing gripping force to the product gripper 76, so that the two grippers of the product gripper 76 grip the product from the central clearance groove 22g and the side notch 25b respectively.

[0096] Step D6: The four-axis motion mechanism 71 moves upward until the product leaves the subcarrier 2, releases the automatic push rod 74, and places the removed product into the buffer position;

[0097] Step D7: Rotate the four-axis motion mechanism 71 180° in the horizontal plane and remove the product from the other side following steps D2 to D6.

[0098] In summary, this invention enables automated and flexible assembly of antenna radiating unit products across multiple workstations, is compatible with various single-array or dual-array antenna radiating unit products ranging from 10 to 25 channels, and can be used in various processes such as microstrip board and patch base welding, flatness and ground resistance testing, threaded hole dispensing, connector assembly, connector pin welding, solder joint testing, and product removal. The carrier structure is simple and easy to use, and can be widely applied to the welding, assembly, and other production of various thin-walled and slender structural products.

[0099] Although the present invention has been described in detail through the preferred embodiments above, it should be understood that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention. Various modifications and substitutions to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the above description. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A flexible carrier for multi-station automatic assembly of an antenna radiating element, the antenna radiating element (4) comprising a patch base (41) and a microstrip plate (42), a plurality of through holes being arrayed on the patch base (41), the patch base (41) being provided with positioning mounting holes (41a) and a base boss (41b) at two ends; the microstrip plate (42) being arranged on an upper surface of the patch base (41), characterized in that, The utility model relates to a cover plate (1), a child carrier (2), a female carrier (3), and a cover plate (1) includes: cover plate main part (11), longitudinal locking mechanism (12) and spring compression column (14), longitudinal locking mechanism (12) is installed on cover plate main part (11) upper surface, spring compression column (14) is installed in array form on cover plate main part (11) lower surface, The child carrier (2) includes: a child carrier main body (22) having at least one product mounting slot formed on the upper surface thereof for carrying a patch base (41); each product mounting slot is provided with at least one column of arrayed assembly clearance through holes (22e) matched with through holes on the patch base (41); a locking pin (23) is vertically installed on the upper surface of the child carrier main body (22) for connecting with the longitudinal locking mechanism (12) to fix the cover plate (1) and the child carrier (2) so that the spring compression column (14) compresses the microstrip board (42) on the patch base (41); The female carrier (3) includes: a female carrier main body (31), a positioning pin assembly, and a positioning needle (33); the positioning pin assembly and the positioning needle (33) are vertically installed on the upper surface of the female carrier main body (31); the positioning pin assembly is symmetrically arranged at both ends of the female carrier main body (31) for connecting with the child carrier (2); the positioning needle (33) is arrayed between the positioning pin assemblies and corresponds to the assembly clearance through holes (22e) for positioning the microstrip board (42); Wherein, the child carrier main body (22) is provided with a positioning pin hole (22a) for connecting with the positioning pin assembly; each positioning pin assembly includes a low-positioned pin (32) and a high-positioned pin (34) arranged in cross and interval; when the child carrier main body (22) is assembled and positioned at the low-positioned pin (32) through the positioning pin hole (22a), the product microstrip board (42) can be positioned by the positioning needle (33) which is 0.5mm-1mm higher than the surface of the microstrip board (42); when the child carrier main body (22) is assembled and positioned at the high-positioned pin (34) through the positioning pin hole (22a), the lower surface of the child carrier main body (22) is 1mm-3mm higher than the positioning needle (33). The cover plate main body (11) includes two first cover plates (111) arranged in parallel and two second cover plates (112) arranged in parallel, and the two ends of each second cover plate (112) are connected with the first cover plate (111) respectively; The cover plate (1) further includes longitudinal pull rods (13) located at both ends of the cover plate main body (11), each longitudinal pull rod (13) is arranged in parallel with the first cover plate (111), and the two ends of each longitudinal pull rod (13) are connected with the longitudinal locking mechanism (12) respectively for controlling the opening or closing of the longitudinal locking mechanism (12).

2. The flexible carrier for multi-station automatic assembly of antenna radiating element as claimed in claim 1, wherein, At least two product positioning pins (22c) and at least one auxiliary positioning block (22d) are further arranged in each product mounting slot; the positioning pin (22c) is arranged at one end of the product mounting slot for connecting with a positioning mounting hole (41a) of the patch base (41) to mount the patch base (41) on the child carrier (2); ​ 3. The flexible carrier for multi-station automatic assembly of antenna radiating element as claimed in claim 1, wherein, ​ The auxiliary positioning blocks (22d) are spaced along the product mounting grooves, and the height of the auxiliary positioning blocks (22d) is 0.5mm-1mm higher than the upper surface of the product mounting grooves; One side of each of the assembly clearance holes (22e) is provided with a stepped clearance groove (22f) for accommodating the base boss (41b).

4. The flexible carrier for multi-station automatic assembly of antenna radiating element as claimed in claim 2, wherein, The sub-carrier (2) further comprises clamping pins (21), transverse compression mechanisms (24), and transverse pull rods (25). The clamping pins (21) are arranged on the transverse sides of the sub-carrier body (22), and two clamping pins (21) are symmetrically arranged on each transverse side, for positioning the sub-carrier (2); The transverse pull rods (25) are arranged on the upper surface of the sub-carrier body (22) along the longitudinal direction of the sub-carrier body (22), and each transverse pull rod (25) is connected with a transverse compression mechanism (24) at both ends, the transverse pull rod (25) is pressed against the side surface of the patch base (41) by the transverse compression mechanism (24), and the patch base (41) is fixed in the product mounting groove of the sub-carrier (2).

5. The flexible carrier for multi-station automatic assembly of antenna radiating element as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The upper surface of the sub-carrier body (22) is provided with a two-dimensional code block (22b) that can be quickly switched, and the corresponding two-dimensional code block (22b) is arranged to identify different models of antenna radiation units (4).

6. The flexible carrier for multi-station automatic assembly of antenna radiating element as claimed in claim 4, wherein, One side of the transverse pull rod (25) is provided with a dismounting groove (25a), and the dismounting groove (25a) is moved to fix or dismount the patch base (41).

7. The flexible carrier for multi-station automatic assembly of antenna radiating element as claimed in claim 6, wherein, The sub-carrier body (22) is provided with a middle clearance groove (22g), and the transverse pull rod (25) is further provided with a side edge notch (25b) on both sides of the dismounting groove (25a); the height of the middle clearance groove (22g) and the side edge notch (25b) is 3mm-4mm lower than the upper surface of the patch base (41), facilitating the installation and removal of the patch base.

8. The flexible carrier for multi-station automatic assembly of antenna radiating element as claimed in claim 7, wherein, The longitudinal locking mechanism (12) comprises a cover screw (12a), a locking cover plate (12b), a box body (12c), a locking spring (12d), a locking sliding block (12e), a connecting column (12f), and a box body screw (12g); the locking cover plate (12b) is fastened to the box body (12c) by the cover screw (12a); the box body (12c) is fastened to the cover plate body (11) by the box body screw (12g); the locking spring (12d) is connected with the locking sliding block (12e) and is arranged in the box body (12c) and can slide in the box body (12c); the lower end of the connecting column (12f) is connected with the locking sliding block (12e), and the upper end is connected with the longitudinal pull rod (13); the box body (12c) is provided with a locking through hole (12h) for connecting with the sub-carrier (2).

9. A flexible carrier for multi-station automatic assembly of antenna radiating elements, characterized in that, The flexible carrier for the multi-station automatic assembly of the antenna radiation unit according to claim 7 or 8 comprises the following steps: Step S1, installing the sub-carrier (2) on the mother carrier (3) through the positioning pin assembly; Step S2, installing the patch base (41) in the product mounting groove, so that the through hole of the patch base (41) corresponds to the assembly clearance hole (22e) in the product mounting groove; Step S3, locking the longitudinal pull rod (13) through the longitudinal locking mechanism (12); Step S3, install the microstrip plate (42) on the patch base (41); Step S4, install the cover plate (1) above the sub-carrier (2), and press the patch base (41) installed with the microstrip plate (42) in step S3 through the spring pressing column (14), which can be used for welding of the microstrip plate (42) and the patch base (41) of the antenna radiation unit (4); Step S5, the automatic clamping jaw releases the fixed connection between the cover plate (1) and the sub-carrier (2), and removes the cover plate (1); Step S6, the automatic clamping jaw clamps the two side faces of the sub-carrier (2), and assembles and positions the sub-carrier (2) on the high-position pin (34) of the mother carrier, which can be used for planeness detection and ground resistance detection of the antenna radiation unit (4); Step S7, the automatic clamping jaw clamps the side face of the sub-carrier (2) upwardly, flips the sub-carrier (2) by 180° through the turnover mechanism, and makes the lower surface of the sub-carrier (2) upward, which can be used for thread hole dispensing and connector tightening of the antenna radiation unit (4); Step S8, the sub-carrier (2) is flipped by 180° again through the turnover mechanism, and the upper surface of the sub-carrier (2) is assembled and positioned on the high-position pin (34) of the mother carrier, which can be used for connector pin welding and welding point detection of the antenna radiation unit (4); Step S9, the automatic push rod is used to pull out the transverse pull rod (25) outwardly, release the fixation of the antenna radiation unit (4), clamp and take out the antenna radiation unit (4) from the middle position slot (22g) and the side edge notch (25b), which can be used for automatic taking and placing of the assembled antenna radiation unit (4).

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