Promote FPC devices and screen assembly systems

Abstract

The present invention discloses an FPC pushing device and a screen assembly system, wherein the FPC pushing device includes a base, a product seat, a pressure plate assembly, and a push plate assembly. The product seat is arranged on the base, and the product seat is provided with a limiting groove for placing an upper shell assembly. The pressure plate assembly is used to cooperate with the product seat to fix the upper shell assembly. The push plate assembly includes a driving mechanism and a push plate, and the push plate is connected to the output end of the driving mechanism. When an external transport device moves the screen of the screen assembly until it contacts the push plate, the driving mechanism is used to drive the push plate to push the FPC along a first horizontal direction to bend the FPC. In the present invention, the FPC pushing device standardizes the FPC bending process, and the FPC bending is performed synchronously with the screen movement, without the need for tape fixation, omitting the steps of applying and removing tape, thereby improving assembly efficiency. It also ensures consistency between the pressure on the screen and the force on the FPC bending during the downward movement of the screen, thereby improving the stability of the quality of the assembled finished screen and improving the product yield.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of screen component equipment, and in particular to an FPC pushing device and a screen assembly system. Background Art

[0002] In wearable devices, the screen is connected to the motherboard via an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit). During screen assembly, the FPC is manually bent and taped, and the tape must be removed after assembly. Manual bending, taping, and removing the tape is costly, time-consuming, and labor-intensive, resulting in low efficiency and poor quality. Furthermore, the screen's COF (Chip On Flex, or Chip On Film) is highly sensitive, and pressing it can result in various screen defects, such as dark spots and bright lines.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new FPC pushing device and screen assembly system to solve the above technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide an FPC pushing device and a screen assembly system, aiming to solve the problem that the quality of the existing FPC bending process is unstable and easily leads to various defects such as black spots and bright lines on the screen.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention proposes an FPC pushing device for assembling a screen assembly and an upper shell assembly, the screen assembly including a screen and an FPC, the FPC pushing device including a base, a product seat, a pressure plate assembly and a push plate assembly, the product seat being arranged on the base, the product seat being provided with a limiting groove for placing the upper shell assembly; the pressure plate assembly being used to cooperate with the product seat to fix the upper shell assembly; the push plate assembly including a driving mechanism and a push plate, the push plate being connected to the output end of the driving mechanism; when an external transport device moves the screen of the screen assembly until it contacts the push plate, the driving mechanism is used to drive the push plate to push the FPC along a first horizontal direction to bend the FPC.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, the driving mechanism includes a first driving member, a mounting frame, a connecting plate and an elastic connecting member, the first driving member is connected to the base, the mounting frame is connected to the output shaft of the first driving member, the connecting plate is connected to the mounting frame through the elastic connecting member, and the connecting plate can move vertically relative to the mounting frame, and the push plate is connected to the connecting plate.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, a slide groove extending vertically is provided on the top of the mounting frame, the connecting plate includes a base plate and a sliding rod arranged on one side of the base plate, the sliding rod extends vertically, the elastic connecting member is connected between the base plate and the mounting frame, the push plate is connected to the base plate, and the sliding rod is inserted into the slide groove and is slidably connected to the inner wall of the slide groove.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the push plate is connected to a side of the base plate facing the mounting frame.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, a limiting protrusion is provided on one side of the push plate, and the limiting protrusion is used to stop the edge of the FPC.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the pressure plate assembly includes a second driving member and a lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism includes a lifting driving member and a product pressure plate, the lifting driving member is connected to the output end of the second driving member, and the product pressure plate is connected to the output end of the lifting driving member, the second driving member drives the lifting driving member and the product pressure plate to move along the second horizontal direction, and the lifting driving member is used to drive the product pressure plate to move along the vertical direction, and the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction are arranged vertically.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, there are two lifting mechanisms, which are respectively arranged on both sides of the product seat, and the two lifting mechanisms share one second driving member.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the product seat is provided with an avoidance groove matching the shape of the product pressing plate, and the avoidance groove is communicated with the limiting groove.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the base includes a bottom plate, a mounting plate and a plurality of support columns connected between the bottom plate and the mounting plate, a receiving space is formed between the bottom plate and the mounting plate, and the second driving member is disposed in the receiving space.

[0014] In addition, the present invention also provides a screen assembly system, which includes a conveying device and the FPC pushing device as described above, wherein the conveying device is used to convey the screen assembly to the top of the product seat and move the screen assembly in a direction close to the product seat until the screen contacts the push plate.

[0015] In the technical solution of the present invention, the FPC pushing device is used to bend the FPC of the screen assembly during the process of assembling the screen assembly and the upper shell assembly. The screen assembly includes a screen and an FPC. The upper shell assembly is placed in the product seat. The pressure plate assembly presses the upper shell assembly to ensure that the upper shell assembly does not shift. The screen assembly moves downward. When the screen assembly just contacts the push plate, the push plate moves inward to push the FPC to the bottom of the screen. The screen continues to move downward until the FPC is assembled inside the upper shell assembly without affecting the use of the glue path and the FPC will not pop out. The push plate is withdrawn outward, and the screen continues to be assembled downward until it contacts the upper shell assembly. The FPC pushing device standardizes the FPC bending process, and the FPC bending is synchronized with the screen movement. There is no need for tape fixation, and the steps of applying and removing tape are omitted, thereby improving assembly efficiency. It also ensures the consistency of the pressure on the screen and the force on the FPC bending during the downward movement of the screen, thereby improving the stability of the quality of the assembled finished screen and improving product yield. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. 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 the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a FPC pushing device from one perspective in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 A structural diagram of an FPC pushing device from another perspective in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of another perspective of the FPC pushing device in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the enlarged structure of area A in the middle.

[0021] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0022]

[0023]

[0024] The purpose, features and advantages of the present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with the embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the direction of the movement in a specific posture (such as the attached Figure 1 The relative position relationship and movement conditions of the components below are shown. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0027] In addition, the terms "first," "second," and so on, used in this disclosure are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referenced. Thus, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of this disclosure, "plurality" means at least two, such as two or three, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0028] In the present invention, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "connection" and "fixation" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "fixation" can mean fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two elements or interaction between two elements, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will be able to understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0029] In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the fact that ordinary technicians in this field can implement it. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, the first horizontal direction in this application is Figure 1 The left and right directions in the second horizontal direction are Figure 1 The front-to-back direction.

[0031] like Figures 1 to 4As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the FPC pushing device 100 includes a base 1, a product seat 2, a pressure plate assembly 3 and a push plate assembly 4, the product seat 2 is arranged on the base 1, and the product seat 2 is provided with a limiting groove 21 for placing the upper shell assembly; the pressure plate assembly 3 is used to cooperate with the product seat 2 to fix the upper shell assembly; the push plate assembly 4 includes a driving mechanism 41 and a push plate 42, and the push plate 42 is connected to the output end of the driving mechanism 41; when the external device moves the screen to contact the push plate 42, the driving mechanism 41 is used to drive the push plate 42 to push the FPC of the screen assembly along the first horizontal direction to bend the FPC.

[0032] In the above embodiment, the FPC pushing device 100 is used to bend the FPC during the assembly of the screen assembly and the upper shell assembly. The screen assembly includes a screen and an FPC. When the screen assembly and the upper shell assembly are assembled, the FPC is located at the bottom of the screen. The upper shell assembly is placed in the product seat 2. The pressure plate assembly 3 presses the upper shell assembly to ensure that the upper shell assembly does not shift. The screen assembly moves downward. When the screen just contacts the push plate 42, the push plate 42 moves inward so that the edge of the push plate 42 contacts the FPC and pushes the FPC to bend the FPC toward the bottom of the screen. The screen continues to move downward until the FPC is assembled into the interior of the upper shell assembly. At this time, one end of the FPC is inside the upper shell assembly and the vertical projection of the bent FPC does not exceed the edge of the upper shell assembly, that is, the FPC can be stopped by the upper shell assembly after the push plate 42 is withdrawn outward, thereby achieving a state that does not affect the use of the glue path and the FPC will not pop out; the push plate 42 is withdrawn outward, and the screen continues to be assembled downward until it contacts the upper shell assembly. The FPC pushing device 100 standardizes the FPC bending process, and the FPC bending is performed synchronously with the screen movement. No tape fixation is required, and the steps of applying and removing tape are omitted, thereby improving assembly efficiency. It also ensures the consistency of the screen pressure and the FPC bending force during the downward movement of the screen, thereby improving the stability of the quality of the assembled finished screen and improving the product yield.

[0033] In one embodiment of the present invention, the drive mechanism 41 includes a first drive member 411, a mounting frame 412, a connecting plate 413, and an elastic connector 414. The first drive member 411 is connected to the base 1, the mounting frame 412 is connected to the output shaft of the first drive member 411, and the connecting plate 413 is connected to the mounting frame 412 via the elastic connector 414. The connecting plate 413 is able to move vertically relative to the mounting frame 412, and the push plate 42 is connected to the connecting plate 413. The first drive member 411 drives the mounting frame 412, the connecting plate 413, and the push plate 42 to move left and right synchronously. For illustration, the push plate assembly 4 is provided on the left side of the push plate assembly 4. When the screen of the screen assembly just contacts the push plate 42, the first drive member 411 pushes the push plate 42 to the right, pushing the FPC to bend it to the bottom of the screen. The screen continues to move downward, and the spring provides a cushion to prevent the screen from being crushed. Until the FPC moves into the interior of the upper shell assembly, the first drive member 411 pushes the push plate 42 to the left and withdraws it. The screen continues to move downward until it contacts the upper shell assembly. The connecting plate 413 provides a mounting position for the push plate 42. Through the cooperation of the mounting frame 412 and the connecting plate 413, the push plate 42 can move left and right to push the FPC to bend. At the same time, the elastic connecting piece 414 set between the connecting plate 413 and the mounting frame 412 can make the screen press the push plate 42 and move downward, providing a buffer for the screen to prevent it from being crushed.

[0034] The elastic connecting member 414 may be a spring, and the selection of the spring specification needs to be coordinated with the vertical movement range of the push plate 42 and the length of the FPC.

[0035] In one embodiment of the present invention, a vertically extending slot 4121 is defined at the top of the mounting frame 412. The connecting plate 413 includes a base plate 4131 and a sliding rod 4132 disposed on one side of the base plate 4131. The sliding rod 4132 extends vertically, and an elastic connector 414 is connected between the base plate 4131 and the mounting frame 412. The push plate 42 is connected to the base plate 4131, and the sliding rod 4132 is inserted into the slot 4121 and slidably connected to the inner wall of the slot 4121. The slot 4121 and the sliding rod 4132 cooperate to define the movement path of the connecting plate 413, and thus the movement path of the push plate 42, thereby preventing the push plate 42 from shifting or tilting after contact with the screen assembly, which could result in uneven force on the screen. In other embodiments, a receiving groove may be further provided at the top of the mounting frame 412, with one end of the elastic member being provided in the receiving groove and the other end of the elastic member being connected to the connecting plate 413. When the screen assembly moves downward, the elastic connecting member 414 is compressed and can be completely accommodated in the receiving groove, so that the lowest point of movement of the push plate 42 is when the connecting plate 413 contacts the mounting frame 412, and the state of compression of the standard elastic connecting member 414 can be avoided, ensuring that when the push plate 42 is detached from the screen assembly, the connecting plate 413 can be reset under the action of the elastic connecting member 414 and wait for the next assembly.

[0036] In one embodiment of the present invention, the push plate 42 is connected to the side of the base plate 4131 facing the mounting bracket 412. This ensures that the lower side of the base plate 4131 is flat and free of other components, preventing the screen from moving further downward and causing components on the push plate assembly 4 to interfere with the product holder 2 when the FPC is assembled into the upper housing assembly.

[0037] In one embodiment of the present invention, a limiting protrusion 421 is provided on one side of the push plate 42. This limiting protrusion 421 is used to stop the edge of the FPC. When the push plate 42 contacts the FPC and pushes it to bend, the limiting protrusion 421 can limit the front and rear position of the FPC, preventing the FPC from sliding off the front and rear edges of the push plate 42 during bending.

[0038] In one embodiment of the present invention, the platen assembly 3 includes a second drive member 31 and a lifting mechanism 32. The lifting mechanism 32 includes a lifting drive member 321 and a product platen 322. The lifting drive member 321 is connected to the output end of the second drive member 31, and the product platen 322 is connected to the output end of the lifting drive member 321. The second drive member 31 drives the lifting drive member 321 and the product platen 322 to move in a second horizontal direction, while the lifting drive member 321 is used to drive the product platen 322 to move in a vertical direction. The first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction are perpendicular to each other. The second drive member 31 drives the lifting mechanism 32 and the product platen 322 to move forward and backward, while the lifting drive member 321 drives the product platen 322 to move vertically. Specifically, when the upper shell assembly is placed in the retaining groove 21, the second drive member 31 drives the lifting drive member 321 and the product platen 322 to move backward, while the lifting drive member 321 drives the product platen 322 downward, causing the upper shell assembly to be clamped between the bottom wall of the retaining groove 21 and the product platen 322. When the assembly is completed, the lifting drive member 321 drives the product pressure plate 322 upward, and the second drive member 31 drives the lifting drive member 321 and the product pressure plate 322 forward, so that the semi-finished product formed by the assembly of the upper shell component and the screen component can be taken out from the limiting groove 21 and moved to the next process.

[0039] In one embodiment of the present invention, two lifting mechanisms 32 are provided, one on each side of the product holder 2, and the two lifting mechanisms 32 share a single second drive member 31. Specifically, the two lifting mechanisms 32 are located on the front and rear sides of the product holder 2, and the second drive member 31 can synchronously drive the two lifting assemblies toward or away from each other. Sharing a single second drive member 31 between the two lifting mechanisms 32 reduces the number of components in the FPC pushing device 100 and simplifies its structure. Of course, in other embodiments, the two lifting mechanisms 32 can also be driven separately by two second drives 31.

[0040] In one embodiment of the present invention, the product holder 2 is provided with a clearance groove 22 that matches the shape of the product pressing plate 322. The clearance groove 22 is connected to the limiting groove 21. When the upper shell assembly is placed in the limiting groove 21, the edge of the limiting groove 21 is higher than the top surface of the upper shell assembly, which can prevent the upper shell assembly from being hit by other components during assembly. The clearance groove 22 is provided to allow the product pressing plate 322 to pass through.

[0041] In one embodiment of the present invention, the base 1 includes a bottom plate 11, a mounting plate 12, and a plurality of support columns 13 connected between the bottom plate 11 and the mounting plate 12. A storage space is formed between the bottom plate 11 and the mounting plate 12, and the second drive member 31 is disposed within the storage space. The mounting plate 12 is mounted on the bottom plate 11 via the support columns 13, and the product holder 2 is mounted on the mounting plate 12. The first drive member 411 and the second drive member 31 are both mounted on the bottom plate 11, with the second drive member 31 disposed between the bottom plate 11 and the mounting plate, thereby reducing the occupied space.

[0042] In one embodiment of the present invention, both the first drive member 411 and the second drive member 31 can be slide cylinders, thereby ensuring smooth sliding without the need for a separate guide mechanism. The second drive member 31 can be activated by a dual slide, with two lifting mechanisms 32 connected to the dual slides in a one-to-one correspondence, thereby driving the two lifting mechanisms 32.

[0043] In one embodiment of the present invention, there are two push plate assemblies 4, which are distributed on the left and right sides of the product seat 2, thereby meeting the assembly requirements of different screen assemblies, specifically meeting the assembly requirements of screen assemblies with FPC on the left side, FPC on the right side, and FPC on both the left and right sides.

[0044] The present invention also provides a screen assembly system, comprising a transport device and the aforementioned FPC pushing device 100. The transport device is configured to transport the screen assembly to above the product holder 2 and move the screen assembly in a direction closer to the product holder 2 until the screen contacts the push plate 42. Because the screen assembly system includes the aforementioned FPC pushing device, it possesses all the advantages of the aforementioned FPC pushing device 100, and thus will not be further elaborated upon here.

[0045] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made by using the contents of the present invention description and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An FPC pushing device, used for bending the FPC of the screen assembly when assembling the screen assembly and the upper shell assembly, characterized in that: The FPC pushing device includes: base; A product seat, the product seat being arranged on the base and having a limiting groove for placing the upper shell component; a pressing plate assembly, the pressing plate assembly being used to cooperate with the product seat to fix the upper shell assembly; A push plate assembly, the push plate assembly comprising a drive mechanism and a push plate, the push plate being connected to an output end of the drive mechanism; when an external transport device moves the screen of the screen assembly until it contacts the push plate, the drive mechanism is configured to drive the push plate to push the FPC in a first horizontal direction to bend the FPC; The driving mechanism includes a first driving member, a mounting frame, a connecting plate and an elastic connecting member, wherein the first driving member is connected to the base, the mounting frame is connected to the output shaft of the first driving member, the connecting plate is connected to the mounting frame via the elastic connecting member, and the connecting plate can move vertically relative to the mounting frame, and the push plate is connected to the connecting plate; A vertically extending slide groove is provided on the top of the mounting frame, the connecting plate includes a base plate and a sliding rod arranged on one side of the base plate, the sliding rod extends vertically, the elastic connecting member is connected between the base plate and the mounting frame, the push plate is connected to the base plate, and the sliding rod is inserted into the slide groove and slidably connected to the inner wall of the slide groove.

2. The FPC pushing device according to claim 1, wherein: The push plate is connected to a side of the base plate facing the mounting frame.

3. The FPC pushing device according to claim 1, wherein: A limiting protrusion is provided on one side of the push plate, and the limiting protrusion is used to stop the edge of the FPC.

4. The FPC pushing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The pressure plate assembly includes a second driving member and a lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism includes a lifting driving member and a product pressure plate, the lifting driving member is connected to the output end of the second driving member, and the product pressure plate is connected to the output end of the lifting driving member, the second driving member drives the lifting driving member and the product pressure plate to move along the second horizontal direction, and the lifting driving member is used to drive the product pressure plate to move along the vertical direction, and the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction are arranged vertically.

5. The FPC pushing device according to claim 4, wherein: There are two lifting mechanisms, which are respectively arranged on both sides of the product seat, and the two lifting mechanisms share one second driving member.

6. The FPC pushing device according to claim 4, wherein: The product seat is provided with an avoidance groove that matches the shape of the product pressing plate, and the avoidance groove is communicated with the limiting groove.

7. The FPC pushing device according to claim 4, wherein: The base includes a bottom plate, a mounting plate, and a plurality of support columns connected between the bottom plate and the mounting plate. An accommodating space is formed between the bottom plate and the mounting plate, and the second driving member is disposed in the accommodating space.

8. A screen assembly system, characterized in that: The screen assembly system includes a transport device and an FPC pushing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the transport device is used to transport the screen assembly to the top of the product seat and move the screen assembly in a direction close to the product seat until the screen contacts the push plate.

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