Material transfer device and material transfer method thereof

Abstract

A material transfer device includes a material transfer device for transferring material from a fully loaded cassette output by a preceding process device to a subsequent process device. The material transfer device includes a cassette inlet unit for receiving the cassette output by the preceding process device and transferring the cassette to a predetermined position; and a transfer unit for removing material from the cassette at the predetermined position and transferring the material one by one to the subsequent process device. The material transfer device in this embodiment of the present invention eliminates the need for manual material removal from the cassette, effectively reducing material transfer losses.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of material transfer, and in particular to a material transfer device and a material transfer method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In the chip lamination process of display modules in the 3C (a general term for the three categories of electronic products: "Computer", "Communication", and "Consumer Electronic") industry, the panel loading process (generally used to refer to LCD panels or LCD panels used in mobile phones or LED panels) is an important part of the entire production process.

[0003] Currently, panels are mostly loaded using a transfer loading method that stacks plastic trays. This method involves manually removing panels from a cassette and placing them one by one onto a stack of plastic trays. The stacked trays are then manually placed on a tray loader in the display module manufacturing process to complete the transfer loading. However, this transfer loading method involves manually removing panels one by one from the cassette. During this process, various factors, such as varying manual force and manual errors, can cause damage to the panels, increasing panel transport losses. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on this, in order to solve the above technical problems, a material transfer device and a material transfer method thereof are provided, which can effectively reduce the transfer loss of materials.

[0005] On the one hand, the present invention provides a material transfer device, including: a material transfer device for transferring materials in a cassette full of materials output by a front-end process equipment to a back-end process equipment, the material transfer device including: a cassette import unit for receiving the cassette output by the front-end process equipment and for transferring the cassette to a preset position; and a transfer unit for taking out the materials in the cassette at the preset position and transferring them one by one to the back-end process equipment.

[0006] In other embodiments, the cassette import unit also includes an import support assembly for loading the cassette, and an import moving component connected to the import support assembly; the cassette has a first position spaced apart from the preset position along a first direction, and the import moving component is used to drive the import support assembly to move along the first direction to move the cassette from the first position to the preset position.

[0007] In other embodiments, the import support assembly includes an import support member for importing the cassette and a rotating member connected to the import support member; the cassette also has a second position, and the rotating member is used to drive the import support member to rotate around an axis parallel to the second direction to move the cassette from the second position to the first position; the first direction and the second direction intersect with each other.

[0008] In other embodiments, the cassette import unit further includes a guide and limiting member connected to the import support member, the guide and limiting member and the import support member define a accommodating space for accommodating the cassette, and the guide and limiting member cassette has an entrance for the cassette to pass through the accommodating space, wherein the entrance is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the second direction.

[0009] In other embodiments, the guide and limiting member includes two guide and limiting bars for the imported cassette, and at least one guide and limiting bar is configured to be able to adjust the distance between the two guide and limiting bars in the second direction.

[0010] In other embodiments, the transfer unit includes: a cassette docking mechanism for moving the cassette at a preset position from the cassette import unit to a receiving position; a material picking mechanism for moving the material in the cassette at the receiving position away from the cassette docking mechanism; and a material discharging mechanism for transferring the materials taken out by the material picking mechanism to the subsequent process equipment one by one.

[0011] In other embodiments, the cassette docking mechanism includes a clamping member for clamping the cassette in a preset position, and a lifting member connected to the clamping member; the receiving position and the preset position are spaced apart along a third direction, and the lifting member is used to drive the clamping member to move along the third direction to move the cassette from the preset position to the receiving position; wherein the first direction and the third direction intersect with each other.

[0012] In other embodiments, the material picking mechanism includes a material picking component for picking up materials one by one from the cartridge in the receiving position, and the material picking component is configured to move relative to the cartridge from the side of the cartridge closest to the ground to the side of the cartridge farthest from the ground.

[0013] In other embodiments, the material picking mechanism also includes a material picking motion component for driving the material picking component to move, the material picking motion component includes a first motion element, a second motion element connected to the first motion element, and a third motion element connected to the second motion element, the material picking component is connected to the third motion element, the first motion element is configured to drive the second motion element to move in a direction parallel to the x-axis, the second motion element is configured to drive the third motion element to move in a direction parallel to the y-axis, and the third motion element is configured to drive the material picking component to rotate around an axis parallel to the z-axis.

[0014] In other embodiments, the discharging mechanism includes a transfer component for receiving the material taken out by the material taking mechanism and a discharging moving component arranged on one side of the transfer mechanism, and the discharging moving component is used to transfer the material on the transfer component to the subsequent process equipment.

[0015] In other embodiments, the transfer component includes at least two transfer templates for adsorbing materials and a transfer platform for installing the transfer templates, and the transfer templates and the transfer platform are detachably connected.

[0016] In other embodiments, the material is a panel structure.

[0017] A material transfer method is also provided in an embodiment of the present invention, which is a method for transferring materials using the above-mentioned material transfer device. The material transfer method includes: controlling the cassette import unit to receive the cassette output by the front-end process equipment, and controlling the cassette import unit to move the cassette to a preset position; controlling the transfer unit to transfer the materials in the cassettes at the preset position to the back-end process equipment one by one.

[0018] In other embodiments, the material transfer method includes: controlling the cassette import unit to receive the cassette output by the front-end process equipment, and controlling the cassette import unit to move the cassette to a preset position; controlling the cassette docking mechanism to move the cassette at the preset position from the cassette import unit to the receiving position; controlling the material picking mechanism to move the materials in the cassette at the receiving position away from the cassette docking mechanism one by one; and controlling the material discharging mechanism to transfer the materials taken out by the material picking mechanism to the back-end process equipment one by one.

[0019] The material transfer device of the present invention has at least the following advantages: the device includes a cassette introduction unit for receiving a fully loaded cassette output from a preceding process device and transferring the cassette to a predetermined position, and a transfer unit for removing material from the cassette at the predetermined position and transferring it to a subsequent process device. This device can directly utilize the existing material-loaded cassettes output from the preceding process device to connect to the subsequent process device. This eliminates the need for manual material removal from the cassette during material transfer, effectively reducing material transfer losses. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a material transfer device without a cover installed in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the cassette import unit and the cassette export mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 For Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a structure with a partial cover installed on it;

[0023] Figure 4Schematic diagram of the structure of the cassette docking mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of a material taking mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the material taking mechanism in the embodiment of the present invention when taking materials from the cassette docking mechanism;

[0026] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the structure of the transfer mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structure of the discharging mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more readily apparent, specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description sets forth numerous specific details to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in many other ways than those described herein, and those skilled in the art may make similar modifications without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0029] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like to indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0030] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used 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 referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of the present invention, "plurality" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0031] In the present invention, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "installed," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection, electrical connection; direct connection, or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two components, or interaction between two components, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0032] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, when a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediary. Furthermore, when a first feature is "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. When a first feature is "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower level than the second feature.

[0033] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation methods.

[0034] See Figures 1 to 8 In one embodiment of the present invention, a material transfer device 100 is provided. The figure sets XYZ indicating coordinates to assist in explaining the material transfer device 100, wherein the direction close to the ground is downward and the direction away from the ground is upward. In this embodiment, the material transferred by the material transfer device 100 is a liquid crystal panel. The material transfer device 100 is used to take out the material from the cassette full of materials output by the front-end process equipment and transfer it to the back-end process equipment, that is, the material transfer device 100 uses the cassette full of materials 200 output from the front-end process equipment to directly take out the liquid crystal panel from the cassette full of materials 200 and transfer it to the back-end process equipment (the process equipment for the back-end production of liquid crystal panels). The cassette full of materials 200 includes a plurality of liquid crystal panels arranged in layers.

[0035] The material transfer device 100 includes a cassette introduction unit 10 for introducing a fully loaded cassette 200 output from a preceding process device and transferring the cassette 200 to a preset position, a transfer unit 20 for removing material from the cassette 200 at the preset position and transferring it to a subsequent process device, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the cassette introduction unit 10 and the transfer unit 20 according to a set program. The transfer unit 20 includes a cassette docking mechanism 21 for removing the cassette 200 from the cassette introduction unit 10, a material removal mechanism 22 for removing material from the cassette 200 in the cassette docking mechanism 21, a material removal mechanism 24 for receiving material removed from the cassette docking mechanism 21 by the material removal mechanism 22 and transferring the material to a subsequent process device, and a cassette export mechanism 25 for exporting an empty cassette 200 from the cassette docking mechanism 21. The material transfer device 100 utilizes a transfer unit 20 to directly extract material from a cassette 200 containing LCD panels in the upstream process equipment and transfer the extracted material to the downstream process equipment. This eliminates the need for manual material removal from the cassette, thus reducing the loss of LCD panels during transfer. Furthermore, compared to traditional methods of transferring and loading materials using trays, the material transfer device 100 does not involve the use of trays or the manual handling of trays, thus saving not only the cost of consumables for producing trays but also labor costs, effectively reducing production costs.

[0036] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 The cassette introduction unit 10 is used to introduce a cassette 200 fully loaded with materials output from the preceding process equipment and to move the cassette 200 to a preset position, which is the position of the cassette 200 when it is about to be removed from the cassette introduction unit 10. The cassette introduction unit 10 includes an introduction support assembly for loading the fully loaded cassette 200, an introduction locking member 102 for locking the cassette 200, a guide limiting member 104 for guiding the cassette 200, and an introduction moving member 105 for driving the introduction support assembly to move along a first direction. In this embodiment, the first direction is a direction parallel to the y-axis.

[0037] The import support assembly includes an import support member 101 for importing the cartridge 200 and a rotating member 103 for driving the import support member 101 to rotate about an axis parallel to a second direction. In this embodiment, the second direction is a direction parallel to the x-axis. The import support member 101 includes a base plate 1011, a baffle 1012 connected perpendicularly to the base plate 1011, and a side plate 1013 connected between the base plate 1011 and the baffle 1012. A storage space is formed between the base plate 1011 and the baffle 1012 for accommodating the externally input cartridge 200. The import locking member 102 is connected to the import support member 101 and includes a rotating head 1021 and a first locking cylinder element 1022. The rotating head 1021 is connected to the end of the baffle 1012 away from the base plate 1011. The first locking cylinder element 1022 controls the rotation of the rotating head 1021 relative to the baffle 1012 to achieve the clamping of the input cartridge 200. The cassette 200, fully loaded with material, has a first position spaced apart from a preset position along a first direction, and a second position before the cassette 200 moves to the first position. In this embodiment, a rotating member 103 is used to move the cassette 200 from the second position to the first position. The rotating member 103 is disposed on the side of the introduction support member 101 and includes a motor 1031 and a rotating element 1032. The motor 1031 is electrically connected to a control unit to control the rotation of the introduction support member 101 between the first position and the second position. The guide and limiting member 104 and the introduction support member 101 define a storage space for accommodating the cassette 200. The guide and limiting member 104 has an entrance for the cassette 200 to enter the storage space, wherein the entrance is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the second direction. In this embodiment, the guide and limit member 104 is connected to the baffle 1012 and includes two guide and limit bars, which are used to form an entrance for the cassette 200 to penetrate into the accommodating space, so that the cassette 200 moves in a direction perpendicular to the second direction, and at least one guide and limit bar is configured to be able to adjust the distance between the two guide and limit bars in the second direction, that is, it can adapt to the input of cassettes 200 of different sizes.

[0038] The introduction moving member 105 is used to drive the introduction support assembly to move along a first direction to transfer the cassette 200 from the first position to a preset position. Specifically, the introduction moving member 105 is disposed below the introduction support member 101 via the rotating member 103. The introduction moving member 105 can drive the rotating member 103 and the introduction support member 101 to move synchronously. The introduction moving member 105 includes a first Y-axis motor element, which is electrically connected to a control unit to drive the fully loaded cassette 200 to the preset position, where the preset position refers to the position at which the fully loaded cassette 200 is located when it moves out of the cassette introduction unit 10 and enters the next mechanism after the cassette introduction unit 10. In this embodiment, the next mechanism after the cassette introduction unit 10 is the cassette docking mechanism 21.

[0039] See Figure 4 The cassette docking mechanism 21 is used to move the cassette 200 at a preset position from the cassette import unit 10 to a receiving position, which is spaced apart from the preset position along a third direction, where the third direction is a direction parallel to the z-axis. The cassette docking mechanism 21 includes a carrying member 211 for receiving a fully loaded cassette 200, a clamping member 212 for clamping the fully loaded cassette 200, and a lifting member 213 for moving the carrying member 211. The carrying member 211 is movably connected to the lifting member 213. The carrying member 211 includes a support frame 2111 and support bars 2112 connected to the support frame 2111. The support bars 2112 are used to support the fully loaded cassette 200 output by the import support member 101. The clamping member 212 is connected to the supporting member 211, and includes a second locking cylinder element 2121 and a clamping structure 2122 connected to the second locking cylinder element. When the fully loaded cartridge 200 is introduced into the support frame 2111, the second locking cylinder element 2121 controls the clamping structure 2122 to descend to lock the fully loaded cartridge 200 in the support frame 2111. The lifting member 213 is used to drive the supporting member 211 and the clamping member 212 to move along the third direction to move the cassette 200 from the preset position to the receiving position. Specifically, the lifting member 213 includes a motor 2131, a ball screw 2132 connected to the motor 2131, and a double guide rail 2133 arranged along the ball screw 2132. The supporting member 211 is arranged between the double guide rails 2133. The motor 2131 is electrically connected to the control unit to control the lifting and lowering of the supporting member 211 to move the supporting member 211 to the receiving position, which is the position where the supporting member 211 is docked with the material removal mechanism 22. The cassette docking mechanism 21 is also used to move the cassette 200 to the unloading position. The cassette 200 moved to the unloading position is used to dock with the cassette export mechanism 25. The side of the cassette in the supporting member 211 away from the cassette introduction unit 10 is used to dock with the material removal mechanism 22 to achieve the transportation of the liquid crystal panel.

[0040] See Figure 5 and Figure 6The picking mechanism 22 is used to move the material in the cassette 200 at the receiving position away from the cassette docking mechanism 21. The picking mechanism 22 includes a picking component 221 for removing the material (liquid crystal panel) from the cassette 200 and a picking motion component 222 for controlling the movement of the picking component 221. The picking component 221 includes a picking template 2211 and a traceless anti-static adsorption nozzle 2212 installed on the upper surface of the picking template 2211. The end of the picking template 2211 with the nozzle 2212 is close to the end of the cassette 200 in the supporting member 211 closest to the ground so as to facilitate the removal of materials in the cassette 200 from bottom to top during the descent of the cassette 200. That is, the movement of the picking component 221 relative to the cassette 200 can be achieved from the side of the cassette 200 closest to the ground to the side of the cassette 200 farthest from the ground. The material picking motion component 222 includes a first motion element 2221 for movement in the X-axis direction, a second motion element 2222 for movement in the Y-axis direction, and a third motion element 2223 for rotation about the Z-axis. The second motion element 2222 is connected to the first motion element 2221, and the third motion element 2223 is connected to the second motion element 2222. The material picking component 221 is connected to the third motion element 2223, and each is electrically connected to a control unit. The first motion element 2221 is configured to drive the second motion element 2222 to move in a direction parallel to the x-axis, the second motion element 2222 is configured to drive the third motion element 2223 to move in a direction parallel to the y-axis, and the third motion element 2223 is configured to drive the material picking component 221 to rotate about an axis parallel to the z-axis. In other words, the material picking motion component 222 has three degrees of freedom in motion. In this embodiment, the first motion element 2221 is an X-axis motor element, the second motion element 2222 is a Y-axis motor element, and the third motion element 2223 is a Z-axis rotary cylinder element. With these three degrees of freedom, the material removal motion component 222 facilitates not only the removal of materials from the cassette docking mechanism 21 but also the transfer of the removed materials to the transfer mechanism 23. Furthermore, the design of connecting the Z-axis rotary cylinder element 2223 to the first X-axis motor element 2221 and the second Y-axis motor element 2222 also shortens the guide rail length, saving space.

[0041] See Figure 7 and Figure 8 The discharge mechanism 24 is used to transfer the materials removed by the retrieving mechanism 22 to the subsequent process equipment one by one. The discharge mechanism 24 includes a transfer member 231 for receiving the materials removed by the retrieving mechanism 22, a transfer moving member 232 for moving the transfer member 231, a discharge member 241 for transferring the materials on the transfer mechanism 23 to the subsequent process equipment, and a discharge moving member 242 for moving the discharge member 241.

[0042] The transfer component 231 includes a transfer platform 2311 and a transfer template 2312 installed on the upper surface of the transfer platform 2311. The surface of the transfer template 2312 is provided with multiple small holes. The function of the multiple small holes is the same as that of the suction nozzle 2212 to suck the material onto the transfer template 2312. Two transfer templates 2312 are connected to the transfer platform 2311. The distance between the two transfer templates 2312 can be adjusted according to the size of the material to better fix the material. The transfer template 2312 and the transfer platform 2311 are detachably connected, and the distance between the transfer templates 2312 in the y-axis direction can be adjusted through the detachable connection. The transfer mechanism 232 is connected to the lower surface of the transfer platform 2311 and includes a lifting cylinder element 2321 that drives the transfer platform 2311 and a guide element 2322 that guides the transfer platform 2311 in its upward and downward motion. The lifting cylinder element 2321 is electrically connected to a control unit and controls the transfer platform 2311 to move up and down along the z-axis to transfer the material to the position where the discharge mechanism 24 retrieves the material. The transfer mechanism 23 receives the material output by the retrieving mechanism 22 and transfers the material to the input position of the discharge mechanism 24. It serves as a material transfer point between the retrieving and discharge mechanisms 23 and 24. When the retrieving mechanism 23 retrieves the material, the transfer mechanism 231 docks with the discharge mechanism 241, improving work efficiency.

[0043] The discharge assembly 241 includes a robotic arm 2411 for sucking up materials and multiple traceless, anti-static nozzles 2412 connected to one end of the robotic arm 2411. The other end of the robotic arm 2411 is connected to a discharge moving assembly 242. The discharge moving assembly 242 is electrically connected to a control unit to transfer materials from the transfer mechanism 23 to downstream processing equipment. The discharge moving assembly 242 includes a third Y-axis motor element 2421 for driving the robotic arm in the Y direction and a cylinder element 2422 for driving the robotic arm in the Z direction.

[0044] See Figures 1 to 3The cassette export mechanism 25 is arranged on one side of the cassette docking mechanism 21, and is used to export the empty cassette 200 in the carrying member 211 that has been lowered to the second receiving position relative to the lifting member 213. The cassette export mechanism 25 includes an export member 251 for receiving the empty cassette 200, an export locking member 252 for clamping the empty cassette 200, and an export moving member 253 for moving the export member 251. The export member 251 includes a support plate that docks with the carrying member 211 to support the empty cassette 200. The export locking member 252 includes a third locking cylinder element, which is connected to both sides of the support plate to better clamp the empty cassette 200. The export moving member 253 includes a Y-axis cylinder element, which is electrically connected to the control unit to move the empty cassette 200 out of the carrying member 211 in the second receiving position.

[0045] The material transfer device 100 also includes a housing 30 for protecting the cassette introduction unit 10 and transfer unit 20, and a base 40 for mounting the housing 30, cassette introduction unit 10, and transfer unit 20. The housing 30 can reduce the adhesion of foreign matter to the liquid crystal panels during transfer, thereby reducing product defect rates. The housing 30, located in the area of ​​the cassette introduction unit 10, includes a first safety door 31 for inputting fully loaded cassettes 200 and a second safety door 32 for outputting empty cassettes 200. Mounted on the housing 30 are an operating panel 50 and operating buttons for receiving manual commands to start or stop the device.

[0046] In other embodiments, the transported materials may be, in addition to liquid crystal panels, other panel-type materials such as plastic boards and wooden boards, or non-panel-type materials such as shafts and blocks.

[0047] In other embodiments, the Y-axis cylinder element in the de-loading moving member 253 can also be replaced with a Y-axis motor element to improve the Y-axis motion accuracy of the empty cassette 200. The first Y-axis motor element in the inlet moving member 105 can also be replaced with a Y-axis cylinder element to reduce costs.

[0048] In other embodiments, the transfer mechanism 23 can be omitted, and the material picking mechanism 22 takes out the material from the cassette docking mechanism 21 and transfers it to the discharge mechanism 24. Furthermore, the cassette docking mechanism 21 can also be omitted, and the material picking mechanism 22 directly takes the material from the cassette import unit 10 to simplify the material transfer device.

[0049] According to the material transfer device 100 in the above embodiment, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a material transfer method, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0050] S100 controls the cassette import unit 10 to receive the cassette 200 output by the front-end process equipment, and controls the cassette import unit 10 to move the cassette 100 to a preset position:

[0051] The first safety door 31 is opened by operating the button, and the introduction support member 101 reaches the first state position under the action of the rotating member 103, which corresponds to the second position of the cassette 200. The cassette 200, which is fully loaded with materials and output from the previous process equipment, is manually introduced into the introduction support member 101 in the first state position. After the cassette is introduced, the first safety door 31 is closed. The introduction locking member 102 controls the rotation of the rotating head 1021 to fix the cassette 200 on the introduction support member 101. The rotating member 103 controls the introduction support member 101 to rotate to the second state position, which corresponds to the first position of the cassette 200. The introduction moving member 105 drives the introduction support member 101 to move along the first direction to transfer the cassette 200 from the first position to the preset position.

[0052] S200 controls the cassette docking mechanism 21 to move the cassette 200 at the preset position from the cassette import unit 10 to the receiving position:

[0053] The clamping member 212 is controlled to clamp the cassette 200 at the preset position, and the supporting member 211 is controlled to support the cassette 200 at the preset position. While the clamping member 212 clamps the cassette 200, the supporting member 101 is guided out of the preset position. The lifting member 213 moves the supporting member 211 carrying the cassette 200 downward in the third direction to move the supporting member 211 to the receiving position.

[0054] S300 controls the material taking mechanism 22 to move the material in the cassette 200 at the receiving position away from the cassette docking mechanism 21:

[0055] The picking member 221 is moved to the bottom of the material closest to the ground (i.e., the material in the last layer from bottom to top) in the cassette 200 at the receiving position by the three moving directions of the picking member 222. The lifting member drives the supporting member 211 down a certain distance, so that the material in the last layer contacts and is sucked onto the suction nozzle 2212 of the picking template 2211. The picking member 222 controls the picking member 221 to transfer the removed material to the top of the transfer mechanism 23 in the discharging mechanism 24. At the same time, the lifting member 213 is controlled to move the supporting member 211 downward again along the third direction to transfer the supporting member 211 to the next receiving position, so that the next material in the cassette 200 can dock with the picking member 222.

[0056] S400 The transfer mechanism 23 takes over the materials taken out by the material taking mechanism 22:

[0057] The transfer platform 2311 is moved up to the bottom of the material transferred by the material picking component 221 through the lifting cylinder element 2321, and the material is adsorbed onto the transfer template 2312 through the vacuum effect. The material picking component 221 withdraws from the top of the transfer mechanism 23. At the same time, the discharge component 24 moves to the top of the transfer mechanism 23.

[0058] S500 discharging mechanism 24 transfers the material to the subsequent process equipment:

[0059] The robot arm 2411 is moved above the material by the third Y-axis motor element 2421, and then the suction nozzle 2412 on the robot arm 2411 is brought into contact with the material and adsorbed onto the suction nozzle 2412 by the cylinder element 2422 moving in the Z-axis. The material is then transferred to the downstream process equipment through the joint action of the third Y-axis motor element 2421 and the cylinder element 2422 moving in the Z-axis. At this point, the transfer of a single material is completed.

[0060] S600 repeats the process from step S300 to step S500 until all the materials in the cassette 200 are taken out, that is, the cassette 200 is now an empty cassette 200, and then proceeds to step S700.

[0061] S700 The cassette export mechanism 25 exports the empty cassette 200 from the cassette docking mechanism 21:

[0062] The empty cassette 200 is moved to the ejection position by the lifting member 213, which refers to the position where the empty cassette 200 docks with the cassette ejection mechanism 25, and the ejection member 251 is moved to the bottom of the empty cassette 200 by the ejection moving member 253, and the empty cassette 200 is locked on the ejection member 251 by the ejection locking member 252, and the ejection moving member 253 moves the ejection member 251 with the empty cassette 200 out. At this time, the control unit alarms to remind the user to open the second safety door 32 and eject the empty cassette 200.

[0063] Thus, the material transfer of a fully loaded cassette 200 is completed. When the next fully loaded cassette 200 needs to be introduced, steps S100 to S700 are repeated to perform the material transfer of the next fully loaded cassette 200.

[0064] The material transfer device 100 in an embodiment of the present invention includes a cassette import unit 10 for importing a full-loaded material cassette 200 output from a front-end process equipment and capable of transferring the cassette 200 to a preset position, and a transfer unit 20 for transferring the material in the cassette 200 at the preset position to a back-end process equipment, wherein the transfer unit 20 includes a cassette docking mechanism 21 for moving out the cassette 200 in the cassette import unit 10, a material picking mechanism 22 for moving the material out of the cassette 200 in the cassette docking mechanism 21, a transfer mechanism 23 for receiving the material taken out of the cassette docking mechanism 21 by the material picking mechanism 22, a material discharging mechanism 24 for transferring the material in the transfer mechanism 23 to the back-end process equipment, and a cassette exporting mechanism 25 for exporting the empty cassette 200 in the cassette docking mechanism 21. The material transfer device 100 can directly utilize the existing material-filled cassette 200 in the front-end process equipment to connect to the downstream equipment (i.e., the back-end process equipment). During the material transfer, there is no need to use material trays or manual handling links, which not only effectively reduces production costs, but also reduces the transfer loss and product defect rate of LCD panels.

[0065] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0066] The above-described embodiments merely illustrate several implementations of the present invention, and while their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art would be able to make numerous variations and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present invention, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the patent for this invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A material transfer device, characterized in that: The material transfer device is used to transfer the material in the cassette full of material output by the front-end process equipment to the back-end process equipment, and the material transfer device includes: a cassette introduction unit, configured to receive the cassette outputted by the preceding process equipment and to transfer the cassette to a preset position; and A transfer unit, used to take out the materials from the cassettes at the preset positions and transfer them one by one to the subsequent process equipment; The transfer unit includes a cassette docking mechanism, a material taking mechanism, and a material discharging mechanism. The cassette docking mechanism is used to move the cassette at the preset position from the cassette introduction unit to the receiving position; the material taking mechanism is used to move the material in the cassette at the receiving position away from the cassette docking mechanism; and the material discharging mechanism is used to transfer the materials taken out by the material taking mechanism to the downstream process equipment one by one. The cassette introduction unit further includes an introduction support assembly for loading the cassette, and an introduction moving member connected to the introduction support assembly; The cassette has a first position spaced apart from the preset position along a first direction, and the introduction moving member is used to drive the introduction support assembly to move along the first direction to move the cassette from the first position to the preset position; The introduction support assembly includes an introduction support member for introducing the cassette and a rotating member connected to the introduction support member; The cassette further has a second position, and the rotating member is used to drive the introduction support member to rotate around an axis parallel to the second direction to move the cassette from the second position to the first position; The first direction and the second direction intersect each other; The cassette docking mechanism includes a clamping member for clamping the cassette at the preset position, and a lifting member connected to the clamping member; The receiving position and the preset position are spaced apart along the third direction, and the lifting member is used to drive the clamping member to move along the third direction to move the cartridge from the preset position to the receiving position; wherein the first direction and the third direction intersect each other; The material taking mechanism includes a material taking component for taking out the materials one by one from the cartridge in the receiving position, and the material taking component is configured to move from the side of the cartridge closest to the ground to the side of the cartridge farthest from the ground relative to the movement of the cartridge; The material picking mechanism also includes a material picking motion component for driving the material picking component to move, the material picking motion component includes a first motion element, a second motion element connected to the first motion element, and a third motion element connected to the second motion element, the material picking component is connected to the third motion element, the first motion element is configured to drive the second motion element to move in a direction parallel to the x-axis, the second motion element is configured to drive the third motion element to move in a direction parallel to the y-axis, and the third motion element is configured to drive the material picking component to rotate around an axis parallel to the z-axis.

2. The material transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cassette import unit also includes a guide and limiting component connected to the import support component, the guide and limiting component and the import support component define a accommodating space for accommodating the cassette, and the guide and limiting component has an entrance for the cassette to pass through the accommodating space, wherein the entrance is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the second direction.

3. The material transfer device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The guide and limit member includes two guide and limit bars for the introduced cassette, and at least one of the guide and limit bars is configured to be able to adjust the distance between the two guide and limit bars in the second direction.

4. The material transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The discharging mechanism includes a transfer component for receiving the material taken out by the material taking mechanism and a discharging moving component arranged on one side of the transfer component, and the discharging moving component is used to transfer the material on the transfer component to the subsequent process equipment.

5. The material transfer device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The transfer component includes at least two transfer templates for adsorbing the material and a transfer platform for installing the transfer templates, and the transfer templates and the transfer platform are detachably connected.

6. The material transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The material is a panel structure.

7. A material transfer method, characterized in that: A method for transferring materials using the material transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the material transfer method comprising: Controlling the cassette import unit to receive the cassette output by the front-end process equipment, and controlling the cassette import unit to move the cassette to a preset position; The transfer unit is controlled to transfer the materials in the cartridges at the preset positions to the subsequent process equipment one by one.

8. A material transfer method, characterized in that: A method for transferring materials using the material transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the material transfer method comprising: Controlling the cassette import unit to receive the cassette output by the front-end process equipment, and controlling the cassette import unit to move the cassette to a preset position; Controlling the cassette docking mechanism to move the cassette at the preset position from the cassette importing unit to a receiving position; Controlling the material taking mechanism to move the materials in the cassette at the receiving position away from the cassette docking mechanism one by one; The discharging mechanism is controlled to transfer the materials taken out by the taking mechanism to the subsequent process equipment one by one.

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