Feeding and discharging device and automatic production line

Abstract

The application provides a feeding and discharging device and an automatic production line, wherein the feeding and discharging device comprises a material buffering mechanism and a transfer mechanism, the material buffering mechanism comprises multiple storage layers, each storage layer is provided with multiple workstations for storing PCB materials, the material buffering mechanism is installed on the transfer mechanism, and the transfer mechanism is configured to drive the material buffering mechanism to move so that the workstations of each storage layer are docked to a printed circuit board processing device; the feeding and discharging device and the printed circuit board processing device cooperate to realize automatic feeding and discharging of the printed circuit board processing device; the feeding and discharging device and the printed circuit board processing device independently operate, only the feeding and discharging device and the docked workstations need to be switched during the processing process, the workstations are docked to the printed circuit board processing device, automatic feeding and discharging are realized, the feeding and discharging efficiency of the printed circuit board processing device is improved, and thus the processing efficiency of the printed circuit board processing device is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated processing technology, and in particular to a loading and unloading device and an automated production line. Background Technology

[0002] In automated production lines, various processing equipment is used to process printed circuit board (PCB) materials. Before processing, the unprocessed PCB material needs to be fed into the loading position of the PCB processing equipment, which completes the loading process, so that the PCB processing equipment can pick up the PCB material from the loading position and process it. After the PCB processing equipment completes the processing of the PCB material, the processed PCB material needs to be removed from the unloading position of the PCB processing equipment, which completes the unloading process.

[0003] In the existing technology, the loading and unloading operations of printed circuit board processing equipment on the production line are generally completed manually. The manual loading and unloading method is not only costly in terms of labor, but also has low efficiency, resulting in low processing efficiency of printed circuit board processing equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a loading and unloading device and an automated production line to solve the technical problem of low loading and unloading efficiency of printed circuit board processing equipment on existing production lines, which leads to low processing efficiency of printed circuit board processing equipment.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A loading and unloading device is provided, including a material buffer mechanism and a transfer mechanism:

[0007] The material buffer mechanism includes multiple storage layers, and each storage layer has multiple workstations for storing PCB materials;

[0008] The material buffer mechanism is installed on the transfer mechanism, which is configured to drive the material buffer mechanism to move so that the workstations of each storage layer are connected to the printed circuit board processing equipment.

[0009] Optionally, the transfer mechanism includes a lifting mechanism, the output of which is connected to a material buffer mechanism. The lifting mechanism is configured to enable each storage layer to dock to the printed circuit board processing equipment.

[0010] Optionally, the loading and unloading device also includes a fixed frame, which includes multiple wheels for easy pushing, and the transfer mechanism is mounted on the fixed frame.

[0011] Optionally, each storage layer includes a conveyor belt mounted on the workstation. The conveyor belt is used to move PCB materials, and the direction of movement of the conveyor belt is configured to switch between a first direction pointing towards the printed circuit board processing equipment and a second direction away from the printed circuit board processing equipment.

[0012] Optionally, each storage layer also includes a lifting device installed at the workstation, which can lift the PCB material to remove it from the conveyor belt.

[0013] Optionally, each storage layer includes a feeding motor, the output shaft of which is connected to each station of the storage layer to drive the conveyor belt.

[0014] Optionally, each storage layer is equipped with an openable baffle at the extreme position of the workstation. The baffle is used to limit the movement of PCB materials.

[0015] Optionally, the PCB material is provided with positioning pins, and each storage layer is provided with a guide groove at the corresponding position of the work station for the positioning pins to be inserted and slid. One end of the guide groove is provided with an outwardly expanding opening.

[0016] Optionally, the workstation is equipped with a spring that can float and fit the PCB material, and a guide groove is installed on the spring.

[0017] An automated production line is provided, including printed circuit board processing equipment, and the automated production line also includes the aforementioned loading and unloading device.

[0018] The present invention also provides an automated production line, including printed circuit board processing equipment and the above-mentioned loading and unloading device.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the loading / unloading device and automated production line provided by this invention are as follows:

[0020] The loading and unloading device of this invention includes a material buffer mechanism and a transfer mechanism. The material buffer mechanism includes multiple storage layers, each with multiple workstations for storing PCB materials. The material buffer mechanism is installed on the transfer mechanism, which is configured to drive the material buffer mechanism to move so that the workstations of each storage layer are connected to the printed circuit board processing equipment. The loading and unloading device and the printed circuit board processing equipment cooperate to achieve automatic loading and unloading of the printed circuit board processing equipment. The loading and unloading device and the printed circuit board processing equipment operate independently. During processing, it is only necessary to switch the workstations of the loading and unloading device and the printed circuit board processing equipment to achieve automatic loading and unloading, thereby improving the loading and unloading efficiency of the printed circuit board processing equipment and thus improving the processing efficiency of the printed circuit board processing equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is an overall schematic diagram of an automated production line provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the loading and unloading device in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the material buffer mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle.

[0026] The following are the labeling elements in the figure:

[0027] 1-Loading and unloading device;

[0028] 11-Material buffer mechanism; 111-Storage layer; 112 (112A, 112B, 112C, 112D, 112E)-Workstation; 113-Baffle plate;

[0029] 114-Feeding motor; 1141-Output shaft; 115-Conveyor belt; 116-Lifting device;

[0030] 117-Guide groove; 1171-Outwardly flared opening; 118-Spring piece;

[0031] 12-Transfer mechanism; 121-Lifting mechanism; 1211-Lead screw; 1212-Guide shaft; 122-Drive motor;

[0032] 13-Fixed frame;

[0033] 2-Printed circuit board processing equipment; 3-Automated production line. Detailed Implementation

[0034] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0035] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be practiced in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0036] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0037] 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 technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0038] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0039] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0040] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening 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 possible implementation.

[0041] In one application scenario, before a printed circuit board (PCB) processing equipment can process PCBs, the unprocessed PCB material needs to be fed into the loading position of the equipment so that the equipment can process it. After the equipment completes the processing, the PCB material needs to be removed from the unloading position. However, the inventors have found that the loading and unloading operations of PCB processing equipment are generally done manually. This manual loading and unloading method is not only costly but also inefficient, resulting in low processing efficiency and affecting the automation of PCB processing. To solve the above technical problems, the inventive concept of this application was developed, which will be described in detail through the following embodiments.

[0042] Please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 4 The present invention will now describe a loading and unloading device 1 for automatically loading and unloading printed circuit board processing equipment 2.

[0043] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the loading / unloading device 1 includes a material buffer mechanism 11 and a transfer mechanism 12. The material buffer mechanism 11 includes multiple storage layers 111, each storage layer 111 having multiple workstations 112 for storing PCB materials, and the material buffer mechanism 11 is mounted on the transfer mechanism 12. The transfer mechanism 12 is configured to drive the material buffer mechanism 11 to move so that the workstations 112 of each storage layer 111 are connected to the printed circuit board processing equipment. In other words, the transfer mechanism 12 can drive the material buffer mechanism 11, causing it to move in space, so that each workstation 112 can be connected to the printed circuit board processing equipment 2. In practical applications, for example, if the printed circuit board processing equipment has six processing axes, the corresponding transfer mechanism 12 can drive the material buffer mechanism 11, causing it to move in space, so that the corresponding material buffer mechanism 11 drives the corresponding workstations 112 to connect to the respective processing axes of the printed circuit board processing equipment. Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, in order to correspond to the 6 machining axes, there are 6 workstations. Five of them are shown in the figure: workstation 112A, workstation 112B, workstation 112C, workstation 112D and workstation 112E. The above five workstations 112 can perform the aforementioned loading and unloading processes synchronously or asynchronously, realizing the multi-process loading and unloading process to multiple machining axes.

[0044] In more practical applications, such as when the PCB material is a PCB circuit board, multiple PCB circuit boards are transported to the corresponding storage layer 111 by manual labor or AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle). Through the aforementioned method, the PCB circuit boards can be loaded into the printed circuit board processing equipment 2 for processing such as drilling, soldering, and cutting. After processing, the PCB circuit boards are unloaded back to the corresponding storage layer 111, and then multiple PCB circuit boards are removed from the corresponding storage layer 111 by manual labor or AGV.

[0045] During the use of the loading and unloading device 1, station 112 can store both PCB materials to be processed and already processed PCB materials. During loading, the transfer mechanism 12 drives the entire material buffer mechanism 11 to move, aligning station 112 containing the PCB materials to be processed with the loading position of the printed circuit board processing equipment 2. The PCB materials are then loaded into the equipment for processing, completing the loading process. During unloading, the transfer mechanism drives the entire material buffer mechanism 11 to move, aligning empty station 112 with the unloading position of the equipment. The processed PCB materials are then delivered from the equipment to the empty station 112, completing the unloading process.

[0046] As can be seen from the above working process, by moving the material buffer mechanism 11, different workstations 112 can be connected to the printed circuit board processing equipment 2, realizing the automatic feeding and unloading process. In the process of the printed circuit board processing equipment 2 processing the PCB material to be processed, the material buffer mechanism 11 can be driven to move by the transfer mechanism 12 to enter the unloading position in advance. The loading and unloading device 1 and the printed circuit board processing equipment 2 operate independently, which can efficiently feed and unload the printed circuit board processing equipment 2.

[0047] Based on the same principle as the above process, the loading and unloading device 1 can also cooperate with external manual or self-navigating feeding vehicles to load and unload materials at each station 112 of the loading and unloading device 1. The process of loading PCB materials to be processed and taking out processed PCB materials can also be automatically realized through the above-mentioned transfer mechanism 12.

[0048] The loading / unloading device 1 described in the above embodiments enables automatic loading and unloading of printed circuit board (PCB) processing equipment 2 and serves as a transfer station for temporary storage of multiple PCB materials. The loading / unloading device 1 can operate independently of the PCB processing equipment 2. During processing, it only needs to switch the workstation 112 connected to the PCB processing equipment 2 to achieve automatic loading and unloading, improving the loading and unloading efficiency of the PCB processing equipment. Furthermore, the processing speed of the PCB processing equipment 2 is not affected by loading and unloading, thus increasing its processing efficiency. Moreover, the loading / unloading device 1 can be used in conjunction with other automatic PCB material transfer devices to achieve unmanned and automated operation of the entire automated production line 3, further improving production efficiency. For example, a multi-layer material buffer mechanism 11 can be partially embedded in a drilling rig. During the drilling process, each layer of the material buffer mechanism 11 can automatically load and unload PCB materials at the buffer position (i.e., workstation 112), allowing for temporary storage. This can be done manually or by AGV carts, achieving unmanned automation in the factory.

[0049] In some embodiments, the transfer mechanism 12 includes one or more lifting mechanisms 121. The output end of the lifting mechanism 121 is connected to the material buffer mechanism 11. The lifting mechanism 121 is configured to allow each storage layer 111 to dock with the printed circuit board processing equipment 2. Multiple storage layers 111 are arranged in a stacked manner in the vertical direction. To switch the docking of the storage layer 111 with the loading and unloading positions of the printed circuit board processing equipment 2, and also to allow the storage layer 111 corresponding to the completed loading or unloading station 112 to leave the docking position, the lifting process of the output end of the lifting mechanism 121 can adjust the height of the entire material buffer mechanism 11, achieving the aforementioned functions. In a more preferred embodiment, the entire material buffer mechanism 11 can be configured with multiple stations 112 arranged side-by-side on each layer, making the material buffer mechanism 11 elongated. To ensure smooth lifting and avoid tilting during the lifting process, the number of lifting mechanisms 121 can be multiple, lifting and lowering synchronously.

[0050] Specifically, in such Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the transfer mechanism 12 includes a drive motor 122 located in the center and two lifting mechanisms 121 located on both sides. Each lifting mechanism 121 has a lead screw 1211 in the center and two guide shafts 1212 on each side. The drive motor 122 synchronously drives each lead screw 1211 of each lifting mechanism 121 through belt drive, thereby realizing synchronous pushing of the two positions of the material buffer mechanism 11, making its smooth lifting and lowering.

[0051] In some implementations, such as Figure 2As shown, the loading / unloading device 1 also includes a fixed frame 13, which has multiple wheels for easy pushing. The transfer mechanism 12 is mounted on the fixed frame 13. In use, the fixed frame 13 is pushed to the printed circuit board processing equipment 2 to prepare for loading and unloading in conjunction with the equipment. Since the material buffer mechanism 11 in the loading / unloading device 1 is movable in space, it is easy to adapt to different printed circuit board processing equipment. The loading / unloading device 1 can also be moved from one printed circuit board processing equipment to another as needed. In some embodiments, the fixed frame 13 is provided with relevant positioning structures to prevent displacement, such as a locking structure that can lock the rotation of the wheels, or a positioning structure that can fix the fixed frame 13 to the printed circuit board processing equipment 2. Optionally, the fixed frame 13 is a frame made of channel steel joined together or welded together. Multiple wheels are installed under the frame for easy movement and positioning. The lifting mechanism 121 is fixed to the fixed frame 13 by a fixing plate so as to connect with the worktable of the printed circuit board processing equipment 2.

[0052] Optionally, in some implementations, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, each storage layer includes a conveyor belt 115 mounted on station 112. The conveyor belt 115 is used to move PCB materials, and its movement direction can be switched between a first direction a pointing towards the printed circuit board processing equipment 2 and a second direction b away from the printed circuit board processing equipment 2. When the conveyor belt 115 moves in the first direction a towards the printed circuit board processing equipment 2, it moves the PCB materials on station 112 towards the printed circuit board processing equipment 2, i.e., the loading process. When the conveyor belt 115 moves in the second direction b away from the printed circuit board processing equipment 2, it receives the PCB materials on station 112 of the printed circuit board processing equipment 2 and moves them away from the printed circuit board processing equipment 2, i.e., the unloading process. In some specific embodiments, the conveyor belt 115 of each station 112 can switch its movement direction in response to control, so each station 112 can perform both loading and unloading functions.

[0053] In such Figure 3 and Figure 4In the embodiment shown, the workstation 112 can be divided into two types: loading workstation 112 and unloading workstation 112. For example, all workstations 112 on the first storage layer 111 are loading workstations 112, and all workstations 112 on the second storage layer 111 are unloading workstations 112. Then, the conveyor belts 115 on the first storage layer 111 all move in the direction of the printed circuit board processing equipment 2 (i.e., the first direction a). At this time, the conveyor belts 115 of all workstations 112 on the first storage layer 111 are called upper conveyor belts. The conveyor belts 115 on the second storage layer 111 all move in the direction away from the printed circuit board processing equipment 2 (i.e., the second direction b). At this time, the conveyor belts 115 of all workstations 112 on the second storage layer 111 are called lower conveyor belts. In the workflow, unprocessed PCB materials are continuously added to the first storage layer 111. Then, the first storage layer 111 is connected to the loading position of the printed circuit board processing equipment 2, and the second storage layer 111 is connected to the unloading position of the printed circuit board processing equipment 2. Processed PCB materials are then retrieved from the second storage layer 111. Since the movement direction of the conveyor belt 115 on each workstation 112 in this embodiment is the same, it can be achieved using the same drive structure. Specifically, each storage layer 111 includes a feeding motor 114, and the output shaft 1141 of the feeding motor 114 is connected to each workstation 112 of that storage layer 111, driving the conveyor belt 115 to move in the required direction. The aforementioned two movement directions can be achieved by adjusting the forward and reverse rotation of the feeding motor 114.

[0054] Optional, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, to prevent PCB materials from falling after being transported to their limit position by the conveyor belt 115 on station 112, each storage layer is equipped with an openable and closable baffle 113 at the limit position of station 112. In one state, the baffle 113 can limit the movement of the PCB material, preventing it from leaving station 112. In the other state, the baffle 113 has no limiting effect on the PCB material, allowing it to leave station 112. For example, the open state of the baffle 113 limits the movement of the PCB material, while the closed state does not limit its movement.

[0055] During the process where unprocessed PCB material is moved by the conveyor belt 115 inside station 112, the printed circuit board processing equipment 2 is not yet ready for loading, or because PCB material in other stations 112 has not yet arrived. To prevent the unprocessed PCB material from being conveyed away from station 112, the baffle plate 113 is driven to block it until the appropriate time for the baffle plate 113 to open, allowing the unprocessed PCB material to be conveyed away from station 112 and into the printed circuit board processing equipment 2. The opening and closing of the baffle plate 113 can be achieved using mature existing structures, such as a cylinder-driven lifting plate or a motor-driven tilting plate, both of which can achieve the aforementioned function. The baffle plate 113 can also be driven for a single stroke, while relying on gravity to achieve another stroke. For example, a rotating shaft can be set up, and the baffle plate 113 can be rotated and installed on the rotating shaft. The cylinder pushes the baffle plate 113 to overcome the gravitational potential energy and rotate it along the rotating shaft to a higher position, entering the closed state to block and limit the PCB material. After the cylinder is depressurized, the baffle plate 113 flips to a lower position under the action of gravity, entering the open state to allow the PCB material to pass through.

[0056] Optionally, each storage layer also includes a lifting device 116 installed on station 112. The lifting device 116 can lift the PCB material to disengage it from the conveyor belt 115. Since the conveyor belt 115 is driven by the feeding motor 114, the repeated starting and stopping of the feeding motor 114 significantly damages its lifespan, so the conveyor belt 115 needs to be kept running continuously. In addition, when the PCB material is blocked by the baffle plate 113, it cannot move, and continuous friction will occur between the PCB material and the conveyor belt 115, which not only wastes power but also aggravates the wear of the conveyor belt 115. At this time, the lifting device 116 can lift the PCB material to disengage it from the conveyor belt 115, thus avoiding the aforementioned friction. It is easy to understand that the lifting device 116 can disengage the PCB material from the conveyor belt 115, which is equivalent to stopping the PCB material from moving. Therefore, the lifting device 116 can also play the role of the aforementioned baffle plate 113, or, as needed, lift the PCB material during operation to pause the transport. It is easy to understand that, since the material buffer mechanism 11 has multiple storage layers 111, in order to avoid interference between the PCB material on the lower storage layer 111 and the upper storage layer 111 after being lifted, the stroke dimension of the lifting device 116 needs to be designed according to the distance between the storage layers 111.

[0057] Optionally, the PCB material is provided with positioning pins. At corresponding positions in station 112, each material storage layer allows the positioning pins to be inserted into sliding guide grooves 117. One end of the guide groove 117 has an outwardly expanding opening 1171. The positioning pins can easily enter the guide groove 117 through the outwardly expanding opening 1171. During the transport of the PCB material by the conveyor belt 115, the positioning pins move along the guide groove 117 to limit the movement of the PCB material, preventing it from shifting during movement. Since the outwardly expanding opening 1171 faces the direction in which the PCB material enters, once the function of station 112 (loading or unloading) is preset, the direction in which the PCB material enters is determined, and the outwardly expanding opening 1171 is set in that direction. In some embodiments, station 112 is configured to perform both loading and unloading, in which case the outwardly expanding opening 1171 is provided in both directions.

[0058] Furthermore, station 112 is equipped with a floating spring sheet 118 capable of conforming to PCB materials, and a guide groove 117 is mounted on the spring sheet 118. Some PCB materials may undergo uneven deformation during processing. The spring sheet 118 itself has a certain degree of elasticity. After the PCB material is placed on the spring sheet 118, the spring sheet 118 can elastically deform and float to adapt to the shape of the PCB material, ensuring the proper fit and positioning of the PCB material with the guide groove 117. The guide groove 117 can be a structure formed by bending two tubes or sheet metal. Two guide grooves 117 are mounted side-by-side on the spring sheets 118 on both sides to accommodate the positioning and guidance of the unevenly deformed PCB material.

[0059] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, an automated production line 3 is also provided, including a printed circuit board processing equipment 2 and the above-mentioned loading and unloading device 1. The working process of the automated production line 3 is as follows: Unprocessed PCB materials are placed into the upper storage layer 111 of the material buffer mechanism 11 by manual labor or AGV trolleys on the conveyor belt 115 (i.e., the conveyor belt 115 with the movement direction of the first direction a) so that the conveyor belt 115 transports the unprocessed PCB materials to the buffer position (i.e., workstation 112) of the lower storage layer 111 for temporary storage of PCB materials. Then, the lifting mechanism 121 moves the lower storage layer 111's conveyor belt 115 (i.e., the conveyor belt 115 with the movement direction of the second direction b) to align with the worktable of the printed circuit board processing equipment 2, and outputs the processed PCB materials on the worktable to the buffer position of the lower storage layer 111 for temporary storage, completing the unloading. After the processed PCB materials are temporarily stored, the lifting mechanism 121 descends so that the upper conveyor belt 115 aligns with the worktable of the printed circuit board processing equipment 2 for loading operation. Then, the lifting mechanism 121 rises to the buffer position so that the printed circuit board processing equipment 2 can perform processing operation.

[0060] In this embodiment, the loading / unloading device 1 and the printed circuit board processing equipment 2 on the automated production line 3 cooperate to achieve automatic loading and unloading of the printed circuit board processing equipment 2. The loading / unloading device 1 and the printed circuit board processing equipment 2 operate independently. During processing, the workstation 112 of the loading / unloading device 1 and the printed circuit board processing equipment 2 are switched so that the workstation 112 is connected to the printed circuit board processing equipment 2, thereby achieving automatic loading and unloading. Combined with other equipment for automatically transferring PCB materials, such as feeding carts, conveyor belts, and robotic arms, it is beneficial to achieve unmanned and automated operation of the entire automated production line 3, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0061] In other embodiments, the automated production line 3 may also include multiple identical or different printed circuit board processing equipment, as well as automatic feeding carts, conveyor belts, robotic arms and other structures that transfer between multiple printed circuit board processing equipment, and cooperate with multiple loading and unloading devices 1 to realize automatic loading and unloading of each printed circuit board processing equipment, thereby realizing the full automation of the workshop and realizing the construction of an unmanned smart factory.

[0062] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A loading and unloading device, characterized in that, This includes material buffering and transfer mechanisms: The material buffer mechanism includes multiple storage layers, which are arranged in a stacked manner in the vertical direction. Each storage layer is provided with multiple workstations for storing materials, and each workstation can be adapted to multiple processing axes of the processing equipment. The material buffer mechanism is installed on the transfer mechanism, which is configured to drive the material buffer mechanism to move so that the workstations of each storage layer are connected to the processing equipment. The transfer mechanism includes a lifting mechanism, the output end of which is connected to the material buffer mechanism. The lifting mechanism is configured to enable each of the storage layers to dock with the processing equipment. Each of the storage layers includes a conveyor belt disposed at the workstation. The conveyor belt is used to move the material and is configured to switch between a first direction pointing towards the processing equipment and a second direction away from the processing equipment. The movement direction of the conveyor belt at each workstation is the same.

2. The loading and unloading device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The loading and unloading device also includes a fixed frame, which includes multiple wheels for easy pushing, and the transfer mechanism is mounted on the fixed frame.

3. The loading and unloading device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the storage layers also includes a lifting device disposed on the workstation, the lifting device being able to lift the material so that the material is removed from the conveyor belt.

4. The loading and unloading device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the storage layers also includes a feeding motor, the output shaft of which is connected to each of the workstations in the storage layer to drive the conveyor belt.

5. The loading and unloading device according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Each of the storage layers is provided with an openable baffle at the extreme position of the workstation, and the baffle is used to limit the material.

6. The loading and unloading device according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The material is provided with a positioning pin, and each of the storage layers is provided with a guide groove at the corresponding position of the work station for the positioning pin to be inserted and slid. One end of the guide groove is provided with an outwardly expanding opening.

7. The loading and unloading device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The workstation is equipped with a spring sheet that can float and conform to the material, and the guide groove is installed on the spring sheet.

8. An automated production line, comprising processing equipment, characterized in that, The automated production line also includes the loading and unloading device as described in any one of claims 1-7.

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