A horizontal line transmission device and its monitoring method

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of PCB technology and discloses a horizontal conveying device and its monitoring method. The horizontal conveying device includes: a clamping conveyor mechanism; a pull-rope displacement sensor disposed at a target monitoring position on the horizontal conveying path of the clamping conveyor mechanism; the pull-rope displacement sensor includes a sensor body and a pull rope, the tail end of the pull rope being fixed inside the sensor body, and the head end of the pull rope being stretched to the outside of the sensor body and fixed after being threaded onto at least one upper guide roller and at least one lower guide roller at the target monitoring position; a monitoring device, communicatively connected to the pull-rope displacement sensor, for acquiring the pull-rope displacement information collected by the sensor body and analyzing the product conveying status at the target monitoring position based on the pull-rope displacement information. This invention can identify abnormal situations at the target monitoring position based on the pull-rope displacement information, and has the advantages of high real-time performance, high accuracy, and wide applicability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of PCB (Printed Circuit Board) technology, and in particular to a horizontal line transmission device and its monitoring method. Background Technology

[0002] Current conventional PCB production equipment, such as horizontal pretreatment lines, horizontal copper plating lines, and horizontal electroplating lines, all use clamping conveyor mechanisms, which use upper and lower rollers to clamp and transport the PCBs that enter in sequence.

[0003] In the unloaded state, a certain gap is usually reserved between the upper and lower rollers. This gap is specially designed for PCBs with a thickness of less than a certain amount (such as 3.2mm). When the PCB is inserted into the gap between the upper and lower rollers, since the upper or lower roller is usually mounted on an elastic mechanism, the upper or lower roller will rise or fall as the PCB enters to make fine adjustments to adapt to the thickness of the PCB and press the PCB firmly.

[0004] However, if the PCB entering is too thick and the adjustable gap between the upper and lower rollers is too small, the PCB may not be able to be inserted into the gap between the upper and lower rollers, eventually leading to the scrapping of the PCB. When more than one PCB enters at the same time, exceeding the adjustable gap between the upper and lower rollers, it will also lead to the scrapping of the PCB. In addition, if the PCB is too thin, it is easy for the PCB to bend when passing through the horizontal line, which will lead to subsequent PCB jamming.

[0005] Therefore, infrared detection devices are typically installed along the product conveying path to monitor the product's progress on the horizontal production line and identify any jams. If the product is not detected within the theoretical transmission time, an alarm is triggered. However, this method has the following problems:

[0006] 1) There is a delay in sensing, and by the time personnel move to the site to confirm, a large amount of scrap has often been generated;

[0007] 2) Dust, medicine crystals and other impurities will inevitably block the infrared detector, resulting in more false alarms;

[0008] 3) The installation of infrared detectors requires reserved installation space on the underside or topside of the rollers, making space utilization difficult;

[0009] 4) Due to cleanliness requirements, the application environment of infrared detectors is limited. They cannot be installed in environments containing liquids (such as medicine) or high temperatures, which makes it impossible to detect the entire transport section of the product. It is necessary to add observation sections in key sections, which affects the overall length of the horizontal line. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The purpose of this invention is to provide a horizontal line transmission device and its monitoring method to overcome the various defects of traditional infrared detection methods.

[0011] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0012] A horizontal line transmission device, comprising:

[0013] A clamping conveying mechanism includes: multiple upper guide rollers arranged in parallel on the upper layer along the horizontal conveying direction; multiple lower guide rollers arranged in parallel on the lower layer along the horizontal conveying direction; multiple upper rollers disposed on each upper guide roller; and multiple lower rollers disposed on each lower guide roller; the upper rollers and lower rollers cooperate to clamp and convey products.

[0014] A pull-rope displacement sensor is installed at the target monitoring position on the horizontal conveying path of the clamping conveyor mechanism; the pull-rope displacement sensor includes a sensor body and a pull rope, the tail end of the pull rope is fixed inside the sensor body, the head end of the pull rope is stretched to the outside of the sensor body, and is fixed after being threaded onto at least one upper guide roller and at least one lower guide roller at the target monitoring position.

[0015] The monitoring device is connected in communication with the pull-rope displacement sensor to acquire the pull-rope displacement information collected by the sensor body, and to analyze the product conveying status at the target monitoring position based on the pull-rope displacement information.

[0016] Optionally, the pull-cord displacement sensor is threaded onto the upper guide roller and / or lower guide roller via a rolling element;

[0017] The rolling element includes an annular body, which is rotatably sleeved on the upper guide roller or the lower guide roller, and the outer circumference of the annular body is provided with a receiving groove for accommodating the pull rope.

[0018] Optionally, the annular body is rotatably sleeved at the end position of the upper guide roller or the lower guide roller.

[0019] Optionally, the number of the pull-rope displacement sensors is multiple, and they are set at different target monitoring positions on the horizontal conveying path.

[0020] Optionally, the head end of the pull rope is fixed to the product outlet side of the corresponding target monitoring position, and the sensor body is fixed to the product inlet side of the corresponding target monitoring position.

[0021] Optionally, the monitoring device, in analyzing the product conveying status at the target monitoring position based on the rope displacement signal, is specifically used for:

[0022] Based on the rope displacement information, estimate the current distance between the upper and lower guide rollers at the target monitoring position; by comparing the current distance with the preset standard distance range, determine whether a jamming phenomenon has occurred at the target monitoring position.

[0023] Optionally, the horizontal line transmission device may also include an alarm;

[0024] The monitoring device is also used to control the alarm to sound when it is determined that a jamming phenomenon has occurred at the target monitoring location.

[0025] A method for monitoring a horizontal transmission device as described in any of the above claims, comprising:

[0026] During the process of clamping and conveying products, the displacement information of the pull rope collected by the sensor body is obtained in real time;

[0027] Based on the displacement information of the pull rope, analyze the product conveying situation at the target monitoring location.

[0028] Optionally, the step of analyzing the product conveying status at the target monitoring location based on the rope displacement information includes:

[0029] Based on the rope displacement information, estimate the current distance between the upper and lower guide rollers at the target monitoring position; by comparing the current distance with the preset standard distance range, determine whether a jamming phenomenon has occurred at the target monitoring position.

[0030] Optionally, the monitoring method further includes: issuing an alarm when it is determined that a jamming phenomenon has occurred at the target monitoring location.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0032] This invention utilizes a pull-cord displacement sensor. Both the sensor body and the end of the pull cord are fixed to a target monitoring position within the horizontal conveying path provided by a clamping conveyor mechanism. The pull cord is threaded onto the upper and lower guide rollers at this target monitoring position. In abnormal board feeding conditions (e.g., multiple PCBs are placed simultaneously, or the thickness of a single PCB exceeds requirements), the current gap between the upper and lower guide rollers will exceed the standard range due to the support of the excessively thick PCB, causing the pull cord threaded onto the upper and lower guide rollers to stretch. Therefore, this invention can identify abnormalities at the target monitoring position based on the pull cord displacement information, offering advantages such as high real-time performance, high accuracy, and wide applicability. Attached Figure Description

[0033] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, 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.

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a horizontal line transmission device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rolling element provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure label:

[0037] Upper guide roller 1, lower guide roller 2, upper roller 3, lower roller 4, pull rope type displacement sensor 5, sensor body 51, pull rope 52, rolling element 6, annular body 61, receiving groove 62. Detailed Implementation

[0038] To make the objectives, features, and advantages of this invention more apparent and understandable, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described below are only some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0039] Please see Figure 1 This invention provides a horizontal line transmission device, comprising:

[0040] The clamping conveying mechanism includes: multiple upper guide rollers 1 arranged in parallel on the upper layer along the horizontal conveying direction; multiple lower guide rollers 2 arranged in parallel on the lower layer along the horizontal conveying direction; multiple upper rollers 3 disposed on each upper guide roller 1; and multiple lower rollers 4 disposed on each lower guide roller 2; the upper rollers 3 and lower rollers 4 cooperate to clamp and convey products.

[0041] A pull-rope type displacement sensor 5 is installed at the target monitoring position on the horizontal conveying path of the clamping conveyor mechanism; the pull-rope type displacement sensor 5 includes a sensor body 51 and a pull rope 52, the tail end of the pull rope 52 is fixed inside the sensor body 51, the head end of the pull rope 52 is stretched to the outside of the sensor body 51, and is fixed after being threaded onto at least one upper guide roller 1 and at least one lower guide roller 2 at the target monitoring position.

[0042] The monitoring device is connected in communication with the pull-rope displacement sensor 5 to acquire the pull-rope displacement information collected by the sensor body 51, and to analyze the product conveying status at the target monitoring position based on the pull-rope displacement information.

[0043] Among them, the drawstring displacement sensor 5 fully combines the advantages of angle sensors and linear displacement sensors. It is a sensor with small installation size, compact structure, large measurement stroke, and high accuracy, with a stroke ranging from hundreds of millimeters to tens of meters.

[0044] In conventional applications, the pull-string displacement sensor 5 is installed in a fixed position, with the pull-string 52 attached to a movable object. As the object moves, the pull-string 52 extends or retracts along with it, and the spring inside the sensor ensures that the tension of the pull-string 52 remains constant during both extension and retraction. Simultaneously, a threaded hub inside the sensor drives a precision rotary sensor to rotate, outputting an electrical signal proportional to the distance the pull-string 52 has moved. Based on this electrical signal, the displacement, direction, or speed of the moving object can be calculated.

[0045] Based on this, the present invention utilizes the pull-rope displacement sensor 5, fixing both the sensor body 51 and the head end of the pull rope 52 to a target monitoring position in the horizontal conveying path provided by the clamping conveying mechanism, and simultaneously threading the pull rope 52 onto the upper guide roller 1 and the lower guide roller 2 at the target monitoring position.

[0046] In the non-board feeding state and in the normal board feeding state (meaning that the thickness of the PCB entering is within the required range of the clamping conveyor), the current gap between the upper guide roller 1 and the lower guide roller 2 will be kept within the normal reasonable gap range, and the stretching length of the pull rope 52 threaded on the upper guide roller 1 and the lower guide roller 2 will be kept within the normal length range accordingly.

[0047] In abnormal board feeding conditions (e.g., multiple PCBs are placed simultaneously, or the thickness of a single PCB exceeds the requirement), the current gap between the upper guide roller 1 and the lower guide roller 2 will exceed the standard range due to the support of the excessively thick PCB, thereby increasing the stretch length of the pull rope 52 threaded on the upper guide roller 1 and the lower guide roller 2. Therefore, in this embodiment of the invention, the product conveying status at the target monitoring position can be analyzed based on the pull rope displacement information.

[0048] Compared with traditional infrared detection methods, the drawstring displacement sensor 5 of this invention has the following advantages:

[0049] 1) High real-time performance: When abnormal situations such as jamming occur, the displacement of the pull rope 52 will be immediately triggered. The monitoring device can quickly identify the abnormality based on the displacement of the pull rope 52, which will help the staff to handle the abnormality in a timely manner.

[0050] 2) High accuracy: Not only is the sensitivity of the pull rope displacement sensor 5 high, but the alternating threading of the pull rope 52 on multiple upper guide rollers 1 and multiple lower guide rollers 2 will transform the linear displacement of the upper guide roller 1 into the curved displacement of the pull rope 52, which is equivalent to amplifying the detectable displacement and making it easier to identify accurately.

[0051] 3) Wide range of applications: When in use, simply assemble the pull rope 52 onto the upper guide roller 1 and the lower guide roller 2. The pull rope 52 does not have high requirements for the cleanliness of the environment and can be widely used in various dry, wet, high and low temperature environments. Of course, in actual applications, existing wires that meet the requirements of the current application environment can be selected to avoid damage to the pull rope 52 or adverse effects on PCB processing.

[0052] For example, after pattern exposure, PCBs require a developing line to complete image development, which removes any uncured photosensitive ink from the board surface. A PCB developing line typically includes a developing section before and after the developing section, and a post-washing section. The washing section cleans the PCB after the developing section. To prevent corrosion of the pull cord 52 by the developing solution when passing through the developing line, corrosion-resistant wire can be used.

[0053] It should be noted that the target monitoring location can be a section of the horizontal conveying path, whether long or short, or the entire section of the horizontal conveying path; this embodiment of the invention does not impose a specific limitation on this. In application, it is only necessary to arrange the pull rope 52 of the corresponding stretching length according to the length of the section covered by the target monitoring location.

[0054] When the road segment covered by the target monitoring location reaches a certain length, in order to further improve the real-time performance and sensitivity of the detection, the head end of the pull rope 52 can be fixed to the product outlet side of the corresponding target monitoring location, and the sensor body 51 can be fixed to the product inlet side of the corresponding target monitoring location. In this way, the pull rope 52 can be quickly triggered to extend at the initial moment of the anomaly, which is conducive to the rapid identification of the anomaly.

[0055] In order to identify not only abnormalities in the conveying process but also the specific location of the abnormality, multiple different target monitoring positions can be defined in the horizontal conveying path. A pull-rope displacement sensor 5 can be installed at each of these target monitoring positions. When the signal of some of the pull-rope displacement sensors 5 is abnormal, it can be considered that the target monitoring position corresponding to these pull-rope displacement sensors 5 has an abnormality. In this way, the staff can quickly reach the location of the abnormality to deal with it.

[0056] Furthermore, the pull-cord displacement sensor 5 can be specifically attached to the upper guide roller 1 and / or the lower guide roller 2 via a rolling element 6. Since the rolling element 6 can rotate relative to the upper guide roller 1 / lower guide roller 2, the pull cord 52 can smoothly extend or retract following the movement of the upper guide roller 1 / lower guide roller 2. For example, as... Figure 2 As shown, the rolling element 6 includes an annular body 61, which is rotatably sleeved on the upper guide roller 1 or the lower guide roller 2, and the outer circumference of the annular body 61 is provided with a receiving groove 62 for receiving the pull rope 52.

[0057] To facilitate assembly and reduce assembly space, the annular body 61 of the rolling element 6 can be rotated and fitted onto the end position of the upper guide roller 1 or the lower guide roller 2.

[0058] Based on the aforementioned horizontal line transmission device, this embodiment of the invention also provides a monitoring method, including:

[0059] S1. During the process of clamping and conveying products, the monitoring device acquires the rope displacement information collected by the sensor body 51 in real time.

[0060] S2. The monitoring device analyzes the product conveying status at the target monitoring position based on the rope displacement information.

[0061] In step S2 above, the method for analyzing the product conveying status at the target monitoring position based on the pull rope displacement information may specifically include: estimating the current distance between the upper guide roller 1 and the lower guide roller 2 at the target monitoring position based on the pull rope displacement information; determining whether a jamming phenomenon occurs at the target monitoring position by comparing the current distance with a preset standard distance range; and issuing an alarm when a jamming phenomenon is determined to occur at the target monitoring position.

[0062] In summary, the embodiments of the present invention can easily, quickly and accurately identify abnormal phenomena such as jamming at the target monitoring position based on the displacement information of the pull rope.

[0063] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A horizontal line transmission device, characterized in that, include: The clamping conveying mechanism includes: multiple upper guide rollers (1) arranged in parallel on the upper layer along the horizontal conveying direction, multiple lower guide rollers (2) arranged in parallel on the lower layer along the horizontal conveying direction, multiple upper rollers (3) disposed on each upper guide roller (1), and multiple lower rollers (4) disposed on each lower guide roller (2); the upper rollers (3) and lower rollers (4) cooperate to clamp and convey products; A pull-rope displacement sensor (5) is installed at the target monitoring position on the horizontal conveying path of the clamping conveyor mechanism; the pull-rope displacement sensor (5) includes a sensor body (51) and a pull rope (52). The tail end of the pull rope (52) is fixed inside the sensor body (51), and the head end of the pull rope (52) is stretched to the outside of the sensor body (51) and fixed after being threaded onto at least one upper guide roller (1) and at least one lower guide roller (2) at the target monitoring position; The monitoring device is connected in communication with the pull-rope displacement sensor (5) to obtain the pull-rope displacement information collected by the sensor body (51) and analyze the product conveying status at the target monitoring position based on the pull-rope displacement information. The pull-rope displacement sensor (5) is threaded onto the upper guide roller (1) and the lower guide roller (2) via a rolling element (6); The rolling element (6) includes an annular body (61), which is rotatably sleeved on the upper guide roller (1) and the lower guide roller (2), and the outer circumference of the annular body (61) is provided with a receiving groove (62) for receiving the pull rope (52). The annular body (61) is rotatably sleeved at the end positions of the upper guide roller (1) and the lower guide roller (2); The monitoring device, in analyzing the product conveying status at the target monitoring position based on the displacement signal of the pull rope (52), is specifically used for: Based on the rope displacement information, estimate the current distance between the upper guide roller (1) and the lower guide roller (2) at the target monitoring position; by comparing the current distance with the preset standard distance range, determine whether there is a jamming phenomenon at the target monitoring position.

2. The horizontal line transmission device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the pull-rope displacement sensors (5) is multiple, and they are set at different target monitoring positions on the horizontal conveying path.

3. The horizontal line transmission device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The head end of the pull rope (52) is fixed to the product outlet side of the corresponding target monitoring position, and the sensor body (51) is fixed to the product inlet side of the corresponding target monitoring position.

4. The horizontal line transmission device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The horizontal line transmission device also includes an alarm; The monitoring device is also used to control the alarm to sound when it is determined that a jamming phenomenon has occurred at the target monitoring location.

5. A monitoring method for a horizontal transmission device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The monitoring method includes: During the process of clamping and conveying products, the displacement information of the pull rope collected by the sensor body (51) is acquired in real time; Based on the displacement information of the pull rope, analyze the product conveying situation at the target monitoring location.

6. The monitoring method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of analyzing the product conveying status at the target monitoring location based on the rope displacement information includes: Based on the rope displacement information, estimate the current distance between the upper guide roller (1) and the lower guide roller (2) at the target monitoring position; by comparing the current distance with the preset standard distance range, determine whether there is a jamming phenomenon at the target monitoring position.

7. The monitoring method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The monitoring method also includes: issuing an alarm when it is determined that a jamming phenomenon has occurred at the target monitoring location.

Images