Automatic quartz wafer stacking machine with automatic clamping assembly function

Abstract

This invention discloses an automatic quartz wafer stacking machine with automatic fixture assembly function, solving the technical problem of low efficiency caused by the need for manual intervention in the assembly of fixtures during the stacking of quartz wafers. The core innovation of this invention lies in the design of a novel material handling mechanism, which includes a power-driven carrier body, a dragging component for gripping the fixture, an eccentric positioning wheel for changing the position of the fixture on the carrier body, and a station guide plate that works with the positioning wheel for precise positioning. During operation, the dragging component grips the fixture stored in the magazine unit, the positioning wheel changes the position of the fixture on the carrier body, and then the fixture is brought to the designated station guide plate for precise positioning, completing the automatic assembly. The entire automatic stacking machine system also includes a frame, worktable, transfer mechanism, feeding and receiving tray mechanism, and screening mechanism. Compared to manual assembly, this automated assembly process improves work efficiency and production capacity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical fields of semiconductor equipment, automated machinery, and precision positioning systems. In particular, it relates to an automatic quartz wafer stacking machine with automatic fixture assembly function, which addresses the problem of manual assembly of fixtures in existing quartz wafer cleaning and coating processes. The machine utilizes a series of mechanisms, such as linear transport components and eccentric positioning wheels, to achieve automated fixture picking and precise positioning. Background Technology

[0002] The production of quartz crystal resonators requires strict environmental control, specifically controlling factors such as temperature, cleanliness, vibration, static electricity, magnetic field, and humidity.

[0003] A key factor influencing environmental factors is the number and activity of people in the environment. Too many people entering and leaving the area increases disturbances in temperature, humidity, and dust particles. Simultaneously, the human body generates static electricity and weak magnetic fields, all of which affect the frequency accuracy of quartz crystal resonators. In fact, the number of personnel in different production stages can be optimized. For example, fewer personnel can be used in crystal preparation and packaging, while testing and debugging may require more specialized technicians to ensure product quality.

[0004] After several upgrades to industry technology, some processes have introduced automated production lines and robots, significantly reducing the number of workers. However, some processes still require considerable manual intervention, such as the operations before and after wafer cleaning. These operations mainly involve assembling fixtures before wafer stacking, retrieving fixtures after stacking, inspecting and correcting the wafer positions within the fixtures, and securing the wafers. For a more detailed understanding, it's necessary to first understand the following related components:

[0005] The first component is a fixture 01 used to hold wafers for cleaning and coating. This fixture, after several upgrades, is a universal fixture that can be used for both cleaning and coating. Its operation method is described in detail in a quartz wafer cleaning method disclosed in invention patent application publication number CN109647785A. The specific structure of the universal fixture is described in detail in another patent document (invention patent application publication number CN112547667A: A wafer fixture and its cleaning method), see appendix. Figure 1-2The fixture 01 is composed of an upper cover plate 1, an upper mask plate 2, a positioning piece 3, a skeleton 4, a lower mask plate 5, and a lower cover plate 6 stacked sequentially. Magnets (not shown) are typically placed at appropriate positions on the skeleton 4 and the positioning piece. The layers attract each other through the magnets. Multiple sets of through-holes (not shown) are evenly arranged on the skeleton 4. The wafers are placed in the through-holes of the skeleton 4 and positioned by the positioning piece 3. The symmetrical upper and lower mask plates 2 and 5 then clamp and fix the wafers. The other side of the upper mask plate 2 is fixedly connected to the upper cover plate 1, and the other side of the lower mask plate 5 is fixedly connected to the lower cover plate 6. Finally, the upper cover plate 1 and the lower cover plate 6 clamp the mask plates, achieving reliable overall fixation of the wafers. The overall structure can be referenced in the appendix. Figure 1-5 .

[0006] The second component is the guide plate 02, which is described in detail in the authorization announcement number CN205488062U, "A Mold Mechanism for a Chip Setter". This guide plate 02 has guide holes 021 that mate with the mold holes of the skeleton 4. The shape of the guide holes is the same as that of the mold holes, but the inner diameter of the guide holes is larger than that of the mold holes. The function of the guide plate is to allow the wafers to fall into the mold holes along the guide holes during chip setter operation. This can amplify the operation error of the chip setter to a certain extent, which is beneficial to the operation of the chip setter.

[0007] The third component is the wafer clamp base 03, which is described in detail in authorization announcement number CN219575608U, a wafer clamp base. It is made of a magnetically attractive material, such as iron, and its main function is to support the wafer clamp. (See attached document.) Figure 3 The wafer clamp base 03 is a plate structure, and its shape is basically designed to be rectangular. In the middle, there is a base recess 031 with the same shape as the wafer clamp but slightly smaller in size. The base recess 031 has one or more through holes. The base recess 031 is usually also equipped with limit pins 032 and through holes 033 with a diameter larger than a finger around its perimeter. These through holes 033 are used by the operator to press the wafer clamp with their fingers when holding it, so as to facilitate the operation of the clamp.

[0008] The fourth component is the magazine unit, which belongs to the wafer stacking machine. It is designed to be fixed, or sometimes designed to be independently removable. It is used to place wafer jigs and wafer jig bases in layers, and to realize the automatic layering of wafer jigs and bases under the action of other mechanisms. The independently removable magazine unit can facilitate the operator to manually arrange the wafer jigs and bases.

[0009] Before wafer cleaning, the operator needs to remove the magazine unit from the wafer setter. Then, the positioning plate 3, skeleton 4, lower mask plate 5, and lower cover plate 6 in the fixture 01 are stacked in sequence. The guide plate 02 is then placed in the wafer fixture base 03 after being attached to the positioning plate 3, and its range of motion is restricted by the limiting pin 032. The magnet in the fixture attracts the wafer fixture base 03 when they are attached to form an empty fixture assembly 04 that facilitates wafer setter operation. The assembled empty fixture assembly 04 is then pushed into the magazine unit layer by layer. The filled magazine unit is then placed back into the wafer setter. The wafer setter picks up the empty fixture assembly 04 in sequence, completes the wafer setter operation, and then puts it back. The operator then takes out the empty fixture assembly 04 that is filled with wafers. Extra care must be taken when taking it out. It should be kept as horizontal as possible because the position of the wafer in the skeleton has not yet been clamped and fixed by the upper mask plate 2. If the tilt angle is too large, the wafer in the positioning hole will fall off. Next, the operator uses one finger to push the fixture through the through-hole 033 from the bottom, ensuring its edge is close to the limiting pin 032 on one side. Simultaneously, the other hand applies upward force from the edge of the fixture 01 to slowly peel off the guide plate 02. This process needs to be as gentle as possible, but even so, some wafers may inevitably detach from the die hole due to operational errors. Even with great care, some wafers may detach partially or completely from the die hole due to improper peeling operations, such as excessive tilting or peeling too quickly. In this case, the operator needs to manually reposition them using a suction pen. Clearly, this step is time-consuming and requires considerable visual and mental effort. After repositioning, the operator then assembles the upper mask plate 2, upper cover plate 1, and the other layers in the fixture 01. Only then can the fixture 01 carry the wafer for cleaning and coating processes.

[0010] In summary, existing manual operation processes are complex and cumbersome, not only inefficient but also requiring a large number of operators, which increases labor costs and significantly disrupts the cleanroom environment. Furthermore, frequent manual operations can easily lead to wafer displacement or detachment, increasing the risk of wafer damage. To reduce human error rates, improve efficiency, and minimize environmental disturbances, it is necessary to develop a more reliable and convenient automated wafer stacking and clamping device. Summary of the Invention

[0011] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a method that utilizes a linear transport component and an eccentric positioning wheel mechanism in the material handling mechanism of an automatic quartz wafer stacking machine. This method achieves automated and precise handling and positioning of the fixture from the storage position to the assembly position, solving the technical problem of low fixture assembly efficiency in existing equipment and greatly improving the degree of automation and work efficiency.

[0012] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution: an automatic quartz wafer stacking machine with automatic clamping assembly function, comprising:

[0013] frame;

[0014] A worktable is mounted on the frame;

[0015] At least one set of transfer mechanisms symmetrically arranged on both sides of the workbench, a feeding and receiving tray mechanism cooperating with the transfer mechanisms, a picking and dispensing mechanism cooperating with the feeding and receiving tray mechanism, a screening mechanism, a visual recognition mechanism, and a defective product recycling mechanism cooperating with the picking and dispensing mechanism;

[0016] The material handling mechanism is characterized in that it includes a linear conveying component, which comprises:

[0017] The power source is installed on the workbench;

[0018] A transport body fixed to the power source actuator, the transport body being provided with a towing component for extracting the clamp;

[0019] A reference platform is set on both sides of the transport body, and the reference platform is equipped with eccentric positioning wheels for positioning fixtures;

[0020] The workstation guide plate is hinged to the reference platform via a connecting rod, and the workstation guide plate is provided with positioning holes that cooperate with the eccentric positioning wheel;

[0021] The rotation of the eccentric positioning wheel changes the relative position of the clamp on the carrier body, thereby achieving the positioning of the clamp; the station guide plate cooperates with the eccentric positioning wheel through the positioning hole to achieve precise alignment with the positioned clamp.

[0022] Preferably, the automatic film sorting machine includes a pick-and-place station, a film sorting station, and an assembly station located between the two; the pick-and-place station includes a magazine unit. The beneficial effect is that it further clarifies that this technical solution needs to be applied to automated production environments with multiple stations, identifies the application environment and scenarios, and provides support for the practical application of the technical solution.

[0023] As a preferred option, it also includes:

[0024] A sheet separation mechanism is used to remove sheet metal in layers;

[0025] An adsorption assembly mechanism is used to pick up the sheet material removed by the sheet-separating mechanism and transfer it to the fixture for assembly. This expands the application scope of this technical solution in automatic fixture assembly, and improves the level of automation and application areas.

[0026] Preferably, when the transport body arrives at the pick-and-place station, the towing component inserts into the magazine unit to abut against the outer edge of the clamp, and drags the clamp away from the magazine unit. This preferred solution clarifies the specific working method of the towing component, making the design of the motion unit more reasonable and complete. It refines the clamp extraction steps, facilitating understanding and implementation of the automated process. It enhances the operability and applicability of the automatic pick-and-place mechanism. It enriches the content of the technical solution, making the entire automatic assembly process description more comprehensive and systematic.

[0027] Preferably, the carrier body has a cuboid structure with a recessed area containing multiple through holes. The towing component is located along the edge of the carrier body in its traveling direction, near the magazine unit. The holes in the recess are used to draw in and fix the clamp. This structural limitation enhances the operability and reliability of the structure in practical applications.

[0028] Preferably, the towing component has a raised structure. Limiting the shape of the towing component makes its movement and positioning more accurate and controllable, thus improving its practicality.

[0029] Preferably, the eccentric positioning wheel includes: a spindle, an eccentric wheel body sleeved on the spindle, a gear fixed to one end of the spindle, and a tapered guide cap fixed to the other end of the spindle. A detailed description of the structure of the eccentric positioning wheel clarifies the working principle of this core component, which is beneficial for improving the stability and positioning accuracy of the mechanism.

[0030] Preferably, the system also includes a power and transmission mechanism, which comprises: a rack meshing with the gear, a positioning cylinder for driving the rack to move, and an elastic component disposed at one end of the rack. The addition of the power and transmission mechanism makes the driving of the eccentric positioning wheel more controllable and improves positioning accuracy.

[0031] Preferably, the system also includes an auxiliary extraction mechanism, which comprises: a mechanism propulsion cylinder, a clamping component mounting base fixed to one end of the mechanism propulsion cylinder, a clamping cylinder fixed to the clamping component mounting base, and an actuator connected to the clamping cylinder. This description of the auxiliary extraction mechanism expands the application scope of the technical solution.

[0032] Preferably, the workstation guide plate has force-receiving parts on both sides, and a lifting cylinder is provided on the outer side of the reference platform to drive the workstation guide plate to move up and down. Limiting the drive of the workstation guide plate helps to optimize the transmission effect and improve the smoothness of the operation.

[0033] Preferably, the eccentric positioning wheel can rotate around the spindle. When the eccentric positioning wheel rotates, the offset between the center line of the eccentric part of the wheel and the center line of the spindle changes, thereby changing the left and right position of the clamp on the carrier body. This clarifies the positioning principle and increases the understandability and completeness of this technical solution.

[0034] Preferably, the rotation process of the eccentric positioning wheel is as follows: after the fixture reaches the assembly station, the eccentric positioning wheel rotates in the opposite direction, causing the fixture to have a displacement towards the side of the dragging component before it is fully clamped; after assembly, the eccentric positioning wheel rotates forward to reset, restoring the gap with the fixture. This detailed description of the positioning process enriches the technical content and facilitates implementation.

[0035] In summary, the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0036] The purpose of this invention is to solve the technical problem in existing quartz wafer assemblies where fixture assembly requires a large amount of manual labor, resulting in low efficiency and significant environmental disturbance. To achieve automated fixture assembly, this invention proposes a complete automated wafer stacking system that includes modules such as a frame, worktable, transfer mechanism, material handling mechanism, and transport mechanism.

[0037] The core innovation of this solution lies in the design of a novel material handling mechanism. This mechanism includes a power-driven transport body, a gripping fixture dragging component, an eccentric positioning wheel for changing the fixture's position, and a station guide plate that works in conjunction with the positioning wheel for precise positioning. This new mechanism enables automated gripping, transportation, and precise positioning of the fixture from its storage location to its assembly location.

[0038] This automated workflow significantly reduces the number of operators and lowers labor intensity; it avoids environmental disturbance caused by frequent entry and exit, ensuring environmental stability; it eliminates the risk of human error, reducing wafer displacement and detachment, and lowering the damage rate; it improves work efficiency and enables continuous and rapid production. Furthermore, this invention has promising prospects for widespread application and is beneficial for the automation and intelligent upgrading of equipment.

[0039] In summary, this invention achieves automated assembly of fixtures through a novel transportation and positioning mechanism, solving the problem of low efficiency in existing technologies and enabling quartz wafer devices to develop towards continuous and intelligent manufacturing, which is of great significance. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the fixture's structure;

[0041] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The enlarged view at point A shows a schematic diagram of the various component layers of the fixture assembled together;

[0042] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the guide plate structure;

[0043] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wafer clamp base;

[0044] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure after the guide plate and some fixtures are installed onto the wafer fixture base.

[0045] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention after the isolation chamber 30 has been removed;

[0047] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the transport vehicle; some parts of the structure have been removed.

[0048] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure for cooperating between the receiving tray mechanism and the material handling mechanism;

[0049] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the structure for the magazine unit to work in conjunction with the linear transport assembly;

[0050] Figure 11 A diagram showing the state after the extraction mechanism is separated from the magazine unit and the station guide plate is installed;

[0051] Figure 12 for Figure 10 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle;

[0052] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the combination of the reference platform and the eccentric positioning wheel.

[0053] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of the power and transmission mechanism exploded from the reference platform;

[0054] Figure 15 for Figure 14 A magnified view of a section at point D;

[0055] Figure 16 for Figure 11 A magnified view of a section at point C;

[0056] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the sheet distribution mechanism.

[0057] The diagram shows: 1. Upper cover plate; 2. Upper mask plate; 3. Positioning piece; 4. Skeleton; 5. Lower mask plate; 6. Lower cover plate; 7. Fixture 01; 8. Guide plate; 9. Guide hole; 10. Wafer fixture base; 11. Base recess; 12. Limiting pin; 13. Through hole; 14. Empty fixture assembly; 15. Elastic roller; 16. Long hole; 17. Connecting rod; 18. Frame; 29. ​​Workbench; 20. Isolation chamber; 30. Transfer mechanism; 40. Screening mechanism; 50. Station guide plate; 60. Feeding and receiving tray mechanism; 100. Automatic lifting unit; 110. Magazine unit; 120. Picking and unloading mechanism; 200. Linear transport assembly; 210. Transport body; 211. Recess. 212. Trailer component; 213. Power source; 214. Assembly station; 300. Reference platform; 41. Eccentric positioning wheel; 42. Power and transmission mechanism; 43. Spindle; 421. Eccentric wheel body; 422. Gear; 423. Guide cap; 424. Rack; 431. Positioning cylinder; 432. Elastic component; 433. Force-bearing part; 61. Lifting cylinder; 62. Positioning hole; 63. Auxiliary extraction mechanism; 70. Mechanism propulsion cylinder; 71. Clamping component mounting seat; 72. Clamping cylinder; 73. Actuator; 74. Guide rail assembly; 75. Layer separation mechanism; 90. Adsorption assembly mechanism; 91. Base plate; 902. Push plate; 903. Actuator cylinder; 904. Detailed Implementation

[0058] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to all the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0059] Example 1

[0060] This technical solution proposes an automatic wafer stacking machine with automatic fixture assembly function, referring to... Figure 6 For ease of explanation, a coordinate system is defined: the Z-axis represents the direction of gravity, and the X and Y axes define two directions on the horizontal plane; the three axes are orthogonal. In the following explanation, the direction parallel to the Y-axis will also be referred to as the "depth direction Y," and the direction parallel to the Z-axis will be referred to as the "vertical direction Z."

[0061] It includes the frame 10, worktable 20, isolation chamber 30 surrounding the worktable 20 to form an independent space, at least one set of transfer mechanisms 40 arranged symmetrically on the left and right (X-axis), a feeding and receiving tray mechanism 100 that cooperates with the transfer mechanisms, a picking and placing mechanism 200 that cooperates with the feeding and receiving tray mechanism 100, a screening mechanism 50 that cooperates with the picking and placing mechanism 200, a lower CCD vision recognition mechanism (not shown in the figure), an upper CCD vision positioning mechanism (not shown in the figure), and a defective product recycling mechanism (not shown in the figure). Among them, the feeding and receiving tray mechanism 100 includes an automatic lifting unit 110, a magazine unit 120, and a tray inspection unit (not shown in the figure).

[0062] The material handling mechanism 200 includes a linear transport assembly 210, which includes a power source 214 mounted on the worktable 20 and a transport body 211 fixed to the actuating component of the power source 214. The transport body 211 can be made of any material and has a cavity within it. The overall shape of the transport body 211 is cuboid, with one or two spaced-apart recesses 212 on its upward-facing surface. Each recess 212 has multiple holes or channels communicating with the cavity and an interface located at one end of the transport body 211 connecting to the cavity. This interface is used to connect an air source to create negative pressure in the cavity. The recesses 212 are used in conjunction with clamps; that is, with two recesses 212 in the transport body 211, two clamps can be placed simultaneously. This doubles the continuous working time for sheet arrangement compared to placing only one clamp, thus reducing the operator's time.

[0063] It is known that during the stroke of the material handling mechanism 200, near The transfer mechanism 40 is on one side. The sheet arrangement station is located near the feeding and receiving tray mechanism 100. The pick-up and put-out station (picking up and putting out refer to taking out the empty fixture from the magazine unit 120 and putting the loaded fixture back into the magazine unit 120, respectively) is also located near the feeding and receiving tray mechanism 100.

[0064] One of the main improvements in this technical solution is that a station guide plate 60 is set up at the film arrangement station. Its function is to replace the original guide plate 02, saving the labor cost of manually installing and disassembling the guide plate and the manufacturing cost of the guide plate.

[0065] The second major improvement of this technical solution is that an assembly station 300 is added between the pick-and-place station and the wafer arrangement station. It provides a way to replace the manual work of peeling off the guide plate and installing the mask plate 2 and the top cover plate 1. The reason for setting the assembly station 300 in this position is that this position not only has operating space, but more importantly, the fixture 01 is still on the carrier body 211. The carrier body 211 provides negative pressure from below, which allows the wafer to be in a stable state.

[0066] To replace the aforementioned manual assembly, this technical solution includes a towing component 213 in the carrier body 211 for extracting the clamp 01 from the magazine unit 120. This component is protruding from the edge of the recess 212 facing the feed tray mechanism 100, and preferably arranged in pairs. During operation, it requires an automatic lifting unit 110 to raise and lower the magazine unit 120 to facilitate the extraction of the clamp 01. Specifically, the automatic lifting unit 110 first adjusts the magazine unit 120 to the corresponding clamp 01. At a height higher than the highest point of the towing component 213, the power source 214 starts to send the carrier body 211 into the magazine unit 120, and the position of the towing component 213 extends beyond the outer edge of the clamp 01 to be extracted. Then, the automatic lifting unit 110 lowers the magazine unit 120 until it is placed flat on the upper surface of the carrier body 211. At this time, all the holes of the clamp should be covered by the recess 212. Finally, the power source 214 starts to reverse, and the towing component 213 is pulled up after contacting the outer edge of the clamp 01 until it is moved to the stacking station.

[0067] The extraction of clamp 01 described above requires coordination with the automatic lifting unit 110, which is relatively cumbersome. Therefore, this embodiment also provides a solution that does not require the assistance of the automatic lifting unit 110. This requires some improvements to the towing component 213 and the magazine unit 120. Specifically, the towing component 213 is designed to flip to be parallel to or lower than the upper plane of the carrier body 211 when it is in contact with the clamp. In this way, when extracting the clamp, the height of the upper plane of the carrier body 211 only needs to be adjusted to be the same as or slightly lower than the bottom surface of the clamp being extracted. The towing component 213 can then flip and pass along the bottom surface of the clamp, and reset by setting a spring or its own weight when it has completely exceeded the clamp, thereby directly extracting the clamp without the need for the lifting coordination of the automatic lifting unit 110. The ability of the towing component 213 to flip is common in the prior art, see reference. Figure 8 This is readily apparent to those skilled in the art, therefore, there are no restrictions on the specific structure, nor is it elaborated upon here.

[0068] To improve the stability of extraction, the degree of freedom of the clamp also needs to be considered. If the clamp has a large degree of freedom in the magazine unit 120 (which is the general case in the prior art), the contact of the dragging component 213 will cause the clamp to shift, which is detrimental to the extraction of the clamp. Therefore, a rotatable elastic roller 05 with damping rotation is installed at the position where the clamp is placed on each layer on both sides of the magazine unit 120. When the clamp is pushed into the magazine unit 120 to a certain depth, it is clamped by the elastic rollers 05 on both sides. It is necessary to increase the pushing force to pass through the magazine unit 120. In this way, the contact between the dragging component 213 and the clamp will not cause the clamp to move, thereby improving the stability of extraction. In addition, the material of the working surface of the elastic roller 05 is preferably elastic rubber.

[0069] Since the thickness of wafers is extremely thin, usually measured in micrometers, if the station guide plate 60 is fixed, when the carrier body 211 carries the fixture to the wafer stacking station, that is, below the station guide plate, there will inevitably be a certain gap or slit between the bottom surface of the station guide plate and the upper surface of the fixture. This may cause the wafer to be introduced into the slit during the guiding process, which is obviously not allowed.

[0070] Therefore, after the fixture arrives at the wafer stacking station, the station guide plate needs to be designed to fit seamlessly with it. Simultaneously, it's crucial to ensure the fixture's position is fixed. Previously, the fixture was pre-fixed in the wafer clamping base 03, and the corresponding positioning mechanism in the wafer stacking machine then positioned the wafer clamping base 03. Thus, it's necessary to achieve two aspects: firstly, ensuring stable positioning of the fixture to guarantee correct hole placement after fitting with the station guide plate; and secondly, ensuring proper fit between the station guide plate and the fixture. Specific design considerations include:

[0071] 1. A horizontal reference platform 41 is set on each side of the transport body 211 located at the film arrangement station. The length of the two reference platforms is basically the same as that of the transport body 211, and there is a cavity in the length direction inside. The distance between the two reference platforms is slightly greater than the width of the transport body 211 so that the transport body can enter and exit.

[0072] 2. Eccentric positioning wheels 42 are rotatably mounted on the upper plane of the two reference platforms 41, on the edge of the platform facing the transport body 211. The number and spacing of the eccentric wheels on both sides are the same, and the initial angles of the eccentric wheels are also the same. The overall structure of the eccentric positioning wheels 42 is as follows: Figure 14 It includes a spindle 421, an eccentric wheel body 422 that is fixedly sleeved with or integrally formed with the spindle 421 in the middle section, a gear 423 fixedly installed at the lower end of the spindle 421, and a tapered guide cap 424 fixedly installed at the upper end of the spindle 421. It should be noted that all gears 423 on the same side are located in the cavity and on the same straight line, and the distance between the eccentric wheels on both sides should meet the requirements for adjusting the tightness of the clamp.

[0073] 3. The power and transmission mechanism 43 that drives the eccentric positioning wheel 42 to rotate includes a rack 431 that meshes with the gear 423, a positioning cylinder 432 located at one end of the rack to push the rack to move, and an elastic component 433 located at the other end of the rack to reset when the rack loses power. It should be noted that the meshing direction of the rack and gear 423, as well as the positioning cylinder 432 and the elastic component 433, are directional. Figure 14-15As shown, the positioning cylinder 432 is located on the side closer to the magazine unit 120, and the rack is located on the side away from the center of the carrier body 211. The purpose of this design is that when the positioning cylinder 432 pushes the rack, the rotation direction of the eccentric positioning wheel 42 is counterclockwise. That is, the contact between the eccentric positioning wheel 42 and the clamp will cause the clamp to move towards the side of the towing component 213. The towing component 213 and the clamp are completely against the reference contact surface, which can ensure that the position of each clamp is consistent.

[0074] 4. The two sides of the workstation guide plate 60 are hinged to the outer side of the corresponding reference platform 41 by connecting rods 07. The holes at the hinges have a slight waist shape, and the fit of the shaft holes also has a certain clearance. The purpose is to give the workstation guide plate 60 a certain degree of freedom. The workstation guide plate 60 has force-receiving parts 61 on both sides for cylinder pushing. A lifting cylinder 62, whose main body is fixed to the side of the reference platform 41, is provided corresponding to the force-receiving parts. The extension and retraction end of the cylinder abuts against the force-receiving parts to transmit power. The workstation guide plate surface also has positioning holes 63 that match the number and position of the guide caps 424. Overall, the workstation guide plate 60 is... The design is such that when the free end of cylinder 62 extends, the station guide plate is lifted upwards and away from the upper surface of the fixture. This lifting is not a vertical rise, but rather a horizontal displacement while rising due to the hinged connection of the connecting rod. The advantage of this design is that the station guide plate and the fixture are in close contact over a large area, resulting in a greater intermolecular attraction. If the plate were lifted directly upwards, this attraction could affect the fixture, since the fixture itself is composed of multiple pieces that are attracted together. The clamping force of the locating pins could be disrupted by this attraction due to a slight misalignment, thereby causing displacement of the wafer inside the die hole.

[0075] Below, based on the above component descriptions, we will summarize the positioning of the fixture and the steps and principles of the fit between the station guide plate and the fixture:

[0076] To achieve accurate and seamless fitting between the workstation guide plate and the fixture, precise positioning of the fixture is first required. Specifically, reference platforms with internal cavities are set on both sides of the transport body, and eccentric positioning wheels with gear connections are rotatably mounted on top of these platforms. The rotation of the positioning wheels is achieved by a cylinder driving a rack. The cylinder pushes the rack to move, and the rack meshes with the positioning wheel gear, causing the positioning wheel to rotate, thereby changing the relative position of the fixture. Simultaneously, an elastic component is used to return the rack to its original position when the cylinder loses power. The eccentric positioning wheel resets to its initial state with a gap between it and the clamping plate. Using this structure, the eccentric positioning wheel automatically adjusts the position of the fixture on the platform and the transport body, achieving uniform positioning for each fixture.

[0077] After the fixture is positioned, the lifting cylinder moves the station guide plate downwards to fit against the fixture surface. To avoid excessive interference with the fixture when lifting it directly upwards, the station guide plate is hinged to the reference platform via a connecting rod, allowing it a certain degree of freedom. During the downward fitting process, the positioning holes on the station guide plate engage with the positioning wheel caps to achieve accurate alignment between the station guide plate and the fixture. Finally, the cylinder drives the station guide plate up and down, and the engagement of the positioning holes and positioning wheels achieves a seamless and precise fit between the station guide plate and the fixture.

[0078] On the other hand, improvements are needed. Currently, the magazine unit 120 has a single-row placement area, which shortens the time required to arrange the magazines within one unit and increases the frequency of magazine unit replacements, thus affecting work efficiency. Therefore, this embodiment designs a magazine unit 120 with double-row placement areas, meaning each row can hold a clamp. This significantly reduces the frequency of magazine unit replacements and improves work efficiency.

[0079] The resulting problem is that the stroke for retrieving the jig from the magazine unit 120 is significantly lengthened, which poses a challenge to the stability of the transport body 211. To address this, an auxiliary mechanism is designed within the magazine unit 120 to actively advance the jig a short distance, thus eliminating the need to excessively lengthen the stroke of the transport body 211 and maintaining operational stability. Specific design features include: elongated holes 06 at the jig placement positions on both sides of the magazine unit 120; and auxiliary retrieval mechanisms 70 on both sides of the magazine unit 120. Figure 11-12 and Figure 16 The auxiliary extraction mechanism 70 includes:

[0080] 1. The main body of the mechanism push cylinder 71 is fixed on the worktable 20, and the extension and retraction direction of the mechanism push cylinder 71 is parallel to the travel direction of the fixture;

[0081] 2. A clamping component mounting base 72 fixedly installed on the telescopic end of the mechanism's propulsion cylinder 71, a clamping cylinder 73 fixedly installed on the clamping component mounting base 72, and an actuator 74 fixedly installed on the telescopic end of the clamping cylinder 73; the telescopic end of the clamping cylinder 73 faces the side of the clamp, that is, the side of the elongated hole 06, and the actuator 74 is preferably a flexible material with a certain hardness, such as rubber;

[0082] 3. To improve propulsion stability, a guide rail assembly 75 is provided below the clamping component mounting base 72;

[0083] During operation, the actuators of the two auxiliary extraction mechanisms simultaneously extend to grip the fixture. The mechanism's propulsion cylinder drives the fixture mounting base and the gripping cylinder to move, causing the actuators to advance the fixture a certain distance. This shortens the propulsion stroke of the transport body, improving both operational stability and the stability of the fixture within the magazine unit. However, this method is suitable for extracting a single fixture at a time.

[0084] After the fixture is completed at the sheet arrangement station, the transport body 211 carries the fixture to the assembly station 300. On both sides of this station are two sheet separation mechanisms 90 that sequentially separate the upper mask plate 2 and the upper cover plate 1 individually, and an adsorption assembly mechanism 91 that sequentially adsorbs and transfers the separated upper mask plate 2 and upper cover plate 1. The two sheet separation mechanisms 90 have the same structure, refer to... Figure 17 The assembly includes a layer-placement compartment 901 positioned above the worktable 20, a base plate 902 fixing the layer-placement compartment 901 to the worktable 20, a push plate 903 passing between the base plate and the bottom surface of the layer-placement compartment 901, and an actuator cylinder 904 providing power to the push plate 903. The push plate 903 has grooves with a thickness equal to the thickness of the sheet material to be layered. Each back-and-forth movement of the push plate 903 by the actuator cylinder 904 removes an upper mask plate 2 or upper cover plate 1 from the layer-placement compartment 901. Then, the adsorption assembly mechanism 91 places the removed sheet material onto the fixture at the assembly station 300 by adsorption and movement. As previously mentioned, the fixture in the prior art is embedded with magnets. In practice, there are also corresponding protrusions and concave points between each layer, which ensure accurate positioning when they are adsorbed.

[0085] To further enhance automation, sensors can be added to key components such as the pusher plate 903, the actuator cylinder 904, and the adsorption mechanism 91 for real-time monitoring, enabling rapid response and handling when anomalies are detected. The handling path can be optimized to improve handling efficiency. Adding a machine vision system can be considered to improve the accuracy of plate positioning and adsorption using image processing technology. Industrial Internet technology can be used to achieve centralized cloud-based analysis of equipment operation data, optimizing the entire manufacturing process. An automatic alarm system can be set up for rapid response upon detecting a fault.

[0086] Once the fixture is assembled at the assembly station, the transport body 211 places the fixture back into the corresponding layer of the magazine unit 120.

[0087] Example 2:

[0088] The material handling mechanism can be equipped with a double-row transport body with an upper and lower structure, and each transport body has an independent towing component. The two transport bodies can work alternately. When one transport body is handling materials at the pick-up and drop-off station, the other transport body can work at the sheet stacking station, thereby further improving work efficiency.

[0089] Multiple adsorption assembly units can be installed at the assembly station for multi-point adsorption, thereby improving the adsorption stability of the upper mask and upper cover plate. Additionally, a flattening device can be installed at the end of the adsorption assembly unit to correct the flatness of the assembled components after adsorption.

[0090] Example 3:

[0091] A conveyor belt can be installed inside the magazine unit, which is divided into several sections. The clamps in each section are automatically transported to the retrieval position by the conveyor belt. This eliminates the need to raise and lower the entire magazine unit; automatic retrieval of the clamps can be achieved simply by controlling the movement of the conveyor belt in the corresponding section.

[0092] An automatic fixing mechanism can be installed on the transport body. After the clamp is positioned, the fixing mechanism securely fixes the clamp to the transport body, preventing displacement during transportation. The fixing mechanism can be a pneumatic clamping device or an electromagnetic chuck, etc.

[0093] Example 4:

[0094] Other automatic loading and unloading mechanisms can be set up to automatically remove the wafers from the storage disk and place them into the fixture; the assembled fixture can be automatically placed into the output disk. The automatic loading and unloading mechanism can be a robotic arm type.

[0095] Multiple sets of sensors can be installed at key workstations and connected to the control system to achieve closed-loop control. For example, sensors can be installed at the pick-and-place station to detect whether the fixture has been successfully picked up or placed, and sensors can be installed at the stacking station to detect whether the guide plate has been successfully attached. Closed-loop control improves system stability.

[0096] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An automatic quartz wafer stacking machine with automatic clamping assembly function, comprising: frame; A worktable is mounted on the frame; At least one set of transfer mechanisms symmetrically arranged on both sides of the workbench, a feeding and receiving tray mechanism cooperating with the transfer mechanisms, a picking and dispensing mechanism cooperating with the feeding and receiving tray mechanism, a screening mechanism, a visual recognition mechanism, and a defective product recycling mechanism cooperating with the picking and dispensing mechanism; Its features The material handling mechanism includes a linear conveying assembly, which includes: The power source is installed on the workbench; A transport body fixed to the power source actuator, the transport body being provided with a towing component for extracting the clamp; A reference platform is set on both sides of the transport body, and the reference platform is equipped with eccentric positioning wheels for positioning fixtures; The workstation guide plate is hinged to the reference platform via a connecting rod, and the workstation guide plate is provided with positioning holes that cooperate with the eccentric positioning wheel; The rotation of the eccentric positioning wheel changes the relative position of the clamp on the carrier body, thereby achieving the positioning of the clamp; the station guide plate cooperates with the eccentric positioning wheel through the positioning hole to achieve precise alignment with the positioned clamp.

2. The automatic quartz wafer stacking machine with automatic clamping assembly function according to claim 1, characterized in that... The automatic film sorting machine is equipped with a pick-up and place station, a film sorting station, and an assembly station located between the two; the pick-up and place station is equipped with a magazine unit.

3. The automatic quartz wafer stacking machine with automatic clamping assembly function according to claim 2, characterized in that... Also includes: A sheet separation mechanism is used to remove sheet metal in layers; An adsorption assembly mechanism is used to pick up the sheet material taken out by the sheet distribution mechanism and transfer it to the fixture for assembly.

4. The automatic quartz wafer stacking machine with automatic clamping assembly function according to claim 3, characterized in that... When the carrier arrives at the pick-up and drop-off station, the towing component is inserted into the magazine unit to abut against the outer edge of the clamp, and the clamp is dragged away from the magazine unit.

5. The automatic quartz wafer stacking machine with automatic clamping assembly function according to claim 1, characterized in that... The transport body is a cuboid structure with a recessed area. The recess has multiple holes that penetrate the transport body. The towing component is located on the edge of the transport body in the direction of travel and close to the magazine unit. The holes in the recess are used to draw in and fix the clamp.

6. The automatic quartz wafer stacking machine with automatic clamping assembly function according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that... The towing component has a raised structure.

7. The automatic quartz wafer stacking machine with automatic clamping assembly function according to claim 1, characterized in that... The eccentric positioning wheel includes: a spindle, an eccentric wheel body sleeved on the spindle, a gear fixed to one end of the spindle, and a tapered guide cap fixed to the other end of the spindle.

8. The automatic quartz wafer stacking machine with automatic clamping assembly function according to claim 7, characterized in that... It also includes a power and transmission mechanism, which comprises: a rack meshing with the gear, a positioning cylinder for driving the rack to move, and an elastic component disposed at one end of the rack.

9. The automatic quartz wafer stacking machine with automatic clamping assembly function according to claim 1, characterized in that... It also includes an auxiliary extraction mechanism, which comprises: a mechanism pushing cylinder, a clamping component mounting base fixed to one end of the mechanism pushing cylinder, a clamping cylinder fixed to the clamping component mounting base, and an actuator connected to the clamping cylinder.

10. The automatic quartz wafer stacking machine with automatic clamping assembly function according to claim 1, characterized in that... The workstation guide plate has force-bearing parts on both sides, and the reference platform has a lifting cylinder on the outside to drive the workstation guide plate to move up and down.

11. The automatic quartz wafer stacking machine with automatic clamp assembly function according to claim 7, characterized in that... The eccentric positioning wheel can rotate around the spindle. When the eccentric positioning wheel rotates, the offset between the center line of the eccentric part of the wheel and the center line of the spindle changes, thereby changing the left and right position of the clamp on the carrier body.

12. The automatic quartz wafer stacking machine with automatic clamp assembly function according to claim 1 or 11, characterized in that... The rotation process of the eccentric positioning wheel is as follows: after the fixture reaches the sheet-laying station, the eccentric positioning wheel rotates in the opposite direction, so that the fixture has a displacement towards the side of the dragging component before it is fully clamped; after the sheet-laying is completed, the eccentric positioning wheel rotates forward to reset and restores the gap with the fixture.

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