Rotary high speed material handling equipment for high density integrated circuit lead frames

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of lead frame carrying equipment, in particular to a high-speed rotary lead frame carrying equipment for high-density integrated circuits, which is used for taking lead frames from a conveying steel belt or transferring lead frames to the conveying steel belt, and comprises a rotary disc arranged transversely to a central shaft and a transposition driving module for driving the rotary disc to stepwise rotate; a plurality of groups of material clamping mechanisms are arranged separately around the central shaft of the rotary disc, each group of material clamping mechanisms comprises a supporting rod and a material clamping assembly which is installed on the supporting rod in a clamping and releasing manner, and the supporting rod is provided with a clamping and releasing driving module for driving the material clamping assembly to clamp or release; the supporting rod of each group of material clamping mechanisms is slidably installed on the rotary disc, and the sliding direction thereof is parallel to the conveying steel belt; a horizontal pushing mechanism is arranged beside the rotary disc and used for pushing the corresponding supporting rod, so that the supporting rod and the material clamping assembly thereon move synchronously with the conveying steel belt. Compared with the prior art, the loading and unloading mode is faster, and the demand of increasingly speeding up of the assembly line processing production is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of lead frame handling equipment, in particular to a rotary high-speed material handling equipment for high-density integrated circuit lead frames. Background Art

[0002] As an important carrier in the semiconductor integrated chip packaging process, the lead frame is an important bridge connecting the internal circuit and the external lead. It is also a key structural component that uses bonding materials (gold wire, aluminum wire, copper wire) to achieve electrical connection between the internal circuit lead end of the chip and the external lead to form an electrical circuit. It acts as a bridge connecting to the external wires. Lead frames are required in most semiconductor integrated blocks and are an important basic material in the electronic information industry.

[0003] During the electroplating process, lead frames need to be loaded and unloaded. In the prior art, lead frames are transported from a horizontal conveyor belt (laying horizontally) to a steel conveyor belt (standing upright) for loading, or vice versa. The steel conveyor belt, as disclosed in Chinese patents such as CN202989310U, CN202989325U, CN116926647A, and CN116853783A, transfers lead frames by clamping the upper side of the upright lead frame. External force is used to activate elastic clips on the steel conveyor belt to release and clamp the lead frame.

[0004] The transfer of the lead frame between the horizontal conveyor belt and the conveyor steel belt is achieved by a flipping mechanism. Therefore, the applicant has previously developed a flipping and transferring mechanism for clamping the integrated circuit lead frame as disclosed in the Chinese patent document with the publication number CN219216591U, which includes a clamping pad in contact with one side of the lead frame, the clamping pad is equipped with a clamping assembly for clamping the edge of the lead frame, the clamping assembly includes a rotating part and a plurality of clamping claws, the clamping pad is provided with a sliding part for mounting the rotating part and a sliding part for the sliding part A sliding guide piece slides on the clamping pad to adjust the position of the clamping claws; when clamping, the clamping pad contacts the contact surface of the lead frame, and the rotating part of the clamping assembly drives the clamping claws to flip, and the end thereof rests against the edge of the bottom panel of the lead frame, so that the lead frame fits to the bottom of the clamping pad. On the one hand, it will not contact the electroplating area on the bottom surface of the lead frame, which can prevent wear and damage. On the other hand, when clamping, the lead frame will not bend, which can reduce damage to the lead frame caused by bending deformation, effectively protect the lead frame, and facilitate clamping and transportation.

[0005] To increase loading and unloading speeds, the applicant has developed a rotary loading device that uses multiple clamping mechanisms to rotate 360°, quickly clamping and releasing lead frames at different positions. This technology has not yet been disclosed. Existing flip transfer mechanisms can move synchronously with the steel strip, enabling non-stop transfer of lead frames to and from the strip. Therefore, to maintain non-stop operation, the rotary loading system urgently needs to be designed with a follow-up, non-stop mechanism. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the above technical problems in the prior art, the present invention provides a rotary high-speed material handling device for high-density integrated circuit lead frames.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0008] A rotary high-speed material handling device for high-density integrated circuit lead frames is provided, which is used to remove the lead frames from a conveyor belt or transfer the lead frames to a conveyor belt. The device is characterized by comprising a turntable with a central axis arranged transversely and a transposition drive module for driving the turntable to rotate step by step;

[0009] Multiple groups of clamping mechanisms are arranged separately around the central axis of the turntable. Each group of clamping mechanisms includes a support rod and a clamping assembly that is flexibly mounted on the support rod and is used to clamp / release the lead frame. The support rod is provided with an opening and closing drive module for driving the clamping assembly to clamp / release. The support rod is provided with a limit member to limit the axial displacement of the clamping assembly relative to the support rod.

[0010] The support rods of each set of clamping mechanisms are slidably mounted on the turntable, and their sliding direction is parallel to the movement direction of the conveyor belt; a horizontal pushing mechanism is provided on the side of the turntable for pushing the corresponding support rods so that the support rods and the clamping components thereon move synchronously with the conveyor belt.

[0011] As a further optional solution, the horizontal pushing mechanism includes a bracket, a follower rail and a follower seat. The follower rail is fixed to the bracket and parallel to the conveyor steel belt. The follower seat can be slidably installed on the follower rail. The bracket is provided with a follower drive module for driving the follower seat; the follower seat is provided with a horizontal pushing seat for pushing the end of the support rod.

[0012] As a further optional option, the clamping assembly includes two rotating drums arranged in parallel and rotatably mounted on the support rod, and clips respectively fixed to the two rotating drums. The opening and closing drive module is used to drive the two rotating drums to rotate in opposite directions to drive the clips of the two rotating drums to move closer to clamp the lead frame or move away from each other to release the lead frame.

[0013] As a further optional solution, each clip includes a clip body and a plurality of parallelly arranged clip strips extending integrally from the clip body, and the clip strips of the clips on the two rotating drums are arranged in alignment with each other.

[0014] As a further optional solution, the support rod includes a first rod body and a second rod body that are arranged side by side and fixed to each other, and the two rotating drums are rotatably mounted outside the first rod body and the second rod body via bearings respectively.

[0015] As a further optional solution, the turntable includes a first disk body, a middle rod and a second disk body. The first disk body and the second disk body are fixed to the two ends of the middle rod. The first disk body and the second disk body are provided with one-to-one aligned linear bearings, and the support rod is passed through the linear bearings of the first disk body and the second disk body.

[0016] As a further optional option, the clamping mechanism is provided with a reset spring to keep each group of clamping mechanisms in such an initial position: the clamping assembly is biased toward the first disk body or the second disk body, and the support rods are aligned with equal lengths and pass through the turntable. After the force of the horizontal pushing mechanism on the support rods is released, the reset spring drives the support rods back to the initial position.

[0017] As a further optional solution, the return spring is sleeved outside the support rod, and the return spring is compressed to apply a pushing force to the clamping assembly.

[0018] As a further optional solution, an extension rod is fixed at the rotation center of the first disk body, and the extension rod is connected to the first bearing seat; the transposition drive module includes a transposition drive motor, and the output shaft of the transposition drive motor is connected to the extension rod.

[0019] As a further optional solution, an extension tube is fixed at the rotation center of the second disk body, and the extension tube is connected to the second bearing seat; the second bearing seat is connected to a pneumatic slip ring, and a pipe hole is opened near the rotation center of the second disk body. The pneumatic slip ring and the opening and closing drive finger cylinder are connected by a soft air tube, and the soft air tube passes through the extension tube and the pipe hole.

[0020] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0021] The present invention's high-speed, rotary handling equipment for high-density integrated circuit lead frames utilizes a turntable that drives the rotation of multiple clamping mechanisms. Each clamping mechanism on the turntable can independently close and clamp the lead frame, or independently open and release it, at different positions. Furthermore, when working with a conveyor belt to load and unload materials, a horizontal push mechanism synchronizes the movement of the corresponding support rods and their clips with the conveyor belt. This allows the clips and the conveyor belt to remain relatively stationary, facilitating the non-stop removal and transfer of lead frames from and to the conveyor belt. Compared to existing technologies, this method offers faster loading and unloading speeds, meeting the demands of increasingly faster production lines. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the rotary high-speed material handling equipment for high-density integrated circuit lead frames in the embodiment.

[0023] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the horizontal thrust mechanism in the embodiment.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rotary high-speed material handling equipment in the embodiment after the horizontal pushing mechanism is hidden.

[0025] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the disc in the embodiment.

[0026] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the clamping mechanism in the embodiment.

[0027] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of a single drum and its clips in an embodiment.

[0028] Figure 7 2 is an exploded view of the clamping mechanism in the embodiment.

[0029] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structure of a single opening and closing drive module in the embodiment.

[0030] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of two rotating drums and their clips in the embodiment.

[0031] Figure 10 2 is a cross-sectional view of the diverter seat in the embodiment.

[0032] Reference numerals:

[0033] The material clamping mechanism 1; the support rod 11, the first rod body 111, the second rod body 112; the rotating drum 12, the concave plane 121; the opening and closing drive module 13, the opening and closing drive finger cylinder 131, the connecting rod transmission group 132; the supporting seat 14, the limit member 15; the clamping piece 16, the piece body 161, the clamping strip 162, the protective cover 163; the diverter seat 17, the air inlet manifold 171, the air outlet manifold 172, the air inlet manifold 173, the air outlet manifold 174, and the return spring 18.

[0034] Rotating disc 21 , first disc body 211 , middle rod 212 , second disc body 213 , through-hole 2131 , extension rod 214 , first bearing seat 215 , extension tube 216 , second bearing seat 217 ; transposition drive module 22 , transposition drive motor 221 ; pneumatic slip ring 23 .

[0035] Conveyor steel belt H.

[0036] Transverse pushing mechanism 3 , bracket 31 , follower rail 32 , follower seat 33 , follower drive module 34 , and transverse pushing seat 35 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0038] The rotary high-speed material handling equipment for high-density integrated circuit lead frames of this embodiment is used to remove the lead frames from the conveyor belt or transfer the lead frames to the conveyor belt, such as Figures 1 to 10 As shown, the equipment includes a turntable 21 with a horizontally arranged central axis and a transposition drive module 22 for driving the turntable 21 to rotate step by step. A plurality of groups of clamping mechanisms 1 are arranged separately around the central axis of the turntable 21. There are a total of eight groups of clamping mechanisms 1 in the figure, and the adjacent two groups are arranged at 45 degrees.

[0039] The turntable 21 includes a first disk body 211, a center rod 212, and a second disk body 213. The first disk body 211 and the second disk body 213 are fixed to the two ends of the center rod 212. An extension rod 214 is fixed at the rotation center of the first disk body 211, and the extension rod 214 is connected to a first bearing seat 215. The transposition drive module 22 includes a transposition drive motor 221, and the output shaft of the transposition drive motor 221 is connected to the extension rod 214. An extension cylinder 216 is fixed at the rotation center of the second disk body 213, and the extension cylinder 216 is connected to a second bearing seat 217. During use, the transposition drive motor 221 drives the extension rod 214, the first disk body 211, the second disk body 213, the center rod 212, and the extension cylinder 216 to rotate as a whole, thereby driving multiple groups of clamping mechanisms 1 to switch to different positions in sequence around 360° stepwise.

[0040] In this embodiment, each set of clamping mechanisms 1 includes a support rod 11 and two rotating drums 12. The support rod 11 includes a first rod body 111 and a second rod body 112 arranged in parallel and fixed to each other. The first disk body 211 and the second disk body 213 are provided with linear bearings aligned one by one. The first rod body 111 and the second rod body 112 are slidably provided with linear bearings that match the first disk body 211 and the second disk body 213. The sliding direction of the first rod body 111 and the second rod body 112 is parallel to the movement direction of the conveyor belt. The two rotating drums 12 are rotatably mounted on the outside of the first rod body 111 and the second rod body 112 via bearings. The support rod 11 is provided with an opening and closing drive module 13 for driving the two rotating drums 12 to rotate in opposite directions. The support rod 11 is fixed with a bearing seat 14, and the opening and closing drive module 13 is mounted on the bearing seat 14. The support rod 11 is provided with a limiter 15 to restrict the axial displacement of the drum 12 relative to the support rod 11. It can be seen that the relative axial positions of the support rod 11, the bearing seat 14, and the drum 12 are fixed. The two drums 12 are each provided with an outward-facing clip 16. The drums 12 and the clips 16 together serve as a clamping assembly. During use, when clamping, the opening and closing drive module 13 drives the two drums 12 to rotate in opposite directions (one clockwise and the other counterclockwise), thereby driving the clips 16 on the two drums 12 to approach and clamp the lead frame. To release the clamped lead frame, the reverse operation can be performed.

[0041] In this embodiment, the opening and closing drive module 13 includes an opening and closing drive finger cylinder 131 and a connecting rod transmission group 132. The cylinder barrel of the opening and closing drive finger cylinder 131 is fixed to the supporting seat 14. The connecting rod transmission group 132 includes multiple sections (three sections in this example) of rod sections hinged in sequence. The two output shafts of the opening and closing drive finger cylinder 131 are respectively provided with a connecting rod transmission group 132, and the head and tail of each group of connecting rod transmission groups 132 are respectively fixedly connected to the output shaft of the opening and closing drive finger cylinder 131 and the rotating drum 12. When in use, the stroke of the opening and closing drive finger cylinder 131 determines the rotation amplitude of the rotating drum 12 and the opening and closing degree of the clip 16.

[0042] In this embodiment, each clamping mechanism 1 comprises two opening and closing drive modules 13, which move synchronously. To reduce the use of cylinder pipes, the support base 14 is provided with a diverter seat 17. The diverter seat 17 is provided with an inlet manifold 171, an outlet manifold 172, two inlet manifolds 173, and two outlet manifolds 174. Each inlet manifold 173 connects to the inlet manifold 171, and each outlet manifold 174 connects to the outlet manifold 172. The inlet ends of the two opening and closing drive finger cylinders 131 in the same clamping mechanism 1 are both connected to the inlet manifold 173, and the outlet ends are both connected to the outlet manifold 172.

[0043] In this embodiment, the second bearing block 217 is connected to a pneumatic slip ring 23. A perforation 2131 is formed near the rotation center of the second disk 213. Multiple perforations 2131 are distributed around the rotation center of the second disk 213 and / or are elongated. The pneumatic slip ring is a pre-existing, externally purchased component that provides a tangled, rotatable connection between two sections of air pipe. During operation, the pneumatic slip ring 23 connects to an external air source to provide compressed air to the finger actuator cylinder 131. Specifically, the air supply from the pneumatic slip ring 23 is connected to the air supply of the two opening and closing drive finger cylinders 131 of the opening and closing drive modules 13 via a flexible air pipe, sequentially through the air supply confluence channel 171 and the air supply branch channels 173, providing high-pressure airflow to drive the opening and closing drive finger cylinders 131. Furthermore, the air supply from the pneumatic slip ring 23 is connected to the air supply of the two opening and closing drive modules 13 via a flexible air pipe, sequentially through the air supply branch channels 174 and the air supply confluence channel 172, allowing the air supply from the opening and closing drive finger cylinders 131 to circulate. The flexible air pipe passes through the extension tube 216 and the pipe hole 2131, making the air supply arrangement more convenient and simple.

[0044] In this embodiment, the clip 16 comprises a main body 161 and multiple parallel, juxtaposed strips 162 extending from the main body 161. The strips 162 of the clips 16 on the two rotating drums 12 are aligned with each other. Each strip 162 is covered with a soft protective cover 163 to prevent scratching the lead frame. The main body 161 is curved, and the main bodies 161 of the clips 16 on the two rotating drums 12 are bent close to each other, ensuring a larger contact area with the lead frame during clamping. The outer side of the rotating drum 12 is provided with an inwardly concave surface 121, with which the main body 161 is fixedly engaged.

[0045] In this embodiment, a transverse pushing mechanism 3 is provided beside the turntable 21 for pushing the corresponding support rod 11. In this example, it pushes the support rod 11 positioned directly above. The opening of the clip 16 on the support rod 11 is aligned with the conveyor belt H, so that the support rod 11 and its clip 16 move synchronously with the conveyor belt H. In this way, the clip 16 and the conveyor belt H remain relatively stationary, facilitating the removal of lead frames from the conveyor belt H or the transfer of lead frames to the conveyor belt H. The transverse pushing mechanism 3 includes a bracket 31, a follower rail 32, and a follower seat 33. The follower rail 32 is fixed to the bracket 31 and parallel to the conveyor belt H. The follower seat 33 is slidably mounted on the follower rail 32. The bracket 31 is provided with a follower drive module 34 for driving the follower seat 33. The follower seat 33 is provided with a transverse pushing seat 35 for abutting and pushing the end of the support rod 11.

[0046] In this embodiment, the clamping mechanism 1 is equipped with a return spring 18, which is sleeved outside the support rods 11. When compressed, the return spring 18 applies a thrust to the support seat 14, thereby maintaining each set of clamping mechanisms 1 in the following initial position: the clamping assembly is offset from the first plate 211, and the support rods 11 extend out of the turntable with equal lengths. In other words, the lengths of the support rods 11 extending out of the first plate are the same, and their ends corresponding to the transverse push seats 35 are longitudinally aligned. After the force applied by the transverse push mechanism 3 to the support rods 11 is released, the return spring 18 drives the support rods 11 back to their initial position.

[0047] In the description of the present invention, it is obvious that the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, rather than all embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0048] Therefore, the above detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0049] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or are the orientations or positional relationships in which the inventive product is typically placed when in use. These terms are intended solely to facilitate and simplify the description of the present invention and are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., etc., are used solely for distinction and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0050] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "disposed," "connected," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections. They may refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections. They may refer to connections directly or indirectly through an intermediary, or they may refer to internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

Claims

1. A rotary high-speed handling device for high-density integrated circuit lead frames, used to remove lead frames from a conveyor belt or transfer lead frames to a conveyor belt, characterized by: It includes a turntable with a horizontally arranged central axis and a transposition drive module for driving the turntable to rotate step by step; Multiple groups of clamping mechanisms are arranged separately around the central axis of the turntable. Each group of clamping mechanisms includes a support rod and a clamping assembly that is foldably mounted on the support rod and is used to clamp / release the lead frame. The support rod is provided with an opening and closing drive module for driving the clamping assembly to clamp / release. The support rod is provided with a limit piece to limit the axial displacement of the clamping assembly relative to the support rod; The support rods of each set of clamping mechanisms are slidably mounted on the turntable, and their sliding direction is parallel to the movement direction of the conveyor belt. A horizontal pushing mechanism is provided on the side of the turntable for pushing the corresponding support rods, so that the support rods and the clamping components thereon move synchronously with the conveyor belt. The clamping mechanism is provided with a reset spring to keep each group of clamping mechanisms in the initial position. After the force of the horizontal pushing mechanism on the support rod is released, the reset spring drives the support rod to return to the initial position.

2. The high-speed rotary material handling device for high-density integrated circuit lead frames according to claim 1, characterized in that: The horizontal pushing mechanism includes a bracket, a follower rail and a follower seat. The follower rail is fixed to the bracket and parallel to the conveyor steel belt. The follower seat is slidably installed on the follower rail. The bracket is provided with a follower drive module for driving the follower seat; the follower seat is provided with a horizontal pushing seat for pushing the end of the support rod.

3. The high-speed rotary material handling device for high-density integrated circuit lead frames according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping assembly includes two rotating drums arranged in parallel and rotatably mounted on the support rod, and clips fixed to the two rotating drums respectively. The opening and closing drive module is used to drive the two rotating drums to rotate in opposite directions to drive the clips of the two rotating drums to move closer to clamp the lead frame or move away to release the lead frame.

4. The high-speed rotary material handling device for high-density integrated circuit lead frames according to claim 3, wherein: Each clip comprises a clip body and a plurality of clip strips integrally extending from the clip body and arranged in parallel. The clip strips of the clips on the two rotating drums are arranged in alignment with each other.

5. The high-speed rotary material handling device for high-density integrated circuit lead frames according to claim 3, wherein: The support rod comprises a first rod body and a second rod body which are arranged in parallel and fixed to each other, and the two rotating drums are rotatably mounted outside the first rod body and the second rod body via bearings respectively.

6. The high-speed rotary material handling equipment for high-density integrated circuit lead frames according to claim 1, wherein the turntable comprises a first plate body, a middle rod, and a second plate body, wherein the first plate body and the second plate body are fixed to the two ends of the middle rod. The first disk body and the second disk body are provided with linear bearings aligned one by one, and the support rod is passed through the linear bearings matching the first disk body and the second disk body.

7. The high-speed rotary material handling device for high-density integrated circuit lead frames according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the material clamping assembly is in an initial position, it is biased toward the first disk body or the second disk body, and the supporting rods are aligned with each other in equal length and pass out of the turntable.

8. The high-speed rotary material handling device for high-density integrated circuit lead frames according to claim 7, characterized in that: The return spring is sleeved outside the support rod and is compressed to apply a thrust to the clamping assembly.

9. The high-speed rotary material handling device for high-density integrated circuit lead frames according to claim 6, characterized in that: An extension rod is fixed at the rotation center of the first disk body, and the extension rod is connected to the first bearing seat; the transposition drive module includes a transposition drive motor, and the output shaft of the transposition drive motor is connected to the extension rod.

10. The high-speed rotary material handling device for high-density integrated circuit lead frames according to claim 9, characterized in that: An extension tube is fixed at the rotation center of the second disk body, and the extension tube is connected to the second bearing seat; the second bearing seat is connected to a pneumatic slip ring, and a pipe hole is opened near the rotation center of the second disk body. The pneumatic slip ring and the opening and closing drive finger cylinder are connected through a soft air pipe, and the soft air pipe passes through the extension tube and the pipe hole.

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