Assembling equipment and assembling method of electronic device

Abstract

The invention discloses assembling equipment and an assembling method of an electronic device. The assembling equipment comprises an operation platform, a feeding module, an assembling module and a mechanical arm. The operating platform is suitable for bearing an electronic device. The material supply module is adjacent to the operation platform and supplies a thin film material; the assembling module is suitable for installing the thin film material on the electronic device from the feeding module; the mechanical arm is connected to the assembling module so that the assembling module can move between the operation platform and the feeding module. According to the semi-automatic assembling equipment and the assembling method of the electronic device, due to the fact that the mechanical arm and the assembling module are used for installing the thin film material on the electronic device, the original manual operation process is replaced, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and the assembling accuracy can be improved; in addition, the assembly equipment is also provided with a detection tool and a plurality of sensors, so that the probability of assembly errors is reduced, and the yield of the electronic device is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an assembly device and an assembly method for an electronic device, and particularly to a semi - automated assembly device and an assembly method for an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] With the progress of technology, the application of electronic devices has become increasingly common. In particular, electronic devices such as computers and mobile phones have gradually become an indispensable part of daily life. Some of the assembly processes of these electronic devices are still carried out manually, resulting in high assembly costs and room for improvement in assembly accuracy. In summary, how to solve the above challenges is a very important issue.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need to provide an assembly device and an assembly method for an electronic device to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Some embodiments of the present invention provide an assembly device, including: an operation platform, a feeding module, an assembly module, and a robotic arm. The operation platform is adapted to carry an electronic device. The feeding module is adjacent to the operation platform and supplies a thin - film material. The assembly module is adapted to mount the thin - film material from the feeding module onto the electronic device. The robotic arm is connected to the assembly module to move the assembly module between the operation platform and the feeding module.

[0005] Some embodiments of the present invention provide an assembly method for an electronic device, including: placing the electronic device on a transfer tool of the operation platform; starting the transfer tool to move the electronic device from an initial position to an assembly position; placing the thin - film material on the feeding module; mounting the thin - film material from the feeding module onto the electronic device through the assembly module; and the transfer tool moving the electronic device back from the assembly position to the initial position.

[0006] The present invention provides a semi - automated assembly device and an assembly method for an electronic device. Since the robotic arm and the assembly module are used to mount the thin - film material onto the electronic device, replacing the original manual operation process, the manufacturing cost can be reduced and the assembly accuracy can be improved. In addition, the assembly device of the present invention is also provided with a detection tool and a plurality of sensors, which helps to reduce the probability of assembly errors and improve the yield of electronic devices. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] According to the following detailed description and in conjunction with the drawings, a better understanding of the concepts of the embodiments of the present invention can be obtained. It should be noted that, according to the standard practice of this industry, the various features in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In fact, the sizes of various features may be arbitrarily enlarged or reduced for clear illustration. Similar reference numerals are used throughout the specification and the drawings to denote similar features.

[0008] Figure 1Shows a top view of an assembly device according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0009] Figures 2A to 2D Shows a perspective view of the operation stages of a feeding module according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 3 Shows a partial perspective view of an assembly module according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 4 Shows a perspective view of an operation platform according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0012] Figures 5A to 5H Shows a schematic diagram of the operation stages of an operating assembly device according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 6 Shows a perspective view of the internal structure of a cleaning tool according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0014] Description of main component symbols:

[0015] 10 Electronic device

[0016] 20 Film material

[0017] 21 Release layer

[0018] 100 Assembly device

[0019] 110 Operation platform

[0020] 111 Transfer tool

[0021] 111A Track

[0022] 111B Carrier

[0023] 112 Sensor

[0024] 113 Code reader

[0025] 115 Cleaning tool

[0026] 115I Air inlet

[0027] 115O Air outlet

[0028] 115R Ion bar

[0029] 115N Nozzle

[0030] 116 Bracket

[0031] 117 Detection tool

[0032] 119 Start button

[0033] 120 Feeding Module

[0034] 121 Lifting Platform

[0035] 122 Material Retrieving Mechanism

[0036] 123 Film Pressing Mechanism

[0037] 124 Discharging Platform

[0038] 125 Upper Sensor

[0039] 126 Lower Sensor

[0040] 129 Feeding Stage

[0041] 130 Assembly Module

[0042] 131 Cylinder Component

[0043] 132 Vacuum Suction Head

[0044] 133 Sensor

[0045] 140 Robot Arm

[0046] 150 Air Extraction Equipment

[0047] 151 Pipeline

[0048] Direction D

[0049] User U Detailed Implementation Manner

[0050] The following describes the electronic device according to the embodiments of the present invention. However, it can be easily understood that the embodiments of the present invention provide many suitable creative concepts that can be implemented in a wide variety of specific backgrounds. The specific embodiments disclosed are only used to illustrate the use of the present invention in a specific manner and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0051] In addition, relative terms such as "lower" or "bottom" and "upper" or "top" may be used in the embodiments to describe the relative relationship of one element of the drawing to another element. It can be understood that if the device in the drawing is turned upside down, the element described on the "lower" side will become the element on the "upper" side.

[0052] It should be understood that although the terms "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, materials, and / or parts, these elements, materials, and / or parts should not be limited by these terms, and these terms are only used to distinguish different elements, materials, and / or parts. Therefore, a first element, material, and / or part discussed below may be referred to as a second element, material, and / or part without departing from the teachings of some embodiments of the present invention, and unless specifically defined, the first or second element, material, and / or part described in the claims may be understood as any element, material, and / or part in the specification when conforming to the description in the claims.

[0053] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It is understood that these terms, such as those defined in a commonly used dictionary, should be interpreted to have a meaning consistent with the relevant art and the background or context of the present invention, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal manner, unless specifically defined herein. In addition, terms such as "substantially", "about", or "approximately" are also recited herein, which are intended to cover cases or ranges that are substantially consistent and completely consistent. It should be noted that unless specifically defined, even if the above terms are not recited in the description, they should still be interpreted in the same sense as when the above approximate terms are recited.

[0054] Please first refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 FIG. shows a top view of an assembly device 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted first that the assembly device 100 can be used to assemble an electronic device 10, for example, to install a thin film material 20 (shown in Figure 2A ) onto the electronic device 10. As Figure 1 shown, the assembly device 100 includes an operation platform 110, a feeding module 120, an assembly module 130, and a robotic arm 140. The operation platform 110 is adapted to carry the electronic device 10. In some embodiments, the operation platform 110 includes a transfer tool 111, and the transfer tool 111 can be used to move the electronic device 10 between an initial position (e.g., a position adjacent to the user U) and an assembly position (e.g., a position adjacent to the feeding module 120). In some embodiments, the above assembly position is closer to the robotic arm 140 than the above initial position.

[0055] In some embodiments, the operation platform 110 includes a cleaning tool 115 disposed between the above-mentioned initial position and the assembly position. The assembly device 100 may further include an air extraction device 150, which is connected to the cleaning tool 115 through a pipeline 151 and is used to clean the electronic device 10 (for example, to remove dust or static electricity on the electronic device 10 to improve the yield of subsequent assembly of the electronic device 10). In some embodiments, the operation platform 110 includes a bracket 116 disposed above the transfer tool 111 and a detection tool 117 connected to the bracket 116 and movable along the bracket 116.

[0056] In addition, in some embodiments, the feeding module 120 is adjacent to the operation platform 110 and can supply the film material 20. In some embodiments, at least one feeding module 120 (two feeding modules 120 are illustrated in this embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto) may be disposed on the feeding stage 129. In some embodiments, the feeding module 120 includes an upper sensor 125 and a lower sensor 126. Specifically, the upper sensor 125 can detect the supply status of the film material 20 on the feeding module 120, and the lower sensor 126 can detect the situation where the assembly module 130 picks up the film material 20. For example, the upper sensor 125 and the lower sensor 126 may be vision sensors, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The following will refer to Figures 2A to 2D to further illustrate the details of the feeding module 120 supplying the film material 20. It should be understood that the film material 20 may cover any suitable material having any shape. For example, the film material 20 may be a label to facilitate subsequent identification of information of the electronic device 10. In other embodiments, the film material 20 may be a material with high thermal conductivity to facilitate improving the heat dissipation ability of the electronic device 10. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0057] In some embodiments, the assembly module 130 is adapted to mount the film material 20 from the feeding module 120 onto the electronic device 10. The following will refer to Figure 3 to further illustrate the detailed structure of the assembly module 130. In some embodiments, the robotic arm 140 is connected to the assembly module 130 to move the assembly module 130 between the operation platform 110 and the feeding module 120. In this way, a semi-automated assembly process can be realized to replace the original manual assembly process, thereby reducing costs and improving assembly accuracy.

[0058] Figures 2A to 2DA perspective view showing the operation stages of the feeding module 120 according to some embodiments of the present invention. In some embodiments, the feeding module 120 includes a lifting platform 121, a material picking mechanism 122, a film pressing mechanism 123, and a discharging platform 124. The lifting platform 121 can move in the vertical direction (e.g., parallel to the Z-axis), and the film material 20 can be placed on the lifting platform 121. For example, a release layer 21 can be provided on one side of the film material 20 to facilitate the storage or protection of the film material 20, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The material picking mechanism 122 can pick up the film material 20 on the lifting platform 121. The film pressing mechanism 123 can separate the film material 20 from the release layer 21, and the separated film material 20 will be transported to the discharging platform 124.

[0059] As Figure 2A shown, at this stage, the lifting platform 121 rises (i.e., moves in the vertical direction), transporting the film material 20 (including the release layer 21) towards the material picking mechanism 122. Then, as Figure 2B shown, the material picking mechanism 122 and the feeding mechanism (not shown) inside the feeding module 120 can move the film material 20 (including the release layer 21) in the horizontal direction (e.g., parallel to the Y-axis) towards the film pressing mechanism 123. Next, as Figure 2C shown, the film pressing mechanism 123 can press down to transport the release layer 21 to the film clamping mechanism (not shown) inside the feeding module 120, separating the release layer 21 from the film material 20. Finally, as Figure 2D shown, the separated film material 20 will be transported to the discharging platform 124. At the same time, the lifting platform 121 descends to obtain a new film material 20, thereby repeating the above steps of supplying the film material 20.

[0060] Figure 3 A partial perspective view showing the assembly module 130 according to some embodiments of the present invention. As Figure 3As shown, the assembly module 130 may include a plurality of cylinder members 131, a plurality of vacuum suction heads 132, and a sensor 133. The cylinder members 131 may move in a vertical direction (e.g., parallel to the Z-axis). The vacuum suction heads 132 are respectively connected to a corresponding one of the cylinder members 131. In this way, the vacuum suction heads 132 can suck out the film material 20 on the feeding platform 124, and the cylinder members 131 can apply a force to mount the film material 20 on the electronic device 10. In some embodiments, the sensor 133 may be disposed between the vacuum suction heads 132 to facilitate positioning the film material 20 in a corresponding area on the electronic device 10. For example, the sensor 133 may be a vision sensor for detecting the actual situation of the supplied film material 20 (e.g., whether the film material 20 is damaged, whether the supplied film material 20 conforms to the electronic device 10, etc.), but the present invention is not limited thereto. Since the assembly module 130 includes a plurality of cylinder members 131 and vacuum suction heads 132 and is connected to a movable and rotatable robotic arm 140, the time required to assemble the film material 20 on the electronic device 10 can be effectively shortened.

[0061] Figure 4 FIG. shows a perspective view of the operation platform 110 according to some embodiments of the present invention. As Figure 4 shown, the transfer tool 111 may include a track 111A and a stage 111B. The user U can place the electronic device 10 to be assembled on the stage 111B, and the stage 111B can move along the track 111A to move the electronic device 10 between an initial position (e.g., a position adjacent to the user U) and an assembly position (e.g., a position adjacent to the feeding module 120). In some embodiments, the operation platform 110 includes a sensor 112 disposed at the above-mentioned initial position and adapted to sense whether the electronic device 10 is located at the initial position. In some embodiments, the operation platform 110 includes a barcode reader 113 disposed at the above-mentioned assembly position and adapted to read a barcode (not shown) on the electronic device 10. The detailed operation modes of the components on the operation platform 110 will be further described with reference to Figures 5A to 5H FIG. to further illustrate.

[0062] Figures 5A to 5H FIG. shows a schematic diagram of each stage of the operation assembly device 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention. As Figure 5A shown, the user U can place the electronic device 10 to be assembled on the transfer tool 111 (e.g., the stage 111B) of the operation platform 110, and press the start button 119 to start the transfer tool 111 to perform the assembly process. As Figure 5BAs shown, the sensor 112 on the operation platform 110 can sense the position of the electronic device 10. Based on this, it can be determined whether the electronic device 10 has been placed on the transfer tool 111 (such as the stage 111B), so as to reduce the probability that the user U accidentally touches the activation button 119. In some other embodiments, if the sensor 112 senses that the electronic device 10 has been placed on the transfer tool 111 (such as the stage 111B), the assembly process will be automatically started. In this way, the activation button 119 can be omitted to further simplify the assembly process.

[0063] As Figure 5C shown, the transfer tool 111 moves the electronic device 10 under the cleaning tool 115, and the cleaning tool 115 cleans the electronic device 10 (such as removing dust or static electricity on the electronic device 10) to improve the yield of subsequent assembly of the electronic device 10. The following will refer to Figure 6 to further illustrate the detailed structure and operation mode of the cleaning tool 115. Then, as Figure 5D shown, the transfer tool 111 moves the electronic device 10 to the assembly position adjacent to the feeding module 120. For example, the barcode (not shown) on the electronic device 10 can be read by the barcode reader 113 set at the assembly position to determine whether it is the electronic device 10 to be assembled and / or confirm the position of installing the film material 20.

[0064] Next, as Figure 5E shown, the mechanical arm 140 drives the assembly module 130 to pick up the film material 20 from the feeding module 120, and then installs the film material 20 from the feeding module 120 onto the electronic device 10. In some embodiments, the film material 20 can be placed on the feeding module 120, for example, referring to the process of Figures 2A to 2D . In some embodiments, the upper sensor 125 can detect the supply status of the film material 20 on the feeding module 120, and the lower sensor 126 can detect the situation of the assembly module 130 picking up the film material 20. If the upper sensor 125 or the lower sensor 126 detects an abnormal situation (such as damage to the film material 20, etc.), the assembly device 100 will issue a warning to notify the user U to eliminate the abnormal situation.

[0065] Then, as Figure 5F shown, the transfer tool 111 moves the electronic device 10 installed with the film material 20 under the detection tool 117 to detect whether the film material 20 on the electronic device 10 is indeed installed and positioned. For example, the detection tool 117 can be a laser detector, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The detection tool 117 can move along the bracket 116 and can rotate relative to the bracket 116 (such as rotating 90°, as Figure 5G shown). In this way, the detection tool 117 can detect the position where the film material 20 is installed on the electronic device 10 in two-dimensional directions. Finally, asFigure 5H As shown, the transfer tool 111 moves the electronic device 10 with the film material 20 installed thereon back to the initial position, and the user U can retrieve the assembled electronic device 10.

[0066] Figure 6 A perspective view showing the internal structure of the cleaning tool 115 according to some embodiments of the present invention. As Figure 6 shown, the cleaning tool 115 includes an air inlet 115I, an air outlet 115O, a plurality of ion rods 115R, and a plurality of nozzles 115N. The nozzles 115N are adapted to jet the airflow from the air inlet 115I towards the electronic device 10 (as shown in the direction D) and can rotate relative to the electronic device 10. Thereby, dust or other impurities on the electronic device 10 can be removed. Then, the above airflow can pass through the ion rods 115R. Specifically, the ion rods 115R can release static electricity to neutralize the static electricity on the electronic device 10 and adsorb the dust or impurities brought by the above airflow. After the dust or impurities pass through the ion rods 115R, the airflow can leave the cleaning tool 115 from the air outlet 115O (for example, connected to the pumping device 150, see Figure 1 ). In this way, the dust or impurities between the electronic device 10 and the film material 20 can be reduced to improve the yield rate of the electronic device 10.

[0067] In summary, the present invention provides a semi-automatic assembly device and an assembly method for an electronic device. Since a robotic arm and an assembly module are used to install the film material onto the electronic device, replacing the original manual operation process, the manufacturing cost can be reduced and the assembly accuracy can be improved. In addition, the assembly device of the present invention is also provided with a detection tool and a plurality of sensors, which helps to reduce the probability of assembly errors and improve the yield rate of the electronic device.

[0068] However, the embodiments of the present invention and their advantages have been disclosed as above. It should be understood that any person of ordinary skill in the art can make changes, substitutions, and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the processes, machines, manufactures, compositions of matter, devices, methods, and steps in the specific embodiments described in the specification. Any person of ordinary skill in the art can understand the processes, machines, manufactures, compositions of matter, devices, methods, and steps developed currently or in the future from the disclosure of the present invention. As long as they can perform substantially the same functions or obtain substantially the same results in the embodiments described herein, they can be used according to the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention includes the above processes, machines, manufactures, compositions of matter, devices, methods, and steps, and the features of each embodiment can be arbitrarily combined and used as long as they do not violate the spirit of the invention or conflict with each other. In addition, the scope of each claim constitutes an individual embodiment, and the protection scope of the present invention also includes the scope of each claim and the combination of embodiments.

Claims

1. An assembly device, the assembly device comprises: An operation platform, which is adapted to carry an electronic device; A feeding module, which is adjacent to the operation platform and supplies a film material; An assembly module, which is adapted to install the film material from the feeding module onto the electronic device; And A robotic arm, which is connected to the assembly module to move the assembly module between the operation platform and the feeding module.

2. The assembly device according to claim 1, wherein the operation platform comprises a transfer tool, which is adapted to move the electronic device between an initial position and an assembly position, and the assembly position is closer to the robotic arm than the initial position.

3. The assembly device according to claim 2, wherein the operation platform comprises a sensor, which is arranged at the initial position and is adapted to sense whether the electronic device is at the initial position.

4. The assembly device according to claim 2, wherein the operation platform comprises a barcode reader, which is arranged at the assembly position and is adapted to read a barcode on the electronic device.

5. The assembly device according to claim 2, wherein the operation platform comprises a cleaning tool, which is arranged between the initial position and the assembly position.

6. The assembly device according to claim 5, wherein the cleaning tool comprises a nozzle, which is adapted to jet air flow towards the electronic device and can rotate relative to the electronic device.

7. The assembly device according to claim 5, the assembly device further comprises an air extraction device, and the air extraction device is communicated with the cleaning tool through a pipeline.

8. The assembly device according to claim 5, wherein the cleaning tool comprises an ion bar.

9. The assembly device according to claim 2, wherein the operation platform comprises: A bracket, which is arranged above the transfer tool; And A detection tool, which is connected to the bracket and can move along the bracket.

10. The assembly device according to claim 9, wherein the detection tool can rotate relative to the bracket.

11. The assembly device according to claim 2, wherein the operation platform is provided with a start button, and the start button is adapted to drive the transfer tool to operate.

12. The assembly device according to claim 1, wherein the feeding module comprises a lifting platform and a material taking mechanism, and the lifting platform can move in a vertical direction and is adapted to provide the film material towards the material taking mechanism.

13. The assembly device according to claim 11, wherein the feeding module further comprises a film pressing mechanism, and the film pressing mechanism is adapted to separate the film material from a release layer.

14. The assembly device according to claim 1, wherein the assembly module comprises: A plurality of cylinder parts, which can move in a vertical direction; And A plurality of vacuum suction heads, which are respectively connected to a corresponding one of the cylinder parts.

15. The assembly device according to claim 14, wherein the assembly module comprises a sensor, which is arranged between the vacuum suction heads.

16. A method for assembling an electronic device, the method for assembling an electronic device comprises: Placing an electronic device on a transfer tool of an operation platform; Start the transfer tool to move the electronic device from an initial position to an assembly position; Place a thin film material on a feeding module; Install the thin film material from the feeding module to the electronic device through an assembly module; and The transfer tool moves the electronic device back from the assembly position to the initial position.

17. The method for assembling an electronic device according to claim 16, the method for assembling the electronic device further comprises: Clean the electronic device with a cleaning tool.

18. The method for assembling an electronic device according to claim 16, the method for assembling the electronic device further comprises: Detect the thin film material with multiple sensors of the feeding module.

19. The method for assembling an electronic device according to claim 16, the method for assembling the electronic device further comprises: Detect the position where the thin film material is installed on the electronic device with a detection tool.

20. The method for assembling an electronic device according to claim 16, wherein starting the transfer tool comprises: Press a start button on the operation platform; and Sense the position of the electronic device with a sensor on the operation platform.

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