Flow guiding device, injection valve assembly and method for retrofitting injection valve

Abstract

The invention provides a flow guiding device. The flow guiding device is configured to be additionally arranged on a pneumatic non-contact injection valve and comprises a flow guiding channel with an inlet and an outlet. The flow guide channel is used for being connected with an exhaust port of the injection valve through the inlet when the flow guide device is additionally arranged on the injection valve so that driving gas exhausted from the exhaust port can be guided to the outlet and exhausted at the outlet. Therefore, the shear force applied by the discharged driving gas to the fluid ejected from the injection port of the injection valve is lower than a shear force critical value which causes melt fracture of the fluid. According to the flow guiding device, the performance of the injection valve can be remarkably improved with low cost and high flexibility. The invention further provides an injection valve assembly comprising the flow guiding device and a method for modifying an injection valve through the flow guiding device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application generally relates to the field of injection valves, and more particularly to a flow guide device for an injection valve, an injection valve assembly including an injection valve and the flow guide device, and a method for modifying an injection valve using the flow guide device. Background Art

[0002] The jet valve is used to distribute fluid. A pneumatic non-contact jet valve is a commonly used jet valve that uses a gas-driven dispensing mechanism to accurately distribute the fluid to an object in an ideal volume. As an example, in the Direct Stiffener Attach (DSA) procedure in the semiconductor manufacturing process, this jet valve is used to distribute conductive glue to a substrate. Specifically, the jet valve uses compressed air to drive the dispensing mechanism to spray the conductive glue from the injection port onto the substrate in the form of a series of dots, and discharges the compressed air that has completed the drive from the exhaust port. In this way, a desired conductive glue pattern can be formed on the substrate so that the reinforcement can be bonded to the substrate.

[0003] However, when performing the DSA process, it was found that the compressed air discharged from the exhaust port would have a blowing effect on the conductive glue ejected from the injection port, causing the conductive glue to melt fracture and deform, and even produce undesirable satellites. The deformation of the conductive glue will reduce the bonding effect. The satellites may fall on undesirable locations or areas on the substrate, such as the conductive pad area for attaching the die, causing a short circuit. All of these will reduce the yield of the DSA process.

[0004] In addition, this injection valve can also be used to dispense other types of fluids in other application scenarios. Similar problems also exist in these scenarios.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve this injection valve. Summary of the invention

[0006] The purpose of the present application is to provide a flow guide device for an injection valve to overcome at least one defect in the above-mentioned prior art.

[0007] In one aspect, the present application proposes a flow guide device for an injection valve. The injection valve is a pneumatic non-contact injection valve, and is configured to use a gas-driven distribution mechanism to eject a first fluid from an injection port and discharge the gas from an exhaust port. The flow guide device is configured to be added to the injection valve, and includes: a flow guide channel having an inlet and an outlet, the flow guide channel being configured to be connected to the exhaust port via the inlet when the flow guide device is added to the injection valve, so as to guide the gas from the exhaust port to the outlet and discharge it at the outlet, so that the shear force applied by the gas to the first fluid ejected from the injection port is lower than the shear force critical value causing melt fracture of the first fluid.

[0008] In some embodiments, the injection valve is configured to inject the first fluid from the injection port onto an object, and the outlet of the flow guiding channel is oriented in a direction pointing away from the object.

[0009] In some embodiments, the injection port of the injection valve is oriented toward a first direction, and the outlet of the flow guide channel is positioned farther from the object than the injection port in the first direction.

[0010] In some embodiments, the outlet of the flow guiding channel is oriented along a second direction opposite to the first direction.

[0011] In some embodiments, the exhaust port of the injection valve is oriented toward the first direction, and the inlet of the flow guide channel is oriented toward the second direction.

[0012] In some embodiments, the guide channel is roughly U-shaped and includes a middle section, a first straight section extending between the middle section and the inlet, and a second straight section extending between the middle section and the outlet, the first straight section and the second straight section are oriented parallel to the first direction, preferably, the transition portion from the first straight section to the middle section and the transition portion from the middle section to the second straight section are smooth.

[0013] In some embodiments, the exhaust port of the injection valve is positioned farther from the object in the first direction than the injection port.

[0014] In some embodiments, the outlet of the flow guiding passage is positioned farther from the object in the first direction than the exhaust port of the injection valve.

[0015] In some embodiments, the outlet of the guide channel and the injection port of the injection valve are located on the same side of the object in the first direction.

[0016] In some embodiments, the flow guiding device is configured to be detachably fixed to a valve housing of the injection valve, so that the flow guiding channel can be connected to the exhaust port via the inlet.

[0017] In some embodiments, the valve housing includes a boss portion, and the exhaust port is arranged at the boss portion; and the flow guide device includes a flow guide seat and a fixed seat formed separately from the flow guide seat, the flow guide seat and the fixed seat are configured to be detachably connected together, and are respectively arranged to abut against first and second side surfaces opposite to each other of the boss portion to clamp the boss portion therebetween, so that the flow guide device is fixed on the valve housing.

[0018] In some embodiments, the exhaust port of the injection valve is oriented toward a first direction, and the first side surface of the boss portion faces the first direction; and the fixing seat is used to be set against the second side surface, the first part of the guide seat is used to be set against the first side surface, and the second part of the guide seat extends from the first part along a second direction opposite to the first direction to the fixing seat for detachable connection with the fixing seat, and the second part is set against a third side surface of the boss portion extending between the first side surface and the second side surface.

[0019] In some embodiments, the guide channel is roughly U-shaped and includes a middle section, a first straight section extending between the middle section and the inlet, and a second straight section extending between the middle section and the outlet, the inlet, the first straight section and the middle section are formed in the first part of the guide seat, the second straight section is formed in the second part of the guide seat, and the first straight section and the second straight section are oriented parallel to the first direction.

[0020] In some embodiments, the air inlet port of the injection valve protrudes from the second side along the second direction, the fixed seat includes a third part defining the outlet and a first arm and a second arm extending from the third part, the third part is configured to be detachably connected to the second part of the guide seat, and the first arm and the second arm are configured to be set against the second side and capture the air inlet port of the injection valve therebetween.

[0021] In some embodiments, the exhaust port of the injection valve protrudes from the first side along the first direction, and the inlet of the guide channel is configured to receive the exhaust port therein.

[0022] In some embodiments, the first portion of the guide seat includes a surface facing the first side of the boss portion and a protrusion protruding from the surface along the second direction, and the protrusion is arranged against a fourth side of the boss portion extending between the first side and the second side and opposite to the third side.

[0023] In some embodiments, the exhaust port of the injection valve is provided with a muffler, and the inlet of the flow guide channel is configured to be disposed around the muffler to receive the muffler therein.

[0024] In some embodiments, the muffler has a truncated conical shape, and the cross-section of the muffler gradually decreases in the direction away from the exhaust port; and the inlet of the guide channel is configured to match the muffler in shape and have a gap between the inner wall of the inlet and the muffler.

[0025] In some embodiments, the inlet of the flow guiding channel is configured to be directly connected to the exhaust port, and a muffler is integrated in the flow guiding device.

[0026] In some embodiments, the flow guiding channel is configured to make the shear force zero.

[0027] In some embodiments, the first fluid is a polymer melt or a non-Newtonian fluid, and the injection valve is configured to eject the first fluid from the injection port in the form of a series of dots. Preferably, the first fluid is a conductive glue, and the injection valve is configured to eject the conductive glue onto the surface of the substrate.

[0028] On the other hand, the present application proposes an injection valve assembly, which includes: (i) an injection valve, which is a pneumatic non-contact injection valve and is configured to utilize a gas-driven distribution mechanism to spray a first fluid from an injection port and discharge the gas from an exhaust port; and (ii) the aforementioned guide device, which is added to the injection valve so that the guide channel is connected to the exhaust port via the inlet.

[0029] In another aspect, the present application provides a method for modifying an injection valve. The injection valve is a pneumatic non-contact injection valve, and is configured to use a gas-driven distribution mechanism to eject a first fluid from an injection port and discharge the gas from an exhaust port. The method includes: adding the aforementioned flow guide device to the injection valve so that the flow guide channel is connected to the exhaust port via the inlet.

[0030] These techniques may be used alone or in any suitable combination.The foregoing summary is provided by way of illustration and is not meant to be limiting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The above and other aspects of the present application will be more thoroughly understood and appreciated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are schematic only and are not drawn to scale. In different drawings, the same components are represented by the same figure marks. Not all components or parts of the flow guide device, injection valve and injection valve assembly according to the present application are shown or marked in the drawings, and well-known structures and functions are not shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the inventive points of the present application. It should be understood that the size, proportional relationship and number of components of the various components or parts in the drawings are not intended to limit the present application. In the drawings:

[0032] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary injection valve, to which a flow guide device according to some embodiments of the present application may be added;

[0033] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A side view of an injection valve of FIG. 1 , and showing that the injection valve is injecting conductive glue onto the surface of a substrate;

[0034] Figure 3 is with Figure 1 A similar perspective view, but showing that the flow guide device according to some embodiments of the present application is installed on Figure 1 On the injection valve;

[0035] Figure 4 is with Figure 2 A similar side view is shown in which the injection valve equipped with a guide device is injecting the conductive glue onto the surface of the substrate;

[0036] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Magnified view of the area outlined by the dashed line;

[0037] Figure 6 It is along Figure 5 A cross-sectional view taken along line II;

[0038] Figure 7 yes Figure 3 Another perspective view of the injection valve equipped with a guide device;

[0039] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 Magnified view of the area outlined by the dashed line;

[0040] Fig. 9 and Fig.10 They are Figure 3A three-dimensional diagram of a flow guide device;

[0041] Fig.11 yes Fig. 9 and Fig.10 An exploded view of the guide device;

[0042] Fig.12 Shown in Figure 1 Results of a swing point counting test on the injection valve before and after the injection valve is equipped with a flow guide device, wherein the left side view is the test result of the injection valve before the flow guide device is installed, and the right side view is the test result of the injection valve after the flow guide device is installed; and

[0043] Fig.13 Shown in Figure 1 Results of distributed weight tests on the injection valve before and after the flow guide device is installed, wherein the red dots represent the test results of the injection valve before the flow guide device is installed, and the blue dots represent the test results of the injection valve after the flow guide device is installed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Some embodiments of the flow guide device of the present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, in order to facilitate the description of the flow guide device according to the present application, the flow guide device is configured to be added to an injection valve for dispensing conductive glue onto a substrate in a DSA procedure in the semiconductor manufacturing process as an example. It should be understood that this example does not mean any limitation to the present application, and the flow guide device according to the present application can also be added to an injection valve for dispensing other types of fluids in other application scenarios. It should also be understood that these embodiments do not mean any limitation to the present application. In addition, the features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other in the absence of conflict.

[0045] Figure 1 and Figure 2 An exemplary injection valve 10 is schematically shown. The injection valve 10 includes a valve housing 11. The valve housing 11 is provided with an air inlet port 12, an exhaust port 13, a feed port 14, and an injection port 15. The injection valve 10 is specifically a pneumatic non-contact injection valve, and is configured to drive a dispensing mechanism (not shown) with a gas (also referred to as a "driving gas") to eject a first fluid (also referred to as a "fluid to be dispensed") from the injection port 15 and discharge the gas from the exhaust port 13.

[0046] In this embodiment, the injection valve 10 can be configured to dispense the conductive adhesive 20 onto the substrate 30 ( Figure 2) on, and accordingly, the fluid to be distributed can be a conductive glue 20. Specifically, the valve housing 11 of the injection valve 10 may include a fixture 16, and the glue cartridge 40 containing the conductive glue 20 can be fixed on the valve housing 11 by the fixture 16. The conduit 41 connects the glue cartridge 40 with the feed port 14 of the injection valve 10 to supply the conductive glue 20 from the glue cartridge 40 to the injection chamber (not shown) of the injection valve 10. The conduit 42 can connect the gas source (not shown) with the gas inlet port 12 of the injection valve 10 to supply the driving gas from the gas source to the injection valve 10, thereby driving the distribution mechanism. For example, the driving gas can be compressed air, and accordingly, the gas source can be an air compressor. It should be understood that only a section of the conduit 42 is shown in the accompanying drawings, not all of it. In addition, it should be understood that the type of the driving gas is not limited to compressed air, but can be any suitable type of gas, such as nitrogen.

[0047] Exemplarily, the distribution mechanism of the injection valve 10 can be a striker driven by a piston. Although not shown in the drawings, the structure and operating principle of such a distribution mechanism can be envisioned. Specifically, the piston can be arranged in the drive chamber of the injection valve 10, and is in the first piston position under the action of the biasing force applied by a biasing member such as a spring. At this time, the striker is in the first striker position. The striker can partially extend into the injection chamber of the injection valve 10 in the first striker position to contact the conductive glue 20. When the injection valve 10 is working, for each injection cycle, the gas source can be first connected to allow the driving gas to be input from the air inlet port 12 into the driving chamber of the injection valve 10, and the driving gas acts on the piston to move the piston to the second piston position against the biasing force. At this time, the striker is in the second striker position. Subsequently, the communication between the driving chamber and the gas source can be disconnected (for example, by a solenoid valve mechanism) to cut off the supply of the driving gas. This enables the piston to quickly return to the first piston position under the action of the biasing force, thereby causing the striker to quickly return to the first striker position. When the striker returns to the first striker position, it can hit the conductive glue 20 input into the injection chamber of the injection valve 10 from the feed port 14, so that it is ejected from the injection port 15, thereby forming a point-shaped body of the conductive glue 20. The solenoid valve mechanism is arranged between the air inlet port 12 and the exhaust port 13 in the injection valve 10, and can control the connection and disconnection between the drive chamber and the gas source at an extremely fast speed, thereby controlling the drive of the distribution mechanism by the drive gas. The solenoid valve mechanism enables the injection valve 10 to spray at a frequency of up to 100 Hz, for example. In addition, a "non-contact injection valve" means that in the injection valve, the fluid to be distributed is physically separated from the drive gas without contact. That is, the injection chamber and the drive chamber of the injection valve 10 are not connected to each other. As Figure 2As schematically indicated by the dotted arrow 50 in the figure, the driving gas that has completed the driving of the dispensing mechanism is discharged from the exhaust port 13 in a manner separate from the conductive glue 20 sprayed from the injection port 15, for example, discharged into the working space or environment where the injection valve 10 is located.

[0048] In this way, the injection valve 10 can drive the dispensing mechanism using the driving gas to inject the conductive glue 20 from the injection port 15 onto the substrate 30 in the form of a series of dots, and discharge the driving gas after the driving from the exhaust port 13. As the injection valve 10 and the substrate 30 move relative to each other, a desired conductive glue pattern can be formed on the substrate 30 so that the reinforcement member (not shown) is bonded to the substrate 30.

[0049] The inventors have discovered and Figure 2 As schematically shown in the figure, when the DSA procedure is performed using the injection valve 10, the gas discharged from the exhaust port 13 of the injection valve 10 (i.e., the driving gas after driving the dispensing mechanism) will produce a blowing effect on the conductive adhesive 20 sprayed from the injection port 15, causing the conductive adhesive 20 to undergo melt fracture and deformation, and even produce an undesirable throwing point 20a.

[0050] Specifically, the conductive adhesive 20 is a non-Newtonian flow, and its viscosity is severely affected by shear force. This can be simply described by a power law:

[0051]

[0052] Where η represents the apparent viscosity, represents the shear velocity, K is a dimensionless constant, and n is used to quantify the deviation from the Newtonian flow. When the conductive glue 20 is ejected from the injection port 15 (for example, its opening diameter is usually 125 μm), if the shear force applied to the conductive glue 20 by the gas discharged from the exhaust port 13 is too large, the apparent viscosity of the conductive glue 20 will be reduced. If the shear force applied to the conductive glue 20 exceeds the critical value, the conductive glue 20 will undergo melt fracture and deform, and even produce a throw-off point 20a. As used in this application, "throw-off point" refers to the part of the conductive glue 20 that is separated from the main body (for example, a point-shaped body) due to the action of the shear force. In addition, as used in this application, "melt fracture" refers to when a non-Newtonian fluid or polymer melt such as the conductive glue 20 (as will be described in detail below) is ejected from the injection port, if the shear force applied to the non-Newtonian fluid or polymer melt exceeds the critical value, the non-Newtonian fluid or polymer melt will deform, and even produce a throw-off point. Whether melt fracture occurs in the conductive adhesive 20 can be determined by checking the shape of the conductive adhesive 20 sprayed onto the substrate 30 or checking whether there is a throw-off point 20a on the substrate 30 using tools such as a microscope or a magnifying glass or by visual observation. The deformation of the conductive adhesive 20 will reduce the bonding effect. The throw-off point 20a may fall on an undesirable position or area on the substrate 30, such as a conductive pad area for attaching a die, thereby causing a short circuit. These will reduce the yield of the DSA process.

[0053] Although the operating principle and existing problems of the injection valve 10 are described herein in conjunction with the example of a piston-type dispensing mechanism, it should be understood that the specific form of the dispensing mechanism of the injection valve 10 is not limited thereto, but may be in any suitable form (for example, an air bag-type dispensing mechanism or a diaphragm-type dispensing mechanism), and such problems also exist in the injection valves 10 having these dispensing mechanisms.

[0054] The inventors have recognized and appreciated a flow guide device that can be added to the injection valve 10 to reduce or even eliminate the blowing effect of the gas exhausted from the exhaust port 13 of the injection valve 10 on the conductive glue 20 ejected from the injection port 15, thereby avoiding melt fracture of the conductive glue 20. As used in this application, "addition" means that the flow guide device can be manufactured separately from the injection valve 10 and can be directly installed on the original structure of the injection valve 10 (for example, at the user's site, that is, the site where the injection valve 10 is deployed). In other words, the flow guide device can be added to the injection valve 10 without changing the original structure of the injection valve 10. The flow guide device can constitute a valve assembly together with the injection valve 10.

[0055] Figures 3 to 11 A type of such a flow guiding device, namely, a flow guiding device 100 is schematically shown. Figure 6The internal structure of injection valve 10 is omitted in the cross-sectional view of FIG.

[0056] like Figures 3 to 6 and Figures 9 to 11 As shown, the flow guide device 100 includes a flow guide channel 110 having an inlet 111 and an outlet 112. The flow guide channel 110 is configured to be connected to the exhaust port 13 of the injection valve 10 via the inlet 111 when the flow guide device 100 is attached to the injection valve 10, so as to guide the gas (i.e., the gas after driving) discharged from the exhaust port 13 of the injection valve 10 to the outlet 112 and be discharged at the outlet 112, so that the shear force applied by the discharged gas to the conductive glue 20 sprayed from the injection port 15 of the injection valve 10 is lower than the shear force critical value causing melt fracture of the conductive glue 20. As used in the present application, discharging gas means to make the gas escape into the working space or environment where the injection valve 10 is located, without any restriction on the flow of the gas. That is, when the flow guide device 100 is attached to the injection valve 10, the flow guide channel 110 is connected to the exhaust port 13 via the inlet 111, and the gas discharged from the exhaust port 13 of the injection valve 10 is guided to the outlet 112 by the flow guide channel 110 and discharged into the working space or environment (such as the working space) where the injection valve 10 is located at the outlet 112. Figure 4 ). In other words, the outlet 112 of the flow guide channel 110 is positioned and oriented so that the shear force applied by the discharged gas to the conductive glue 20 ejected from the injection port 15 of the injection valve 10 is lower than the shear force critical value that causes the conductive glue 20 to melt fracture. In some embodiments, the outlet 112 of the flow guide channel 110 can be positioned and oriented so that the shear force is zero. In other embodiments, the outlet 112 of the flow guide channel 110 can be positioned and oriented so that the shear force is lower than 90%, 80%, 50%, 30%, 10% or any other suitable value of the shear force critical value that causes the conductive glue 20 to melt fracture.

[0057] This configuration of the flow guide device 100 can reduce or even eliminate the blowing effect of the gas discharged from the exhaust port 13 of the injection valve 10 on the conductive glue 20 ejected from the injection port 15, thereby avoiding the conductive glue 20 distributed on the substrate 30 from being deformed or even falling off the substrate 30 due to melt fracture of the conductive glue 20. This can significantly improve the distribution performance of the injection valve 10, thereby significantly improving the yield rate of the DSA program. In addition, since the flow guide device 100 is configured to be installed on the injection valve 10, the injection valve 10 can be easily upgraded without changing the structure of the injection valve 10, without replacing a new injection valve. This can significantly save costs. It can be seen that the flow guide device 100 can significantly improve the distribution performance of the injection valve 10 at a lower cost and higher flexibility.

[0058] In the following, unless otherwise stated, the description of the position and orientation of each part of the flow guide device 100 refers to the position and orientation of the part when the flow guide device 100 is attached to the injection valve 10 .

[0059] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the injection valve 10 is configured to inject the conductive paste 20 from the injection port 15 onto the surface 30a of the substrate 30. The surface 30a of the substrate 30 is generally flat. Figures 1 to 11 A vertical direction ZZ is defined in the figure, which refers to a direction perpendicular to the surface 30a of the substrate 30. In addition, a first vertical direction Z1 refers to a direction parallel to the vertical direction ZZ and pointing toward the substrate 30, and a second vertical direction Z2 refers to a direction parallel to the vertical direction ZZ and pointing away from the substrate 30. As used in this application, a port, an inlet, or an outlet is oriented along a direction means that the opening direction of the port, the inlet, or the outlet is along the direction.

[0060] In some embodiments, the outlet 112 of the guide channel 110 can be oriented in a direction pointing away from the surface 30a of the substrate 30. The direction can be perpendicular to the surface 30a (i.e., the second vertical direction Z2), or inclined relative to the surface 30a. In other words, the gas guided to the outlet 112 by the guide channel 110 is discharged at the outlet 112 toward the direction pointing away from the surface 30a of the substrate 30. This configuration can significantly reduce the flow of the discharged gas along the substrate 30, thereby reducing or even eliminating the blowing effect of the discharged gas on the conductive glue 20 ejected from the injection port 15.

[0061] In one of these embodiments, Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the injection port 15 of the injection valve 10 may be oriented toward the first vertical direction Z1. That is, the conductive glue 20 is ejected from the injection port 15 of the injection valve 10 in a direction perpendicular to and pointing toward the surface 30a of the substrate 30. Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the injection port 15 may be located at a first distance D1 from the surface 30a of the substrate 30 in the first vertical direction Z1. The outlet 112 of the guide channel 110 may be located at a second distance D2 from the surface 30a of the substrate 30 in the first vertical direction Z1.

[0062] In some examples, the second distance D2 may be greater than the first distance D1. That is, the outlet 112 of the flow guide channel 110 may be positioned farther from the surface 30a of the substrate 30 than the injection port 15 in the first vertical direction Z1. This configuration can further reduce or even eliminate the blowing effect of the gas discharged from the outlet 112 on the conductive glue 20 ejected from the injection port 15 of the injection valve 10.

[0063] It should be understood that the positioning of the outlet 112 of the guide channel 110 is not limited thereto, and in other examples, the second distance D2 may be less than or equal to the first distance D1.

[0064] In some examples, such as Figures 3 to 6 As shown, the outlet 112 of the guide channel 110 can be oriented along a second vertical direction Z2 opposite to the first vertical direction Z1. That is, the gas is discharged from the outlet 112 in a direction perpendicular to the surface 30a of the substrate 30 and away from the surface 30a. This configuration can minimize the flow of the discharged gas along the substrate 30, thereby further reducing or even eliminating the blowing effect of the discharged gas on the conductive glue 20 ejected from the injection port 15 of the injection valve 10.

[0065] It should be understood that the orientation of the outlet 112 of the guide channel 110 is not limited thereto, and in some other embodiments, the outlet 112 of the guide channel 110 may also be oriented in a direction pointing away from the surface 30 a of the substrate 30 .

[0066] The outlet 112 of the guide channel 110 and the injection port 15 of the injection valve 10 may be located on the same side of the substrate 30 (i.e., the side of the surface 30a) as shown in the figure, or may be located on opposite sides of the substrate 30. Therefore, the first distance D1 and the second distance D2 are absolute values ​​of the distances relative to the substrate 30 (e.g., the surface 30a thereof) in the first vertical direction Z1, to indicate how far the outlet 112 of the guide channel 110 and the injection port 15 of the injection valve 10 are from the substrate 30 in the first vertical direction Z1.

[0067] In some embodiments, Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the exhaust port 13 of the injection valve 10 can be oriented toward the first vertical direction Z1. That is, the gas can be discharged from the exhaust port 13 in a direction perpendicular to the surface 30a of the substrate 30 and pointing to the surface 30a. The exhaust port 13 can be at a third distance D3 from the surface 30a of the substrate 30 in the first vertical direction Z1. The inlet 111 of the guide channel 110 can be oriented toward the second vertical direction Z2 and connected to the exhaust port 13 to receive the gas discharged from the exhaust port 13 to the injection valve 10. The exhaust port 13 and the injection port 15 can be located on the same side of the substrate 30 (i.e., the side of the surface 30a) as shown in the figure, and the inlet 111 of the guide channel 110 is also located on the side of the substrate 30.

[0068] In some examples, such as Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the third distance D3 may be greater than the first distance D1 and less than the second distance D2. That is, the exhaust port 13 may be positioned farther from the surface 30a of the substrate 30 than the injection port 15 in the first vertical direction Z1, and closer to the surface 30a of the substrate 30 than the outlet 112 of the guide channel 110. With this configuration, the outlet 112 can be kept away from the injection port 15, thereby reducing or even eliminating the blowing effect of the discharged gas on the conductive glue 20 ejected from the injection port 15 of the injection valve 10.

[0069] It should be understood that the locations of the exhaust port 13 of the injection valve 10 and the outlet 112 of the guide channel 110 are not limited thereto. For example, in other examples, the second distance D2 may be greater than the first distance D1 and less than the third distance D3.

[0070] It should also be understood that the third distance D3 is also an absolute value of the distance relative to the substrate 30 (eg, the surface 30a thereof) in the first vertical direction Z1, to indicate how far the exhaust port 13 of the injection valve 10 is from the substrate 30 in the first vertical direction Z1.

[0071] In some embodiments, Figure 6As best shown, the flow guide channel 110 may be substantially U-shaped and include a middle section 113, a first straight section 114 extending between the middle section 113 and the inlet 111, and a second straight section 115 extending between the middle section 113 and the outlet 112. When the injection port 15 and the exhaust port 13 of the injection valve 10 are oriented toward the first vertical direction Z1 and the outlet 112 of the flow guide channel 110 is oriented along the second vertical direction Z2, the first straight section 114 and the second straight section 115 may both be oriented parallel to the first vertical direction Z1 (and the second vertical direction Z2). In other words, the first straight section 114 and the second straight section 115 both extend parallel to the first vertical direction Z1. The first straight section 114 extends from the inlet 111 along the first vertical direction Z1 to the middle section 113, and the second straight section 115 extends from the outlet 112 along the first vertical direction Z1 to the middle section 113. The middle section 113 may extend transversely to the first vertical direction Z1.

[0072] In one of these embodiments, the transition from the first straight section 114 to the middle section 113 and the transition from the middle section 113 to the second straight section 115 can be smooth (for example, the curvature of the surface is continuous, not abrupt), so as to reduce the obstruction to the gas flowing in the flow guide channel 110, so as to minimize the blowing effect of the exhaust gas of the injection valve 10 caused by the installation of the flow guide device 100. In one of these embodiments, the second straight section 115 can be longer than the first straight section 114, so that the outlet 112 of the flow guide channel 110 is away from the injection port 15 of the injection valve 10.

[0073] In some embodiments, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the exhaust port 13 of the injection valve 10 may be provided with a muffler 17. The injection valve 10 operates at a relatively high frequency, and providing the muffler 17 at the exhaust port 13 can reduce the exhaust noise of the injection valve 10. In this case, Figure 5 As shown, the inlet 111 of the flow guiding channel 110 of the flow guiding device 100 may be disposed around the muffler 17 to receive the muffler 17 therein.

[0074] In one of these embodiments, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the muffler 17 may have a truncated cone shape, and the cross section of the muffler 17 gradually decreases in a direction away from the exhaust port 13. Figure 5As shown, the inlet 111 of the guide channel 110 of the guide device 100 can be configured to match the muffler 17 in shape, and there is a gap between the inner wall 111a of the inlet 111 and the muffler 17. This configuration can avoid affecting the exhaust of the muffler 17. The muffler 17 can be, for example, a copper sintered muffler, which is formed with a porous structure to disperse the gas into several fine flows, thereby reducing noise.

[0075] In other embodiments, there may be no muffler 17 at the exhaust port 13 of the injection valve 10, and the inlet 111 of the flow guide channel 110 of the flow guide device 100 is used to be directly connected to the exhaust port 13. In this case, a muffler may be integrated in the flow guide device 100. For example, a muffler structure or muffler material may be provided in the flow guide channel 110. This configuration enables the flow guide function and the muffler function to be integrated in the flow guide device 100, thereby improving the integration of the valve assembly including the injection valve 10 and the flow guide device 100.

[0076] In some embodiments, the flow guide device 100 may be configured to be detachably fixed to the valve housing 11 of the injection valve 10, so that the flow guide channel 110 can be connected to the exhaust port 13 via the inlet 111. That is, the flow guide device 100 can be removed from the injection valve 10 in a non-destructive manner after being added to the injection valve 10. Through this configuration, it is possible to allow the flow guide device 100 to be easily removed from the injection valve 10 after being added to the injection valve 10, for example, to perform maintenance on the injection valve 10. In addition, this configuration also enables the flow guide device 100 to be reused.

[0077] like Figures 1 to 8 As shown, the valve housing 11 of the injection valve 10 may include a boss portion 18. The boss portion 18 may be a portion of the valve housing 11 that protrudes relative to its surrounding portions. For example, the boss portion 18 may be a portion of a solenoid valve mechanism for accommodating the injection valve 10. The exhaust port 13 may be provided at the boss portion 18. The exhaust port 13 may be exposed or protruded at the side of the boss portion 18.

[0078] In some embodiments, Figures 5 to 11As shown, the flow guide device 100 may be a two-piece structure, that is, it includes a flow guide seat 120 and a fixing seat 130 formed separately from the flow guide seat 120. The flow guide seat 120 and the fixing seat 130 may be configured to be detachably connected together, and are respectively arranged against the first side surface 18a and the second side surface 18b opposite to each other of the boss portion 18 to clamp the boss portion 18 therebetween, so that the flow guide device 100 is detachably fixed to the valve housing 11. The two-piece structure can facilitate the installation and removal of the flow guide device 100 to and from the valve housing 11. In addition, the flow guide seat 120 and the fixing seat 130 clamping the boss portion 18 therebetween can ensure that the flow guide device 100 is reliably fixed to the valve housing 11.

[0079] Exemplarily, the guide seat 120 and the fixing seat 130 may be detachably connected together by a fastening member such as a bolt 140. It should be understood that the present application is not limited thereto, and in other embodiments, the guide seat 120 and the fixing seat 130 may be detachably connected together by any other suitable means (e.g., snap fit) or member (e.g., clamp).

[0080] In some embodiments, Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, when the exhaust port 13 of the injection valve 10 is oriented toward the first vertical direction Z1, the first side 18a of the boss portion 18 faces the first vertical direction Z1, and the second side 18b faces the second vertical direction Z2. The fixed seat 130 of the flow guide device 100 is used to be arranged against the second side 18b. The flow guide seat 120 of the flow guide device 100 includes a first part 121 and a second part 122 that are integrated with each other. The flow guide seat 120 can be in a generally L-shaped shape. The first part 121 of the flow guide seat 120 is used to be arranged against the first side 18a, and the second part 122 extends from the first part 121 along the second vertical direction Z2 (which is the direction opposite to the first vertical direction Z1) to the fixed seat 130 for detachably connecting with the fixed seat 130. The second part 122 can be arranged against the third side 18c extending between the first side 18a and the second side 18b of the boss portion 18. For example, the second portion 122 may extend close to the third side surface 18c of the boss portion 18. With this configuration, the fixing reliability of the flow guide device 100 on the valve housing 11 can be further improved.

[0081] In one of these embodiments, Figure 6As best shown, in the case where the flow guide channel 110 is substantially U-shaped, the inlet 111, the first straight section 114, and the middle section 113 of the flow guide channel 110 may be formed in the first portion 121 of the flow guide seat 120, and the second straight section 115 may be formed in the second portion 122 of the flow guide seat 120. The outlet 112 of the flow guide channel 110 may be formed in the fixing seat 130.

[0082] In some embodiments, Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the exhaust port 13 of the injection valve 10 can protrude from the first side surface 18a of the boss portion 18 along the first vertical direction Z1, and the inlet 111 of the guide channel 110 can receive the exhaust port 13 therein. Since the exhaust port 13 is received in the inlet 111 of the guide channel 110 and the first portion 121 of the guide seat 120 is disposed against the first side surface 18a of the boss portion 18, a tight seal can be provided between the exhaust port 13 and the inlet 111. In one of these embodiments, a seal can be disposed around the exhaust port 13 between the first portion 121 of the guide seat 120 and the first side surface 18a of the boss portion 18 to enhance the seal.

[0083] In some embodiments, Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figures 9 to 11 As shown, the air inlet port 12 of the injection valve 10 may protrude from the second side surface 18b of the boss portion 18 along the second vertical direction Z2, and the fixing seat 130 may include a third portion 131 defining the outlet 112 and a first arm 133 and a second arm 134 extending from the third portion 131. The third portion 131 is configured to be detachably connected to the second portion 122 of the flow guide seat 120. The first arm 133 and the second arm 134 are configured to be arranged against the second side surface 18b of the boss portion 18 and to capture the air inlet port 12 of the injection valve 10 therebetween. Such a configuration of the first arm 133 and the second arm 134 can improve the fixing reliability of the flow guide device 100 on the valve housing 11.

[0084] like Fig.11As best shown, the space 135 between the first arm 133 and the second arm 134 can have a narrow entrance 135a and a wide interior 135b so that the air intake port 12 can be captured therein. In some examples, the first arm 133 and the second arm 134 can be slightly elastically deformed to snap onto the air intake port 12 of the injection valve 10. In other embodiments, the first arm 133 and the second arm 134 can snap onto the air intake port 12 from above the air intake port 12. For example, the size of the entrance 135a of the space 135 is larger than the outer diameter of the conduit 42, but smaller than the size of the air intake port 12. This configuration can make it possible to install the fixing seat 130 on the air intake port 12 without disassembling the conduit 42, so that the flow guide device 100 can be conveniently installed.

[0085] In some embodiments, Figures 7 to 11 As shown, the first part 121 of the flow guide seat 120 may include a protrusion 121b protruding from a surface 121a of the first side 18a facing the boss portion 18 along the second vertical direction Z2. The protrusion 121b is arranged against the fourth side 18d of the boss portion 18 extending between the first side 18a and the second side 18b and opposite to the third side 18c. The protrusion 121b can cooperate with the second part 122 to clamp the boss portion 18 therebetween. Through this configuration, the fixing reliability of the flow guide device 100 on the valve housing 11 can be further improved. In addition, the cooperation between the protrusion 121b and the second part 122 can play a role in positioning and aligning when the flow guide device 100 is installed, so that the flow guide device 100 can be conveniently installed.

[0086] The guide seat 120 and the fixed seat 130 can be made of the same or different materials. For example, the guide seat 120 and the fixed seat 130 can be made of metal materials (e.g., stainless steel) or plastic materials (e.g., nylon materials). The guide seat 120 and the fixed seat 130 can be formed by any suitable technology. For example, the guide seat 120 and the fixed seat 130 can be formed by machining, molding or 3D printing technology. When the guide channel 110 is formed in the guide seat 120 by a machining process, the guide seat 120 can be formed with a bore 123 to facilitate machining. After the guide channel 110 is formed, the bore 123 can be closed using a blocking member 124 to ensure the sealing of the guide channel 110. It should be understood that the present application is not limited to this.

[0087] Although the above description is that the flow guide device 100 is a two-piece structure, it should be understood that the present application is not limited thereto, and in other embodiments, the flow guide device 100 may be a single-piece structure or a multi-piece (e.g., three-piece, four-piece, five-piece, etc.) structure. For example, the first portion 121 and the second portion 122 of the flow guide seat 120 may be formed separately and connected together.

[0088] Although it is described above that the flow guide device 100 is detachably fixed to the boss portion 18 of the valve housing 11 of the injection valve 10, it should be understood that the present application is not limited thereto, and in other embodiments, the flow guide device 100 can be detachably fixed to any suitable position of the valve housing 11.

[0089] Furthermore, although it is described above that the flow guide device 100 is configured to be detachably fixed to the injection valve 10 , it should be understood that the present application is not limited thereto, and in other embodiments, the flow guide device 100 may be permanently fixed to the injection valve 10 .

[0090] Fig.12 The results of the fling point counting test on the same injection valve 10 before and after the flow guide device 100 is installed are shown. When performing the fling point counting test, the same injection valve 10 is made to form the same pattern 1201 along the same track on the test plane 1200 under the same working conditions without and with the flow guide device 100 installed, and the test is repeated multiple times (for example, 20 times). Then, the number of fling points 1202 (white dots outside the pattern 1201 in the figure) on the test plane 1200 is compared. Fig.12 The left side view in the figure is the test result of the injection valve 10 before the guide device 100 is installed, and the right side view is the test result of the injection valve 10 after the guide device 100 is installed. By comparing the test results, it can be found that after the injection valve 10 is installed with the guide device 100, the throwing point 1202 on the test plane 1200 is significantly reduced. In other words, the guide device 100 can significantly reduce the blowing effect of the gas discharged from the exhaust port 13 of the injection valve 10 on the conductive glue 20 sprayed from the injection port 15, thereby significantly improving the distribution performance of the injection valve 10.

[0091] Fig.13 The results of the dispensing weight test of the same injection valve 10 before and after the flow guide device 100 is installed are shown. The horizontal axis P represents the pressure of the conductive glue 20 supplied from the glue cartridge 40 to the injection valve 10, in psi, and the vertical axis W represents the weight of the dot-shaped body of the conductive glue 20 sprayed from the injection port 15 of the injection valve 10, in g. For the same injection valve 10 without and with the flow guide device 100 installed, the weight of the dot-shaped body sprayed five times continuously is weighed at each pressure (for example, from 17.5 psi to 40 psi). Fig.13The red dots in the graph represent the test results of the injection valve 10 before the flow guide device 100 is installed, and the blue dots represent the test results of the injection valve 10 after the flow guide device 100 is installed. By comparing the test results, it can be found that the weight of the conductive glue 20 dots ejected by the injection valve 10 after the flow guide device 100 is installed is almost unchanged compared to before the flow guide device 100 is installed. In other words, the installation of the flow guide device 100 can ensure the distribution consistency while significantly reducing the blowing effect.

[0092] Although the above description is that the jet valve 10 jets the conductive glue 20 onto the substrate 30, it should be understood that the jet valve 10 can also jet the conductive glue 20 onto other objects, such as other electrical components or circuit boards such as electrical connectors. In addition, it should be understood that the fluid to be dispensed is not limited to the conductive glue 20, but can be any suitable fluid, especially a polymer melt or a non-Newtonian fluid. Exemplarily, the fluid to be dispensed can be ink, epoxy resin, UV glue, silicone, silver paste or grease.

[0093] That is to say, the guide device according to the present application is suitable for being added to any suitable pneumatic non-contact injection valve, so that the guide channel is connected to the exhaust port of the injection valve via its inlet, so as to guide the gas discharged from the injection valve from the exhaust port to the outlet of the guide channel and discharge it at the outlet, so that the shear force applied by the gas to the fluid ejected from the injection port of the injection valve is lower than the shear force critical value causing melt fracture of the fluid.

[0094] In addition, although the above describes the orientation and positional relationship of the injection port 15 and the exhaust port 13 of the injection valve 10 and the inlet 111 and the outlet 112 of the guide channel 110 relative to each other with respect to the surface 30a of the substrate 30, it should be understood that when the injection valve 10 is used to inject the fluid to be distributed onto other objects, the injection port 15, the exhaust port 13, the inlet 111 and the outlet 112 have the same position and orientation relationship with the object, which can be determined based on their position and orientation relative to the same part of the object that receives the fluid.

[0095] The inventors have also recognized and appreciated an injection valve assembly, which includes the aforementioned injection valve and a flow guide device, wherein the flow guide device is added to the injection valve to provide the aforementioned benefits. In addition, the inventors have also recognized and appreciated a method of modifying the aforementioned injection valve, which includes adding the aforementioned flow guide device to the injection valve to provide the aforementioned benefits.

[0096] In the present application, the terms "first", "second", "third" and "fourth" are only used to distinguish one component or part or one fluid from another component or part or another fluid, but these components, parts or fluids should not be limited by such terms.

[0097] The present application has been described in detail above in conjunction with specific embodiments. Obviously, the above description and the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings should be understood as exemplary and do not constitute a limitation to the present application. For those skilled in the art, various modifications or changes can be made to the present application without departing from the spirit of the present application, and these modifications or changes do not depart from the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A flow guide device (100) for an injection valve (10), the injection valve being a pneumatic non-contact injection valve and being configured to utilize gas to drive a distribution mechanism to eject a first fluid from an injection port (15) and discharge the gas from an exhaust port (13), the flow guide device being configured to be attached to the injection valve and comprising: A flow guide channel (110) having an inlet (111) and an outlet (112), wherein the flow guide channel is configured to be connected to the exhaust port via the inlet when the flow guide device is installed on the injection valve, so as to guide the gas from the exhaust port to the outlet and discharge it at the outlet, so that the shear force applied by the gas to the first fluid ejected from the injection port is lower than the shear force critical value causing melt fracture of the first fluid.

2. The flow guiding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The injection valve is configured to inject the first fluid from the injection port onto an object, and the outlet of the flow guide channel is oriented in a direction pointing away from the object.

3. The flow guiding device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The injection port of the injection valve is oriented toward a first direction (Z1), and the outlet of the flow guide passage is located farther from the object than the injection port in the first direction.

4. The flow guiding device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outlet of the flow guiding channel is oriented along a second direction (Z2) opposite to the first direction.

5. The flow guiding device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The exhaust port of the injection valve is oriented toward the first direction, and the inlet of the flow guide passage is oriented toward the second direction.

6. The flow guiding device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The flow guide channel is substantially U-shaped and comprises a middle section (113), a first straight section (114) extending between the middle section and the inlet, and a second straight section (115) extending between the middle section and the outlet, the first straight section and the second straight section being oriented parallel to the first direction, preferably, a transition portion from the first straight section to the middle section and a transition portion from the middle section to the second straight section are both smooth; and / or The exhaust port of the injection valve is positioned farther from the object than the injection port in the first direction; and / or The outlet of the flow guide passage is positioned farther from the object in the first direction than the exhaust port of the injection valve; and / or The outlet of the flow guide channel and the injection port of the injection valve are located on the same side of the object in the first direction.

7. The flow guiding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The flow guide device is configured to be detachably fixed to a valve housing (11) of the injection valve, so that the flow guide channel can be connected to the exhaust port via the inlet.

8. The flow guiding device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The valve housing includes a boss portion (18), and the exhaust port is provided at the boss portion; and The flow guide device comprises a flow guide seat (120) and a fixing seat (130) formed separately from the flow guide seat, wherein the flow guide seat and the fixing seat are configured to be detachably connected together and are respectively arranged to abut against first side surfaces (18a) and second side surfaces (18b) opposite to each other of the boss portion to clamp the boss portion therebetween, thereby fixing the flow guide device on the valve housing.

9. The flow guiding device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The exhaust port of the injection valve is oriented toward a first direction (Z1), and the first side surface of the boss portion faces toward the first direction; and The fixing seat is used to be set against the second side surface, the first part (121) of the guide seat is used to be set against the first side surface, and the second part (122) of the guide seat extends from the first part along a second direction (Z2) opposite to the first direction to the fixing seat for detachable connection with the fixing seat, and the second part is set against the third side surface (18c) of the boss portion extending between the first side surface and the second side surface.

10. The flow guiding device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The guide channel is roughly U-shaped and includes a middle section (113), a first straight section (114) extending between the middle section and the inlet, and a second straight section (115) extending between the middle section and the outlet, the inlet, the first straight section and the middle section are formed in the first part of the guide seat, the second straight section is formed in the second part of the guide seat, and the first straight section and the second straight section are oriented parallel to the first direction.

11. The flow guiding device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The air inlet port (12) of the injection valve protrudes from the second side along the second direction, the fixing seat comprises a third portion (131) defining the outlet, and a first arm (133) and a second arm (134) extending from the third portion, the third portion being configured to be detachably connected to the second portion of the guide seat, and the first arm and the second arm being configured to be disposed against the second side and capture the air inlet port of the injection valve therebetween; and / or The exhaust port of the injection valve protrudes from the first side in the first direction, and the inlet of the flow guide passage is configured to receive the exhaust port therein.

12. The flow guiding device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first part of the guide seat includes a surface (121a) facing the first side surface of the boss portion and a protrusion (121b) protruding from the surface along the second direction, and the protrusion is arranged against a fourth side surface (18d) of the boss portion extending between the first side surface and the second side surface and opposite to the third side surface.

13. The flow guiding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and 8 to 12, characterized in that: The exhaust port of the injection valve is provided with a muffler (17), and the inlet of the flow guide channel is configured to be arranged around the muffler to receive the muffler therein.

14. The flow guiding device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The muffler has a frustoconical shape, and a cross section of the muffler gradually decreases in a direction away from the exhaust port; and The inlet of the guide channel is configured to match the muffler in shape, and a gap is provided between an inner wall (111a) of the inlet and the muffler.

15. The flow guiding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and 8 to 12, characterized in that: The inlet of the flow guiding channel is configured to be directly connected to the exhaust port, and a muffler is integrated in the flow guiding device.

16. The flow guiding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and 8 to 12, characterized in that: The flow guiding channel is configured to make the shear force zero; and / or The first fluid is a polymer melt or a non-Newtonian fluid, and the injection valve is configured to eject the first fluid from the injection port in the form of a series of dots. Preferably, the first fluid is a conductive glue (20), and the injection valve is configured to eject the conductive glue onto a surface (30a) of a substrate (30).

17. An injection valve assembly, comprising: An injection valve (10) which is a pneumatic non-contact injection valve and is configured to drive a dispensing mechanism with gas to eject a first fluid from an injection port and exhaust the gas from an exhaust port; as well as According to any one of claims 1 to 16, the flow guiding device (100) is added to the injection valve so that the flow guiding channel is connected to the exhaust port via the inlet.

18. A method for modifying an injection valve (10), the injection valve being a pneumatic non-contact injection valve and configured to drive a dispensing mechanism with gas to eject a first fluid from an injection port and exhaust the gas from an exhaust port, the method comprising: The flow guide device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 16 is added to the injection valve so that the flow guide channel is connected to the exhaust port via the inlet.

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