Equipment for assembling circuit board and keycap of membrane keyboard
By designing equipment for film keyboard circuit board and keycap assembly, using a rotary workbench and specially designed keycap fixture, the safety hazards and inefficiency caused by manual operation in the prior art are solved, and an efficient and accurate assembly process is achieved, meeting the needs of large-scale industrial production.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202411840183.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-13
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-13
AI Technical Summary
During the assembly process of existing keyboards, manual operation leads to safety hazards and inefficiency, making it difficult to meet the needs of large-scale production.
A device for assembly of thin-film keyboard circuit boards and keycaps is designed. Through multiple stations arranged in the circumference of the rotating workbench and specially designed keycap fixtures and stamping components, the precise docking and assembly of keycaps and circuit boards is achieved.
It improves assembly efficiency, reduces assembly errors, ensures the electrical connection reliability and mechanical structural stability of keyboard products, and meets the strict requirements of high-end keyboard products for key accuracy and tactile consistency.
Smart Images

Figure CN120149090A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of keyboard processing equipment, in particular to equipment used for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and a key cap. Background Art
[0002] As a vital input component of computer equipment, the keyboard has shown a very wide range of applications in many fields. Its internal structure mainly covers core components such as the base plate, mainboard and buttons, and the keycaps are finely arranged inside the buttons. In the assembly process of the keyboard, the conventional operation is to first use a specially designed assembly mechanical device to accurately and firmly fix the keyboard, and then use a suitable pressing device to carry out subsequent assembly actions. But it is worth noting that in this process, the loading and unloading links rely entirely on manual operation. This human-dominated method has many potential safety hazards in the stamping stage, such as the possibility of hands being pinched by stamping equipment due to human error. At the same time, the speed of manual operation is relatively slow, which is difficult to meet the fast-paced requirements of large-scale production, thereby significantly reducing the overall assembly efficiency, and forming a major obstacle and challenge to the efficient promotion and safety assurance of large-scale industrial production.
[0003] Chinese patent publication number CN208385268U discloses an automatic keycap assembly machine for a keyboard, comprising a frame, an electric control device is arranged in the frame, a working panel is arranged on the upper end surface of the frame, an X-guide rail and an X-moving module are arranged on the working panel, a sliding plate is movably arranged on the X-guide rail, the sliding plate is connected to the X-moving module, a Y-guide rail is arranged on the sliding plate, a fixed plate is movably arranged on the Y-guide rail, a Y-cylinder connected to the fixed plate is arranged on the sliding plate, an assembling mechanism and a pressing mechanism are arranged on the working panel, the assembling mechanism comprises an assembling guide column, an assembling cylinder, an assembling guide plate and an assembling pressing plate arranged on the working panel, the assembling cylinder is fixedly arranged on the upper part of the assembling guide column through a mounting plate, the assembling pressing plate is fixedly connected to the assembling guide plate through an assembling connecting column, the assembling guide plate is movably sleeved on the assembling guide column, and the assembling cylinder is connected to the assembling guide plate.
[0004] The assembly machine mounts the keyboard body with keycaps to be assembled on the fixed plate of the assembly mechanism, and then feeds the keycaps. The distance between the keycaps is adjusted by the keycap distance adjustment cylinder to ensure the corresponding matching between the keycaps and the keyboard body. Then the assembly cylinder runs to drive the assembly guide plate to move downward, so that the assembly pressing plate presses the keycaps against the keyboard body. Then the X-direction moving module drives the sliding plate to move along the X-direction guide rail to the bottom of the pressing mechanism. Then the pressing cylinder runs to drive the pressing guide plate to move downward, so that the pressing rod on the pressing panel presses downward, making the installation of the keycaps and the keyboard body firm. However, there are specific corresponding relationship requirements between the keycaps and the keyboard body. Before the pressing operation, it is necessary to ensure that each keycap accurately corresponds to the corresponding position on the keyboard body one by one. Due to the large number of keycaps and the high specificity of their installation positions, during the positioning process, it is necessary to rely on a high-precision positioning device or adopt a fine positioning algorithm to determine the accurate position of each keycap one by one. This process involves complex steps such as position recognition of the keycaps, coordinate determination, and matching comparison with the preset positions of the keyboard body, resulting in a long positioning time, thus affecting the efficiency of the entire keyboard assembly process to a certain extent. Summary of the Invention
[0005] Aiming at the problems of the prior art, a device for assembling a thin-film keyboard circuit board and keycaps is provided. By installing a keycap jig with keycap slots on a rotary workbench and relying on the periodic rotation characteristics of the rotary workbench, an orderly assembly operation sequence is constructed. During the assembly process, according to the established technological process, the feeding operation is sequentially performed to accurately place the keycaps into the corresponding slots of the keycap jig, and then the pressing process is carried out. With the help of pressure equipment, the keycaps and the keyboard body are firmly connected, effectively avoiding the low efficiency caused by the complex process, repeated operations and lack of coherence in the traditional assembly method, and solving the problem of low assembly efficiency commonly existing in the existing devices in the keyboard assembly link. To solve the problems of the prior art, The present invention provides a device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and keycaps, which is applied to installing keycaps at corresponding positions on a circuit board. The device includes a rotary workbench, which has a connected keycap loading station, a keycap separation station, a waste removal station, a circuit board loading station, a keycap stamping station, and a finished product unloading station arranged in sequence along its circumferential direction; six keycap fixtures are arranged on the rotary workbench along its circumferential direction, and a keycap groove corresponding to the keycap and a keycap top block arranged at the bottom of the keycap groove are provided on the keycap fixture; a connected keycap conveyor belt and a connected keycap loader for placing a connected keycap rack on the keycap fixture are arranged at the connected keycap loading station; a stamping separation plate is arranged at the top of the keycap separation station, and a keycap stamping block corresponding to the keycap groove is arranged at the bottom of the stamping separation plate, and the keycap is stamped into the keycap groove by the keycap stamping block; a waste conveyor belt and a waste unloader for removing waste from the keycap fixture are arranged at the waste removal station; a circuit board conveyor belt and a circuit board loader for placing a circuit board on the keycap fixture are arranged at the circuit board loading station; a stamping assembly plate is arranged at the top of the keycap stamping station. When the stamping assembly plate abuts against the circuit board and presses down, the keycap is docked with the circuit board by the keycap top block; a finished product conveyor belt and a finished product unloader for taking out the finished product from the keycap fixture and placing it on the finished product conveyor belt are arranged at the finished product unloading station.
[0006] Preferably, the keycap fixture includes a base plate, a fixing plate, a lifting plate, a fixture plate, a positioning member, and a positioning ring; the base plate is fixedly arranged on the rotary workbench; the fixing plate is arranged at the top end of the base plate, and the keycap top block is arranged at the top end of the fixing plate; the lifting plate is slidably arranged at the top end of the fixing plate in the vertical direction, the keycap top block slides through the lifting plate, and an elastic reset element is arranged between the lifting plate and the fixing plate; the fixture plate is arranged at the top end of the lifting plate, and the keycap grooves are distributed on the fixture plate and correspond to the keycap top blocks; the positioning member is arranged at the top of the rotary workbench and is connected to the lifting plate; the positioning ring is arranged at the bottom of the workbench, the positioning ring is coaxial with the rotation axis of the rotary workbench, the positioning member abuts against the top end of the positioning ring, and an avoidance groove is arranged at the top end of the positioning ring located at the keycap stamping station. When the positioning member moves to the avoidance groove, it can move downward relative to the base plate.
[0007] Preferably, the positioning member includes a sliding column, a positioning frame, and an abutting column; the sliding column longitudinally slides through the rotary workbench, the base plate, and the fixing plate, and the top end of the sliding column is fixedly connected to the lifting plate; the positioning frame is slidably arranged at the bottom of the rotary workbench in the vertical direction, and the bottom end of the sliding column is fixedly connected to the top end of the positioning frame; the abutting column is fixedly arranged at the central position of the positioning frame in the vertical direction, and the abutting column abuts against the top end of the positioning ring.
[0008] Preferably, the positioning frame includes an upper mounting plate and a lower mounting plate; the upper mounting plate extends along the radial direction of the rotary table, and a pair of symmetrical sides of the upper mounting plate are provided with triangular side plates extending downward; the lower mounting plate is fixedly arranged at the bottom end of the triangular side plates; an upper fitting opening is arranged at the central position of the upper mounting plate, and a lower fitting opening with a diameter larger than that of the upper fitting opening is arranged at the central position of the lower mounting plate; the top end of the abutting column is provided with an upper stepped groove and a lower stepped groove, the abutting column is arranged in the upper fitting opening and the lower fitting opening, the upper stepped groove abuts against the bottom end of the upper mounting plate, and the lower stepped groove abuts against the bottom end of the lower mounting plate.
[0009] Preferably, the combined keycap loader includes a fixed table, a rodless cylinder, a linear push cylinder, a mounting bracket, a suction rod and a suction system; the fixed table is arranged at the combined keycap loading station; the rodless cylinder is horizontally arranged at the top end of the fixed table, and the rodless cylinder has a sliding seat capable of extending along the radial direction of the rotary table; the actuating push cylinder is fixedly connected with the sliding seat in the vertical direction, and the actuating push cylinder has an output rod capable of moving in the vertical direction; the mounting bracket is fixedly connected with the output rod; the suction rod is fixedly arranged on the mounting bracket, and the suction rod is connected with the suction system.
[0010] Preferably, the equipment further includes a stamping frame, a hydraulic cylinder and a connecting frame; the stamping frame is arranged outside the rotary table, and the stamping frame has a mounting table extending to the top position at the center of the rotary table; the hydraulic cylinder is vertically arranged on the mounting table, and the output rod of the hydraulic cylinder penetrates through the mounting table; the connecting frame is arranged at the bottom of the mounting table in a vertically sliding manner, the connecting frame extends along the radial direction of the rotary table, and the output rod of the hydraulic cylinder is fixedly connected with the center position at the top end of the connecting frame; the stamping separation plate and the stamping assembly plate are respectively symmetrically arranged at the bottom end of the connecting frame.
[0011] Preferably, the structures of the waste discharger, the circuit board loader and the finished product discharger are the same as that of the combined keycap loader.
[0012] Preferably, the elastic element is a disc spring, and the elastic element is sleeved on the sliding column.
[0013] Preferably, a connecting plate is arranged at the bottom end of the vertical rod of the hydraulic cylinder, a positioning rod extending upward in the vertical direction is arranged at the top end of the connecting plate, and the positioning rod slidably penetrates through the mounting table.
[0014] Preferably, the fixture plate includes a wooden plate and a metal plate, the wooden plate is arranged at the top end of the lifting plate, a plate-shaped groove is arranged at the top end of the wooden plate, and the metal plate is installed in the plate-shaped groove.
[0015] The beneficial effects of the present application compared with the prior art are: This application can achieve precise docking and assembly of keycaps and circuit boards through multiple stations arranged circumferentially on the rotary worktable and specially designed keycap jigs and stamping parts on each station. The keycap grooves on the keycap jig are highly adapted to the keycap shape, and the stamping assembly plate and stamping separation plate are respectively set at the keycap stamping station and the keycap separation station. The keycap stamping block and keycap top block at the bottom can work together to accurately control the relative position and degree of fit between the keycap and the circuit board, effectively reduce assembly errors, ensure the electrical connection reliability and mechanical structure stability of keyboard products, greatly improve the quality and performance consistency of the products, and meet the stringent requirements of high-end keyboard products for key accuracy and touch consistency.
[0016] And each station operates in an orderly manner, from feeding the one-piece keycaps, separating the keycaps, removing the waste, feeding the circuit board, stamping and assembling the keycaps to unloading the finished products, without a lot of manual intervention. The one-piece keycap conveyor belt, the circuit board conveyor belt, the waste conveyor belt and the corresponding feeders and unloaders cooperate with each other to realize the automatic transmission and processing of materials, significantly improve production efficiency, shorten the production cycle of products, meet the urgent demand for production capacity of large-scale industrial production, and effectively reduce production costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] Figure 1 The invention is used for the assembly process of the membrane keyboard circuit board and the key cap.
[0018] Figure 2 It is a stereoscopic diagram of the device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and key caps according to the present invention at a first viewing angle.
[0019] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of point A.
[0020] Figure 4 It is a top view of the device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and key caps according to the present invention.
[0021] Figure 5 It is a stereoscopic diagram of the device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and key caps according to the present invention under a second viewing angle.
[0022] Figure 6 It is a stereoscopic diagram of a keycap jig and a stamping separation plate in a device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and keycaps according to the present invention.
[0023] Figure 7 It is a three-dimensional exploded view of a keycap jig and a stamping separation plate in a device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and keycaps according to the present invention at a first viewing angle.
[0024] Figure 8It is an exploded perspective view of a keycap jig and a stamping separation plate in a second perspective in the device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and keycaps according to the present invention.
[0025] Figure 9 It is a perspective view of a keycap jig and a stamping assembly plate in a first perspective in the device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and keycaps according to the present invention.
[0026] Figure 10 It is a perspective view of a keycap jig and a stamping assembly plate in a second perspective in the device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and keycaps according to the present invention.
[0027] The reference numerals in the figure are: 1, rotary worktable; 2, keycap jig; 21, keycap top block; 22, base plate; 23, fixing plate; 24, lifting plate; 25, jig plate; 251, wooden plate; 252, metal plate; 261, sliding column; 262, positioning frame; 2621, upper shelf plate; 2622, lower shelf plate; 2623, triangular side plate; 263, abutting column; 27, positioning ring; 271, avoidance groove; 28, elastic element; 31, connected keycap conveyor belt; 32, connected keycap loader; 321, fixing table; 322, rodless cylinder; 323, linear push cylinder; 324, mounting rack; 325, suction rod; 41, stamping separation plate; 411, keycap stamping block; 51, waste conveyor belt; 52, waste discharger; 61, circuit board conveyor belt; 62, circuit board loader; 71, stamping assembly plate; 81, finished product conveyor belt; 82, finished product discharger; 91, stamping frame; 92, hydraulic cylinder; 93, connecting frame; 94, connecting plate; 95, positioning rod. Detailed implementation manners
[0028] To further understand the features, technical means, and specific purposes and functions achieved by the present invention, the present invention will be described in further detail below in conjunction with the drawings and specific implementation manners.
[0029] Such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4As shown in the figure, the present application provides a device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and keycaps, which is applied to installing keycaps at corresponding positions on a circuit board. The device includes a rotary workbench 1, and the rotary workbench 1 is successively provided with a connected keycap loading station, a keycap separation station, a waste removal station, a circuit board loading station, a keycap stamping station, and a finished product unloading station along its circumferential direction; six keycap fixtures 2 are arranged on the rotary workbench 1 along its circumferential direction, and a keycap groove corresponding to the keycap and a keycap top block 21 arranged at the bottom of the keycap groove are provided on the keycap fixture 2; a connected keycap conveyor belt 31 and a connected keycap loader 32 for placing a connected keycap rack on the keycap fixture 2 are arranged at the connected keycap loading station; a stamping separation plate 41 is arranged at the top of the keycap separation station, and a keycap stamping block 411 corresponding to the keycap groove is arranged at the bottom of the stamping separation plate 41, and the keycap is stamped into the keycap groove by the keycap stamping block 411; a waste conveyor belt 51 and a waste unloader 52 for removing waste from the keycap fixture 2 are arranged at the waste removal station; a circuit board conveyor belt 61 and a circuit board loader 62 for placing a circuit board on the keycap fixture 2 are arranged at the circuit board loading station; a stamping assembly plate 71 is arranged at the top of the keycap stamping station, and when the stamping assembly plate 71 abuts against the circuit board and presses down, the keycap is docked with the circuit board by the keycap top block 21; a finished product conveyor belt 81 and a finished product unloader 82 for taking out the finished product from the keycap fixture 2 and placing it on the finished product conveyor belt 81 are arranged at the finished product unloading station.
[0030] Above the rotary workbench 1, six keycap fixtures 2 are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction. Each keycap fixture 2 has a specific keycap groove structure, whose shape is highly adapted to the outer shape of the keycap, and a keycap top block 21 is carefully arranged at the bottom of the keycap groove. The top block plays a role of abutting and positioning during the assembly and docking of the keycap and the circuit board.
[0031] At the connected keycap loading station, a connected keycap conveyor belt 31 and a connected keycap loader 32 are provided. The connected keycap conveyor belt 31 is responsible for stably transporting the connected keycaps to be processed to a specified position, and the connected keycap loader 32 undertakes the important task of precisely placing the connected keycap rack on the keycap fixture 2, ensuring the smooth progress of subsequent processing procedures.
[0032] At the top of the keycap separation station, a stamping separation plate 41 is installed. A keycap stamping block 411 corresponding precisely to the keycap groove is arranged at the bottom of the stamping separation plate 41. When the device runs to this station, the keycap stamping block 411, under the drive of power, performs a stamping operation on the connected keycaps placed on the keycap fixture 2. By virtue of precise punching force and position control, the keycaps are separated from the keycap rack and smoothly fall into the keycap grooves, thereby realizing the preliminary separation of the keycaps from the keycap rack and laying a foundation for subsequent waste removal and keycap assembly.
[0033] At the waste removal station, there is a waste conveyor belt 51 and a waste discharger 52. During the process of separating the keycap from the keycap holder, some waste remains on the keycap fixture 2. The waste discharger 52 can accurately remove this waste from the keycap fixture 2 at this station and transfer it to the waste conveyor belt 51, so as to clean the processing area in time and avoid interference and adverse effects on subsequent processes.
[0034] At the circuit board loading station, there is a circuit board conveyor belt 61 and a circuit board loader 62. The circuit board conveyor belt 61 orderly conveys the circuit board to be assembled to this station, and the circuit board loader 62 then places the circuit board stably and accurately on the keycap fixture 2, and ensures that the direction and position of the circuit board fully meet the assembly requirements, so that the scissor leg structure on the circuit board can accurately correspond to the keycap slot position, creating favorable conditions for the precise assembly of the subsequent keycap and circuit board.
[0035] At the top of the keycap stamping station, there is a stamping and assembly plate 71. When the equipment runs to this station, the stamping and assembly plate 71 abuts against the upper surface of the circuit board and continuously presses down under the action of power. During this process, the keycap ejector block 21 at the bottom of the keycap fixture 2 acts in cooperation to push the keycap upward, so that the keycap is closely butted and fitted with the scissor leg structure on the circuit board, thus completing the key assembly step of the keycap and circuit board, and ensuring that the electrical connection and mechanical structure stability of the keyboard meet the design requirements.
[0036] At the finished product discharging station, there is a finished product conveyor belt 81 and a finished product discharger 82. After the keycap and circuit board are assembled, the finished product discharger 82 carefully removes the assembled finished product from the keycap fixture 2 and accurately places it on the finished product conveyor belt 81, so as to transport the finished product to subsequent processes such as inspection and packaging, realizing the automatic and efficient connection of the entire assembly process.
[0037] Such as Figure 1As shown, the one-piece keycap is composed of a keycap frame and its integrally injection-molded keycap. In the initial state, when the one-piece keycap is placed on the keycap jig 2, it is necessary to ensure that the keycap is accurately fitted in the keycap groove. At this time, the one-piece keycap is stamped by the keycap stamping block 411 on the stamping separation plate 41. Except for the space bar cap, the remaining keycaps are separated from the keycap frame and fall into the keycap groove, and the grooves of all keycaps are facing upward. In this process, the space bar cap remains connected to the keycap frame, the purpose of which is to provide a convenient operating point for the subsequent removal of the keycap frame. Specifically, the groove part of the space bar cap can be adsorbed by means of the suction rod 325, and then the keycap frame can be removed from the keycap jig 2. Subsequently, the circuit board is placed on the keycap jig 2 with the back facing up. It should be noted that the front of the circuit board is distributed with a scissor foot structure specially designed for fitting with the keycap, and a space bar cap has been pre-installed at the space bar position. At this time, the scissor foot structure just falls into the keycap groove. When the stamping assembly plate 71 abuts against the back of the circuit board and continues to press down, the circuit board moves downward under the pressure, so that the scissor foot and the keycap are precisely fitted together, thereby completing the tight assembly of the keycap and the circuit board. Finally, the finished product after stamping is removed from the keycap fixture 2 through the finished product feeder 82. At this point, the assembly operation of the entire membrane keyboard circuit board and the keycap is successfully completed. The collaborative work between the various stations of the equipment ensures the efficiency, accuracy and stability of the assembly process, meeting the strict requirements of large-scale industrial production.
[0038] like Figures 5 - 10 As shown, the keycap jig 2 includes a base plate 22, a fixed plate 23, a lifting plate 24, a jig plate 25, a positioning member and a positioning ring 27; the base plate 22 is fixedly arranged on the rotary table 1; the fixed plate 23 is arranged at the top of the base plate 22, and the keycap top block 21 is arranged at the top of the fixed plate 23; the lifting plate 24 is slidably arranged at the top of the fixed plate 23 in the vertical direction, and the keycap top block 21 slides through the lifting plate 24, and an elastic reset element is arranged between the lifting plate 24 and the fixed plate 23; the jig plate 2 5 is arranged at the top of the lifting plate 24, the keycap grooves are distributed on the fixture plate 25 and correspond to the keycap top block 21; the positioning member is arranged at the top of the rotary table 1 and connected to the lifting plate 24; the positioning ring 27 is arranged at the bottom of the table, the positioning ring 27 is coaxial with the rotation axis of the rotary table 1, the positioning member abuts against the top of the positioning ring 27, and the positioning ring 27 is located at the top of the keycap stamping station and is provided with an avoidance groove 271, and the positioning member moves to the avoidance groove 271 value to be able to move downward relative to the base plate 22.
[0039] The base plate 22 serves as the basic supporting structure of the entire keycap jig 2 and is firmly mounted on the rotary table 1 , providing a solid and stable platform foundation for the subsequent installation and coordinated operation of other components.
[0040] The fixing plate 23 is vertically disposed above the top plane of the substrate 22, and the keycap top block 21 is precisely disposed on the top surface of the fixing plate 23, which provides an upward supporting force and a positioning reference for the keycap.
[0041] The lifting plate 24 is disposed above the top plane of the fixing plate 23 in a manner of sliding in the vertical direction, allowing the lifting plate 24 to perform precise displacement movement in the up and down directions under the action of a specific driving force. The keycap top block 21 is arranged in a form of sliding through the lifting plate 24, so that the keycap top block 21 can not only provide stable support for the keycap, but also cooperate with the lifting plate 24 during the movement of the lifting plate 24. An elastic reset element is arranged between the lifting plate 24 and the fixing plate 23. When the lifting plate 24 is displaced downward under the action of an external pressure, the elastic reset element is compressed and stores elastic potential energy; once the external pressure disappears, the elastic reset element releases the elastic potential energy to drive the lifting plate 24 to quickly return to the initial position, thereby realizing the automatic reset function of the lifting plate 24.
[0042] The jig plate 25 is installed on the top plane of the lifting plate 24, and the connection between the two ensures the synchronism and stability of the jig plate 25 during the movement of the lifting plate 24. The keycap grooves are evenly distributed on the surface of the jig plate 25, and their positions are precisely corresponding to the keycap top blocks 21. When the keycap is placed in the keycap groove, the keycap groove can effectively position the keycap in the horizontal direction to prevent the keycap from laterally shifting during the assembly process; while the keycap top block 21 provides support and vertical positioning for the keycap from below, and the two cooperate to ensure the precise positioning of the keycap on the jig plate 25, creating favorable conditions for the subsequent precise assembly with the circuit board.
[0043] The positioning member is firmly disposed on the top plane of the rotary worktable 1 and is reliably connected to the lifting plate 24 through a specific connection structure. The positioning member plays a key role in position limitation and movement guiding during the overall operation of the keycap jig 2. It can restrict the movement range and direction of the lifting plate 24 to ensure that the sliding movement of the lifting plate 24 in the vertical direction has high accuracy and repeatability.
[0044] The bottom part of the positioning member abuts against the top plane of the positioning ring 27. In the normal working state, the positioning ring 27 restricts the downward displacement of the lifting plate 24 through contact with the positioning member, thus ensuring the structural stability of the keycap jig 2 when it is not at the keycap stamping station. In particular, an avoidance groove 271 structure is specially provided at the top part of the positioning ring 27 located at the keycap stamping station. When the keycap jig 2 rotates with the rotary worktable 1 to the keycap stamping station, the positioning member moves above the position of the avoidance groove 271. At this time, the positioning member is no longer blocked and restricted by the positioning ring 27, and can move downward relative to the substrate 22 under the drive of the external stamping force, thereby driving the lifting plate 24, the jig plate 25 and the keycap placed in the keycap groove to move downward together, and enabling, under the action of the keycap top block 21, the precise stamping and assembly operation of the keycap and the circuit board.
[0045] As Figure 6 shown, the positioning member includes a sliding column 261, a positioning frame 262 and an abutting column 263; the sliding column 261 longitudinally slides through the rotary worktable 1, the substrate 22 and the fixing plate 23, and the top end of the sliding column 261 is fixedly connected to the lifting plate 24; the positioning frame 262 is slidably arranged at the bottom of the rotary worktable 1 in the vertical direction, and the bottom end of the sliding column 261 is fixedly connected to the top end of the positioning frame 262; the abutting column 263 is fixedly arranged at the central position of the positioning frame 262 in the vertical direction, and the abutting column 263 abuts against the top end of the positioning ring 27.
[0046] The top end of the sliding column 261 is fixedly connected to the lifting plate 24 stably, thus establishing a close linkage relationship between the lifting plate 24 and the sliding column 261 structurally. When an external force is applied to the lifting plate 24, the displacement movement of the lifting plate 24 can be accurately transmitted to the sliding column 261 through this connection relationship, prompting the sliding column 261 to perform a corresponding sliding movement longitudinally.
[0047] The positioning frame 262 is arranged in the bottom plane area of the rotary worktable 1 in a manner of sliding in the vertical direction. The bottom end of the sliding column 261 is fixedly connected to the top end of the positioning frame 262, making the sliding column 261 and the positioning frame 262 form an organic integral structure. During the operation of the entire keycap jig 2, the sliding setting of the positioning frame 262 at the bottom of the rotary worktable 1 provides a stable guiding and supporting effect for the longitudinal sliding of the sliding column 261, ensuring that when the sliding column 261 bears the force from the lifting plate 24, it can perform an accurate displacement movement along the predetermined vertical direction, avoiding adverse phenomena such as lateral deviation or shaking, and thus guaranteeing the accuracy and reliability of the overall movement of the keycap jig 2.
[0048] The top of the abutment column 263 abuts on the top plane of the positioning ring 27. When the keycap stamping station is not in progress, the close abutment relationship between the abutment column 263 and the positioning ring 27 effectively limits the downward displacement of the positioning frame 262 and the sliding column 261 connected thereto, thereby accurately limiting the position of the lifting plate 24. When the keycap jig 2 rotates to the keycap stamping station with the rotary table 1, since the positioning ring 27 is provided with an avoidance groove 271 at the top of the station, the abutment column 263 can smoothly enter the avoidance groove 271 area driven by the positioning frame 262, thereby removing the restriction on the downward movement of the positioning frame 262, so that the sliding column 261 can drive the lifting plate 24 to move downward under the drive of the external stamping force, thereby realizing the specific functional action of the keycap jig 2 in the keycap stamping station, ensuring that the keycap and the circuit board can be accurately stamped and assembled, and meeting the strict requirements of the membrane keyboard assembly process for high precision and high reliability.
[0049] like Figure 8 As shown, the positioning frame 262 includes an upper frame plate 2621 and a lower frame plate 2622; the upper frame plate 2621 extends radially along the rotary worktable 1, and one of the symmetrical sides of the upper frame plate 2621 is provided with a triangular side plate 2623 extending downward; the lower frame plate 2622 is fixedly arranged at the bottom end of the triangular side plate 2623; an upper fitting opening is arranged at the center position of the upper frame plate 2621, and a lower fitting opening with a diameter larger than the upper fitting opening is arranged at the center position of the lower frame plate 2622, and an upper step groove and a lower step groove are arranged at the top end of the abutment column 263, and the abutment column 263 is arranged in the upper fitting opening and the lower fitting opening, the upper step groove abuts against the bottom end of the upper frame plate 2621, and the lower step groove abuts against the bottom end of the lower frame plate 2622.
[0050] A pair of symmetrical sides of the upper frame 2621 are carefully provided with downwardly extending triangular side panels 2623. The shape design of the triangular side panels 2623 is based on the principle of mechanics, which can effectively disperse stress and ensure that the upper frame 2621 and the entire positioning frame 262 structure will not be deformed or damaged when subjected to various complex forces, thereby ensuring the reliability and accuracy of the keycap fixture 2 during long-term and high-frequency operation.
[0051] The lower frame plate 2622 is stably arranged at the bottom end of the triangular side plate 2623. A stable frame structure is formed between the lower frame plate 2622 and the upper frame plate 2621 through the triangular side plate 2623. This structural design enables the positioning frame 262 to have good spatial stability and load-bearing capacity as a whole.
[0052] When the abutting column 263 is installed in the upper and lower fitting openings, the upper stepped groove can closely abut against the bottom plane of the upper shelf plate 2621, and the lower stepped groove correspondingly abuts against the bottom plane of the lower shelf plate 2622. Through this precise matching method of the stepped groove and the fitting opening, it not only ensures the stable installation of the abutting column 263 in the positioning frame 262, but also can effectively transmit the acting force and motion information during the vertical movement of the positioning frame 262, enabling the positioning frame 262 to accurately respond to the changes in external acting forces. Furthermore, through the coordinated work with components such as the positioning ring 27, precise control of the movement of the lifting plate 24 in the keycap jig 2 is achieved.
[0053] As Figure 3 shown, the connected keycap loader 32 includes a fixed table 321, a rodless cylinder 322, a linear push cylinder 323, a mounting bracket 324, a suction rod 325, and a suction system; the fixed table 321 is arranged at the connected keycap loading station; the rodless cylinder 322 is horizontally arranged at the top of the fixed table 321, and the rodless cylinder 322 has a sliding seat that can extend radially along the rotary table 1; the actuating push cylinder is fixedly connected to the sliding seat in the vertical direction, and the actuating push cylinder has an output rod that can move in the vertical direction; the mounting bracket 324 is fixedly connected to the output rod; the suction rod 325 is fixedly arranged on the mounting bracket 324, and the suction rod 325 is connected to the suction system.
[0054] The fixed table 321 is accurately positioned at the connected keycap loading station, providing a stable support for the loader. The rodless cylinder 322 is horizontally placed on the top of the fixed table 321, and its sliding seat slides precisely along the radial direction of the rotary table 1, which is realized by advanced pneumatic drive. The linear push cylinder 323 is vertically fixedly connected to the sliding seat, and its output rod can be accurately displaced vertically. The mounting bracket 324 is fixed to the output rod, and the suction rod 325 is installed thereon and is hermetically connected to the suction system including components such as a vacuum pump, and the connected keycaps are adsorbed by negative pressure. The cooperation of each component ensures accurate and efficient loading.
[0055] As Figure 1 shown, the equipment further includes a stamping frame 91, a hydraulic cylinder 92, and a connecting frame 93; the stamping frame 91 is arranged outside the rotary table 1, and the stamping frame 91 has a mounting table extending to the top center position of the rotary table 1; the hydraulic cylinder 92 is vertically arranged on the mounting table, and the output rod of the hydraulic cylinder 92 penetrates the mounting table; the connecting frame 93 is arranged at the bottom of the mounting table in a vertically sliding manner, the connecting frame 93 extends along the radial direction of the rotary table 1, and the output rod of the hydraulic cylinder 92 is fixedly connected to the center position at the top end of the connecting frame 93; the stamping separation plate 41 and the stamping assembly plate 71 are respectively symmetrically arranged at the bottom end of the connecting frame 93.
[0056] The stamping frame 91 is placed at a specific position outside the rotary table 1. It has a mounting table that extends to the top center of the rotary table 1, and this mounting table provides a stable and accurate mounting reference for subsequent components. The hydraulic cylinder 92 is firmly installed on the mounting table in a vertical layout. Its output rod directly penetrates the mounting table, becoming a key path for power transmission. The connecting frame 93 is cleverly configured to be slidable along the vertical direction at the bottom of the mounting table and extends radially along the rotary table 1. The center position at the top of it is tightly connected to the output rod of the hydraulic cylinder 92 through a high-strength fixed connection method, forming a stable power transmission link. The stamping separation plate 41 and the stamping assembly plate 71 are respectively accurately arranged symmetrically at the bottom end of the connecting frame 93. During the operation of the equipment, according to the requirements of different workstations, the hydraulic cylinder 92 drives the connecting frame 93 to drive the stamping separation plate 41 and the stamping assembly plate 71 to work together, realizing key process steps such as keycap stamping separation and assembly with the circuit board, ensuring the efficiency and accuracy of the entire assembly process.
[0057] As Figure 4 shown, the structures of the waste material discharger 52, the circuit board loader 62, and the finished product discharger 82 are the same as that of the conjoined keycap loader 32.
[0058] The waste material discharger 52, the circuit board loader 62, and the finished product discharger 82 are all consistent with the conjoined keycap loader 32 in terms of structural configuration. They are all composed of a fixed table 321, a rodless cylinder 322, a linear push cylinder 323, a mounting frame 324, a suction rod 325, and a suction system. The cooperation mechanism of each component is the same, and there are only differences in the specific application scenarios and the material objects to be processed, so as to adapt to the requirements of different loading and unloading tasks.
[0059] As Figure 5 shown, the elastic element 28 is a disc spring, and the elastic element 28 is sleeved on the sliding column 261.
[0060] As Figure 2 shown, a connecting plate 94 is provided at the bottom end of the vertical rod of the hydraulic cylinder 92, and a positioning rod 95 extending upward along the vertical direction is provided at the top of the connecting plate 94. The positioning rod 95 slidably penetrates the mounting table.
[0061] At the bottom end of the vertical rod of the hydraulic cylinder 92, a connecting plate 94 is provided. At the top position of this connecting plate 94, a positioning rod 95 extending upward along the vertical direction is configured. This positioning rod 95 penetrates the mounting table in an accurate sliding fit manner, thereby effectively improving the stability and accuracy of the movement of the vertical rod during the operation of the hydraulic cylinder 92.
[0062] As Figure 7As shown, the fixture plate 25 includes a wooden plate 251 and a metal plate 252. The wooden plate 251 is disposed at the top end of the lifting plate 24, and a plate-shaped groove is provided at the top end of the wooden plate 251. The metal plate 252 is installed in the plate-shaped groove.
[0063] The fixture plate 25 is composed of a composite of the wooden plate 251 and the metal plate 252. Among them, the wooden plate 251 is stably disposed at the top end of the lifting plate 24, and a plate-shaped groove is finely processed at its top end. The metal plate 252 is installed in the plate-shaped groove in a precisely adapted manner. By virtue of the buffering characteristics of the wooden plate 251 and the wear-resistant and high-precision characteristics of the metal plate 252, the comprehensive performance of the fixture plate 25 during the keycap positioning and assembly process is effectively improved.
[0064] The above embodiments only represent one or several implementation manners of the present invention, and the description thereof is relatively specific and detailed. However, it should not be construed as a limitation to the scope of the patent of the present invention. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the concept of the present invention, several deformations and improvements can still be made, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention shall be subject to the appended claims.
Claims
1. Equipment for assembling membrane keyboard circuit boards and key caps, used to install key caps at corresponding positions on circuit boards, characterized in that: The rotary workbench (1) comprises a conjoined keycap loading station, a keycap separation station, a waste material removal station, a circuit board loading station, a keycap stamping station and a finished product unloading station, which are sequentially arranged along the circumference thereof; The rotary workbench (1) is provided with six keycap jigs (2) distributed along its circumference, and the keycap jig (2) is provided with keycap grooves corresponding to the keycaps and a keycap top block (21) arranged at the bottom of the keycap grooves; The one-piece keycap loading station is provided with a one-piece keycap conveyor belt (31) and a one-piece keycap loader (32) for placing the one-piece keycap rack on the keycap jig (2); A stamping separation plate (41) is arranged at the top of the keycap separation station, a keycap stamping block (411) corresponding to the keycap groove is arranged at the bottom of the stamping separation plate (41), and the keycap is stamped into the keycap groove by the keycap stamping block (411); A waste material conveyor belt (51) and a waste material discharger (52) for removing waste materials from the keycap jig (2) are provided at the waste material removal station; A circuit board conveyor belt (61) and a circuit board feeder (62) for placing the circuit board on the keycap jig (2) are provided at the circuit board feeding station; A stamping assembly plate (71) is arranged on the top of the keycap stamping station. When the stamping assembly plate (71) is pressed against the circuit board, the keycap is butted against the circuit board by the keycap top block (21); The finished product unloading station is provided with a finished product conveyor belt (81) and a finished product unloader (82) for taking the finished product from the keycap jig (2) and placing it on the finished product conveyor belt (81).
2. The device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and a key cap according to claim 1, characterized in that: The keycap jig (2) comprises a base plate (22), a fixing plate (23), a lifting plate (24), a jig plate (25), a positioning piece and a positioning ring (27); The base plate (22) is fixedly arranged on the rotary table (1); The fixing plate (23) is arranged on the top of the base plate (22), and the key cap top block (21) is arranged on the top of the fixing plate (23); The lifting plate (24) is slidably arranged on the top of the fixed plate (23) in the vertical direction, the key cap top block (21) slides through the lifting plate (24), and an elastic reset element is arranged between the lifting plate (24) and the fixed plate (23); The jig plate (25) is arranged on the top of the lifting plate (24), and the key cap grooves are distributed on the jig plate (25) and correspond to the key cap top block (21); The positioning member is arranged on the top of the rotary worktable (1) and is connected to the lifting plate (24); A positioning ring (27) is arranged at the bottom of the workbench, the positioning ring (27) is coaxial with the rotation axis of the rotary workbench (1), the positioning piece abuts against the top of the positioning ring (27), and an avoidance groove (271) is arranged at the top of the positioning ring (27) located at the keycap stamping station, and the positioning piece can move downward relative to the base plate (22) when it moves to the avoidance groove (271).
3. The device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and key caps according to claim 2, characterized in that: The positioning member comprises a sliding column (261), a positioning frame (262) and an abutting column (263); The sliding column (261) slides longitudinally through the rotary table (1), the base plate (22) and the fixed plate (23), and the top end of the sliding column (261) is fixedly connected to the lifting plate (24); The positioning frame (262) is slidably arranged at the bottom of the rotary table (1) in a vertical direction, and the bottom end of the sliding column (261) is fixedly connected to the top end of the positioning frame (262); The abutment column (263) is fixedly arranged at the center position of the positioning frame (262) in the vertical direction, and the abutment column (263) abuts against the top end of the positioning ring (27).
4. The device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and a key cap according to any one of claim 3, characterized in that: The positioning frame (262) comprises an upper frame plate (2621) and a lower frame plate (2622); The upper frame plate (2621) extends in the radial direction of the rotary worktable (1), and two symmetrical sides of the upper frame plate (2621) are provided with triangular side plates (2623) extending downwards; The lower frame plate (2622) is fixedly arranged at the bottom end of the triangular side plate (2623); An upper engaging opening is provided at the center of the upper frame plate (2621), a lower engaging opening having a diameter greater than the upper engaging opening is provided at the center of the lower frame plate (2622), an upper step groove and a lower step groove are provided at the top of the abutting column (263), the abutting column (263) is provided in the upper engaging opening and the lower engaging opening, the upper step groove abuts against the bottom end of the upper frame plate (2621), and the lower step groove abuts against the bottom end of the lower frame plate (2622).
5. The device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and a key cap according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The one-piece keycap loader (32) comprises a fixed platform (321), a rodless cylinder (322), a linear push cylinder (323), a mounting frame (324), a suction rod (325) and a suction system; The fixing platform (321) is arranged at the one-piece keycap loading station; The rodless cylinder (322) is horizontally arranged on the top of the fixed table (321), and the rodless cylinder (322) has a sliding seat capable of extending radially along the rotary table (1); The execution push cylinder is fixedly connected to the sliding seat in the vertical direction, and the execution push cylinder has an output rod that can move in the vertical direction; The mounting frame (324) is fixedly connected to the output rod; The suction rod (325) is fixedly arranged on the mounting frame (324), and the suction rod (325) is connected to the suction system.
6. The device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and a key cap according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The device also includes a punching frame (91), a hydraulic cylinder (92) and a connecting frame (93); The punching frame (91) is arranged outside the rotary worktable (1), and the punching frame (91) has a mounting platform extending to the top center position of the rotary worktable (1); The hydraulic cylinder (92) is vertically arranged on the mounting platform, and the output rod of the hydraulic cylinder (92) passes through the mounting platform; The connecting frame (93) is vertically slidably arranged at the bottom of the mounting platform, the connecting frame (93) extends radially along the rotary table (1), and the output rod of the hydraulic cylinder (92) is fixedly connected to the top center position of the connecting frame (93); The stamping separation plate (41) and the stamping assembly plate (71) are symmetrically arranged at the bottom end of the connecting frame (93).
7. The device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and key caps according to claim 5, characterized in that: The structures of the waste material feeder (52), the circuit board feeder (62) and the finished product feeder (82) are the same as the structure of the integrated keycap feeder (32).
8. The device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and key caps according to claim 3, characterized in that: The elastic element (28) is a disc spring, and the elastic element (28) is sleeved on the sliding column (261).
9. The device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and key caps according to claim 6, characterized in that: A connecting plate (94) is provided at the bottom end of the vertical rod of the hydraulic cylinder (92), and a positioning rod (95) extending upward in a vertical direction is provided at the top end of the connecting plate (94), and the positioning rod (95) slides through the mounting platform.
10. The device for assembling a membrane keyboard circuit board and a key cap according to any one of claims 2 to 3, characterized in that: The jig plate (25) comprises a wooden plate (251) and a metal plate (252); the wooden plate (251) is arranged on the top end of the lifting plate (24); a plate-shaped groove is arranged on the top end of the wooden plate (251); and the metal plate (252) is installed in the plate-shaped groove.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Key cap automatic assembly machine of keyboard
CN208385268U