Automatic plate placing equipment and plate placing method

Abstract

The invention discloses automatic tray placing equipment and a tray placing method, and relates to the technical field of antenna production, the automatic tray placing equipment is used for placing a plurality of antenna products into a target tray, the target tray is provided with a plurality of groove groups, each groove group comprises at least two adjacent material grooves, and the at least two adjacent material grooves are arranged in the target tray. The distance between two adjacent material grooves in each groove group is set to be one of A or M * A; the automatic tray placing equipment comprises a machine table, a feeding module, a middle variable-pitch module and a tray placing module. The machine table is provided with a material receiving station, a variable-pitch station and a tray placing station. The feeding module is movably arranged on the machine table and is configured to transfer the antenna located at the receiving station to the variable pitch station; the middle variable-pitch module is arranged on the machine table and located on the variable-pitch station. The tray placing module at least comprises N material taking mechanisms which are arranged at intervals in the first direction, and the N material taking mechanisms place the N antennas of which the intervals are adjusted by the intermediate variable pitch module into target trays in batches; the invention aims to improve the tray placing efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of antenna production, and in particular to an automatic dish setting device and a dish setting method. Background Art

[0002] During the production process, antenna products are often unloaded and transported using a single tray with multiple slots. This means that after being arranged at a certain spacing, they are placed on a tray for shipment. This requires the use of automatic tray placement equipment to perform this task. However, when placing antenna products on the tray, adjacent antenna products on the tray are placed at a certain distance to prevent collisions and damage during transportation. Existing technology requires a robot to repeatedly place individual antenna products on the tray until the tray is full. This method of placing antenna products on the tray is more suitable for trays with a single slot spacing. However, for trays with multiple slot spacings, this method of placing antenna products on the tray suffers from low efficiency and long placement cycles. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic plating device and a plating method, aiming to improve the plating efficiency.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an automatic tray placement device for placing multiple antenna products into a target tray. The target tray is provided with multiple slot groups, each slot group including at least two adjacent slots, and the spacing between two adjacent slots in each slot group is set to one of A or M×A. The automatic tray placement device includes: The machine has a material receiving station, a distance changing station and a plate setting station; a feeding module, movably disposed on the machine platform, configured to transfer the antenna located at the receiving station to the pitch changing station; an intermediate distance changing module, provided on the machine and located at the distance changing station, wherein the intermediate distance changing module is configured to change the distance between the N antennas to A; and a wobble tray module, provided on the machine and located between the pitch-changing station and the wobble tray station, the wobble tray module comprising at least N picking mechanisms spaced apart along a first direction, the N picking mechanisms being configured to grab N antennas and place the N antennas, the spacing of which has been adjusted by the intermediate pitch-changing module, in batches into the target tray; Wherein, M is a positive integer greater than 1, N=2×M+1; the first direction is set at an angle to the extension direction of the antenna.

[0005] In one embodiment, the wobble plate module includes: a movable seat movably disposed on the machine; and a suspension, provided on the movable seat and capable of moving up and down relative to the movable seat; Wherein, a plurality of the material taking mechanisms are arranged on a side of the suspension facing the machine.

[0006] In one embodiment, the material taking mechanism includes a material taking unit, and the material taking unit includes: a fixing plate, provided on a side of the suspension facing the machine, the fixing plate extending along the second direction; a clamping portion provided at one end of the fixing plate, the clamping portion comprising two oppositely disposed clamping plates, the side of each clamping plate close to the other clamping plate being a clamping surface, the two clamping surfaces being arranged in parallel; the clamping portion having a clamping state in which the two clamping surfaces approach each other to clamp the transmission line of the antenna, and a releasing state in which the two clamping surfaces move away from each other to loosen the transmission line of the antenna; and an adsorption portion, the adsorption portion being provided at an end of the fixing plate away from the clamping portion, the adsorption portion being configured to fix the substrate of the antenna; The second direction is the same as the extension direction of the antenna.

[0007] In one embodiment, the material picking mechanism includes two material picking units, one ends of the fixing plates of the two material picking units are connected to each other, and the adsorption parts of the two material picking units are arranged close to each other, and the clamping parts of the two material picking units are arranged far away from each other.

[0008] In one embodiment, the intermediate pitch changing module includes a pitch changing mechanism: A material receiving platform, provided on the machine platform and located at the variable distance station; A roller, rotatably mounted on the material receiving platform, for driving N initial material trays located above the roller to move along a first direction; and a material stopper, provided on the material receiving platform, configured to limit the distance between adjacent initial material trays to a preset value A; The material blocking portion cooperates with the roller so that the N initial material trays are separated by the material blocking portion and maintain a spacing A during movement.

[0009] In one embodiment, the material receiving platform can rotate around its own axis on the machine platform.

[0010] In one embodiment, the intermediate distance changing module includes two distance changing mechanisms, and the two material receiving platforms of the two distance changing mechanisms are arranged side by side.

[0011] In one embodiment, the feeding module comprises: a feeding mechanism configured to replenish the antennas to be placed at the receiving station; a waste mechanism configured to identify and separate unqualified antennas in the receiving station; a waste collection box, provided on the machine and located beside the waste mechanism, the waste collection box being configured to receive the unqualified antennas discharged by the waste mechanism; The waste mechanism is controlled in linkage with the feeding mechanism. When unqualified products are detected, the waste mechanism transfers the unqualified products to the waste collection box first, and then the feeding mechanism replenishes new antenna products to the receiving station.

[0012] The present invention also provides a plating method based on the above-mentioned automatic plating device, comprising the following steps: The feeding module picks up N antennas from the receiving station and transports them along the first direction to the pitch changing station; The intermediate distance conversion module synchronously adjusts the spacing between the N antennas to A, so that the spacing between adjacent antennas is equal to A; The N picking mechanisms of the wobble plate module descend synchronously along the first direction to grab the N antennas with a spacing of A; The swing plate module moves the captured N antennas to the swing plate station and executes a preset batching strategy according to the spacing between different slot groups of the target material tray.

[0013] In one embodiment, the preset batching strategy includes: When the slot group spacing is A, at least two of the N material taking mechanisms place at least two antennas into corresponding slots at one time; When the slot group spacing is M×A, antennas are grabbed by the M-spaced material taking mechanisms and placed in batches; Among them, a single placement covers at least one complete slot group until all slot groups are placed on the plate.

[0014] The automatic panning equipment provided by the present invention utilizes a machine platform comprising a receiving station, a pitch-changing station, and a panning station, as well as a structure in which a feeding module, an intermediate pitch-changing module, and a panning module work in concert. This solves the existing problem of a robot arm requiring multiple single grabs of individual antennas for panning, resulting in low panning efficiency and a long panning cycle. Specifically, the target pan is equipped with both A-spacing (basic spacing) and M×A-spacing (extended spacing) slot groups. By mixing dense A-spacing areas with M×A-spacing (extended spacing) areas within the same pan area, the panning layout is more compact and space utilization is improved. During the panning process, the feeding module picks up N=2M+1 antennas (e.g., N=5 when M=2) from the receiving station at once and transfers them to the pitch-changing station. The intermediate pitch-changing module adjusts the antenna spacing to A, ensuring that subsequent panning modules can directly adapt to the A or M×A-spacing slot groups of the pan without the need for secondary adjustments. The N picking mechanisms of the panning module synchronously grasp the antenna after the pitch change along a first direction (at an angle to the antenna's extension direction) to prevent interference between the mechanisms and the antenna structure. Subsequently, a batching strategy is implemented based on the different slot spacings of the target pan. For example, when the antenna is placed in a slot with a spacing of A, at least one of the N picking mechanisms can directly grasp the antenna and complete the placement of two slots. When the antenna is placed in a slot with a spacing of M×A, it can be placed in batches using M intervals between the mechanisms, or it can directly grasp the antenna and complete the placement of two slots. In summary, the present invention reduces the original panning cycle from "single piece multiple times" to "multiple pieces less times," shortening the panning time for a single pan. Furthermore, due to the quantitative relationship between the number of picking mechanisms and the slot spacing, it can be compatible with pans with both A and M×A spacings without changing the fixture. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an automatic plate-staging device provided in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a wobble plate module provided in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of an automatic plate-staging device provided in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 A flowchart of the steps of a plating method provided in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Description of Figure Numbers: 1000 Automatic Panning Equipment 1. Machine; 2. Feeding module; 3. Intermediate shift module; 4. Panning module; 41. Suspension; 42. Retrieving mechanism; 421. Fixing plate; 422. Clamping unit; 4221. Clamping plate; 423. Adsorption unit; 5. Refilling mechanism; 6. Waste collection box; 7. Waste mechanism; 2000, target tray.

[0018] The purpose, features and advantages of the present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with the embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0021] In addition, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. in the present invention are for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the fact that they can be implemented by ordinary technicians in this field. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0022] The present invention provides an automatic dish arrangement device 1000 .

[0023] See also Figure 1 The present invention proposes an automatic tray placement device 1000 for placing multiple antenna products into a target tray 2000. The target tray 2000 is provided with multiple slot groups, each slot group including at least two adjacent slots, and the spacing between two adjacent slots in each slot group is set to one of A and M×A. The automatic tray placement device 1000 includes: Machine 1, machine 1 has a material receiving station, a distance changing station and a plate setting station; The feeding module 2 is movably arranged on the machine 1 and is configured to transfer the antenna located at the receiving station to the pitch changing station; The intermediate distance changing module 3 is provided on the machine 1 and located at the distance changing station. The intermediate distance changing module 3 is configured to change the distance between the N antennas to A; and The swing plate module 4 is provided on the machine 1 and is located between the pitch changing station and the swing plate station. The swing plate module 4 includes at least N material picking mechanisms 42 spaced apart along a first direction. The N material picking mechanisms 42 are configured to grab N antennas and place the N antennas, whose spacing has been adjusted by the intermediate pitch changing module 3, in batches into the target material tray 2000. Wherein, M is a positive integer greater than 1, N=2×M+1; the first direction is set at an angle to the extension direction of the antenna.

[0024] It should be noted that the "machine 1" in this embodiment is the basic supporting structure of the automatic loading equipment. Its main function is to provide a stable support platform for installing, fixing and positioning the various functional components in the equipment, such as the feeding module 2, the intermediate distance conversion module 3 and the swing plate module 4, to ensure that these components can operate stably and harmoniously according to the predetermined workflow and relative position relationship. Machine 1 is designed with a specific workstation layout: a material receiving station, which is used to receive, transfer or temporarily store antennas; a distance changing station, which is a receiving antenna. At this station, the antenna is distanced to a specific interval to facilitate the transfer of the swing plate module 4; and a swing plate station, which is used to receive and target material trays 2000 for subsequent swinging.

[0025] Feeding module 2 is responsible for the physical handling and precise positioning of the antenna. Its key function is to ensure the accurate and efficient transmission and transfer of the antenna along the preset path. The specific structural design of the transfer module is highly flexible, and its selection must comprehensively consider the physical characteristics of the antenna (such as size, weight, and shape), production cycle requirements, and the overall layout and cost control of the equipment. Common implementation methods fall into two categories: 1) Integrated single-mechanism solution: This solution uses a multi-degree-of-freedom robot to simultaneously transfer the antenna. This robot needs to be equipped with vacuum suction cups, electromagnetic suction cups, or pneumatic / electric grippers. This single-mechanism solution has a relatively simple structure. 2) Distributed multi-mechanism solution: This solution uses multiple relatively simple sub-mechanisms with clearly defined divisions of labor to work together, such as a combination of a robot and a transfer rail.

[0026] The intermediate transfer module 3 is responsible for receiving antenna products or trays with antenna products, and then adjusting and rearranging them according to the required spacing changes of different slot groups on the target tray 2000. There are usually some movable guide rails, positioning pins or clamps inside the module. For example, when the spacing needs to be adjusted, the guide rails in the module will extend or move, separating the two already arranged antenna products or trays, or leaving a space between two adjacent antenna products or trays to reserve the corresponding spacing for the next antenna product or tray, thereby forming an arrangement that meets the requirements of the next slot group. In this way, the products can flow to the tray placement station in sequence with the correct spacing, ensuring that they can be accurately and efficiently placed in the corresponding slot group on the target tray 2000.

[0027] The panning module 4 is the execution unit in the automated production line responsible for precisely placing the antenna products, whose spacing and order have been adjusted by the intermediate distance module 3, into the corresponding slots on the target tray 2000. This module typically includes a gripping / adsorption mechanism, a positioning and recognition mechanism, and a motion platform. The motion platform is often a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm or an XYZ-axis motion platform. This platform precisely positions the gripping mechanism above the target tray 2000 and moves it along a pre-set path. A vacuum nozzle (suitable for lightweight products) or pneumatic or electric grippers are used to grasp or adsorb the antennas. The positioning and recognition mechanism's visual sensor or sensor array identifies empty and full slots on the target tray 2000 and can even confirm the correct posture of the captured product.

[0028] The automatic panning device 1000 provided by the present invention utilizes a machine 1 comprising a receiving station, a pitch-changing station, and a panning station, as well as a collaborative structure comprising a feeding module 2, an intermediate pitch-changing module 3, and a panning module 4. This solves the existing problem of a robot arm repeatedly grasping a single antenna for panning, resulting in low panning efficiency and a long panning cycle. Specifically, the target pan 2000 is equipped with both slot groups with A spacing (basic spacing) and M×A spacing (extended spacing). By mixing dense areas with M×A spacing for the same pan area, the panning layout is more compact and space utilization is improved. During the panning process, the feeding module 2 picks up N=2M+1 antennas (e.g., N=5 when M=2) from the receiving station at once and transfers them to the pitch-changing station. The intermediate pitch-changing module 3 adjusts the antenna spacing to A, ensuring that the subsequent panning module 4 can directly adapt to the pan's A or M×A spacing slot groups without the need for secondary adjustments. The N picking mechanisms 42 of the panning module 4 simultaneously grasp the antenna after the pitch change along a first direction (at an angle with the antenna's extension direction) to prevent interference between the mechanisms and the antenna structure. Subsequently, a batching strategy is implemented based on the different slot spacings of the target tray 2000. For example, when the antenna is placed in a slot with a spacing of A, at least one of the N picking mechanisms 42 can directly pick up the antenna and complete the placement of two slots. When the antenna is placed in a slot with a spacing of M×A, it can be placed in batches using M intervals, or it can directly pick up the antenna and complete the placement of two slots. In summary, the present invention reduces the original panning cycle from "single piece, multiple times" to "multiple pieces, few times," shortening the panning time for a single tray. Furthermore, due to the relationship between the number of picking mechanisms 42 and the slot spacing, it can accommodate trays with both A and M×A spacings without changing fixtures.

[0029] Please refer to Figure 2 In one embodiment, the wobble plate module 4 includes: A movable seat, movably provided on the machine 1; and The suspension 41 is provided on the movable seat and can move up and down relative to the movable seat; The plurality of material taking mechanisms 42 are disposed on a side of the suspension 41 facing the machine 1 .

[0030] It should be noted that the movement of the movable seat is achieved through a driving mechanism on the frame (such as a motor, a screw, a belt, a chain, a gear, a rotating platform, etc.), and the path movement can be performed as needed, so that the antenna supported on the movable seat can be accurately transferred to the swing plate station.

[0031] In this embodiment, the vertically movable design of the movable base and suspension 41 enables precise vertical positioning of the retrieving mechanism 42, ensuring smooth grasping and release of antenna products. During transport, the suspension 41 is mounted on the movable base and can move up and down relative to the base to adjust the height of the antenna. For example, when reaching the variable pitch and pan positions, the suspension 41 can be lowered to allow the retrieving mechanism 42 to approach the antenna. After grasping is completed, the suspension 41 can be raised to facilitate the movable base's continued movement along the path and avoid interference with other modules.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 2 In one embodiment, the material taking mechanism 42 includes a material taking unit, and the material taking unit includes: The fixing plate 421 is provided on a side of the suspension 41 facing the machine 1, and the fixing plate 421 extends along the second direction; The clamping portion 422 is provided at one end of the fixing plate 421. The clamping portion 422 includes two oppositely disposed clamping plates 4221. The side of each clamping plate 4221 closest to the other clamping plate 4221 is a clamping surface, and the two clamping surfaces are arranged in parallel. The clamping portion 422 has a clamping state in which the two clamping surfaces approach each other to clamp the transmission line of the antenna, and a release state in which the two clamping surfaces move away from each other to loosen the transmission line of the antenna; and The adsorption portion 423 is provided at one end of the fixing plate 421 away from the clamping portion 422 , and is configured to fix the substrate of the antenna; The second direction is the same as the extension direction of the antenna.

[0033] In this embodiment, when the retrieving unit moves over the antenna product to be grasped, the two clamping plates 4221 of the clamping portion 422 move into a clamping position, their clamping surfaces approaching each other to clamp the transmission line on the antenna product. Simultaneously, the suction portion 423 (e.g., a vacuum nozzle) aligns with the antenna product's substrate, generating suction force to secure the substrate. The movable holder, carrying the antenna product, with both the transmission line and the suctioned substrate, moves to a designated slot on the target tray 2000. The clamping portion 422 then releases (to the released state), and the suction portion 423 disengages, completing the placement of the antenna. This allows a single grasping action to secure both critical antenna components, reducing the number of separate operations and improving tray placement efficiency.

[0034] In order to accommodate more antennas on a tray, conventional antenna products may not be simply placed side by side in the same direction, but rather arranged face-to-face or back-to-back, with their transmission lines (or other components requiring clamping) facing opposite directions. However, the traditional single-directional clamping retrieving mechanism 42 is difficult to simultaneously or adaptably grasp two antennas facing opposite directions. To address this issue, in one embodiment, the retrieving mechanism 42 includes two retrieving units. The fixing plates 421 of the two retrieving units are interconnected at one end, and the suction portions 423 of the two retrieving units are positioned close to each other, while the clamping portions 422 of the two retrieving units are positioned farther apart.

[0035] Please refer to Figure 2 In this embodiment, two picking units can be used to clamp antennas in different directions respectively. For example, one picking unit grabs the antenna in a forward clamping state (transmission line facing forward), its adsorption portion 423 fixes the front side of the substrate, and the clamping portion 422 clamps the transmission line; the other picking unit grabs the adjacent antenna in a reverse clamping state (transmission line facing backward), its adsorption portion 423 fixes the rear side of the substrate, and the clamping portion 422 clamps the transmission line; after being synchronously transferred to the material tray, the two antennas can be transferred to the corresponding slot group one after another without the need for secondary flipping or adjustment of the mechanism direction.

[0036] In one embodiment, the intermediate pitch changing module 3 includes a pitch changing mechanism: The material receiving table is installed on the machine 1 and is located at the variable distance position; A roller, rotatably mounted on the material receiving platform, for driving N initial material trays located above the roller to move along a first direction; and A material stopper is provided on the material receiving platform, and is configured to limit the distance between adjacent initial material trays to a preset value A; The material stopper cooperates with the roller so that the N initial material trays are separated by the material stopper and maintain a spacing A during the movement.

[0037] In this embodiment, multiple initial material trays are conveyed to the receiving platform of the intermediate transfer module 3. The drum begins to rotate, and through contact between its surface and the bottom of the initial material tray (or through a drive method such as a conveyor belt), the initial material tray located above the drum is driven to move in a first direction. As the initial material tray moves, the material stopper located on the receiving platform begins to function. The material stopper restricts or blocks the advance of the initial material trays one by one according to the position of the preset value A, so that the newly arrived initial material tray must maintain a spacing A with the initial material tray positioned in front. The drum continues to drive and the material stopper continues to function, and eventually N initial material trays are arranged in a straight line on the receiving platform, with the spacing between adjacent trays precisely uniformed to the preset value A. After the spacing adjustment, the N initial material trays are conveyed to the next workstation (e.g., the working area of the swing plate module 4) with the uniform spacing A, for precise grasping by the swing plate module 4.

[0038] Alternatively, the material stopper can be designed with multiple L- or T-shaped blocks, each corresponding to a corresponding initial tray. The vertical portion of the block (the part that contacts the receiving platform) is fixed to the receiving platform, while the horizontal portion (the part facing the roller and the tray) is used to block the initial tray. To reduce damage to the initial tray caused by contact and friction, the surface of the material stopper can be made of a relatively elastic material such as rubber, polyurethane, or soft plastic, or the surface of the material stopper can be covered with such materials. This helps absorb the impact of the moving tray and stop it more smoothly. The material stopper can be designed as a movable block that can be raised or lowered to block or release the initial tray when needed.

[0039] In one embodiment, the material receiving platform can rotate around its own axis on the machine platform 1 .

[0040] In this embodiment, according to the grabbing requirements of the subsequent two material-picking mechanisms 42 (such as the mechanism described previously that includes two symmetrical material-picking units), the control system controls the material-carrying platform to rotate around its own axis by a specific angle (usually 180 degrees). During the rotation process, the antenna product placed on the material-carrying platform also rotates synchronously. By adopting a material-carrying platform that can rotate around its own axis on the machine 1, it is possible to solve the problem that when the antenna product needs to be placed on the material tray in a specific orientation (such as "face to face" or back to back"), it is difficult to adjust the initial orientation of the antenna product, thereby making it inconvenient for the subsequent two material-picking mechanisms 42 to clamp it simultaneously, efficiently and accurately.

[0041] In one embodiment, the intermediate distance changing module 3 includes two distance changing mechanisms, and the two material receiving platforms of the two distance changing mechanisms are arranged side by side.

[0042] In this embodiment, two pitch-changing mechanisms process in parallel, and the spacing adjustment of 2N antennas can be completed in a single cycle, meeting high production capacity requirements. In addition, when a single mechanism fails, the other mechanism can operate independently to ensure production continuity.

[0043] Please refer to Figure 3 In one embodiment, the feeding module 2 includes: The feeding mechanism 5 is configured to feed the antennas to be placed at the receiving station; A waste mechanism 7 is configured to identify and separate unqualified antennas in the receiving station; A waste collection box 6 is provided on the machine 1 and is located next to the waste mechanism 7. The waste collection box 6 is configured to receive unqualified antennas discharged by the waste mechanism 7. Among them, the waste mechanism 7 is linked with the feeding mechanism 5 for control. When unqualified products are detected, the waste mechanism 7 transfers the unqualified products to the waste collection box 6 first, and then the feeding mechanism 5 replenishes new antenna products to the receiving station.

[0044] It should be noted that the feeding mechanism 5 and the waste mechanism 7 can both be gripping and / or adsorption mechanisms such as robotic arm structures, which are used to directly grip / adsorb the antenna. For details, please refer to the above-mentioned feeding mechanism 42.

[0045] In this embodiment, the refill mechanism 5 first delivers the antenna products to the receiving station. At this station, the scrap mechanism 7 (typically comprising a detection sensor, such as a visual sensor or a size sensor) performs real-time inspection of the arriving antennas. If the scrap mechanism 7 detects an unqualified antenna product, it immediately initiates action, prioritizing the removal of the unqualified product from the receiving station and transferring it to the adjacent scrap collection bin 6 (this action takes precedence over the next refill by the refill mechanism 5). After the scrap mechanism 7 completes the transfer of the unqualified product, the refill mechanism 5 responds by replenishing the receiving station with a new, qualified antenna product, ensuring a constant supply of material. After refilling is complete, the refill mechanism 5 needs to immediately refill itself to increase system performance.

[0046] Please refer to Figure 4 The present invention also provides a plating method based on the automatic plating device 1000, comprising the following steps: S10, feeding module 2 picks up N antennas from the receiving station and transports them along the first direction to the pitch changing station; S20, the intermediate distance conversion module 3 synchronously adjusts the spacing between the N antennas to A, so that the spacing between adjacent antennas is equal to A; S30, the N picking mechanisms 42 of the swing plate module 4 descend synchronously along the first direction to grab N antennas with a spacing of A; S40, the plate swing module 4 moves the captured N antennas to the plate swing station and executes the preset batch strategy according to the spacing between different slot groups of the target material tray 2000.

[0047] This panning method processes N antennas at a time and pans individual slot groups in batches, rather than the traditional one-by-one approach. This reduces the number of panning module movements and operation cycles, directly shortening overall operation time. This batch processing strategy optimizes equipment resource utilization, enabling more work to be completed in the same timeframe while also enhancing production cycle stability.

[0048] In one embodiment, the preset batching strategy includes: When the slot group spacing is A, at least two of the N picking mechanisms 42 place at least two antennas into the corresponding slots at one time; When the slot group spacing is M×A, antennas are grabbed by M-spaced material taking mechanisms 42 and placed in batches; Among them, a single placement covers at least one complete slot group until all slot groups are placed on the plate.

[0049] Specifically, when the slot group spacing is A, the system instructs at least two of the N retrieving mechanisms 42 (e.g., two adjacent retrieving mechanisms 42) to work in concert. They each simultaneously or in a predetermined sequence grab an antenna and place them all at once into the nearest, corresponding pair or multiple slots. This approach fully utilizes the parallel capabilities of the retrieving mechanisms 42, enabling a single action to cover one or more slot groups.

[0050] When the slot group spacing is M×A, the system instructs some of the N retrieving mechanisms 42 (specifically, one of every M retrieving mechanisms 42) to perform a grabbing action. For example, if M=2, only the first, third, fifth, and so on, retrieving mechanisms 42 may be activated. Each of these activated retrieving mechanisms 42 grabs an antenna and places it into the corresponding slot. Then, after the device completes an overall movement or adjustment, the next batch is executed, activating the next group of retrieving mechanisms 42 spaced M apart (e.g., the second, fourth, sixth, and so on), completing the placement of all slot groups in batches. This approach avoids the problem of retrieving mechanisms 42 being unable to accurately align due to large spacing.

[0051] This allows for parallel operation of multiple retrieving mechanisms 42 when the slot spacing (A) is small, significantly shortening the panning cycle and increasing overall panning speed. When the slot spacing is large (M×A), the retrieving mechanisms 42 are activated at intervals, ensuring that the relative distance between the retrieving mechanism 42 and the target slot remains within a precisely controllable range during each operation. This avoids positioning difficulties and reduced accuracy caused by excessive spacing. This strategy flexibly accommodates trays of varying sizes and slot spacing without requiring replacement or adjustment of the retrieving mechanism 42 itself, enhancing the versatility and flexibility of the equipment.

[0052] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's description and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, within the scope of the present invention are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic tray placing device for placing multiple antenna products into a target tray, characterized in that: The target tray is provided with a plurality of slot groups, each of the slot groups includes at least two adjacent slots, and the spacing between two adjacent slots in each slot group is set to one of A or M×A; the automatic tray arrangement device includes: The machine has a material receiving station, a distance changing station and a plate setting station; a feeding module, movably disposed on the machine platform, configured to transfer the antenna located at the receiving station to the pitch changing station; an intermediate distance changing module, provided on the machine and located at the distance changing station, wherein the intermediate distance changing module is configured to change the distance between the N antennas to A; and a wobble tray module, provided on the machine and located between the pitch-changing station and the wobble tray station, the wobble tray module comprising at least N picking mechanisms spaced apart along a first direction, the N picking mechanisms being configured to grab N antennas and place the N antennas, the spacing of which has been adjusted by the intermediate pitch-changing module, in batches into the target tray; Wherein, M is a positive integer greater than 1, N=2×M+1; the first direction is set at an angle to the extension direction of the antenna.

2. The automatic plating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wobble plate module comprises: a movable seat movably disposed on the machine; and a suspension, provided on the movable seat and capable of moving up and down relative to the movable seat; Wherein, a plurality of the material taking mechanisms are arranged on a side of the suspension facing the machine.

3. The automatic plating device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The material taking mechanism includes a material taking unit, and the material taking unit includes: a fixing plate, provided on a side of the suspension facing the machine, the fixing plate extending along the second direction; a clamping portion provided at one end of the fixing plate, the clamping portion comprising two oppositely disposed clamping plates, the side of each clamping plate close to the other clamping plate being a clamping surface, the two clamping surfaces being arranged in parallel; the clamping portion having a clamping state in which the two clamping surfaces approach each other to clamp the transmission line of the antenna, and a releasing state in which the two clamping surfaces move away from each other to loosen the transmission line of the antenna; and an adsorption portion, the adsorption portion being provided at an end of the fixing plate away from the clamping portion, the adsorption portion being configured to fix the substrate of the antenna; The second direction is the same as the extension direction of the antenna.

4. The automatic plating equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The material picking mechanism includes two material picking units, one ends of the fixing plates of the two material picking units are connected to each other, and the adsorption parts of the two material picking units are arranged close to each other, and the clamping parts of the two material picking units are arranged far away from each other.

5. The automatic plating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The intermediate pitch changing module includes a pitch changing mechanism: A material receiving platform, provided on the machine platform and located at the variable distance station; A roller, rotatably mounted on the material receiving platform, for driving N initial material trays located above the roller to move along a first direction; and a material stopper, provided on the material receiving platform, configured to limit the distance between adjacent initial material trays to a preset value A; The material blocking portion cooperates with the roller so that the N initial material trays are separated by the material blocking portion and maintain a spacing A during movement.

6. The automatic plating device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The material receiving platform can rotate around its own axis on the machine platform.

7. The automatic plating device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The intermediate distance changing module includes two distance changing mechanisms, and the two material receiving platforms of the two distance changing mechanisms are arranged side by side.

8. The automatic plating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding module comprises: a feeding mechanism configured to replenish the antennas to be placed at the receiving station; a waste mechanism configured to identify and separate unqualified antennas in the receiving station; a waste collection box, provided on the machine and located beside the waste mechanism, the waste collection box being configured to receive the unqualified antennas discharged by the waste mechanism; The waste mechanism is controlled in linkage with the feeding mechanism. When unqualified products are detected, the waste mechanism transfers the unqualified products to the waste collection box first, and then the feeding mechanism replenishes new antenna products to the receiving station.

9. A plating method based on the automatic plating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: The feeding module picks up N antennas from the receiving station and transports them along the first direction to the pitch changing station; The intermediate distance conversion module synchronously adjusts the spacing between the N antennas to A, so that the spacing between adjacent antennas is equal to A; The N picking mechanisms of the wobble plate module descend synchronously along the first direction to grab the N antennas with a spacing of A; The swing plate module moves the captured N antennas to the swing plate station and executes a preset batching strategy according to the spacing between different slot groups of the target material tray.

10. The plating method according to claim 9, wherein: The preset batching strategy includes: When the slot group spacing is A, at least two of the N material taking mechanisms place at least two antennas into corresponding slots at one time; When the slot group spacing is M×A, antennas are grabbed by the M-spaced material taking mechanisms and placed in batches; Among them, a single placement covers at least one complete slot group until all slot groups are placed on the plate.

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