Appearance inspection apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of antenna, in particular to a kind of appearance detection equipment, wherein the multi-angle appearance detection equipment includes machine table, transfer module, feeding rotary module, first detection module and second detection module, transfer module is configured to pick up and transport at least one antenna, so that the active path of at least one antenna includes the first path covering the material receiving station and the material transfer station and the area between them and the second path covering the material transfer station and the material outlet station and the area between them;Feeding rotary module is located at material transfer station, and feeding rotary module is configured to rotate the antenna as a whole by 90 degrees;First detection module is configured to shoot the first side and the second side of at least one antenna arranged oppositely on the first path;Second detection module, second detection module shoots the third side and the fourth side of at least one antenna arranged oppositely on the second path.The present application aims to improve the appearance detection efficiency of antenna.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automation equipment, and in particular to appearance detection equipment. Background Art

[0002] Antenna products consist of a substrate, transmission lines, and terminals connected to the ends of the transmission lines. The quality of their appearance after production is directly related to product performance and reliability. Therefore, the entire outer surface needs to be strictly inspected to ensure that they are qualified before leaving the factory.

[0003] Existing appearance inspection equipment generally uses a rotating fixture. Its core structure consists of a rotating fixture, a drive mechanism, and a detection mechanism (such as a visual sensor or camera). During the inspection process, the antenna under test is fixed to the rotating fixture. The drive mechanism is then activated, rotating the antenna product. During this rotation, the detection mechanism captures images of the antenna from a fixed position, capturing static images at specific angles in steps. The goal is to ensure that the rotation of the antenna allows the inspection mechanism to cover all angles of the product's exterior surface, thereby obtaining the most comprehensive appearance information possible.

[0004] However, the inspection mechanism must wait for the antenna to rotate to a specific angle or come to a complete stop before effectively aligning and capturing the target area. This "waiting for alignment" process, both in terms of the time required for mechanical rotation and the stabilization time required to ensure image clarity, directly limits the number of inspections per unit time. Therefore, this area-by-area, angle-by-angle scanning method struggles to achieve truly continuous, high-speed inspection, hindering overall inspection efficiency and the ability to meet ever-increasing production cycle times. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide an appearance inspection device, aiming to improve the appearance inspection efficiency of antenna products.

[0006] To solve the above problems, the antenna appearance inspection equipment includes:

[0007] A machine, the machine having a receiving station, a material transfer station, and a material discharge station, wherein the receiving station is configured to receive at least one antenna outputted from a previous process;

[0008] a transfer module movably disposed on the machine platform, the transfer module being configured to pick up and transfer at least one of the antennas so that a moving path of the at least one of the antennas includes a first path covering the receiving station and the transfer station and an area therebetween, and a second path covering the transfer station and the discharge station and an area therebetween;

[0009] A feeding and rotating module is provided on the machine and located at the material transfer station, and is configured to rotate the entire antenna 90 degrees;

[0010] a first detection module, configured to capture a first side and a second side of at least one antenna disposed opposite to each other on the first path; and

[0011] A second detection module is configured to capture images of a third side and a fourth side of at least one antenna that are relatively arranged on the second path.

[0012] In one embodiment, the transfer module includes:

[0013] a movable base, disposed on the platform, configured to transport the antenna along the first path and / or the second path;

[0014] a suspension, provided on the movable seat and capable of moving up and down relative to the movable seat; and

[0015] The clamping mechanism is provided on a side of the suspension facing the machine platform, and the clamping mechanism is configured to clamp at least one of the antennas.

[0016] In one embodiment, the clamping mechanism includes at least one clamping portion, the clamping portion includes two oppositely arranged clamping plates, the side of each clamping plate close to the other clamping plate is a clamping surface, and the two clamping surfaces are arranged in parallel; the clamping portion has a clamping state in which the two clamping surfaces approach each other to clamp the two oppositely arranged sides of the antenna and a release state in which the two clamping surfaces move away from each other to loosen the antenna.

[0017] In one embodiment, the clamping mechanism includes three clamping parts spaced apart along a first direction, and the three clamping parts are respectively configured to clamp the base of the antenna, clamp one end of the transmission line of the antenna close to the base, and clamp one end of the transmission line of the antenna away from the base; wherein the first direction is the same as the extension direction of the antenna.

[0018] In one embodiment, the receiving station is configured to receive a plurality of antennas arranged side by side along the second direction;

[0019] The transfer module includes a plurality of the clamping mechanisms arranged side by side along the second direction, and the plurality of the clamping mechanisms are respectively used to clamp the plurality of the antennas;

[0020] The second direction is arranged at an angle to the extension direction of the antenna.

[0021] In one embodiment, the feeding rotary module comprises:

[0022] A base, provided on the machine and located at the material transfer station;

[0023] a rotating member, the rotating member comprising a rotating shaft extending in a first direction and a fixed body provided on the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft being provided on the base and being capable of rotating 90 degrees around its own axis; the fixed body being provided with an embedding groove, the embedding groove being provided with two communicating first and second notches respectively formed on two adjacent side surfaces of the fixed body; the antenna being embedded in the embedding groove; and

[0024] a driving member, the driving member being in transmission connection with the rotating member;

[0025] The first direction is the same as the extension direction of the antenna; the driving member is configured to drive the rotating member to rotate so that the rotating member has a first position and a second position. In the first position, the first side of the antenna is exposed from the first notch to the fixed body; in the second position, the third side of the antenna is exposed from the second notch to the fixed body.

[0026] In one embodiment, the fixing body includes a first sub-fixing body and a second sub-fixing body spaced apart and sleeved on the rotating shaft along the first direction, the first sub-fixing body having a first sub-embedding groove, the first sub-embedding groove having a first sub-notch and a second sub-notch formed on two adjacent side surfaces of the first sub-fixing body, respectively; the second sub-fixing body having a second sub-embedding groove, the second sub-embedding groove having a third sub-notch and a fourth sub-notch formed on two adjacent side surfaces of the second sub-fixing body, respectively;

[0027] The first sub-embedded slot and the second sub-embedded slot together constitute the embedded slot, the first sub-embedded slot is configured to install the base of the antenna, and the second sub-embedded slot is configured to install the transmission line of the antenna.

[0028] In one embodiment, the second sub-fixing body includes a base and a plurality of protrusions, the base is sleeved on the rotating shaft, the plurality of protrusions are spaced apart along the first direction, and each of the protrusions is provided with the second sub-embedding groove;

[0029] The feeding rotating module also includes a plurality of first stop blocks arranged at intervals along the first direction, and the plurality of first stop blocks are respectively arranged corresponding to the plurality of protrusions. The transmission line of the antenna is arranged between the first stop block and the protrusion. The first stop block is provided with an abutment slope on the side close to the protrusion, and the abutment slope is in abutment contact with the antenna.

[0030] In one embodiment, a bottom of the first sub-embedding groove is provided with an adsorption hole; the material rotation module further includes an adsorption member, and the adsorption member is connected to the adsorption hole.

[0031] In an embodiment, the receiving station is configured to receive a plurality of the antennas arranged side by side along the second direction.

[0032] The feeding rotating module comprises a plurality of the rotating members arranged side by side along the second direction, the plurality of the rotating members corresponding to rotate the plurality of the antennas.

[0033] The second direction is arranged at an angle with respect to the extending direction of the antennas.

[0034] In an embodiment, the machine further comprises a transfer station between the transferring station and the discharging station.

[0035] The transferring module further comprises a conveying rail extending along the second path and capable of passing through the transferring station and the transfer station.

[0036] The base is movably arranged on the conveying rail and capable of moving along the conveying rail.

[0037] In an embodiment, the first detecting module comprises a first camera and a second camera; the first camera is arranged on the receiving station, the shooting side of the first camera is arranged towards the machine and is aligned with a first side of the antenna arranged on the receiving station; the shooting side of the second camera is arranged away from the machine and is aligned with a second side of the antenna arranged in the first path; and / or

[0038] The second detecting module comprises a third camera and a fourth camera; the shooting side of the third camera is arranged towards the machine and is aligned with a third side of the antenna arranged in the transferring station or the second path; the shooting side of the fourth camera is arranged away from the machine and is aligned with a fourth side of the antenna arranged in the second path.

[0039] The antenna appearance inspection device provided by the present invention adopts a structural design that combines separate paths, segmented inspection and rotational positioning, which can solve the problem of low inspection efficiency caused by waiting for alignment in the existing rotating fixture solution. Specifically, according to the solution of the present invention, the appearance inspection process of the antenna is as follows: first, the antenna is received at the receiving station; then, the transfer module picks up the antenna and moves along a first path covering the receiving station, the transfer station and the area between them. On this path, the first inspection module photographs the first and second sides of the antenna that are relatively set; after arriving at the transfer station, the loading and rotating module rotates the antenna as a whole 90 degrees; then, the transfer module picks up the rotated antenna again and moves along a second path covering the transfer station, the discharge station and the area between them. On this path, the second inspection module photographs the third and fourth sides of the antenna that are relatively set; finally, the antenna is transferred to the discharge station. By assigning the inspection of different sides of the antenna to different paths and inspection modules, and performing rotational positioning only once at the transfer station, the situation of frequently waiting for the antenna to be rotated and aligned during the inspection process is avoided. In this way, since the inspection process is broken down into two independent paths and two independent inspection modules, the first and second inspection modules can capture images relatively independently and continuously on their respective paths, without having to wait for the antenna to complete rotation or stabilize within the inspection area. At the same time, the rotation operation is centralized at the material transfer station, reducing the impact of rotation waiting time on the overall process. This makes the inspection process more continuous and high-speed, significantly increasing the number of inspections per unit time, effectively solving the efficiency bottleneck caused by area-by-area and angle-by-angle scanning in existing technologies, and can better meet the ever-increasing production cycle requirements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] 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.

[0041] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of an antenna appearance detection device provided by the present invention;

[0042] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of a transfer module provided by the present invention;

[0043] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of a feeding rotary module provided by the present invention;

[0044] Figure 4This is a structural diagram of another embodiment of the transfer module provided by the present invention.

[0045] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0046] 1000 antenna appearance inspection equipment; 1. Machine; 11. Material receiving station; 12. Material transfer station; 13. Material discharging station; 14. Transfer station; 2. Transfer module; 21. Suspension; 22. Clamping mechanism; 221. Clamping plate; 23. Conveyor rail; 3. Loading and rotating module; 31. Base; 32. Rotating part; 321. Rotating shaft; 322. First sub-fixed body; 323. Second sub-fixed body; 3231. Bump; 324. First stop block; 325. Second stop block; 4. First inspection module; 41. First camera; 42. Second camera; 5. Second inspection module; 51. Third camera; 52. Fourth camera; 6. Adsorption mechanism.

[0047] 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

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] In addition, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. in the present invention are only for descriptive purposes and cannot 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" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, the meaning of "and / or" appearing in the full text includes three parallel schemes. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes scheme A, or scheme B, or a scheme in which A and B are satisfied at the same time. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0051] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide an antenna appearance detection device 1000.

[0052] See also Figure 1 In one embodiment, the antenna appearance inspection device 1000 includes:

[0053] The machine 1 has a receiving station 11, a transfer station 12 and a discharge station 13. The receiving station 11 is configured to receive at least one antenna output from the previous process;

[0054] A transfer module 2 is movably provided on the machine 1, and is configured to pick up and transfer at least one antenna so that a movement path of the at least one antenna includes a first path covering the receiving station 11 and the transfer station 12 and the area therebetween, and a second path covering the transfer station 12 and the discharge station 13 and the area therebetween;

[0055] The feeding and rotating module 3 is provided on the machine 1 and located at the material transfer station 12. The feeding and rotating module 3 is configured to rotate the entire antenna 90 degrees.

[0056] a first detection module 4, the first detection module 4 being configured to capture a first side and a second side of at least one antenna disposed opposite to each other on a first path; and

[0057] The second detection module 5 is configured to capture images of a third side and a fourth side of at least one antenna that are relatively arranged on a second path.

[0058] It should be noted that the "machine 1" in this embodiment is the basic bearing structure that constitutes the automatic loading equipment. Its main function is to provide a stable support platform for installing, fixing and positioning various functional components in the equipment, such as the transfer module 2, the loading rotation module 3, the first detection module 4 and the second detection module 5, etc., to ensure that these components can operate stably and harmoniously according to the predetermined workflow and relative position relationship. The machine 1 is designed to have a specific workstation layout: a receiving station 11, which is a position for receiving, transferring or temporarily storing the antenna after processing; a transfer station 12, which is a receiving antenna. At this station, the antenna is rotated and then transferred to the next detection area; a discharge station 13, which is used to receive and temporarily store the antenna after detection that is unloaded from the transfer module 2 for subsequent collection and unloading.

[0059] Transfer module 2, the core motion execution unit of antenna appearance inspection equipment 1000, is responsible for the physical handling and precise positioning of the antenna. Its key function is to ensure accurate and efficient transfer and movement of the antenna along a pre-set path between the receiving station 11, the transfer station 12, the discharge station 13, and various inspection areas. The specific structural design of transfer module 2 offers a high degree of flexibility, 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 main categories: 1) Integrated single-mechanism solution: A single manipulator with multiple degrees of freedom is used to simultaneously perform transfers along the first and second paths. This manipulator is equipped with vacuum suction cups, electromagnetic suction cups, or pneumatic / electric grippers. This single-mechanism solution offers a relatively simple structure. 2) Distributed multi-mechanism solution: Multiple relatively simple sub-mechanisms with clear division of labor work together. For example, a robot is responsible for the transfer on the first path, and the linear guide and transfer seat are responsible for the transfer on the second path. Alternatively, the transfer on the first path and the second path is achieved through different transfer seats. It should be noted that after the first transfer seat completes the transfer of the antenna from the receiving station 11 to the transfer station 12, the second transfer seat will then send the rotated antenna to the discharge station 13. In this way, the first transfer seat can return to the receiving station 11 immediately or almost without waiting, preparing for the next transfer, so that the transfer processes of the first path and the second path can be overlapped, thereby effectively shortening the overall material transmission cycle time and improving the production efficiency of the equipment. It is suitable for scenarios with high requirements on production rhythm.

[0060] The loading and rotating module 3 receives the antenna from the receiving station 11 and rotates it 90 degrees to ensure that subsequent processing can correctly detect the third and fourth sides of the antenna. The loading and rotating module 3 must include a fixing mechanism to secure the antenna and a rotating mechanism to rotate the antenna. The rotating mechanism is typically a turntable or shaft 321 driven by a motor (such as a stepper motor, servo motor, or pneumatic cylinder). The fixing mechanism can be mounted on the turntable or shaft 321 and can be a vacuum suction cup or flexible gripper.

[0061] The first detection module 4 and the second detection module 5 are core imaging units in the antenna appearance detection device 1000, and generally have basic structural components such as light sources, cameras, lenses, supports, etc. to capture images. The light source can adopt a ring-shaped light source to uniformly illuminate the antenna surface, or use a bar-shaped light to detect the edge. The resolution and frame rate of the camera need to match the detection accuracy and production line rhythm, and the lens needs to be selected according to the detection distance and field of view size. The first detection module 4 is installed on the first path, and a camera is used to sequentially shoot the first side and the second side of the antenna at different positions, or at least two cameras are used to sequentially shoot the first side and the second side of the antenna at different positions. Similarly, the second detection module 5 is located on the second path, and a camera is used to sequentially shoot the third side and the fourth side of the antenna at different positions, or at least two cameras are used to sequentially shoot the third side and the fourth side of the antenna at different positions. The image data collected by the first detection module 4 and the second detection module 5 is transmitted to the central processing unit for defect recognition and analysis.

[0062] In this embodiment, the antenna appearance detection device 1000 adopts a structure design combining separate paths, segmented detection and rotary positioning, which can solve the problem of low detection efficiency caused by waiting for alignment in the existing rotary clamp scheme. Specifically, according to the scheme of the present application, the antenna appearance detection process is as follows: first, the antenna is received at the receiving station 11; then, the transfer module 2 picks up the antenna and moves along the first path covering the receiving station 11, the transferring station 12 and the area between them, and in this path, the first detection module 4 shoots the first side and the second side of the antenna arranged opposite to each other; after reaching the transferring station 12, the antenna is rotated by 90 degrees as a whole by the feeding rotary module 3; then, the transfer module 2 picks up the rotated antenna again and moves along the second path covering the transferring station 12, the discharging station 13 and the area between them, and in this path, the second detection module 5 shoots the third side and the fourth side of the antenna arranged opposite to each other; finally, the antenna is transferred to the discharging station 13. By distributing the detection of different sides of the antenna to different paths and detection modules, and only performing rotary positioning at the transferring station 12, the situation of frequently waiting for the antenna to rotate and align during the detection process is avoided. In this way, since the detection process is divided into two independent paths and two independent detection modules, the first detection module 4 and the second detection module 5 can relatively independently and continuously shoot images on the paths they are responsible for, without waiting for the antenna to complete rotation or stabilization in the detection area. At the same time, the rotary operation is concentrated to the transferring station 12 to complete, reducing the impact of rotary waiting time on the overall process. This makes the detection process closer to a continuous and high-speed state, significantly improves the number of detections per unit time, effectively solves the efficiency bottleneck problem caused by scanning region by region and angle by angle in the prior art, and can better meet the increasing production rhythm requirements.

[0063] Please continue to refer to Figure 1 Further, in an embodiment, the first detection module 4 comprises a first camera 41 and a second camera 42; the first camera 41 is located at the receiving station 11, and the shooting side of the first camera 41 is arranged towards the machine table 1 and is aligned with the first side of the antenna located at the receiving station 11; the shooting side of the second camera 42 is arranged away from the machine table 1 and is aligned with the second side of the antenna located in the first path.

[0064] In another embodiment, the second detection module 5 comprises a third camera 51 and a fourth camera 52; the shooting side of the third camera 51 is arranged towards the machine table 1 and is aligned with the third side of the antenna located at the transferring station 12 or in the second path; the shooting side of the fourth camera 52 is arranged away from the machine table 1 and is aligned with the fourth side of the antenna located in the second path.

[0065] It can be understood that the “shooting side of the first / third camera 41 / 51 is arranged towards the machine table 1” means that the first / third camera 41 / 51 is mounted on the machine table 1 by a support, and the side (i.e. the shooting side) where the shooting lens or the photosensitive element of the first / third camera 41 / 51 is located is downward towards the surface of the machine table 1, so as to conveniently capture the overall appearance of the side of the antenna away from the machine table 1. The “shooting side of the second / fourth camera 42 / 52 is arranged towards the machine table 1” means that the second / fourth camera 42 / 52 is mounted on the machine table 1 by a support, and the side (i.e. the shooting side) where the shooting lens or the photosensitive element of the second / fourth camera 42 / 52 is located is upward towards the upper side of the machine table 1, so as to conveniently capture the overall appearance of the side of the antenna towards the machine table 1.

[0066] Of course, the above two embodiments can be implemented simultaneously, i.e. the first detection module 4 and the second detection module 5 both adopt the structure of double cameras shooting from opposite sides.

[0067] In the above embodiments, the first camera 41 is arranged at the receiving station 11, so that the detection can be completed when the antenna enters the receiving station 11; and the second camera 42, the third camera 51 and the fourth camera 52 can all quickly complete the detection of the antenna during the movement of the antenna, and the antenna basically does not need to stop during the transferring process, so that the parallel of the detection and the transferring can be realized, and the overall detection pace can be improved.

[0068] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4 In the first embodiment, the transferring module 2 comprises:

[0069] a movable seat arranged on the machine table, and configured to transfer the antenna along the first path and / or the second path;

[0070] a suspension 21 arranged on the movable seat and capable of moving up and down relative to the movable seat; and

[0071] The clamping mechanism 22 is arranged on the side of the suspension 21 facing the machine table 1, and is configured to clamp at least one antenna.

[0072] It should be noted that the movement of the movable seat is realized by a driving mechanism (such as a motor, a lead screw, a belt, a chain, a gear, a rotating platform, etc.) on the machine table 1, which can move along the first path and / or the second path as needed, so as to accurately transfer the antenna mounted on the movable seat to different detection positions.

[0073] In this embodiment, the movable seat can drive the antenna to move to the positions of the first detection module 4 and the second detection module 5 in sequence according to the preset detection process for imaging. During the transfer process, the suspension 21 is arranged on the movable seat and can move up and down relative to the movable seat to adjust the height for grabbing the antenna. For example, when reaching the receiving station 11 and the transferring station 12, the suspension 21 can be lowered to make the clamping mechanism 22 close to the antenna, and after the grabbing is completed, the suspension 21 can be raised to facilitate the movable seat to continue moving along the path and avoid interference with the detection module.

[0074] Of course, the suspension 21 can also not select the clamping mechanism 22 to clamp the antenna, but select the suction mechanism 6 to suck the antenna, so in the second embodiment, the transfer module 2 can further include a vacuum suction mechanism 6 arranged on the side of the suspension 21 facing the machine table 1, which is configured to suck the base of the antenna. During the transfer process, the vacuum suction mechanism 6 forms a seal with the surface of the base of the antenna through its suction cup (or other suction head) to generate sufficient suction force to firmly adsorb the antenna on the transfer module 2, and then drive the antenna to move. In this way, the antenna can be effectively prevented from being scratched, deformed or damaged.

[0075] In the third embodiment of the present application, the clamping mechanism 22 and the vacuum suction mechanism 6 are arranged on the side of the suspension 21 facing the machine table 1, wherein the clamping mechanism 22 is configured to clamp the conveying line of the antenna, and provides longitudinal stable constraint by mechanical clamping force to prevent the conveying line from shaking or loosening during the transfer process, and the vacuum suction mechanism 6 is configured to suck the base of the antenna, and provides stable support in the horizontal and vertical directions for the base of the antenna by generating negative pressure suction force to prevent the base from deviating, tilting or falling during the transfer process. The two mechanisms work together to form a composite fixation of the antenna in multiple dimensions and multiple positions, greatly enhancing the overall stability of the antenna during the transfer process, and effectively coping with the scene of high-speed transfer.

[0076] In one embodiment, the clamping mechanism 22 includes at least one clamping portion, which includes two oppositely arranged clamping plates 221, and the side of each clamping plate 221 close to the other clamping plate 221 is a clamping surface, and the two clamping surfaces are arranged in parallel; the clamping portion has a clamping state in which the two clamping surfaces approach each other to clamp the two oppositely arranged sides of the antenna and a release state in which the two clamping surfaces move away from each other to loosen the antenna.

[0077] In this embodiment, when the antenna arrives at the clamping station and is ready to be transferred, the clamping part in the clamping mechanism 22 starts to move, and the driving device causes the two clamping surfaces to approach each other and enter the clamping state, so that when the antenna is clamped, since the clamping surfaces are arranged parallel to each other, the pressure on both sides of the antenna is uniform and in the same direction, ensuring the reliability and consistency of the clamping; when the antenna needs to be transferred to the next station (for example, from the material receiving station 11 to the material transfer station 12, or from the material transfer station 12 to the material discharging station 13), the control system issues a release command. At this time, the driving device will cause the two clamping surfaces to move away from each other and enter the release state, and the originally clamped antenna is able to fall into the loading rotating module 3 or the material discharging station 13.

[0078] See also Figure 2 In one embodiment, the clamping mechanism 22 includes three clamping parts spaced apart along a first direction, and the three clamping parts are respectively configured to clamp the base of the antenna, clamp the end of the transmission line of the antenna close to the base, and clamp the end of the transmission line of the antenna away from the base; wherein the first direction is the same as the extension direction of the antenna.

[0079] In this embodiment, the three clamping parts are arranged in sequence along a first direction that is the same as the extension direction of the antenna and operate separately. The first clamping part is responsible for clamping the base part of the antenna, the second clamping part clamps the end of the transmission line close to the base, and the third clamping part clamps the end of the transmission line away from the base. These three clamping parts work together to grasp the antenna from different positions at the same time, ensuring that when the antenna is clamped, not only the base is fixed but also its transmission line is constrained in sections.

[0080] Of course, in other embodiments, two clamping parts may be provided, that is, the two clamping parts clamp the base and the transmission line of the antenna respectively; or, the clamping mechanism 22 is provided with four or more clamping parts to provide more clamping points and a more uniform clamping force distribution. For example, multiple clamping points may be set on the base, or clamping points may be set at different positions of the transmission line, or even clamping may be performed at multiple positions of the base and the transmission line at the same time. In this way, antennas with complex structures, large sizes, or requiring extremely high positioning accuracy can be more firmly fixed, effectively preventing any slight displacement or deformation during the detection process, and better protecting the antenna surface from damage.

[0081] See also Figure 2In order to facilitate grabbing multiple antennas at one time and improve detection efficiency, in one embodiment, the material receiving station 11 is configured to receive multiple antennas arranged side by side along the second direction;

[0082] The transfer module 2 includes a plurality of clamping mechanisms 22 arranged side by side along the second direction, and the plurality of clamping mechanisms 22 are respectively used to clamp a plurality of antennas;

[0083] The second direction is set at an angle to the extension direction of the antenna.

[0084] In this embodiment, when the transfer module 2 moves to the top of the material receiving station 11, the multiple clamping mechanisms 22 arranged side by side can simultaneously clamp the multiple antennas on the material receiving station 11. After clamping, the transfer module 2 quickly and stably transports the group of antennas to the first inspection module 4 and the second inspection module 5 to achieve appearance inspection, thereby doubling the total number of inspections that can be completed per unit time. Since in the traditional inspection process, the equipment usually grabs one antenna at a time, inspects it once, and puts it back once before the next cycle can be carried out, the present invention only needs to increase the number of clamping mechanisms 22 to increase the parallel processing capacity of the above-mentioned antenna appearance inspection device 1000, breaking the sequential bottleneck of traditional single-piece inspection, so that within the same time window, the system can complete all or part of the inspection process for multiple antennas, thereby significantly improving the total number of inspections completed per unit time (i.e., the throughput of the system), greatly improving the overall inspection efficiency and production rhythm.

[0085] Of course, the transfer module 2 using the vacuum adsorption method can also have multiple vacuum adsorption mechanisms 6 arranged side by side; or, the transfer module 2 using the clamping and vacuum adsorption methods can also have multiple clamping mechanisms 22 and vacuum adsorption mechanisms 6 arranged side by side.

[0086] See also Figure 3 In one embodiment, the feeding rotary module 3 includes:

[0087] The base 31 is provided on the machine 1 and is located at the material transfer station 12;

[0088] The rotating member 32 includes a rotating shaft 321 extending along a first direction and a fixed body provided on the rotating shaft 321. The rotating shaft 321 is provided on the base 31 and can rotate 90 degrees around its own axis. The fixed body has an embedding groove, and the embedding groove has two connected first and second notches formed on two adjacent side surfaces of the fixed body. The antenna is embedded in the embedding groove; and

[0089] A driving member, the driving member is in transmission connection with the rotating member 32;

[0090] The first direction is the same as the extension direction of the antenna; the driving member is configured to drive the rotating member 32 to rotate so that the rotating member 32 has a first position and a second position. In the first position, the first side of the antenna is exposed from the first notch to the fixed body; in the second position, the third side of the antenna is exposed from the second notch to the fixed body.

[0091] It should be noted that the shape and size of the slot should be as closely aligned as possible with the antenna, and its extension should be aligned with the longest direction (extension direction) of the antenna itself. This helps maintain stability even when the antenna is long. The drive element (such as a motor) is connected to the rotating element 32 (primarily the shaft 321) via gears, a coupling, or other transmission method. Upon receiving a control signal, the drive element can quickly and accurately drive the shaft 321, causing the fixed body and the antenna mounted thereon to rotate precisely 90 degrees around the axis of the shaft 321.

[0092] In the present application, the antenna transported by the transfer module 2 is embedded in the embedding groove on the fixed body of the rotating part 32. The driving part can drive the rotating shaft 321 to drive the fixed body to rotate 90 degrees around the axis of the rotating shaft 321. When the rotating part 32 is in the first position, the first side of the antenna is exposed through the first notch. When the driving part drives the rotating part 32 to rotate 90 degrees to the second position, the third side of the antenna is exposed through the second notch, which can be used for detection by the second detection module 5.

[0093] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, compared to the existing method of using only a clamp to hold a section of the antenna for rotation, the matching of the embedded slot with the antenna shape provides more precise axial and radial positioning, reducing wobble and positioning errors during rotation, helping to maintain stability during transfer and rotation. This significantly improves the stability and rigidity of the support, especially for large or irregularly shaped antennas. Furthermore, the embedded slot design greatly ensures the shape consistency of the antenna before and after rotation, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of subsequent testing.

[0094] Please continue reading Figure 3 In one embodiment, the fixing body includes a first sub-fixing body 322 and a second sub-fixing body 323 that are spaced apart and sleeved on the rotating shaft 321 along the first direction. The first sub-fixing body 322 is provided with a first sub-embedding groove, and the first sub-embedding groove is respectively formed with a first sub-notch and a second sub-notch on two adjacent side surfaces of the first sub-fixing body 322; the second sub-fixing body 323 is provided with a second sub-embedding groove, and the second sub-embedding groove is respectively formed with a third sub-notch and a fourth sub-notch on two adjacent side surfaces of the second sub-fixing body 323;

[0095] The first sub-embedding slot and the second sub-embedding slot together constitute an embedding slot, the first sub-embedding slot is configured as a base for installing the antenna, and the second sub-embedding slot is configured as a transmission line for installing the antenna.

[0096] It should be noted that the design of the first sub-embedded slot and the second sub-embedded slot needs to match the specific shapes of the antenna substrate and the transmission line respectively. Usually, in order to facilitate installation and stable placement, the contact surface of the antenna substrate will be designed to have a geometric shape with a flat surface, such as a rectangle, square or circle. Therefore, the cross-section of the first sub-embedded slot can also be designed to be square, rectangular or circular accordingly, so as to ensure that a uniform and stable support surface is provided for the substrate. The transmission line is different. It usually has a circular or nearly circular cross-section. In order to better fit it, the second sub-embedded slot can be designed as an arc-shaped slot with an arc-shaped slot bottom inside, so that it can fit the circular contour of the transmission line well, so that the transmission line is more evenly wrapped and supported in the slot, thereby effectively preventing relative sliding or displacement during rotation or vibration.

[0097] In this embodiment, when the antenna is placed on the fixed body of the rotating part 32, its base part is installed in the first sub-embedding groove opened in the first sub-fixed body 322. At the same time, the transmission line part of the antenna is placed in the second sub-embedding groove opened in the second sub-fixed body 323. Through the corresponding sub-notches and rotation, different sides of the antenna (including the side connected to the transmission line) can be exposed for subsequent inspection or processing.

[0098] In this way, the problems of excessive bending of the transmission line, uneven force or unstable support of the substrate caused by placing the antenna substrate and transmission line in one slot can be avoided. This not only improves the overall stability of the antenna during rotation, but also further reduces the risk of shaking, entanglement or pulling of the transmission line during rotation, thereby protecting the physical integrity of the substrate and transmission line.

[0099] Please continue reading Figure 3 In one embodiment, the second sub-fixing body 323 includes a base and a plurality of protrusions 3231, the base is sleeved on the rotating shaft 321, the plurality of protrusions 3231 are spaced apart along the first direction, and each protrusion 3231 is provided with a second sub-embedding groove;

[0100] The loading rotating module 3 also includes a plurality of first stop blocks 324 arranged at intervals along the first direction. The plurality of first stop blocks 324 are respectively arranged corresponding to the plurality of protrusions 3231. The transmission line of the antenna is arranged between the first stop block 324 and the protrusion 3231. The first stop block 324 is provided with a contact slope on the side close to the protrusion 3231, and the contact slope is in contact with the antenna.

[0101] In the embodiment, the plurality of protrusions 3231 and the plurality of second sub-embedding grooves can form a plurality of "hooks", which, together with the first material blocking block 324 arranged at the same interval, form a multi-point limiting structure. The transmission line first contacts the side of the first material blocking block 324 with the abutting inclined surface, which can guide the transmission line and exert a certain pressure to make it smoothly slide into or fit into the second sub-embedding groove in the protrusion 3231. During this process, the first material blocking block 324 and the protrusion 3231 jointly act from both sides to limit the transmission line, preventing it from moving axially or rotating circumferentially during rotation or operation. In this way, the multi-point supporting and limiting structure greatly enhances the stability of the transmission line during rotation, effectively prevents displacement caused by centrifugal force or vibration, ensures smooth and reliable rotation, reduces installation difficulty and potential damage risk, and helps to improve the yield and consistency of overall detection.

[0102] Please continue to refer to Figure 3 In an embodiment, the material feeding and rotating module 3 further includes a second material blocking block 325, which is arranged at an interval from the first sub-fixed body 322. The substrate of the antenna is arranged between the second material blocking block 325 and the protrusion 3231.

[0103] It should be noted that the upper surface of the second material blocking block 325 can be provided with at least one groove corresponding to the antenna substrate, so that part of the structure of the antenna substrate after turning can be embedded in the groove, and the groove wall surface of the groove can be matched with the antenna substrate. This nested fitting structure can very reliably determine the position of the antenna substrate, thereby improving the accuracy of the third camera 51 in shooting. Of course, in other embodiments, a permanent magnet can be provided on the second material blocking block 325, and a magnetic or non-magnetic mark is provided at the corresponding position of the antenna substrate. Through the attraction or repulsion of magnetic force, the substrate is quickly and accurately positioned.

[0104] In an embodiment, the bottom of the first sub-embedding groove is provided with a suction hole; the material rotating module further includes a suction member, which is in communication with the suction hole.

[0105] In the embodiment, when the antenna substrate is placed into the first sub-embedding slot, the suction member (usually a vacuum generator or air pump) generates negative pressure through the suction hole, which acts on the bottom of the substrate in the first sub-embedding slot, forming a vacuum suction force between the bottom of the substrate and the bottom of the slot. This suction force provides additional fixing force for the antenna substrate. When the rotating member 32 rotates, even if the substrate is subjected to centrifugal force or vibration, the additional suction force can effectively counteract or overcome these forces, preventing the substrate from sliding or moving in the slot. Moreover, compared with simple mechanical clamping, the suction hole is usually small in size and located at the bottom of the slot, which does not block the surface of the antenna substrate, thereby not blocking the imaging area of the second detection module 5, ensuring the smoothness of the detection light path or field of view, and not affecting the subsequent accurate detection.

[0106] Please continue to refer to Figure 3 In an embodiment, the receiving station 11 is configured to receive a plurality of antennas arranged side by side in the second direction;

[0107] The loading rotating module 3 includes a plurality of rotating members 32 arranged side by side in the second direction, and the plurality of rotating members 32 correspond to rotating a plurality of antennas;

[0108] Wherein, the second direction is arranged at an angle to the extension direction of the antenna.

[0109] In the embodiment, the plurality of antennas placed side by side on the receiving station 11 can simultaneously enter the loading rotating module 3 after being transported by the transfer module 2. Each rotating member 32 on the loading rotating module 3 can independently fix and rotate the antenna at the corresponding position, so as to be detected by the second detection module 5 subsequently, so that the total number of detections completed per unit time is doubled. Since in the traditional detection process, the device usually grabs and rotates one antenna at a time, detects it once, and then returns it to the original position before the next cycle, the present application only needs to increase the number of rotating bodies to increase the parallel processing capacity of the antenna appearance detection device 1000, breaking the sequential bottleneck of traditional single detection, so that the system can complete the entire or partial detection process of multiple antennas in the same time window, thereby significantly improving the total number of detections completed per unit time (i.e. the throughput of the system) and greatly improving the overall detection efficiency and production rhythm.

[0110] Please refer to Figure 1 In an embodiment, the machine table 1 also has a transfer station 14 located between the transfer station 12 and the discharge station 13;

[0111] The transfer module 2 also includes a conveying guide rail 23 extending along the second path and capable of passing through the transfer station 12 and the transfer station 14;

[0112] The base 31 is movably disposed on the conveying rail 23 and can move along the conveying rail 23 .

[0113] In this embodiment, the base 31 and the loading rotary module 3 mounted thereon are not fixed to the transfer station 12, but are movable along the conveyor rail 23. Specifically, after the loading rotary module 3 completes the rotation operation on the antenna, the base 31 can choose, as needed, to remain at the transfer station 12 awaiting subsequent processing, or actively move along the conveyor rail 23 to the transfer station 14, thereby flexibly placing the second detection module 5 at a suitable position between the transfer station 12 and the transfer station 14 (for example, on the path of the base 31 moving from the transfer station 12 to the transfer station 14, or at the transfer station 14 itself). When the camera of the second detection module 5 is located between the transfer station 12 and the transfer station 14, the second detection module 5 can not only effectively avoid the spatial activity area of ​​the previous transfer module 2 (for example, the module responsible for sending the antenna to the transfer station 12), avoiding the position interference that may occur during operation of different modules, making the equipment layout more compact and the operation safer and more reliable, but also after the antenna is placed in the loading rotation module 3, it does not need to wait for rotation 90 degrees, and can be directly transported to the transfer station 14. The rotation is completed during the transfer process and the second detection module 5 can quickly detect the third side of the antenna. This completely eliminates the intermediate link that after the rotation operation is completed, the antenna needs to wait for the photo to be taken before it can be transported, and the three steps of rotation, transfer and detection are more closely combined in time and space, further improving the detection efficiency and rhythm.

[0114] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention: a first sub-transfer module 2 with multiple clamping mechanisms 22 or multiple vacuum adsorption mechanisms 6 is selected to realize the simultaneous transfer of multiple antennas located on the first path; a conveying track and a second sub-transfer module 2 with multiple clamping mechanisms 22 and multiple vacuum adsorption mechanisms 6 are selected to jointly realize the simultaneous transfer of multiple antennas located on the second path: a loading rotation module 3 with multiple rotating parts 32 is selected to realize the simultaneous rotation of multiple antennas; the above-mentioned first camera 41, second camera 42, third camera 51 and fourth camera 52 are selected to respectively shoot the first side, second side, third side and fourth side of the multiple antennas.

[0115] 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 appearance inspection device, characterized in that: include: A machine, the machine having a receiving station, a material transfer station, and a material discharge station, wherein the receiving station is configured to receive at least one antenna outputted from a previous process; a transfer module movably disposed on the machine platform, the transfer module being configured to pick up and transfer at least one of the antennas so that a moving path of the at least one of the antennas includes a first path covering the receiving station and the transfer station and an area therebetween, and a second path covering the transfer station and the discharge station and an area therebetween; A feeding and rotating module is provided on the machine and located at the material transfer station, and is configured to rotate the entire antenna 90 degrees; a first detection module, configured to capture a first side and a second side of at least one antenna disposed opposite to each other on the first path; as well as a second detection module configured to capture images of a third side and a fourth side of at least one antenna disposed opposite to each other on the second path; The feeding rotary module comprises: A base, provided on the machine and located at the material transfer station; a rotating member, the rotating member comprising a rotating shaft extending in a first direction and a fixed body provided on the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft being provided on the base and being capable of rotating 90 degrees around its own axis; the fixed body being provided with an embedding groove, the embedding groove being provided with two communicating first and second notches respectively formed on two adjacent side surfaces of the fixed body; the antenna being embedded in the embedding groove; and a driving member, the driving member being in transmission connection with the rotating member; The first direction is the same as the extension direction of the antenna; the driving member is configured to drive the rotating member to rotate so that the rotating member has a first position and a second position. In the first position, the first side of the antenna is exposed from the first notch to the fixed body; in the second position, the third side of the antenna is exposed from the second notch to the fixed body.

2. The appearance inspection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transfer module includes: a movable base, disposed on the platform, configured to transport the antenna along the first path and / or the second path; a suspension, provided on the movable seat and capable of moving up and down relative to the movable seat; and The clamping mechanism is provided on a side of the suspension facing the machine platform, and the clamping mechanism is configured to clamp at least one of the antennas.

3. The appearance inspection device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The clamping mechanism includes at least one clamping part, and the clamping part includes two oppositely arranged clamping plates, and the side of each clamping plate close to the other clamping plate is a clamping surface, and the two clamping surfaces are arranged in parallel; the clamping part has a clamping state in which the two clamping surfaces approach each other to clamp the two oppositely arranged sides of the antenna and a release state in which the two clamping surfaces move away from each other to loosen the antenna.

4. The appearance inspection device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The clamping mechanism includes three clamping parts arranged at intervals along a first direction, and the three clamping parts are respectively configured to clamp the base of the antenna, clamp one end of the transmission line of the antenna close to the base, and clamp one end of the transmission line of the antenna away from the base; wherein the first direction is the same as the extension direction of the antenna.

5. The appearance inspection device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The receiving station is configured to receive a plurality of antennas arranged side by side along the second direction; The transfer module includes a plurality of the clamping mechanisms arranged side by side along the second direction, and the plurality of the clamping mechanisms are respectively used to clamp the plurality of the antennas; The second direction is arranged at an angle to the extension direction of the antenna.

6. The appearance inspection device according to claim 1, wherein: The fixing body includes a first sub-fixing body and a second sub-fixing body spaced apart and sleeved on the rotating shaft along the first direction, the first sub-fixing body being provided with a first sub-embedding groove, the first sub-embedding groove being provided with a first sub-notch and a second sub-notch on two adjacent side surfaces of the first sub-fixing body, respectively; the second sub-fixing body being provided with a second sub-embedding groove, the second sub-embedding groove being provided with a third sub-notch and a fourth sub-notch on two adjacent side surfaces of the second sub-fixing body, respectively; The first sub-embedded slot and the second sub-embedded slot together constitute the embedded slot, the first sub-embedded slot is configured to install the base of the antenna, and the second sub-embedded slot is configured to install the transmission line of the antenna.

7. The appearance inspection device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second sub-fixing body includes a base and a plurality of protrusions, the base is sleeved on the rotating shaft, the plurality of protrusions are spaced apart along the first direction, and each of the protrusions is provided with the second sub-embedding groove; The feeding rotating module also includes a plurality of first stop blocks arranged at intervals along the first direction, and the plurality of first stop blocks are respectively arranged corresponding to the plurality of protrusions. The transmission line of the antenna is arranged between the first stop block and the protrusion. The first stop block is provided with an abutment slope on the side close to the protrusion, and the abutment slope is in abutment contact with the antenna.

8. The appearance inspection device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The bottom of the first sub-embedding groove is provided with an adsorption hole; the feeding rotary module further comprises an adsorption component, and the adsorption component is communicated with the adsorption hole.

9. The appearance inspection device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: The receiving station is configured to receive a plurality of antennas arranged side by side along the second direction; The feeding rotating module includes a plurality of rotating members arranged side by side along the second direction, and the plurality of rotating members rotate the plurality of antennas correspondingly; The second direction is arranged at an angle to the extension direction of the antenna.

10. The appearance inspection device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: The machine also has a transfer station located between the material transfer station and the material discharge station; The transfer module further includes a conveying guide rail, which extends along the second path and can pass through the material transfer station and the transfer station; The base is movably arranged on the conveying guide rail and can move along the conveying guide rail.

11. The appearance inspection device according to claim 1, wherein: The first detection module includes a first camera and a second camera; the first camera is located at the material receiving station, and the shooting side of the first camera is set toward the machine and aligned with the first side of the antenna located at the material receiving station; the shooting side of the second camera is set away from the machine and aligned with the second side of the antenna located in the first path; and / or The second detection module includes a third camera and a fourth camera; the shooting side of the third camera is set toward the machine and aligned with the third side of the antenna located at the material transfer station or the second path; the shooting side of the fourth camera is set back to the machine and aligned with the fourth side of the antenna located in the second path.

Images