Automatic unit for welding PCB on hardware

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of automatic welding, in particular to an automatic unit for welding a PCB (printed circuit board) on hardware, which comprises an indexing turntable provided with positioning jigs and driving the positioning jigs to sequentially stop at an assembling station, a welding station and a discharging station; the feeding mechanism is used for carrying out feeding operation on the hardware or the PCB; the assembling mechanism is used for grabbing the hardware or the PCB in the feeding mechanism and placing the hardware or the PCB on the positioning jig; and the welding mechanism is used for welding the hardware in the positioning jig and the PCB. Wherein the assembling mechanism is provided with a mechanical arm and a grabbing assembly, the grabbing assembly is provided with a grabbing support, a rotating air cylinder and an adsorption gripper, the grabbing support is provided with the rotating air cylinder, and the adsorption gripper is installed at the rotating end of the rotating air cylinder so as to rotate by a preset angle. In conclusion, through deep integration of mechanical structure innovation and intelligent control, the technical bottleneck of automatic welding of heterogeneous elements is broken through, and the automatic welding device is particularly suitable for scenes such as 3C products and automotive electronics with high welding precision requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automated welding, in particular to an automated unit for welding a PCB board onto hardware. Background Art

[0002] In the fields of electronic manufacturing and hardware assembly, automated welding technology has been widely used in the connection process between PCB boards and metal components. In existing technologies, welding automation systems usually use robotic arms in conjunction with fixed fixtures to achieve component assembly, but there are still significant technical bottlenecks in the welding of heterogeneous materials between hardware parts and PCB boards: Insufficient gripping and positioning accuracy: Traditional suction grippers are mostly single-plane structures, making them difficult to adapt to the differentiated gripping requirements of hardware components (such as L-shaped hexagons) and PCBs. For example, the asymmetric structure of L-shaped hardware causes existing grippers to easily tilt during gripping, while the thinness of PCBs requires that the gripping process be free of collision damage.

[0003] Poor fixture compatibility: Existing positioning fixtures typically utilize grooves of uniform depth, which cannot simultaneously meet the requirements of both vertical positioning of hardware and flat assembly of PCB boards. When soldering tips need to pass through PCB board through-holes, conventional fixtures often cause component misalignment due to improper depth design, affecting soldering quality.

[0004] Low loading efficiency: For small-batch production scenarios with multiple varieties, the traditional vibration plate loading method makes it difficult to quickly switch the hardware posture. In addition, the frequent manual replacement of PCB board trays leads to long downtime, which cannot meet the continuous operation requirements of the automated assembly line.

[0005] Therefore, there is still a lack of effective solutions for the three-dimensional adsorption and anti-tilt control of L-shaped hardware, resulting in insufficient pre-positioning accuracy before welding, and research and development is necessary. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings, the present invention aims to provide a technical solution that can solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0007] The present invention provides an automated unit for soldering PCB boards onto hardware, comprising: The indexing turntable is installed on the frame, and multiple sets of positioning fixtures are evenly spaced around it. The positioning fixtures are driven to rotate at a preset angle and stop at the assembly station, welding station and discharge station in turn to perform corresponding operations; The loading mechanism is installed on the frame and is used to load hardware or PCB boards; An assembly mechanism, mounted on the machine frame, is used to grab the hardware or PCB board in the loading mechanism and move it to a positioning fixture parked at the assembly station, so that the hardware and PCB board can be assembled in the positioning fixture before welding; and The welding mechanism is installed on the frame and is used to weld the hardware and PCB boards in the positioning fixture parked at the welding station; Among them, the assembly mechanism is provided with a robotic arm and a grabbing component, which is installed at the wrist end of the robotic arm, so that it moves under the drive of the robotic arm; the grabbing component is provided with a grabbing bracket, a rotating cylinder and an adsorption gripper, one end of the grabbing bracket is fixedly connected to the wrist end of the robotic arm, and the other end of the grabbing bracket is installed with a rotating cylinder, and the adsorption gripper is installed at the rotating end of the rotating cylinder, so that it rotates at a preset angle under the drive of the rotating cylinder.

[0008] Furthermore: the adsorption gripper adsorbs the PCB board from the loading mechanism, moves to the assembly station under the drive of the robotic arm, and places the PCB board vertically so that the PCB board is placed in a preset position in the positioning fixture.

[0009] Furthermore: the grabbing assembly is also provided with a rotating bracket, a linear guide rail and a buffer spring. The rotating bracket is installed on the rotating end of the rotating cylinder. The slide rail of the linear guide rail is fixed to the rotating bracket. The slider of the linear guide rail is fixed to the adsorption gripper, so that the adsorption gripper is slidably connected to the rotating bracket. One end of the buffer spring abuts against the adsorption gripper, and the other end abuts against the rotating bracket.

[0010] Furthermore: the adsorption gripper adsorbs the hardware from the loading mechanism, moves to the assembly station under the drive of the robotic arm, and the rotary cylinder drives the adsorption gripper to rotate a preset angle to flip the hardware, so that the non-adsorption end of the hardware is placed in the preset position in the positioning fixture.

[0011] Furthermore: the bottom surface of the positioning fixture is fixed to the indexing turntable, and its top surface is respectively provided with a hardware groove and a board groove, which are used to place the hardware and the PCB board respectively, wherein the depth of the hardware groove is greater than the depth of the board groove, so that the PCB board is placed on the upper side of the hardware, and the welding end of the hardware passes through the welding through-hole of the PCB board from bottom to top.

[0012] Furthermore: a magnetic part is provided at the bottom of the hardware groove, so that when the hardware is placed by the adsorption gripper, the magnetic part produces a magnetic adsorption effect on the hardware, assisting the hardware to enter the hardware groove and preventing the hardware from tilting after placement.

[0013] Furthermore: the loading mechanism is provided with a plate loading device, which is installed on the frame and is used to load the PCB board; the plate loading device is provided with a tray assembly, an empty tray assembly and a conveying assembly, the tray assembly is used to store the tray and supply the tray to the conveying assembly; the conveying assembly receives the tray from the tray assembly and conveys the tray to the grabbing position, so that the grabbing assembly grabs the PCB board in the tray; the empty tray assembly is used to receive and store the empty tray of the conveying assembly.

[0014] Furthermore: the tray assembly is provided with a tray storage rack, a tray lifting cylinder, a lifting bracket, a clamping cylinder, a clamping slide and a clamping slider. One end of the tray storage rack is fixedly connected to the frame, and the other end thereof is formed with a storage space for storing the tray; the tray lifting cylinder is installed on the tray storage rack, and the lifting bracket is installed on the piston end of the tray lifting cylinder, the clamping cylinder and the clamping slide are respectively installed on the lifting bracket, the clamping slider is slidably connected to the clamping slide, and one end of the clamping slider is installed on the piston end of the clamping cylinder, and the other end thereof is provided with a lifting protrusion, which supports the bottom of the tray to keep the tray in a preset position.

[0015] Furthermore: the empty disc assembly is provided with an empty disc storage rack, an empty disc support block, a support block bracket, a support block rotating shaft and a support block limiting column. One end of the empty disc storage rack is fixedly connected to the frame, and the other end thereof is formed with a storage space for storing the empty disc; the support block bracket is installed on the empty disc storage rack, the support block rotating shaft and the support block limiting column are respectively fixed to the support block bracket, the empty disc support block is provided with a rotating hole, and the empty disc support block is rotatably connected to the support block rotating shaft through the rotating hole. The support block limiting column is used to limit and abut the end of the empty disc support block away from the empty disc, so that the end of the empty disc support block close to the empty disc forms a supporting operation for the empty disc.

[0016] Furthermore: the feeding mechanism is also provided with a hardware feeding device, which is installed on the frame and is used to feed the hardware; the hardware feeding device is provided with a flexible feeding table and a flexible vibration plate, the flexible feeding table supplies the hardware to the flexible vibration plate, and the flexible vibration plate vibrates the hardware to put the hardware in a preset grasping state.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. Differentiated gripping mechanism enables precise assembly The gripping assembly, through the linkage of a rotary cylinder and a suction gripper, grasps PCBs vertically (with an error of ≤0.1mm) and flips L-shaped hardware 90° for sideways placement, resolving the challenge of adjusting the position of heterogeneous components. The combined design of a buffer spring and linear guide reduces impact force during the gripping process by over 60%, preventing damage to PCB pads or deformation of hardware.

[0018] 2. Depth difference optimization and magnetic assistance of positioning fixtures The quantitative design of the hardware groove depth H1 = board groove depth H2 + hardware thickness + 0.5mm ensures that the soldering end protrudes 1-2mm after passing through the PCB through-hole. Combined with the continuous adsorption of the magnetic part (adsorption force ≥ 5N), the tilt angle of the hardware standing position is controlled within 1°, providing a stable benchmark for subsequent welding.

[0019] 3. Full process automated loading and closed-loop testing The panel loading device achieves non-stop loading of PCBs through the coordinated operation of the tray assembly, conveyor assembly, and empty tray assembly, reducing tray change time from 5 minutes with traditional manual operation to 30 seconds. A three-level visual inspection system (detecting the hardware posture within the vibration tray, rechecking the gripper's gripping posture, and inspecting soldering quality) forms a closed-loop control system, increasing the defective product detection rate to 99.8%.

[0020] 4. Flexible production and efficiency improvement The 90° intermittent rotation of the indexing turntable, combined with the high-speed response of the SCARA robot (positioning speed ≥ 2m / s), reduces the single-station cycle time to 8 seconds, a 40% increase in efficiency compared to traditional production lines. The combination of a flexible vibration plate and visual inspection guidance supports rapid switching between multiple hardware varieties, reducing changeover time to less than 10 minutes.

[0021] 5. Dual optimization of cost and reliability The timing coordination between the preload cylinder and the welding mechanism (preload pressure 0.5-1MPa) reduces welding displacement, lowering the defective solder joint rate from 5% to below 0.3%, while also eliminating post-weld rework. The non-contact design of magnetic positioning and photoelectric detection extends the fixture maintenance cycle to over 6 months, reducing equipment operation and maintenance costs.

[0022] Therefore, the present invention breaks through the technical bottleneck of automated welding of heterogeneous components through the deep integration of mechanical structure innovation and intelligent control, and is particularly suitable for scenarios such as 3C products and automotive electronics that require high welding precision.

[0023] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description which follows, or may be learned by practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] 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 these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the entirety of the present invention; Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the robot arm and welding mechanism of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the adsorption gripper of the present invention detecting hardware; Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the state in which the adsorption gripper of the present invention places a hardware component; Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the adsorption gripper of the present invention placing a PCB board; Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the positioning fixture of the present invention; Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of the conveying assembly, the material tray assembly and the empty tray assembly of the present invention; Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of the clamping cylinder and the clamping slider of the present invention; Figure 9 It is a structural schematic diagram of the empty plate supporting block, the supporting block rotating shaft and the supporting block limiting column of the present invention.

[0026] The reference numerals and names in the figures are as follows: 10 Rack; 11 Indexing turntable; 12 Assembly station; 13 Welding station; 14 Inspection station; 15 Discharging station; 16 Visual inspection system; 17 Defective product grabbing device; 18 Welding mechanism; 20 Assembly mechanism; 21 Robotic arm; 22 Grabbing assembly; 23 Grabbing bracket; 24 Rotating cylinder; 25 Adsorption gripper; 26 Rotating bracket; 27 Extension plate; 28 Linear guide; 29 Buffer spring; 30 Positioning fixture; 31 Hardware groove; 32 Magnetic component; 33 Plate groove; 34 Inspection through hole; 35 Photoelectric detection element; 40 Feeding mechanism; 41 Soft 42 Flexible feeding table; 43 Flexible vibrating plate; 44 Conveying assembly; 45 Conveying bracket; 46 Conveying cylinder; 47 Conveying pallet; 48 Conveying guide rail; 49 Conveying motor; 50 Tray assembly; 51 Tray storage rack; 52 Tray lifting cylinder; 53 Lifting bracket; 54 Clamping cylinder; 55 Clamping slide; 56 Clamping slide; 57 Lifting bump; 60 Empty tray assembly; 61 Empty tray storage rack; 62 Empty tray support block; 63 Lifting end; 64 Limiting end; 65 Support block bracket; 66 Support block shaft; 67 Support block limiting column; 71 Hardware; 72 PCB board. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following is a clear and complete description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] See also Figures 1 to 9 In an embodiment of the present invention, an automated unit for soldering a PCB board onto a hardware component includes: The indexing turntable 11 is mounted on the frame 10 and is provided with multiple sets of positioning fixtures 30 evenly spaced in the circumference thereof. The positioning fixtures 30 are driven to rotate at a preset angle and sequentially stop at the assembly station 12, welding station 13 and discharge station 15 to perform corresponding operations; The loading mechanism 40 is mounted on the frame 10 and is used to load the hardware 71 or the PCB board 72; The assembly mechanism 20 is mounted on the frame 10 and is used to grab the hardware 71 or PCB board 72 in the feeding mechanism 40 and move it to the positioning fixture 30 parked at the assembly station 12, so that the hardware 71 and PCB board 72 are assembled in the positioning fixture 30 before welding; and The welding mechanism 18 is mounted on the frame 10 and is used to weld the hardware 71 and the PCB 72 in the positioning fixture 30 parked at the welding station 13; Among them, the assembly mechanism 20 is provided with a robotic arm 21 and a grabbing component 22. The grabbing component 22 is installed at the wrist end of the robotic arm 21, so that it moves under the drive of the robotic arm 21; the grabbing component 22 is provided with a grabbing bracket 23, a rotating cylinder 24 and an adsorption gripper 25. One end of the grabbing bracket 23 is fixedly connected to the wrist end of the robotic arm 21, and the other end of the grabbing bracket 23 is installed with a rotating cylinder 24. The adsorption gripper 25 is installed at the rotating end of the rotating cylinder 24, so that it rotates at a preset angle under the drive of the rotating cylinder 24.

[0029] Specifically, in the field of automated soldering, the components to be soldered must first be placed in a pre-set positioning jig 30, so that the parts to be soldered are assembled and positioned within the positioning jig 30, facilitating the next automated soldering operation. However, due to the different materials, shapes, or designs of the hardware 71 and the PCB 72, the existing gripping mechanism has a single action and cannot effectively perform the gripping operation.

[0030] The present invention addresses the different challenges encountered during the grasping and assembly process, combining their respective characteristics to optimize the design and design of devices and actions suitable for grasping hardware 71 and PCB board 72. By incorporating a rotating cylinder 24 and a suction gripper 25 within the grasping assembly 22, the present invention implements different grasping actions for hardware 71 and PCB board 72, thereby optimizing the grasping effect and reducing grasping issues.

[0031] Secondly, the adsorption gripper 25 can be set up using the negative pressure adsorption technology in the existing technology, that is, a suction nozzle or adsorption hole connected to an external negative pressure generating device is set at the adsorption end of the adsorption gripper 25, so that the suction nozzle or adsorption hole can perform negative pressure adsorption operation on the hardware 71 and the PCB board 72 to achieve the grasping effect.

[0032] like Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, preferably, the adsorption gripper 25 adsorbs the PCB board 72 from the loading mechanism 40, moves to the assembly station 12 under the drive of the robotic arm 21, and places the PCB board 72 vertically so that the PCB board 72 is placed in a preset position in the positioning fixture 30.

[0033] Specifically, since the PCB boards 72 are all on the same plane, they do not have any bent shapes and are stored flat in the loading mechanism 40. Therefore, a straight up and down motion can be used to operate the boards 72. First, the robotic arm 21 is used to move the suction gripper 25 to the storage location of the PCB boards 72 in the loading mechanism 40. The suction gripper 25 is then driven vertically downward for a certain distance to perform the suction operation on the PCB board 72. The suction gripper 25 is then driven upward for a certain distance to move the PCB board 72. The robotic arm 21 then drives the suction gripper 25 to move above the positioning fixture 30 at the assembly station 12, and drives the suction gripper 25 vertically downward for a certain distance to place the PCB board 72 in the positioning fixture 30.

[0034] Secondly, the vertical movement of the adsorption gripper 25 is driven by the Z axis of the robot arm 21. When grasping, the downward movement distance is H, and when releasing, the upward movement distance is H+5mm (to avoid collision).

[0035] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, preferably, the grabbing assembly 22 is further provided with a rotating bracket 26, a linear guide 28 and a buffer spring 29. The rotating bracket 26 is installed on the rotating end of the rotating cylinder 24, the slide rail of the linear guide 28 is fixed to the rotating bracket 26, and the slider of the linear guide 28 is fixed to the adsorption gripper 25, so that the adsorption gripper 25 is slidably connected to the rotating bracket 26, and one end of the buffer spring 29 abuts against the adsorption gripper 25, and the other end thereof abuts against the rotating bracket 26.

[0036] Specifically, since the hardware 71 or PCB board 72 needs to be operated vertically downward during the process of adsorbing the hardware 71 or PCB board 72, in order to prevent the adsorption gripper 25 from causing damage to the hardware 71 or PCB board 72, a buffer spring 29 can preferably be arranged between the rotating bracket 26 and the adsorption gripper 25, so that the buffer spring 29 can buffer the impact margin of the adsorption gripper 25 during the adsorption and placement process, thereby improving production safety and preventing damage to the product.

[0037] Secondly, in order to make the buffering movement of the suction gripper 25 smoother and more accurate, it is preferred to set a linear guide rail 28 in the prior art, and use the slider and the slide rail to cooperate with each other to form a linear sliding connection. In order to facilitate the buffering of the buffer spring 29, it is preferred to set a buffer column at the position where the buffer spring 29 is installed in the suction gripper 25, so that the buffer spring 29 is sleeved on the buffer column; it is also preferred to set an extension plate 27 at the position corresponding to the buffer spring 29 of the rotating bracket 26, and open an avoidance through-hole at the position of the extension plate 27 corresponding to the buffer column, so that when the suction gripper 25 is under pressure and needs to be buffered, when it moves toward the extension plate 27, the buffer column can pass through the avoidance through-hole, and the buffer spring 29 abuts against the extension plate 27, thereby buffering the movement of the suction gripper 25.

[0038] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, preferably, the adsorption gripper 25 adsorbs the hardware 71 from the loading mechanism 40, moves to the assembly station 12 under the drive of the robotic arm 21, and the rotating cylinder 24 drives the adsorption gripper 25 to rotate a preset angle to flip the hardware 71, so that the non-adsorption end of the hardware 71 is placed at a preset position in the positioning fixture 30.

[0039] Specifically, because the hardware 71 is not in the same plane, but rather forms an L-shape with its two ends perpendicular to each other, one end is relatively narrow, making it difficult to attract. Therefore, when the suction gripper 25 is performing suction, it can only use the strategy of attracting the wider end of the hardware 71. Precisely because the wider end of the hardware 71 has a larger weight and area, when vibrating and feeding on the flexible vibration plate 42, the wider end will lie flat on the bottom, while the narrower end remains upright, forming a standing position for the entire hardware 71, allowing the suction gripper 25 to perform suction operations on the flat wider end.

[0040] Secondly, when placing the hardware 71 in the positioning jig 30, since the narrower end of the hardware 71 (i.e., the non-adsorption end) needs to be welded, the narrower end must be parallel to the PCB board 72 for assembly and docking. After assembly, the wider end must be in a vertical position. Therefore, the rotary cylinder 24 is used to rotate the adsorption gripper 25 to a preset angle, so that the wider end is first in a vertical position and the narrower end is flat, so that it can be placed in the positioning jig 30.

[0041] Again, in order to facilitate the placement of the hardware 71 after the adsorption gripper 25 is rotated to a preset angle, it is preferred that the shape of the adsorption gripper 25 is set to a Z shape so that when the adsorption gripper 25 places the hardware 71, its suction nozzle end maintains a certain distance from the rotating cylinder 24 to prevent the rotating cylinder 24 from obstructing the placement stroke of the hardware 71.

[0042] The specific assembly process is as follows: First, use the robotic arm 21 to move the adsorption gripper 25 to the flexible vibration disk 42 of the loading mechanism 40, then drive the adsorption gripper 25 to move vertically downward a certain distance to adsorb the wider end of the hardware 71 in a flat state, and then drive the adsorption gripper 25 to move the hardware 71 upward a certain distance. Then, the robotic arm 21 drives the adsorption gripper 25 to move above the positioning fixture 30 at the assembly station 12, and uses the rotary cylinder 24 to drive the adsorption gripper 25 to rotate 90 degrees, so that the wider end of the hardware 71 is in a vertical state and the narrower end is in a flat state parallel to the PCB board 72. Finally, the robotic arm 21 drives the adsorption gripper 25 to move downward a certain distance, placing the narrower end of the hardware 71 in the positioning fixture 30, completing the assembly operation of the hardware 71.

[0043] Furthermore, when the two ends of the hardware component 71 are perpendicular to each other to form an L-shape, the rotary cylinder 24 drives the suction gripper 25 to rotate 90 degrees, placing the non-suction end parallel to the PCB 72 and allowing it to be placed in the positioning jig 30. In another embodiment, when the two ends of the hardware component 71 are opened to form a 135-degree angle, the rotary cylinder 24 drives the suction gripper 25 to rotate 45 degrees, placing the non-suction end parallel to the PCB 72 and allowing it to be placed in the positioning jig 30.

[0044] like Figures 4 to 6 As shown, preferably, the bottom surface of the positioning fixture 30 is fixed to the dividing turntable 11, and the top surface thereof is respectively provided with a hardware groove 31 and a plate groove 33, for respectively placing the hardware 71 and the PCB board 72, wherein the depth of the hardware groove 31 is greater than the depth of the plate groove 33, so that the PCB board 72 is placed on the upper side of the hardware 71, and the welding end of the hardware 71 passes through the welding through hole of the PCB board 72 from bottom to top.

[0045] Specifically, to securely solder the hardware 71 to the PCB 72, a soldering hole is preferably provided on the PCB 72. This allows the soldering end of the hardware 71 to pass through the soldering hole from bottom to top, with a certain portion protruding to facilitate soldering. It will be appreciated that conventional soldering pads are provided around the soldering hole on the PCB 72, thereby securely soldering the hardware 71 to the soldering pads on the PCB 72.

[0046] Secondly, since the welding mechanism 18 performs welding from top to bottom, the soldering end of the hardware 71 needs to pass through the soldering hole from bottom to top. Therefore, it is necessary to first place the hardware 71 in the hardware groove 31 of the positioning fixture 30, and then place the PCB board 72. This is equivalent to placing the PCB board 72 above the hardware 71, and the soldering hole is arranged to fit over the soldering end of the hardware 71. To prevent the hardware 71 from obstructing the placement of the PCB board 72, the depth of the hardware groove 31 is preferably set to be greater than the depth of the board groove 33. More preferably, the depth of the hardware groove 31 is equal to or slightly greater than the depth of the board groove 33 plus the thickness of the hardware 71.

[0047] Specifically, the depth H1 of the hardware groove 31 is greater than the depth H2 of the board groove 33, and the specific design is H1=H2+the thickness of the hardware 71+0.5mm assembly gap, to ensure that after the PCB board 72 is placed, the welding end of the hardware 71 can pass through the welding through hole of the PCB board 72 and protrude 1-2mm.

[0048] Furthermore, during assembly, the sidewalls of the hardware groove 31 and the board groove 33 respectively limit the hardware 71 and PCB 72, ensuring they are accurately positioned in their pre-set positions. Furthermore, the open ends of the sidewalls of the hardware groove 31 and the board groove 33 are each provided with a bevel, which guides the hardware 71 or PCB 72 during assembly and placement, allowing them to more accurately enter their corresponding grooves.

[0049] In addition, detection holes 34 are provided at the corresponding positions on the positioning jig 30 where the hardware 71 and PCB board 72 are placed, and a notch is provided on the indexing turntable 11 at the position corresponding to the detection hole 34. The detection hole 34 vertically penetrates the positioning jig 30, and the notch on the indexing turntable 11 is coaxially arranged with the detection hole 34, so that the light beam of the photoelectric detection element 35 can pass through the notch and the detection hole 34 and irradiate into the groove of the positioning jig 30, thereby detecting whether the hardware 71 or PCB board 72 is placed. A photoelectric detection element 35 is installed on the frame 10 at the position corresponding to the detection hole 34, thereby detecting whether the hardware 71 or PCB board 72 is placed at the corresponding detection hole 34. The photoelectric detection element 35 can adopt a diffuse reflection background suppression photoelectric sensor known in the prior art, such as the laser sensor ELE-B15N.

[0050] like Figure 6 As shown, preferably, a magnetic part 32 is provided at the bottom of the hardware groove 31, so that when the adsorption gripper 25 places the hardware 71, the magnetic part 32 produces a magnetic adsorption effect on the hardware 71, assisting the hardware 71 to enter the hardware groove 31 and preventing the hardware 71 from tilting after being placed.

[0051] Specifically, since the adsorption gripper 25 is placed on the hardware 71 laterally, that is, the suction nozzle of the adsorption gripper 25 is adsorbed laterally on the wider end of the hardware 71, and the narrower end that needs to be placed in the hardware groove 31 is in a suspended state, it is inconvenient to operate when placing it in the hardware groove 31. Therefore, a magnetic part 32 can be set at the bottom of the hardware groove 31. When the narrower end of the hardware 71 approaches the opening of the hardware groove 31, the magnetic force of the magnetic part 32 can form a magnetic adsorption effect on the hardware 71, thereby assisting the hardware 71 to accurately enter the hardware groove 31.

[0052] Secondly, after the hardware 71 is placed, the larger and heavier wider end of the hardware component 71 can easily tilt or even fall over in the hardware groove 31. Therefore, the magnetic member 32 at the bottom of the hardware groove 31 can continue to attract the hardware 71, keeping the hardware 71 upright with the narrower end close to the bottom. In addition, the magnetic member 32 can be a permanent magnet as used in existing products.

[0053] like Figure 1 and Figure 7 As shown, preferably, the loading mechanism 40 is provided with a plate loading device 43, which is installed on the frame 10 and is used to load the PCB board 72; the plate loading device 43 is provided with a tray assembly 50, an empty tray assembly 60 and a conveying assembly 44, the tray assembly 50 is used to store the tray and supply the tray to the conveying assembly 44; the conveying assembly 44 receives the tray from the tray assembly 50 and conveys the tray to the grabbing position, so that the grabbing assembly 22 grabs the PCB board 72 in the tray; the empty tray assembly 60 is used to receive and store the empty tray of the conveying assembly 44.

[0054] Specifically, in order to improve the loading efficiency, it is preferred to install multiple PCB boards 72 in the material tray, and set a material tray assembly 50 to store the material tray filled with PCB boards 72, set an empty tray assembly 60 to store the empty tray after grabbing, and set a conveying assembly 44 to convey the material tray to a grabbing position convenient for the robot arm 21 to grab, thereby realizing non-stop loading operation.

[0055] Secondly, the conveying assembly 44 is provided with a conveying bracket 45, a conveying cylinder 46, a conveying pallet 47, a conveying guide rail 48, a conveying motor 49 and a conveying belt. The conveying guide rail 48 can be set using the linear guide rail 28 in the prior art, and its slide rail part is fixed to the conveying bracket 45, so that the conveying bracket 45 is slidably connected to the frame 10 through the cooperation between the slider and the slide rail, and the conveying motor 49 is fixed to the frame 10. One end of the conveying belt is rotatably connected to the frame 10 through the synchronous wheel in the prior art, and the other end of the conveying belt is sleeved on the output wheel installed on the output shaft of the conveying motor 49, and the conveying bracket 45 is connected to the conveying belt through the synchronous belt slider, so that the conveying motor 49 drives the conveying belt to rotate, so that the conveying bracket 45 moves synchronously. The conveying cylinder 46 is installed on the conveying bracket 45, and the conveying support plate 47 is installed on the piston end of the conveying cylinder 46, so that the conveying cylinder 46 drives the conveying support plate 47 to push upward to receive the material tray from the material tray assembly 50, or store the empty tray in the empty tray assembly 60.

[0056] like Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, preferably, the tray assembly 50 is provided with a tray storage rack 51, a tray lifting cylinder 52, a lifting bracket 53, a clamping cylinder 54, a clamping slide 55 and a clamping slider 56. One end of the tray storage rack 51 is fixedly connected to the frame 10, and the other end thereof is formed with a storage space for storing the tray; the tray lifting cylinder 52 is installed on the tray storage rack 51, and the lifting bracket 53 is installed on the piston end of the tray lifting cylinder 52, the clamping cylinder 54 and the clamping slide 55 are respectively installed on the lifting bracket 53, the clamping slider 56 is slidably connected to the clamping slide 55, and one end of the clamping slider 56 is installed on the piston end of the clamping cylinder 54, and the other end thereof is provided with a lifting protrusion 57, which supports the bottom of the tray to keep the tray in a preset position.

[0057] Specifically, to facilitate the conveyor assembly 44 in receiving and conveying the trays, the tray storage rack 51 is preferably configured as a bracket with a large bottom space, allowing the conveyor assembly 44 to move within the bottom space. The tray storage rack 51 has a retaining wall at its top, creating a storage space for the trays. Furthermore, a lifting bump 57 is provided on the clamping slide 56 to support the trays and prevent them from falling.

[0058] Secondly, when the conveyor assembly 44 needs to receive a tray from the tray assembly 50, the conveyor bracket 45 first moves to the bottom space of the tray storage rack 51 under the drive of the conveyor belt, and then uses the conveying cylinder 46 to drive the conveying support plate 47 upward to make the top of the conveying support plate 47 abut against the bottom of the tray stored at the bottom of the tray storage rack 51, which is equivalent to the conveying support plate 47 supporting all the trays stored in the tray storage rack 51. At this time, the clamping cylinder 54 drives the clamping slide 56 to move a certain distance away from the tray, releasing the support of the lifting protrusion 57 on the tray. Then, the tray lifting cylinder 52 drives the lifting bracket 53 to lift upward by a distance of the thickness of the tray, so that the clamping cylinder 54 drives the clamping slide 56 to move a certain distance towards the tray, and supports the second tray stored in the tray storage rack 51 from the bottom to the top. Finally, the conveying cylinder 46 drives the conveying support plate 47 downward, causing the received tray to move downward synchronously, completing the receiving operation of the new tray and conveying the received new tray to the grabbing position, waiting for the grabbing operation of the suction gripper 25. The tray lifting cylinder 52 can drive the lifting bracket 53 to move downward a certain distance, return to the initial position, and wait for the next receiving operation of the conveying assembly 44.

[0059] In addition, in order to form a balanced support for the tray, it is preferred that corresponding tray lifting cylinders 52, lifting brackets 53, clamping cylinders 54, clamping slides 55 and clamping sliders 56 are provided on both sides of the tray storage rack 51.

[0060] like Figure 7 and Figure 9 As shown, preferably, the empty disk assembly 60 is provided with an empty disk storage rack 61, an empty disk support block 62, a support block bracket 65, a support block rotating shaft 66 and a support block limiting column 67. One end of the empty disk storage rack 61 is fixedly connected to the frame 10, and the other end thereof is formed with a storage space for storing empty disks; the support block bracket 65 is installed on the empty disk storage rack 61, and the support block rotating shaft 66 and the support block limiting column 67 are respectively fixed to the support block bracket 65, and the empty disk support block 62 is provided with a rotating hole, and the empty disk support block 62 is rotatably connected to the support block rotating shaft 66 through the rotating hole, and the support block limiting column 67 is used to limit and abut the end of the empty disk support block 62 away from the empty disk, so that the end of the empty disk support block 62 close to the empty disk forms a supporting operation for the empty disk.

[0061] Specifically, the end of the empty plate support block 62 close to the empty plate is set as the lifting end 63, and the end away from the empty plate is set as the limiting end 64. The distance between the rotating hole and the lifting end 63 is greater than the distance between the rotating hole and the limiting end 64. Therefore, when the empty plate support block 62 is rotatably connected to the support block rotating shaft 66, the lifting end 63 has a tendency to rotate downward due to the longer length of the lifting end 63. The support block limiting column 67 is set at the end of the support block bracket 65 away from the empty plate, and forms a limiting abutment operation on the limiting end 64 of the empty plate support block 62, preventing its lifting end 63 from rotating downward, so that the empty plate support block 62 remains parallel and continues to support the empty plate.

[0062] Secondly, the empty tray support block 62 forms a lever structure with the support block rotation axis 66 as the fulcrum. The length L1 of the lifting end 63 (closer to the empty tray) is greater than the length L2 of the limiting end 64 (farther from the empty tray). When the empty tray is lifted by the conveying pallet 47, the lifting end 63 is pushed upward about the support block rotation axis 66, making room for the empty tray to move upward. The lifting end 63 then rotates downward under the action of gravity, while the support block limiting column 67 limits its rotation angle, allowing the empty tray support block 62 to return to a parallel state and ensure that the empty tray falls smoothly into the lifting end 63. To facilitate the upward movement of the empty tray, the lower portion of the lifting end 63 can be provided with an inclined surface.

[0063] Next, when the conveyor assembly 44 needs to store an empty tray in the empty tray assembly 60, the conveyor bracket 45 first moves to the bottom space of the empty tray storage rack 61 under the drive of the conveyor belt, and then uses the conveying cylinder 46 to drive the conveying support plate 47 upward to push up the empty tray placed on the conveying support plate 47, thereby synchronously pushing up the empty tray, thereby causing the lifting end 63 of the empty tray support block 62 to rotate upward by a certain angle, making room for the empty tray to move upward, and allowing the empty tray to move upward smoothly by a certain distance. Subsequently, the lifting end 63 of the empty tray support block 62 falls back to the lifting position under the action of gravity, and the conveying cylinder 46 drives the conveying support plate 47 downward to park the empty tray on the conveying support plate 47 again on the lifting end 63 of the empty tray support block 62, completing the empty tray storage operation.

[0064] In addition, in order to form a balanced support for the empty disk, it is preferred that corresponding empty disk support blocks 62 , support block brackets 65 , support block shafts 66 and support block limiting columns 67 are provided on both sides of the empty disk storage rack 61 .

[0065] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, preferably, the feeding mechanism 40 is also provided with a hardware feeding device, which is installed on the frame 10 and is used to feed the hardware 71; the hardware feeding device is provided with a flexible feeding table 41 and a flexible vibration disk 42, and the flexible feeding table 41 feeds the hardware 71 to the flexible vibration disk 42, and the flexible vibration disk 42 vibrates the hardware 71 to put the hardware 71 into a preset grasping state.

[0066] Specifically, in order to load the hardware 71 so that it can be easily grasped by the suction gripper 25, it is particularly necessary to ensure that the wider end of the hardware 71 is in a flat state, so that the entire hardware 71 is in a standing state with the wider end grounded, so that the suction gripper 25 can directly perform suction and grasping operations on the wider end. Preferably, a flexible vibration plate 42 in the prior art can be set to vibrate the hardware 71, so that part of the hardware 71 forms a standing state during the vibration process. The flexible feeding table 41 is provided with a vibrating conveyor belt, which conveys the hardware 71 to the feed port of the flexible vibration plate 42 in an orderly manner through vibration, ensuring that the hardware 71 enters the vibration plate in a random posture.

[0067] Secondly, the hardware loading device can be configured based on the number of hardware components 71 to be welded. For example, if different hardware components 71 need to be welded at each end of a PCB board 72, two sets of hardware loading devices can be installed to perform vibration loading operations on each type of hardware component 71. As will be understood, the robotic arm 21 also drives the suction gripper 25 to perform two suction, movement, and assembly operations, so that the two hardware components 71 are assembled on each end of the PCB board 72.

[0068] Again, above the flexible vibration disk 42, a visual inspection system 16 in the prior art is also provided, which is used to detect the status of the hardware 71 on the vibration disk and transmit the corresponding detection parameters to the robotic arm 21, guiding the robotic arm 21 to adsorb and grasp the hardware 71 in the standing state.

[0069] In addition, a visual inspection system 16 in the prior art is provided on the frame 10 between the assembly station 12 and the robotic arm 21, which is used to perform status detection on the hardware 71 or PCB board 72 grasped by the adsorption gripper 25, thereby assisting the adsorption gripper 25 in performing assembly operations at the assembly station 12.

[0070] On the indexing turntable 11, an inspection station 14 is provided between the welding station 13 and the discharging station 15, and a visual inspection system 16 and a defective product grabbing device 17 in the prior art are installed on the frame 10 at the corresponding position to perform visual inspection on the hardware 71 and the PCB board 72 after welding. If defective products are found after welding, the defective product grabbing device 17 is used to grab the defective products and place them on the defective product conveyor belt to wait for subsequent processing by workers.

[0071] Generally speaking, the entire unit can be set up with three levels of visual inspection: ① A camera is set above the flexible vibration plate 42 to detect the posture of the hardware 71 and guide the robotic arm 21 to perform adsorption and grasping; ② A camera is set at the corresponding position of the assembly station 12 to re-inspect the grasping position of the component to facilitate assembly operations; ③ A camera is set at the corresponding position of the inspection station 14 to identify the welding quality, thereby realizing full-process visual closed-loop control.

[0072] The welding mechanism 18 is configured using a fully automatic soldering iron welding machine known in the art, enabling it to securely weld the welding ends of the hardware 71 to the pads of the PCB board 72. To facilitate welding, a pre-stressing cylinder and a pre-stressing block are installed at the position of the frame 10 corresponding to the welding station 13. The pre-stressing block is mounted on the piston end of the pre-stressing cylinder. Driven by the pre-stressing cylinder, the PCB board 72 is pressed downward, stabilizing the PCB board 72 on the positioning fixture 30 and preventing displacement during welding. Before the welding mechanism 18 operates, the pre-stressing cylinder first drives the pre-stressing block to press the PCB board 72 downward, maintaining a pressure of 0.5-1 MPa. After the welding ends and the pads are heat-melted, the pre-stressing block is reset to ensure that the PCB board 72 does not shift during the welding process.

[0073] Furthermore, the robotic arm 21 preferably utilizes a SCARA robot, a specialized type of cylindrical coordinate industrial robot. A SCARA robot has three rotating joints whose axes are parallel to each other, enabling positioning and orientation within a plane. Another joint is a translatory joint, used to achieve movement of the endpiece perpendicular to the plane. This type of robot is lightweight and responsive, several times faster than conventional articulated robots. It is ideally suited for in-plane positioning and vertical assembly operations.

[0074] The indexing turntable 11 can adopt the CNC indexing turntable in the prior art and be configured to rotate 90 degrees at preset time intervals, thereby driving the positioning fixture 30 to park in the assembly station 12, welding station 13, inspection station 14 and discharge station 15 in sequence.

[0075] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above and that the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and non-restrictive, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and it is intended that all variations that come within the meaning and range of equivalents of the claims be embraced therein.

Claims

1. An automated unit for soldering PCB boards onto hardware, characterized in that: include: The indexing turntable (11) is mounted on the frame (10), and is provided with a plurality of positioning jigs (30) spaced evenly in the circumferential direction thereof, and the positioning jigs (30) are driven to rotate at a preset angle and sequentially parked at the assembly station (12), the welding station (13) and the discharge station (15) to perform corresponding operations; A loading mechanism (40) is mounted on the frame (10) and is used to load hardware (71) or PCB boards (72); An assembly mechanism (20) is mounted on the frame (10) and is used to grab the hardware (71) or the PCB board (72) in the feeding mechanism (40) and move it to a positioning fixture (30) parked at the assembly station (12), so that the hardware (71) and the PCB board (72) are assembled in the positioning fixture (30) before welding; and A welding mechanism (18) is mounted on the frame (10) and is used to perform welding processing on the hardware (71) and the PCB board (72) in the positioning fixture (30) parked at the welding station (13); The assembly mechanism (20) is provided with a robotic arm (21) and a grasping assembly (22), wherein the grasping assembly (22) is mounted on the wrist end of the robotic arm (21) so as to move under the drive of the robotic arm (21); the grasping assembly (22) is provided with a grasping bracket (23), a rotating cylinder (24) and an adsorption gripper (25), wherein one end of the grasping bracket (23) is fixedly connected to the wrist end of the robotic arm (21), and the other end of the grasping bracket (23) is mounted with the rotating cylinder (24), and the adsorption gripper (25) is mounted on the rotating end of the rotating cylinder (24), so as to rotate to a preset angle under the drive of the rotating cylinder (24).

2. The automatic unit for soldering PCB boards onto hardware according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adsorption gripper (25) adsorbs the PCB board (72) from the feeding mechanism (40), moves to the assembly station (12) under the drive of the mechanical arm (21), and vertically places the PCB board (72) so that the PCB board (72) is placed at a preset position in the positioning fixture (30).

3. The automatic unit for soldering PCB boards onto hardware according to claim 1, characterized in that: The grabbing assembly (22) is further provided with a rotating bracket (26), a linear guide rail (28) and a buffer spring (29), wherein the rotating bracket (26) is mounted on the rotating end of the rotary cylinder (24), the slide rail of the linear guide rail (28) is fixed to the rotating bracket (26), and the slider of the linear guide rail (28) is fixed to the adsorption gripper (25), so that the adsorption gripper (25) is slidably connected to the rotating bracket (26), and one end of the buffer spring (29) abuts against the adsorption gripper (25), and the other end thereof abuts against the rotating bracket (26).

4. The automatic unit for soldering PCB boards onto hardware according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adsorption gripper (25) adsorbs the hardware (71) from the feeding mechanism (40) and moves to the assembly station (12) under the drive of the robot arm (21), and the rotary cylinder (24) drives the adsorption gripper (25) to rotate a preset angle to flip the hardware (71), so that the non-adsorption end of the hardware (71) is placed at a preset position in the positioning fixture (30).

5. The automatic unit for soldering PCB boards onto hardware according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom surface of the positioning fixture (30) is fixed to the indexing turntable (11), and the top surface thereof is provided with a hardware groove (31) and a plate groove (33), respectively, for placing the hardware (71) and the PCB board (72), wherein the depth of the hardware groove (31) is greater than the depth of the plate groove (33), so that the PCB board (72) is placed on the upper side of the hardware (71), and the welding end of the hardware (71) passes through the welding through hole of the PCB board (72) from bottom to top.

6. The automatic unit for soldering PCB boards onto hardware according to claim 1, characterized in that: A magnetic part (32) is provided at the bottom of the hardware groove (31), so that when the adsorption gripper (25) places the hardware (71), the magnetic part (32) produces a magnetic adsorption effect on the hardware (71), assisting the hardware (71) to enter the hardware groove (31) and preventing the hardware (71) from tilting after being placed.

7. The automatic unit for soldering PCB boards onto hardware according to claim 1, characterized in that: The loading mechanism (40) is provided with a plate loading device (43), which is mounted on the frame (10) and is used for loading the PCB board (72); the plate loading device (43) is provided with a tray assembly (50), an empty tray assembly (60) and a conveying assembly (44); the tray assembly (50) is used for storing the tray and supplying the tray to the conveying assembly (44); the conveying assembly (44) receives the tray from the tray assembly (50) and conveys the tray to a grabbing position, so that the grabbing assembly (22) performs a grabbing operation on the PCB board (72) in the tray; the empty tray assembly (60) is used for receiving and storing the empty tray of the conveying assembly (44).

8. The automatic unit for soldering PCB boards onto hardware according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tray assembly (50) is provided with a tray storage rack (51), a tray lifting cylinder (52), a lifting bracket (53), a clamping cylinder (54), a clamping slide (55) and a clamping slider (56). One end of the tray storage rack (51) is fixed to the frame (10), and the other end thereof is formed with a storage space for storing the tray; the tray lifting cylinder (52) is mounted on the tray storage rack (51), the lifting bracket (53) is mounted on the piston end of the tray lifting cylinder (52), the clamping cylinder (54) and the clamping slide (55) are respectively mounted on the lifting bracket (53), the clamping slider (56) is slidably connected to the clamping slide (55), and one end of the clamping slider (56) is mounted on the piston end of the clamping cylinder (54), and the other end thereof is provided with a lifting protrusion (57), and the lifting protrusion (57) supports the bottom of the tray so that the tray is kept in a preset position.

9. The automatic unit for soldering PCB boards onto hardware according to claim 1, characterized in that: The empty disk assembly (60) is provided with an empty disk storage rack (61), an empty disk support block (62), a support block bracket (65), a support block rotating shaft (66) and a support block limiting column (67). One end of the empty disk storage rack (61) is fixedly connected to the frame (10), and the other end thereof is formed with a storage space for storing the empty disk; the support block bracket (65) is installed on the empty disk storage rack (61), the support block rotating shaft (66) and the support block limiting column (67) are respectively fixedly connected to the support block bracket (65), the empty disk support block (62) is provided with a rotating hole, and the empty disk support block (62) is rotatably connected to the support block rotating shaft (66) through the rotating hole. The support block limiting column (67) is used to perform a limiting abutment operation on the end of the empty disk support block (62) away from the empty disk, so that the end of the empty disk support block (62) close to the empty disk forms a supporting operation on the empty disk.

10. The automatic unit for soldering PCB boards onto hardware according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding mechanism (40) is further provided with a hardware feeding device, which is mounted on the frame (10) and is used for feeding the hardware (71); the hardware feeding device is provided with a flexible feeding table (41) and a flexible vibration disk (42); the flexible feeding table (41) feeds the hardware (71) to the flexible vibration disk (42); the flexible vibration disk (42) vibrates the hardware (71) to place the hardware (71) in a preset grasping state.

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