A laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production
By designing a point expansion and smoothing mechanism for logic valves in a CNC laser cutting device, the problem of local height differences in flexible circuit boards during the cutting process was solved, thus improving processing quality and safety.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511607609.X
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-19
- Estimated Expiration
- 2045-11-05
AI Technical Summary
Existing CNC laser cutting equipment poses a risk of causing significant local height differences when adsorbing flexible circuit boards, which affects processing quality and safety.
Design a laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production. The device uses logic valves that are vertically set and evenly distributed on the top of the FPC suction cup. It uses a single-point start-up method to expand layer by layer for adsorption and smoothing. The logic valves are connected by connectors and hoses. The airflow is controlled by annular seals and valve cores to achieve the fixation and smoothing effect of point expansion.
This effectively solves the problem of large local height differences in flexible circuit boards during the cutting process, improves processing quality and safety, and achieves stable fixing and flatness of FPC circuit boards.
Smart Images
Figure CN121267411B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of laser beam cutting equipment, and in particular to a laser cutting device for the production of flexible circuit boards. Background Technology
[0002] CNC laser cutting can quickly cut flexible printed circuit boards (FPCs) into designed shapes in batches according to programming. Its laser cutting process is different from that of general CNC machine tool processing. During laser processing, there is no direct contact between the laser and the FPC circuit board. Therefore, there is no cutting force as in general CNC machine tool processing. This makes the requirement for the fixing strength of the FPC circuit board relatively low. There are generally three fixing methods: tape fixing, mold frame pressing fixing, and adsorption fixing. Tape fixing is outdated and is being phased out. Currently, mold frame pressing and adsorption fixing are the mainstream methods. The latter two fixing methods each have their own advantages and disadvantages.
[0003] Taking adsorption fixation as an example, the suction cup used is not a rubber suction cup in the ordinary sense, but a metal base machined by CNC. The top of the base has an opening and is equipped with many logic valves. By evacuating all the logic valves, the purpose of adsorption fixation of the FPC circuit board is achieved. The principle of the logic valve is that the top of the logic valve is supported by a spring, which supports a piston with a diameter slightly smaller than the channel. When there is no workpiece at the top of the logic valve, the pressure difference of the vacuum will cause the piston to be attracted into the logic valve until the piston seals the logic valve. When the top of the logic valve covers the workpiece, the pressure difference of the vacuum acts directly on the workpiece. At this time, the piston is balanced by the forces above and below and does not move.
[0004] As can be seen from the above brief description of the prior art, the suction cup is an important component of CNC laser cutting equipment, and the logic valve is the core component of the suction cup. However, in actual use, it has been found that when the existing logic valve is applied to the FPC circuit board, it may occasionally cause the FPC circuit board to wrinkle. As a result, the height difference of the PFC circuit board exceeds the focusing range of laser processing, resulting in the deformation of the FPC circuit board during cutting.
[0005] Analysis of the failed processing cases revealed that the cause was the working principle of conventional logic valves. As long as the logic valve is covered by the FPC circuit board, it will work synchronously when vacuuming is started. If the FPC circuit board is not completely flat, the part that is attached to the suction cup will be firmly sucked in first. The arched part is relatively far from the suction cup, so the corresponding logic valve has a certain lag in starting speed compared to other logic valves. It cannot be flattened by subsequent suction, thus causing a slight local height difference.
[0006] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, a laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production is proposed. Summary of the Invention
[0007] In view of the risk that the CNC laser cutting device in the above or existing technology may cause a large local height difference of the FPC circuit board when adsorbing it, which affects the quality and safety of automated batch processing of FPC circuit boards, the present invention is proposed.
[0008] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a laser cutting apparatus for the production of flexible circuit boards.
[0009] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production, including a CNC laser cutting machine, and further including: an FPC suction cup, which has an internal shell-extraction process; a logic valve, which is vertically arranged and evenly embedded in the top layer of the FPC suction cup, and the housing of the logic valve is connected to the inner cavity of the FPC suction cup and the atmosphere, the peripheral wall of the housing of the logic valve is provided with a connector, and adjacent logic valves are connected to each other through connectors and hoses, the inner wall of the housing of the logic valve has a "C"-shaped air passage 1 above the connector, and both ends of the air passage 1 are connected to the inside of the logic valve, the inner wall of the housing of the logic valve is fitted with a "drum"-shaped annular seal, and the outer wall of the seal covers and seals the internal opening of the connector and the bottom opening of the air passage 1; the bottom end of the logic valve is also provided with a valve core 1, which is used to control the opening and closing of the logic valve and the cavity of the FPC suction cup.
[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production of the present invention, wherein the two halves of the flat nozzle are in a closed and sealed state under normal conditions.
[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production of the present invention, wherein: the FPC suction cup is fixed on the table of the CNC laser cutting machine, and the cavity of the FPC suction cup is connected to the vacuum machine pipeline; the connector and the air passage are arranged in a ring array of three about the housing of the logic valve, and the six logic valves are connected in a hexagonal shape by hoses and connectors, and further, the logic valves form a hexagonal mesh structure distributed in the top layer of the FPC suction cup.
[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production of the present invention, the surface of the top layer of the FPC suction cup is covered with a pad, and the pad is machined with through holes at each logic valve, and the diameter of the opening of the pad is smaller than the diameter of the top opening of the logic valve.
[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production of the present invention, the sealing element is annular, and after the sealing element is cut along the plane containing its axis, its two side walls are symmetrical arcs, and the wall thickness of the side walls of the sealing element increases from the middle of the sealing element to the two side edges.
[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production of the present invention, wherein: an inner retaining spring is provided on the inner side of the opening edge at both ends of the sealing member, the cross-section of the inner retaining spring is circular, and the diameter of the inner retaining spring expands outward, pressing and sealing the two ends of the sealing member with the inner wall of the logic valve housing.
[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production of the present invention, wherein: the first valve core is in the shape of an inverted frustum, and the side wall of the first valve core is pressed and sealed with the inner wall of the bottom opening of the logic valve housing, and the top of the first valve core is threaded with a connecting rod along its axis; the top of the logic valve housing is fitted with a second valve core, which is in the shape of an inverted cone, and the bottom of the second valve core is fixedly provided with a short column along its axis; the short column is hexagonal, and the short column is slidably inserted with the top of the connecting rod on the same axis; and a spring is also pressed and fitted inside the connecting rod between the connecting rod and the short column.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production of the present invention, a gap is left between the edge of the valve core and the inner wall of the logic valve housing for airflow.
[0017] As a preferred embodiment of the laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production of the present invention, wherein: the top of the logic valve has an air passage two arranged in a ring array with respect to the valve core two, the air passage two is used for communication between the two ends of the logic valve housing, and the conical sidewall of the valve core two covers and seals the top opening of the air passage two.
[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production of the present invention, the top end of the connecting rod is threadedly connected to the housing of the logic valve.
[0019] The beneficial effects of the laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production of the present invention are as follows: The laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production of the present invention provides an FPC suction cup specifically for FPC circuit boards, which enables the present invention to not only adsorb workpieces with high suction force, but also to achieve the effect of "smoothing" the FPC circuit board by using a special working mode of expanding from point to surface, starting with the operation of a single logic valve and then activating other logic valves layer by layer to the periphery. This not only fixes the FPC circuit board, but also "smooths" the FPC circuit board. It effectively solves the problem in the prior art that when CNC laser cutting devices are used to fix FPC circuit boards, there is a risk of large local height differences on the FPC circuit board, which affects the quality and safety of automated batch processing of FPC circuit boards. Attached Figure Description
[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the following description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a laser cutting device for the production of flexible circuit boards.
[0022] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the FPC suction cup in the middle.
[0023] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A pair of logic valves connected by hoses.
[0024] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the logic valve.
[0025] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure after further cutting the seal.
[0026] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the logic valve housing (oblique elevation view).
[0027] Figure 7 for Figure 5 A structural breakdown diagram of valve core 1, valve core 2, and connecting rod.
[0028] In the diagram: 100, CNC laser cutting machine; 101, FPC suction cup; 102, pad; 200, logic valve; 201, connector; 202, air passage one; 203, air passage two; 204, seal; 2041, flat nozzle; 205, valve core one; 206, valve core two; 2061, short column; 207, connecting rod; 208, internal retaining ring; 209, spring. Detailed Implementation
[0029] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0030] Example, refer to Figures 1-7 This embodiment provides a laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production, which can achieve the effect of suction fixation from a single point to the surrounding area and then to the surface. That is, a single logic valve 200 works first, and then other logic valves 200 are activated layer by layer to the outside, thereby achieving both the fixation of the FPC circuit board and the effect of "smoothing" the FPC circuit board.
[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, it includes a CNC laser cutting machine 100 and an FPC suction cup 101 on its table, as... Figure 2 As shown, the internal shelling of the FPC suction cup 101 is performed. The FPC suction cup 101 is fixed on the table of the CNC laser cutting machine 100, and the cavity of the FPC suction cup 101 is connected to the vacuum machine pipeline. Logic valves 200 are vertically and evenly embedded in the top layer of the FPC suction cup 101, and the housing of the logic valves 200 is connected to the internal cavity of the FPC suction cup 101 and the atmosphere. Figure 3 As shown, the peripheral wall of the housing of the logic valve 200 is provided with a connector 201, and adjacent logic valves 200 are connected to each other through the connector 201 and a flexible hose, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the inner wall of the housing of the logic valve 200 is provided with a "C"-shaped air passage 202 above the connector 201, and both ends of the air passage 202 are connected to the inside of the logic valve 200. The inner wall of the housing of the logic valve 200 is fitted with a "drum"-shaped annular seal 204, and the outer wall of the seal 204 covers and seals the internal opening of the connector 201 and the bottom opening of the air passage 202. The bottom end of the logic valve 200 is also provided with a valve core 205, which is used to control the opening and closing between the logic valve 200 and the cavity of the FPC suction cup 101.
[0032] This invention provides a laser cutting device for flexible circuit board (FPC) production, and more particularly, a dedicated FPC suction cup 101 within the laser cutting device. Its function is designed to select any one of the logic valves 200 as a starting point. When the FPC circuit board is laid on the FPC suction cup 101 and a vacuum is initiated, the selected logic valve 200 will partially activate, suctioning the corresponding area of the FPC circuit board. Only when the air inlet at the top of the logic valve 200 is sealed by the FPC circuit board (i.e., properly suctioned) will the adjacent logic valves 200 be triggered via a connected hose, and so on. Push until all logic valves 200 on the entire FPC suction cup 101 are activated. Generally, the first logic valve 200 should be selected to correspond to the middle area of the FPC circuit board. This way, suction is started from the center of the FPC circuit board and gradually expanded to its edge. Even if the FPC circuit board has some initial warping, it can be flattened and smoothed out during the point-to-surface expansion process. This solves the problem in the existing technology where CNC laser cutting devices may cause large local height differences in the FPC circuit board when suctioning it, which affects the quality and safety of automated batch processing of FPC circuit boards.
[0033] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention also involves the following technical details:
[0034] First, please refer to the specific structure, such as... Figure 2As shown, there are three connectors 201 and air passage 202 arranged in a ring array about the housing of logic valve 200, and six logic valves 200 are connected by hoses and connectors 201 in a hexagonal shape. The logic valves 200 are further arranged in a hexagonal mesh structure distributed in the top layer of FPC suction cup 101.
[0035] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the seal 204 is annular, and when the seal 204 is cut along the plane containing its axis, its two side walls are symmetrical arcs. The wall thickness of the seal 204 side walls increases from the middle of the seal 204 to the two side edges. The two halves of the flat nozzle 2041 are in a closed sealing state under normal conditions. An inner retaining spring 208 is provided on the inner side of the opening edges at both ends of the seal 204. The cross-section of the inner retaining spring 208 is circular, and the diameter of the inner retaining spring 208 expands outward, pressing the two end edges of the seal 204 tightly against the inner wall of the logic valve 200 housing. A gap is left between the edge of the valve core 206 and the inner wall of the logic valve 200 housing for airflow. The logic valve 200 has an air passage 203 arranged in a ring around the top of the valve core 206. The air passage 203 is used to connect the two ends of the logic valve 200 housing. The conical sidewall of the valve core 206 covers and seals the top opening of the air passage 203. The top of the connecting rod 207 is threadedly connected to the housing of the logic valve 200. The valve core 205 is in the shape of an inverted frustum. The sidewall of the valve core 205 is squeezed and sealed to the inner wall of the bottom opening of the logic valve 200 housing. The top of the valve core 205 is threadedly fastened to the connecting rod 207 along its axis. The top of the housing of the logic valve 200 is fitted with the valve core 206, which is in the shape of an inverted cone.
[0036] like Figure 7 As shown, a short column 2061 is fixedly provided at the bottom end of the valve core 206 along its axis. The short column 2061 is hexagonal and is slidably inserted into the top end of the connecting rod 207. A spring 209 is also squeezed and sleeved inside the connecting rod 207 between the connecting rod 207 and the short column 2061.
[0037] Technical detail one, regarding any selection of logic valve 200,
[0038] Only the selected logic valve 200 is allowed to communicate with the cavity of the FPC suction cup 101. This ensures that when a vacuum is applied to the FPC suction cup 101, the negative pressure will act first on this logic valve 200. The operation method is as follows: [Refer to...] Figure 5Use a flathead screwdriver to turn valve core 206 counterclockwise, causing valve core 206 to drive connecting rod 207 and valve core 205 to rotate upwards. This prevents valve core 206 from sealing the bottom interface of the logic valve 200 housing (note that the upward rotation height needs to reach the point where valve core 205 fully compresses spring 209 but still does not seal the top opening of the logic valve 200 housing). The negative pressure is transmitted to the surface of FPC suction cup 101 through the cavity of FPC suction cup 101, the bottom opening of the logic valve 200 housing, seal 204, and air passage 203, and finally acts on the FPC circuit board. The unselected logic valve 200 should be in the state where valve core 206 closes the bottom opening of the logic valve 200 housing.
[0039] Technical detail two: Regarding the successive propagation of negative pressure between logic valves 200,
[0040] Once the first selected logic valve 200 is successfully attached to the FPC circuit board, the negative pressure inside the logic valve 200 will increase dramatically due to the blockage of the only opening at the top of the logic valve 200. This creates a high pressure differential between the inside of the logic valve 200 and the inside of the connected hose. (Refer to...) Figure 5 The pressure difference acts directly on the side wall of the seal 204. The force of the air pressure is proportional to the area of the object being acted upon. The opening area of the connector 201 is obviously larger than the opening area of the air passage 202. Therefore, the inward pushing force of the connector 201 on the side wall of the seal 204 is greater than the adsorption force of the air passage 203 on the side wall of the seal 204. This pressure difference will eventually force the side wall of the seal 204 to indent inward. The side wall of the seal 204 is pulled away from the opening of the air passage 202 and the connector 201 by the pressure difference, so that the connector 201 and the air passage 202 can be connected. The negative pressure will be transmitted to the next logic valve 200 through the air passage 202, the connector 201 and the connected hose. Therefore, when the initial logic valve 200 fails to adsorb onto the FPC circuit board, it will not transmit the negative pressure to the adjacent logic valve 200.
[0041] The above process mainly illustrates that when negative pressure is transmitted from one logic valve 200 to another logic valve 200, the air passage 202, connector 201 and seal 204 work together to provide a threshold. This threshold is to ensure that the preceding logic valve 200 completely holds the FPC circuit board before the negative pressure is transmitted. The flat nozzle 2041 on the seal 204 is always sealed because the direction of action is to squeeze inwards from the seal 204.
[0042] When negative pressure is transmitted to the adjacent logic valve 200, the connector 201 generates suction on the seal 204, forcing the flat nozzle 2041 on the side wall of the seal 204 to open. Airflow enters the connector 201 from the atmosphere, the upper part of the housing of the logic valve 200, the seal 204 and the flat nozzle 2041, causing the logic valve 200 to generate negative pressure to adsorb the corresponding FPC circuit board area. Similarly, after the adsorption is firm, the negative pressure in the logic valve 200 increases sharply and continues to transmit negative pressure to the next logic valve 200.
[0043] Technical detail three: the function of pad 102;
[0044] Please refer to the structure, such as Figure 2 As shown, the top plate surface of the FPC suction cup 101 is covered with a pad 102, and the pad 102 has through holes machined at each logic valve 200, and the diameter of the opening of the pad 102 is smaller than the diameter of the top opening of the logic valve 200.
[0045] Considering the ease of machining the housing of the logic valve 200, the openings at both ends of the housing of the logic valve 200 should not be too small, so as to facilitate casting and subsequent precision machining on machine tools. However, this will make the top opening of the logic valve 200 larger. If it is used directly to adsorb the FPC circuit board, it will cause local dents in the FPC circuit board. Therefore, it is necessary to cover it with a perforated pad 102. Adsorbing the FPC circuit board through the small holes on the pad 102 will be safer and more reliable.
[0046] The FPC suction cup 101 of the laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production of the present invention also retains the function of a conventional suction cup. It is only necessary to screw the valve core 206 to a suitable height so that the logic valve 200 is in a state where the valve core 205 is not closed with the logic valve 200 housing. When there is no workpiece covering the suction cup and negative pressure is applied, the valve core 205 is pulled downward and closed with the top of the logic valve 200 housing after the spring 209 is fully compressed. When the logic valve 200 is in this state, the FPC suction cup 101 will be no different from a conventional suction cup. That is, when negative pressure is applied to the FPC suction cup 101, it will directly act on all the logic valves 200. The logic valves 200 that are not covered by the workpiece will automatically close, and the logic valves 200 covered by the workpiece will hold the workpiece in place.
[0047] The purpose of retaining this conventional function in this invention is to improve the compatibility of the device and to cope with scenarios that require high suction power.
[0048] In summary, the laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production of the present invention provides an FPC suction cup 101 specifically for FPC circuit boards. This invention can not only adsorb workpieces with high suction force, but also, through a special working mode of expanding from a point to an area, activate a single logic valve 200 first, and then activate other logic valves 200 layer by layer to the periphery. This not only fixes the FPC circuit board, but also achieves the effect of "smoothing" the FPC circuit board. It effectively solves the problem in the prior art that CNC laser cutting devices may cause large local height differences in FPC circuit boards when adsorbing and fixing them, which affects the quality and safety of automated batch processing of FPC circuit boards.
[0049] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.
Claims
1. A laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production, comprising a CNC laser cutting machine (100), characterized in that, Also includes: FPC suction cup (101), its internal shelling process; A logic valve (200) is vertically positioned and evenly embedded in the top layer of the FPC suction cup (101). The housing of the logic valve (200) is connected to the inner cavity of the FPC suction cup (101) and the atmosphere. A connector (201) is provided on the peripheral wall of the housing of the logic valve (200). Adjacent logic valves (200) are connected to each other through the connector (201) and a flexible hose. An opening is provided on the inner wall of the housing of the logic valve (200) above the connector (201). The air passage (202) is shaped like a "C" and both ends of the air passage (202) are connected to the inside of the logic valve (200). The inner wall of the housing of the logic valve (200) is fitted with a "drum" shaped annular seal (204). The outer wall of the seal (204) covers and seals the inner opening of the connector (201) and the bottom opening of the air passage (202). The side wall of the seal (204) extends into the connector (201) with a flat nozzle (2041). The bottom end of the logic valve (200) is also provided with a valve core (205) for controlling the opening and closing of the logic valve (200) and the cavity of the FPC suction cup (101).
2. The laser cutting device for flexible circuit board production as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The two halves of the flat mouth (2041) are normally in a closed and sealed state.
3. The laser cutting apparatus for flexible circuit board production as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The FPC suction cup (101) is fixed on the table of the CNC laser cutting machine (100), and the cavity of the FPC suction cup (101) is connected to the vacuum machine pipeline. The connector (201) and the first air channel (202) are arranged in a ring array about the housing of the logic valve (200). The six logic valves (200) are connected in a hexagonal shape through hoses and connectors (201). Furthermore, the logic valves (200) form a hexagonal mesh structure distributed in the top layer of the FPC suction cup (101).
4. The laser cutting apparatus for flexible circuit board production as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The top plate surface of the FPC suction cup (101) is covered with a pad (102), and the pad (102) has through holes machined at each logic valve (200), and the diameter of the opening of the pad (102) is smaller than the top opening diameter of the logic valve (200).
5. The laser cutting apparatus for flexible circuit board production as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The sealing element (204) is annular, and after the sealing element (204) is cut along the plane where its axis is located, its two side walls are symmetrical arcs, and the wall thickness of the side wall of the sealing element (204) increases from the middle of the sealing element (204) to the two side edges.
6. The laser cutting apparatus for flexible circuit board production as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The inner sides of the opening edges at both ends of the sealing element (204) are provided with inner retaining springs (208). The cross-section of the inner retaining springs (208) is circular, and the diameter of the inner retaining springs (208) expands outward to press and seal the two ends of the sealing element (204) with the inner wall of the logic valve (200) housing.
7. The laser cutting apparatus for flexible circuit board production as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The valve core one (205) is in the shape of an inverted frustum, and the side wall of the valve core one (205) is squeezed and sealed with the inner wall of the bottom opening of the logic valve (200) housing. The top of the valve core one (205) is threaded with a connecting rod (207) along its axis. The top of the housing of the logic valve (200) is fitted with a valve core two (206), which is in the shape of an inverted cone. The bottom of the valve core two (206) is fixed with a short column (2061) along its axis. The short column (2061) is hexagonal, and the short column (2061) is slidably inserted with the top of the connecting rod (207) on the same axis. A spring (209) is also squeezed and fitted between the connecting rod (207) and the short column (2061) inside the connecting rod (207).
8. The laser cutting apparatus for flexible circuit board production as described in claim 7, characterized in that: A gap is left between the edge of the valve core (206) and the inner wall of the housing of the logic valve (200) for airflow.
9. The laser cutting apparatus for flexible circuit board production as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The top of the logic valve (200) has an air passage (203) arranged in a ring array with respect to the valve core (206). The air passage (203) is used to connect the two ends of the logic valve (200) housing, and the conical sidewall of the valve core (206) covers and seals the top opening of the air passage (203).
10. The laser cutting apparatus for flexible circuit board production as described in claim 9, characterized in that: The top end of the connecting rod (207) is threadedly connected to the housing of the logic valve (200).