Material belt continuous winding and unwinding equipment and method for terminal injection molding processing

Abstract

The invention discloses a material belt continuous winding and unwinding device and method for terminal injection molding machining, and relates to the technical field of electronic connector machining. The equipment comprises a machine table, an injection molding device, a discharging device and a winding device. The improvement is that a separated processing device is arranged at the downstream of the discharging device, and the discharging device comprises at least two groups of floating roll changing mechanisms driven by a floating driving device. The processing device is sequentially provided with a second-section feeding rail, a cutting assembly, a laser welding module and a third-section feeding rail. Automatic replacement of the material strip coil is achieved through lifting of the floating coil replacing mechanism, the cutting assembly is used for cutting off the tail end of an old material strip, the laser welding module is used for welding the starting end of a new material strip and the tail end of the old material strip, and therefore continuous and uninterrupted supply of the material strip is achieved. According to the invention, the problem of shutdown caused by roll replacement in the prior art is effectively solved, and the production efficiency and the automation level of terminal injection molding processing are remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electronic connector processing technology, and in particular to a continuous tape feeding and unloading device and method for terminal injection molding. Background Technology

[0002] Terminal strips are a key carrier component in the field of electronic connector manufacturing. Specifically, they are one or more rows of conductive terminals continuously formed on a thin metal strip (usually a conductive material such as copper or copper alloy) through a precision stamping process.

[0003] Conductive terminals are the core functional components of electronic connectors, essentially a precision metal conductor structure. In a connector, they are responsible for ensuring reliable electrical signal transmission and mechanical connection between circuits. These terminals come in various forms, including pins, sockets, and springs, to meet the needs of different connection scenarios. Designing them to be continuously arranged on a strip is to accommodate the needs of large-scale automated production. Before electroplating, transportation, and final assembly into the plastic connector housing (i.e., injection molding), the terminals are always carried and positioned by the strip, which greatly improves production efficiency and consistency.

[0004] Injection molding is a crucial process that gives electronic connectors their final form and function. In this process, a strip carrying conductive terminals is precisely fed into the mold of the injection molding machine. Subsequently, molten plastic (such as engineering plastics like PA and PBT) is injected into the mold cavity, where it cools and solidifies around the terminals, forming an insulating plastic body that encapsulates and secures them. This process integrates discrete metal terminals into a complete connector product with specific interfaces, locking mechanisms, and insulation protection.

[0005] During the unwinding and winding of the thermal strip, the paper tape plays a crucial protective role. Because conductive terminals typically have delicate, easily damaged contact areas or sharp leads, without proper insulation during winding and unwinding, upper and lower layers of terminals are highly susceptible to scratching and collisions, leading to terminal deformation, surface scratches, or plating damage, severely impacting product quality. Therefore, during thermal strip winding, a layer of protective paper tape (or release film) is simultaneously wound to separate adjacent strip layers. When the unwinding device releases the thermal strip, it needs to be separated from the paper tape, allowing the thermal strip to enter the processing flow, while the separated paper tape is independently wound. When the winding device winds up the finished injection-molded thermal strip, a new paper tape is simultaneously released from the paper tape roll, winding it together with the finished thermal strip to provide interlayer protection for the precision terminals again. This coordinated unwinding and winding of the thermal strip and paper tape is a necessary measure to ensure the terminals remain intact throughout the entire production process.

[0006] Currently, the industry mainly uses single-reel take-up and unload equipment to manage tape. This type of equipment can only load one roll of tape for transport at a time. When a roll of tape is used up, a new reel must be manually replaced, and the start end of the new tape must be manually connected to the end end of the old tape. This process is not only inefficient, but more importantly, it causes interruptions in tape transport. This limits the improvement of equipment utilization and becomes a bottleneck restricting further improvements in the efficiency of electronic product assembly. Therefore, there is a need to develop a take-up and unload equipment and method that can achieve uninterrupted and continuous tape supply. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a continuous tape feeding and unloading device for terminal injection molding.

[0008] A continuous strip feeding and take-up device for terminal injection molding includes a machine base, an injection molding unit, and a feeding device and a take-up device respectively disposed on both sides of the injection molding unit. A processing device is disposed downstream of the feeding device, and the feeding device and the processing device are designed separately. The feeding device includes at least two sets of floating roll changing mechanisms and a floating drive device for driving the floating roll changing mechanisms to move up and down. The processing device includes a second feeding rail, a cutting component, a laser welding module, and a third feeding rail arranged in sequence. The second feeding rail is disconnected from and aligned with the output end of the floating roll changing mechanism. The cutting component is used to cut off the tail end of the previous strip during roll changing, and the laser welding module is used to weld the starting end of the new strip to the tail end of the previous strip to achieve continuous strip supply.

[0009] Compared with existing technologies, by adopting a separate design of floating roll changing mechanism and processing device, combined with cutting and laser welding processes, efficient splicing of new and old material strips is achieved during the roll changing process. This reduces the long downtime of the production line caused by manual roll changing in traditional operations and ensures continuous and uninterrupted material supply to the injection molding device.

[0010] Furthermore, the floating roll changing mechanism includes: an L-shaped mounting platform, with its two ends used for mounting the material strip roll and the paper strip roll respectively; a floating platform, fixedly connected to the L-shaped mounting platform and driven to rise and fall by the floating drive device; a first feeding rail section disposed on the floating platform; a first drive assembly disposed on the first feeding rail section for driving the material strip; and a position adjustment assembly disposed on the floating platform for driving the first feeding rail section to translate along the material strip conveying direction.

[0011] Compared with existing technologies, by adopting the above technical solution, the integrated floating roll changing mechanism not only realizes the switching of material roll bearing and lifting, but its built-in position adjustment component can also finely adjust the docking position of the feeding rail, ensuring the precise connection of the material roll transmission path during the roll changing process, and improving the stability and reliability of equipment operation.

[0012] Furthermore, a first material inlet sensor and a clamping assembly are provided on the first feeding rail; a second material inlet sensor is provided at one end of the second feeding rail near the first feeding rail; the clamping assembly and the cutting assembly respond to the signals from the first material inlet sensor and the second material inlet sensor to collaboratively complete the cutting, retraction and clamping of the material strip.

[0013] Compared with existing technologies, by adopting the above technical solution, the pressing and cutting actions are controlled by the signals of the first and second incoming material sensors, which achieves precise triggering and automated control of the roll changing process. This ensures that the end of the old material strip is safely cut off, retracted and fixed, which prepares for subsequent floating switching and splicing of new material strips, and avoids manual intervention and misoperation.

[0014] Furthermore, the processing device also includes, sequentially arranged along the third feeding rail: a first marking module for marking the conductive terminals on the material strip; a first vision inspection module for detecting defects in the conductive terminals and the quality of the laser welding joints; a hot pressing module for hot pressing and leveling the laser welding joints; and a first laser cutting module for cutting off the conductive terminals identified as unqualified by the first vision inspection module.

[0015] Compared with existing technologies, by adopting the above technical solution, multiple processes such as marking, visual inspection, hot pressing and laser cutting are integrated into the processing device, forming a complete online quality control and repair process. This can promptly identify and remove defective terminals and repair the welded joints, significantly improving the pass rate of the final product.

[0016] Furthermore, a negative pressure material receiving device is provided above both the first laser cutting module and the second laser cutting module to absorb the waste generated during cutting.

[0017] Compared with existing technologies, by adopting the above technical solution, the negative pressure material receiving device can suck away the laser cutting waste instantly, keeping the inside of the equipment and the working environment clean, and preventing waste residue from causing secondary pollution or damage to equipment operation, material conveying or product quality.

[0018] Furthermore, a reversing device is provided between the injection molding device and the processing device, and between the injection molding device and the winding device; the reversing device includes a reversing wheel, a tension adjustment mechanism and a guide wheel, and the tension adjustment mechanism includes a tension wheel that can be driven to move by a linear drive module for adjusting the tension of the material strip.

[0019] Compared with existing technologies, by adopting the above technical solution, the reversing device not only realizes the flexible change of the conveying direction of the material belt, but its tension adjustment mechanism can also dynamically adjust the tension of the material belt, ensuring that the material belt always maintains a suitable tension during turning and long-distance transmission, preventing the material belt from loosening, wrinkling or excessive stretching, and ensuring the process stability of injection molding and winding.

[0020] Furthermore, the device also includes a post-processing device disposed between the injection molding device and the winding device; the post-processing device includes a fourth feeding rail, and the following components arranged sequentially along the fourth feeding rail: a second marking module for re-marking the conductive terminals after injection molding; a second vision inspection module for inspecting the quality of the injection molding; a blower module for accelerating the curing of the injection molded parts; and a second laser cutting module for cutting off the injection molded terminals identified as unqualified by the second vision inspection module.

[0021] Compared with existing technologies, by adopting the above technical solution, the post-processing device performs secondary marking, quality inspection, assisted curing, and defective product removal on the injection-molded products, realizing closed-loop control of the final product quality, ensuring the reliability of the products leaving the factory, and at the same time, the air-curing shortens the production cycle.

[0022] Furthermore, the first drive assembly includes a toothed disc driven by a motor, the teeth on the toothed disc engaging with the toothed grooves on both sides of the material belt to drive the material belt to move within the first section of the feed rail.

[0023] Compared with existing technologies, by adopting the above technical solution, the meshing transmission method between the toothed disc and the material strip tooth groove provides a precise and slip-free driving force, realizing accurate control of the material strip stepping distance. This is crucial for ensuring the positioning accuracy of subsequent injection molding, marking, cutting and other stations.

[0024] Furthermore, the winding device has the same structure as the unloading device and is arranged in opposite directions of material conveying, for winding the completed injection molding material strip together with the unloaded paper strip.

[0025] Compared with existing technologies, by adopting the above technical solution, the symmetrical design of the unwinding and winding device simplifies the equipment structure, reduces manufacturing and maintenance costs, and ensures that the finished material tape can also obtain interlayer protection of the paper tape during winding, thus maintaining the integrity of the product in the final storage and transportation stage.

[0026] Furthermore, a continuous strip feeding and unloading method includes the following steps: During the feeding stage, the floating drive device switches between different floating roll-changing mechanisms to achieve automatic strip roll replacement; during the splicing stage, the cutting component cuts off the tail end of the old strip, and the laser welding module welds the starting end of the new strip to the tail end of the old strip to form a continuous strip; during the processing stage, the spliced ​​strip is marked, visually inspected, hot-pressed at the weld joint, and defective terminals are removed; during the injection molding stage, the processed continuous strip is conveyed to the injection molding device for injection molding; and during the post-processing and winding stage, the injection-molded strip is marked a second time, visually inspected, air-cured, and defective parts are removed, and finally wound up by the winding device.

[0027] Compared with existing technologies, by adopting the above technical solution, this method integrates multiple links such as floating roll changing, automatic welding, online quality inspection, injection molding and post-processing winding into a continuous and efficient process, systematically solving the problem of continuous production from material supply to finished product winding, and greatly improving overall operation efficiency and product consistency.

[0028] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: 1. It enables efficient replacement and seamless splicing of material strips during terminal injection molding, ensuring continuous material supply to the injection molding machine, reducing long-term production line downtime caused by roll changes, and significantly improving equipment utilization and production efficiency.

[0029] 2. By integrating multiple functions such as marking, visual inspection, hot pressing, laser cutting, and negative pressure material collection into the processing and post-processing devices, a quality control and repair system that runs through the entire production process is constructed. This system can promptly identify and remove various defective products, effectively improving the pass rate and consistency of the final products.

[0030] 3. The modular and symmetrical design (such as floating roll changing mechanism, separate processing device, and symmetrical winding and unwinding device) is adopted, and sensor-assisted control and automatic tension adjustment are used to improve the overall automation level, operation stability and maintenance convenience of the equipment, while reducing the dependence on manual operation. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 and Figure 2 These are two different perspective views of a continuous feeder / receiver for terminal injection molding. Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional view of the feeding device and the processing device; Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the post-processing unit and the winding unit; Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional view of the floating roll changing mechanism and the floating device; Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional view of the processing device; Figure 7 This is a 3D view of the third section of the feed rail; Figure 8 This is a 3D view of the first marking module and the laser welding module; Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional view of the hot-pressing module and the first vision inspection module; Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional view of the first commutator; Figure 11 This is a three-dimensional view of the injection molding unit and the fourth section of the feed rail.

[0032] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Machine base; 10. Feeding device; 11. Material roll; 12. Paper roll; 13. L-shaped mounting platform; 14. Guide roller; 15. Separating roller; 16. Floating drive device; 17. Floating platform; 171. Gear plate; 172. Clamping cylinder; 18. First feeding rail; 181. First material sensor; 191. Movable plate; 192. Fixed plate; 20. Processing device; 21. Second feeding rail; 211. Second material sensor; 212. Laser welding module; 213. Cutting cylinder; 22. Third feeding rail; 221. First cutting cylinder 222. Marking module; 223. First vision inspection module; 224. Hot pressing module; 225. First laser cutting module; 226. Second drive assembly; 30. First reversing device; 31. Reversing wheel; 32. Tensioning wheel; 33. Linear drive module; 34. Guide wheel; 40. Injection molding device; 50. Second reversing device; 60. Post-processing device; 61. Fourth section feeding rail; 62. Second marking module; 63. Blowing module; 64. Third drive assembly; 65. Second laser cutting module; 66. Negative pressure take-up device; 67. Second vision inspection module; 70. Winding device. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] The technical solutions of this application will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0035] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 A continuous strip feeding and unloading device for terminal injection molding includes a machine base 1, an injection molding unit 40, a feeding device 10, a winding device 70, a processing device 20, a post-processing device 60, and multiple reversing devices. The feeding device 10 and the winding device 70 are respectively arranged on both sides of the injection molding unit 40, the processing device 20 is located downstream of the feeding device 10, and the post-processing device 60 is located between the injection molding unit 40 and the winding device 70. The feeding device 10 and the processing device 20 adopt a separate design, and the continuous supply of strip is achieved through a floating winding mechanism and automatic splicing technology, avoiding production interruptions caused by traditional manual winding. The entire equipment completes a fully automated process of strip feeding, splicing, detection, injection molding, post-processing, and winding through the coordinated work of multiple feeding rails, drive components, sensors, and functional modules.

[0036] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 5 The feeding device 10 is the starting point for the material strip supply, realizing automatic switching and continuous feeding of the material strip roll 11. The feeding device 10 includes a floating roll changing mechanism, an L-shaped mounting platform 13, a floating platform 17, a first feeding rail 18, a first drive assembly, a position adjustment assembly, a first material receiving sensor 181, and a clamping assembly.

[0037] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 5 First, at least two sets of floating roll changing mechanisms are provided, arranged vertically and driven by a floating drive device 16. The floating drive device 16 is fixedly mounted on the machine base 1, and its drive unit is connected to the floating platform 17. The floating platform 17 is fixedly connected to the L-shaped mounting platform 13, so that the L-shaped mounting platform 13 can rise and fall synchronously with the floating platform 17. A material strip roll 11 and a paper strip roll 12 are respectively installed at both ends of the L-shaped mounting platform 13. The material strip roll 11 is used to store the material strip with conductive terminals, and the paper strip roll 12 is used to collect or release the paper strip protecting the material strip. Both the material strip roll 11 and the paper strip roll 12 are driven by independently provided motors to achieve precise unwinding and rewinding control. The L-shaped mounting platform 13 is also provided with guide rollers 14 and separation rollers 15. The guide rollers 14 are located in the unwinding direction of the material strip roll 11 and are used to guide the material strip towards the injection molding direction. The separating roller 15 is used to guide the paper tape toward the paper tape roll 12, so that the material tape and the paper tape are separated at the separating roller 15 and transported along two paths: the material tape enters the subsequent processing flow, and the paper tape is stored in the paper tape roll 12.

[0038] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 5The floating table 17 is equipped with a first drive assembly and a first feed rail 18. The first drive assembly includes a toothed disc 171 driven by a motor, with teeth that mesh with the grooves on the upper and lower sides of the conveyor belt. When the motor drives the toothed disc 171 to rotate, the toothed disc 171 drives the conveyor belt to move within the first feed rail 18 through meshing. The first feed rail 18 is fixedly mounted on a movable plate 191, which is connected to the floating table 17 via a position adjustment assembly. The position adjustment assembly includes a fixed plate 192 and a cylinder. The fixed plate 192 is fixedly mounted on the floating table 17, the movable plate 191 is movably mounted on the fixed plate 192, and the cylinder is fixedly mounted on the fixed plate 192 and can drive the movable plate 191 to move horizontally along the conveyor belt movement direction. This design allows the first feed rail 18 to be finely adjusted during roll changing to ensure alignment with the downstream processing unit 20.

[0039] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 5 The first feeding rail 18 is also equipped with a first material receiving sensor 181 and a clamping assembly. The first material receiving sensor 181 is used to detect whether there is material belt passing on the first feeding rail 18. The clamping assembly includes a clamping cylinder 172 and a clamping plate. The clamping cylinder 172 is fixed on the first feeding rail 18, and the clamping plate is provided at its output end. The clamping cylinder 172 is a servo cylinder, which can drive the clamping plate to press against the material belt as needed to achieve a braking effect. During the roll changing process, the clamping assembly is used to fix the end of the material belt to prevent the material belt from loosening.

[0040] Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 The processing device 20 is located downstream of the feeding device 10 and is used to splice, inspect, and process the material strip to ensure that the material strip is continuous and of qualified quality. The processing device 20 includes a second feeding rail 21, a cutting component, a laser welding module 212, a third feeding rail 22, a first marking module 221, a first vision inspection module 222, a hot pressing module 223, a first laser cutting module 224, a negative pressure receiving device 66, and a second drive component 225.

[0041] Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 The second feeding rail 21 is fixed on the machine base 1, disconnected from and aligned with the first feeding rail 18 of the unloading device 10, forming a separate design. This design allows the unloading device 10 to independently lift and change rolls without affecting the stable operation of the processing device 20. A second material inlet sensor 211 and a cutting assembly are located at one end of the second feeding rail 21 near the first feeding rail 18. The second material inlet sensor 211 is used to detect whether the material strip has reached the second feeding rail 21. The cutting assembly includes a cutting cylinder 213 and a cutting blade. The cutting cylinder 213 drives the cutting blade to cut off the tail end of the old material strip during roll changing.

[0042] Reference Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 The laser welding module 212 is mounted on the machine base 1, with its output end facing the break point between the second feeding rail 21 and the third feeding rail 22, and located at the rear end of the cutting position of the cutting blade. The laser welding module 212 is used to weld the starting end of the new material strip to the tail end of the old material strip to form a continuous material strip. The third feeding rail 22 is fixed on the machine base 1, and along its conveying direction are arranged the first marking module 221, the first vision inspection module 222, the hot pressing module 223, the first laser cutting module 224, and the second drive assembly 225.

[0043] Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 The first marking module 221 is used to mark the conductive terminals on the material strip, recording the unique information of each terminal for easy subsequent tracking and quality control. The first vision inspection module 222 is used to detect defects (such as defects or deformation) in the conductive terminals and the quality of the laser welds (such as weld strength and flatness). The inspection data and marking data are integrated to accurately locate the non-conforming points. The hot pressing module 223 is used to hot press and flatten the laser welds, as the welds usually protrude from the surface of the material strip. Hot pressing can flatten them and avoid interfering with subsequent processes. The first laser cutting module 224 is used to cut off the conductive terminals identified as non-conforming by the first vision inspection module 222. The first laser cutting module 224 is equipped with a negative pressure receiving device 66 on top, including a suction pipe, for sucking up waste material during cutting and keeping the equipment clean. The second drive assembly 225 is located at the tail end of the third feeding rail 22 and is used to drive the material strip forward.

[0044] Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 When a roll change is triggered, the cutting component cuts off the end of the old strip, and the position adjustment component drives the first feeding rail 18 to move, causing the first drive component to retract the end of the old strip to the clamping component for clamping. Subsequently, the floating drive device 16 switches to the new strip roll 11, and the new strip enters the second feeding rail 21, where the laser welding module 212 welds the new and old strips together. The welded strip enters the third feeding rail 22, where it undergoes marking, visual inspection, hot pressing, and cutting processes in sequence to ensure that only qualified strips enter the injection molding stage.

[0045] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 The working process of the feeding device 10 is as follows: When the feed roll 11 is almost empty, the tail end of the feed roll will gradually pass through the first feed rail 18 as conveyed by the first drive assembly and the second drive assembly 225. Once the tail end of the feed roll has completely passed the first material receiving sensor 181, the sensor can no longer detect the feed roll and immediately sends a no-material signal. At this time, the front end of the feed roll is still within the second feed rail 21, so the second material receiving sensor 211 can still detect the feed roll, maintaining a material-containing state.

[0046] When the control system receives a no-material signal from the first material sensor 181 while the second material sensor 211 still shows a material signal, it determines that the roll change is imminent and immediately initiates the roll change procedure. First, the cutting cylinder 213 of the cutting assembly quickly actuates, driving the cutting blade to cut the old material strip at the second feeding rail 21. At this point, the old material strip is divided into two parts: the front end of the front section of the material strip is still within the traction range of the second drive assembly 225, but to facilitate welding, the front section of the material strip is temporarily stopped from being fed, awaiting subsequent welding; the rear section of the material strip (i.e., the waste material remaining after cutting) remains in the disconnected area between the first feeding rail 18 and the second feeding rail 21.

[0047] Next, the position adjustment component begins to operate. Its cylinder drives the movable plate 191, which in turn moves the first drive component in the opposite direction of the conveyor belt (i.e., towards the discharge device 10). This action causes the toothed disc 171 of the first drive component to re-engage with the toothed groove of the retained waste section. Subsequently, the first drive component reverses, driving the waste section back. The waste is precisely retracted into the first feed rail 18 until its end reaches below the clamping component. At this point, the clamping cylinder 172 actuates, driving the clamping plate downward to firmly press down on the end of the waste, achieving fixation (braking). Simultaneously, due to the retraction of the waste, the first material receiving sensor 181 detects the conveyor belt again and sends a material presence signal.

[0048] Retraction, clamping, and sensor confirmation serve as safety measures. This ensures that before moving the floating platform 17, all material (waste) connected to the old material roll 11 has been completely removed from the separated docking area and securely fixed inside the first feed rail 18. This effectively prevents loose material from interfering with or rubbing against the machine base 1 or other components during subsequent lifting of the floating platform 17, ensuring the reliability and safety of equipment operation.

[0049] After confirming that the first incoming material sensor 181 has a signal and that the clamping assembly has clamped, the floating drive unit 16 is authorized to start. It drives the current floating platform 17 and the L-shaped mounting platform 13 fixedly connected to it (i.e., the unit where the used old material roll 11 is located) to move up and down. Typically, the equipment will lift the unit upwards, while another floating roll changing mechanism, which is already prepared below or to the side and carries the new material roll 11, will be moved to the working position. This lifting and switching process is smooth and rapid, allowing the output port of the new first section feed rail 18 to be precisely aligned with the inlet of the second section feed rail 21 of the processing unit 20.

[0050] After alignment, the first drive assembly of the new unit starts rotating forward, driving the new material strip forward along the first feed rail 18 and the second feed rail 21. When the starting end (front end) of the new material strip reaches the welding preparation position near the cutting assembly, it is detected by the second incoming material sensor 211. The sensor sends a signal, and the control system then instructs the clamping assembly on the new material strip unit to activate. The clamping cylinder 172 drives the clamping plate downward to press down on the starting end of the new material strip, keeping it in a stable position during subsequent welding and preventing it from shifting.

[0051] At this point, at the station below the laser welding module 212, there are two ends of the strip: one is the end of the old strip, and the other is the beginning of the new strip. The two ends are precisely aligned with a tiny gap.

[0052] The laser welding module 212 is activated, and its high-energy laser beam precisely irradiates the seam between the two strips. The metal materials melt and fuse instantly, forming a strong weld that connects the new and old strips into a continuous whole. After welding, the clamping components of the new and old strip units, as well as any other clamps that may be present in the processing device 20, are simultaneously released from their clamping state. The second drive component 225 restarts, pulling the welded continuous strip to continue moving towards the subsequent third feed rail 22 and processing station, thus achieving strip switching without stopping the machine and ensuring continuous material supply to the injection molding unit 40.

[0053] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 10 A reversing device is provided between the injection molding unit 40 and the processing unit 20, and between the injection molding unit 40 and the winding unit 70, to change the transmission path of the material strip and adjust the tension. The reversing device includes a reversing wheel 31, a tension adjustment mechanism, and a guide wheel 34.

[0054] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 10The tension adjustment mechanism includes a tensioning wheel 32 and a linear drive module 33. The linear drive module 33 drives the tensioning wheel 32 to move towards or away from the injection molding unit 40, thereby tightening or loosening the material strip and adjusting the tension. A reversing wheel 31 and a guide wheel 34 are used to guide the material strip to change direction, ensuring that the material strip smoothly enters the injection molding unit 40 and the winding unit 70. A first reversing device 30 vertically turns the material strip delivered from the processing unit 20 to the injection molding unit 40, and a second reversing device 50 turns the injected material strip to the post-processing unit 60.

[0055] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 11 The injection molding device 40 is used to injection mold the conductive terminals on the material strip. The injection molding device 40 employs conventional injection molding technology, where each conductive terminal is sequentially injected with plastic material to form the final product. The injection molding device 40 works in conjunction with a reversing device to ensure that the material strip maintains stable tension during the injection molding process.

[0056] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The post-processing device 60 is located between the injection molding device 40 and the winding device 70, and is used to inspect and process the injection-molded strip. The post-processing device 60 includes a fourth feeding rail 61, and a second marking module 62, a second vision inspection module 67, a blower module 63, a third drive assembly 64, and a second laser cutting module 65 arranged sequentially along its conveying direction.

[0057] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 11 The second marking module 62 re-marks the conductive terminals after injection molding and updates the recorded information. The second vision inspection module 67 inspects the quality of the injection molding, such as whether the injection is complete and whether the shape is qualified. The blowing module 63 includes an air outlet for blowing air onto the injection molding area to accelerate the curing of the plastic. The third drive assembly 64 drives the material belt to move within the fourth feeding rail 61. The second laser cutting module 65 is used to cut off the injection molded terminals identified as unqualified by the second vision inspection module 67. A negative pressure receiving device 66 is also provided above the second laser cutting module 65 to absorb cutting waste.

[0058] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4The winding device 70 has the same structure as the unwinding device 10, but the conveying direction of the material strip is opposite. The winding device 70 includes a floating roll changing mechanism and a floating mechanism. The difference is that the material strip does not need to be cut during winding, so no position adjustment component is provided. The material strip roll 11 in the winding device 70 is initially empty, and the paper strip roll 12 is full. During the winding process, the material strip and paper strip are wound together onto the material strip roll 11, and the paper strip roll 12 releases the paper strip simultaneously to provide protection. When the material strip roll 11 is full, the floating drive device 16 automatically replaces the material strip roll 11 and the paper strip roll 12 with new ones. The end of the material strip that is discharged needs to be manually pulled to the new material strip roll 11, and the end of the new paper strip roll 12 also needs to be manually pulled to the new material strip roll 11. Then the motor automatically controls the winding and unwinding of the material strip roll 11 and the paper strip roll 12, winding the processed material strip and paper strip together into the material strip roll 11.

[0059] A method for continuous feeding and unloading of a material strip includes the following steps: Material feeding stage: The floating platform 17 is raised and lowered by the floating drive device 16, switching between different floating roll changing mechanisms. When one set of material rolls 11 is used up, the floating drive device 16 moves another set of floating roll changing mechanisms to a position aligned with the processing device 20, realizing automatic replacement of the material rolls 11. During the feeding process, the material roll 11 releases the material, and the paper roll 12 simultaneously retracts the paper. After being separated by the guide roller 14 and the separating roller 15, the material roll enters the first feeding rail 18 and is driven forward by the first drive assembly.

[0060] Splicing Stage: When the end of the old material strip passes the first incoming material sensor 181, the sensor sends a signal, and the system starts the cutting component. The cutting cylinder 213 drives the cutting blade to cut off the end of the old material strip. Subsequently, the cylinder of the position adjustment component drives the movable plate 191 to move forward, so that the toothed disc 171 of the first drive component re-engages with the material strip, driving the material strip back to the position of the clamping component; the clamping component clamps the end of the material strip to ensure that the material strip is fixed. The floating drive device 16 raises the exhausted floating rewinding mechanism and lowers the new floating rewinding mechanism, so that the first section of the new material strip feed rail 18 is aligned with the second section of the feed rail 21. The new material strip is driven forward by the first drive component. When it reaches the cutting position, the second incoming material sensor 211 detects a signal, the clamping component clamps the starting end of the new material strip, and the laser welding module 212 welds the starting end of the new material strip to the end of the old material strip to form a continuous material strip.

[0061] Processing Stage: The spliced ​​strip enters the processing device 20, passing sequentially through the first marking module 221 (marking conductive terminals), the first visual inspection module 222 (inspecting terminal defects and welding quality), the hot pressing module 223 (flattening weld joints), and the first laser cutting module 224 (removing defective terminals). A negative pressure receiving device 66 simultaneously absorbs the cutting waste. The second drive assembly 225 drives the strip to move within the third feeding rail 22.

[0062] Injection molding stage: After the processed material strip is turned and its tension is adjusted by the first reversing device 30, it enters the injection molding device 40 for injection molding to form injection molded terminals.

[0063] Post-processing and winding stage: After injection molding, the material strip is turned by the second reversing device 50 and enters the post-processing device 60. It then passes sequentially through the second marking module 62 (re-marking), the second vision inspection module 67 (inspecting injection molding quality), the blowing module 63 (accelerating curing), and the second laser cutting module 65 (removing defective injection molding terminals). A negative pressure material receiving device absorbs waste material. Finally, the material strip is wound up by the winding device 70. During the winding process, the paper tape roll 12 releases paper tape, which is wound up together with the material strip.

[0064] The implementation principle of this application is as follows: The floating roll-changing mechanism enables efficient replacement of the material roll 11, avoiding manual downtime intervention; the cutting component and laser welding module 212 facilitate rapid splicing of new and old material rolls, ensuring continuous and uninterrupted material roll supply; the processing device 20 and post-processing device 60 perform quality control and defect handling on the material roll through multiple processes such as marking, visual inspection, hot pressing, and laser cutting, improving the product qualification rate; the tension adjustment mechanism in the reversing device ensures stable tension of the material roll during transmission, preventing slackness or excessive tightness; the symmetrical design of the winding device 70 and the unwinding device 10 enables synchronous winding and unwinding of the material roll and paper tape, enhancing the overall automation level. Through precise coordination between its components, the entire equipment achieves continuous and efficient production of terminal injection molding, significantly improving production efficiency and product quality.

[0065] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A continuous strip feeding and receiving device for terminal injection molding, characterized in that, It includes a machine base (1), an injection molding device (40), and a feeding device (10) and a winding device (70) respectively disposed on both sides of the injection molding device (40); A processing device (20) is provided downstream of the feeding device (10), and the feeding device (10) and the processing device (20) are designed separately. The unloading device (10) includes at least two sets of floating roll changing mechanisms and a floating drive device (16) for driving the floating roll changing mechanisms to move up and down; The processing device (20) includes a second feeding rail (21), a cutting component, a laser welding module (212) and a third feeding rail (22) arranged in sequence. The second feeding rail (21) is disconnected from and aligned with the output end of the floating roll changing mechanism. The cutting component is used to cut off the tail end of the previous strip when changing rolls, and the laser welding module (212) is used to weld the starting end of the new strip to the tail end of the previous strip to achieve continuous supply of strips.

2. The continuous strip feeding and receiving equipment for terminal injection molding according to claim 1, characterized in that, The floating roll changing mechanism includes: The L-shaped mounting platform (13) has two ends for mounting the material tape roll (11) and the paper tape roll (12), respectively. The floating platform (17) is fixedly connected to the L-shaped mounting platform (13) and is driven to rise and fall by the floating drive device (16); The first feeding rail (18) is set on the floating platform (17); The first drive component is disposed on the first section of the feeding rail (18) and is used to drive the material belt; A position adjustment component is disposed on the floating platform (17) and is used to drive the first section of the feeding rail (18) to move horizontally along the conveying direction of the material belt.

3. A continuous strip feeding and receiving device for terminal injection molding according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first feeding rail (18) is equipped with a first material receiving sensor (181) and a clamping assembly; A second material sensor (211) is provided at one end of the second feeding rail (21) near the first feeding rail (18); The clamping assembly and the cutting assembly respond to the signals from the first material sensor (181) and the second material sensor (211) to collaboratively complete the cutting, retraction and clamping of the material strip.

4. A continuous strip feeding and receiving device for terminal injection molding according to claim 1, characterized in that, The processing device (20) also includes the following components arranged sequentially along the third feeding rail (22): The first marking module (221) is used to mark the conductive terminals on the strip. The first vision inspection module (222) is used to detect defects in conductive terminals and the quality of laser welding joints; Hot pressing module (223) is used to hot press and level the laser welded joint; The first laser cutting module (224) is used to cut off conductive terminals that are identified as unqualified by the first vision inspection module (222).

5. A continuous strip feeding and receiving device for terminal injection molding according to claim 4, characterized in that, Negative pressure receiving devices (66) are provided above the first laser cutting module (224) and the second laser cutting module (65) respectively, for absorbing the waste generated during cutting.

6. A continuous strip feeding and receiving device for terminal injection molding according to claim 1, characterized in that, A reversing device is provided between the injection molding device (40) and the processing device (20), and between the injection molding device (40) and the winding device (70); The reversing device includes a reversing wheel (31), a tension adjustment mechanism, and a guide wheel (34). The tension adjustment mechanism includes a tension wheel (32) that can be driven to move by a linear drive module (33) for adjusting the tension of the material belt.

7. A continuous strip feeding and receiving device for terminal injection molding according to claim 1, characterized in that, The apparatus further includes a post-processing device (60) disposed between the injection molding device (40) and the winding device (70); The post-processing device (60) includes a fourth feeding rail (61), and the following are arranged sequentially along the fourth feeding rail (61): The second marking module (62) is used to re-mark the conductive terminals after injection molding; The second vision inspection module (67) is used to inspect the quality of injection molding; A blower module (63) is used to accelerate the curing of injection molded parts; The second laser cutting module (65) is used to cut off the injection-molded terminals that are identified as unqualified by the second vision inspection module (67).

8. A continuous strip feeding and receiving device for terminal injection molding according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first drive assembly includes a toothed disc (171) driven by a motor, the teeth on the toothed disc (171) meshing with the tooth grooves on both sides of the material belt to drive the material belt to move within the first section of the feed rail (18).

9. A continuous strip feeding and receiving device for terminal injection molding according to claim 1, characterized in that, The winding device (70) has the same main structure as the unloading device (10), except that the position adjustment component is omitted, and it is set in the opposite direction of material conveying, so as to wind up the material tape that has been injected and the unloaded paper tape together.

10. A method for continuous feeding and unloading of material strip, based on the continuous feeding and unloading equipment for terminal injection molding as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Material feeding stage: The floating drive device (16) switches different floating roll changing mechanisms to realize the automatic replacement of material roll (11); Splicing stage: The end of the old strip is cut off by the cutting component, and the beginning of the new strip is welded to the end of the old strip by the laser welding module (212) to form a continuous strip; Processing stage: Marking, visual inspection, hot pressing of welded joints, and removal of defective terminals are performed on the spliced ​​strips; Injection molding stage: The processed continuous strip is conveyed to the injection molding device (40) for injection molding; Post-processing and winding stage: The injection-molded strip is marked a second time, visually inspected, air-cured and defective products are removed, and finally wound up by the winding device (70).

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