Automatic screen protector applicator with calibration unit and screen protector application method

Abstract

An automatic screen protector applicator and method for mobile phones with a calibration unit are disclosed. The method includes: a screen protector delivery mechanism, a screen protector picking mechanism, and a screen protector peeling mechanism, all disposed within the automatic screen protector applicator. The picking mechanism comprises: a suction cup bracket, a suction cup, and an air suction unit. The calibration unit forms a calibration surface. The peeling mechanism comprises: a guide clamp, a clamp, and a clamp driving unit. After the suction cup picks up the screen protector, the protector can slide horizontally relative to the suction cup while still being held in place. The delivery mechanism moves to bring the suction cup into contact with the calibration unit. The reaction force generated by the protector against the calibration surface pushes the protector to slide horizontally, thereby adjusting the relative position between the suction cup and the protector. This prevents excessive error between the actual and preset relative positions of the protector and the suction cup, which could affect subsequent processes and the screen protector application effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automatic screen protector applicators, and more particularly to an automatic screen protector applicator for mobile phones with a positioning unit for correcting the relative position of the screen protector and the suction cup. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread adoption of smartphones, mobile electronic devices have become indispensable tools in daily life. As smartphone screens increasingly feature larger sizes, higher resolutions, and narrower bezels, the frequency of screen use and contact has significantly increased. Consequently, screen surfaces are more susceptible to scratches, cracks, and damage from impacts, friction, or drops. To mitigate this risk, transparent protective films are commonly used on the market. These films provide additional protection, preventing direct impact on the screen glass and extending the lifespan of the smartphone.

[0003] However, while screen protectors are widely used, their installation presents certain inconveniences. For consumers, installing a screen protector usually requires visiting a store that specializes in selling or providing screen protector installation services, or having it applied by the retailer when purchasing a new device. For stores, screen protector installation is a relatively simple technical task, not involving complex professional skills. However, due to widespread market demand, stores still need to allocate dedicated staff to handle this service. During peak hours, this requires staff to spend extra time and energy on screen protector installation, resulting in reduced service efficiency.

[0004] To save manpower and time, automated screen protector application machines have begun to appear in shopping malls in recent years, making it convenient for shoppers to use. These machines mostly use fixtures to hold smartphones in place and employ rollers, guide rails, or pneumatic assist mechanisms to automatically apply the screen protector to the screen surface. While these automated devices can improve application efficiency to some extent and lower the technical barrier for operators, they still have some shortcomings in practical application.

[0005] A known drawback of automated screen protector applicators is their insufficient precision in positioning the screen protectors. Even a slight misalignment of just a few millimeters between the screen protector and the screen edge during installation can negatively impact the feel and aesthetics, reducing the user experience. Furthermore, the contact surface between the screen protector and the phone screen is coated with adhesive, requiring a release film to prevent dust accumulation. This release film also features a tear-off section for easier removal. To facilitate retrieval and storage, the inner wall of the screen protector storage compartment is not tightly fitted to the screen protector. Consequently, the screen protectors are often stacked misaligned within the compartment, resulting in slight errors in the relative position of the applicator and the screen protector each time the automated applicator retrieves it. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to overcome the shortcomings and deficiencies of the existing technology, the purpose of this invention is to design an automatic mobile phone screen protector applicator with a positioning unit to actively correct the relative position between the suction cup and the screen protector.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an automatic screen protector applicator for mobile phones with a calibration unit, comprising: a screen protector delivery mechanism, a screen protector picking mechanism, a calibration unit, and a screen protector peeling mechanism disposed in the automatic screen protector applicator. The screen protector delivery mechanism includes: a first slide rail, a vertical guide rod, and a second slide rail; the screen protector picking mechanism includes: a suction cup bracket, a suction cup, and an air suction unit; the calibration unit forms a calibration surface; and the screen protector peeling mechanism includes: a guide clamp, a clamp, and a clamp driving unit.

[0008] The first and second slide rails are perpendicular to each other on a horizontal plane and each has a slider and a drive unit. The first slider on the first slide rail is controlled by the first drive unit and slides on the first slide rail; and the second slider on the second slide rail is controlled by the second drive unit and slides on the second slide rail. The vertical guide rod is perpendicular to the first and second slide rails and also perpendicular to the ground, and is disposed on the first slider. The vertical slider is controlled by the vertical drive unit to slide on the vertical guide rod. The second slide rail is disposed on the vertical slider; and the vertical guide rod is disposed on the first slider, enabling the conveying device to move and convey items in three directions.

[0009] The suction cup bracket is mounted on the second slider and is moved by the film delivery mechanism; the suction cup is mounted on the suction cup bracket, with its lower side serving as a contact surface for contacting the protective film; and the air suction unit is mounted on the suction cup bracket and connected to the suction cup via a pipe to generate suction on the contact surface.

[0010] The chuck is disposed on the top surface of the guide fixture and maintains a gap with the guide fixture; and the chuck driving unit is connected to the chuck to control the chuck to move closer to or away from the guide fixture.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the conveying device delivers the film-applying mechanism to the protective film storage compartment and moves the suction cup above the stored protective films. An air suction unit generates suction to allow the suction cup to pick up the protective film, which can slide horizontally relative to the suction cup while still being held in place. Furthermore, the film-applying conveying mechanism moves to bring the suction cup into contact with the alignment unit of the protective film. The reaction force generated by the protective film against the alignment surface pushes the protective film to slide horizontally, thereby adjusting the relative position between the suction cup and the protective film.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are two calibration surfaces, which are arranged in an L-shape and perpendicular to each other.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the contact surface is provided with a groove, and an air suction unit is connected to the groove via a pipe to generate suction in the groove to pick up the protective sticker.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are at least three grooves, and the number of grooves on the contact surface near the tear-off portion is greater than the number on the side away from the tear-off portion, in order to ensure the stability between the suction cup and the protective film and to prevent the protective film from falling off the suction cup due to the tear-off portion being pulled by the film-tearing mechanism.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a release film is provided on the side of the protective film away from the suction cup. The release film has a tear-off portion protruding from the protective film, allowing the user to tear off the release film. The groove portion is provided on the suction cup near the tear-off portion, so that the suction force of the suction cup is stronger near the tear-off portion.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, after the suction cup has corrected the relative position of the protective film, the film conveying mechanism moves the protective film to the film peeling mechanism and moves the peeling part to the gap between the guide clamp and the chuck. The chuck driving unit controls the chuck to move closer to the guide clamp to clamp the peeling part, and the film conveying mechanism moves upward at this time to peel off the release film starting from the peeling part.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the guide clamp has adjacent inclined portions and a flat portion, both disposed on the top surface of the guide clamp. The inclined portions cause the gap between the clamp and the guide clamp to increase progressively away from the flat portion, facilitating the sliding of the tear-off portion along the inclined portions to the flat portion. When the film-applying conveyor mechanism feeds the tear-off portion between the clamp and the guide clamp, it approaches from one side of the inclined portions to prevent the tear-off portion from being blocked by the side of the guide clamp, thus ensuring that the tear-off portion is not between the clamp and the guide clamp when the film-applying conveyor mechanism reaches the predetermined position.

[0018] The present invention also provides an automatic screen protector application method for mobile phones, which is applied to the automatic screen protector application machine with a calibration unit described above. Since the screen protector can slide horizontally relative to the suction cup, the reaction force generated when the screen protector contacts the calibration surface of the calibration unit pushes the screen protector to slide relative to the suction cup, thereby correcting the relative position between the suction cup and the screen protector.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the side of the protective film that contacts the suction cup is provided with a hydrophobic and oleophobic layer to reduce the friction between the contact surface and the protective film A.

[0020] The advantages of adopting the above technical solution are: by using a positioning unit in conjunction with a suction cup that allows the object to be picked up to slide horizontally, the relative position of the suction cup and the screen protector can be adjusted to reduce errors. When the actual relative position of the suction cup and the screen protector differs too much from the preset relative position, the screen protector will slide horizontally during its contact with the positioning unit until the suction cup reaches the preset position to confirm that the actual relative position of the screen protector and the suction cup is the same as the preset relative position, thereby improving the accuracy of screen protector application. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an automatic screen protector applicator for mobile phones according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the film-attaching mechanism, film-conveying mechanism, alignment unit, and film-tearing mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the film delivery mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a side view of the film-applying mechanism and the second slide rail according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the contact surface according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6A This is a schematic diagram of the suction cup before alignment using the alignment unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6B This is a schematic diagram of the suction cup before alignment using the alignment unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a front view of the film-tearing mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the first working state of the film-tearing mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the second working state of the film-tearing mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] The attached figures are labeled as follows: 11-film delivery mechanism; 1111-first slide rail; 1112-first drive unit; 1113-first slider; 1121-second slide rail; 1122-second drive unit; 1123-second slider; 1131-vertical guide rod; 1132-vertical drive unit; 1133-vertical slider; 12-film application mechanism; 121-suction cup bracket; 122-suction cup; 1221-groove portion; 123-air suction unit; 1231-pipeline; 13-alignment unit; 131-alignment surface; 14-film peeling mechanism; 141-guide clamp; 1411-flat portion; 1412-slanted portion; 142-clamp; 143-clamp drive unit; 2-protective film storage compartment; A-protective film; A1-peeling portion. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below through embodiments: Please see Figures 1 to 4 The present invention provides an automatic screen protector applicator for mobile phones with a calibration unit, comprising: a screen protector conveying mechanism 11, a screen protector picking mechanism 12, and a screen protector peeling mechanism 14 disposed in the automatic screen protector applicator. The screen protector conveying mechanism 11 has: a first slide rail 1111, a vertical guide rod 1131, and a second slide rail 1121; the screen protector picking mechanism 12 has: a suction cup bracket 121, a suction cup 122, and an air suction unit 123; the calibration unit 13 forms a calibration surface 131; and the screen protector peeling mechanism 14 has: a guide clamp 141, a clamp 142, and a clamp driving unit 143.

[0024] Please see Figure 2 The first slide rail 1111 is arranged along the X-axis, and the second slide rail 1121 is arranged along the Y-axis. Both are perpendicular to each other on a horizontal plane and each has its own slider and drive unit. The first slider 1113 on the first slide rail 1111 is controlled by the first drive unit 1112 and slides back and forth on the first slide rail 1111; and the second slider 1123 on the second slide rail 1121 is controlled by the second drive unit 1122 and slides back and forth on the second slide rail 1121. The vertical guide rod 1131 is arranged along the Z-axis, perpendicular to both the first slide rail 1111 and the second slide rail 1121, and also perpendicular to the ground. It is mounted on the first slider 1113, and the vertical slider 1133 is controlled by the vertical drive unit 1132 to slide on the vertical guide rod 1131. The film-applying mechanism 12 is mounted on the second slide rail 1121; the vertical guide rod 1131 is mounted on the first slide rail 1111; and the second slide rail 1121 is mounted on the vertical guide rod 1131. Accordingly, the first slide rail 1111 and the second slide rail 1121 are connected by the vertical guide rod 1131, so that the film-applying conveying mechanism 11 can transport the film-applying mechanism 12 along three axes.

[0025] Specifically, since the film-applying mechanism 12 is located on one side of the second slider 1123, the uneven weight distribution of the second slider 1123 is prone to bias towards that side. The vertical guide rod 1131 consists of two or more rods and uses a belt or chain or other transmission component to transmit the power of the vertical drive unit 1132 to control the movement of the second slide rail 1121 in the Z-axis direction, thereby reducing the impact of uneven weight distribution on the vertical guide rod 1131 and increasing the service life of the mechanism.

[0026] Please see Figure 4The suction cup bracket 121 is mounted on the second slider 1123 and moves with the film delivery mechanism 11; the suction cup 122 is mounted on the suction cup bracket 121, with its lower side serving as the contact surface for contacting the protective film A; and the air suction unit 123 is mounted on the suction cup bracket 121 and connected to the suction cup 122 via a pipe 1231 to generate suction on the contact surface.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the conveying device 11 delivers the film-applying mechanism 12 to the protective film storage chamber 2 and moves the suction cup 122 above the stored protective film A. The air suction unit 123 generates suction to allow the suction cup 122 to pick up the protective film A. The protective film A can slide horizontally relative to the suction cup 122 while still being held by it. Furthermore, the film-applying conveying mechanism 11 moves to bring the suction cup 122 and the protective film A closer to the alignment unit 13. The reaction force generated by the protective film A against the alignment surface 131 pushes the protective film A to slide horizontally, thereby adjusting the relative position between the suction cup 122 and the protective film A.

[0028] Specifically, the contact surface can be made of a low-friction material, and in conjunction with the hydrophobic and oleophobic properties of the protective film A, the friction between the contact surface and the protective film A is reduced. Because the suction cup 122 provides suction in the Z-axis direction, and the low friction between the contact surface and the protective film A allows the protective film A to slide in a direction parallel to the contact surface while being held by the suction cup 122.

[0029] Please see Figure 6A and Figure 6B In detail, when the suction cup 122 picks up the protective film A, the gap between the protective film A and the inner wall of the protective film A storage compartment causes the relative position between the suction cup 122 and the protective film A to be inconsistent each time, resulting in significant offset during film application. By using a calibration unit 13 positioned at a fixed location, after picking up the protective film A, the suction cup 122 moves close to the calibration unit 13 to calibrate the position between the protective film A and the calibration unit 13, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the relative position between the protective film A and the calibration unit 13. At this time, the suction cup 122 continues to move towards the calibration unit 13 to a preset position, which is a position where it can be confirmed that the side of the protective film A is completely aligned with the calibration unit 13. Therefore, by fixing the relative position of the calibration unit 13 with the suction cup 122 and the protective film A, the error in the relative position between the suction cup 122 and the protective film A is accurately eliminated, improving the positioning accuracy during film application.

[0030] Preferably, the calibration surfaces 131 are perpendicular to each other and arranged in an L-shape.

[0031] Please see Figure 5The contact surface is provided with a groove 1221, and the air suction unit 123 is connected to the groove 1221 via a pipe 1231, so that the groove 1221 generates suction to pick up the protective sticker A.

[0032] Please see Figure 5 There are at least three grooves 1221, and the number of grooves 1221 on the contact surface near the tear-off part A1 is greater than the number on the contact surface away from the tear-off part A1, in order to ensure the stability between the suction cup 122 and the protective film A, and to prevent the protective film A from falling off when the tear-off part A1 is pulled by the film-tearing mechanism 14.

[0033] Please see Figures 7 to 9 The clamp 142 is disposed on the top surface of the guide clamp 141 and maintains a gap with the guide clamp 141. The clamp drive unit 143 is connected to the clamp 142 and controls the clamp 142 to move closer to or away from the guide clamp 141. The clamp drive unit 143 controls the clamp 142 to move closer to the guide clamp 141, thereby clamping the tear-off section A1. The film delivery mechanism 11 then moves upwards, tearing off the release film starting from the tear-off section A1.

[0034] Please see Figure 9 A release film is provided on the side of the protective film A away from the suction cup 122. The release film has a tear-off portion A1 protruding from the protective film A, so that the user can tear off the release film. The groove portion 1221 is provided on the suction cup 122 corresponding to the position of the tear-off portion A1, so that the suction force of the suction cup 122 is stronger near the tear-off portion A1.

[0035] Specifically, when the release film is peeled off, a downward pulling force is generated on the protective film A. Since the release film is pulled down from the tearing part A1, a pulling force is generated from one side of the protective film A, and the opposite side of the protective film A becomes the fulcrum. When the groove 1221 is positioned far away from the tearing part A1, the protective film A may be pulled off the suction cup 122 and fall off because the pulling force is amplified by the fulcrum. By positioning the groove 1221 close to the tearing part A1, the lever arm lengths of the suction force generated by the groove 1221 and the pulling force generated by the release film are close, reducing the force amplification effect caused by the lever principle and preventing the protective film A from falling off.

[0036] Please see Figure 7The guide clamp 141 has adjacent inclined portions 1412 and flat portions 1411, which are disposed on the top surface of the guide clamp 141. The inclined portions 1412 cause the gap between the clamp 142 and the guide clamp 141 to increase in the direction away from the flat portions 1411. When the film delivery mechanism 11 feeds the tearing portion A1 between the clamp 142 and the guide clamp 141, it approaches from one side of the inclined portions 1412 to avoid the tearing portion A1 being blocked by the side of the guide clamp 141, so that when the film delivery mechanism 11 reaches the predetermined position, the tearing portion A1 is not between the clamp 142 and the guide clamp 141.

[0037] The present invention also provides an automatic screen protector application method for mobile phones, which is applied to the automatic screen protector application machine with a calibration unit mentioned above. Since the screen protector A can slide horizontally relative to the suction cup 122, the reaction force generated when the screen protector A contacts the calibration surface 131 of the calibration unit 13 pushes the screen protector A to slide relative to the suction cup 122, thereby correcting the relative position between the suction cup 122 and the screen protector A.

[0038] Specifically, when suction cup 122 picks up screen protector A, the suction force can be pre-adjusted to precisely pick up screen protector A, ensuring that the frictional force generated by the suction between the suction cup and the screen protector is not too high, preventing the screen protector from being firmly pressed onto the suction cup by atmospheric pressure and unable to move. Because suction cup 122 provides suction in the Z-axis direction, and due to the low friction between the contact surface and screen protector A, screen protector A can slide in a direction parallel to the contact surface while being held by suction cup 122.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the side of the protective sticker A that contacts the suction cup 122 is provided with a hydrophobic and oleophobic layer. Specifically, the contact surface between the suction cup 122 and the protective sticker A can be made of a low-friction material, and the hydrophobic and oleophobic layer on the side of the protective sticker A that contacts the suction cup 122 reduces the friction between the contact surface and the protective sticker A.

Claims

1. An automatic screen protector applicator for mobile phones with a positioning unit, characterized in that: include: A screen protector delivery mechanism, disposed in the automatic screen protector applicator for mobile phones, includes: a first slide rail, a vertical guide rod, and a second slide rail; the first slide rail is controlled by a first drive unit to move a first slider on the first slide rail; the vertical guide rod is disposed on the first slider and is controlled by a vertical drive unit to move a vertical slider on the vertical guide rod; the second slide rail is disposed on the vertical slider and is controlled by a second drive unit to move a second slider on the second slide rail. A film application mechanism, disposed on the second slider, includes: a suction cup bracket, a suction cup, and an air suction unit; the suction cup bracket is disposed on the second slider; the suction cup is disposed on the suction cup bracket; the air suction unit is disposed on the suction cup bracket and connected to the suction cup via a tube; and The calibration unit is installed in the automatic mobile phone screen protector applicator and has a calibration surface.

2. The automatic mobile phone screen protector applicator with a calibration unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are two calibration surfaces, which are perpendicular to each other.

3. The automatic mobile phone screen protector applicator with a calibration unit according to claim 2, characterized in that: The contact surface between the suction cup and the protective film is provided with a groove, and the air suction unit is connected to the groove via the pipe. The groove is suctioned by the air suction unit to pick up the protective film.

4. The automatic mobile phone screen protector applicator with a calibration unit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The protective film has a release film on the side away from the suction cup, and the release film has a tear-off portion protruding from the protective film; the groove portion is positioned on the suction cup corresponding to the tear-off portion.

5. The automatic mobile phone screen protector applicator with a calibration unit according to claim 4, characterized in that: There are at least three grooves, and the number of grooves located on the side closer to the tearing part is greater than the number located on the side farther away from the tearing part.

6. The automatic mobile phone screen protector applicator with a positioning unit according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: The automatic screen protector applicator further includes a film-peeling mechanism, which is disposed in the automatic screen protector applicator and has the following characteristics: Guide fixture; A chuck is disposed on the top surface side of the guide clamp and maintains a gap with the guide clamp; and A chuck drive unit is connected to the chuck.

7. The automatic mobile phone screen protector applicator with a calibration unit according to claim 6, characterized in that: The top surface of the guide fixture has adjacent inclined sections and flat sections on both sides.

8. A method for automatically applying a screen protector to a mobile phone, using an automatic screen protector machine with a calibration unit as described in any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that: The screen protector can slide horizontally relative to the suction cup. When the screen protector contacts the calibration surface, the reaction force generated by the screen protector against the calibration surface causes the screen protector to slide relative to the suction cup, thereby correcting the relative position of the suction cup and the screen protector.

9. The automatic screen protector application method for mobile phones according to claim 8, characterized in that: The contact surface between the protective film and the suction cup is provided with a hydrophobic or oleophobic layer to reduce the friction between the protective film and the suction cup.

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