Automatic loading device for electroless plating hanger of printed circuit board

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of electroless plating technology for printed circuit boards, and in particular to an automatic loading device for electroless plating fixtures of printed circuit boards. The device includes: a lifting platform, comprising a base, a board placement slot located above the base, and a lifting mechanism connected between the base and the board placement slot for horizontally raising and lowering the board placement slot; and primary clamping components, arranged opposite each other on both sides of the board placement slot for centering and clamping the boards inserted into the slot. This invention, through the lifting platform and primary clamping components, allows a worker to directly insert the board into the open end of the board placement slot and adaptively clamp it vertically between the opposing primary clamping components located inside the slot. The lifting mechanism raises the board placement slot, allowing the board to be plated to be placed directly under the fixture on the trolley. The worker only needs to lock the fixture to fix the board on the trolley, thereby reducing the labor intensity of manually lifting the board and effectively improving the production efficiency of the boards.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of chemical plating technology for printed circuit boards, and in particular to an automatic loading device for chemical plating racks for printed circuit boards. Background Technology

[0002] Electroless plating of printed circuit boards (PCBs) is a metal deposition process without external current. It relies on the redox reaction of the reducing agent in the plating solution to reduce and deposit metal ions on the surface of the PCB substrate (or catalytic active sites). Its core function is to achieve metallization of PCB holes, surface coating protection, and conductive connection. Commonly used coatings include electroless copper plating, electroless nickel plating, and electroless gold plating. It is one of the core processes in PCB manufacturing.

[0003] Currently, in existing technologies, when performing chemical plating on printed circuit boards, the boards to be plated need to be manually lifted one by one and clamped onto fixtures of an overhead crane at a certain height. The crane's movement sequentially lowers the boards into the plating bath of the chemical plating production line for deposition. A reference can be made to a chemical plating fixture and a vertical continuous chemical plating line, as disclosed in announcement CN218539825U, which relates to the field of chemical plating equipment technology. The chemical plating fixture includes a lifting assembly and a clamping assembly. The lifting assembly is liftable, and the clamping assembly is connected to the lifting assembly. The clamping assembly includes at least two clamps for holding the boards to be plated, ensuring that the surface of the boards is perpendicular to its direction of travel. This invention solves the problem of low production capacity in existing vertical continuous chemical plating lines where clamps are arranged in parallel along the circulation direction of the circulation line, making the surface of the plate to be plated parallel to its travel direction. It significantly increases the number of plates to be plated that a chemical plating line can hold, greatly improving production capacity without expanding the original site or the scale of the chemical plating line, thus multiplying the economic benefits of the enterprise.

[0004] Manual operation is inconvenient and inefficient, which seriously affects the production efficiency of printed circuit boards. In view of this, the present invention provides an automatic loading device for chemical plating fixtures of printed circuit boards to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an automatic loading device for chemical plating racks of printed circuit boards, comprising:

[0006] A lifting platform includes a base, a plate placement slot located above the base, and a lifting mechanism connected between the base and the plate placement slot for driving the plate placement slot to move horizontally up and down.

[0007] A primary clamping assembly is disposed on both sides of the plate placement slot to clamp the plate inserted into the plate placement slot, so that the plate can be lifted to the required height by the operation of the lifting mechanism. It includes an elastic telescopic rod disposed on the outer side of the plate placement slot, a positioning plate connected to the movable end of the elastic telescopic rod and disposed on its inner side along the length direction of the plate placement slot, and a transmission wheel disposed on the positioning plate at intervals along the length direction of the positioning plate.

[0008] Preferably, the inner surfaces of the plate placement slots are rotatably connected to each other by conveying rollers spaced apart along their length.

[0009] The axial direction of the conveyor roller is parallel to the width direction of the plate placement groove.

[0010] Preferably, it also includes a secondary clamping assembly, which includes a parallel clamp disposed at the end of the top slot of the plate placement slot, and a clamping plate connected to the movable end of the parallel clamp and extending along the length direction of the plate placement slot.

[0011] Preferably, an anti-deflection assembly is further connected between the clamping plate and the plate placement slot. The anti-deflection assembly includes a guide rail disposed on the plate placement slot, a slider slidably connected to the guide rail, and a connector connected between the slider and the free end of the clamping plate.

[0012] Preferably, the sliding direction of the slider is parallel to the width direction of the plate placement groove.

[0013] Preferably, it also includes a feeding assembly for automatically conveying the board to the board placement slot. The feeding assembly includes a feeding roller that is rotatably connected to the opening end of the board placement slot along the height direction of the board placement slot, a circumferential drive component connected to the board placement slot for driving one set of feeding rollers to rotate axially, and a transmission tooth axially sleeved on the end of the feeding roller shaft.

[0014] The drive teeth between the opposite feed rollers mesh with each other so that the feed rollers rotate synchronously in opposite directions.

[0015] Preferably, the shaft end of the feeding roller passes through the bottom of the plate placement groove and is axially connected to the shaft seat provided at the bottom of the plate placement groove;

[0016] The circumferential drive component is mounted on the bearing seat, and its movable end extends axially into the bearing seat and is axially connected to the end of the feed roller shaft via a coupling.

[0017] Preferably, the surface of the feeding roller is covered with a flexible sleeve and / or the feeding roller is an elastic rubber roller.

[0018] Preferably, the extended end of the positioning plate is an inwardly inclined slope.

[0019] Preferably, the lifting mechanism is a scissor lift assembly.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0021] 1. The present invention, through the setting of the lifting platform and the primary clamping assembly, allows the operator to directly insert the plate into the plate placement slot from the open end, and adaptively clamp it vertically between the primary clamping assemblies located on opposite sides of the plate placement slot. By lifting the plate placement slot through the lifting mechanism, the plate to be plated can be directly placed under the clamp on the crane. The operator only needs to lock the clamp to fix the plate on the crane, thereby reducing the labor intensity caused by manually lifting the plate and effectively improving the production efficiency of the plate.

[0022] 2. By setting up a secondary clamping component, the present invention enables the clamping plate to perform secondary centering clamping on the inserted plate, thereby preventing instability caused by the elastic clamping of the primary clamping component (e.g., plate offset), stabilizing the vertical state of the plate, improving the stability of the device and the crane in operation, and thus further improving production efficiency.

[0023] 3. The present invention provides a feeding component at the opening end of the plate placement slot, which allows the plate to automatically enter the slot from the opening, thereby further reducing the intensity of manual labor and improving production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram from another perspective of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the unfolded structure of the lifting mechanism of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the plate placement groove of the present invention when the plate is lifted.

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the plate placement groove structure of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional and enlarged structural schematic diagram of the primary clamping component of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional and enlarged structural schematic diagram of the secondary clamping component of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding assembly structure of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of how the present invention operates in conjunction with a crane.

[0034] In the attached drawings: 11. Base; 12. Plate placement slot; 121. Conveyor roller; 13. Lifting mechanism; 2. Primary clamping assembly; 21. Elastic telescopic rod; 22. Positioning plate; 23. Conveyor wheel; 3. Secondary clamping assembly; 31. Parallel clamp; 32. Clamping plate; 33. Guide rail; 34. Slider; 35. Connector; 4. Feeding assembly; 41. Feeding roller; 42. Circumferential drive component; 43. Transmission gear; 44. Shaft seat. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] Example 1

[0037] The automatic loading device for chemical plating racks of printed circuit boards of the present invention, such as Figures 1-9 As shown, it includes a lifting platform and a primary clamping assembly 2, which is disposed opposite to the lifting platform for clamping the PCB board by means of elastic force.

[0038] Among them, such as Figures 1-4 As shown, the lifting platform includes a base 11, a plate placement slot 12 located above the base 11, and a lifting mechanism 13 connected between the base 11 and the plate placement slot 12 for driving the plate placement slot 12 to move horizontally up and down.

[0039] In this embodiment, the plate placement slot 12 is a square slot with a U-shaped end cross-section. One end of the slot is closed, and the other end is an open opening for plate insertion. The lifting mechanism 13 is a common scissor lifting assembly in the prior art, which has two sets of arms arranged in a cross-rotation configuration and a linear drive for driving the cross-movement of the two sets of arms. The lower ends of the two sets of arms are rotatably connected to the base 11 and slidably connected to it, respectively, while their upper ends are slidably connected to the bottom of the plate placement slot 12 and rotatably connected to it. The lifting and lowering of the plate placement slot 12 can be achieved by the moving end of the linear drive driving the lower end of one set of arms to slide on the base 11. The specific principle will not be elaborated here, but can be found in the scissor lifting mechanism in a cover folding and opening mechanical loft device with announcement number CN111997202B, and the scissor lifting rod assembly and lifting electric push rod in a double-layer scissor lifting and traversing parking device with announcement number CN108798111A. It should be noted that, in addition to being a scissor-type lifting assembly, the lifting mechanism 13 can also be other applicable mechanisms that can drive the plate placement slot 12 to move horizontally, and this application does not limit it.

[0040] Combination Figure 6 As shown, the primary clamping assembly 2 includes an elastic telescopic rod 21 disposed on the outer side of the plate placement slot 12, a positioning plate 22 connected to the movable end of the elastic telescopic rod 21 and disposed on its inner side along the length direction of the plate placement slot 12, and a transmission wheel 23 rotatably disposed on the positioning plate 22 along the length direction of the positioning plate 22.

[0041] In this embodiment, the elastic telescopic rod 21 is similar to a shock absorber in the prior art. It consists of two columns that are inserted together and can move axially, and a spring disposed between the two columns. The two columns are divided into a fixed end and a movable end that is axially telescopically connected to the fixed end by the spring. The fixed end of the elastic telescopic rod 21 is installed on the outer side of the plate placement groove 12 by fasteners, and its movable end passes through the plate placement groove 12 and is connected and fixed to the positioning plate 22 located on the inner side of the plate placement groove 12. The positioning plate 22 is U-shaped, and the U-shaped openings of the two sets of positioning plates 22 are horizontally opposite each other. The conveying wheel 23 is horizontally rotatably connected to the U-shaped opening. In the natural state, the conveying wheels 23 on the two sets of primary clamping components 2 are aligned and abutted together with the center line of the plate placement groove 12 along its length.

[0042] When using, such as Figure 9As shown, the plates to be plated can be vertically inserted into the open end of the plate placement groove 12. Utilizing the elasticity of the elastic telescopic rod 21, the plates are adaptively clamped between the opposing conveyor wheels 23. Through continuous insertion of plates and the rotation of the conveyor wheels 23, the plates are arranged vertically along the length of the plate placement groove 12. Then, the lifting mechanism 13 raises the plate placement groove 12, lifting the plates into the clamping jaws of the overhead crane. Finally, the clamps are manually engaged, securing the plates to the crane for movement. This process effectively reduces labor intensity by minimizing manual lifting of individual plates, thereby improving the production efficiency of the plate deposition operation.

[0043] Furthermore, in order to facilitate holding the plate between the opposing conveyor wheels 23, the extended end of the positioning plate 22 can be set as an inwardly inclined slope. When the two positioning plates 22 are facing each other, their extended ends can produce a larger opening, so that when the plate is inserted, it can be guided by the inclined surface of the opening, making it easier to clamp the plate between the opposing conveyor wheels 23.

[0044] In another preferred embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, a plurality of conveying rollers 121 are rotatably connected between the opposing inner surfaces of the plate placement groove 12 and are spaced apart along its length. The axial direction of the conveying rollers 121 is parallel to the width direction of the plate placement groove 12. By setting the conveying rollers 121, friction can be effectively prevented between the edge of the plate and the bottom wall of the plate placement groove 12 when the plate is inserted into it, so that the plate can slide more easily in the plate placement groove 12 to prevent wear and improve the yield of the plate.

[0045] Example 2

[0046] Based on the above embodiment 1, since the primary clamping assembly 2 clamps the plate using the elastic force of the spring inside the elastic telescopic rod 21, it is unstable and easily affected by external forces, causing the plate to shift and thus fail to align with the clamping jaws on the overhead crane. To prevent the need to stop the machine to reposition the plate due to this situation, thus affecting production efficiency, this embodiment provides a secondary clamping assembly 3 for secondary centering and clamping of the plate.

[0047] Specifically, in combination Figure 7 As shown, the secondary clamping assembly 3 includes a parallel clamp 31 disposed at the end of the top slot of the plate placement groove 12, and a clamping plate 32 connected to the movable end of the parallel clamp 31 and extending along the length direction of the plate placement groove 12.

[0048] In this embodiment, a skirt extends horizontally from the top edge of the plate placement slot 12. The parallel clamp 31, using common pneumatic parallel grippers (i.e., finger cylinders), is installed on the skirt at the closed end of the plate placement slot 12. It has two parallel grippers that can move synchronously towards or away from each other. The clamping plate 32 is fastened to the two grippers and extends along the length of the plate placement slot 12. The operation of the parallel clamp 31 drives the two sets of clamping plates 32 to move synchronously towards or away from each other, thereby centering and clamping or releasing the plates arranged on the plate placement slot 12. Since the secondary clamping component 3 clamps the plate directly like pliers, it has good stability. On the one hand, it avoids the instability brought by the primary clamping component 2, and on the other hand, it can cooperate with the primary clamping component 2 to achieve double clamping of the plate, effectively stabilizing the vertical state of the plate, improving the stability of the device and the crane operation, and thus further improving production efficiency.

[0049] Furthermore, in actual batch operations, in order to accommodate more boards, the length of the board placement slot 12 is designed to be relatively long, which also requires the use of a longer clamping plate 32 to clamp the boards; the longer clamping plate 32 also means that its free end away from the parallel clamp 31 has a significant bending phenomenon, which makes it easy for the extended end to loosen when clamping the board and cannot be effectively clamped.

[0050] Therefore, an anti-deflection assembly is connected between the clamping plate 32 and the plate placement groove 12. The anti-deflection assembly includes a guide rail 33 mounted on the plate placement groove 12, a slider 34 slidably connected to the guide rail 33, and a connector 35 connecting the slider 34 and the free end of the clamping plate 32. The sliding direction of the slider 34 is parallel to the width direction of the plate placement groove 12. Through the interaction between the slider 34 and the guide rail 33, deflection of the free end of the clamping plate 32 can be effectively limited. Figure 7 The enlarged view section.

[0051] In addition, to further prevent the clamping plate 32 from deflecting, multiple sets of anti-deflection components can be provided at intervals along the extension direction of the clamping plate 32 in the manner described above, thereby dividing the entire long clamping plate 32 into multiple connected shorter short arms; for example, an anti-deflection component can also be added in the middle of the clamping plate 32. In this way, the deflection of the free end of the clamping plate 32 can be effectively reduced.

[0052] Example 3

[0053] Based on the above embodiment 1 or embodiment 2, since manual pushing is still required when the board is inserted into the board placement slot 12, in order to further reduce the labor intensity of manual labor and improve production efficiency, this embodiment also provides an additional feeding component 4 for automatically conveying the board to the board placement slot 12.

[0054] Specifically, in combination Figure 5 and Figure 8 As shown, the feeding assembly 4 includes a feeding roller 41 that is rotatably connected to the opening end of the plate placement groove 12 along the height direction of the plate placement groove 12, a circumferential drive member 42 connected to the plate placement groove 12 for driving one set of feeding rollers 41 to rotate axially, and a transmission tooth 43 axially sleeved on the shaft end of the feeding roller 41; the transmission teeth 43 between the opposite feeding rollers 41 mesh with each other.

[0055] In this embodiment, the feeding roller 41 is a cantilever roller with an extended shaft at only one end. The shaft end passes through the bottom of the plate placement groove 12 and is axially connected to the bearing seat 44 at the bottom of the plate placement groove 12. The circumferential drive component 42 is a servo motor, which is mounted on the bearing seat 44. Its movable end extends axially into the bearing seat 44 and is axially connected to the shaft end of the feeding roller 41 through a coupling. When the circumferential drive component 42 is driven to rotate, it can drive one set of feeding rollers 41 to rotate axially. Under the action of the meshing between the transmission teeth 43, the other set of feeding rollers 41 can rotate synchronously in the opposite direction to the first set of feeding rollers 41.

[0056] In use, the workpiece is simply placed between the two sets of feeding rollers 41. The opposing rotation of the feeding rollers 41 automatically clamps and conveys the workpiece between the opposing conveyor wheels 23 inside the workpiece placement slot 12, thus automatically arranging the workpieces sequentially within the slot. This process eliminates the need for manual pushing of the workpieces, effectively reducing labor intensity, improving workpiece loading efficiency, and ultimately further enhancing workpiece production efficiency.

[0057] It should be noted that the surface of the feeding roller 41 is covered with a flexible sleeve, such as a rubber layer; or it is an elastic rubber roller itself; so that it can clamp and convey plates of different thicknesses, such as single-layer plates or multi-layer plates, through the flexible covering or its own deformable characteristics, thereby improving its practicality.

[0058] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic loading device for chemical plating racks of printed circuit boards, characterized in that, include: The lifting platform includes a base (11), a plate placement slot (12) located above the base (11), and a lifting mechanism (13) connected between the base (11) and the plate placement slot (12) for driving the plate placement slot (12) to move horizontally up and down. A clamping assembly (2) is disposed on both sides of the plate placement slot (12) for centering and clamping the plate inserted into the plate placement slot (12). It includes an elastic telescopic rod (21) disposed on the outer side of the plate placement slot (12), a positioning plate (22) connected to the movable end of the elastic telescopic rod (21) and disposed on its inner side along the length direction of the plate placement slot (12), and a transmission wheel (23) rotatably disposed on the positioning plate (22) at intervals along the length direction of the positioning plate (22).

2. The automatic loading device for printed circuit board chemical plating fixtures as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The inner sides of the plate placement groove (12) are rotatably connected to each other and are spaced apart along its length. The axial direction of the conveying roller (121) is parallel to the width direction of the plate placement groove (12).

3. The automatic loading device for printed circuit board chemical plating fixtures as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a secondary clamping assembly (3), which includes a parallel clamp (31) disposed at the end of the top slot of the plate placement groove (12), and a clamping plate (32) connected to the movable end of the parallel clamp (31) and extending along the length direction of the plate placement groove (12).

4. The automatic loading device for printed circuit board chemical plating fixtures as described in claim 3, characterized in that: An anti-deflection assembly is also connected between the clamping plate (32) and the plate placement groove (12). The anti-deflection assembly includes a guide rail (33) disposed on the plate placement groove (12), a slider (34) slidably connected to the guide rail (33), and a connector (35) connected between the slider (34) and the free end of the clamping plate (32).

5. The automatic loading device for printed circuit board chemical plating fixtures as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The sliding direction of the slider (34) is parallel to the width direction of the plate placement groove (12).

6. The automatic loading device for printed circuit board chemical plating fixtures as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a feeding assembly (4) for automatically conveying the board to the board placement slot (12). The feeding assembly (4) includes a feeding roller (41) that is rotatably connected to the opening end of the board placement slot (12) relative to the height direction of the board placement slot (12), a circumferential drive (42) connected to the board placement slot (12) for driving one of the feeding rollers (41) to rotate axially, and a transmission tooth (43) axially sleeved on the shaft end of the feeding roller (41). The transmission teeth (43) between the opposite feed rollers (41) mesh with each other so that the feed rollers (41) rotate synchronously in opposite directions.

7. The automatic loading device for printed circuit board chemical plating fixtures as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The shaft end of the feeding roller (41) passes through the bottom of the plate placement groove (12) and is axially connected to the bearing seat (44) provided at the bottom of the plate placement groove (12); The circumferential drive component (42) is mounted on the bearing seat (44), and its movable end extends axially into the bearing seat (44) and is axially connected to the shaft end of the feed roller (41) through a coupling.

8. The automatic loading device for printed circuit board chemical plating fixtures as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The surface of the feed roller (41) is covered with a flexible sleeve and / or the feed roller (41) is an elastic rubber roller.

9. The automatic loading device for printed circuit board chemical plating fixtures as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The extended end of the positioning plate (22) is an inwardly inclined slope.

10. The automatic loading device for printed circuit board chemical plating fixtures as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism (13) is a scissor lift assembly.

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