An automated ceramic substrate sorting apparatus

Abstract

This invention relates to an automated ceramic substrate sorting device, comprising a body, the body having at least one horizontally partitioned base plate having an upper sorting chamber and a lower transfer chamber. The upper sorting chamber includes: a feeding and detection mechanism disposed within the upper sorting chamber, which includes at least an infeed conveyor belt, a ceramic substrate size detection unit, two symmetrically arranged diversion conveyor belts, and a robotic arm unit; a substrate sorting mechanism including several parallelly arranged negative pressure conveyor belts; and several substrate boxes disposed below each negative pressure generating chamber, with an open structure above them to receive and centrally store sorted ceramic substrates of a preset size. The base plate has several box slots for embedded installation of matching substrate boxes. The lower transfer chamber has a box-removing mechanism for removing a substrate box from its box slot and transferring it to the next ceramic substrate processing step after the box is fully loaded with sorted ceramic substrates.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automation equipment technology, and specifically to an automated ceramic substrate sorting device. Background Technology

[0002] As the core structure for packaging power devices in new energy vehicles, the high insulation and high voltage resistance of ceramic substrates play a decisive role in achieving high-voltage platforms. During the manufacturing process, sintered ceramic substrates must be precisely sorted according to millimeter-level dimensional tolerances to ensure compatibility with subsequent packaging processes.

[0003] Currently, industrial production lines generally adopt a sorting mode that combines vision inspection modules with robotic arms: after an industrial camera captures an image of a ceramic substrate, the robotic arm picks up the substrate with grippers or suction cups and transfers it to the corresponding material box for stacking according to the size data.

[0004] However, this sorting method has significant drawbacks: ceramic materials are highly brittle, and repeated gripping by the robotic arm can easily lead to micro-cracks at the substrate edges or surface stress damage, especially when processing thin substrates with a thickness of less than 0.5 mm, where the risk of breakage increases dramatically; single-robotic arm sorting is limited by the grip-position-release cycle, making it difficult to break through the bottleneck of 60 pieces per minute; even with dual robotic arms working together, path interference due to action timing conflicts can cause conveyor belt stagnation or substrate misalignment; if the number of robotic arms is forcibly increased, the complexity of the equipment's spatial layout increases exponentially, and the avoidance logic between multiple robotic arms will significantly extend the system response time, while the drive unit and maintenance costs will increase significantly. These technical obstacles severely restrict the large-scale application of high-precision ceramic substrates in the new energy field.

[0005] To address this, we propose an automated ceramic substrate sorting device. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides an automated ceramic substrate sorting device, which has the advantages of effectively avoiding the risk of ceramic substrate breakage during the sorting process, significantly improving sorting efficiency, and simplifying the equipment structure to improve the degree of automation.

[0007] This application provides an automated ceramic substrate sorting device, including a body, wherein the body includes at least one device substrate that horizontally separates the body, giving it an upper sorting chamber and a lower transfer chamber, and the upper sorting chamber includes: The feeding and inspection mechanism is located inside the upper sorting chamber and includes at least one feeding conveyor belt, a ceramic substrate size detection unit located at the upper end of the feeding conveyor belt, two diversion conveyor belts symmetrically arranged on both sides of the feeding conveyor belt and distributed perpendicular to the conveying direction of the feeding conveyor belt, and a robotic arm unit mounted above the feeding conveyor belt via a gantry frame. The robotic arm unit is used to transfer the ceramic substrates on the feeding conveyor belt to the diversion conveyor belts according to their size. A substrate sorting mechanism includes several parallel negative pressure conveyor belts, with the input end of each negative pressure conveyor belt located above the diversion conveyor belt. Negative pressure suction holes are provided on each negative pressure conveyor belt along its conveying direction. Each negative pressure conveyor belt contains multiple negative pressure generating chambers connected in series but not interconnected. Each negative pressure generating chamber is connected to a negative pressure generating component via a first negative pressure suction tube, enabling the generation of negative pressure at the negative pressure suction holes to non-contactly pick up ceramic substrates on the diversion conveyor belt. When the ceramic substrates flow to a preset size and specification position, the negative pressure is disconnected to centrally store the sorted ceramic substrates. The substrate material box, which consists of several boxes, is located below each of the negative pressure generating chambers. The box has an open structure on top to receive and centrally store sorted ceramic substrates of a preset size. The equipment substrate has several tray slots for embedded installation of matching substrate trays. The lower transfer cavity is provided with a tray removal mechanism for removing ceramic substrates from the tray slots and transferring them to the next ceramic substrate processing step after any substrate tray is fully loaded with sorted ceramic substrates.

[0008] Optionally, the robotic arm unit includes: Two adjustment plates are symmetrically arranged on one side of the gantry corresponding to the diversion conveyor belt. The two adjustment plates are symmetrically provided with a semi-groove that runs through the middle. The two semi-grooves form a near-U-shaped flow channel. A servo motor is fixed on the gantry frame, and a rotating component is installed on its output end. A movable slot is opened on the side of the rotating component near the free end. A cylindrical component is movably assembled in the slot. The tail of the cylindrical component is movably assembled in the flow groove, and a movable block is fixedly connected to the head of the cylindrical component. The movable block is fixedly connected to the head of the cylindrical member and has at least one mounting arm at its lower part. A Y-direction guide kit is movably sleeved on the mounting arm and the Y-direction guide kit is mounted on an X-direction guide. The X-direction guide is movably mounted on the gantry frame through several horizontal guide rails. An adsorption rack is fixed to the bottom end of the mounting arm, and at least one ceramic substrate adsorption head is mounted on the bottom end of the rack. The ceramic substrate adsorption head is connected to the negative pressure generating component through a second negative pressure suction tube.

[0009] Each of the two adjustment plates is equipped with an adjustment aid, which is movably mounted on a horizontally arranged adjustment guide rail and locked in the horizontally adjusted position of the two adjustment plates by a locking pin. The movable slot is strip-shaped to accommodate the maximum travel position of the cylindrical component within the adjusted transfer slot, thereby adjusting the position of the ceramic substrate adsorption head transferring the ceramic substrate onto the diversion conveyor belt.

[0010] Optionally, the substrate cassette includes: The box body has a vertically penetrating ceramic substrate cavity in its middle part, and the ceramic substrate cavity has a first box groove symmetrically opened on both sides in the vertical direction, and a second box groove is also opened in the middle of the first box groove. A substrate holder is movably disposed within the ceramic substrate cavity to support the sorting ceramic substrate; The substrate frame positioning unit consists of several units, forming four positioning groups arranged vertically on the inner wall of the first box groove. The four positioning groups at the same vertical height position the substrate frame at four points. The substrate self-lowering unit consists of two units symmetrically arranged in the two second box slots, so that when the sorting ceramic substrates carried on the substrate frame are stacked to a certain height, the substrate frame is forced to automatically descend within the ceramic substrate cavity as the weight of the sorting ceramic substrates increases. The box frame is fixed to the bottom of the box body and has two symmetrically arranged fixed wings on its exterior. The fixed wings are equipped with button self-locking devices. The button self-locking devices cooperate with the locking pins fixed to the bottom of the equipment base plate to lock the box body in a detachable fixed position in the material box slot.

[0011] Optionally, the substrate frame includes: The substrate support is configured to fit the shape of the sorted ceramic substrate in a flat state, and is hollow in the middle to reduce weight. An outer contour body is fixed to the bottom end of the substrate support body, and its outer contour is adapted to the ceramic substrate cavity to move vertically within the ceramic substrate cavity. Four toothed bumps are symmetrically arranged in pairs at the two second slot positions to help position the substrate self-falling unit. The number of edge blocks is four, and they are symmetrically arranged in pairs on the outer contour body at the positions corresponding to the first box groove, and their outer side walls have at least one arc-shaped groove that matches the same vertical height positioning group.

[0012] Optionally, the substrate frame positioning unit includes: The number of positioning holes is several and they are radially opened at the position of the box body corresponding to the first box slot, so as to form four positioning hole groups arranged vertically on the inner wall of the first box slot. Small round beads are movably fitted into the positioning hole near the first box groove and at least a portion of the bead protrudes to cooperate with the arc groove to provide vertical position support for the substrate frame; A plug, its threaded assembly being fitted to the other end of the positioning hole; A first spring is disposed in the positioning hole, and its two ends abut against the small ball and the plug respectively to provide radial support force to the small ball.

[0013] Optionally, the substrate self-falling unit includes: Two movable rods are arranged vertically within the second slot; Two toothed slots are formed on the side wall of the movable rod and extend vertically. Several self-lowering toothed parts that cooperate with the toothed protrusions are movably assembled in the toothed slots via shafts in the vertical direction. The tooth ends of each self-lowering toothed part extend out of the toothed slots and flip along the moving direction of the base plate frame. Several torsion springs are sleeved on the shaft and elastically connected to the self-lowering toothed member to provide elastic support force of the self-lowering toothed member to the toothed protrusion. The elastic force of the torsion springs increases sequentially from top to bottom to adapt to the self-weight of the sorting ceramic substrate.

[0014] Optionally, the substrate self-falling unit further includes: A directional rail is vertically positioned in the middle of the second box slot, and the two movable rods are located on both sides of the directional rail. The second spring, which consists of two springs, is respectively disposed at the bottom end of the two movable rods to provide the movable rods with a vertical elastic support force, and the bottom end of the second spring abuts against the box frame; A locking piece, with its two ends respectively connected to two movable rods located in the same second box slot, so that the two movable rods can be synchronously assembled in the second box slot.

[0015] The directional rail has a groove in the middle, and the bottom of the groove has a full-load trigger point. A trigger rod that matches the full-load trigger point is movably inserted in the groove. The two ends of the trigger rod are fixedly connected to two movable rods respectively. When the substrate frame is fully loaded, the movable rod is pressed down to overcome the elastic support force of the second spring. When the trigger rod triggers the full-load trigger point, a full-load signal of the substrate box is sent.

[0016] Optionally, the box-retrieving mechanism includes: The first X-axis transmission rails, two in number, are symmetrically arranged at the bottom of the lower flow cavity; The first X-axis movable seat, there are two of them, and they are respectively movably mounted on the two first X-axis transmission rails for synchronous driving; The first Y-axis transmission rail is vertically mounted above the two first X-axis transmission rails and connected to the two first X-axis movable seats. The first Y-axis movable seat is movably mounted on the first Y-axis transmission rail, and at least one unloading box unit is installed on it.

[0017] Optionally, the unloading box unit includes: The base bracket is fixed to the Y-axis movable seat; A lifting cylinder is fixed in the middle of the base bracket, and a lifting head is fixed on its telescopic end. The lifting head is fixed in the middle of the material box plate by several screws. The material box plate is horizontally arranged to support the substrate material box. Two limit telescopic rails are symmetrically fixed on both sides of the base bracket, and their telescopic ends are respectively fixed on both sides of the bottom end of the material box plate to help maintain the smooth lifting and lowering of the material box plate. There are two unlocking slots, which are symmetrically opened on the material box plate at the positions of the two button self-locking fasteners; Two unlocking cylinders are respectively fixed to the unlocking slot position by cylinder brackets, and the extension end of the unlocking cylinder is on the same axis as the unlocking button of the button self-locking device so as to release the locking pin after the substrate box is fully loaded.

[0018] Optionally, the upper sorting cavity further includes a feeding mechanism, the feeding mechanism comprising: Two feeding brackets are symmetrically arranged on the bottom wall of the upper sorting cavity. The second X-axis transmission rails are two in number and symmetrically arranged on the top of the two feeding brackets; The second X-axis movable seat, there are two of them, and they are respectively movably mounted on the two second X-axis transmission rails for synchronous driving; The second Y-axis transmission rail is vertically mounted above the two second X-axis transmission rails and connected to the two second X-axis movable seats; The second Y-axis movable seat is movably assembled on the second Y-axis transmission rail, and a vertically arranged Z-axis transmission rail is installed on it; Z-axis movable seat, which is movably mounted on the Z-axis transmission rail, and a feeding robot for gripping a full-load substrate box is fixed on it by a connecting frame. The upper sorting cavity has a matching bottom wall with a material box retrieval hole corresponding to the position of the unloading robot.

[0019] Compared with related technologies, the automated ceramic substrate sorting equipment provided in this application has at least the following technical advantages: By introducing a non-contact negative pressure adsorption sorting mechanism, the risk of damage to ceramic substrates caused by frequent gripping by traditional robotic arms is significantly reduced. Simultaneously, the parallel processing capability and automated box-retrieving design of the sorting mechanism effectively improve sorting efficiency, reduce manual intervention, and avoid the gripping interference and cost increases associated with adding robotic arms. This ultimately forms an automated, parallel processing, and non-contact adsorption solution that effectively solves the problems of low sorting efficiency, easy damage, and high cost of ceramic substrates in existing technologies, achieving efficient and precise sorting and transfer of ceramic substrates.

[0020] Details of one or more embodiments of this application are set forth in the following drawings and description to make other features, objects and advantages of this application more readily apparent. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an automated ceramic substrate sorting device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0022] Figure 2 This is one of the internal schematic diagrams of an automated ceramic substrate sorting device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of a material feeding and inspection mechanism and a substrate sorting mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a feeding and detection mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a second schematic diagram of the interior of an automated ceramic substrate sorting device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a feeding mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a substrate cassette according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0028] Figure 8 This is one of the cross-sectional views of a substrate cassette shown according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0029] Figure 9 This is a second cross-sectional view of a substrate cassette according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0030] Figure 10This is an exploded view of a substrate cassette according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0031] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a box-retrieving mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0032] Figure 12 This is a cross-sectional view of a box-retrieving mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as “comprising” or “including” mean that an element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as “connected” or “linked” are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect.

[0035] First Embodiment The first embodiment of the present invention provides an automated ceramic substrate sorting device. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an automated ceramic substrate sorting device according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 This is one of the internal schematic diagrams of an automated ceramic substrate sorting device according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of a material feeding and inspection mechanism and a substrate sorting mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a feeding and detection mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 5 This is a second schematic diagram of the interior of an automated ceramic substrate sorting device according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 6 This is the third schematic diagram of the interior of an automated ceramic substrate sorting device according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 1-6As shown, the automated ceramic substrate sorting equipment includes a body 10, and the body 10 includes at least one horizontally partitioned body 10, which gives it an upper sorting cavity 101 and a lower transfer cavity 102. The upper sorting cavity 101 includes: The feeding and inspection mechanism 40 is located in the upper sorting chamber 101 and includes at least an infeed conveyor belt 401, a ceramic substrate size detection unit 402 located at the upper end of the infeed conveyor belt 401, two diversion conveyor belts 403 symmetrically arranged on both sides of the infeed conveyor belt 401 and distributed perpendicular to the conveying direction of the infeed conveyor belt 401, and a robotic arm unit 405 mounted above the infeed conveyor belt 401 via a gantry frame 404. The robotic arm unit 405 is used to transfer the ceramic substrates on the infeed conveyor belt 401 to the diversion conveyor belts 403 according to their size. In this embodiment, the robotic arm unit 405 can be a two-axis robotic arm with a suction cup or gripper installed at its end. When the ceramic substrate size detection unit 402 detects the size of the ceramic substrate, the robotic arm unit 405 moves above the ceramic substrate, picks up the ceramic substrate with the suction cup, and then moves it above the corresponding diversion conveyor belt 403 and releases it.

[0036] The substrate sorting mechanism 50 includes several parallel negative pressure conveyor belts 504, with the input end of the negative pressure conveyor belt 504 located above the diversion conveyor belt 403. The negative pressure conveyor belt 504 is provided with negative pressure suction holes along its conveying direction. The negative pressure conveyor belt 504 has multiple negative pressure generating chambers 501 connected in series and not interconnected. Each negative pressure generating chamber 501 is connected to a negative pressure generating component through a first negative pressure suction tube 503. In this embodiment, the negative pressure generating component is a vacuum pump, and each chamber can generate negative pressure independently, so as to generate negative pressure at the negative pressure suction hole to non-contactly adsorb and pick up the ceramic substrate on the diversion conveyor belt 403. When the ceramic substrate flows to the preset size specification position, the negative pressure is disconnected to centrally store the sorted ceramic substrates. In this embodiment, the negative pressure conveyor belts 504 are arranged in parallel, and their input ends are adjusted in height to be slightly higher than the conveying plane of the diversion conveyor belt 403 so that the ceramic substrate can be smoothly transferred. Negative pressure suction holes are provided on the negative pressure conveyor belts 504 along their conveying direction. These suction holes are evenly distributed on the surface of the negative pressure conveyor belts 504 and are formed by laser drilling or die stamping.

[0037] The substrate material box 60, which consists of several boxes, is located below each negative pressure generating chamber 501. The top of the box has an open structure to receive and centrally store sorted ceramic substrates of a preset size. In this embodiment, each negative pressure generating chamber 501 is connected to the negative pressure generating component through a first negative pressure suction tube 503, so that negative pressure can be generated at the negative pressure suction hole to non-contactly adsorb and pick up the ceramic substrate on the diversion conveyor belt 403, and the negative pressure is disconnected when the ceramic substrate flows to the substrate box 60 of the preset size specification position to store the sorted ceramic substrate set.

[0038] The equipment substrate 30 has several matching substrate boxes 60 embedded in the box slots, and the lower transfer cavity 102 is provided with a box-removing mechanism 70 for removing ceramic substrates from the box slots and transferring them to the next ceramic substrate processing step after any substrate box 60 is fully loaded with sorted ceramic substrates.

[0039] In the above embodiments, the introduction of a non-contact negative pressure adsorption sorting mechanism significantly reduces the risk of damage to ceramic substrates caused by frequent gripping by traditional robotic arms. Simultaneously, the parallel processing capability and automated box-retrieving design of the sorting mechanism effectively improve sorting efficiency, reduce manual intervention, and avoid the gripping interference and cost increases resulting from adding robotic arms, thereby optimizing the production and sorting process of ceramic substrates.

[0040] See attached document Figure 3 In one possible design, the ceramic substrate size detection unit 402 includes at least an industrial camera and a camera holder for mounting the industrial camera on the upper end of the feed conveyor belt 401. The industrial camera is used to photograph the ceramic substrate that passes through its imaging range, and the images obtained by the industrial camera are used to determine the size of the ceramic substrate.

[0041] In the above embodiments, the industrial camera is a digital imaging device specifically designed for industrial environments. Its features include high resolution, high frame rate, and excellent image stability, enabling it to accurately capture images of moving ceramic substrates. When the ceramic substrate moves on the feed conveyor belt 401 and enters the field of view of the industrial camera, the camera will automatically or be triggered to capture its image. This process can be triggered by a proximity sensor located near the imaging area; when the sensor detects the ceramic substrate, it sends a shooting command to the industrial camera. Alternatively, the industrial camera can be set to a continuous high-speed shooting mode, using subsequent image processing algorithms to identify and extract images of individual ceramic substrates from a continuous image stream. The captured images are used to determine the dimensions of the ceramic substrate; that is, by performing professional image processing and analysis on the captured digital images, the various geometric dimensions of the ceramic substrate can be accurately calculated. For example, advanced edge detection algorithms can be used to identify the boundaries of the ceramic substrate in the image, and its length, width, and other dimensional parameters can be determined by pixel counting or proportional conversion. Alternatively, a machine learning-based image recognition model can be used, which, after training, can automatically identify the ceramic substrate and accurately measure its dimensions.

[0042] Through the above technical solution, this application avoids the errors and damage to the ceramic substrate that may be caused by traditional contact measurement. The image obtained by the industrial camera is used to determine the size through advanced image processing technology, which can quickly and accurately obtain the precise size data of the ceramic substrate, providing a reliable classification basis for the subsequent substrate sorting mechanism 50. In view of this, the robotic arm unit 405 can accurately transfer the ceramic substrate to the corresponding diversion conveyor belt 403 based on the precise size information, and finally the ceramic substrate negative pressure conveyor belt 504 of the substrate sorting mechanism 50 accurately sorts it into the substrate box 60 of the preset size specification.

[0043] Reference Figures 3-6 In one possible design, the substrate sorting mechanism 50 further includes: The rack 502 is in groups of two and has multiple groups. The multiple racks 502 connect the negative pressure generating chamber 501 and the equipment base plate 30 to horizontally support the negative pressure conveyor belt 504 to adsorb the ceramic base plates to flow above multiple base plate boxes 60. The ceramic substrate negative pressure conveyor belt 504 has conveyor rollers inside both ends. One of the conveyor rollers is connected to the output end of a drive motor 506 through a transmission component. The drive motor 506 is fixedly mounted above the negative pressure conveyor belt 504 through a motor frame 507.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the rack 502 serves as a support structure, providing stable horizontal support for the ceramic substrate negative pressure conveyor belt 504. Both ends of the ceramic substrate negative pressure conveyor belt 504 have internal conveyor rollers, which are cylindrical components used to support and guide the movement of the conveyor belt. The drive motor 506 is the core component providing power, while the transmission component is responsible for transmitting the power of the drive motor 506 to the conveyor rollers, thereby driving the negative pressure conveyor belt 504. It is understood that the transmission component can be implemented in various ways. For example, gear transmission can be used, where the output shaft of the drive motor 506 meshes with a gear on the conveyor roller; belt transmission can also be used, connecting the output shaft of the drive motor 506 to the pulley on the conveyor roller via a synchronous belt or V-belt; or chain transmission can also be used, connecting the output shaft of the drive motor 506 to the sprocket on the conveyor roller via a sprocket. Ultimately, this makes the substrate sorting mechanism 50 more stable and reliable in adsorbing and transferring ceramic substrates.

[0045] Reference Figures 3-6 In one possible design, the robotic arm unit 405 includes: Two adjustment plates 4051 are symmetrically arranged on one side of the gantry 404 corresponding to the diversion conveyor belt 403. The two adjustment plates 4051 are symmetrically provided with a half-groove 4052 that runs through the middle. The two half-groove 4052 form a near-U-shaped transfer trough. The servo motor 4056 is fixed on the gantry 404, and a rotating part 4055 is installed on its output end. A movable slot 4054 is opened on the side of the rotating part 4055 near the free end. A cylindrical part 4053 is movably assembled in the slot. The tail of the cylindrical part 4053 is movably assembled in the flow groove, and the head of the cylindrical part 4053 is fixedly connected to a movable block 4057. The movable block 4057 is fixedly connected to the head of the cylindrical member 4053, and has at least one mounting arm 4058 at its lower part. A Y-direction guide kit 4059 is movably sleeved on the mounting arm 4058, and the Y-direction guide kit 4059 is mounted on an X-direction guide member 40510. The X-direction guide member 40510 is movably mounted on the gantry frame 404 through several horizontal guide rails 40511. The above-mentioned movable structure adopts the limiting form of sliding guide rails to ensure the smoothness and accuracy of the movement.

[0046] An adsorption rack 40512 is fixed to the bottom end of the mounting arm 4058, and at least one ceramic substrate adsorption head 40514 is mounted on its bottom end. The ceramic substrate adsorption head 40514 is connected to the negative pressure generating component through a second negative pressure suction tube 503, thereby achieving non-contact gripping of the ceramic substrate using the principle of negative pressure adsorption. The negative pressure generating component can be an independent vacuum pump or a negative pressure generating component shared with the substrate sorting mechanism 50.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the robotic arm unit 405 achieves highly precise and adjustable positioning through the coordinated action of the servo motor 4056, the rotating component 4055, and the guided cylindrical component 4053 within the flow groove formed by the adjustment plate 4051 and the semi-groove 4052. Furthermore, the aforementioned kinematic chain allows for fine adjustment of the gripping and transmission trajectory of the ceramic substrate. In addition, the multi-axis guiding system, composed of the movable block 4057, the mounting arm 4058, the Y-axis guide kit 4059, the X-axis guide component 40510, and the horizontal guide rail 40511, provides stable and flexible horizontal movement capabilities, ensuring that the ceramic substrate adsorption head 40514 can accurately reach the preset position on the diversion conveyor belt 403 to adapt to different sorting requirements. The ceramic substrate adsorption head 40514 achieves non-contact gripping of the ceramic substrate, reducing the risk of physical damage (such as scratches or chipping) that may be caused by traditional mechanical gripping methods, especially for fragile ceramic materials. In summary, the robotic arm unit 405, with its precise adjustment capabilities, flexible positioning characteristics, and non-contact processing method, effectively overcomes the problems of inflexible adjustment and inaccurate positioning in the prior art, improves the sorting efficiency of ceramic substrates, and significantly reduces the risk of damage to ceramic substrates during transmission.

[0048] Reference Figures 3-6 In one possible design, each of the two adjustment plates 4051 is equipped with an adjustment aid 40515, which is movably mounted on a horizontally arranged adjustment guide rail and locked in the horizontally adjusted position of the two adjustment plates 4051 by a locking pin. Among them, the movable slot 4054 is strip-shaped to accommodate the maximum movable stroke position of the cylindrical part 4053 in the adjusted transfer slot, thereby adjusting the position of the ceramic substrate adsorption head 40514 to transfer the ceramic substrate onto the diversion conveyor belt 403.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the adjustment aid 40515 is a mechanism used to assist the adjustment plate 4051 in adjusting its horizontal position. Its function is to provide a convenient and precise adjustment method to change the distance or relative position between the adjustment plates 4051, thereby affecting the geometry or position of the transfer channel. The adjustment aid 40515 installed on the two adjustment plates 4051 allows the adjustment plates 4051 to move horizontally, thereby changing the position and shape of the transfer channel to adapt to positional changes in ceramic substrates of different sizes or the distribution conveyor belt 403. By introducing an adjustable and locking mechanism, the problems of limited range of motion and inaccurate positioning caused by fixed adjustment plate positions are solved, achieving flexibility and precise control of the robotic arm's movement.

[0050] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a substrate cassette according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 8This is one of the cross-sectional views of a substrate cassette shown according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 9 This is a second cross-sectional view of a substrate cassette according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 10 This is an exploded view of a substrate cassette according to an exemplary embodiment. (Refer to...) Figures 7-10 In one possible design, the substrate cassette 60 includes: The box body 601 has a vertically penetrating ceramic substrate cavity in its middle part, and the two sides of the ceramic substrate cavity are vertically symmetrically provided with first box grooves 6011, and the middle part of the first box grooves 6011 is also provided with a vertically oriented second box groove 6012. The substrate holder 607 is movably disposed within the ceramic substrate cavity to support and sort the ceramic substrates. The substrate holder positioning unit 606 consists of several units, forming four positioning groups arranged vertically on the inner wall of the first box groove 6011. The four positioning groups at the same vertical height position the substrate holder 607 at four points. The four-point positioning mechanism of this unit can effectively prevent the substrate holder 607 from tilting, jamming or shifting during the descent process, ensuring the stable stacking of ceramic substrates.

[0051] Two substrate self-lowering units 605 are symmetrically arranged in two second box slots 6012. When the sorted ceramic substrates carried on the substrate frame 607 are stacked to a certain height, the substrate frame 607 is forced to automatically descend within the ceramic substrate cavity as the weight of the sorted ceramic substrates increases. The core function of this unit is to force the substrate frame 607 to automatically descend within the ceramic substrate cavity as the weight of the sorted ceramic substrates increases when the sorted ceramic substrates carried on the substrate frame 607 are stacked to a certain height, that is, when a preset weight threshold is reached.

[0052] The box holder 602 is fixed to the bottom of the box body 601 and has two symmetrically arranged fixing wings 6021 on its exterior. Each fixing wing 6021 is equipped with a button-operated self-locking device 603. The button-operated self-locking device 603 cooperates with a locking pin 6032 fixed to the bottom of the equipment base plate 30 to lock the box body 601 in the material box slot, achieving detachable fixation. The button-operated self-locking device 603 is existing technology. Its design allows the base plate material box 60 to be easily unlocked and removed by the box-removing mechanism 70 when fully loaded, while remaining securely mounted on the equipment base plate 30 during normal operation. The button-operated self-locking device 603 can be a spring-loaded snap-fit ​​mechanism, released by pressing a button; while the locking pin 6032 can be a simple cylindrical or irregularly shaped pin, matching the locking structure of the locking device 603.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the movable arrangement of the substrate holder 607 within the ceramic substrate cavity allows it to directly support and move with the stacking of ceramic substrates. The substrate holder positioning unit 606, through four-point positioning, ensures the stability and precise alignment of the substrate holder 607 during vertical descent, preventing substrate tilting or jamming, thus ensuring the orderly stacking of ceramic substrates. More importantly, the introduction of the substrate self-descent unit 605 allows the substrate holder 607 to automatically descend using its own weight when the ceramic substrates stacked on it reach a preset height, without manual intervention. This ensures that the spacing between the falling ceramic substrates and the stacking height is maintained after the negative pressure is turned off, preventing damage to the substrates during descent, and greatly improving the automation level and continuous operation capability of the sorting process. Furthermore, the box holder 602 and its button-operated self-locking device 603 cooperate with the locking post 6032 on the equipment base plate 30 to achieve quick and detachable fixing of the base plate box 60. This facilitates efficient replacement and transfer of the box by the box-retrieving mechanism 70 after the box is full, further optimizing the operating efficiency of the entire automated ceramic base plate sorting equipment and reducing operational complexity. The design of this base plate box 60 enables a high degree of automation and intelligence in the stacking and storage process of ceramic base plates, significantly improving the overall performance of the sorting equipment.

[0054] Continue to refer to Figures 7-10 In one possible design, the substrate frame 607 includes: The substrate support 6071 is shaped to accommodate the flat state of the sorted ceramic substrates and is hollow in the middle to reduce weight. The substrate support 6071 is the main load-bearing part of the substrate holder 607 and is used to directly place and support the sorted ceramic substrates.

[0055] The outer contour 6072 is fixed to the bottom end of the substrate support 6071, and its outer contour is adapted to the ceramic substrate cavity to move vertically within the ceramic substrate cavity. Its main function is to guide the substrate holder 607 to move vertically within the ceramic substrate cavity of the substrate box 60, and to ensure the smoothness and stability of the movement process. The number of toothed bumps 6073 is four, and they are symmetrically arranged in pairs at the positions of the two second box slots 6012 to cooperate with the positioning substrate self-lowering unit 605 to realize the precise graded descent or positioning of the substrate frame 607 in the vertical direction. The tooth shape of the toothed bumps 6073 can be optimized according to the structure of the self-lowering unit 605 to provide more stable support and a smoother descent process.

[0056] There are four edge blocks 6074, which are symmetrically arranged in pairs on the outer contour 6072 at the position corresponding to the first box groove 6011. Each edge block 6074 has at least one arc-shaped groove 6075 on its outer side wall that matches the same vertical height positioning group. The edge blocks 6074 are used to cooperate with the substrate frame positioning unit 606 to achieve precise position support and locking of the substrate frame 607 in the vertical direction. The shape and size of the arc-shaped groove 6075 should match the small ball 6061 in the substrate frame positioning unit 606 to achieve reliable positioning.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the structure of the substrate holder 607 has been optimized, effectively solving problems such as excessive weight, movement jamming, and inaccurate positioning that may occur when the substrate holder carries ceramic substrates. Specifically, the substrate support 6071 is adapted to the shape of the ceramic substrate in a flat state during sorting, ensuring the stability of the ceramic substrate during placement. In addition, the outer contour 6072 is fixed to the bottom end of the substrate support 6071, and its outer contour is adapted to the ceramic substrate cavity of the substrate box 60, ensuring the smooth vertical movement of the substrate holder 607 within the ceramic substrate cavity, effectively reducing friction and jamming, and improving the reliability of the substrate holder 607's movement. The toothed protrusions 6073 are arranged in a specific number and symmetrical manner, forming precise engagement points with the substrate self-falling unit 605, enhancing the stability and controllability of the self-falling process, enabling the ceramic substrates to be stacked according to a preset rhythm and position. The edge block 6074 and the arc groove 6075 on its outer side wall work seamlessly with the substrate frame positioning unit 606, realizing precise support and rapid locking of the substrate frame 607 in the vertical direction, further improving the positioning accuracy and the efficiency of the entire automated ceramic substrate sorting equipment.

[0058] Continue to refer to Figures 7-10 In one possible design, the substrate frame positioning unit 606 includes: Positioning holes 6060, of which there are several, are radially opened at the position of the box body 601 corresponding to the first box groove 6011, to form four positioning hole groups arranged vertically on the inner wall of the first box groove 6011; the positioning holes 6060 are used to accommodate and fix the structure of the positioning component, and their function is to provide precise installation position and guidance for the subsequent small ball 6061, first spring 6062 and plug 6063.

[0059] The small ball 6061 is movably fitted in the positioning hole 6060 near the first groove 6011 and at least protrudes a portion of the ball to cooperate with the arc groove 6075 to provide vertical position support for the substrate holder 607; the small ball 6061, as a positioning element that directly contacts the substrate holder 607, has a spherical surface that can reduce friction and allow the substrate holder 607 to move smoothly in the vertical direction.

[0060] The plug 6063 is threaded onto the other end of the locating hole 6060; The first spring 6062 is disposed in the positioning hole 6060, and its two ends abut against the small ball 6061 and the plug 6063 respectively to provide radial support force for the small ball 6061. The function of the first spring 6062 is to continuously push the small ball 6061 outward so that it always keeps in contact with the arc groove 6075 of the substrate frame 607, thereby providing a stable radial support force.

[0061] In the above embodiment, a plurality of positioning holes 6060 form multiple sets of vertically arranged positioning hole groups on the housing 601, providing a multi-point, uniform support foundation for the substrate frame 607. Small beads 6061 are movably assembled within the positioning holes 6060 and are provided with continuous radial support by a first spring 6062, ensuring they always fit tightly with the arc-shaped groove 6075 on the substrate frame 607. This elastic point or line contact method not only ensures the vertical stability of the substrate frame 607 within the ceramic substrate cavity, effectively preventing it from swaying or tilting when bearing heavy objects, but also, due to the movable characteristics of the small beads 6061, allows the substrate frame 607 to move smoothly and steadily when it needs to descend, avoiding jamming. The substrate frame positioning unit 606, through its ingenious mechanical structure design, achieves precise, stable, and elastic vertical positioning support for the substrate frame 607, significantly improving the stability of the substrate frame during the ceramic substrate sorting process.

[0062] Continue to refer to Figures 7-10 In one possible design, the substrate self-falling unit 605 includes: Two movable rods 6051 are vertically arranged in the second slot 6012 to ensure the vertical stability of the substrate frame 607 during descent. Two toothed slots 6054 are formed on the side wall of the movable rod 6051 and extend vertically. Several self-lowering toothed members 6055, which are fitted with toothed protrusions 6073, are movably mounted in the toothed slots 6054 via shafts. The tooth ends of each self-lowering toothed member 6055 extend out of the toothed slots 6054 and flip along the direction of movement of the base plate frame 607. The toothed slots 6054 provide installation space and movement trajectory for the self-lowering toothed members 6055, allowing them to be flexibly assembled and moved vertically on the side wall of the movable rod 6051. The self-lowering toothed members 6055, as key components that engage with the toothed protrusions 6073 on the base plate frame 607, achieve step-by-step release and descent control of the base plate frame 607 through their flipping action. Their tooth ends are designed with bevels or arcs to ensure smooth flipping under force and reliable engagement with the toothed protrusions 6073.

[0063] Several torsion springs are sleeved on the shaft and elastically connected to the self-lowering toothed member 6055 to provide elastic support force for the toothed protrusion 6073. The elastic force of the torsion springs increases sequentially from top to bottom to adapt to the self-weight of the sorting ceramic substrate. The torsion springs can be springs of different wire diameters, coil numbers, or materials. Through pre-calculation and testing, it is ensured that they provide the required increasing elastic force at different positions (from top to bottom). For example, the upper torsion springs have a thinner wire diameter or more coils, while the lower torsion springs have a thicker wire diameter or fewer coils. Another approach is to use torsion springs of the same specifications, but to increase the spring force from top to bottom by setting different preload adjustment mechanisms on the mounting base or shaft of the torsion spring. For example, the initial compression of the torsion spring can be changed by adjusting the screw or shim.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the movable rod 6051 and the toothed groove 6054 provide a stable guiding and supporting structure for the smooth vertical descent of the substrate rack 607. By setting multiple self-lowering teeth 6055, and cooperating with torsion springs to provide elastic support, with the elastic force of the torsion springs increasing sequentially from top to bottom, the substrate rack 607 can always obtain a support force matching its current weight as the stack height of the ceramic substrates it carries increases and its own weight gradually increases. When the ceramic substrates are stacked to a certain height, their own weight overcomes the elastic force of the torsion spring at the current position, the self-lowering teeth 6055 flip, and the substrate rack 607 smoothly descends to the next support point, thereby achieving a continuous, smooth, and controlled descent process. This avoids the impact descent of the substrate rack 607 caused by a sudden increase in gravity, and reduces the risk of damage to the ceramic substrates due to collisions or drops during sorting and storage.

[0065] Continue to refer to Figures 7-10 In one possible design, the substrate self-falling unit 605 also includes: The directional rail 6052 is vertically positioned in the middle of the second slot 6012, and the two movable rods 6051 are located on both sides of the directional rail 6052. The directional rail 6052 provides stable vertical guidance for the movable rods 6051, ensuring that the movable rods 6051 can maintain a precise vertical movement trajectory during descent, and avoiding jamming or inaccurate detection due to lateral offset or tilt.

[0066] Two second springs 6027 are respectively disposed at the bottom ends of the two movable rods 6051 to provide vertical elastic support force to the movable rods 6051. The bottom ends of the second springs 6027 abut against the box frame 602, providing upward vertical elastic support force to the movable rods 6051. When the ceramic substrates stacked on the substrate frame 607 reach a certain weight, the gravity will overcome the elastic force of the second springs 6027, causing the movable rods 6051 to move downward, thereby realizing the adaptive descent of the substrate frame 607.

[0067] The locking piece 6053 has two ends connected to two movable rods 6051 located in the same second slot 6012, so that the two movable rods 6051 can be assembled synchronously in the second slot 6012. The locking piece 6053 ensures that the two movable rods 6051 can maintain synchronous vertical movement during the descent of the substrate frame 607, preventing one of the movable rods 6051 from getting stuck or descending asynchronously due to uneven force or friction differences, thereby ensuring the smooth descent of the substrate frame 607 and the accuracy of full-load detection.

[0068] The guide rail 6052 has a slot 6059 in the middle, and a full-load trigger point at the bottom of the slot 6059. A trigger rod 6058 matching the full-load trigger point is movably inserted in the slot 6059. The two ends of the trigger rod 6058 are fixedly connected to two movable rods 6051 respectively. When the substrate frame 607 is fully loaded, the movable rod 6051 is pressed down to overcome the elastic support force of the second spring 6027. When the trigger rod 6058 triggers the full-load trigger point, a full-load signal of the substrate box 60 is sent. The slot 6059 provides a space for the trigger rod 6058 to move and limits the range of motion of the trigger rod 6058. The full-load trigger point at its bottom is the key position for detecting whether the substrate box 60 is fully loaded. The trigger rod 6058 serves as a mechanical transmission or sensing medium connecting the movable rod 6051 and the full-load trigger point. It moves down synchronously with the descent of the movable rod 6051. When the base plate frame 607 is fully loaded, the trigger rod 6058 accurately triggers the full load trigger point, thereby realizing the detection of the full load state.

[0069] In the above embodiment, when the substrate hopper 60 is filled with ceramic substrates, the substrate holder 607 moves downward under the weight of the ceramic substrates, overcoming the elastic support force of the second spring 6027. The directional rail 6052 provides a stable vertical guide for the movable rod 6051, ensuring its smooth descent. Simultaneously, the locking piece 6053 ensures the synchronous movement of the two movable rods 6051, preventing jamming. As the movable rod 6051 descends, the trigger rod 6058, fixedly connected to it, also moves downward within the strip groove 6059. When the substrate hopper 60 reaches full load, the trigger rod 6058 precisely triggers the full load trigger point at the bottom of the strip groove 6059, automatically generating a full load signal. This full load signal can promptly notify the hopper removal mechanism 70 to replace the hopper. This not only ensures the continuity and efficiency of the sorting process and avoids downtime due to full hoppers, but also improves the overall operating efficiency of the automated ceramic substrate sorting equipment.

[0070] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a box-retrieving mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 12 This is a cross-sectional view of a box-retrieving mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment. (Continue referring to...) Figures 1-12 In one possible design, the box-retrieving mechanism 70 includes: Two first X-axis transmission rails 701 are symmetrically arranged at the bottom of the lower transfer cavity 102. The first X-direction movable seat 702, there are two of them, and they are respectively movably mounted on the two first X-direction transmission rails 701 for synchronous driving; The first Y-axis transmission rail 703 is vertically mounted above the two first X-axis transmission rails 701 and connected to the two first X-axis movable seats 702. A first Y-axis movable seat 704 is movably mounted on a first Y-axis transmission rail 703, and at least one unloading box unit 705 is mounted on it. The unloading box unit 705 includes: The base bracket 7051 is fixed to the Y-direction movable seat 704; The lifting cylinder 7052 is fixed in the middle of the base bracket 7051, and a lifting head 7053 is fixed on its telescopic end. The lifting head 7053 is fixed in the middle of the material box plate 7054 by several screws. The material box plate 7054 is horizontally arranged to support the substrate material box 60. The limiting telescopic rails 7055 are two in number and are symmetrically fixed on both sides of the base bracket 7051, and their telescopic ends are respectively fixed on both sides of the bottom end of the material box plate 7054 to help maintain the smooth lifting and lowering of the material box plate 7054. There are two unlocking slots 7057, which are symmetrically opened on the material box plate 7054 at the positions of the two button self-locking fasteners 603; Two unlocking cylinders 7058 are fixed to the unlocking slot 7057 by cylinder brackets. The telescopic end of the unlocking cylinder 7058 and the unlocking button of the button self-locking device 603 are located on the same axis so that the locking pin 6032 is released after the substrate box 60 is fully loaded.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the box-retrieving mechanism 70 adopts a multi-axis cooperative transmission mechanism design. Two symmetrically arranged first X-axis transmission rails 701 provide a stable horizontal movement foundation for the entire box-retrieving mechanism 70, ensuring the balance and reliability of the movement. The synchronous drive mechanism of the two first X-axis movable seats 702 ensures the consistency of movement in the X direction and eliminates positioning errors that may be caused by asynchronous movement. The vertical mounting of the first Y-axis transmission rail 703 optimizes the spatial layout and realizes the movement conversion in the Y direction, enabling the unloading and retrieving unit 705 to cover the positions of all substrate boxes 60 in the lower transfer cavity 102. Finally, the precise movement of the first Y-axis movable seat 704 on the first Y-axis transmission rail 703, combined with the unloading and retrieving unit 705 installed on it, can efficiently and accurately complete the unloading operation of the fully loaded substrate boxes 60. This design not only improves the automation level and operating efficiency of the sorting equipment, but also significantly reduces the risk of equipment jamming or failure due to inaccurate positioning, thereby ensuring the continuity and stability of the ceramic substrate sorting process.

[0072] Furthermore, the lifting cylinder 7052 applies lifting force evenly to the center of the material box plate 7054 via the lifting head 7053. Together with two symmetrically arranged limiting telescopic rails 7055, this maintains the stable vertical lifting of the material box plate 7054, effectively preventing the substrate material box 60 from shaking and ensuring the safe stacking and handling of ceramic substrates within the material box 60. Simultaneously, the symmetrically arranged unlocking slots 7057 on the material box plate 7054 provide precise alignment guidance for the unlocking cylinder 7058, allowing the telescopic end of the unlocking cylinder 7058 to accurately align with and trigger the unlocking button of the button self-locking device 603. This enables rapid and reliable release of the locking pin 6032 after the substrate material box 60 is fully loaded. This design significantly improves the smoothness of the unloading and retrieving unit 705 operation and the accuracy of unlocking, reduces operational delays and failure rates, and thus improves the overall sorting efficiency and operational safety of the automated ceramic substrate sorting equipment.

[0073] Second Embodiment See Figure 5As shown, this is the second embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that this embodiment is similar to the first embodiment described above, so the similarities between the two embodiments will not be repeated (e.g., the upper sorting cavity 101). Furthermore, for ease of explanation and understanding, this embodiment will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the first embodiment described above. The quantities and shapes mentioned in the accompanying drawings are only used to specifically illustrate the implementation of the present invention so as to facilitate understanding of the content of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0074] Continue to refer to the appendix Figures 2-6 The upper sorting cavity 101 also includes a feeding mechanism 80, which includes: Two feeding brackets 801 are symmetrically arranged on the bottom wall of the upper sorting cavity 101. The second X-axis transmission rail 802, there are two of them, and they are symmetrically arranged on the top of the two feeding brackets 801; The second X-axis movable seat 803, there are two of them, and they are respectively movably mounted on the two second X-axis transmission rails 802 for synchronous drive; The second Y-axis transmission rail 804 is vertically mounted above the two second X-axis transmission rails 802 and connected to the two second X-axis movable seats 803. The second Y-axis movable seat 805 is movably mounted on the second Y-axis transmission rail 804, and a vertically arranged Z-axis transmission rail 806 is mounted on it. Z-axis movable seat 807 is movably mounted on Z-axis transmission rail 806, and a feeding robot 809 for gripping a full-load substrate box 60 is fixed on it by a frame 808. Among them, a material box retrieval hole 810 is provided on the bottom wall of the upper sorting cavity 101 corresponding to the position of the unloading robot 809.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the XY-axis transport of the box-picking mechanism 70 delivers the fully loaded substrate box 60 to the box-picking hole 810 and lifts it upward into the upper sorting cavity 101. At this time, the unloading robot 809 is fixed by the connecting frame 808 and can stably grasp the fully loaded substrate box 60. Through the multi-axis motion system composed of the second X-axis transmission rail 802, the second X-axis movable seat 803, the second Y-axis transmission rail 804, the second Y-axis movable seat 805, the Z-axis transmission rail 806, and the Z-axis movable seat 807, the unloading robot 809 grasps the fully loaded substrate box 60 and delivers it to the next process. This design significantly optimizes the processing flow path of the box, makes full use of the vertical space of the upper sorting cavity 101 and the lower flow cavity 102, reduces the equipment footprint, reduces the equipment size, and enables the removal of the fully loaded box without hindering the operation of the sorting equipment. It also greatly improves the overall operating efficiency and processing capacity of the automated ceramic substrate sorting equipment. It also reduces the complexity of the equipment structure and improves the reliability and ease of maintenance of the equipment.

[0076] In summary, the automated ceramic substrate sorting equipment provided in this invention significantly reduces the risk of ceramic substrate damage caused by frequent gripping by traditional robotic arms by introducing a non-contact negative pressure adsorption sorting mechanism. Simultaneously, the parallel processing capability and automated box-retrieving design of the sorting mechanism effectively improve sorting efficiency, reduce manual intervention, and avoid the gripping interference and cost increases associated with adding robotic arms. Ultimately, this forms an automated, parallel processing, and non-contact adsorption solution that effectively solves the problems of low sorting efficiency, easy damage, and high cost of ceramic substrates in existing technologies, achieving efficient and accurate sorting and transfer of ceramic substrates.

[0077] The above-disclosed content is only a preferred and feasible embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the patent application of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent technical changes made based on the content of the present invention specification and drawings are included in the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated ceramic substrate sorting apparatus comprising a machine body having at least one horizontally partitioned machine body to provide a machine body having an upper sorting chamber and a lower flow-through chamber, characterized by, The upper sorting cavity includes: The feeding and inspection mechanism is located in the upper sorting chamber and includes at least one feeding conveyor belt, a ceramic substrate size detection unit located at the upper end of the feeding conveyor belt, and two diversion conveyor belts symmetrically arranged on both sides of the feeding conveyor belt and distributed perpendicular to the feeding conveyor belt's transmission direction. The substrate sorting mechanism includes several parallel negative pressure conveyor belts, with the input end of the negative pressure conveyor belt located above the diversion conveyor belt. The negative pressure conveyor belt is provided with negative pressure suction holes along its conveying direction, and the negative pressure conveyor belt contains multiple negative pressure generating chambers that are connected in series and do not penetrate each other. Several substrate cassettes are arranged below each negative pressure generating chamber, with an open top to receive and centrally store pre-sized sorted ceramic substrates; the substrate cassettes include: The box body has a vertically penetrating ceramic substrate cavity in its middle part, and the ceramic substrate cavity has a first box groove symmetrically opened on both sides in a vertical direction, and a second box groove is also opened in the middle of the first box groove. A substrate holder is movably disposed within a ceramic substrate cavity to support and sort ceramic substrates; The substrate frame positioning unit consists of several units, forming four positioning groups arranged vertically on the inner wall of the first box groove. The four positioning groups at the same vertical height position the substrate frame at four points. The substrate self-lowering unit consists of two units symmetrically arranged in two second box slots. When the sorted ceramic substrates carried on the substrate frame are stacked to a certain height, the substrate frame is forced to automatically descend within the ceramic substrate cavity as the weight of the sorted ceramic substrates increases. The box frame is fixed to the bottom of the box body and has two symmetrically arranged fixed wings on its exterior. The fixed wings are equipped with button self-locking locking devices. The button self-locking locking devices cooperate with the locking pins fixed to the bottom of the equipment base plate to lock the box body in the material box slot in a detachable manner. The substrate frame includes: a substrate support body, which is adapted to the shape of the ceramic substrate in a flat state and is hollow in the middle to reduce weight; an outer contour body, which is fixed to the bottom end of the substrate support body and whose outer contour is adapted to the ceramic substrate cavity to move vertically within the ceramic substrate cavity; four toothed protrusions, which are symmetrically arranged in pairs at two second box slot positions to cooperate with the positioning substrate self-lowering unit; and four side blocks, which are symmetrically arranged in pairs at two positions on the outer contour body corresponding to the first box slot, and whose outer side wall has at least one arc-shaped groove matching the same vertical height positioning group. The equipment substrate has several matching substrate boxes embedded in the slots, and the lower transfer cavity is equipped with a box-removing mechanism for removing ceramic substrates from the slots and transferring them to the next ceramic substrate processing step after any substrate box is fully loaded with sorted ceramic substrates.

2. The automated ceramic substrate sorting apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The feeding and testing mechanism also includes: A robotic arm unit is mounted above the feed conveyor belt via a gantry frame. The robotic arm unit is used to transfer ceramic substrates from the feed conveyor belt to the diversion conveyor belt according to their dimensions.

3. The automated ceramic substrate sorting apparatus of claim 2, wherein, The robotic arm unit includes: Two adjustment plates are symmetrically arranged on one side of the gantry corresponding to the diversion conveyor belt. The two adjustment plates are symmetrically provided with a semi-groove that runs through the middle. The two semi-grooves form a near-U-shaped flow channel. A servo motor is fixed on the gantry frame, and a rotating component is installed on its output end. A movable slot is opened on the side of the rotating component near the free end. A cylindrical component is movably assembled in the slot. The tail of the cylindrical component is movably assembled in the flow groove, and a movable block is fixedly connected to the head of the cylindrical component. The movable block is fixedly connected to the head of the cylindrical member and has at least one mounting arm at its lower part. A Y-direction guide kit is movably sleeved on the mounting arm and the Y-direction guide kit is mounted on an X-direction guide. The X-direction guide is movably mounted on the gantry frame through several horizontal guide rails. An adsorption rack is fixed to the bottom end of the mounting arm, and at least one ceramic substrate adsorption head is mounted on the bottom end of the rack. The ceramic substrate adsorption head is connected to the negative pressure generating component through a second negative pressure suction tube. Each of the two adjustment plates is equipped with an adjustment aid, which is movably mounted on a horizontally arranged adjustment guide rail and locked in the horizontally adjusted position of the two adjustment plates by a locking pin. The movable slot is strip-shaped to accommodate the maximum travel position of the cylindrical component within the adjusted transfer slot, thereby adjusting the position of the ceramic substrate adsorption head transferring the ceramic substrate onto the diversion conveyor belt.

4. The automated ceramic substrate sorting equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the negative pressure generating chambers is connected to the negative pressure generating component via a first negative pressure suction tube, so that negative pressure can be generated at the negative pressure suction hole to non-contactly adsorb and pick up the ceramic substrate on the diversion conveyor belt, and the negative pressure is disconnected when the ceramic substrate flows to the preset size specification position to centrally store the sorted ceramic substrate.

5. The automated ceramic substrate sorting equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate frame positioning unit includes: The number of positioning holes is several and they are radially opened at the position of the box body corresponding to the first box slot, so as to form four positioning hole groups arranged vertically on the inner wall of the first box slot. Small round beads are movably fitted into the positioning hole near the first box groove and at least a portion of the bead protrudes to cooperate with the arc groove to provide vertical position support for the substrate frame; A plug, its threaded assembly being fitted to the other end of the positioning hole; A first spring is disposed in the positioning hole, and its two ends abut against the small ball and the plug respectively to provide radial support force to the small ball.

6. The automated ceramic substrate sorting equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate self-falling unit includes: Two movable rods are arranged vertically within the second slot; Two toothed slots are formed on the side wall of the movable rod and extend vertically. Several self-lowering toothed parts that cooperate with the toothed protrusions are movably assembled in the toothed slots via shafts in the vertical direction. The tooth ends of each self-lowering toothed part extend out of the toothed slots and flip along the moving direction of the base plate frame. Several torsion springs are sleeved on the shaft and elastically connected to the self-lowering toothed member to provide elastic support force of the self-lowering toothed member to the toothed protrusion. The elastic force of the torsion springs increases sequentially from top to bottom to adapt to the self-weight of the sorting ceramic substrate.

7. The automated ceramic substrate sorting equipment as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The substrate self-falling unit also includes: A directional rail is vertically positioned in the middle of the second box slot, and the two movable rods are located on both sides of the directional rail. The second spring, which consists of two springs, is respectively disposed at the bottom end of the two movable rods to provide the movable rods with a vertical elastic support force, and the bottom end of the second spring abuts against the box frame; A locking piece, with its two ends respectively connected to two movable rods located in the same second box slot, so that the two movable rods can be synchronously assembled in the second box slot; The directional rail has a groove in the middle, and the bottom of the groove has a full-load trigger point. A trigger rod that matches the full-load trigger point is movably inserted in the groove. The two ends of the trigger rod are fixedly connected to two movable rods respectively. When the substrate frame is fully loaded, the movable rod is pressed down to overcome the elastic support force of the second spring. When the trigger rod triggers the full-load trigger point, a full-load signal of the substrate box is sent.

8. The automated ceramic substrate sorting equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The box-retrieving mechanism includes: The first X-axis transmission rails, two in number, are symmetrically arranged at the bottom of the lower flow cavity; The first X-axis movable seat, there are two of them, and they are respectively movably mounted on the two first X-axis transmission rails for synchronous driving; The first Y-axis transmission rail is vertically mounted above the two first X-axis transmission rails and connected to the two first X-axis movable seats. The first Y-axis movable seat is movably mounted on the first Y-axis transmission rail, and at least one unloading box unit is installed on it.

9. The automated ceramic substrate sorting equipment as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The unloading box unit includes: The base bracket is fixed to the Y-axis movable seat; A lifting cylinder is fixed in the middle of the base bracket, and a lifting head is fixed on its telescopic end. The lifting head is fixed in the middle of the material box plate by several screws. The material box plate is horizontally arranged to support the substrate material box. Two limit telescopic rails are symmetrically fixed on both sides of the base bracket, and their telescopic ends are respectively fixed on both sides of the bottom end of the material box plate to help maintain the smooth lifting and lowering of the material box plate. There are two unlocking slots, which are symmetrically opened on the material box plate at the positions of the two button self-locking fasteners; Two unlocking cylinders are respectively fixed to the unlocking slot position by cylinder brackets, and the extension end of the unlocking cylinder is on the same axis as the unlocking button of the button self-locking device so as to release the locking pin after the substrate box is fully loaded.

10. The automated ceramic substrate sorting equipment as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The upper sorting cavity also includes a feeding mechanism, which includes: Two feeding brackets are symmetrically arranged on the bottom wall of the upper sorting cavity. The second X-axis transmission rails are two in number and symmetrically arranged on the top of the two feeding brackets; The second X-axis movable seat, there are two of them, and they are respectively movably mounted on the two second X-axis transmission rails for synchronous driving; The second Y-axis transmission rail is vertically mounted above the two second X-axis transmission rails and connected to the two second X-axis movable seats; The second Y-axis movable seat is movably assembled on the second Y-axis transmission rail, and a vertically arranged Z-axis transmission rail is installed on it; Z-axis movable seat, which is movably mounted on the Z-axis transmission rail, and a feeding robot for gripping a full-load substrate box is fixed on it by a connecting frame. The upper sorting cavity has a matching bottom wall with a material box retrieval hole corresponding to the position of the unloading robot.

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