Crawler-type turner and method of turning

Abstract

This invention discloses a tracked flipping machine and a flipping method. The tracked flipping machine includes a plate thickness detection unit, a conveying unit, a flipping mechanism, and a control system. The plate thickness detection unit is located at the front end of the conveying unit and is used to detect the plate thickness of the circuit board product. The conveying unit is used to convey the product. The flipping mechanism is located at the rear end of the conveying unit and includes a base, a drive motor, at least two sprockets, a chain, and multiple sets of adapter slots. The chain is composed of chain links, and one end of the adapter slot is detachably connected to a chain link, while the other end has a card slot groove. The width of the card slot grooves in each set increases sequentially. The control system is electrically connected to the plate thickness detection unit and the drive motor. Based on the detected plate thickness, the control system controls the motor to drive the sprockets to rotate by a predetermined angle, so that the predetermined adapter slot of the corresponding width moves to the rear of the conveying unit to adapt to and accommodate the product. The tracked flipping machine of this invention has a simple structure, low modification cost, reliable control, and can accurately adapt to the product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of circuit board manufacturing, and in particular to a tracked flipping machine and a flipping method. Background Technology

[0002] In the manufacturing process of circuit boards, it is often necessary to perform flipping operations on circuit board products, such as processing and inspecting double-sided circuit boards. With the diversification of electronic products, the thickness specifications of circuit board products are increasing day by day. It is even necessary to mix products of different thicknesses on the same production line and perform flipping operations on circuit board products of different specifications and thicknesses. This places higher demands on the compatibility and automation level of flipping equipment.

[0003] Some existing flipping machines capable of flipping circuit boards of varying thicknesses require manual intervention or pausing of operation when handling products of different thicknesses to adjust the clamping gap or replace compatible components. This approach is unsuitable for continuous mixed production lines, severely impacting production cycle time and overall efficiency. Another type of flipping machine attempts to achieve continuous adaptive adjustment, typically requiring significant modifications to the core structure of the traditional flipping machine. For example, replacing the original fixed clamping mechanism with an active adaptive system composed of multiple cylinders, telescopic rods, pressure sensors, and complex linkages leads to several problems. Firstly, the overall structural complexity of the flipping machine increases dramatically, with a large number of parts, resulting in high manufacturing costs and decreased long-term reliability and stability. Secondly, the process of changing the clamping width relies on multiple additional drive components (such as cylinders and motors) and complex sensor feedback control logic, increasing machine costs and affecting the continuity and reliability of the flipping action due to the need for real-time processing of multiple sensor signals and coordination of multiple actuator movements. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a tracked flipping machine, which has a simple structure, low modification cost, reliable control, and can quickly and accurately adapt to changes in the thickness of the products to be flipped.

[0005] This invention also proposes two flipping methods applicable to the above-mentioned tracked flipping machine.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a tracked flipping machine is used to flip circuit board products of different thicknesses. The tracked flipping machine includes: a thickness detection unit for detecting the thickness of the circuit board product; a conveying unit for conveying the circuit board product, the thickness detection unit being disposed at the front end of the conveying unit; and a flipping mechanism disposed at the rear end of the conveying unit. The flipping mechanism includes a base, a drive motor, sprockets, a chain, and an adapter slot group. The drive motor is fixed on the base. At least two sprockets are provided, all of which are rotatably connected to the base. The drive motor is driven to one of the sprockets. The chain is sleeved on all the sprockets and is composed of multiple chain links connected end to end in sequence. One chain link is used to mesh with a sprocket tooth on the sprocket. The adapter slot group includes multiple adapter slots. The adapter slot has one end detachably connected to a chain link, and the other end of the adapter slot has a retaining groove for accommodating and limiting the circuit board product. The width of the retaining grooves of the multiple adapter slots in an adapter slot group increases sequentially, and the adapter slot group has multiple slots. A control system is electrically connected to the board thickness detection unit and the drive motor. The control system controls the drive motor to drive the sprocket to rotate a predetermined angle based on the board thickness of the circuit board product detected by the board thickness detection unit. This causes a predetermined adapter slot in the adapter slot group to move to the rear of the conveying unit, so that the opening of the retaining groove of the predetermined adapter slot faces the conveying unit. The width of the predetermined adapter slot and the retaining groove is adapted to the board thickness of the circuit board product.

[0007] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the tracked flipping machine has at least the following technical effects: The product thickness is detected in real time by a plate thickness detection unit, and the control system automatically controls the drive motor to rotate at a predetermined angle, driving the chain to precisely move the corresponding width of the adapter slot to the rear end of the conveying unit. This allows the circuit board to be flipped from the conveying unit to be inserted into the adapter slot. The entire process requires no manual intervention or equipment shutdown, perfectly adapting to mixed, continuous, and non-stop flipping operations of circuit board products with different plate thicknesses, significantly improving the automation level and output efficiency of the circuit board production line. No large-scale modifications to the core transmission structure of traditional flipping machines are required; only a series of adapter slots with different widths are detachably connected to the chain links, and switching can be achieved using the original precise transmission characteristics of the sprocket and chain. Compared to adaptive clamping schemes using multiple cylinders, complex connecting rods, and pressure sensor arrays, the mechanical structure of the flipping machine of the present invention is greatly simplified, requires minimal modification, has fewer parts, and lowers manufacturing and maintenance costs. Utilizing the inherent precise meshing and transmission relationship between the sprocket and the chain, the control system only needs to calculate the number of chain links to move or the predetermined angle based on the plate thickness detection results. The drive motor then precisely positions the target adapter slot. This eliminates the need for complex force feedback closed-loop control or real-time adjustment of multiple actuators, resulting in a simple and direct control method with high positioning accuracy, fast response, and high reliability. The adapter slot and chain links are detachably connected, allowing for quick replacement of the entire adapter slot assembly or individual repairs based on changes in the plate thickness specifications of the products. When a factory produces products with specific plate thicknesses for extended periods, corresponding adapter slot assemblies can be customized and replaced, offering high flexibility. Furthermore, damage to a single adapter slot does not require replacing the entire chain, resulting in low maintenance costs.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the board thickness detection unit includes a detection frame, a detection conveying roller, a movable conveying roller, and a laser displacement sensor. The detection conveying roller is rotatably connected to the detection frame, and the movable conveying roller is slidably connected to the detection frame. The movable conveying roller can slide up and down relative to the detection frame. The detection conveying roller is used to contact the bottom surface of the circuit board product, and the movable conveying roller is used to contact the top surface of the circuit board product. The laser displacement sensor is used to detect the displacement of the movable conveying roller.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a mounting plate is provided on the side of the link, a sliding plug is connected to the mounting plate, and a sliding groove is provided at one end of the adapter slot, the adapter slot being slidably connected to the sliding plug through the sliding groove.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the tracked flipper further includes a feedback detection unit, which is used to detect the rotation angle of the sprocket. The feedback detection unit is electrically connected to the control system, and the control system is used to control the drive motor to stop driving the sprocket to rotate based on the rotation angle of the sprocket detected by the feedback detection unit.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the feedback detection unit includes a photoelectric sensor. A chain is provided with M sets of adapter slots, each set of adapter slots has Q adapter slots, and each set of adapter slots corresponds to a total of P chain links. The total number of chain links in a chain is P*M. A sprocket connected to the chain is provided with K sets of feedback channels, each set of feedback channels has Q feedback channels. The Q feedback channels are sequentially distributed circumferentially on the sprocket, and the K sets of feedback channels are circumferentially distributed... The teeth are evenly distributed on the sprocket, and the number of teeth on the sprocket is N, where N=P*K, and M, Q, K, and N are all positive integers. The photoelectric sensor is disposed on the base and is used to detect the feedback slot. The photoelectric sensor is electrically connected to the control system. The feedback slots in the feedback slot group correspond one-to-one with the adapter slots in the adapter slot group. When the photoelectric sensor detects a feedback slot, the opening of the card plate groove of the adapter slot corresponding to the feedback slot faces the conveying unit.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the feedback detection unit further includes a feedback disk, the flip-plate mechanism further includes a synchronous rotating shaft, the synchronous rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the base, the feedback disk and one of the sprockets are both disposed on the synchronous rotating shaft, and the feedback disk and the sprocket can rotate synchronously with the synchronous rotating shaft; the K feedback through slots are evenly distributed on the feedback disk.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the tracked flipper further includes a fan disposed on the base, the fan being used to blow the circuit board product on the flipping mechanism.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a flipping method is applied to the aforementioned tracked flipping machine, the flipping method comprising the following steps: Obtain the design board thickness of the circuit board products that need to be flipped within the predetermined time period; The number of adapter slots in the adapter slot group and the width of each adapter slot are configured according to the designed plate thickness. Install several of the aforementioned adapter slot groups onto the chain; Perform the snap-fit ​​action on the circuit board product: The circuit board product is conveyed to the board thickness detection unit, which detects the board thickness data of the circuit board product. The control system controls the drive motor to drive the sprocket to rotate by a predetermined angle based on the plate thickness data, so that a predetermined adapter slot in the adapter slot group moves to the rear of the conveying unit, and the opening of the card plate groove of the predetermined adapter slot faces the conveying unit. The conveying unit conveys the circuit board product into the card slot of the predetermined adapter slot; During the subsequent snap-fit ​​operation of the circuit board product, when the drive motor drives the sprocket to rotate, it synchronously drives the predetermined adapter slot to move backward, thereby moving the circuit board product backward together, and finally moving the circuit board product to the rear end of the flipping mechanism to complete the flipping operation of the circuit board product.

[0015] The flipping method according to a second aspect of the present invention has at least the following technical effects: This method only requires pre-configuring the number and width of each adapter slot in the adapter slot group based on the design thickness of the circuit board products to be flipped within a predetermined time period, and then installing the configured adapter slot group onto the chain. It allows the equipment to be compatible with the mixed production of products with different board thicknesses without requiring large-scale modifications to the core transmission structure of the existing flipping machine. During the flipping process, the control system directly controls the drive motor to rotate a predetermined angle based on the actual board thickness data measured by the board thickness detection unit, so that the adapter slot of the corresponding width moves precisely to the receiving position. This process does not rely on the coordinated control of additional actuators, but is a simple modification of the original control method, resulting in a simple, direct, fast-responding, and accurate positioning control.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the control system controls the drive motor to drive the sprocket to rotate by a predetermined angle based on the plate thickness data, so that a predetermined adapter slot in the adapter slot group moves to the rear of the conveying unit, including: The control system controls the drive motor to drive the sprocket to rotate by a predetermined angle based on the maximum board thickness data in the detected board thickness data, so that a predetermined adapter slot in the adapter slot group moves to the rear of the conveying unit, and the width of the card plate groove of the predetermined adapter slot is adapted to the maximum board thickness data of the circuit board product.

[0017] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a flipping method is applied to the aforementioned tracked flipping machine, the flipping method comprising the following steps: Obtain the design board thickness of the circuit board products that need to be flipped within the predetermined time period; The number of adapter slots in the adapter slot group and the width of each adapter slot are configured according to the designed plate thickness. Install several of the aforementioned adapter slot groups onto the chain; Perform the snap-fit ​​action on the circuit board product: The circuit board product is conveyed to the board thickness detection unit, which detects the board thickness data of the circuit board product. The control system controls the drive motor to drive the sprocket to rotate, and the control system receives feedback signals from the photoelectric sensor in real time, and the control system calculates the predetermined feedback signal corresponding to the circuit board product based on the board thickness data; When the control system receives the predetermined feedback signal, the control system controls the drive motor to stop driving the sprocket to rotate, so that one of the predetermined adapter slots in the adapter slot group moves to the rear of the conveying unit, and the opening of the card plate groove of the predetermined adapter slot faces the conveying unit. The conveying unit conveys the circuit board product into the card slot of the predetermined adapter slot; During the subsequent snap-fit ​​operation of the circuit board product, when the drive motor drives the sprocket to rotate, it synchronously drives the predetermined adapter slot to move backward, thereby moving the circuit board product backward together, and finally moving the circuit board product to the rear end of the flipping mechanism to complete the flipping operation of the circuit board product.

[0018] The flipping method according to a third aspect of the present invention has at least the following technical effects: This method eliminates the need to calculate the precise angle value of the sprocket rotation or the number of chain links to move; instead, it only needs to calculate the "number of adaptable slots between the previous adaptable slot and the current required adaptable slot." Through the detection of the feedback slot by a photoelectric sensor, the system obtains a feedback signal each time it passes an adaptable slot, simplifying the control logic from "angle calculation" to "pulse counting," significantly reducing the computational burden on the control system. In the original flipping method, the open-loop control relying on a predetermined rotation angle may accumulate small angle errors due to transmission wear, inertia, and other factors during long-term operation. This method, however, employs closed-loop feedback control, where the control system receives feedback signals from the photoelectric sensor in real time. When a predetermined feedback signal corresponding to the board thickness data is received, the drive motor is immediately stopped. This method uses the actual adaptable slot position as the stopping basis, eliminating accumulated errors in the transmission chain and ensuring that each circuit board product can be accurately placed into a slot that matches its board thickness. This method does not rely on the absolute positioning accuracy of the drive motor. Even if there is slight aging, slippage or delay in the motor or transmission system, as long as the photoelectric sensor can correctly detect the feedback slot, the system can accurately control the predetermined adapter slot to stay at the rear end of the conveying unit. Therefore, this method has lower requirements for hardware accuracy and is easier to implement stably in engineering practice. It is particularly suitable for long-term, high-frequency mixed flow flip-plate operations.

[0019] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 This is a side view of some components of a tracked flipper according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a top view of the tracked tipper mechanism. Figure 3 This is a side view of some components of a tracked flipper according to another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 for Figure 3 The diagram shows a side view of the connection between the chain and the adapter slot in the tracked tipper. Figure 5 This is a side view of the connection between the feedback detection unit and the synchronous rotating shaft and sprocket of a tracked tipper according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the tracked flipper of the present invention.

[0021] Figure label: Plate thickness detection unit 100, detection conveying roller 110, movable conveying roller 120, laser displacement sensor 130, sliding square rod 140, light blocking strip 141, sliding square tube 150, and reset elastic element 160; Conveying unit 200, conveyor frame 210, conveyor rollers 220, conveyor rotating rod 230; Flipping mechanism 300, base 310, sprocket 320, sprocket tooth 321, chain 330, chain link 331, adapter slot 340, card groove 341, sliding groove 342, mounting plate 351, sliding block 352, synchronous rotating shaft 360; Photoelectric sensor 410, feedback disk 420, feedback channel 421, marking structure 422; Fan 500; Circuit board products 600. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0023] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the directional descriptions, such as "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "point," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," "circumferential," and "around," are based on the directional or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description. They do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. In the description of this invention, sidewalls refer to the left side wall and / or the right side wall.

[0024] In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more; "greater than," "less than," "exceeding," etc., are understood to exclude the number itself; and "above," "below," "within," etc., are understood to include the number itself. Where "first," "second," etc., are used, unless otherwise specified, they are only for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the sequential relationship of the indicated technical features.

[0025] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that "A is set on B" or "A is set on B" describes the connection or positional relationship between A and B, and does not mean that A is necessarily above B.

[0026] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, movable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication of two components. In some embodiments, "bolted connection" and "screw connection" can be used interchangeably; in some embodiments, sidewall refers to the left sidewall and / or right sidewall. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific circumstances. It should be understood that multiple similar features in this invention are distinguished only by different prefixes; therefore, in this invention, the feature name without distinguishing prefixes (or the feature name with partial prefixes) is used to represent the synthesis of this type of similar features.

[0027] Reference Figures 1 to 6According to an embodiment of the present invention, a tracked flipper is used to flip circuit board products 600 of different thicknesses. The tracked flipper includes a thickness detection unit 100, a conveying unit 200, a flipping mechanism 300, and a control system. The thickness detection unit 100 is used to detect the thickness of the circuit board product 600. The conveying unit 200 is used to convey the circuit board product 600, and the thickness detection unit 100 is disposed at the front end of the conveying unit 200. The flipping mechanism 300 is disposed at the rear end of the conveying unit 200, and the flipping mechanism 300 includes a base 310 and a drive motor. The device includes a motor, sprockets 320, a chain 330, and an adapter slot assembly. A drive motor is fixed to a base 310. At least two sprockets 320 are provided, all of which are rotatably connected to the base 310. The drive motor is driven by one sprocket 320 (the drive motor drives the sprocket 320 to rotate). The chain 330 is fitted onto all sprockets 320 and is composed of multiple chain links 331 connected end-to-end. Each chain link 331 meshes with a sprocket tooth 321 on a sprocket 320. The adapter slot assembly includes multiple adapter slots 340. One end of the adapter slot 340 is detachably connected to a link 331 (the adapter slot 340 and the link 331 correspond to each other). The other end of the adapter slot 340 is provided with a retaining groove 341, which is used to accommodate and limit the circuit board product 600. The width of the retaining groove 341 of multiple adapter slots 340 in an adapter slot group increases sequentially (so that different adapter slots 340 can match and fix products with different board thicknesses). Multiple adapter slot groups are provided. The control system is electrically connected to the board thickness detection unit 100 and the drive. The drive motor and control system are used to control the drive motor to drive the sprocket 320 to rotate a predetermined angle according to the thickness of the circuit board product 600 detected by the board thickness detection unit 100. This causes a predetermined adapter slot 340 in the adapter slot group to move to the rear of the conveying unit 200, so that the opening of the card plate groove 341 of the predetermined adapter slot 340 faces the conveying unit 200 (or the opening of the card plate groove 341 faces forward). The width of the predetermined adapter slot 340 and the card plate groove 341 is adapted to the thickness of the circuit board product 600.

[0028] Tracked flipper, or flipper for short; the tracked flipper is equipped with a chain 330 that resembles a track, hence the name tracked flipper; flipping, that is, turning over the circuit board product 600. For example, if the circuit board product 600 was originally facing down with side A facing down and side B facing up, after being flipped by the flipper, it will be facing up with side B facing down. Of course, it can also be flipped in other orientations. The board thickness refers to the thickness of the circuit board product 600. In some embodiments, the board thickness varies when producing different circuit board products 600, thus requiring the flipping of circuit board products 600 with different thicknesses. More importantly, in some embodiments, some circuit board products 600 with different thicknesses need to be produced and flipped together. In this case, the flipping mechanism 300 of the flipping machine needs to be continuously changed to adapt it to circuit board products 600 with different thicknesses (flipping circuit board products 600 with different thicknesses without stopping the machine midway). However, some existing flipping machines capable of flipping circuit board products 600 with different thicknesses require stopping midway. One type of flipping machine can be modified by temporarily suspending production to change the flipping mechanism 300. Another type can be modified without stopping production, but this requires significant modifications to the original flipping machine (which only needs to flip products of the same thickness and doesn't need to handle products of different thicknesses). This involves changing many components from fixed to movable structures, making the flipping machine more complex, less reliable, and more prone to errors. Furthermore, the modification process generally relies on additional drives such as cylinders and motors, increasing machine costs and making the control logic more complex and increasing the probability of system errors. Circuit board product 600, or simply product, can be a complete circuit board, raw materials or semi-finished products in the circuit board production process, or a combination of multiple such items, such as a panel of multiple circuit boards.

[0029] The plate thickness detection unit 100 detects the plate thickness of the product, which is a common practice in the prior art and can be referenced in relevant existing technologies. Specifically, the plate thickness detection unit 100 may include an ultrasonic thickness sensor or a laser thickness sensor, etc., and such sensors are used to detect the plate thickness of the product. Furthermore, the plate thickness detection unit 100 can be connected to a control system to process the detected plate thickness data, such as using a median filtering algorithm to eliminate abnormal values.

[0030] The "front end" and "rear end" described in this invention refer to the front region (directly front, diagonally front) and rear region (directly rear, diagonally rear) of the component, or the end portion of the component located at the front or rear (not just a single end face). The front and rear ends of the component can be connected to or fixed to the end of the component, or connected to or fixed to other components, simply located in front of (directly front, diagonally front) and behind (directly rear, diagonally rear) the component. In this embodiment, the plate thickness detection unit 100 is connected and fixed to the front end of the conveying unit 200, while the flipping mechanism 300 is located directly behind the conveying unit 200. The conveying unit 200 is also a common feature in the prior art, and relevant prior art can be referenced; specifically, for example, the conveying unit 200 is a conveyor belt, which is fitted onto pulleys. A motor drives the pulleys to rotate, thereby driving the conveyor belt to move, and the product is located on the conveyor belt, moving along with it. It is important to understand that there is a certain conveying time between the time the product's thickness is detected by the board thickness detection unit 100 and the time the conveying unit 200 conveys the product to the flipping mechanism 300. Therefore, during this conveying time, the drive motor can drive the sprocket 320 to rotate, thereby switching the corresponding adapter slot 340 (corresponding to the board thickness) to the front end of the flipping mechanism 300, ready to receive and accommodate the product. The conveying unit 200 can also be described as being used to convey the circuit board product 600, whose thickness has been detected, to the flipping mechanism 300.

[0031] The base 310 is the basic carrier for installing and fixing the components of this mechanism. It is a conceptual object and can be any object, such as a metal platform, stone platform, wooden table, bracket, support plate, support frame, machine frame, bearing seat, mounting plate 351, reinforcing rib, hook, ground, etc. It is an object that reuses or combines one or more components to play a role in fixing and supporting. In this embodiment, it is mainly a metal machine frame.

[0032] For precise control, the drive motor is typically a servo motor or a stepper motor. The control system can control the output shaft of the drive motor to rotate a predetermined angle and then stop it promptly. The motor housing of the drive motor is mounted and fixed on the base 310 (on the frame or the ground). The connection between the drive motor and the sprocket 320 can be a direct connection (generally via a coupling and the shaft of the sprocket 320) or a connection via an intermediate transmission assembly. The intermediate transmission assembly can be a combination of one or more components, such as a common gearbox, belt and pulley structure, multi-gear meshing structure, or chain and sprocket structure. In this embodiment, the drive motor is connected via another chain and sprocket structure, resulting in high transmission precision and facilitating accurate control by the control system. More specifically, one of the sprockets 320 of the flipping mechanism 300 is rotatably connected to the base 310 via a rotating shaft. This rotating shaft also has a transmission sprocket, and the other transmission sprockets are similarly rotatably connected to the base 310. Multiple transmission sprockets are connected via a transmission chain, and the drive motor is connected to one of the other transmission sprockets (e.g., the motor output shaft is keyed to this transmission sprocket). Therefore, the drive motor drives the rotating shaft to rotate via the transmission chain and sprocket structure, and the rotation of the rotating shaft drives the sprocket 320 of the flipping mechanism 300 to rotate synchronously.

[0033] The sprocket 320 and chain 330 are basic components of existing technology, and their specific structures and connections will not be described in detail here. The sprocket 320 has sprocket teeth 321, and the chain 330 is composed of multiple chain links 331 connected together. The flipping mechanism 300 of this invention uses sprocket 320 and chain 330 for transmission, mainly because this transmission method is precise and easy to control accurately. That is, after the sprocket 320 rotates a predetermined angle, it can drive the chain 330 to move a predetermined distance. More specifically, when the sprocket 320 rotates one chain... The angle corresponding to the gear tooth 321 (if the number of teeth in the sprocket tooth 321 is N, then the corresponding angle is 360 / N degrees) allows the chain 330 to move one link 331. The adapter slot 340 is connected to the chain 330 (link 331), thus enabling the adapter slot 340 to precisely move one link 331 (or rotate by a predetermined angle), accurately switching to the correct, corresponding, and compatible adapter slot 340. This ensures that the adapter slot 340 has a good accommodating and limiting effect on products of a specific board thickness. Accommodating and limiting refers to the fact that the width of the card plate groove 341 is greater than the board thickness and has a certain limiting effect on the circuit board product 600. When the circuit board product 600 is flipped, it is limited and will not fall out, dislodge from the card plate groove 341, or move freely. In other words, the sidewall of the card plate groove 341 can support, fix, and limit the circuit board product 600. The adapter slot 340 corresponds to the link 331. Specifically, for a series of adapter slots 340 with a smaller width of the plate groove 341 (used to accommodate and limit a series of products with a smaller plate thickness), the adapter slot 340 corresponds to only one link 331. However, for a series of adapter slots 340 with a larger width of the plate groove 341 (used to accommodate and limit a series of products with a larger plate thickness), the adapter slot 340 can correspond to more links 331 (generally multiples of 0.5), such as corresponding to 1.5 links 331 or two links 331.

[0034] Multiple adapter slots 340 in the adapter slot group (or all adapter slots 340 in the adapter slot group) constitute a set of adapter slots 340. The adapter slots 340 are generally short and thin. When the adapter slot 340 is located above the middle of the flipping mechanism 300, its length in the left-right direction is longer, its length in the up-down direction is shorter, and its length in the front-back direction is very short. The dimensions of the card plate groove 341 and the sliding groove 342 in each direction are similar to those of the adapter slots 340. Specifically, the width of the card plate groove 341 is approximately the length of the card plate groove 341 measured along the beginning and end directions of the link 331; more specifically, when the adapter slot 340 is located above the middle of the flipping mechanism 300, the width of the card plate groove 341 is the length of the card plate groove 341 in the front-back direction (or the distance in the front-back direction of the card plate groove 341, the distance between the front and rear side walls of the card plate groove 341). In this embodiment, the card slot 341 is generally U-shaped, and its opening is chamfered to avoid damaging the circuit board product 600 during carding, and to make the circuit board product 600 enter more smoothly during carding. Furthermore, silicone pads can be provided on the inner wall (bottom and side wall) of the card slot 341. The silicone pads can prevent the circuit board product 600 from being damaged by impact during the transfer of the circuit board product 600. The size (width) of the opening of the card slot 341 is configured in steps according to the design thickness of the circuit board product 600. The width of the card plate groove 341 of multiple adapter card slots 340 in an adapter card slot group increases sequentially. Specifically, in a group of adapter card slots 340, these adapter card slots 340 can be sequentially set as first-level adapter card slots 340, second-level adapter card slots 340 (third-level adapter card slots 340, fourth-level adapter card slots 340, etc.)... The width of the previous-level adapter card slot 340 is smaller than the width of the next-level adapter card slot 340. For example, the width of the first-level adapter card slot 340 is smaller than the width of the second-level adapter card slot 340. "Sequentially" can be used when a group of adapter card slots 340 are all located above the flip-plate mechanism 300, either counting from front to back or from back to front. Multiple adapter card slot groups are provided, all connected to the chain 330 (link 331).The connection is detachable, specifically, it can be a combination or reuse of one or more connection methods such as bolt connection, plug-in connection, sliding connection, interference fit connection, and snap-fit ​​connection. The adapter slot 340 and the chain link 331 are detachably connected. On the one hand, this facilitates the replacement and maintenance of individual adapter slots 340. On the other hand, the entire adapter slot assembly can also be replaced as a whole or systematically to cope with the production of circuit board products 600 of different thicknesses. Specifically, if a circuit board manufacturing plant only produces circuit board products 600 of certain thicknesses for a long period of time, the adapter slot assembly of the flipping mechanism 300 in that plant can be replaced. To correspond to (or adapt to) the adapter slots 340 for these different board thicknesses, or for example, if it is necessary to produce a mix of circuit board products 600 with different board thicknesses for a certain period of time, the adapter slot group of the flipping mechanism 300 in the factory can be replaced with adapter slots 340 that correspond to (or adapt to) these different board thicknesses. For example, for some special circuit board products 600 with large tolerances for board thickness, and for which the requirements for limiting and fixing are high (the circuit board product 600 is prone to falling out or detaching when it enters an incompatible adapter slot 340), it is necessary to detect the board thickness in real time and switch to the appropriate adapter slot 340 for limiting and fixing. Generally, a set of adapter slots 340 can only accommodate one circuit board product 600, which facilitates precise control (when switching adapter slots 340, the sprocket 320 can rotate a larger angle at one time to facilitate control, especially to avoid the influence of signal delay, inertia and other factors) and subsequent product processing. It also ensures that each product is spaced a certain distance on the flipping mechanism 300, so as to avoid collisions, friction and scratches between products during the flipping process, which would cause product damage. Furthermore, in the flipping process where the designed board thickness is closely adjacent during product transportation (the previous product has the largest designed board thickness and is expected to be located in the last-level adapter slot 340, and the next product has the smallest designed board thickness and is expected to be located in the first-level adapter slot 340), several chain links 331 can be left empty in the original adapter slot group to form a new adapter slot group. On the side or top surface of link 331, a structure for connecting other components can be provided. Specifically, for example, referring to the content of patent CN223764582U, a mounting plate 351 is provided on the top surface of link 331. Similarly, a mounting plate 351 can also be welded on the side of link 331. A sliding insert 352 (or a limiting block with a sliding groove 342) can be fixed on the mounting plate 351. A sliding groove 342 (or a sliding insert 352) is provided at one end of the adapter slot 340. The adapter slot 340 is connected to the sliding insert 352 through the sliding groove 342 and the sliding insert 352, which can facilitate disassembly and assembly, and at the same time can limit and fix the adapter slot 340 to the corresponding link 331 to a certain extent.

[0035] The control system, specifically, includes control elements. All components connected to the control system in this invention are connected to these control elements. These control elements can be various CPUs, chips, microprocessors, microcontrollers, etc., or integrated devices containing the above components, such as host computers, tablet computers, embedded systems, etc. The control system may also include other components, such as a three-color alarm light (used to detect abnormal board thickness), a keyboard, a mouse, a monitor (or display screen), an operation panel, and various operation buttons (such as emergency stop buttons and start buttons), all electrically connected to the control elements. The electrical connection can be wired, such as electrical wire connections or fiber optic connections, or wireless, such as wireless network connections or Bluetooth connections. The widths of the predetermined adapter slot 340 and the card plate recess 341 are adapted to the thickness of the circuit board product 600. Furthermore, since the widths of the card plate recesses 341 of multiple adapter slots 340 in an adapter slot group increase sequentially, they are "adapted." Specifically, in some embodiments, the widths of the predetermined adapter slot 340 and the card plate recess 341 may be exactly greater than the thickness of the circuit board product 600. And if the predetermined adapter slot 340 is not the lowest-level adapter slot 340 (first-level adapter slot 340), then it is more than the predetermined adapter slot. The width of the lower-level adapter slot 340 and the card plate groove 341 is less than or equal to the thickness of the circuit board product 600 (the test results will have certain errors and tolerances, and the product itself may have certain warping or deformation, so the card plate groove 341 that is exactly equal to the product's thickness may not be able to accommodate the product); considering issues such as product warping and deformation, in some embodiments, based on the above, the comparison is made with the thickness of the circuit board product 600 plus a predetermined error value as the benchmark (instead of the original benchmark of the thickness of the circuit board product 600). In other embodiments, a hierarchical correspondence system is used to ensure that the width of the predetermined adapter slot 340 and the card plate groove 341 is adapted to the thickness of the circuit board product 600. Specifically, for example, products with a detected board thickness of 1mm-4mm (excluding the upper limit of 4mm, the same applies below) correspond to the first-level adapter slot 340 (the width of the card plate groove 341 of the adapter slot 340 is the first predetermined width value), and products with a detected board thickness of 4mm-8mm correspond to the second-level adapter slot 340 (the width of the card plate groove 341 of the adapter slot 340 is the first predetermined width value). The width of the card slot 340 is the third predetermined width value, corresponding to the product with a board thickness of 8mm-12mm. The width of the card slot 341 of the card slot 340 is the third predetermined width value. The width of the card slot 340 is the fourth predetermined width value, corresponding to the product with a board thickness of 12mm-16mm. The predetermined width values ​​can be set according to the actual situation. The width of the lower-level adapter card slot 340 may not be less than the board thickness of the circuit board product 600.The determination of the "predetermined angle" in the statement "The control system is used to control the drive motor to drive the sprocket 320 to rotate a predetermined angle based on the thickness of the circuit board product 600 detected by the board thickness detection unit 100" can be a specific angle value obtained by the control system after calculation, or it can be the angle that the sprocket 320 has rotated after the drive motor and sprocket 320 stop at a specific position (feedback position).

[0036] The following is a brief description of an example of a flipping machine.

[0037] A group of circuit board products 600 to be flipped have the following thicknesses tested in sequence: the first circuit board product 600 has a thickness of 2.2mm; the second circuit board product 600 has a thickness of 5.1mm; the third circuit board product 600 has a thickness of 3.3mm; the fourth circuit board product 600 has a thickness of 3.6mm; the fifth circuit board product 600 has a thickness of 1.9mm; and the sixth circuit board product 600 has a thickness of 4.5mm.

[0038] The chain 330 is connected to at least six sets of adapter slots. Each set of adapter slots 340 includes five adapter slots 340, which are configured as follows: Level 1 adapter slot 340, for accommodating and limiting the detection of circuit board products 600 with a thickness of 1mm-2mm (excluding the upper limit, the same applies below); Level 2 adapter slot 340, for accommodating and limiting the detection of circuit board products 600 with a thickness of 2mm-3mm; Level 3 adapter slot 340, for accommodating and limiting the detection of circuit board products 600 with a thickness of 3mm-4mm; Level 4 adapter slot 340, for accommodating and limiting the detection of circuit board products 600 with a thickness of 4mm-5mm; and Level 5 adapter slot 340, for accommodating and limiting the detection of circuit board products 600 with a thickness of 5mm-6mm. Each set of adapter slots 340 accommodates only one circuit board product 600.

[0039] Reference Figure 4 Each set of adapter slots 340 is connected to a link 331 of the chain 330. The approximate size of the link 331 occupied (or corresponding to) each adapter slot 340 is as follows: the first-level adapter slot 340 occupies (or corresponds to) one link 331; the second-level adapter slot 340 occupies one link 331; the third-level adapter slot 340 occupies 1.5 links 331; the fourth-level adapter slot 340 occupies 1.5 links 331; and the fifth-level adapter slot 340 occupies two links 331. A set of adapter slots 340 occupies a total of seven links 331 (ideally, if the number of adapter slot sets is M, then the total number of links in the chain 330 is M*7).

[0040] The sprocket 320 has 21 teeth. Therefore, when the sprocket 320 rotates 360 / 21 degrees (the number of teeth on the sprocket 321 is N, so the corresponding angle is 360 / N degrees; the same applies below), the chain 330 moves one link 331. And one full rotation of the sprocket 320 completes the snap-fit ​​action of the three circuit board products 600. In this embodiment, for ease of description, the number of links represents the angle of movement of the sprocket 320. Specifically, moving one link 331 means the sprocket 320 rotates by an angle of 1*360 / 21 degrees; moving 3.5 links 331 means the sprocket 320 rotates by an angle of 3.5*360 / 21 degrees, and so on.

[0041] The first circuit board product 600, after being detected by the board thickness detection unit 100, has a detected board thickness of 2.2mm. The board thickness detection unit 100 transmits this detected board thickness data to the control system. The control system drives the drive motor to rotate, causing the sprocket 320 to rotate a predetermined angle and then stop. This ensures that the opening of the clamping groove 341 of the second-stage adapter slot 340 is directly facing the first circuit board product 600. The conveying unit 200 conveys the first circuit board product 600 (at least a portion) into the clamping groove 341, completing the clamping action of the first circuit board product 600. The predetermined angle is approximately: half the number of links corresponding to the adapter slot 340 that the previous circuit board product 600 was fitted with, plus the number of links between the adapter slot 340 that the previous circuit board product 600 was fitted with and the adapter slot 340 that the current circuit board product 600 is fitted with, plus half the number of links in the adapter slot 340 that the current circuit board product 600 is fitted with. It should be understood that the above-mentioned predetermined angle calculation is only an ideal data. In reality, due to the different structures of the chain link 331, the adapter slot 340, the connection method between the adapter slot 340 and the chain link 331, the connection method between the sprocket 320 and the chain link 331, and the specific settings of the optimal engagement positions of the adapter slots 340 at each level of the flip plate mechanism 300, the actual designed predetermined angle may differ from the ideal predetermined angle.

[0042] The second circuit board product 600, after being detected by the board thickness detection unit 100, has a detected board thickness of 5.1mm. The board thickness detection unit 100 transmits this detected board thickness data to the control system. The control system drives the drive motor to rotate, causing the sprocket 320 to rotate a predetermined angle and then stop. This ensures that the opening of the card plate groove 341 of the fifth-level adapter card slot 340 of the next set of adapter card slots is directly facing the second circuit board product 600. The conveying unit 200 conveys the second circuit board product 600 into the card plate groove 341, completing the carding action of the second circuit board product 600. The predetermined angle is approximately: half the number of links corresponding to the adapter card slot 340 of the previous circuit board product 600, plus the number of links between the adapter card slot 340 of the previous circuit board product 600 and the adapter card slot 340 of the current circuit board product 600, plus half the number of links of the adapter card slot 340 of the current circuit board product 600.Specifically, 'half the number of links corresponding to the adapter slot 340 of the previous circuit board product 600', where the previous circuit board product 600 is the first circuit board product 600, and the adapter slot 340 of the first circuit board product 600 is the second-level adapter slot 340 (determined according to the board thickness classification), and the number of links corresponding to the second-level adapter slot 340 is 1 link 331. Therefore, 'half the number of links corresponding to the adapter slot 340 of the previous circuit board product 600' is 0.5 links 331; similarly, 'half the number of links corresponding to the adapter slot 340 of the current circuit board product 600'... The adapter slot 340 used by the current circuit board product 600 is a fifth-level adapter slot 340, which corresponds to two links 331. Therefore, half the number of links in the adapter slot 340 used by the current circuit board product 600 is one link 331. As for the number of links between the previous adapter slot 340 used by the current circuit board product 600 and the current adapter slot 340, since each adapter slot 340 only accommodates one circuit board product 600, the previous... Between the adapter slot 340 of the circuit board product 600 and the adapter slot 340 of the circuit board product 600, there are, in sequence, the third-level adapter slot 340 of the first group of adapter slots 340 (corresponding to 1.5 chain links), the fourth-level adapter slot 340 of the first group of adapter slots 340 (corresponding to 1.5 chain links), the fifth-level adapter slot 340 of the first group of adapter slots 340 (corresponding to 2 chain links), the first-level adapter slot 340 of the second group of adapter slots 340 (corresponding to 1 chain link), and the second-level adapter slot 340 of the second group of adapter slots 340. The corresponding link count is 1), the third-level adapter slot 340 of the second group of adapter slots 340 (corresponding to 1.5 link count), and the fourth-level adapter slot 340 of the second group of adapter slots 340 (corresponding to 1.5 link count). Therefore, the number of link counts between the adapter slot 340 of the previous circuit board product 600 and the adapter slot 340 of this circuit board product 600 is 1.5 + 1.5 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 1.5 + 1.5 = 10. Therefore, the total number of link counts is 0.5 + 10 + 1 = 11.5, and the corresponding expected angle is 11.5 * 360 / 21 degrees. At this point, the previous set of adapter slots 340 have basically moved with the chain 330 to above the flipping mechanism 300, so that the opening of the adapter slots 340 faces upward, and the circuit board product 600 in the adapter slots 340 changes from a flat state to a vertical state; then, as the chain 330 continues to move, the adapter slots 340 will move to the rear end of the flipping mechanism 300, and the opening of the adapter slots 340 will face backward, so that the circuit board product 600 in the adapter slots 340 changes from a vertical state to a flat state, completing the flipping action (flipping operation) on the circuit board product 600.

[0043] The third circuit board product 600, after being detected by the board thickness detection unit 100, has a detected board thickness of 3.3mm. The board thickness detection unit 100 transmits this detected board thickness data to the control system. The control system drives the drive motor to rotate, causing the sprocket 320 to rotate a predetermined angle and then stop. This ensures that the opening of the card plate groove 341 of the third-level adapter slot 340 of the next adapter slot group is directly facing the third circuit board product 600. The conveying unit 200 conveys the third circuit board product 600 into the card plate groove 341, completing the carding action of the third circuit board product 600. The predetermined angle is approximately: 2*0.5+(1+1)+1.5*0.5=3.75, 3.75*360 / 21 degrees.

[0044] The snap-fitting and flipping actions of the fourth, fifth, and sixth circuit board products 600 are the same as those described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0045] Furthermore, the tracked flipper may also include a stop mechanism, which is installed in the aforementioned flipper or the flipper with a feedback detection unit described below. The stop mechanism is electrically connected to the control system and is used to prevent the sprocket 320 from rotating. The stop mechanism can be installed on the base 310. Specifically, the stop mechanism, for example, refers to a common damping stop mechanism (such as a bicycle brake structure), which uses a cylinder (gripper cylinder), motor, or other drive components to drive two damping blocks to approach and clamp the sprocket 320 (the sprocket 320 is located between the two damping blocks). Thus, after the drive motor stops driving the sprocket 320 to rotate (the feedback detection unit indicates that the sprocket 320 needs to be stopped), it promptly prevents the sprocket 320 from rotating, avoiding large rotational deviations of the sprocket 320. The stop mechanism can also refer to other types of stop components in the prior art, such as ratchet structures (ratchet stoppers), one-way clutches, pneumatic clutches, etc.

[0046] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 6 In some embodiments of the present invention, the board thickness detection unit 100 includes a detection frame, a detection conveying roller 110, a movable conveying roller 120, and a laser displacement sensor 130. The detection conveying roller 110 is rotatably connected to the detection frame, and the movable conveying roller 120 is slidably connected to the detection frame. The movable conveying roller 120 can slide up and down relative to the detection frame. The detection conveying roller 110 is used to contact the bottom surface of the circuit board product 600, and the movable conveying roller 120 is used to contact the top surface of the circuit board product 600. The laser displacement sensor 130 is used to detect the displacement of the movable conveying roller 120.

[0047] The inspection frame can be equipped with a rotating rod, and multiple inspection conveying rollers 110 can be provided, all of which are rotatably connected to the rotating rod. The movable conveying roller 120 is slidably connected to the inspection frame. Specifically, the plate thickness inspection unit 100 can also include a sliding square rod 140, and a sliding square tube 150 can be provided on the inspection frame. One end of the sliding square rod 140 is rotatably connected to the movable conveying roller 120, and the other end is slidably connected inside the sliding square tube 150. Both the sliding square rod 140 and the sliding square tube 150 extend vertically. The laser displacement sensor 130 can be installed on the inspection frame or on other components, such as the base 310. The laser displacement sensor 130 is existing technology and can measure minute displacements of objects using laser triangulation. For specific examples, refer to existing technologies such as patent CN113298865B. Using the above method to detect board thickness yields more accurate and stable results, is less affected by changes in circuit board type, and is not affected by surface reflections or tiny pits on the circuit board. It is particularly suitable for flip-board processes where circuit board specifications are constantly changing.

[0048] Furthermore, the plate thickness detection unit 100 may also include a reset elastic element 160, which is sleeved on the sliding square rod 140. A limit ring is provided on the sliding square rod 140. One end of the reset elastic element 160 abuts against the limit ring, and the other end of the reset elastic element 160 abuts against the open end of the sliding square tube 150. The reset elastic element 160 serves two purposes: firstly, it ensures that the movable conveyor roller 120 remains in close contact with the product during thickness detection, guaranteeing accurate results; secondly, it allows the movable conveyor roller 120 to reset promptly after thickness detection, enabling accurate detection of the next product's thickness. It's important to understand that the thickness detection unit 100 can also transmit only the data obtained during the detection process to the control system for processing (rather than directly transmitting the detected data as the thickness to the control system). The control system then processes the data to determine the measured thickness. In other words, while "thickness detection unit 100 is used to detect the thickness of circuit board product 600," it can actually detect the relevant thickness data of circuit board product 600, which is then processed by the control system to determine the measured thickness of circuit board product 600. The reset elastic element 160 can be a spring, an elastic plastic component, an elastic sheet, etc.

[0049] Furthermore, a light-blocking strip 141 can be provided on the sliding square rod 140, and the laser displacement sensor 130 is used to detect the displacement of the light-blocking strip 141. The light-blocking strip 141 moves up and down together with the movable conveyor roller 120 and the sliding square rod 140. Therefore, by detecting the displacement of the light-blocking strip 141, the laser displacement sensor 130 is equivalent to detecting the displacement of the movable conveyor roller 120, which means it can detect the plate thickness data. Moreover, the laser displacement sensor 130's detection of the light-blocking strip 141 is more convenient and simple, and is not affected by the shape, size, or rotation of the movable conveyor roller 120.

[0050] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 6 In some embodiments of the present invention, the conveying unit 200 includes a conveyor frame 210 and a conveying roller 220, which are rotatably connected to the conveyor frame 210. The conveying roller 220 is used to contact the bottom surface of the circuit board product 600 (and convey the circuit board product 600).

[0051] Multiple conveyor rollers 220 are provided, all of which are rotatably connected to the conveyor frame 210. Specifically, the conveyor rollers 220 and the conveyor frame 210 can be rotatably connected, either by a conveyor rotating rod 230 fixedly mounted on the conveyor frame 210, or by the conveyor rollers 220 being fixed to the conveyor rotating rod 230, with the conveyor rotating rod 230 rotatably connected to the conveyor frame 210. The power for conveying the circuit board product 600 by the conveyor rollers 220 can be gravity. In this case, multiple conveyor rollers 220 are arranged diagonally downwards, and the circuit board product 600 moves naturally downwards along the conveyor rollers 220 by gravity. Alternatively, it can be other external power sources, such as motors, cylinders, intermediate transmission components, etc. (or, in other words, the conveying unit 200 includes conveyor rods 230, external power, and intermediate transmission components, with the external power connected to the conveyor rods 230 via the intermediate transmission components; the external power can be cylinders, motors, etc.), driving multiple conveyor rods 230 to rotate, thereby driving the conveyor rollers 220 fixed on the conveyor rods 230 to rotate together. Furthermore, the external power source can also be electrically connected to the control system for convenient control of the conveying speed.

[0052] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments of the present invention, a mounting plate 351 is provided on the side of the link 331, a sliding plug 352 is connected to the mounting plate 351, and a sliding groove 342 is provided at one end of the adapter slot 340. The adapter slot 340 is slidably connected to the sliding plug 352 through the sliding groove 342.

[0053] The adapter slot 340 and the sliding groove 342 extend in the left and right directions. During installation, the sliding block 352 is inserted into and slid into one end of the sliding groove 342. Then, the adapter slot 340 is pushed to adjust its position in the left and right directions so that the adapter slot 340 is installed on the link 331. Multiple chains 330 and sprockets 320 can be provided, with multiple chains 330 distributed sequentially in the left-right direction. The flipping mechanism 300 also includes multiple synchronous rotating shafts 360, with the axes of the multiple synchronous rotating shafts 360 all in the left-right direction. Each synchronous rotating shaft 360 is connected (e.g., keyed or fixed) to at least two sprockets 320. The chains 330 are fitted onto sprockets 320 in the same left-right position, and the multiple chains 330 are fitted onto sprockets 320 in different left-right positions. Therefore, mounting plates 351 can be provided on the links 331 of the multiple chains 330, and sliding blocks 352 are connected to the mounting plates 351, so that the adapter slots 340 can slide and engage with the multiple sliding blocks 352, resulting in better fixing effect of the adapter slots 340. It's important to understand that the sliding connection between the sliding groove 342 and the sliding plug 352 (or the structure of the sliding groove 342 and the sliding plug 352) is similar to a common slide rail slider module (industrial linear guide). The sliding groove 342 not only accommodates the sliding plug 352 but also provides a certain degree of limitation for the sliding plug 352, preventing it from detaching from the sliding groove 342. Specifically, both sides (front and rear sides) of the opening of the sliding groove 342 are provided with inwardly protruding limiting side plate structures. The detachable sliding and plugging connection method is very simple and convenient, making it easy to disassemble and replace the adapter slot 340.

[0054] Furthermore, a threaded through hole can be provided on the mounting plate 351, and the sliding insert 352 is a bolt. The bolt head is located in the sliding groove 342 and is slidably connected to the sliding groove 342. The bolt shank passes through the opening of the sliding groove 342 and the threaded through hole in sequence and is then threaded to a nut. With this configuration, tightening the nut can further fix the position of the adapter slot 340.

[0055] Reference Figure 5 In some embodiments of the present invention, the tracked flipper further includes a feedback detection unit, which is used to detect the rotation angle of the sprocket 320. The feedback detection unit is electrically connected to the control system, and the control system is used to control the drive motor to stop driving the sprocket 320 to rotate based on the rotation angle of the sprocket 320 detected by the feedback detection unit (so that the sprocket 320 can stop after rotating a predetermined angle).

[0056] The feedback detection unit can be installed on the base 310, sprocket 320, or other components. Specifically, the feedback unit can be a magnetic angle sensor, inertial angle sensor, magnetoelectric angle sensor, optical angle sensor, or other indirect measurement methods to detect the rotation angle of the sprocket 320. Setting up a feedback detection unit allows for the feedback of the sprocket 320's rotation angle data, avoiding the motor rotation error that can occur when controlling the sprocket 320's rotation angle solely through the drive motor. Especially over long-term use, small errors can accumulate, leading to decreased control accuracy or even complete errors. By setting up a feedback detection unit, the control result (the sprocket rotation angle data) can be directly fed back, allowing for fine-tuning or direct control, ensuring stable control accuracy.

[0057] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 5 In some embodiments of the present invention, the feedback detection unit includes a photoelectric sensor 410. A chain 330 is provided with M adapter slot groups, each adapter slot group has Q adapter slots 340, and each adapter slot group corresponds to a total of P chain links 331. The total number of chain links 331 in a chain 330 is P*M. A sprocket 320 connected to the chain 330 is provided with K feedback through slot groups, each feedback through slot group has Q feedback through slots 421. The Q feedback through slots 421 are sequentially distributed circumferentially on the sprocket 320, and the K feedback through slot groups are evenly distributed circumferentially on the sprocket 320. The sprocket 320 has N teeth, where N = P * K, and M, Q, K, and N are all positive integers (furthermore, N is odd and P * M is even). The photoelectric sensor 410 is mounted on the base 310 and is used to detect the feedback slot 421. The photoelectric sensor 410 is electrically connected to the control system. The feedback slots 421 in the feedback slot group correspond one-to-one with the adapter slots 340 in the adapter slot group. When the photoelectric sensor 410 detects a feedback slot 421, the opening of the card plate groove 341 of the adapter slot 340 corresponding to the feedback slot 421 faces the conveying unit 200.

[0058] The total number of links 331 in a chain 330 is P*M, ensuring that a chain 330 is completely occupied by a complete set of adapter slots with no gaps between any two adjacent sets. This prevents misalignment (or error) between the feedback slot 421 and the adapter slot 340 during the second rotation of the chain 330. Similarly, the K feedback slot sets are evenly distributed around the sprocket 320, which has N teeth (N=P*K). This also ensures that the feedback slot 421 and the adapter slot 340 are not misaligned during the second rotation of the sprocket 320. The correspondence (or the number of links occupied) between the adapter slot sets (adapter slots 340) and the links 331 can be referenced above or set according to the actual situation. By setting up the above structure, the control system can more easily and conveniently control the adapter slot 340. The feedback slot 421 corresponds one-to-one with the adapter slot 340, and when the sprocket 320 rotates by one sprocket tooth 321, the corresponding angle (if the number of sprocket teeth 321 is N, then the corresponding angle is 360 / N degrees) will move the chain 330 by one link 331; therefore, the number of sprocket teeth (number of teeth, sprocket angle) occupied by the feedback slot 421 is the number of chain links occupied by the adapter slot 340 corresponding to the feedback slot 421. As described above, K feedback slot groups are evenly distributed circumferentially on the sprocket 320 (feedback disk 420). One adapter slot group (feedback slot group) corresponds to a total of P chain links 331 (sprocket teeth 321). The number of teeth on the sprocket 320 is N, where N = P * K. Ideally, in the sprocket 320 (feedback disk 420), there are two adjacent feedback slots 421—feedback slot A and feedback slot B. The interval angle between feedback slot A and feedback slot B is: (number of sprocket teeth corresponding to feedback slot A * 0.5 + number of sprocket teeth corresponding to feedback slot B * 0.5) * 360 / N, or (number of sprocket teeth corresponding to feedback slot A) * 360 / N, or (number of sprocket teeth corresponding to feedback slot B) * 360 / N. The setting can be selected according to the actual situation. In practice, considering the existence of control delay, inertia, etc., the specific value of the above interval can be adjusted appropriately.

[0059] It is important to understand that, ideally (without data transmission or mechanical control delay), when the photoelectric sensor 410 detects a feedback slot 421, the control system immediately learns of this information and immediately controls the drive motor to stop rotating the sprocket 320. The sprocket 320 then immediately stops rotating. At this time, the opening of the card plate groove 341 of the adapter slot 340 corresponding to the feedback slot 421 faces the conveying unit 200. However, in practice, considering the existence of signal delay, mechanical control lag, and motion inertia (which is why chain drive is chosen, as it provides more precise and stable transmission control), the setting position of the feedback slot 421 can be appropriately advanced according to the actual situation. It is also necessary to specifically set the speed at which the conveying unit 200 conveys the products (and the interval between the transmission of two adjacent products must also be ensured not to be too short). This ensures that after the plate thickness is detected, there is sufficient time for receiving the plate thickness information, the drive motor to control the sprocket 320 to rotate, the feedback detection unit to provide feedback, the drive motor to stop based on the feedback information, and the achievement of the control result—a series of data processing, transmission, and mechanical movement (execution) processes.

[0060] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 5 In some embodiments of the present invention, the feedback detection unit further includes a feedback disk 420, and the flip mechanism 300 further includes a synchronous rotating shaft 360, which is rotatably connected to the base 310. The feedback disk 420 and a sprocket 320 are both disposed on the synchronous rotating shaft 360, and the feedback disk 420 and the sprocket 320 can rotate synchronously with the synchronous rotating shaft 360. K sets of feedback through slots are evenly distributed on the feedback disk 420.

[0061] Synchronous rotation means that all three components rotate at the same angular velocity. Specifically, the feedback disk 420 and sprocket 320 can be fixedly connected to the synchronous rotating shaft 360, or they can be connected to the synchronous rotating shaft 360 by key connection, forming connection, or other methods. In this embodiment, the photoelectric sensor 410 is a photogate. When the feedback disk 420 rotates to the position between the photogates at the feedback slot 421, the photogate can receive the light signal through the gap formed by the feedback slot 421, thereby obtaining feedback information. Setting the feedback slot group on the feedback disk 420 instead of the sprocket 320 avoids reducing the overall mechanical strength of the sprocket 320 and making it easy to be damaged, while also providing better space to install the photoelectric sensor 410.

[0062] Furthermore, an identification structure 422 can be set on the feedback disk 420 at a predetermined position in the feedback slot group. Setting the identification structure 422 facilitates the correct installation and fixing of the feedback disk 420, so that the feedback slot 421 on the feedback disk 420 can correctly correspond to the adapter slot 340; more specifically, the identification structure 422 can be an identification through hole, which is set on the inner side of the first feedback slot 421 (or the starting feedback slot 421) of each feedback slot group.

[0063] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments of the present invention, the tracked flipper also includes a fan 500, which is disposed on the base 310 and is used to blow the circuit board product 600 on the flipper mechanism 300.

[0064] The fan 500 serves two purposes: firstly, it cools the circuit board product 600 by blowing air through it; secondly, it removes as much dust and foreign matter as possible from the circuit board product 600.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present invention, the tracked flipping machine further includes a board receiving mechanism, which is located at the rear end of the flipping mechanism 300 and is used to receive the circuit board product 600 that has completed the flipping operation by the flipping mechanism 300.

[0066] The board receiving mechanism can actively receive the circuit board product 600 that has completed the flipping process, such as by gripping with claws, sucking up with an air suction cup, or actively receiving the circuit board product 600 by friction driven by a conveyor belt (transfer ball bearings). Alternatively, the board receiving mechanism may not have an active receiving component, but instead receive the circuit board product 600 that actively slides out of the adapter slot 340 and the card plate groove 341 due to gravity from the rear end of the flipping mechanism 300 at an angle below it. The board receiving mechanism is also existing technology, and its specific components, connections, and structure can be found in relevant existing technical documents, which will not be elaborated here.

[0067] Reference Figures 1 to 6 According to the embodiment of the present invention, the flipping method is applied to the aforementioned tracked flipping machine, and the flipping method includes the following steps: Obtain the design board thickness of 600 for the circuit board products that need to be flipped within the predetermined time period; The number of adapter slots 340 in the adapter slot group and the width of each adapter slot 340 are configured according to the design plate thickness. Install several (configured) adapter slot groups onto chain 330; Perform the snap-fit ​​action for circuit board product 600: The circuit board product 600 is conveyed to the board thickness detection unit 100, and the board thickness detection unit 100 detects the board thickness data of the circuit board product 600. (The control system receives the plate thickness data) The control system controls the drive motor to drive the sprocket 320 to rotate by a predetermined angle based on the plate thickness data (the sprocket 320 drives the chain 330 to rotate, and the chain link 331 of the chain 330 is connected to the adapter slot group), so that a predetermined adapter slot 340 in the adapter slot group moves to the rear of the conveying unit 200, and the opening of the card plate groove 341 of the predetermined adapter slot 340 faces the conveying unit 200. The conveying unit 200 conveys the circuit board product 600 into the card plate groove 341 of the predetermined adapter card slot 340 (at least a portion of the circuit board product 600 is located in the card plate groove 341 of the predetermined adapter card slot 340 and is limited and fixed by the card plate groove 341). During the subsequent snapping action of the circuit board product 600 (according to the snapping action of the circuit board product 600 mentioned above), when the drive motor drives the sprocket 320 to rotate (the sprocket 320 drives the chain 330 to move, and the chain 330 drives the predetermined adapter slot 340 on the chain link 331 to move together), the predetermined adapter slot 340 is simultaneously driven to move backward, thereby driving the circuit board product 600 to move backward together, and finally moving the circuit board product 600 to the rear end of the flipping mechanism 300, completing the flipping work of the circuit board product 600 (the same applies to other circuit board products 600).

[0068] The flipping method can be simply referred to as the method. The design board thickness is the ideal board thickness of a certain circuit board product 600 when designing it. This ideal board thickness may have upper and lower deviations (or tolerances, upper and lower limits). The detected board thickness is the actual board thickness of the circuit board product 600 detected by the board thickness detection unit 100. Due to process stability, board deformation, warping, etc., there is a certain deviation between the detected board thickness and the design board thickness. It should be understood that, unless otherwise specified, in the description of this invention, board thickness refers to the detected board thickness. As can be seen from the above, the circuit board products 600 that need to be flipped within the predetermined time period may be of different types or specifications, and therefore their design board thicknesses will also be different. At the same time, some special circuit board products 600 may have different requirements for the limiting and fixing of the adapter slot 340. For example, it may be necessary to more precisely distinguish the board thickness before corresponding adapter fixing (specifically, for example, ordinary circuit board products 600 can use the same specification but wider adapter slot 340 for limiting and fixing, while for this special circuit board product 600, it is necessary to...). After differentiating based on the actual board thickness, adapter slots 340 of different specifications and widths are used for corresponding limiting and fixing. More specifically, for example, for a circuit board product 600 with a board thickness of 5.0mm, the adapter slots 340 are adapted to detection board thicknesses of 4.6mm-4.8mm, 4.8mm-5.0mm, 5.0mm-5.2mm, and 5.2mm-5.4mm, respectively. This makes the circuit board product 600 more stably fixed and prevents it from shaking or colliding during flipping, thus avoiding damage or other accidents. It should be understood that for flipping machines with the aforementioned feedback slots 421, in order to ensure stable, accurate, and misaligned control, several links 331 of the adapter slot group can be left empty without adapter slots 340. In other words, the adapter slot group can also include empty spaces, each corresponding to at least one link 331, and several empty spaces can be set. "Several" refers to one or more links.

[0069] By using the above-described flipping method, the circuit board products 600 that need to be flipped within a predetermined time period can be flipped easily and conveniently without requiring major modifications to the original flipping machine or performing mechanical actions that are not involved in the original flipping machine. This allows the flipping machine of the present invention to easily and conveniently flip circuit board products 600 with different board thicknesses.

[0070] Reference Figures 1 to 6 In some embodiments of the present invention, the control system controls the drive motor to drive the sprocket 320 to rotate by a predetermined angle based on the plate thickness data, so that a predetermined adapter slot 340 in the adapter slot group moves to the rear of the conveying unit 200, including: The control system controls the drive motor to drive the sprocket 320 to rotate a predetermined angle based on the maximum board thickness data in the detected board thickness data, so that a predetermined adapter slot 340 in the adapter slot group moves to the rear of the conveying unit 200. The width of the card plate groove 341 of the predetermined adapter slot 340 is adapted to the maximum board thickness data of the circuit board product 600.

[0071] In this embodiment, the maximum board thickness data is used as the adaptation basis for the opening of the card slot 341 of the adapter slot 340, which ensures that the adapter slot 340 can accommodate the transported circuit board product 600. It should be understood that the maximum board thickness data can be obtained by the board thickness detection unit 100 sending the maximum board thickness data it has acquired to the control system; or the control system can process the various board thickness data transmitted by the board thickness detection unit 100 to obtain the maximum board thickness data itself. Furthermore, the maximum board thickness data can be the maximum board thickness data of the entire board, or it can be the maximum board thickness data of the portion of the circuit board product 600 that needs to be inserted into the card slot 341.

[0072] Reference Figures 1 to 6 According to the embodiment of the present invention, the flipping method is applied to the aforementioned tracked flipping machine, and the flipping method includes the following steps: Obtain the design board thickness of 600 for the circuit board products that need to be flipped within the predetermined time period; The number of adapter slots 340 in the adapter slot group and the width of each adapter slot 340 are configured according to the design plate thickness. Install several (configured) adapter slot groups onto chain 330; Perform the snap-fit ​​action for circuit board product 600: The circuit board product 600 is conveyed to the board thickness detection unit 100, and the board thickness detection unit 100 detects the board thickness data of the circuit board product 600. (The control system receives the detection board thickness data) The control system controls the drive motor to drive the sprocket 320 to rotate, and the control system receives the feedback signal from the photoelectric sensor 410 in real time. The control system calculates the predetermined feedback signal corresponding to the circuit board product 600 based on the board thickness data (which can also be the maximum board thickness data mentioned above). When the control system receives a predetermined feedback signal, the control system controls the drive motor to stop the drive sprocket 320 from rotating, so that a predetermined adapter slot 340 in the adapter slot group moves to the rear of the conveying unit 200, and the opening of the card plate groove 341 of the predetermined adapter slot 340 faces the conveying unit 200. The conveying unit 200 conveys the circuit board product 600 into the card slot 341 of the predetermined adapter card slot 340; During the subsequent snapping action of the circuit board product 600 (according to the snapping action of the circuit board product 600 mentioned above), when the drive motor drives the sprocket 320 to rotate, it synchronously drives the predetermined matching slot 340 to move backward, thereby driving the circuit board product 600 to move backward together, and finally moving the circuit board product 600 to the rear end of the flipping mechanism 300 to complete the flipping work of the circuit board product 600 (the same applies to other circuit board products 600).

[0073] When the adapter slot 340 moves with the chain 330 to the rear end (first area) of the conveying unit 200, the opening of the card plate groove 341 of the adapter slot 340 faces the conveying unit 200, facilitating the adapter slot 340 to prepare for the board product 600 latching action. The control system calculates the predetermined feedback signal corresponding to the board product 600 based on the board thickness data. Specifically, referring to the above-mentioned embodiment of a flipping machine, when performing the latching action of the second board product 600, it is no longer necessary to calculate the number of chain links, rotation angle, etc., nor is it necessary to control the drive motor to rotate a predetermined angle. Instead, it only calculates the number of adapter slots 340 between the adapter slot 340 of the previous board product 600 and the adapter slot 340 of the current board product 600. Regarding the second circuit board product 600, the adapter slot 340 between the adapter slot 340 adapted to the previous circuit board product 600 and the adapter slot 340 adapted to the current circuit board product 600 is the third-level adapter slot 340 of the first group of adapter slots 340, the fourth-level adapter slot 340 of the first group of adapter slots 340, the fifth-level adapter slot 340 of the first group of adapter slots 340, the first-level adapter slot 340 of the second group of adapter slots 340, the second-level adapter slot 340 of the second group of adapter slots 340, and the second group of... The third-level adapter slot 340 of the adapter slot 340 and the fourth-level adapter slot 340 of the second group of adapter slots 340, totaling 7, are used. When the sprocket 320 rotates (after it has already rotated), the photoelectric sensor 410 generates a feedback signal (ignoring interference from continuous signals) and sends it to the control system every time the rear end of the conveying unit 200 (first area) passes through an adapter slot 340. Therefore, when the control system receives the 8th feedback signal (the adapter slot 340 of the previous circuit board product 600 and the current circuit board product 600), the signal is sent to the control system. When the feedback signal of "incrementing the number of adapter slots 340 between the adapter slots 340" is received, it indicates that the rear end of the conveying unit 200 (first area) has passed the seven adapter slots 340 between the adapter slots 340 of the previous circuit board product 600 and the adapter slots 340 of the current circuit board product 600. The eighth adapter slot 340 corresponding to the rear end of the conveying unit 200 (first area) is the adapter slot 340 of the current circuit board product 600. Therefore, it is necessary to control the drive motor to stop the drive sprocket 320 from rotating. Therefore, compared with the calculation process and control process of calculating the number of chain links, rotation angle, etc., the above calculation and control method of the flipping method in this embodiment is simpler, more convenient, and easier to implement.

[0074] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tracked flipping machine for flipping circuit board products of different thicknesses, characterized in that, The tracked tilting machine includes: A board thickness detection unit is used to detect the board thickness of the circuit board product. A conveying unit is used to convey the circuit board product, and the board thickness detection unit is located at the front end of the conveying unit; A flipping mechanism is located at the rear end of the conveying unit. The flipping mechanism includes a base, a drive motor, sprockets, a chain, and an adapter slot group. The drive motor is fixed on the base. At least two sprockets are provided, and all sprockets are rotatably connected to the base. The drive motor is driven to one of the sprockets. The chain is sleeved on all the sprockets and is composed of multiple chain links connected end to end in sequence. One chain link is used to mesh with a sprocket tooth on the sprocket. The adapter slot group includes multiple adapter slots. One end of the adapter slot is detachably connected to one of the chain links, and the other end of the adapter slot is provided with a retaining groove. The retaining groove is used to accommodate and limit the circuit board product. The width of the retaining groove of the multiple adapter slots in the adapter slot group increases sequentially. Multiple adapter slot groups are provided. The control system is electrically connected to the board thickness detection unit and the drive motor. The control system is used to control the drive motor to drive the sprocket to rotate a predetermined angle according to the board thickness of the circuit board product detected by the board thickness detection unit, so that a predetermined adapter slot in the adapter slot group moves to the rear of the conveying unit, so that the opening of the card plate groove of the predetermined adapter slot faces the conveying unit. The width of the predetermined adapter slot and the card plate groove is adapted to the board thickness of the circuit board product.

2. The tracked flipper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The board thickness detection unit includes a detection frame, detection conveying rollers, movable conveying rollers, and a laser displacement sensor. The detection conveying rollers are rotatably connected to the detection frame, and the movable conveying rollers are slidably connected to the detection frame. The movable conveying rollers can slide up and down relative to the detection frame. The detection conveying rollers are used to contact the bottom surface of the circuit board product, and the movable conveying rollers are used to contact the top surface of the circuit board product. The laser displacement sensor is used to detect the displacement of the movable conveying rollers.

3. The tracked flipper according to claim 1, characterized in that, A mounting plate is provided on the side of the chain link, and a sliding plug is connected to the mounting plate. One end of the adapter slot is provided with a sliding groove, and the adapter slot is slidably connected to the sliding plug through the sliding groove.

4. The tracked flipper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tracked flipper also includes a feedback detection unit, which is used to detect the rotation angle of the sprocket. The feedback detection unit is electrically connected to the control system, and the control system is used to control the drive motor to stop driving the sprocket to rotate based on the rotation angle of the sprocket detected by the feedback detection unit.

5. The tracked flipper according to claim 4, characterized in that, The feedback detection unit includes a photoelectric sensor. A chain has M sets of adapter slots, each set has Q adapter slots, and each set corresponds to P chain links. The chain has a total of P*M chain links. A sprocket connected to the chain has K sets of feedback channels, each set has Q feedback channels. The Q feedback channels are circumferentially distributed on the sprocket, and the K sets are evenly distributed circumferentially on the sprocket. The sprocket has N teeth, where N = P*K, and M, Q, K, and N are all positive integers. The photoelectric sensor is mounted on the base and is used to detect the feedback channels. The photoelectric sensor is electrically connected to the control system. Each feedback channel in a set corresponds one-to-one with an adapter slot in a set. When the photoelectric sensor detects a feedback channel, the opening of the groove in the adapter slot corresponding to that feedback channel faces the conveying unit.

6. The tracked flipper according to claim 5, characterized in that, The feedback detection unit further includes a feedback disk, and the flip-plate mechanism further includes a synchronous rotating shaft. The synchronous rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the base. The feedback disk and a sprocket are both mounted on the synchronous rotating shaft. The feedback disk and the sprocket can rotate synchronously with the synchronous rotating shaft. The K sets of feedback through slots are evenly distributed on the circumference of the feedback disk.

7. The tracked flipper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tracked flipper also includes a fan, which is mounted on the base and is used to blow the circuit board product on the flipping mechanism.

8. A flipping method, applied to the tracked flipping machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The flip-board method includes the following steps: Obtain the design board thickness of the circuit board products that need to be flipped within the predetermined time period; The number of adapter slots in the adapter slot group and the width of each adapter slot are configured according to the designed plate thickness. Install several of the aforementioned adapter slot groups onto the chain; Perform the snap-fit ​​action on the circuit board product: The circuit board product is conveyed to the board thickness detection unit, which detects the board thickness data of the circuit board product. The control system controls the drive motor to drive the sprocket to rotate by a predetermined angle based on the plate thickness data, so that a predetermined adapter slot in the adapter slot group moves to the rear of the conveying unit, and the opening of the card plate groove of the predetermined adapter slot faces the conveying unit. The conveying unit conveys the circuit board product into the card slot of the predetermined adapter slot; During the subsequent snap-fit ​​operation of the circuit board product, when the drive motor drives the sprocket to rotate, it synchronously drives the predetermined adapter slot to move backward, thereby moving the circuit board product backward together, and finally moving the circuit board product to the rear end of the flipping mechanism to complete the flipping operation of the circuit board product.

9. The flip-plate method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The control system controls the drive motor to drive the sprocket to rotate by a predetermined angle based on the plate thickness data, so that a predetermined adapter slot in the adapter slot group moves to the rear of the conveying unit, including: The control system controls the drive motor to drive the sprocket to rotate by a predetermined angle based on the maximum board thickness data in the detected board thickness data, so that a predetermined adapter slot in the adapter slot group moves to the rear of the conveying unit, and the width of the card plate groove of the predetermined adapter slot is adapted to the maximum board thickness data of the circuit board product.

10. A flipping method, applied to the tracked flipping machine as described in claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The flip-board method includes the following steps: Obtain the design board thickness of the circuit board products that need to be flipped within the predetermined time period; The number of adapter slots in the adapter slot group and the width of each adapter slot are configured according to the designed plate thickness. Install several of the aforementioned adapter slot groups onto the chain; Perform the snap-fit ​​action on the circuit board product: The circuit board product is conveyed to the board thickness detection unit, which detects the board thickness data of the circuit board product. The control system controls the drive motor to drive the sprocket to rotate, and the control system receives feedback signals from the photoelectric sensor in real time, and the control system calculates the predetermined feedback signal corresponding to the circuit board product based on the board thickness data; When the control system receives the predetermined feedback signal, the control system controls the drive motor to stop driving the sprocket to rotate, so that one of the predetermined adapter slots in the adapter slot group moves to the rear of the conveying unit, and the opening of the card plate groove of the predetermined adapter slot faces the conveying unit. The conveying unit conveys the circuit board product into the card slot of the predetermined adapter slot; During the subsequent snap-fit ​​operation of the circuit board product, when the drive motor drives the sprocket to rotate, it synchronously drives the predetermined adapter slot to move backward, thereby moving the circuit board product backward together, and finally moving the circuit board product to the rear end of the flipping mechanism to complete the flipping operation of the circuit board product.

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