End picking and placing structure of electronic component tray

Abstract

This invention discloses an end-feeding and unloading structure for an electronic component tray, relating to the technical field of feeding and unloading structures. The invention includes a gripper head inserted into the central hole of the tray for holding the tray, and a control mechanism for controlling the opening and closing of the gripper head. The control mechanism, together with the gripper head, is mounted on a horizontally positioned loading plate. The loading plate has mounting holes for connecting to the end of a robotic arm. A suction cup assembly is arranged around the gripper head, and the suction cup assembly is connected to the loading plate via an elastic telescopic arm. This invention utilizes a combined fixing structure of primary mechanical gripping and auxiliary negative pressure adsorption. The mechanical gripper head bears the weight of the tray, while the annular suction cup assembly assists in contact and limiting the movement, providing dual protection to address the risk of heavy trays falling off during transport.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of material handling structure technology, and specifically to a material handling structure at the end of an electronic component tray. Background Technology

[0002] Electronic component trays are specialized carriers used in SMT (Surface Mount Technology) and electronic manufacturing to store, transport, and supply electronic components. They are indispensable basic material carriers in automated production lines. In actual production, trays come in various sizes, including 7-inch, 10-inch, 13-inch, and 15-inch, with significant variations in thickness and weight. The main materials are PS and PET, and the structural strength and flexibility of different tray sizes vary considerably. During automated production, frequent automatic picking, placing, transporting, and warehousing of trays are required, thus placing certain demands on the clamping stability and damage prevention performance of the picking and placing mechanism.

[0003] Currently, most industry-standard automatic tray loading and unloading mechanisms employ a cylinder-claw structure. During operation, the closed claws are inserted into the center hole of the tray, and the cylinder opens them by airflow, generating tension to tighten the tray's inner hole, thus achieving tray gripping and transfer. However, this traditional structure has certain drawbacks in practical applications: Specific drawbacks are as follows: 13-inch and 15-inch large-size heavy-duty trays are heavy and require significant clamping force for stable gripping. However, the cylinder clamping force is controlled by air pressure, resulting in a narrow adjustable range. Under low air pressure conditions, jamming and insufficient power are prone to occur. Secondly, pneumatic clamping operations have poor stability. Air pressure fluctuations and differences in tray weight during production can easily lead to clamping force failure, causing the tray to accidentally fall off.

[0004] In view of the technical defects of the existing pneumatic gripper picking and placing structure, this application provides an end picking and placing structure for electronic component trays. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to solve the technical defects of existing pneumatic gripper pick-and-place structures, such as poor operational stability and easy material loss and damage.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention specifically adopts the following technical solution: An end-feeding structure for an electronic component tray includes a gripper head inserted into the center hole of the tray for holding the tray, and a control mechanism for controlling the opening and closing of the gripper head. The control mechanism, together with the gripper head, is mounted on a horizontally arranged loading plate. The loading plate has mounting holes for connecting to the end of a robotic arm. A suction cup assembly is arranged around the gripper head, and the suction cup assembly is connected to the loading plate via an elastic telescopic arm.

[0007] Furthermore, the claw head includes at least three sets of equally divided claw posts, which can be combined into a complete columnar structure, and the top of each equally divided claw post is integrally formed with a support block.

[0008] Furthermore, the control mechanism includes a guide component that guides the dividing pins to move in a direction away from each other, and a drive mechanism that drives the dividing pins to move.

[0009] Furthermore, the guiding component includes a guiding block arranged along the direction of mutual distance or proximity of the equally spaced post, and a slider slidably connected to the guiding block. The slider is fixed to the supporting block by a connecting block. The guiding block has grooves on both sides along its length direction, and the slider is partially placed in the grooves to slide.

[0010] Furthermore, a device housing is fixed to the bottom of the loading plate. The device housing is used to install the control mechanism. The guide block is fixed to the inner wall of the device housing. The drive mechanism includes a round shaft rotatably mounted at the center of the device housing via a bearing and a shaft disc fixed concentrically with the round shaft. A connecting rod is hinged to the edge of the shaft disc. The other end of the connecting rod is hinged to the slider. A drive rod is also fixedly connected to the round shaft. A rotating block is fixed to the inner wall of the device housing. An electric push rod is provided between the end of the drive rod and the rotating block. The base of the electric push rod is hinged to the rotating block, and the free rod end is hinged to the end of the drive rod.

[0011] Furthermore, the suction cup assembly includes a disc with a central hole for the claw head to pass through, and a plurality of fan-shaped suction cup seats are mounted in a ring around the center of the disc, with a flexible pad fixed to the bottom surface of the fan-shaped suction cup seats.

[0012] Furthermore, the fan-shaped suction cup base includes a fan-shaped disk body and an air chamber constructed at the top of the fan-shaped disk body. It is also provided with a plurality of suction holes arranged in a matrix and communicating with the air chamber. The suction holes penetrate downward through the air chamber to the fan-shaped disk body and the flexible pad. An air passage connector communicating with the air chamber is fixedly installed at the top of the disk.

[0013] Furthermore, an anti-cavitation structure is constructed on the fan-shaped disk. The anti-cavitation structure includes a first cavity and a second cavity with concentric expansion at the air intake. The first cavity is located above the second cavity, and the diameter of the second cavity is larger than that of the first cavity. A first spring is fixedly installed on the inner end wall of the first cavity, and the first spring part extends into the second cavity. A rubber sealing ball for sealing the connection between the first cavity and the second cavity is installed in the second cavity. The rubber sealing ball is fixed to the end of the first spring.

[0014] Furthermore, the elastic telescopic arm includes a linear bearing connecting the top surface of the disc and the loading plate, and a second spring is provided on the outer sleeve of the linear bearing. The second spring is used to drive the disc to press against the surface of the material tray.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: 1. This invention uses a composite fixing structure of main mechanical clamping and auxiliary negative pressure adsorption. The mechanical claw head supports the weight of the main body of the material tray, and the annular suction cup assembly assists in fitting and limiting the position. This dual protection solves the risk of heavy material trays falling off during transportation.

[0016] 2. The annular suction cup assembly of the present invention is divided into multiple independent fan-shaped suction cup seats to accommodate the local concavity and convexity and edge deformation of the material tray; each suction hole is equipped with an independent spring rubber sealing ball anti-air breakage mechanism, which automatically seals the single hole leakage, and the other holes continuously maintain vacuum, so that the entire suction cup will not fail due to negative pressure. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the present invention; Figure 2 This is the main view of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a top view of the present invention; Figure 4 This is the present invention. Figure 3 Sectional view along line AA; Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the chuck head of the present invention when it is closed; Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the claw head of the present invention when it is in the open position; Figure 7 This is the present invention. Figure 6 Enlarged view at point B in the middle; Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the suction cup assembly of the present invention; Figure 9 This is the present invention. Figure 4 Enlarged view at point C; Reference numerals: 1. Claw head; 11. Divided clamping post; 12. Holding block; 2. Control mechanism; 21. Guide assembly; 211. Guide block; 212. Slider; 213. Connecting block; 214. Slide groove; 22. Drive mechanism; 221. Round shaft; 222. Shaft disc; 223. Connecting rod; 224. Drive rod; 225. Rotating block; 226. Electric push rod; 3. Loading plate; 31. Mounting hole; 4. Suction cup assembly; 41. Disc; 42. Fan-shaped suction cup seat; 421. Fan-shaped disc body; 422. Air chamber; 423. Suction hole; 424. Air passage connector; 43. Flexible pad; 5. Elastic telescopic arm; 51. Linear bearing; 52. Second spring; 6. Device shell; 7. Anti-cavitation structure; 71. First cavity; 72. Second cavity; 73. First spring; 74. Rubber sealing ball. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0020] This invention provides a material handling structure for electronic component trays, aiming to solve the technical defects of traditional pneumatic gripper mechanisms, such as the influence of workshop air pressure fluctuations on clamping force, poor stability in gripping heavy and large-sized trays, and failure of the entire suction cup due to single-point air leakage. This invention employs a dual locking structure of an electrically driven synchronous internal support claw and a ring-shaped partitioned elastic negative pressure suction cup, making it suitable for automated handling and transfer of 7- to 15-inch SMT electronic component trays. Example

[0021] Please refer to Figures 1 to 9 This application mainly includes a gripper head 1 and a control mechanism 2 for controlling the opening and closing of the gripper head 1. The gripper head 1 is used to insert into the center hole of the material tray and achieve internal support and clamping. The control mechanism 2 and the gripper head 1 are integrally assembled on the lower end face of a horizontally arranged loading plate 3. The loading plate 3 has mounting holes 31 for fixed connection with the end of an automated robotic arm, realizing the mounting and follow-up of the overall structure. A suction cup assembly 4 is arranged around the outer side of the gripper head 1, and the suction cup assembly 4 is floatingly connected to the loading plate 3 through an elastic telescopic arm 5.

[0022] This embodiment employs a composite fixing method combining mechanical main clamping and negative pressure assisted adsorption. The overall operation logic is as follows: The robotic arm drives the loading plate 3 to move downwards, aligning the claw head 1 with and inserting it into the central circular hole of the material tray. During the downward movement, the suction cup assembly 4 preferentially contacts the surface of the material tray, and the second spring 52 of the elastic telescopic arm 5 is compressed and stores force, causing the fan-shaped suction cup seat 42 to flexibly and adaptively conform to the surface of the material tray. During operation, the mechanical claw head 1 bears the weight of the main body of the material tray, and the annular suction cup assembly 4 assists in conforming and limiting the position. The double locking protection solves the risk of the heavy material tray falling off during high-speed transfer and start-stop processes.

[0023] Please see Figure 5 and Figure 6 The chuck head 1 includes at least three sets of circumferentially distributed equally spaced chuck posts 11. When multiple sets of equally spaced chuck posts 11 are closed, they can be spliced ​​together to form a complete columnar structure, facilitating smooth insertion into the center hole of the material tray. A support block 12 is integrally formed on the top of each equally spaced chuck post 11, and from... Figure 5As can be seen, the insertion end of the equally spaced post 11 is designed with a smooth transition arc structure, which can effectively reduce the impact damage to the wall of the insertion tray hole.

[0024] Please see Figures 5 to 7 The control mechanism 2 includes a guide component 21 and a drive mechanism 22. The guide component 21 is used to constrain and guide the equally spaced locking posts 11 to move radially closer or further away, and the drive mechanism 22 provides power for the extension and retraction of the locking posts. The guide component 21 includes a guide block 211 and a slider 212 that slides and matches the guide block 211. The guide block 211 is arranged along the radial extension and retraction direction of the equally spaced locking posts 11, and has grooves 214 on both sides in the length direction. The slider 212 is partially embedded in the grooves 214 to achieve limited sliding, and the slider 212 is fixedly connected to the support block 12 through a connecting block 213 to ensure that the slider 212 and the locking posts move synchronously.

[0025] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, a device housing 6 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the loading plate 3. The device housing 6 serves as the overall mounting base for the control mechanism 2, and the guide block 211 is fixed to the inner wall of the device housing 6. The drive mechanism 22 includes a round shaft 221, a shaft disc 222, a connecting rod 223, a drive rod 224, and an electric push rod 226. The round shaft 221 is rotatably mounted at the center of the device housing 6 via bearings. The shaft disc 222 is concentrically fixed to the round shaft 221. Multiple sets of connecting rods 223 are hinged to the edge of the shaft disc 222, and the ends of the connecting rods 223 are hinged to the slider 212 for transmission. The drive rod 224 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the round shaft 221. A rotating block 225 is fixed to the inner wall of the device housing 6. The base of the electric push rod 226 is hinged to the rotating block 225, and the telescopic end of the electric push rod 226 is hinged to the end of the drive rod 224.

[0026] During clamping: The electric push rod 226 retracts, pulling the drive rod 224 to swing, causing the round shaft 221 and the shaft disk 222 to rotate synchronously. The shaft disk 222, through multiple sets of connecting rods 223, synchronously pushes each set of sliders 212, causing the sliders 212 to slide radially outward along the slide groove 214. This, in turn, causes the three sets of equally divided locking pins 11 to expand outward synchronously. The outer walls of the equally divided locking pins 11 tightly support the inner wall of the center hole of the material tray, achieving clamping. During unloading and resetting, the electric push rod 226 extends and pushes the drive rod 224 to rotate in the opposite direction, causing the shaft disk 222 to rotate in reverse. The connecting rod 223 pulls the sliders 212 and the equally divided locking pins 11 inward, reducing the overall outer diameter of the claw head 1 and disengaging it from the center hole of the material tray, completing the unlocking and releasing action.

[0027] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the elastic telescopic arm 5 includes a linear bearing 51 and a second spring 52. The linear bearing 51 vertically connects the top surface of the disc 41 to the lower end surface of the loading plate 3, and the second spring 52 is sleeved on the outside of the linear bearing 51. The suction cup assembly 4 is slidably suspended below the loading plate 3 via the linear bearing 51, with vertical floating margin. When the suction cup contacts the surface of the material tray, the second spring 52 adaptively compresses, so that the fan-shaped suction cup seat 42 fits tightly against the uneven and slightly warped surface of the material tray, while buffering the rigid impact force of the mechanical arm pressing down, avoiding deformation of the thin PET and PS material trays caused by the squeezing of the hard structure; at the same time, the second spring 52 rebounds to its original position when detaching. Example

[0028] like Figure 1 , Figure 4 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 As shown, the suction cup assembly 4 includes a disc 41 with a through hole in the center of the disc 41 for the claw head 1 to pass through. Multiple sets of fan-shaped suction cup seats 42 are installed in a ring array around the center of the disc 41. A flexible pad 43 is fixedly attached to the bottom surface of the fan-shaped suction cup seat 42. The deformation of the flexible pad 43 fills the gaps in the attachment, ensuring the end face sealing during negative pressure adsorption.

[0029] Specific examples Figure 4 As shown, the fan-shaped suction cup base 42 includes a fan-shaped disk body 421. The top of the fan-shaped disk body 421 has a sealed air chamber 422. Multiple sets of suction holes 423 are arranged in a matrix on the lower end face of the disk body. The suction holes 423 vertically penetrate the air chamber 422, the fan-shaped disk body 421, and the flexible pad 43. An air passage connector 424 is fixedly installed on the top surface of the disk 41. The air passage connector 424 is connected to each air chamber 422 and is used to connect to an external vacuum generating device. During operation, a vacuum pump evacuates the air chamber 422 through the air passage connector 424, causing the matrix-shaped suction holes 423 to generate a uniform negative pressure, resulting in multi-point contact with the surface of the adsorption material disk.

[0030] like Figure 4 and Figure 9 As shown, to solve the problem of overall pressure relief failure caused by poor local fit, an anti-cavitation structure 7 is provided at the upper end of each air intake hole 423 inside the fan-shaped disc 421. The anti-cavitation structure 7 includes a first cavity 71 and a second cavity 72 that are coaxial with the air intake hole 423 and gradually increase in diameter. The first cavity 71 is located at the top, and the second cavity 72 is located at the bottom with a larger diameter than the first cavity 71. A first spring 73 is fixed to the inner wall of the top of the first cavity 71, and the lower end of the first spring 73 extends into the second cavity 72 and is fixedly connected to a rubber sealing ball 74. The rubber sealing ball 74 can block the communication port between the first cavity 71 and the second cavity 72.

[0031] This design utilizes multiple independent fan-shaped suction cups for zoned adsorption, dispersing the adsorption pressure at single points and preventing deformation of thin material trays under pressure. It also adapts to irregular conditions such as localized warping, unevenness, and other irregularities in the material tray, ensuring that a single area of ​​adhesion failure does not affect the overall adsorption effect. The anti-cavity structure 7 works as follows: When the suction hole 423 is fully in contact with the material tray surface, the air pressure inside and outside the cavity is balanced. The first spring 73 is stretched normally, pushing the rubber sealing ball 74 downwards, maintaining communication between the first cavity 71 and the second cavity 72, and maintaining normal negative pressure. When the suction hole 423 is suspended or poorly fitted, causing air leakage and backflow, a pressure difference is created inside and outside the cavity. The high-pressure airflow pushes the rubber sealing ball 74 upwards, automatically sealing the connection between the first cavity 71 and the second cavity 72, blocking the leakage channel and preventing the entire suction cup from failing due to negative pressure.

[0032] The working process for this application is as follows: 1. The robotic arm moves the loading plate 3 down as a whole, the claw head 1 is aligned with and inserted into the center hole of the material tray, the suction cup assembly 4 contacts the surface of the material tray first, and the second spring 52 of the elastic telescopic arm 5 is compressed and stored, so that the fan-shaped suction cup seat 42 adapts to fit the micro-concave and convex surface of the material tray.

[0033] 2. The electric push rod 226 retracts to pull the drive rod 224, the round shaft 221 and the shaft disk 222 to rotate synchronously. The connecting rod 223 pushes the slider 212 and the equally divided clamping pin 11 to expand radially synchronously, which tightens the inner wall of the center hole of the material tray. With the help of the top support block 12, radial tightening is achieved to support the weight of the main body of the material tray.

[0034] 3. An external vacuum pump evacuates each gas chamber 422 through the gas connector 424, and the matrix suction holes 423 form a uniform negative pressure to adsorb the surface of the material tray; when a single hole leaks air, the anti-air leakage structure 7 automatically seals the pressure relief channel to ensure stable adsorption.

[0035] 4. Relying on the dual protection structure of mechanical main clamping and negative pressure auxiliary adsorption, the robotic arm carries the material tray to complete automated transfer processes such as translation, lifting, and entry / exit, avoiding the detachment of heavy material trays.

[0036] 5. After the material tray is in place, the vacuum negative pressure is cut off, the electric push rod 226 extends and resets, the drive pin retracts inward to unlock, the robotic arm lifts the equipment, the elastic telescopic arm 5 springs back, the suction cup assembly 4 completely separates from the material tray, and waits for the next material picking operation.

[0037] It should be noted that in this specification, relational terms such as first and second are used only to distinguish one entity from several other entities, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities.

[0038] This article uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications to the present invention without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A material handling structure at the end of an electronic component tray, characterized in that, The device includes a gripper head (1) inserted into the center hole of the tray for gripping the tray and a control mechanism (2) for controlling the opening and closing of the gripper head (1). The control mechanism (2) together with the gripper head (1) is mounted on a horizontally arranged loading plate (3). The loading plate (3) has mounting holes (31) for connecting to the end of the robotic arm. A suction cup assembly (4) is arranged around the gripper head (1). The suction cup assembly (4) is connected to the loading plate (3) through an elastic telescopic arm (5).

2. The end-feeding and unloading structure of an electronic component tray according to claim 1, characterized in that, The claw head (1) includes at least three sets of equally divided claw posts (11), which can be combined into a complete columnar structure. The top of the equally divided claw posts (11) is integrally formed with a support block (12).

3. The end-feeding and unloading structure of an electronic component tray according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control mechanism (2) includes a guide component (21) that guides the dividing pins (11) to move in a direction away from each other, and a drive mechanism (22) that drives the dividing pins (11) to move.

4. The end-feeding and unloading structure of an electronic component tray according to claim 3, characterized in that, The guide assembly (21) includes a guide block (211) arranged along the direction of mutual distance or proximity of the equally spaced post (11), and a slider (212) slidably connected to the guide block (211). The slider (212) is fixed to the support block (12) by a connecting block (213). The guide block (211) has grooves (214) on both sides of its length direction, and the slider (212) is partially placed in the grooves (214) to slide.

5. The end-feeding and unloading structure of an electronic component tray according to claim 4, characterized in that, A device housing (6) is fixed at the bottom of the loading plate (3). The device housing (6) is used to install the control mechanism (2). The guide block (211) is fixed to the inner wall of the device housing (6). The drive mechanism (22) includes a round shaft (221) rotatably mounted at the center of the device housing (6) via a bearing and a shaft disc (222) fixed concentrically with the round shaft (221). A connecting rod (223) is hinged at the edge of the shaft disc (222). The other end of the connecting rod (223) is hinged to the slider (212). A drive rod (224) is also fixedly connected to the round shaft (221). A rotating block (225) is fixed to the inner wall of the device housing (6). An electric push rod (226) is provided between the end of the drive rod (224) and the rotating block (225). The base part of the electric push rod (226) is hinged to the rotating block (225) and the free rod end is hinged to the end of the drive rod (224).

6. The end-feeding and unloading structure of an electronic component tray according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suction cup assembly (4) includes a disc (41) with a central hole for the claw head (1) to pass through, and a plurality of fan-shaped suction cup seats (42) are installed around the center of the disc (41), with a flexible pad (43) fixed on the bottom surface of the fan-shaped suction cup seat (42).

7. The end-feeding and unloading structure of an electronic component tray according to claim 6, characterized in that, The fan-shaped suction cup base (42) includes a fan-shaped disk body (421) and an air chamber (422) constructed in the top of the fan-shaped disk body (421). It is also provided with a plurality of suction holes (423) arranged in a matrix and connected to the air chamber (422). The suction holes (423) penetrate downward through the air chamber (422) through the fan-shaped disk body (421) and the flexible pad (43). An air passage connector (424) connected to the air chamber (422) is fixedly installed on the top of the disk (41).

8. The end-feeding and unloading structure of an electronic component tray according to claim 7, characterized in that, An anti-cavitation structure (7) is also constructed on the fan-shaped disk (421). The anti-cavitation structure (7) includes a first cavity (71) and a second cavity (72) with concentric expansion at the air intake (423). The first cavity (71) is located above the second cavity (72) and the diameter of the second cavity (72) is larger than that of the first cavity (71). A first spring (73) is fixedly provided on the inner end wall of the first cavity (71) and the first spring (73) extends into the second cavity (72). A rubber sealing ball (74) is provided in the second cavity (72) to seal the connection between the first cavity (71) and the second cavity (72). The rubber sealing ball (74) is fixed to the end of the first spring (73).

9. The end-feeding and unloading structure of an electronic component tray according to claim 6, characterized in that, The elastic telescopic arm (5) includes a linear bearing (51) connecting the top surface of the disc (41) and the loading plate (3). A second spring (52) is provided on the outer sleeve of the linear bearing (51). The second spring (52) is used to drive the disc (41) to press against the surface of the material tray.

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