A vertical exposure machine

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of exposure machine, provide a kind of vertical exposure machine, including support seat, frame part, exposure mechanism and flattening device;Frame part is vertically arranged on support seat, including mounting frame, fixed component and clamping device;The upper and lower sides of mounting frame are provided with fixed component, and the left and right sides are provided with clamping device;Exposure mechanism is vertically arranged on support seat and is respectively arranged on the two sides of frame part, can move along the direction of approaching or moving away from mounting frame;Flattening device is vertically arranged on exposure mechanism, can move synchronously with exposure mechanism, while it can be independently horizontally telescopic relative to exposure mechanism;Workpiece exposure, flattening device moves along with exposure mechanism and independently extends and contacts with workpiece;Exposure ends, flattening device retracts and resets along with exposure mechanism.The present application adopts vertical double-sided exposure, workpiece is flattened in vertical and horizontal direction by mounting frame, and cooperates with flattening device on exposure mechanism to effectively improve workpiece flatness and exposure precision.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of exposure machine technology, and more specifically to a vertical exposure machine. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most mainstream exposure equipment in the industry adopts a horizontal workpiece placement processing method, relying on vacuum adsorption to fix the workpiece. This not only makes the thin plate prone to warping and sagging due to gravity, resulting in insufficient exposure accuracy, but also requires flipping and secondary clamping, leading to low production efficiency. Furthermore, vacuum adsorption can easily cause ink seepage from the holes, affecting product yield.

[0003] While existing vertical exposure equipment has improved the problem of gravitational deformation through vertical clamping, it still has significant shortcomings: 1. Most only have a vertical flattening structure and lack a horizontal clamping flattening design, which cannot eliminate the horizontal wrinkles of the workpiece; 2. Since the exposed workpiece is a PCB board with a certain area, when its side area is fixed, there is still a serious unevenness in the internal area of ​​the PCB. When the exposure lens is scanning and moving to expose, the exposure area of ​​the PCB is uneven, and the exposure accuracy is difficult to guarantee.

[0004] In summary, existing exposure equipment suffers from poor flattening effect and insufficient exposure accuracy, thus requiring urgent optimization and improvement of vertical exposure machines. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention proposes a vertical exposure machine.

[0006] To address the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A vertical exposure machine, comprising: Support base; The frame section is vertically mounted on the support base and can reciprocate along the support base, including a mounting frame, a fixing component and a clamping device; The mounting frame is used to clamp the workpiece; The fixing components are located on the upper and lower sides of the mounting frame and are used to flatten the workpiece on the mounting frame in the vertical direction. The clamping device is located on the left and right sides of the mounting frame and is used to flatten the workpiece on the mounting frame in the horizontal direction. An exposure mechanism is vertically mounted on the support base and is respectively located on both sides of the frame portion. The exposure mechanism can move in a direction close to or away from the mounting frame and is used to perform double-sided exposure on the workpiece on the mounting frame. A flattening device is vertically mounted on the exposure mechanism. The flattening device can move synchronously with the exposure mechanism in the direction of approaching or moving away from the mounting frame. At the same time, the flattening device can independently extend or retract relative to the exposure mechanism in the direction of approaching or moving away from the workpiece. When the exposure mechanism exposes the workpiece, the flattening device moves with the exposure mechanism and extends independently to contact the workpiece surface, in order to help maintain the flatness of the surface of the area around the workpiece in contact with the flattening device; when the exposure mechanism finishes exposing the workpiece, the flattening device retracts independently from the workpiece surface and moves synchronously with the exposure mechanism to reset.

[0007] Optionally, the flattening device includes a mounting rod arranged in a vertical direction and a plurality of flattening components; A plurality of the flattening components are spaced apart on the mounting rod in a vertical direction, and each of the flattening components includes a guide rod assembly and a flattening part; The guide rod assembly is horizontally inserted through the mounting rod, and the flattening part is located at the end of the guide rod assembly near the frame part.

[0008] Optionally, the guide rod assembly includes at least two guide rods, each of which is arranged in parallel on the mounting rod; The flattening part includes a flattening connecting plate and at least two flattening components; The flattening connecting plate is connected to the end of each guide rod near the frame portion, and each flattening member is arranged vertically at intervals on the side of the flattening connecting plate facing the frame portion.

[0009] Optionally, each of the flattening components is a flattening roller.

[0010] Optionally, the exposure mechanism includes a fixed frame, a first exposure assembly, and a second exposure assembly; The fixed frame is vertically mounted on the support base, with openings extending through its front and rear sides. The first exposure component and the second exposure component are arranged side by side in the vertical direction in the fixed frame, and the lenses of both are set towards the frame portion for projecting exposure beams onto the workpiece; The flattening device is located between the first exposure component and the second exposure component.

[0011] Optionally, the upper and lower end faces of the fixed frame are respectively provided with driving components, and the upper and lower ends of the mounting rod are respectively connected to the corresponding driving components. The driving components are used to drive the flattening device to move in the horizontal direction.

[0012] Optionally, the mounting frame further includes a mounting groove, which is located inside the mounting frame and has openings on both the front and rear sides for accommodating the workpiece. The clamping device is vertically disposed on the left and right sides of the mounting groove, and the clamping device includes a plurality of clamping elements spaced apart in the vertical direction.

[0013] Optionally, the clamping element includes a fixed base, a clamping component, and a moving component; The fixing seat is disposed in the mounting groove and fixedly connected to the side wall of the mounting frame. The fixing seat includes a first fixing seat and a second fixing seat arranged in the vertical direction. The clamping component is disposed on the first fixed base, and the clamping component includes a fixed rod, a rotating part and a clamping block; One end of the fixing rod extends into the first fixing seat; The rotating part includes a rotating end and a fixed end. The rotating end of the rotating part is rotatably connected to the end of the fixed rod located outside the first fixed seat. The fixed end of the rotating part is fixedly connected to the clamping block. When the rotating end of the rotating part rotates around the fixed rod, the fixed end of the rotating part drives the clamping block to rotate synchronously.

[0014] Optionally, the moving component is disposed on the second fixed base, and the moving component includes a moving block and a pad block; The second fixing base has a through hole inside, and the through hole is arranged in the horizontal direction; The movable block is provided with a driving part, which passes through the through hole. When the driving part moves horizontally along the through hole, it drives the pad block to move synchronously. The second fixed seat is provided with a limiting rod on the side near the movable block, and the movable block is provided with a limiting groove. The limiting rod extends into the limiting groove and slides with it to restrict the movable block from disengaging from the second fixed seat when the movable block moves horizontally. The second fixed base is also provided with a sliding part on the side near the moving block. The moving block is provided with a sliding groove, and the sliding part is embedded in the sliding groove and slides with it to provide guiding constraints for the horizontal movement of the moving block, so that the moving block can move smoothly back and forth along a preset horizontal direction.

[0015] Optionally, the fixing component is disposed within the mounting slot; The fixing components include a first fixing component and a second fixing component; The first fixing component is disposed at the upper end of the mounting groove, and the first fixing component includes a plurality of first fixing members arranged in the horizontal direction; The second fixing component is located at the lower end of the mounting groove, and the second fixing component includes a plurality of second fixing members arranged in the horizontal direction; Each first fastener corresponds to each second fastener in the vertical direction.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: First, this invention establishes a bidirectional, collaborative workpiece flattening system by installing fixing components on the upper and lower sides of the mounting frame to achieve vertical positioning and tensioning of the workpiece, and clamping devices on the left and right sides of the mounting frame to achieve horizontal positioning and tensioning of the workpiece. The clamping devices effectively eliminate lateral wrinkles, localized shrinkage, and offset deformation of the workpiece, overcoming the shortcomings of existing vertical equipment that relies solely on vertical flattening. Combined with the vertical clamping method for the workpiece, it avoids the problem of gravity-induced sagging, significantly improving the overall flatness of the workpiece surface and providing a fundamental guarantee for high-precision exposure processing.

[0017] Secondly, a retractable flattening device is installed on the exposure mechanism. When the exposure operation is performed, the flattening device extends and contacts the surface of the workpiece, which can support the workpiece and flatten the area around the flattening device. Based on the fact that the workpiece is fixed and tightened in the vertical and horizontal directions, the present invention, together with the flattening device on the exposure mechanism, maintains the flatness of the workpiece in the exposure area, further improving the exposure accuracy and ensuring the exposure quality. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vertical exposure machine according to the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the exposure mechanism of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A structural diagram from another angle.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the flattening device and the driving component of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the flattening device of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the driving component of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 7 This is the front view of the frame section of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a rear view of the frame section of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping component of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 10 This is a side view of the clamping component of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 11This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the clamping component of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 12 yes Figure 9 A cross-sectional view of the component that moves in the AA direction.

[0030] Figure 13 yes Figure 9 A cross-sectional view of the component that moves in the BB direction.

[0031] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second fixing base of the present invention.

[0032] Figure label: Support base 1, guide rail 11; Frame part 2, first frame part 2a, second frame part 2b, mounting frame 21, mounting groove 211, fixing component 212, first fixing component 2121, first fixing member 2121a, second fixing component 2122, second fixing member 2122a, clamping device 22, clamping member 22a, fixing seat 221, first fixing seat 2211, second fixing seat 2212, through hole 2212a, limiting rod 2212b, sliding part 2212c, clamping component 222, fixing rod 2221, rotating part 2222, rotating end 2222a, fixing end 2222b, clamping block 2223, moving component 223, moving block 2231, driving part 2231a, limiting groove 2231b, sliding groove 2231c, pad 2232; Exposure mechanism 3, fixed frame 31, first exposure component 32, second exposure component 33, exposure lens units 32a and 33a; Flattening device 4, mounting rod 41, flattening assembly 42, guide rod group 421, guide rod 4211, flattening part 422, flattening connecting plate 4221, flattening component 4222; Drive assembly 5, drive motor 51, transmission unit 52, first transmission unit 521, second transmission unit 522, transmission rod 523, linear guide rail 53, connecting seat 54. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The technical solutions of this invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0034] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0035] For ease of description of the first, second, and third directions in the embodiments of this application, the first direction is the left-right direction in the figures, the second direction is the front-back direction in the figures, and the third direction is the up-down direction in the figures. The x-axis arrow direction is referred to as the "right" direction, the y-axis arrow direction as the "up" direction, and the z-axis arrow direction as the "back" direction, but these are not the sole limitations in the actual application of this application.

[0036] like Figures 1-3 As shown, the present invention provides a vertical exposure machine, including a support base 1, a frame 2, an exposure mechanism 3, and a flattening device 4; the support base 1 is the load-bearing base of the whole machine, and a guide rail 11 extending in the left and right direction is provided on it; the frame 2 is vertically arranged on the support base 1 and can reciprocate along the guide rail 11 on the support base 1, including a mounting frame 21, a fixing component 212, and a clamping device 22; the mounting frame 21 is used to clamp the workpiece; the fixing component 212 is arranged on the upper and lower sides of the mounting frame 21 and is used to flatten the workpiece on the mounting frame 21 in the vertical direction; the clamping device 22 is arranged on both sides of the mounting frame 21 and is used to flatten the workpiece on the mounting frame 21 in the horizontal direction.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, there are two sets of exposure mechanisms 3. The two sets of exposure mechanisms 3 are symmetrically and vertically arranged on the support base 1 in the front-back direction, respectively located on the front and back sides of the frame part 2. An exposure channel for the frame part 2 to pass through is formed between the two. At the same time, the exposure mechanism 3 can move horizontally in the direction of approaching or moving away from the mounting frame 21, for double-sided exposure of the workpiece on the mounting frame 21. Each set of exposure mechanisms 3 is vertically provided with a flattening device 4. The flattening device 4 can move horizontally in the direction of approaching or moving away from the mounting frame 21 synchronously with the exposure mechanism 3. At the same time, the flattening device 4 can independently perform horizontal extension and retraction relative to the exposure mechanism 3 in the direction of approaching or moving away from the workpiece.

[0038] When the exposure mechanism 3 exposes the workpiece, the flattening device 4 moves with the exposure mechanism 3 and extends independently to contact the surface of the workpiece. The surface of the area around the workpiece in contact with the flattening device 4 is flattened, which is the exposure area where the exposure mechanism 3 exposes the workpiece. Based on the flattening of the workpiece in the vertical direction by the fixing component 212 and the flattening of the clamping device 22 in the horizontal direction, the flatness of the workpiece exposure area is further maintained. When the exposure mechanism 3 finishes exposing the workpiece, the flattening device 4 retracts independently and detaches from the workpiece surface, and moves synchronously with the exposure mechanism 3 to reset.

[0039] like Figures 4-5 As shown, in this embodiment, the flattening device 4 includes a mounting rod 41 arranged in the vertical direction and a plurality of flattening components 42.

[0040] In this embodiment, the mounting rod 41 is a long strip beam extending vertically, which is embedded in the vertical gap between the first exposure component 32 and the second exposure component 33. Its length covers the entire exposure surface of the workpiece. The upper and lower ends of the mounting rod 41 are respectively connected to the drive components 5 on the upper and lower ends of the fixed frame 31. It is both the mounting carrier of all the flattening components 42 and the main beam for power transmission. It can be moved horizontally along the front and back direction under the drive of the drive components 5 to realize the synchronous extension and retraction of all the flattening components 42, ensuring the consistency of the pressing action at each point.

[0041] Several flattening components 42 are vertically spaced on the mounting rod 41. Each flattening component 42 includes a set of guide rods 421 and a flattening part 422. Each set of guide rods 421 passes through a pre-set mounting hole on the mounting rod 41 in a horizontal direction. The flattening part 422 is located at the end of the guide rods 421 near the frame part 2.

[0042] In this embodiment, each guide rod group 421 includes at least two guide rods 4211, preferably two. The two guide rods 4211 are arranged parallel to each other on the mounting rod 41 in the front-back direction, forming a double-point support constraint. This can completely limit the rotation and sway of the flattening part 422, ensuring that the end face of the flattening part 422 remains parallel to the workpiece surface during the expansion and contraction process and the pressing force process. This avoids problems such as uneven pressing and excessive local force caused by skewing, and provides stable and uniform support for the workpiece, so that the area in contact between the workpiece and the flattening part 422 is flattened.

[0043] In this embodiment, the flattening part 422 includes a flattening connecting plate 4221 and at least two flattening members 4222. The flattening connecting plate 4221 is a vertically arranged plate-shaped connector. The back side of the flattening connecting plate 4221 is fixedly connected to the ends of two guide rods 4211 near the frame part 2, so that the movement of the two guide rods 4211 is synchronized and they jointly bear the pressing reaction force. Each flattening member 4222 is arranged vertically at intervals on the side of the flattening connecting plate 4221 facing the frame part 2. Two pressing points are formed in a single set of flattening components 4222, which can reduce the number of flattening components 4222 while increasing the pressing coverage density in the vertical direction, and ensuring the flatness of the area around the flattening component 4222 where the workpiece plate surface contacts the flattening component 4222.

[0044] like Figures 4-5 As shown, in this embodiment, the flattening component 4222 is specifically a flattening roller, which adopts a rolling contact pressing structure to adapt to the scanning exposure condition where the workpiece moves horizontally with the frame part 2.

[0045] Each flattening roller 4222 is rotatably mounted on the end face of the flattening connecting plate 4221 facing the workpiece via a vertical pin and rolling bearing. The rotation axis of the flattening roller 4222 extends vertically, and the cylindrical side of the roller protrudes towards the workpiece, forming a line contact and pressing with the workpiece plate surface. The two flattening rollers 4222 in a single flattening unit 422 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction, and their rotation axes are parallel to each other, forming two independent rolling pressing points at the top and bottom within the single flattening assembly 42.

[0046] Preferably, the roller of the flattening roller 4222 can be made of wear-resistant non-metallic materials such as polyurethane, silicone or PEEK, or a flexible adhesive layer can be wrapped around the outer periphery of the metal roller. It has sufficient structural rigidity to provide stable flattening force, and can also adapt to the slight undulations of the workpiece surface through flexible contact, avoiding rigid scratches on the workpiece board surface, and adapting to the processing needs of thin board workpieces such as PCB and flexible FPC that are easily damaged.

[0047] When the drive assembly 5 drives the mounting rod 41 and all the flattening assemblies 42 to extend towards the workpiece side, the cylindrical surfaces of each flattening roller 4222 synchronously abut against the workpiece surface, forming a lateral support constraint on the workpiece; as the frame part 2 carries the workpiece through the exposure area in the left and right direction, the flattening roller 4222 is subjected to the frictional force of the workpiece surface and rotates around the vertical pin shaft, converting the sliding friction of the pressing surface into rolling friction.

[0048] During this process, the flattening roller 4222 maintains the set flattening force against the workpiece surface, continuously limiting the back-and-forth swaying of the workpiece and stabilizing the focal length between the workpiece and the exposure lens; at the same time, the rolling contact form does not generate sliding drag force on the workpiece surface, which can avoid problems such as lateral displacement of the workpiece, scratches on the board surface, and peeling of the circuit layer, thus ensuring exposure efficiency.

[0049] Compared to fixed pressure blocks, roller-type flattening components significantly reduce the frictional resistance of the pressing contact surface, making the workpiece translation process smoother and preventing deformation and wrinkling of thin plates due to frictional resistance. Furthermore, multi-point rolling pressing is evenly distributed along the height direction of the workpiece, and the area of ​​the workpiece in contact remains flat throughout the entire scanning stroke, maintaining the flatness of the workpiece surface throughout the process. This is especially suitable for continuous scanning exposure operations of large-size, long-format workpieces.

[0050] In addition, the roller structure has low wear and long service life, and maintains good pressing accuracy after long-term operation, which can reduce equipment maintenance costs and the frequency of parts replacement.

[0051] like Figures 2-3 As shown, in this embodiment, the exposure mechanism 3 includes a fixed frame 31, a first exposure component 32, and a second exposure component 33. The exposure mechanism 3 adopts a double-row vertical array exposure layout, which, combined with the vertical scanning operation, can complete the full-area exposure during a single translation of the workpiece. At the same time, the flattening device 4 is placed between the first exposure component 32 and the second exposure component 33 to achieve real-time pressing on the exposure path. The structure has a high degree of integration and complete coverage.

[0052] In this embodiment, the fixed frame 31 is a vertical box-shaped support base, which is vertically mounted on the support base 1, and its overall height covers the maximum processing area of ​​the workpiece. The fixed frame 31 has through openings on the front side facing the frame part 2 and the rear side away from the frame part 2: the front opening provides an emission channel for the exposure beam and also provides clearance for the front and rear extension of the flattening device 4; the rear opening is used for the optical path wiring and heat dissipation pipe access of the exposure assembly, and also facilitates subsequent equipment maintenance and parts disassembly and assembly.

[0053] The first exposure assembly 32 and the second exposure assembly 33 are arranged side by side in the fixed frame 31 along the vertical direction. Both of them include multiple independent exposure lens units 32a and 33a arranged in a vertically spaced array to form an exposure array extending vertically. The exposure lens units 32a and 33a of both are arranged facing the frame part 2 and are used to project exposure beams onto the workpiece.

[0054] The two sets of exposure components adopt a staggered arrangement design: each exposure lens unit 32a of the first exposure component 32 corresponds to the gap position of the adjacent exposure lens unit 33a of the second exposure component 33. The exposure areas of the two partially overlap in the vertical direction, splicing together to form a continuous and blind-zone-free complete exposure area, eliminating the splicing gaps caused by the single-row lens arrangement, and ensuring uniform exposure energy and continuous pattern on the entire surface of the workpiece.

[0055] Each exposure lens unit has its light emission direction perpendicular to the workpiece surface, enabling precise projection of digital graphics onto the workpiece surface. Each exposure lens unit can be independently fine-tuned in terms of focal length and angle, facilitating unified calibration of double-sided overlay accuracy. The two exposure components share the same mounting reference of the fixed frame 31, resulting in a compact and rigid structure that effectively reduces the interference of operating vibration on exposure accuracy.

[0056] In this embodiment, the flattening device 4 is integrally embedded in the vertical gap between the first exposure component 32 and the second exposure component 33, penetrating the splicing area of ​​the two exposure components in the vertical direction. This positional design has multiple technical advantages: The pressing point is located in the middle area of ​​the two sets of exposure components, which is exactly in the center of the effective exposure area. It can provide lateral support to the workpiece in the core area of ​​the exposure optical path, minimize the back-and-forth sway of the workpiece in the exposure area, and stabilize the exposure focal length. The installation fully utilizes the unused gap between the two sets of exposure components, eliminating the need to occupy additional space on the outside of the rack, significantly improving structural integration and making the overall layout of the exposure mechanism more compact; The pressing position does not block the light path of any set of exposure components, and will not cause obstruction or reflection interference to the exposure beam, thus ensuring the integrity and clarity of the exposure pattern.

[0057] During operation, the frame 2 carries the workpiece at a constant speed along the horizontal direction through the exposure station. The two sets of exposure components emit light synchronously to continuously scan and expose one side of the workpiece. At the same time, the flattening device 4 located between the two sets of exposure components is always in contact with the workpiece surface, maintaining the workpiece flatness in real time along the scanning path. This ensures that the workpiece maintains a stable posture and focal length when passing through the two sets of exposure areas, effectively improving exposure accuracy and pattern consistency.

[0058] like Figure 4 , Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the upper and lower end faces of the fixed frame 31 are respectively provided with drive components 5, and the upper and lower ends of the mounting rod 41 are respectively connected to the corresponding drive components 5. The drive components 5 are used to drive the flattening device 4 to move in the horizontal direction.

[0059] The drive assembly 5 includes a drive motor 51, a transmission unit 52, a linear guide rail 53, and a connecting seat 54. The drive motor 51 and the connecting seat 54 are fixedly mounted on the upper and lower end faces of the fixed frame 31. The linear guide rail 53 is mounted on the top surface of the connecting seat 54 in a horizontal direction along the front and rear, serving as a motion guide reference.

[0060] The transmission unit 52 is the core of the conversion from rotary motion to linear motion. The transmission unit 52 includes a first transmission unit 521, a second transmission unit 522, and a transmission rod 523.

[0061] In this embodiment, the first transmission unit 521 is fixedly connected to the end of the mounting rod 41; the second transmission unit 522 is slidably mounted on the linear guide rail 53 and can slide smoothly back and forth along the linear guide rail 53, providing linear constraints for the telescopic movement of the mounting rod 41, effectively limiting the radial sway and torsion of the mounting rod 41 during its movement, ensuring the accuracy and consistency of the pressing position at each point. On the one hand, the second transmission unit 522 works with the first transmission unit 521 to jointly bear the weight of the mounting rod 41 and the pressing reaction force, dispersing the force of the transmission; on the other hand, it provides auxiliary guidance for the movement of the mounting rod 41, offsetting the overturning moment generated during the pressing process, improving the smoothness of operation and the service life of the structure; the transmission rod 523 is coaxially arranged in the front and rear horizontal direction, with one end of its rod body positioned by a bearing support structure, and the other end connected to the output rod of the drive motor 51, and can rotate synchronously around its own axis with the output rod of the drive motor 51.

[0062] This embodiment adopts a scheme of synchronous driving of upper and lower dual drive components 5. The two sets of drive components 5 are controlled by the same control system, and the output actions are completely synchronized. Together, they drive the upper and lower ends of the mounting rod 41 to move smoothly, avoiding the skew torque and jamming problems that are easy to generate by single-end drive. This ensures that the mounting rod 41 always remains parallel to the workpiece plate surface, and that the pressing actions of each pressing component are consistent and the force is uniform.

[0063] The specific working process is as follows: Extension and flattening process: After the frame part 2 moves the workpiece to the exposure station, the control system sends an extension command to the upper and lower drive components 5 simultaneously; the drive motor 51 rotates in the forward direction, driving the transmission rod 523 to rotate synchronously; the first transmission unit 521 is driven by the threaded pair of the transmission rod 523 and moves linearly towards the workpiece side along the axial direction, synchronously pushing the mounting rod 41 to extend forward; at the same time, the second transmission unit 522 slides synchronously along the linear guide rail 53 with the mounting rod 41, providing stable guiding constraints; when the flattening component 42 contacts the workpiece plate surface and reaches the set pressing force, the drive motor 51 stops and locks, maintaining a stable lateral support state, constraining the workpiece plate surface from shaking, and ensuring stable exposure focal length.

[0064] Retraction and reset process: After the exposure operation is completed, the drive motor 51 rotates in the opposite direction, driving the transmission rod 523 to rotate in the opposite direction; the first transmission unit 521 pulls the mounting rod 41 to retract away from the workpiece, and the second transmission unit 522 slides back synchronously along the linear guide rail 53; until the mounting rod 41 drives all the flattening components 42 to retract to the initial avoidance position and completely separate from the workpiece surface, leaving sufficient space for the frame part 2 to move out and the next workpiece to move in, avoiding motion interference.

[0065] like Figures 7-8As shown, in this embodiment, the mounting frame 21 also includes a mounting groove 211, which is a rectangular through groove extending in the vertical direction. The groove outline is adapted to the outer dimensions of the workpiece to be processed. The mounting groove 211 is located inside the mounting frame 21 and has openings on both the front and rear sides. On the one hand, it provides operating space for the workpiece to be picked up, placed, and clamped. On the other hand, it allows the exposure beam emitted by the exposure mechanism 3 on both sides of the frame part 2 to be projected onto the front and back sides of the workpiece without obstruction, which is suitable for the operation requirements of vertical double-sided synchronous exposure and avoids the frame structure from blocking the light path and causing exposure blind spots.

[0066] The left and right inner walls of the mounting groove 211 serve as the mounting reference surfaces for the clamping device 22. The upper and lower inner walls of the groove are respectively fitted with the first fixing component 2121 and the second fixing component 2122, which together enclose the workpiece to form a clamping and positioning space. The workpiece is vertically accommodated in the mounting groove 211, and the plate surface extends along the vertical plane. Structurally, this avoids the deformation problems caused by the workpiece's own weight, such as sagging in the middle and warping of the plate edge, which are common in horizontal clamping. This provides a basic shape guarantee for subsequent high-precision exposure.

[0067] Two sets of clamping devices 22 are fixed in each mounting frame 21. The two sets of clamping devices 22 are symmetrically and vertically arranged on the left and right sides of the mounting groove 211. Each set of clamping devices 22 includes multiple clamping members 22a that are equally spaced along the vertical direction. The clamping members 22a on the left and right sides correspond one to one, forming a multi-point clamping array distributed along the height direction of the workpiece.

[0068] The multi-point spacing design allows the clamping and tensioning forces to be evenly distributed along the side of the workpiece, avoiding local stress concentration and workpiece edge wrinkling deformation caused by single-point clamping. At the same time, multi-point synchronous tensioning can form a uniform lateral tension on the entire width of the workpiece, effectively flattening the lateral wrinkles, local shrinkage and edge deformation of the workpiece, making up for the shortcomings of traditional vertical equipment that only relies on vertical traction for flattening, and significantly improving the overall flatness of the workpiece surface.

[0069] like Figures 9-10 As shown, in this embodiment, the clamping member 22a includes a fixed base 221, a clamping component 222, and a moving component 223. The fixed base 221 serves as the mounting and bearing base for the clamping member 22a, is located within the mounting groove 211, and is fixedly connected to the side wall of the mounting frame 21. It adopts a split structure, including a first fixed base 2211 and a second fixed base 2212 arranged vertically. The first fixed base 2211 is used to assemble the clamping component 222, providing hinge support for the clamping action; the second fixed base 2212 is used to assemble the moving component 223, providing guidance and limiting for the tensioning action. The split layout allows the clamping and lateral tensioning functions to be arranged in layers, resulting in a compact structure and reasonable force distribution. Furthermore, each unit can be independently disassembled and assembled, facilitating later assembly and parts replacement and maintenance.

[0070] like Figure 11 As shown, in this embodiment, the clamping component 222 includes a fixed rod 2221, a rotating part 2222, and a clamping block 2223; the fixed rod 2221 passes through the first fixed seat 2211 in a horizontal direction, with its axis extending perpendicular to the workpiece plate surface, one end extending into the first fixed seat 2211, and the other end extending out of the side wall of the first fixed seat 2211, serving as the swing hinge fulcrum of the rotating part 2222.

[0071] The rotating part 2222 includes a rotating end 2222a and a fixed end 2222b. The rotating end 2222a of the rotating part is rotatably sleeved on one end of the fixed rod 2221 located outside the first fixed seat 2211. The fixed end 2222b of the rotating part is fixedly connected to the clamping block 2223. When the rotating end 2222a of the rotating part rotates around the fixed rod 2221, the fixed end 2222b of the rotating part drives the clamping block 2223 to rotate synchronously.

[0072] In this embodiment, the end face of the clamping block 2223 facing the workpiece is the clamping working surface. An anti-slip flexible pad layer, such as polyurethane or silicone, can be provided. This can increase the friction with the edge of the workpiece to prevent slippage during tensioning, and also avoid rigid contact damage or scratches to the side of the workpiece, thus adapting to the clamping requirements of thin plates and flexible plates.

[0073] The rotating clamping structure offers several advantages. First, it allows for a large opening and closing stroke, providing ample space for workpiece loading and unloading, minimizing the risk of scratches and interference. Second, the multi-point clamping components 22a, arranged vertically, ensure independent operation and uniform force distribution at each clamping point. This accommodates minor dimensional errors on the workpiece's sides, guaranteeing consistent clamping force distribution across the entire edge and providing a stable clamping foundation for subsequent lateral flattening. Furthermore, this structure features fewer components, a shorter transmission chain, and a low failure rate, making it suitable for continuous production operations in exposure equipment.

[0074] like Figures 12-14 As shown, in this embodiment, the moving component 223 includes a moving block 2231 and a pad block 2232; the second fixed base 2212 has a through hole 2212a inside, which is arranged horizontally; the moving block 2231 has a driving part 2231a, which passes through the through hole 2212a. The through hole 2212a and the driving part 2231a are precisely clearance-fitted, which provides auxiliary radial support and preliminary guidance for the reciprocating motion of the driving part 2231a, preventing the driving part 2231a from bending and deforming due to eccentric load, and also restricts the vertical movement of the moving block 2231, improving the motion stability of the driving part. When the 2231a moves horizontally along the through hole 2212a, it drives the pad block 2232 to move synchronously.

[0075] In a specific embodiment, the drive unit 2231a adopts a slide cylinder. The cylinder body of the slide cylinder is embedded and fixed inside the through hole 2212a of the second fixed seat 2212. Its slide output end with integrated guide rail extends towards the moving block 2231 and is rigidly connected to the side wall of the moving block 2231. The extension and retraction direction of the slide cylinder is consistent with the axial direction of the through hole 2212a and the extension direction of the sliding part 2212c. After compressed air is introduced, the slide can make precise horizontal reciprocating motion along its own guide rail, thereby driving the moving block 2231 and the pad block 2232 to move synchronously, providing stable power output for the clamping and releasing action of the clamping component 222.

[0076] The second fixed base 2212 is provided with a limiting rod 2212b on the side near the moving block 2231. The limiting rod 2212b is vertically protruding from the side wall of the second fixed base 2212 facing the moving block 2231. The moving block 2231 is provided with a limiting groove 2231b, and the limiting rod 2212b extends into the limiting groove 2231b and slides with it.

[0077] When the moving block 2231 slides back and forth in the horizontal direction, the limiting rod 2212b slides relative to the limiting groove 2231b. When the moving block 2231 moves to its travel limit, the rod wall of the limiting rod 2212b abuts against the two end walls of the limiting groove 2231b, preventing the moving block 2231 from continuing to move. This structure can limit the maximum extension and retraction stroke of the moving block 2231, preventing the moving block 2231 from slipping off the second fixed seat 2212 from a mechanical structure perspective, thus ensuring the safety of equipment operation. On the other hand, it can precisely limit the maximum clamping angle and release range of the clamping component 222, avoiding excessive clamping that damages the side of the workpiece, or insufficient release stroke that causes scratches and interference when the workpiece is picked up or put down.

[0078] The second fixed base 2212 is also provided with a sliding part 2212c on the side near the moving block 2231. The moving block 2231 is provided with a sliding groove 2231c. The sliding groove 2231c is a groove that matches the shape of the sliding part 2212c and is correspondingly opened on the side wall surface of the moving block 2231. The sliding part 2212c is embedded in the sliding groove 2231c to form a surface contact sliding fit, which is used to provide guiding constraints for the horizontal movement of the moving block 2231, so that the moving block 2231 can move smoothly back and forth along a preset horizontal direction.

[0079] This guide structure can strictly constrain the motion freedom of the moving block 2231, so that the moving block 2231 can only make linear reciprocating motion along the preset horizontal direction. This effectively eliminates problems such as vertical swaying and torsional misalignment of the moving block 2231 during its movement, ensuring that the pushing position of the pad 2232 always accurately corresponds to the force position of the rotating part 2222, and ensuring stable and consistent clamping force output. At the same time, the surface contact fit can bear a larger radial load, reduce the risk of sliding jamming, and improve the reliability and repeatability of the clamping action.

[0080] like Figure 8 As shown, in this embodiment, the mounting frame 21 further includes a fixing component 212; the fixing component 212 is disposed in the mounting groove 211 and is used to fix the workpiece in the mounting groove 211; the fixing component 212 includes a first fixing component 2121 and a second fixing component 2122, which are arranged in parallel; the first fixing component 2121 is disposed at the upper end of the mounting groove 211 and includes a plurality of first fixing members 2121a arranged at equal intervals along the horizontal direction; the second fixing component 2122 is disposed at the lower end of the mounting groove 211 and includes a plurality of second fixing members 2122a arranged at equal intervals along the horizontal direction; each first fixing member 2121a and each second fixing member 2122a correspond one-to-one in the vertical direction.

[0081] The multi-point symmetrical arrangement design allows the upper and lower fixing forces to be evenly distributed along the width of the workpiece, avoiding local deformation of the workpiece edge caused by single-point fixing. At the same time, it ensures the alignment of the upper and lower edges of the workpiece, effectively preventing the workpiece from tilting left and right during clamping, and ensuring the alignment accuracy of subsequent exposure.

[0082] In some embodiments, both the first fixing member 2121a and the second fixing member 2122a can adopt a clamping positioning structure: the second fixing member 2122a can be configured as a support with a positioning slot, and the lower edge of the workpiece can be embedded in the slot to complete the support and positioning, bearing the main vertical load of the workpiece; the first fixing member 2121a can be configured as an elastic pressing clamp or a telescopic positioning pin. After the lower end of the workpiece is positioned, the first fixing member 2121a presses the upper edge of the workpiece to complete the synchronous fixation of the upper and lower ends. A flexible buffer pad can be provided at the contact part between the fixing member and the workpiece to avoid rigid contact damaging the workpiece surface and edges, adapting to the precision clamping requirements of PCB thin boards and FPC flexible boards.

[0083] When clamping the workpiece, first, the workpiece is placed vertically into the mounting groove 211, so that the lower edge of the workpiece is embedded in the positioning structure of each of the second fixing members 2122a, completing the initial support and lower end positioning of the workpiece. Then, the first fixing assembly 2121 moves, and each of the first fixing members 2121a simultaneously presses the upper edge of the workpiece, completing the complete fixation of the upper and lower ends of the workpiece. At this time, the workpiece maintains a vertical posture, and its front-to-back position and vertical position are both limited. After the fixing assembly completes the positioning and holding, the clamping devices on the left and right sides of the mounting groove 211 move simultaneously, clamping the left and right sides of the workpiece and tensioning them outwards, flattening the workpiece laterally, and finally achieving a flat and stable clamping of the workpiece.

[0084] The fixed component structure with upper and lower parts and multi-point alignment separates the positioning and flattening functions. The fixed component 212 is responsible for the reference positioning, and the clamping device 4 is responsible for the lateral flattening. The two have clear division of labor and do not interfere with each other, resulting in stronger clamping stability. On the other hand, the multi-point corresponding fixing form has wide adaptability. By adjusting the number and spacing of the fixing parts, it can adapt to workpieces of different widths without replacing the entire clamping frame, thus improving the equipment's versatility and changeover efficiency.

[0085] In this embodiment, at least two frame parts 2 are slidably assembled on the support base 1. Specifically, there are two frame parts 2a and 2b, which are slidably assembled on the support base 1 in sequence along the guide rail 11. Each frame part moves back and forth independently without interfering with each other.

[0086] The two frame sections 2a and 2b have completely identical structural specifications. Both are equipped with a complete mounting frame 21, fixing components 212 and clamping device 22. They can independently complete the clamping and positioning of the workpiece and the lateral flattening. After entering the exposure station, they can precisely cooperate with the exposure mechanism 3 and the flattening device 4 on both sides to complete the double-sided exposure operation, ensuring the consistency of processing accuracy and product quality in the dual-station operation.

[0087] The support base 1 is divided into an exposure station and a loading / unloading station along the guide rail direction. The exposure station is located between the two sets of exposure mechanisms 3, and the loading / unloading station is located to the side of the exposure station. The two frame parts can move back and forth independently between the two stations, adopting an "alternating processing, parallel operation" operating mode. When the first frame part 2a carries the workpiece to the exposure station and performs double-sided exposure processing in conjunction with the exposure mechanism 3 and the flattening device 4, the second frame part 2b stops at the loading and unloading station. The operator can simultaneously complete the removal of the finished workpiece and the clamping and flattening of the workpiece to be processed. After the first frame part 2a finishes processing and moves out of the exposure station, the second frame part 2b can immediately move into the exposure station to start processing. The two sets of frame parts alternately enter and exit the station in a cycle, realizing the parallel development of "exposure processing" and "loading and unloading clamping".

[0088] The dual-frame alternating operation mode completely eliminates the downtime caused by loading and unloading of single-frame equipment, significantly increasing the effective exposure time ratio. With the same floor space, the equipment capacity can be nearly twice that of the single-frame model, making it suitable for large-scale industrial production needs.

[0089] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A vertical exposure machine, characterized in that, include: Support base; The frame section is vertically mounted on the support base and can reciprocate along the support base, including a mounting frame, a fixing component and a clamping device; The mounting frame is used to clamp the workpiece; The fixing components are located on the upper and lower sides of the mounting frame and are used to flatten the workpiece on the mounting frame in the vertical direction. The clamping device is located on the left and right sides of the mounting frame and is used to flatten the workpiece on the mounting frame in the horizontal direction. An exposure mechanism is vertically mounted on the support base and is respectively located on both sides of the frame portion. The exposure mechanism can move in a direction close to or away from the mounting frame and is used to perform double-sided exposure on the workpiece on the mounting frame. A flattening device is vertically mounted on the exposure mechanism. The flattening device can move synchronously with the exposure mechanism in the direction of approaching or moving away from the mounting frame. At the same time, the flattening device can independently extend or retract relative to the exposure mechanism in the direction of approaching or moving away from the workpiece. When the exposure mechanism exposes the workpiece, the flattening device moves with the exposure mechanism and extends independently to contact the workpiece surface, in order to help maintain the flatness of the surface of the area around the workpiece in contact with the flattening device; when the exposure mechanism finishes exposing the workpiece, the flattening device retracts independently from the workpiece surface and moves synchronously with the exposure mechanism to reset.

2. The vertical exposure machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flattening device includes a mounting rod arranged in the vertical direction and several flattening components; A plurality of the flattening components are spaced apart on the mounting rod in a vertical direction, and each of the flattening components includes a guide rod assembly and a flattening part; The guide rod assembly is horizontally inserted through the mounting rod, and the flattening part is located at the end of the guide rod assembly near the frame part.

3. The vertical exposure machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The guide rod assembly includes at least two guide rods, each of which is arranged in parallel on the mounting rod; The flattening part includes a flattening connecting plate and at least two flattening components; The flattening connecting plate is connected to the end of each guide rod near the frame portion, and each flattening member is arranged vertically at intervals on the side of the flattening connecting plate facing the frame portion.

4. The vertical exposure machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each of the flattening components is a flattening roller.

5. The vertical exposure machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The exposure mechanism includes a fixed frame, a first exposure component, and a second exposure component; The fixed frame is vertically mounted on the support base, with openings extending through its front and rear sides. The first exposure component and the second exposure component are arranged side by side in the vertical direction in the fixed frame, and the lenses of both are set towards the frame portion for projecting exposure beams onto the workpiece; The flattening device is located between the first exposure component and the second exposure component.

6. The vertical exposure machine according to claim 5, characterized in that, The upper and lower ends of the fixed frame are respectively provided with driving components, and the upper and lower ends of the mounting rod are respectively connected to the corresponding driving components. The driving components are used to drive the flattening device to move in the horizontal direction.

7. The vertical exposure machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting frame also includes a mounting groove, which is located inside the mounting frame and has openings on both the front and rear sides to accommodate the workpiece. The clamping device is vertically disposed on the left and right sides of the mounting groove, and the clamping device includes a plurality of clamping elements spaced apart in the vertical direction.

8. The vertical exposure machine according to claim 7, characterized in that, The clamping element includes a fixed base, a clamping component, and a moving component; The fixing seat is disposed in the mounting groove and fixedly connected to the side wall of the mounting frame. The fixing seat includes a first fixing seat and a second fixing seat arranged in the vertical direction. The clamping component is disposed on the first fixed base, and the clamping component includes a fixed rod, a rotating part and a clamping block; One end of the fixing rod extends into the first fixing seat; The rotating part includes a rotating end and a fixed end. The rotating end of the rotating part is rotatably connected to the end of the fixed rod located outside the first fixed seat. The fixed end of the rotating part is fixedly connected to the clamping block. When the rotating end of the rotating part rotates around the fixed rod, the fixed end of the rotating part drives the clamping block to rotate synchronously.

9. The vertical exposure machine according to claim 8, characterized in that, The movable component is disposed on the second fixed base, and the movable component includes a movable block and a pad block; The second fixing base has a through hole inside, and the through hole is arranged in the horizontal direction; The movable block is provided with a driving part, which passes through the through hole. When the driving part moves horizontally along the through hole, it drives the pad block to move synchronously. The second fixed seat is provided with a limiting rod on the side near the movable block, and the movable block is provided with a limiting groove. The limiting rod extends into the limiting groove and slides with it to restrict the movable block from disengaging from the second fixed seat when the movable block moves horizontally. The second fixed base is also provided with a sliding part on the side near the moving block. The moving block is provided with a sliding groove, and the sliding part is embedded in the sliding groove and slides with it to provide guiding constraints for the horizontal movement of the moving block, so that the moving block can move smoothly back and forth along a preset horizontal direction.

10. The vertical exposure machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixing component is disposed within the mounting slot; The fixing components include a first fixing component and a second fixing component; The first fixing component is disposed at the upper end of the mounting groove, and the first fixing component includes a plurality of first fixing members arranged in the horizontal direction; The second fixing component is located at the lower end of the mounting groove, and the second fixing component includes a plurality of second fixing members arranged in the horizontal direction; Each first fastener corresponds to each second fastener in the vertical direction.

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