Electroplating device

Abstract

The utility model relates to an electroplating device, and belongs to the technical field of electroplating. The electroplating device comprises an electroplating body, the electroplating body is provided with a liquid flow channel and an opening communicated with the liquid flow channel, the liquid flow channel is arranged to enable electroplating liquid to flow in the electroplating body so that the electroplating liquid can make contact with a part to be electroplated through the opening, and the electroplating body is used for being electrically connected to a power source anode; and the conductive cathode is used for being electrically connected to the power supply cathode, and the conductive cathode is used for being electrically connected with the to-be-plated part, so that the power supply cathode, the to-be-plated part, the electroplating liquid, the electroplating main body and the power supply anode are connected to form an electroplating loop. The electroplating device provided by the utility model is beneficial to improving the electroplating efficiency and ensuring the electroplating quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of electroplating technology, and in particular to an electroplating device. Background Art

[0002] Electroplating is the process of coating the surface of the workpiece to be plated using the principle of electrolysis. During electroplating, the workpiece to be plated needs to be in contact with the plating solution, and current must be conducted between the plating solution and the workpiece to be plated. Through the action of the current, the ions contained in the plating solution act on the surface of the workpiece to be plated to form a coating.

[0003] In the existing methods, spraying or immersion is often used to make the plating solution contact with the workpiece to be plated to achieve the purpose of electroplating. Among them, the spraying method is to spray the plating solution on the surface of the workpiece to be plated. The supply of the plating solution in this method is small, and the electroplating efficiency is difficult to improve; the immersion method is to immerse the workpiece to be plated in the plating solution. At this time, the ions contained in the plating solution near the workpiece to be plated will react quickly with the workpiece to be plated, resulting in a decrease in the ion concentration of the plating solution near the workpiece to be plated. Since the diffusion speed of ions in the plating solution is much lower than the speed of electron movement, the ion concentration in the plating solution near the workpiece to be plated is difficult to replenish in time, which ultimately leads to a low electroplating speed and affects the quality of the coating.

[0004] In view of this, the present utility model is proposed. Utility Model Content

[0005] The present application provides an electroplating device to solve the technical problem of low electroplating efficiency in existing electroplating methods.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present application, there is provided an electroplating device, comprising: an electroplating body, having a liquid flow channel and an opening connected to the liquid flow channel, the liquid flow channel being configured to allow the electroplating liquid to flow in the electroplating body so that the electroplating liquid contacts the workpiece to be plated via the opening, the electroplating body being used to be electrically connected to a power supply anode; a conductive cathode being used to be electrically connected to a power supply cathode, the conductive cathode being used to be electrically connected to the workpiece to be plated so that the power supply cathode, the workpiece to be plated, the electroplating liquid, the electroplating body and the power supply anode are connected to form an electroplating circuit.

[0007] In a further preferred embodiment, the liquid flow channel includes a liquid inlet section, an electroplating section and a liquid outlet section, and the liquid inlet section, the electroplating section and the liquid outlet section are arranged along the X direction; the liquid inlet section is provided with a liquid inlet, the electroplating section is connected to the opening, and the liquid outlet section is provided with the liquid outlet; wherein the X direction is the flow direction of the electroplating liquid.

[0008] In a further preferred embodiment, the cross-sectional area of ​​the electroplating solution flow in the electroplating section is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the electroplating solution flow in the liquid inlet section and the liquid outlet section.

[0009] In a further preferred embodiment, the liquid flow channel also includes a first transition section and a second transition section, the first transition section is arranged between the liquid inlet section and the electroplating section, the second transition section is arranged between the liquid outlet section and the electroplating section, and the height of the lower edge of the electroplating section in the Z direction is not higher than the height of the lower edge of the liquid inlet section and the lower edge of the liquid outlet section in the Z direction.

[0010] In a further preferred embodiment, the size of the opening in the X direction is less than or equal to the size of the object to be plated in the X direction; and / or the size of the opening in the Y direction is 0.1-10 mm.

[0011] In a further preferred embodiment, the electroplating body also has an air flow channel, which has an air inlet and an air outlet; the air inlet is used to connect to an external air source, and the air outlet is arranged on both sides of the opening in the Y direction, and the air outlet is used to blow air toward the workpiece to be plated.

[0012] In a further preferred embodiment, the air flow channel includes an air inlet section and an air outlet section, the air inlet section is connected to the air inlet, and the air outlet section is connected to the air outlet; the air outlet section is inclined relative to the surface of the workpiece to be plated so that the air outlet can blow air toward the opening.

[0013] In a further preferred embodiment, the angle between the extension direction of the air outlet section and the surface of the object to be plated is in the range of 15-60 degrees.

[0014] In a further preferred solution, the size of the air outlet in the X direction is greater than or equal to the size of the opening in the X direction.

[0015] In a further preferred embodiment, the air outlet and the opening are located on the same horizontal plane.

[0016] In a further preferred embodiment, the electroplating body includes an inner core and an outer shell, the inner core is provided with the liquid flow channel and the opening, the outer shell is arranged on the outside of the inner core and together with the inner core forms the air flow channel and the air outlet, and the outer shell is provided with the air inlet.

[0017] In a further preferred embodiment, the shell includes a first body and a cover, the cover is arranged at one end of the first body in the X direction and together with the first body forms an installation cavity, the installation cavity is used to accommodate the inner core and together with the inner core forms the air flow channel and the air outlet; the first body is provided with a first through hole, the cover is provided with a second through hole, the first through hole and the second through hole are connected to the liquid flow channel.

[0018] In a further preferred embodiment, the electroplating device further comprises a carrying platform, which is used to carry the workpiece to be plated and is configured to drive the workpiece to be plated to move along the X direction.

[0019] In a further preferred solution, the supporting platform includes a second body and a positioning groove arranged on the second body, and the positioning groove is used to accommodate the workpiece to be plated.

[0020] In a further preferred embodiment, the electroplating device is used to form a coating on a solar cell, a packaging shell, a printed circuit board, a medical device or a handicraft.

[0021] In summary, the electroplating device provided in this application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0022] The electroplating device provided according to the present application includes an electroplating body and a conductive cathode, wherein a liquid flow channel capable of allowing the electroplating solution to flow and an opening connected to the liquid flow channel are provided in the electroplating body, that is, the electroplating solution can continuously flow through the opening, the electroplating body is used to be electrically connected to the power anode, and the conductive cathode is used to be electrically connected to the power cathode and the workpiece to be plated. Thus, when the workpiece to be plated is placed at the opening of the electroplating body, the workpiece to be plated can contact the electroplating solution at the opening, so that the power cathode, the workpiece to be plated, the electroplating solution, the electroplating body and the power anode are connected to form an electroplating loop, so that the workpiece to be plated can be electroplated. Moreover, since the electroplating solution at the opening flows continuously, the electroplating solution near the workpiece to be plated will be continuously updated, so that the ion concentration contained in the electroplating solution near the workpiece to be plated is maintained in a high range, which is conducive to improving the electroplating efficiency and ensuring the electroplating quality at the same time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific implementation of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the specific implementation or the prior art description. Obviously, the drawings described below are some implementations of the present application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the electroplating device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the electroplating body provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the inner core provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the housing provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 5 A schematic side view of the structure of the inner core provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the AA surface;

[0030] Figure 7 A schematic cross-sectional view of an electroplating body in the X direction provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 8 A schematic cross-sectional view of the electroplating body in the Y direction provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a top view of the supporting platform provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Fig.10 for Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the middle BB surface;

[0034] Fig.11 A schematic cross-sectional view in the Y direction of the electroplating device provided in an embodiment of the present application when it cooperates with a workpiece to be plated.

[0035] The reference numerals are as follows:

[0036] 1000. Electroplating equipment;

[0037] 100. Electroplating body;

[0038] 110, inner core; 111, liquid flow channel; 111a, liquid inlet section; 111b, first transition section; 111c, electroplating section; 111d, second transition section; 111e, liquid outlet section; 112, opening; 113, liquid inlet; 114, liquid outlet;

[0039] 120, housing; 121, air flow channel; 121a, air inlet section; 121b, air outlet section; 122, air inlet; 123, air outlet; 124, first body; 124a, first through hole; 125, cover; 125a, second through hole; 126, installation cavity;

[0040] 130. Sealing gasket;

[0041] 200, conductive cathode;

[0042] 300, liquid storage unit;

[0043] 400, power supply;

[0044] 500, a carrying platform; 510, a second body; 520, a positioning groove;

[0045] 10. Parts to be plated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like appear to indicate the orientation or position relationship, unless otherwise specified, they are understood to be based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0047] In addition, if there is a feature defined as "first" or "second", it is only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the defined features. If there is a description of "plurality", the general meaning is to include at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0048] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms such as "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and so on should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection, it can be a direct connection, or it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0049] In the description of this specification, if the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" appear, it means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, unless they are contradictory.

[0050] The electroplating device provided in the embodiment of the present application is used to electroplate a coating on a part to be plated, wherein the part to be plated may be a mechanical part, an electronic part, a handicraft, etc. For example, based on the selection of the type of part to be plated, the electroplating device can be used to electroplate a protective layer on the surface of mechanical parts such as medical devices and packaging shells, and can also be used to plate copper on electronic parts such as printed circuit boards to improve electrical conductivity and increase mechanical strength, and can also be used to electroplate a decorative layer on the surface of handicrafts. To facilitate understanding of the technical solution of the present application, the following embodiments are introduced by taking the part to be plated as a solar cell and the electroplating device for electroplating to form a grid line on the cell as an example. Unless otherwise specified, the parts to be plated in the following text can be understood as cells.

[0051] Please refer to Figure 1 The electroplating device 1000 provided in the embodiment of the present application includes at least an electroplating body 100 and a conductive cathode 200. When electroplating, the electroplating body 100 and the conductive cathode 200 need to be connected to an external power source 400 respectively, and connected to the workpiece 10 to be plated and the plating solution to form an electroplating circuit.

[0052] Specifically, the electroplating body 100 has a liquid flow channel 111 and an opening 112 connected to the liquid flow channel 111. For example, the electroplating body 100 can be a roughly rectangular parallelepiped structure, and the liquid flow channel 111 can be a hollow channel formed by digging inside the electroplating body 100. The liquid flow channel 111 is used to contain the electroplating liquid and is configured to allow the electroplating liquid to flow in the electroplating body 100, so that the electroplating liquid contacts the workpiece 10 to be plated through the opening 112. Among them, the electroplating liquid is also called a liquid medicine. The electroplating liquid contains ions used to form a coating on the workpiece 10 to be plated. The electroplating liquid can flow along the liquid flow channel 111 under the power provided by a power part such as a peristaltic pump. The electroplating body 100 is used to be electrically connected to the anode of the power supply, so that the power supply 400 is electrically connected to the electroplating liquid through the electroplating body 100.

[0053] The conductive cathode 200 is spaced apart from the electroplating body 100, and the conductive cathode 200 is used to be electrically connected to the cathode of the power supply and the workpiece 10 to be plated, so that the power supply 400 is electrically connected to the workpiece 10 to be plated through the conductive cathode 200. Thus, when the workpiece 10 to be plated contacts the electroplating solution through the opening 112 of the electroplating body 100, the cathode of the power supply, the workpiece 10 to be plated, the electroplating solution, the electroplating body 100 and the anode of the power supply are connected to form an electroplating circuit capable of conducting current.

[0054] Through the above structural design, when the plating solution flows along the liquid flow channel 111, that is, the plating solution can continue to flow through the opening 112 of the electroplating body 100, the workpiece 10 to be plated is placed at the opening 112 of the electroplating body 100, and the workpiece 10 to be plated can contact the plating solution flowing along the liquid flow channel 111 through the opening 112. Thus, the workpiece 10 to be plated can be electrically connected to the anode of the power supply through the plating solution and the electroplating body 100, and at the same time, it can be electrically connected to the cathode of the power supply through the conductive cathode 200, so that the cathode of the power supply, the workpiece 10 to be plated, the plating solution, the electroplating body 100 and the anode of the power supply are connected to form an electroplating loop, so that the workpiece 10 to be plated can be electroplated.

[0055] In the existing electroplating method, spraying or immersion is often used to make the plating solution contact with the workpiece 10 to achieve electroplating to prepare the coating. Since the supply amount of the plating solution in the spraying method is small, and the plating solution near the surface of the workpiece 10 to be plated in the immersion method is updated slowly, the electroplating efficiency is difficult to improve and the coating quality is affected.

[0056] Compared with the existing electroplating method, according to the electroplating device 1000 provided in the embodiment of the present application, since the electroplating solution at the opening 112 of the electroplating body 100 can flow continuously, that is, the electroplating solution at the opening 112 will be continuously updated, then after the above-mentioned electroplating loop is formed, the electroplating solution near the workpiece 10 to be plated at the opening 112 will be continuously updated, so that the ion concentration contained in the electroplating solution near the workpiece 10 to be plated is maintained in a high range, thereby allowing the surface of the workpiece 10 to be plated to form a coating quickly, which is conducive to improving the electroplating efficiency and ensuring the electroplating quality. In addition, by adjusting the power of the electroplating solution, such as the output power of the above-mentioned peristaltic pump, the flow rate of the electroplating solution in the liquid flow channel 111 can be adjusted, thereby flexibly controlling the electroplating speed to meet the needs of electroplating on different types of workpieces 10 to be plated or forming different coatings on the workpiece 10 to be plated. It can be seen that the electroplating device 1000 provided in the embodiment of the present application can solve the problems of slow electroplating speed, low electroplating efficiency and low electroplating quality in the existing electroplating method.

[0057] As a further preferred implementation scheme, based on the above scheme, the specific embodiments of the present application may also include one or more of the following additions or combinations.

[0058] In some optional embodiments, the liquid flow channel 111 includes a liquid inlet section 111a, an electroplating section 111c and a liquid outlet section 111e, and the liquid inlet section 111a, the electroplating section 111c and the liquid outlet section 111e are arranged along the X direction; the liquid inlet section 111a is provided with a liquid inlet 113, the electroplating section 111c is connected to the opening 112, and the liquid outlet section 111e is provided with a liquid outlet 114; wherein the X direction is the flow direction of the electroplating liquid.

[0059] Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7, the liquid flow channel 111 penetrates the electroplating body 100, the liquid inlet 113 and the liquid outlet 114 of the liquid flow channel 111 are respectively arranged at opposite ends of the electroplating body 100, and the opening 112 is arranged on the bottom surface of the electroplating body 100. Thus, the electroplating liquid can enter the liquid flow channel 111 from the liquid inlet 113 and flow through the opening 112 along the liquid flow channel 111, and then flow out from the liquid outlet 114, so that the electroplating liquid at the opening 112 can be continuously updated, thereby achieving the purpose of improving the electroplating efficiency.

[0060] It should be noted that, in order to simplify the structure of the electroplating body 100, without reducing the size of the opening 112, in the embodiment of the present application, the liquid flow channel 111 is arranged along the length direction of the electroplating body 100, and the liquid inlet 113 and the liquid outlet 114 are respectively arranged at the opposite ends of the electroplating body 100 in the length direction. At this time, the flow direction of the electroplating liquid, that is, the X direction, is the length direction of the electroplating body 100. In addition, the Y direction is the width direction of the electroplating body 100 shown in the drawings, and the Z direction is the height direction of the electroplating body 100 shown in the drawings. The X direction is orthogonal to the Y direction and the Z direction. Unless otherwise specified, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction in this article can be understood according to the interpretation here.

[0061] In some optional embodiments, the cross-sectional area of ​​the plating liquid in the plating section 111c is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the plating liquid in the liquid inlet section 111a and the liquid outlet section 111e. The cross-sectional area of ​​the plating liquid refers to the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid flow channel 111 on the YZ plane. For example, when the liquid inlet section 111a and the liquid outlet section 111e are cylindrical channels, the cross-sectional area of ​​the plating liquid in the liquid inlet section 111a and the liquid outlet section 111e is equal to the area of ​​the circular end surface of the cylindrical channel.

[0062] Since the cross-sectional area of ​​the plating liquid flow in the liquid inlet section 111a and the liquid outlet section 111e is larger, while the cross-sectional area of ​​the plating liquid flow in the plating section 111c is smaller, when the flow rate of the plating liquid passing through the entire liquid flow channel 111 remains unchanged, the flow rate of the plating liquid in the plating section 111c will be greater than the flow rate of the plating liquid in the liquid inlet section 111a and the liquid outlet section 111e. Therefore, on the one hand, the above design can increase the flow rate of the plating solution in the plating section 111c, thereby increasing the renewal speed of the plating solution at the opening 112, so as to improve the plating efficiency; on the other hand, since the flow rate of the plating solution in the plating section 111c is greater than the flow rate of the plating solution in the liquid inlet section 111a and the liquid outlet section 111e, a negative pressure environment will be formed at the opening 112, so that the gas outside the opening 112 tends to gather at the edge of the opening 112, and the gathered gas can be used to form a barrier at the edge of the opening 112 to play a gas sealing role, thereby avoiding the problem of plating solution leaking from the opening 112 and the workpiece 10 to be plated. In addition, even if a small amount of plating solution leaks from the opening 112 and the workpiece 10 to be plated, the non-plating area on the surface of the workpiece 10 to be plated can be insulated, for example, an insulating material is coated on the surface of the workpiece 10 to form an insulating layer that can block the plating solution from flowing out along the surface of the workpiece 10 to be plated, so as to avoid the problem of plating around.

[0063] In order to further improve the electroplating efficiency, the structure of the liquid flow channel 111 may be optimized.

[0064] In some optional embodiments, the liquid flow channel 111 further includes a first transition section 111b and a second transition section 111d, the first transition section 111b is arranged between the liquid inlet section 111a and the electroplating section 111c, the second transition section 111d is arranged between the liquid outlet section 111e and the electroplating section 111c, and the height of the lower edge of the electroplating section 111c in the Z direction is not higher than the height of the lower edges of the liquid inlet section 111a and the lower edges of the liquid outlet section 111e in the Z direction.

[0065] Reference Figure 6 The liquid flow channel 111 includes a liquid inlet section 111a, a first transition section 111b, an electroplating section 111c, a second transition section 111d and a liquid outlet section 111e which are connected in sequence, wherein the liquid inlet section 111a, the electroplating section 111c and the liquid outlet section 111e are all arranged to extend along the X direction, and the first transition section 111b and the second transition section 111d are arranged to be inclined relative to the X direction. Moreover, the height of the lower edge of the electroplating section 111c in the Z direction is not higher than the height of the lower edge of the liquid inlet section 111a and the lower edge of the liquid outlet section 111e in the Z direction, so that the electroplating liquid in the liquid inlet section 111a will flow into the electroplating section 111c more quickly under the action of its own gravity and contact with the workpiece 10 to be plated through the opening 112 for electroplating, thereby facilitating the improvement of electroplating efficiency.

[0066] Further, in some optional embodiments, the size of the opening 112 in the X direction is less than or equal to the size of the workpiece 10 in the X direction. In this case, the workpiece 10 in the X direction can cover the entire opening 112, thereby avoiding the problem of direct outflow of the plating solution at the opening 112 and causing leakage of the plating solution.

[0067] In addition, since the shape of the coating on the workpiece 10 to be plated is directly related to the shape and size of the opening 112 , the size of the opening 112 in the Y direction can be optimized for the specific coating.

[0068] For example, in some optional embodiments, when the object 10 to be plated is a battery cell, the opening 112 can be provided on the bottom surface of the electroplating body 100 and is provided as a rectangular opening 112 extending along the X direction, and the size of the opening 112 in the Y direction, that is, the width of the opening 112, is 0.1-10 mm, so as to facilitate electroplating on the battery cell to form a grid line corresponding to the size of the opening 112. For example, the size of the opening 112 in the Y direction can be 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.8 mm, 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm or any value between 0.1-10 mm.

[0069] In order to avoid the problem of scratches and damage caused by direct contact between the workpiece 10 and the electroplating body 100, in some optional embodiments, when the above-mentioned electroplating loop is formed, there is a Z-direction gap between the surface of the workpiece 10 and the opening 112. At this time, the workpiece 10 can be in contact with the electroplating solution flowing through the opening 112, and can also be separated from the electroplating body 100, thereby effectively avoiding direct contact between the workpiece 10 and the electroplating body 100 to cause damage.

[0070] For example, in some optional embodiments, the size of the Z-direction gap between the surface of the workpiece 10 to be plated and the opening 112 is 0.5-1 mm, and the gap between the surface of the workpiece 10 to be plated and the opening 112 is small enough to avoid leakage of the electroplating solution from between the surface of the workpiece 10 to be plated and the opening 112. For example, the size of the Z-direction gap between the surface of the workpiece 10 to be plated and the opening 112 can be 0.5 mm, 0.55 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.65 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.75 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.85 mm, 0.9 mm, 0.95 mm, 1 mm or any value between 0.5-1 mm.

[0071] Furthermore, in order to prevent the electroplating solution from leaking from the gap between the opening 112 and the workpiece 10 to be plated, the electroplating device 1000 may be designed to be sealed.

[0072] In some optional embodiments, the electroplating body 100 also has an air flow channel 121, which has an air inlet 122 and an air outlet 123; the air inlet 122 is used to connect to an external air source, and the air outlet 123 is arranged on both sides of the opening 112 in the Y direction, and the air outlet 123 is used to blow air toward the workpiece 10 to be plated.

[0073] Reference Figure 8 and Fig.11 The airflow channel 121 is a hollow channel dug inside the electroplating body 100. The air inlet 122 of the airflow channel 121 is used to connect to an external air source, such as a blower, etc., through which compressed air, nitrogen and other gases can be transported into the airflow channel 121. The airflow channel 121 is provided with two air outlets 123, which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the opening 112 in the Y direction, so as to blow air from both sides of the opening 112 to between the workpiece 10 to be plated and the opening 112, so that the gas is used to form a barrier on both sides of the opening 112, thereby avoiding the problem of leakage of the electroplating solution from between the opening 112 and the workpiece 10 to be plated. In addition, when blowing air between the opening 112 and the workpiece 10 to be plated through the airflow channel 121, the airflow can quickly dry the liquid on the surface of the workpiece 10 to be plated, so as to further avoid leakage of the electroplating solution.

[0074] It can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, the air flow channel 121 is provided to form a barrier to the electroplating liquid in the form of an air seal, which has a good sealing effect and can prevent the electroplating liquid from flowing out along the surface of the workpiece 10 to contact the conductive cathode 200 and cause plating on the conductive cathode 200, which is beneficial to ensuring the quality of electroplating.

[0075] Optionally, the number of the air inlet 122 of the air flow channel 121 may be one or more, for example, Figure 2 In addition to the three air inlets 122 shown in the figure, in some other embodiments, only one or two air inlets 122 may be provided, or four, five or more air inlets 122 may be provided.

[0076] In some optional embodiments, the air flow channel 121 includes an air inlet section 121a and an air outlet section 121b, the air inlet section 121a is connected to the air inlet 122, and the air outlet section 121b is connected to the air outlet 123; the air outlet section 121b is inclined relative to the surface of the plated component 10 so that the air outlet 123 can blow air toward the opening 112.

[0077] Reference Figure 8 and Fig.11One end of the air inlet section 121a is connected to the air inlet 122, and the other end of the air inlet section 121a is connected to the air outlet section 121b, and the end of the air outlet section 121b away from the air inlet section 121a forms an air outlet 123. Since the air outlet section 121b is inclined, the air outlet section 121b can guide the air flow inside it, so that the air flow is blown toward the opening 112 through the air outlet 123, thereby forming a barrier on both sides of the opening 112 to effectively prevent the leakage of the electroplating solution.

[0078] In some optional embodiments, the angle between the extension direction of the air outlet section 121b and the surface of the workpiece 10 to be plated is in the range of 15-60 degrees, that is, the extension direction of the air outlet section 121b forms an angle of 15-60 degrees with the XY plane, which helps to improve the sealing performance between the airflow blown out from the air outlet 123 and the opening 112 and the workpiece 10 to be plated. For example, the angle between the extension direction of the air outlet section 121b and the surface of the workpiece 10 to be plated can be 15 degrees, 20 degrees, 25 degrees, 30 degrees, 35 degrees, 40 degrees, 45 degrees, 50 degrees, 55 degrees, 60 degrees or any value between 15-60 degrees.

[0079] Further, in some optional embodiments, the size of the air outlet 123 in the X direction is greater than or equal to the size of the opening 112 in the X direction, that is, the length of the air outlet 123 is greater than or equal to the length of the opening 112. In this case, the air outlet 123 can blow air to the entire opening 112 in the X direction, so that the side of the entire opening 112 can be sealed by the airflow blown out by the air outlet 123, which is conducive to improving the sealing effect.

[0080] In some optional embodiments, the air outlet 123 and the opening 112 are located on the same horizontal plane, so that the side of the electroplating body 100 with the opening 112 is relatively flat. When the workpiece 10 to be plated is moved to the opening 112, it will not be blocked by other parts of the electroplating body 100, so that the workpiece 10 to be plated can be as close to the opening 112 as possible and contact the electroplating solution at the opening 112 to perform the electroplating operation.

[0081] It should be understood that, without departing from the design concept of the present application, based on the specific details of the liquid flow channel 111 and the air flow channel 121 introduced in the above embodiments, all electroplating bodies 100 with liquid flow channels 111 and air flow channels 121 of corresponding structural forms should be within the protection scope of the present application.

[0082] Exemplarily, in some optional embodiments, the electroplating body 100 may include an inner core 110 and an outer shell 120, the inner core 110 is provided with a liquid flow channel 111 and an opening 112, the outer shell 120 is arranged on the outside of the inner core 110 and together with the inner core 110 forms an air flow channel 121 and an air outlet 123, and the outer shell 120 is provided with an air inlet 122.

[0083] Reference Figures 2 to 5 , Figure 7 , a liquid inlet 113 and a liquid outlet 114 are respectively provided at both ends of the inner core 110, an opening 112 is provided on the bottom surface of the inner core 110, and a liquid flow channel 111 runs through the entire inner core 110 and is respectively connected to the liquid inlet 113, the opening 112 and the liquid outlet 114. In addition, the material of the inner core 110 is a conductive material and is electrically connected to the anode of the power supply, so that the power supply 400 is electrically connected to the electroplating solution via the inner core 110. Considering that the inner core 110 also needs to contact the electroplating solution, the material of the inner core 110 can be, for example, industrial pure titanium (for example, the grade is TA1-TA9) or other materials with good conductivity and acid and alkali resistance.

[0084] The outer shell 120 is sleeved outside the inner core 110 and forms an air flow channel 121 with the inner core 110. The top surface of the outer shell 120 is provided with an air inlet 122. The bottom surface of the outer shell 120 is separated from the inner core 110 on both sides in the Y direction, so that an air outlet 123 is formed on both sides of the inner core 110. In addition, the outer shell 120 is symmetrically arranged outside the inner core 110, so that the air outlets 123 on both sides of the inner core 110 are symmetrically distributed. The material of the outer shell 120 is a non-conductive and acid-resistant non-metallic material to insulate the inner core 110 inside it and avoid leakage problems in the electroplating body 100.

[0085] Thus, when electroplating is performed, the power anode, the inner core 110, the electroplating solution, the workpiece 10 to be plated, the conductive cathode 200 and the power cathode can be connected to form an electroplating loop, thereby realizing the electroplating operation. At the same time, through the air flow channel 121 between the outer shell 120 and the inner core 110, air can be blown from both sides of the opening 112 toward between the opening 112 and the workpiece 10 to be plated, so as to seal the electroplating solution from both sides of the opening 112 in the Y direction, thereby effectively avoiding the problem of electroplating solution leakage.

[0086] Optionally, in some embodiments, the inner core 110 may also be integrally formed with the outer shell 120 to reduce the operation of assembling the inner core 110 and the outer shell 120 and save time.

[0087] In some optional embodiments, the shell 120 includes a first body 124 and a cover 125. The cover 125 is arranged at one end of the first body 124 in the X direction and together with the first body 124 forms an installation cavity 126. The installation cavity 126 is used to accommodate the inner core 110 and together with the inner core 110 forms an air flow channel 121 and an air outlet 123; the first body 124 is provided with a first through hole 124a, and the cover 125 is provided with a second through hole 125a. The first through hole 124a and the second through hole 125a are connected to the liquid flow channel 111.

[0088] Reference Figure 4The first body 124 of the housing 120 is roughly in the shape of "Π", a hollow cavity is formed inside the first body 124, and an air inlet 122 is formed on the first body 124. A first through hole 124a is provided at one end of the first body 124, and the first through hole 124a is used to communicate with the liquid outlet 114. The other end of the first body 124 is an open structure to facilitate the installation of the inner core 110 into the first body 124. The bottom surface of the first body 124 and the opening 112 of the inner core 110 on both sides in the Y direction respectively form an air outlet 123. The cover 125 is connected to the open end of the first body 124 by bolts and together with the first body 124, it forms an installation cavity 126, and the inner core 110 is accommodated in the installation cavity 126. The cover 125 is provided with a second through hole 125a for communicating with the liquid inlet 113. The inner core 110 is connected to one end of the first body 124 by bolts, so that the inner core 110 and the first body 124 are relatively fixed. Thus, the inner wall of the first body 124, the inner wall of the cover 125 and the outer wall of the inner core 110 together form an air flow channel 121, so that air can be blown between the opening 112 and the workpiece 10 to achieve an air-sealing effect.

[0089] It should be understood that in other optional embodiments, both ends of the first body 124 can be set to an open structure. In this case, a cover 125 can be connected to both ends of the first body 124 to form an air flow channel 121 between the inner core 110.

[0090] In some optional embodiments, the electroplating body 100 further includes a sealing gasket 130 , which is disposed between the first body 124 and / or the cover 125 and the inner core 110 .

[0091] Reference Figure 7 Sealing gaskets 130 are provided at both ends of the inner core 110. The sealing gaskets 130 can improve the sealing between the end of the inner core 110 and the first body 124 and between the cover 125 and the end surface of the inner core 110, thereby avoiding air leakage in the air flow channel 121.

[0092] In some optional embodiments, the electroplating device 1000 further includes a carrying platform 500 , which is used to carry the workpiece 10 to be plated and is configured to drive the workpiece 10 to be plated to move along the X direction.

[0093] Specifically, the support platform 500 can be connected to an external driving component such as a motor, and the driving component drives the support platform 500 to move, thereby driving the workpiece 10 to move to the vicinity of the opening 112 and contact with the plating liquid flowing through the opening 112, thereby realizing automated electroplating operations, which is beneficial to improving the electroplating efficiency of the electroplating device 1000, reducing the electroplating error rate, and improving the electroplating quality.

[0094] Optionally, the material of the support platform 500 can be an insulating material that is resistant to acid and alkali corrosion, especially a material that has corrosion resistance against acidic or alkaline electroplating solutions such as tin plating solution, copper plating solution and nickel plating solution. For example, the material of the support platform 500 can be polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethane (PU), glass fiber composite plastic FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastics) and other non-metallic materials, or composite materials with the above materials as the matrix, and no special limitation is made in the embodiments of the present application.

[0095] In some optional embodiments, the carrier 500 includes a second body 510 and a positioning groove 520 disposed on the second body 510 , and the positioning groove 520 is used to accommodate the workpiece 10 to be plated.

[0096] Reference Fig. 9 and Fig.10 The second body 510 is a square structure, and the positioning groove 520 is arranged on the surface of the second body 510. The positioning groove 520 is set to a shape that matches the workpiece 10 to be plated, such as the square structure shown in the accompanying drawings. This makes it easy to firmly mount the workpiece 10 to be plated on the supporting platform 500, so as to ensure the smooth completion of the electroplating operation.

[0097] In some optional embodiments, the depth of the positioning groove 520 is less than or equal to the thickness of the workpiece 10 to be plated. When the depth of the positioning groove 520 is less than the thickness of the workpiece 10 to be plated, the workpiece 10 to be plated protrudes from the surface of the second body 510 after the workpiece 10 to be plated is placed in the positioning groove 520; when the depth of the positioning groove 520 is equal to the thickness of the workpiece 10 to be plated, the upper surface of the workpiece 10 to be plated is flush with the upper surface of the second body 510 after the workpiece 10 to be plated is placed in the positioning groove 520, so that the workpiece 10 to be plated is in contact with the electroplating solution at the opening 112.

[0098] Exemplarily, when the depth of the positioning groove 520 is less than the thickness of the workpiece 10 to be plated, the depth of the positioning groove 520 can be 0.05 mm, 0.055 mm, 0.06 mm, 0.065 mm, 0.07 mm, 0.075 mm, 0.08 mm, 0.085 mm, 0.09 mm, 0.095 mm, 0.1 mm or any value between 0.05-0.1 mm less than the thickness of the workpiece 10 to be plated.

[0099] It should be noted that one or more positioning grooves 520 may be provided on the carrier 500 of the embodiment of the present application. Accordingly, one carrier 500 may simultaneously carry one or more pieces to be plated 10. Figure 1 The embodiment shows that each carrier 500 carries one workpiece 10 to be plated and multiple carriers 500 are arranged in parallel. It should be understood that in other optional embodiments, each carrier 500 can also carry multiple workpieces 10 to be plated and multiple workpieces 10 to be plated can be placed on the carrier 500 in any arrangement.

[0100] In some optional embodiments, the electroplating apparatus 1000 further includes a liquid storage unit 300 , and the liquid storage unit 300 is used to supply the electroplating solution to the liquid flow channel 111 and receive the electroplating solution flowing out of the liquid flow channel 111 .

[0101] For example, the liquid storage unit 300 may include a liquid storage tank and a power member, wherein the liquid storage tank is disposed below the opening 112 of the electroplating body 100, and the liquid storage tank is used to provide and store the electroplating solution rich in metal ions. The power member may be, for example, a peristaltic pump or other conventional pump body, which is used to deliver the electroplating solution in the liquid storage tank into the liquid flow channel 111.

[0102] In some optional embodiments, the conductive cathode 200 is disposed on at least one side of the opening 112 in the Y direction.

[0103] For example, refer to Figure 1 and Fig.11 , there are two conductive cathodes 200, which are respectively arranged on both sides of the opening 112 in the Y direction, wherein the spacing between the two conductive cathodes 200 in the Y direction is less than or equal to the size of the workpiece 10 to be plated in the Y direction. At this time, the workpiece 10 to be plated can contact the two conductive cathodes 200 at the same time, and two electroplating loops can be formed by using the two conductive cathodes 200, which is conducive to improving the electroplating efficiency.

[0104] Furthermore, the conductive cathode 200 is in flexible contact with the surface of the workpiece 10 to be plated. For example, the conductive cathode 200 can be set to a roller type, a spring type, a brush type, etc. to avoid the problem of damage caused by friction when the conductive cathode 200 contacts the workpiece 10 to be plated.

[0105] In order to more clearly demonstrate the technical solution of the present application, a specific embodiment is provided below to illustrate the electroplating process.

[0106] At the beginning of electroplating, the workpiece 10 to be plated is first placed in the positioning groove 520 of the carrier 500, and the workpiece 10 to be plated is moved to the bottom of the opening 112 of the electroplating body 100 by the carrier 500 and maintains a certain gap with the electroplating body 100. Then the electroplating liquid is controlled to flow from the liquid inlet 113 into the liquid flow channel 111 and out from the liquid outlet 114, during which the electroplating liquid will continue to flow through the opening 112 and contact the surface of the workpiece 10 to be plated at the opening 112; at the same time, compressed air is introduced into the air flow channel 121 through the air inlet 122, and the compressed air is ejected from the air outlets 123 on both sides of the opening 112, thereby sealing the electroplating liquid in the gap between the workpiece 10 to be plated and the electroplating body 100. Then, the power anode is electrically connected to the electroplating body 100, the power cathode is electrically connected to the conductive cathode 200, and the conductive cathode 200 is electrically connected to the workpiece 10 to be plated. Then, the power anode, the electroplating body 100, the electroplating solution, the workpiece 10 to be plated, the conductive cathode 200 and the power cathode are connected to form an electroplating loop. Thus, when the workpiece 10 to be plated is electroplated through the electroplating loop, the electroplating efficiency can be improved, and the problem of plating on the conductive cathode 200 caused by leakage of the electroplating solution can be avoided.

[0107] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and cannot be understood as limitations on the present application. Those skilled in the art can change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An electroplating device, characterized in that: include: An electroplating body, having a liquid flow channel and an opening connected to the liquid flow channel, wherein the liquid flow channel is configured to allow electroplating liquid to flow in the electroplating body so that the electroplating liquid contacts the workpiece to be plated through the opening, and the electroplating body is used to be electrically connected to a power source anode; The conductive cathode is used to be electrically connected to the power cathode, and the conductive cathode is used to be electrically connected to the workpiece to be plated so that the power cathode, the workpiece to be plated, the electroplating solution, the electroplating body and the power anode are connected to form an electroplating loop.

2. The electroplating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid flow channel comprises a liquid inlet section, an electroplating section and a liquid outlet section, and the liquid inlet section, the electroplating section and the liquid outlet section are arranged along the X direction; The liquid inlet section is provided with a liquid inlet, the electroplating section is connected to the opening, and the liquid outlet section is provided with a liquid outlet; Wherein, the X direction is the flow direction of the electroplating solution.

3. The electroplating device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cross-sectional area of ​​the electroplating solution in the electroplating section is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the electroplating solution in the liquid inlet section and the liquid outlet section.

4. The electroplating device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The liquid flow channel also includes a first transition section and a second transition section, the first transition section is arranged between the liquid inlet section and the electroplating section, the second transition section is arranged between the liquid outlet section and the electroplating section, and the height of the lower edge of the electroplating section in the Z direction is not higher than the height of the lower edge of the liquid inlet section and the lower edge of the liquid outlet section in the Z direction.

5. The electroplating device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The size of the opening in the X direction is less than or equal to the size of the object to be plated in the X direction; and / or The size of the opening in the Y direction is 0.1-10 mm.

6. The electroplating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The electroplating body also has an air flow channel, and the air flow channel has an air inlet and an air outlet; The air inlet is used for connecting to an external air source, the air outlet is arranged on both sides of the opening in the Y direction, and the air outlet is used for blowing air toward the workpiece to be plated.

7. The electroplating device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The air flow channel includes an air inlet section and an air outlet section, the air inlet section is connected to the air inlet, and the air outlet section is connected to the air outlet; The air outlet section is arranged obliquely relative to the surface of the workpiece to be plated, so that the air outlet can blow air toward the opening.

8. The electroplating device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The angle between the extension direction of the air outlet section and the surface of the workpiece to be plated is in the range of 15-60 degrees.

9. The electroplating device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The size of the air outlet in the X direction is greater than or equal to the size of the opening in the X direction.

10. The electroplating device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The air outlet and the opening are located on the same horizontal plane.

11. The electroplating device according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that: The electroplating body includes an inner core and an outer shell, wherein the inner core is provided with the liquid flow channel and the opening, the outer shell is arranged outside the inner core and together with the inner core surrounds the air flow channel and the air outlet, and the outer shell is provided with the air inlet.

12. The electroplating device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The housing comprises a first body and a cover, wherein the cover is arranged at one end of the first body in the X direction and forms a mounting cavity together with the first body, wherein the mounting cavity is used to accommodate the inner core and forms the air flow channel and the air outlet together with the inner core; The first body is provided with a first through hole, the cover is provided with a second through hole, and the first through hole and the second through hole are communicated with the liquid flow channel.

13. The electroplating device according to any one of claims 1-5, 7-10 and 12, characterized in that: The electroplating device further comprises a carrying platform, which is used to carry the workpiece to be plated and is configured to drive the workpiece to be plated to move along the X direction.

14. The electroplating device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The supporting platform includes a second body and a positioning groove arranged on the second body, and the positioning groove is used to accommodate the workpiece to be plated.

15. The electroplating device according to any one of claims 1-5, 7-10 and 12, characterized in that: The electroplating device is used for electroplating to form a coating on a solar cell, a packaging shell, a printed circuit board, a medical device or a handicraft.

Images