Sheet taking and placing mechanism and sheet feeding and discharging system

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of semiconductors and light, in particular to a sheet taking and placing mechanism and a sheet feeding and discharging system, and solves the problem that limited sheets on a bearing mechanism are difficult to take and place in the related art. The sheet taking and placing mechanism comprises a connecting assembly, one or more grabbing pieces, a first driving piece, one or more clamping pieces and a second driving piece; the grabbing pieces are movably connected to the connecting assembly, each grabbing piece is configured to place a sheet on the bearing position or take away the sheet from the bearing position, the first driving piece is arranged on the connecting assembly and connected with the grabbing pieces, the clamping pieces are movably connected to the connecting assembly, the clamping pieces and the limiting pieces are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence mode, and the clamping pieces are arranged on the connecting assembly and connected with the first driving piece. The clamping pieces can be matched with or released from the corresponding limiting pieces, and the second driving piece is connected with one or more clamping pieces. According to the sheet taking and placing mechanism and the sheet feeding and discharging system, the limited sheets on the bearing mechanism can be conveniently and rapidly taken and placed, and the feeding and discharging speed is increased.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the fields of semiconductor and photovoltaic technology, and in particular to a sheet handling mechanism and a sheet loading and unloading system. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of photovoltaic technology, solar cells are widely used in various fields. When solar cells are processed in a certain step, they need to be loaded and unloaded by a loading and unloading device. However, this loading and unloading device requires multiple steps to retrieve cells from baskets or other tooling and multiple steps to place processed cells, resulting in a slow cycle time.

[0003] Especially for some solar cells placed on the carrier mechanism, the solar cells are limited by some special structures on the carrier mechanism. When picking up and placing solar cells on the carrier mechanism, it is necessary to overcome the limitations of the special structures before loading and unloading can be carried out, resulting in low loading and unloading efficiency and easy damage to solar cells. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a sheet picking and placing mechanism and a sheet loading and unloading system to solve the problem in the related art that it is difficult to pick up and place sheets that are restricted on the carrying mechanism.

[0005] In a first aspect, one embodiment of this disclosure provides a sheet picking and placing mechanism configured to pick up and place one or more sheets onto one or more bearing positions of a bearing mechanism. The bearing mechanism includes one or more limit members configured to restrict each sheet to a bearing position. The sheet picking and placing mechanism includes: a connecting assembly capable of moving vertically to approach or move away from the bearing mechanism; one or more grippers movably connected to the connecting assembly, each gripper configured to place a sheet onto a bearing position or remove a sheet from a bearing position; and a first driving member disposed on the connecting assembly, the first driving member being connected to the grippers, the first driving member being capable of... The first drive unit is capable of driving the gripper to move vertically relative to the connecting assembly; one or more clamping members are movably connected to the connecting assembly, with each clamping member corresponding to a limiting member, and the clamping member can engage or disengage with the corresponding limiting member; a second drive unit is disposed on the connecting assembly and is connected to one or more clamping members; wherein, when the clamping member engages with the limiting member, the second drive unit can drive the clamping member to move the limiting member, so that the sheet is restricted or unrestricted; when the sheet is unrestricted, the first drive unit can drive the gripper to move vertically relative to the connecting assembly to grip or place the sheet at the bearing position.

[0006] In some embodiments, the connecting assembly includes: a base configured to move vertically toward or away from the load-bearing mechanism; a first driving member connected to the base; a connecting plate fixedly connected to the base, the connecting plate being located on the side of the base closer to the load-bearing mechanism; and a second driving member connected to the base or the connecting plate. When the second driving member is connected to the base, the second driving member is configured to drive the connecting assembly to move vertically toward or away from the load-bearing mechanism, and simultaneously drive the clamping member to move the limiting member. When the second driving member is connected to the connecting plate, the second driving member is configured to drive the clamping member to move the limiting member.

[0007] In some embodiments, when the second drive member is connected to the base, with the clamping member and the limiting member cooperating, the gripper is located at a first distance above the bearing position; the second drive member drives the connecting assembly to move away from the bearing mechanism in the vertical direction, while the clamping member can drive the limiting member to move, so that the sheet is released from restriction. At this time, the gripper is driven from the first distance above the bearing position to a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

[0008] In some embodiments, the device further includes: a third driving member disposed on the connecting assembly, the third driving member being connected to one or more clamping members, configured to drive at least a portion of the clamping member into or out of the gap between the limiting member and the carrying mechanism, such that the clamping member engages or disengages with the limiting member; a limiting slide rail disposed on the connecting assembly, the limiting slide rail being connected to one or more clamping members; the third driving member enables the clamping member to move horizontally and extend into the gap between the limiting member and the carrying mechanism to engage the clamping member with the limiting member, at which time the limiting member remains in a limiting state, thereby restricting the sheet; when the clamping member engages with the limiting member, the second driving member enables the clamping member to move the limiting member, one end of the limiting member being driven from inside the carrying position to outside its vertical projection on the carrying mechanism, thereby changing the limiting member from a limiting state to an open state, thereby releasing the sheet from restriction.

[0009] In some embodiments, the limiting member includes a spring sheet having a fixed end and a movable end. The fixed end is fixedly connected to the bearing mechanism, and the movable end is configured to abut against the sheet. There is a mating gap between the spring sheet and the bearing mechanism. The sheet picking and placing mechanism includes a third driving member disposed on the connecting assembly and connected to one or more clamping members. The third driving member is configured to drive at least a portion of the clamping member into or out of the mating gap, such that the clamping member engages with or disengages from the limiting member. Each clamping member includes: a connecting portion connected to the third driving member; and a contact portion connected to the connecting portion. When the clamping member engages with the limiting member, the second driving member can drive the clamping member to move the limiting member, and the contact portion can cause the spring sheet to elastically deform so that the movable end is located outside the bearing position in the vertical direction of the orthogonal projection onto the bearing mechanism.

[0010] In some embodiments, the contact portion extends along a first extending direction in a horizontal plane, the line connecting the fixed end and the movable end is a first connecting line, the extending direction of the first connecting line is perpendicular to the first extending direction in a horizontal plane, and the third driving member can drive the connecting portion to move along the first extending direction so that the contact portion extends into or out of the mating gap.

[0011] In some embodiments, multiple bearing positions are arranged along the row and column directions of the bearing mechanism, and multiple limiting members are provided on both sides of each bearing position in the column direction. The sheet picking and placing mechanism further includes multiple connecting rods arranged in parallel along the row direction, and each connecting rod extends along the column direction. Each connecting rod is connected to one or more third driving members. Each connecting rod is configured to connect the connecting parts of the same column or multiple columns. The movement direction of one or more connecting parts in each column is parallel to the extension direction of the contact part.

[0012] In some embodiments, the contact portion extends in the horizontal plane in a direction parallel to the row direction, or the contact portion has a predetermined angle between the extension direction in the horizontal plane and the row direction.

[0013] In some embodiments, the gripper includes: a fixed frame connected to a first drive member; a plurality of adsorption parts distributed on one side of the fixed frame near the support mechanism; and the orthographic projection of each adsorption part is located near the edge of the support position.

[0014] In some embodiments, the device further includes: one or more guide members connected together to the first drive member, each guide member being connected to one or more gripping members; one or more support rods connected vertically to the base and the connecting plate; and a fixing plate located between the base and the connecting plate, the fixing plate being connected to the first drive member and the fixing plate being connected to one or more guide members.

[0015] Secondly, this disclosure also provides a sheet loading and unloading system, including: a carrying mechanism having one or more carrying positions, each carrying position being configured to carry a sheet; the carrying mechanism including one or more limit members, the limit members being configured to restrict each sheet to a carrying position, the limit members having a limited state and an open state; the sheet picking and placing mechanism described above, configured to pick and place the sheet at the carrying position; and a transfer mechanism connected to the sheet picking and placing mechanism, the transfer mechanism being configured to drive the sheet picking and placing mechanism to move laterally above or away from the carrying mechanism.

[0016] This disclosure provides a sheet material handling mechanism. A second driving member drives a clamping member to move a corresponding limiting member, thereby restricting or releasing the sheet material. When the sheet material is released from restriction, a first driving member drives a gripping member to grip the sheet material on a support position or place the gripped sheet material on the support position. This ensures that before the sheet material needs to be gripped or placed on the support position, the clamping member's movement first opens the limiting member, allowing the sheet material to be easily and quickly placed on or removed from the support position, thus improving the sheet material handling speed and overall loading / unloading efficiency.

[0017] In addition, the sheet loading and unloading mechanism can simultaneously pick up and unload multiple sheets from the limited support mechanism, further improving the speed of sheet loading and unloading. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the more detailed description of the embodiments thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of this disclosure and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this disclosure to explain the disclosure and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components or steps.

[0019] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of a sheet loading and unloading system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 2 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the sheet loading and unloading mechanism and the bearing mechanism provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 3 As shown Figure 2 The enlarged view of part A, showing the sheet handling mechanism cooperating with the bearing mechanism and the limiting component in the limiting state.

[0022] Figure 4 As shown Figure 2 The enlarged view of part A, showing the sheet handling mechanism cooperating with the bearing mechanism and the limiting component in the open state.

[0023] Figure 5 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the connection component and clamping member cooperating according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0024] Figure 6 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the first driving member and the gripping member provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0025] Figure 7 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the sheet loading and unloading mechanism and the bearing mechanism provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0026] Figure 8 As shown Figure 7 The enlarged view shows a portion of part B in the cooperation between the sheet handling mechanism and the bearing mechanism.

[0027] Figure label:

[0028] 10. Sheet loading and unloading system; 1. Sheet picking and placing mechanism; 11. Connecting assembly; 111. Base; 112. Connecting plate; 1121. Through hole; 113. Support rod; 12. First driving component; 13. Gripping component; 131. Fixing frame; 132. Adsorption part; 133. Guide component; 1331. Bearing seat; 1332. Guide shaft; 134. Fixing plate; 14. Clamping component; 141. Connecting part; 142. Contact part; 15. Third driving component; 16. Connecting... 17. Connecting rod; 18. Fixed rod; 19. Second driving component; 2. Limiting slide rail; 2. Transfer mechanism; 21. Support frame; 22. First driving part; 23. Slide plate; 3. Bearing mechanism; 3a. Bearing position; 3a1. Bearing space; 31. Limiting component; 311. Movable end; 312. Fixed end; 31a. Fitting clearance; 4. Sheet; M. First extension direction; L1. First distance; L2. Second distance; X. First direction; Y. Second direction; Z. Vertical direction. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0030] This disclosure provides a sheet handling mechanism, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The sheet handling mechanism 1 is applied to the sheet loading and unloading system 10. It should be emphasized that the direction pointed to by arrow Z in the figure is the vertical direction, the direction pointed to by arrow X is the first direction, which is also the direction of linear movement of the sheet handling mechanism 1 driven by the transfer mechanism 2 between different process positions. It can be adaptively adjusted according to the actual placement position of the process position. The direction pointed to by arrow Y is the second direction. The second direction Y is perpendicular to the first direction X in the horizontal plane and is not specifically limited.

[0031] Specifically, the sheet loading and unloading system 10 has at least one process station, each capable of holding at least one sheet 4. The sheet loading and unloading system 10 may specifically include a transfer mechanism 2, a support mechanism 3, and a sheet picking and placing mechanism 1. The support mechanism 3 is placed at the process station to support at least one sheet 4. The sheet picking and placing mechanism 1 is connected to the transfer mechanism 2, and the transfer mechanism 2 can drive the sheet picking and placing mechanism 1 to perform a linear reciprocating motion along a certain horizontal direction on a horizontal plane, thereby moving the sheet picking and placing mechanism 1 above the support mechanism 3 at a certain process station.

[0032] It is understood that the process position may include, for example, a first process position carrying unprocessed sheets and a second process position carrying processed sheets. The sheet picking and placing mechanism 1 may be configured to remove one or more unprocessed sheets from the first process position and place one or more processed sheets 4 in the second process position. In other embodiments, the process position may also include a third process position, a fourth process position, etc., with multiple process positions arranged linearly along a certain direction so that the transfer mechanism 2 can drive the sheet picking and placing mechanism 1 to move to any process position to pick up or place the sheet 4, without specific limitations.

[0033] Optionally, the carrying mechanism 3 can be, for example, a carrier plate placed at a process station. At least one side of the carrier plate has one or more carrying positions 3a, each carrying position 3a for carrying a sheet 4. The carrier plate can be slidably connected to a conveying mechanism to input or output the carrier plate to the corresponding process station via the conveying mechanism. For example, the conveying mechanism can convey the carrier plate to the position for loading unprocessed sheets, so that sheet 4 is loaded onto the carrier plate at that position. The conveying mechanism can then convey the carrier plate loaded with unprocessed sheet 4 to the first process station. The sheet pick-and-place mechanism 1 removes the unprocessed sheet from the carrier plate at the first process station and feeds it to the corresponding process equipment for processing. After processing by the process equipment, the sheet 4 is unloaded by the sheet pick-and-place mechanism 1 to the second process station. The conveying mechanism outputs the carrier plate loaded with processed sheet 4 from the second process station to the next process. It should be emphasized that the shape and size of the carrier plate used to carry the sheet 4 can be adaptively adjusted according to actual needs and are not specifically limited.

[0034] Additionally, the carrier plate is provided with one or more limiting members 31. The limiting members 31 are configured to restrict each sheet 4 to the bearing position 3a. The limiting members 31 have a limiting state and an open state. In the limiting state, the limiting members 31 ensure that the sheet 4 is supported on the bearing position 3a and prevent the sheet 4 from moving relative to the carrier plate. In the open state, the limiting members 31 do not restrict the sheet 4 on the bearing position 3a. It is understood that the specific structure of the limiting members 31 provided on different carrier plates may vary depending on different limiting requirements.

[0035] Optionally, the limiting member 31 can be a deformable spring sheet, such as a thin metal sheet or a deformable non-metallic sheet. One end of the spring sheet is fixedly connected to the carrier plate along its length, and the other end is a free end. The deformation capability of the spring sheet is used to complete the conversion between the limiting state and the open state. Alternatively, the limiting member 31 can be a combination of a pressure plate that does not have a deformation capability and a spiral spring. The spiral spring is fixedly connected to the carrier plate, one end of the pressure plate is connected to the spiral spring, and the other end is a free end. The deformation capability of the spiral spring drives the pressure plate to rotate around the end connected to the spiral spring as the axis, thereby completing the conversion between the limiting state and the open state. In other examples, the limiting member 31 can also be set as other mating structures that can complete the conversion between the limiting state and the open state, without specific limitations. In this embodiment, the limiting member 31 is a deformable spring sheet arranged along the periphery of the bearing position 3a.

[0036] In some alternative embodiments, the transfer mechanism 2 includes a support frame 21, on which a slide plate 23 is slidably connected. A first drive unit 22 connected to the support frame 21 can drive the slide plate 23 to move linearly in a first direction X. A sheet picking and placing mechanism 1 is connected to the slide plate 23. The first drive unit 22 drives the sheet picking and placing mechanism 1 to move in the first direction X, which can realize the conversion between different process positions.

[0037] Optionally, the support frame 21 and the slide plate 23 may be provided with matching guide rails and sliders, with the guide rails extending along the first direction X, so that the slide plate 23 can slide more smoothly and stably relative to the support frame 21 along the first direction X.

[0038] It is understood that the first drive unit 22 can be configured as a drive component such as a drive motor or a drive cylinder that can achieve linear motion in a certain direction, without specific limitations.

[0039] Optionally, the sheet 4 can be a silicon wafer, which needs to be processed through different processes to finally become a usable solar cell. The shape of the silicon wafer can be, for example, rectangular, square, or circular, and the size and shape of the bearing position 3a on the carrier plate can be adjusted adaptively according to the different specifications and dimensions of the silicon wafer, without being specifically limited.

[0040] In some embodiments, the sheet handling mechanism 1 includes a connecting component 11, one or more gripping components, a first driving member 12, one or more clamping members 14, and a second driving member 18. The connecting component 11 is capable of moving in the vertical direction Z to approach or move away from the support mechanism 3. The gripping member 13 is movably connected to the connecting component 11. Each gripping member 13 is configured to place the sheet 4 on the support position 3a or remove the sheet 4 from the support position 3a. The first driving member 12 is disposed on the connecting component 11 and connected to the gripping member 13. The first driving member 12 is capable of driving the gripping member 13 to move relative to the connecting component 11 in the vertical direction Z. One or more clamping members 14 are movably connected to the connecting component 11. The clamping members 14 are correspondingly disposed with the limiting members 31. The clamping members 14 are capable of engaging or disengaging with the corresponding limiting members 31. The second driving member 18 is disposed on the connecting component 11 and is connected to one or more clamping members 14. When the clamping member 14 cooperates with the limiting member 31, the second driving member 18 can drive the clamping member 14 to move the limiting member 31 so that the sheet 4 is restricted or unrestricted; when the sheet 4 is unrestricted, the first driving member 12 can drive the gripping member 13 to move relative to the connecting assembly 11 in the vertical direction Z so as to grip or place the sheet 4 at the bearing position 3a.

[0041] The sheet handling mechanism 1 provided in this embodiment can drive the clamping member 14 to move the corresponding limiting member 31 through the provided second driving member 18, so that the sheet 4 is restricted or unrestricted. When the sheet 4 is unrestricted, the provided first driving member 12 can drive the gripping member 13 to grip the sheet 4 on the bearing position 3a or place the gripped sheet 4 on the bearing position 3a. Thus, before the sheet 4 needs to be gripped or placed on the bearing position 3a, the driving clamping member 14 will first open the limiting member 31, so that the sheet 4 can be conveniently and quickly placed on or removed from the bearing position 3a, thereby improving the speed of sheet handling and thus improving the loading and unloading efficiency.

[0042] In addition, the gripping member 13 and the limiting member 31 in the sheet picking and placing mechanism 1 can be set to multiple according to the number of sheets 4 placed on the carrying mechanism 3, so that the sheet picking and placing mechanism 1 can pick up and place multiple sheets 4 at the same time from the carrying mechanism 3 which is limited by the limiting member 31, thereby further improving the sheet picking and placing speed and loading and unloading rate.

[0043] The following describes in detail the specific structure of the sheet picking and placing mechanism 1 of this disclosure, taking as an example that multiple clamping members 14 and gripping members 13 are respectively set in the sheet picking and placing mechanism 1.

[0044] In some embodiments, the second driving member 18 is indirectly connected to the clamping member 14, and when the clamping member 14 cooperates with the limiting member 31, the second driving member 18 can simultaneously drive the clamping member 14 and the gripping member 13 to move in the vertical direction Z. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The connecting assembly 11 includes a fixedly connected base 111 and a connecting plate 112. The first driving member 12 and the second driving member 18 are both connected to the base 111, and the second driving member 18 is connected to the slide plate 23. The connecting plate 112 is located on the side of the base 111 close to the bearing mechanism 3. The second driving member 18 can drive the connecting assembly 11 to move in the vertical direction Z, thereby indirectly driving the clamping member 14 and the gripping member 13 on the connecting assembly 11 to move in the vertical direction Z at the same time. When the clamped member 14 moves to release the sheet 4, the first driving member 12 can drive the gripping member 13 to move in the vertical direction Z relative to the clamping member 14, so as to remove the sheet 4 from the bearing position 3a or place the sheet 4 on the bearing position 3a.

[0045] In an optional embodiment, the second driving member 18 can be indirectly connected to the clamping member 14, and the second driving member 18 can only drive the clamping member 14 to drive the limiting member 31 to move (not shown in the figure). The connecting assembly 11 includes a base 111 and a connecting plate 112 that are fixedly connected. The first driving member 12 is connected to the base 111, the connecting plate 112 is located on the side of the base 111 near the bearing mechanism 3, and the second driving member 18 is connected to the connecting plate 112. At this time, the base 111 can be fixedly connected to the slide plate 23, and the first driving member 12 and the second driving member 18 can drive the gripper 13 and the clamping member 14 to move independently, respectively.

[0046] The sheet loading and unloading mechanism 1 of this disclosure will be described in detail below, taking the example that both the first driving member 12 and the second driving member 18 are connected to the base 111.

[0047] like Figures 1 to 4 When the clamping member 14 and the limiting member 31 are engaged, the gripping member 13 is located at a first distance L1 above the bearing position 3a; the second driving member 18 drives the connecting component 11 to move away from the bearing mechanism 3 in the vertical direction Z, and at the same time the clamping member 14 can move in the vertical direction Z to drive the limiting member 31 to move, so that the sheet 4 is released from restriction. At this time, the gripping member 13 is driven from the first distance L1 above the bearing position 3a to the second distance L2, and the second distance L2 is greater than the first distance L1.

[0048] Optionally, the base 111 and the connecting plate 112 can be fixedly connected in the vertical Z direction by one or more support rods 113. The base 111, the connecting plate 112 and the support rods 113 enclose a receiving space to facilitate the arrangement of other components in the receiving space and improve the compactness of the structural layout.

[0049] It is understood that the spring has a fixed end 312 and a movable end 311. The fixed end 312 is fixedly connected to the bearing mechanism 3, and the movable end 311 is configured to abut against the sheet 4. When the limiting member 31 is in the limiting state, the movable end 311 is at least partially located in the bearing position 3a along the vertical direction Z of the bearing mechanism 3. When the limiting member 31 is in the open state, the movable end 311 is located outside the bearing space 3a1 enclosed by the bearing position 3a along the vertical direction Z of the bearing mechanism 3. There is a fitting gap 31a between the spring and the bearing mechanism 3.

[0050] In some embodiments, the sheet handling mechanism 1 further includes a third driving member 15, which is disposed on the connecting assembly 11 and connected to one or more clamping members 14. The third driving member 15 is configured to drive at least a portion of the clamping member 14 into or out of the mating gap 31a between the limiting member 31 and the carrying mechanism 3, thereby engaging or disengaging the clamping member 14 with the limiting member 31. Specifically, when the second driving member 18 is disposed on the base 111, the third driving member 15 can be connected to the connecting plate 112. The third driving member 15 drives the movement of the clamping member 14 to engage or disengage the clamping member 14 with the limiting member 31. The second driving member 18 drives the clamping member 14 and the gripping member 13 to move simultaneously in the vertical direction Z, thereby causing the clamping member 14 to drive the limiting member 31 to move.

[0051] It is understood that when the second driving member 18 is disposed on the connecting plate 112, the second driving member 18 and the third driving member 15 can be combined together to make the clamping member 14 move to engage or disengage with the limiting member 31, and to drive the clamping member 14 to move the limiting member 31 when the clamping member 14 engages with the limiting member 31, which will not be described in detail.

[0052] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 and Figure 7 The sheet handling mechanism 1 also includes a limiting slide rail 19, which is disposed on the connecting plate 112. The limiting slide rail 19 is connected to one or more clamping members 14. The third driving member 15 can move the clamping member 14 in the horizontal plane and extend into the mating gap 31a to engage the clamping member 14 with the limiting member 31. At this time, the limiting member 31 remains in a limiting state, so that the sheet 4 is restricted. When the clamping member 14 and the limiting member 31 are engaged, the second driving member 18 can drive the clamping member 14 to move the limiting member 31. One end of the limiting member 31 is driven from inside the bearing position 3a to outside along the vertical direction Z in the orthogonal projection of the bearing mechanism 3, so that the limiting member 31 changes from the limiting state to the open state, so that the sheet 4 is released from restriction.

[0053] Specifically, the clamping member 14 includes a connecting part 141 and a contact part 142. The connecting part 141 is connected to the third driving member 15, and the contact part 142 is connected to the connecting part 141. When the clamping member 14 cooperates with the limiting member 31, the second driving member 18 can drive the clamping member 14 to move the limiting member 31. The contact part 142 can cause the spring to generate elastic deformation so that the movable end 311 is located outside the bearing position 3a in the orthogonal projection of the bearing mechanism 3 along the vertical direction Z.

[0054] Optionally, the connected portion 141 and the contact portion 142 can form an L-shaped hook structure. The lower part of the hook structure is the contact portion 142, which is used to extend into the mating gap 31a enclosed by the spring and the bearing mechanism 3. This hook structure hooks the spring, allowing the clamping member 14 to move vertically in the Z direction under the drive of the second driving member 18, thereby causing the spring to deform or reset. In other examples, the connected portion 141 and the contact portion 142 can also form other mating structures. The specific shape of the clamping member 14 can be adaptively adjusted according to the structure of the limiting member 31 to be mated, without specific limitation.

[0055] Optionally, the contact portion 142 extends along a first extending direction M in the horizontal plane (e.g., ...). Figure 8 Extending in the direction indicated by the double arrow M, the line connecting the fixed end 312 and the movable end 311 is the first line. The extension direction of the first line is perpendicular to the first extension direction M in the horizontal plane. The third driving member 15 can drive the connecting part 141 to move along the first extension direction M so that the contact part 142 extends into or out of the mating gap 31a.

[0056] In some optional embodiments, when multiple bearing positions 3a are arranged in the bearing mechanism 3 along the row and column directions, multiple limiting members 31 are provided on both sides of each bearing position 3a in the column direction. It is understood that the row direction can be the second direction Y, the column direction can be the first direction X, and the row and column directions are perpendicular to each other in the horizontal plane. In other examples, the row and column directions can also be other directions besides the first direction X and the second direction Y. They can be adaptively adjusted according to actual needs and are not specifically limited.

[0057] The sheet handling mechanism 1 also includes a plurality of connecting rods 16, which are arranged in parallel along the row direction and each connecting rod 16 extends along the column direction. Each connecting rod 16 is connected to one or more third driving members 15. Each connecting rod 16 is configured to connect to the connecting parts 141 of the same column or multiple columns. The movement direction of one or more connecting parts 141 in each column is parallel to the extension direction of the contact part 142.

[0058] It is understood that the first extension direction M (i.e. the extension direction of the contact portion 142 in the horizontal plane) can be parallel to the row direction, or the first extension direction M can have a preset angle with the row direction. The preset angle can be, for example, 10°, 15°, 20°, etc., and can be adaptively adjusted according to the specific form of the spring piece arranged on the bearing mechanism 3, without being specifically limited.

[0059] Optionally, the third driving member 15 can be multiple driving cylinders disposed on the connecting plate 112. The multiple driving cylinders can be connected to the connecting rod 16 through the fixing rod 17 respectively. The driving cylinder can drive the connecting rod 16 to reciprocate along the first extension direction M so that the hook-shaped clamping member 14 can hook the spring piece from the mating gap 31a or unhook the spring piece. This will not be described in detail.

[0060] In some embodiments, such as Figures 6 to 8 The gripping component 13 includes a fixing frame 131 and multiple adsorption parts 132. The fixing frame 131 is connected to the first driving component 12. The multiple adsorption parts 132 are distributed on the side of the fixing frame 131 near the bearing mechanism 3, and the orthographic projection of each adsorption part 132 is located near the edge of the bearing position 3a. By distributing the multiple adsorption parts 132, the contact area with the gripped sheet 4 can be reduced, the degree of damage to the sheet 4 can be reduced, and the generation of microcracks can be avoided. Furthermore, the distribution of multiple adsorption parts 132 can adapt to the gripping of sheets 4 of different specifications, thus having compatibility.

[0061] Optionally, the sheet handling mechanism 1 further includes one or more guide members 133, which are collectively connected to the first drive member 12, and each guide member 133 is connected to one or more gripping members 13. The connecting plate 112 has one or more through holes 1121; the guide member 133 includes: a bearing seat 1331, fixedly connected to the inner wall of the through hole 1121, the bearing seat 1331 having a bearing hole; a guide shaft 1332, passing through the bearing hole and connecting the first drive member 12 and the gripping member 13 respectively, the outer wall of the guide shaft 1332 having a guide groove in the vertical direction Z; and a ball bearing, rollingly connected to the guide groove, and the ball bearing being confined between the guide shaft 1332 and the bearing seat 1331. The guide member 133 provides guidance for the movement of the gripping member 13 in the vertical direction Z. In other embodiments, the guide member 133 can also be configured as a mating structure such as a guide rail or a slider, or other mating structures with guiding capabilities, without specific limitations.

[0062] Optionally, when the first driving member 12 is set to one and the gripping member 13 is set to multiple, the multiple gripping members 13 are respectively connected to the guide member 133, and the multiple guide members 133 can be connected by a fixing plate 134. The fixing plate 134 is located between the base 111 and the connecting plate 112. The fixing plate 134 is connected to the first driving member 12, so that the multiple gripping members 13 can be driven to rise or fall simultaneously by one first driving member 12.

[0063] It is understood that the first driving component 12 can be a cylinder set on the base 111. The cylinder's push rod is connected to the fixed plate 134 so that the cylinder pushes the fixed plate 134 to rise or fall in the vertical direction Z, thereby realizing the synchronous rise or fall of multiple gripping components 13. The specific structure of the first driving component 12 will not be described in detail.

[0064] When both the first driving member 12 and the second driving member 18 are disposed on the base 111, the working process of the sheet picking and placing mechanism 1 includes: when the sheet 4 is held at the bearing position 3a of the bearing mechanism 3, the limiting member 31 is in a limiting state to restrict the movement of the sheet 4 relative to the bearing position 3a. The sheet picking and placing mechanism 1 without the sheet 4 being picked up is moved to above the corresponding process position, and the gripping member 13 is higher than the clamping member 14 in the vertical direction. The second driving member 18 can drive the connecting assembly 11 to descend along the vertical direction Z. At this time, the gripping member 13 and the clamping member 14 descend simultaneously until the contact portion 142 of the clamping member 14 is opposite to the mating gap 31a in the first extension direction M. The second driving member 18 stops driving the connecting assembly 11. At this time, the gripping member 13 is located at a first distance L1 above the bearing position 3a. Then, the third drive member 15 can be activated, driving the clamping member 14 to move along the first extension direction M so that the contact portion 142 at least partially extends into the mating gap 31a, realizing the engagement of the clamping member 14 and the limiting member 31. Then, the second drive member 18 drives the connecting assembly 11 to rise along the vertical direction Z until the distance from the gripper 13 to the bearing position 3a is the second distance l2. At this point, the second drive member 18 stops driving the connecting assembly 11 to move. During this movement, the movement of the clamping member 14 in the vertical direction Z causes the spring sheet to deform, so that the projection of the movable end 311 along the vertical direction Z onto the bearing mechanism 3 is outside the bearing position 3a, causing the limiting member 31 to change from the limiting state to the open state. At this time, the first drive member 12 drives the gripper 13 to descend along the vertical direction Z to grip the sheet 4 and reset it. The second driving member 18 lowers the connecting assembly 11 as a whole until the distance between the gripper 13 and the bearing position 3a is the first distance L1, at which point the spring returns to its original position, transitioning from the open state to the limited state. However, at this point, the sheet 4 on the bearing position 3a has already been removed by the gripper 13. The third driving member 15 drives the clamping member 14 to extend the contact part 142 out of the mating gap 31a, disengaging the clamping member 14 from the limiting member 31. Then, the second driving member 18 drives the connecting assembly 11 to rise as a whole, moving away from the bearing mechanism 3, thus completing the gripping of the sheet 4 on the bearing mechanism 3. Similarly, when the bearing position 3a of the bearing mechanism 3 is not carrying the sheet 4, the process of the sheet picking and placing mechanism 1 placing the sheet 4 onto the bearing mechanism 3 can be referred to the above description and will not be repeated here.

[0065] This disclosure also provides a sheet material loading and unloading system, such as... Figure 1The sheet loading and unloading system 10 includes one or more process stations. The sheet loading and unloading system 10 includes a transfer mechanism 2, a bearing mechanism 3, and a sheet picking and placing mechanism 1. The bearing mechanism 3 can be placed at the process station. The bearing mechanism 3 has one or more bearing positions 3a. Each bearing position 3a is configured to bear a sheet. The bearing mechanism 3 includes one or more limit members 31. The limit members 31 are configured to restrict each sheet 4 to a bearing position 3a. The limit members 31 have a limited state and an open state. The sheet picking and placing mechanism 1 is configured to pick and place the sheet 4 at the bearing position 3a. The transfer mechanism 2 is connected to the sheet picking and placing mechanism 1. The transfer mechanism 2 is configured to drive the sheet picking and placing mechanism 1 to move laterally above or away from the bearing mechanism 3.

[0066] It is understood that the sheet loading and unloading system 10 can be used, for example, in a copper electroplating process, and the transfer mechanism 2 can be used to drive the sheet picking and placing mechanism 1 between different process positions in the copper electroplating process, so as to pick up and place the sheet 4 at different process positions. In other examples, the sheet loading and unloading system 10 can also be used in other processing processes, such as coating processes, cutting processes, etc., without specific limitations.

[0067] Optionally, the transfer mechanism 2, the bearing mechanism 3, and the sheet picking and placing mechanism 1 in the sheet loading and unloading system 10 can be referred to the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0068] In the embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise specified, the connection can be a detachable connection using bolts and nuts, screws, clips, magnetic attraction, etc. In some connections where there is no particular requirement for a detachable fit, a non-detachable connection can be achieved through welding, bonding, or other methods.

[0069] The basic principles of this disclosure have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in this disclosure are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of each embodiment of this disclosure. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed above are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations. These details do not limit the scope of this disclosure to the necessity of employing the aforementioned specific details for implementation.

[0070] The block diagrams of devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems disclosed herein are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. As those skilled in the art will recognize, these devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner. Words such as “comprising,” “including,” “having,” etc., are open-ended terms meaning “including but not limited to,” and are used interchangeably with them. The terms “or” and “and” as used herein refer to the terms “and / or,” and are used interchangeably with them unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “such as” as used herein refers to the phrase “such as but not limited to,” and is used interchangeably with it.

[0071] It should also be noted that in the apparatus, devices, and methods of this disclosure, the components or steps can be disassembled and / or recombined. These disassemblies and / or recombinations should be considered as equivalent solutions to this disclosure.

[0072] The above description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use this disclosure. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to be carried out within the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0073] The above description has been given for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure to the forms disclosed herein. Although numerous exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, alterations, additions, and sub-combinations therein.

Claims

1. A sheet loading and unloading mechanism configured to load and unload one or more sheets into one or more bearing positions of a bearing mechanism, said bearing mechanism including one or more limiting members configured to restrict each of the sheets to one of the bearing positions, characterized in that, The sheet handling mechanism includes: The connecting component is capable of moving vertically to approach or move away from the supporting mechanism; One or more grippers are movably connected to the connecting assembly, each gripper being configured to place the sheet on the carrier or remove the sheet from the carrier; A first driving member is disposed on the connecting assembly. The first driving member is connected to the gripping member and can drive the gripping member to move vertically relative to the connecting assembly. One or more clamping members are movably connected to the connecting assembly. The clamping members are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the limiting members. The clamping members can cooperate or disengage with the corresponding limiting members. A second driving member is disposed on the connecting assembly, and the second driving member is connected to one or more of the clamping members; Wherein, when the clamping member cooperates with the limiting member, the second driving member can drive the clamping member to move the limiting member so that the sheet is restricted or unrestricted; When the sheet is unrestrained, the first drive member can drive the gripper to move vertically relative to the connecting assembly to grip or place the sheet at the bearing position.

2. The sheet handling mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connection component includes: A base is configured to move vertically toward or away from the load-bearing mechanism, and the first drive member is connected to the base; A connecting plate is fixedly connected to the base, and the connecting plate is located on the side of the base near the bearing mechanism. The second driving member is connected to the base or the connecting plate. When the second driving member is connected to the base, the second driving member is configured to drive the connecting assembly to move closer to or further away from the bearing mechanism in the vertical direction, and at the same time drive the clamping member to drive the limiting member to move. When the second driving member is connected to the connecting plate, the second driving member is configured to drive the clamping member to move the limiting member.

3. The sheet handling mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the second driving member is connected to the base, with the clamping member and the limiting member cooperating, the gripping member is located at a first distance above the bearing position; the second driving member drives the connecting assembly to move away from the bearing mechanism in the vertical direction, and at the same time the clamping member can drive the limiting member to move, so that the sheet is released from restriction. At this time, the gripping member is driven from the first distance above the bearing position to a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

4. The sheet handling mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A third driving member is disposed on the connecting assembly, the third driving member is connected to one or more of the clamping members, and is configured to drive at least a portion of the clamping member into or out of the gap between the limiting member and the bearing mechanism, such that the clamping member engages with or disengages from the limiting member. A limiting slide rail is disposed on the connecting assembly, and the limiting slide rail is connected to one or more of the clamping members; The third driving member enables the clamping member to move in the horizontal plane and extend into the gap between the limiting member and the bearing mechanism, so as to engage the clamping member with the limiting member. At this time, the limiting member remains in a limiting state, thereby restricting the sheet material. When the clamping member and the limiting member cooperate, the second driving member can drive the clamping member to move the limiting member. One end of the limiting member is driven from inside the bearing position to outside along the vertical direction of the orthogonal projection of the bearing mechanism, so that the limiting member changes from the limiting state to the open state, thereby releasing the sheet material from restriction.

5. The sheet handling mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The limiting member includes a spring sheet having a fixed end and a movable end. The fixed end is fixedly connected to the supporting mechanism, and the movable end is configured to abut against the sheet material. A fitting gap exists between the spring sheet and the supporting mechanism. The sheet handling mechanism includes a third driving member, which is disposed on the connecting assembly and connected to one or more clamping members. It is configured to drive at least a portion of the clamping member into or out of the mating gap, so that the clamping member engages with or disengages from the limiting member. Each of the clamping elements includes: The connecting part is connected to the third driving component; The contact portion is connected to the connecting portion. When the clamping member and the limiting member cooperate, the second driving member can drive the clamping member to move the limiting member. The contact portion can cause the spring sheet to undergo elastic deformation so that the movable end is located outside the bearing position along the vertical direction in the orthogonal projection of the bearing mechanism.

6. The sheet handling mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The contact portion extends along a first extending direction in the horizontal plane, and the line connecting the fixed end and the movable end is a first connecting line. The extending direction of the first connecting line is perpendicular to the first extending direction in the horizontal plane. The third driving member can drive the connecting portion to move along the first extending direction so that the contact portion extends into or out of the mating gap.

7. The sheet handling mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The multiple bearing positions are arranged along the row and column directions of the bearing mechanism, and each bearing position is provided with multiple limiting members on both sides in the column direction. The sheet loading and unloading mechanism further includes: Multiple connecting rods are arranged in parallel along the row direction, and each connecting rod extends along the column direction. Each connecting rod is connected to one or more third driving members. Each connecting rod is configured to connect to the connecting parts in the same column or multiple columns. The direction of movement of one or more connecting parts in each column is parallel to the extension direction of the contact part.

8. The sheet handling mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that, The contact portion extends horizontally in a direction parallel to the row direction, or the contact portion extends horizontally in a direction parallel to the row direction and has a predetermined angle between the two directions.

9. The sheet handling mechanism according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The grabber includes: The mounting bracket is connected to the first driving component; Multiple adsorption units are distributed on one side of the fixing frame near the supporting mechanism; The orthographic projection of each adsorption part is located near the edge of the bearing position.

10. The sheet handling mechanism according to any one of claims 2-8, characterized in that, Also includes: One or more guide members are connected to the first drive member, and each of the guide members is connected to one or more of the gripping members; One or more support rods, wherein the support rods connect the base and the connecting plate in the vertical direction; A fixing plate is located between the base and the connecting plate. The fixing plate is connected to the first driving member and is also connected to one or more of the guide members.

11. A sheet material loading and unloading system, characterized in that, include: A support mechanism having one or more support positions, each of which is configured to support a sheet material; The bearing mechanism includes one or more limiting members, the limiting members being configured to restrict each of the sheets to a bearing position, the limiting members having a limited state and an open state; The sheet pick-and-place mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is configured to pick up and place the sheet at the bearing position; A transfer mechanism is connected to the sheet picking and placing mechanism, and the transfer mechanism is configured to move the sheet picking and placing mechanism laterally above or away from the support mechanism.

Images