A suction cup, a handling device
By optimizing the flow channel design and hollow structure of the suction cup, and combining it with a buffer layer, the technical problems existing in the prior art are solved, and a suction cup that can uniformly adsorb and reduce silicon wafer damage is provided, achieving more efficient silicon wafer handling.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- JA SOLAR TECH YANGZHOU
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-26
AI Technical Summary
Existing suction cups are prone to causing silicon wafer fragments during the handling process. This is mainly because the suction cup structure causes stress to concentrate on the diagonal of the silicon wafer, leading to shear failure.
A suction cup was designed, employing multiple annular air intake channels and flow channel structures. Combined with a hollow structure and staggered flow channels, the Bernoulli effect is used to achieve uniform airflow distribution, avoid stress concentration, reduce eddy current generation, and a buffer layer is set on the edge of the suction cup to reduce silicon wafer damage.
By using a uniformly distributed airflow to adsorb silicon wafers, the possibility of silicon wafers breaking along the diagonal is reduced, improving safety and reliability during handling.
Smart Images
Figure CN224290586U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of material handling technology, and in particular to a suction cup and material handling equipment. Background Technology
[0002] The statements in this section are merely background information related to this utility model and do not necessarily constitute prior art.
[0003] Silicon wafers used in photovoltaic cell production are becoming increasingly larger in size, while their thickness is gradually decreasing to the mainstream 130μm, in order to reduce production costs. During photovoltaic cell production, silicon wafers are transported using suction cups for adsorption and transfer.
[0004] However, due to defects in the suction cup structure itself, the suction cups of this technology are prone to causing silicon wafer fragments during the handling process. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a suction cup and a handling device to solve the technical problem that suction cups used for handling can easily damage silicon wafers.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:
[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a suction cup, including a body, a plurality of hollow structures formed on the body, and an air inlet, a first flow channel, a plurality of second flow channels and a plurality of third flow channels formed on the surface of the body. The air inlet and the first flow channel are both annular structures, and the air inlet surrounds the outside of the first flow channel.
[0008] One end of the second flow channel is connected to the first flow channel, and the other end is connected to the air intake channel;
[0009] One end of the third flow channel is connected to the air intake channel, and the other end extends to the edge of the body; wherein the central axes of each of the third flow channels do not coincide.
[0010] One end of the hollow structure is connected to the air intake, and the other end extends along a direction away from the first flow channel to a part of the body near the edge.
[0011] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, both the air intake and the first flow channel are either circular or polygonal structures; and / or,
[0012] When both the air intake and the first flow channel are circular structures, the center of the air intake coincides with the center of the first flow channel.
[0013] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the central axis of the third flow channel may coincide with or not coincide with the central axis of the second flow channel; and / or,
[0014] The number of the third flow channels is greater than or equal to the number of the second flow channels.
[0015] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the width of the third flow channel is the same as the width of the second flow channel; and / or,
[0016] The width of the hollow structure is greater than the width of the third flow channel.
[0017] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the suction cup further includes an air inlet formed at the center of the body and a plurality of fourth channels formed on the surface of the body, one end of the fourth channel communicating with the air inlet and the other end communicating with the first channel.
[0018] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the central axes of each of the fourth channels do not coincide;
[0019] The fourth flow channel corresponds one-to-one with the second flow channel, and the central axis of each fourth flow channel coincides with the central axis of the corresponding second flow channel; and / or,
[0020] The width of the fourth flow channel is the same as the width of the second flow channel.
[0021] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the body is a polygonal structure, and the edge of the body has a plurality of first recesses located at the corners and connected in sequence, the first recesses being recessed toward the center of the body.
[0022] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the edge of the body further has a plurality of second recesses, the second recesses being located between two adjacent corner portions, and the second recesses being recessed toward the center of the body; and / or,
[0023] The first recess is an arc-shaped recessed structure; and / or,
[0024] The second recess is an arc-shaped or polygonal recess structure.
[0025] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the surface of the body is further provided with a buffer layer in the area that contacts the object to be absorbed.
[0026] Secondly, this utility model provides a handling device, including an air compressor and a suction cup, wherein the suction cup is gas-connected to the air compressor and the suction cup is the suction cup described in the first aspect.
[0027] The following beneficial effects can be achieved in one or more technical solutions provided in the exemplary embodiments of this utility model.
[0028] The suction cup of this exemplary embodiment includes a body, multiple hollow structures formed on the body, and an air inlet, a first flow channel, multiple second flow channels, and multiple third flow channels formed on the surface of the body. When air enters from the air inlet, it flows within the annular structure of the air inlet, and then flows out at high speed through the third flow channels from the edge of the body and the hollow structures. Under the Bernoulli effect, the silicon wafer and other materials to be absorbed are adsorbed onto the surface of the body. Simultaneously, an annular first flow channel is also provided inside the air inlet, so that when the high-speed airflow flows out from the body, the gas in the first and second flow channels in the inner region of the air inlet is carried out at high speed, forming a negative pressure adsorption, improving the reliability of adsorption.
[0029] By arranging the first flow channel, the air intake channel, the second flow channel, and the third flow channel, the airflow inside the body is made more uniform, which can reduce the resistance and loss of airflow when flowing on the surface of the body, thereby reducing the possibility that high-speed airflow can easily generate eddies and cause fragmentation in related technologies.
[0030] Compared to the existing technology where a flow channel runs through the diagonal of a square or circular body, in the exemplary embodiment of this utility model, the central axes of each third flow channel in the suction cup do not coincide, and the two roughly opposite third flow channels are also staggered. This prevents the stress of the silicon wafer from concentrating on a line across the silicon wafer, thus avoiding shear failure and reducing the possibility of the silicon wafer breaking along the diagonal. Attached Figure Description
[0031] The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description thereof, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. These drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification.
[0032] Figure 1 This is an isometric structural diagram of the suction cup according to an embodiment of the present utility model;
[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the suction cup according to an embodiment of the present utility model;
[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the front structure of the suction cup according to an embodiment of the present utility model;
[0035] Figure 4 This is a side view of the suction cup according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0036] Figure label:
[0037] 10. Body; 11. First flow channel; 12. Second flow channel; 13. Third flow channel; 14. Fourth flow channel; 15. Air inlet; 151. First air nozzle; 161. First recess; 162. Second recess;
[0038] 20. Air intake duct; 21. Hollowed-out structure; 22. Second air nozzle;
[0039] 30. Adapters. Detailed Implementation
[0040] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model.
[0041] To reduce production costs, silicon wafers used in photovoltaic cells are becoming larger and thinner. In related technologies, the suction cups used to handle silicon wafers, such as suction cups based on the Bernoulli effect, have a straight air channel structure. Their suction force spans the entire silicon wafer, for example, across the diagonal of a rectangular silicon wafer. This design causes stress to concentrate on the aforementioned diagonal, resulting in the silicon wafer breaking along the diagonal due to shear force.
[0042] To address the aforementioned issues, the suction cup provided in the exemplary embodiment of this utility model optimizes the flow channel design based on the Bernoulli effect, thereby ensuring uniform distribution of the high-speed airflow and reducing the generation of eddies. Furthermore, the flow channels are staggered to avoid generating suction forces that span the entire silicon wafer in a straight line, thus reducing the occurrence of debris.
[0043] Figure 1 This is an isometric structural diagram of the suction cup according to an embodiment of the present utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the suction cup according to an embodiment of the present utility model. (In conjunction with...) Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the suction cup of the exemplary embodiment of this utility model includes a body 10, a plurality of hollow structures 21 formed on the body 10, and an air inlet 20, a first flow channel 11, a plurality of second flow channels 12 and a plurality of third flow channels 13 formed on the surface of the body 10. The air inlet 20 and the first flow channel 11 are both annular structures, and the air inlet 20 surrounds the outside of the first flow channel 11. One end of the second flow channel 12 is connected to the first flow channel 11 and the other end is connected to the air inlet 20. One end of the third flow channel 13 is connected to the air inlet 20 and the other end extends to the edge of the body 10. The central axes of each third flow channel 13 do not coincide. One end of the hollow structure 21 is connected to the air inlet 20 and the other end extends along a direction away from the first flow channel 11 to a part of the body 10 near the edge.
[0044] In practical applications, multiple perforated structures 21 are arranged approximately evenly along the periphery of the air intake duct 20. These perforated structures 21 are formed on the body 10, penetrating the top and bottom surfaces of the body 10. The gas flow channels are formed on the bottom surface of the body 10, which are grooves formed on the bottom surface. The second flow channel 12 and the third flow channel 13 can be U-shaped grooves. The air intake duct 20 and the first flow channel 11 can be annular grooves. High-speed gas generated by compressed air enters from the air intake duct 20, most of the airflow is ejected at high speed through the perforated structures 21, and a portion of the airflow is discharged from the edge of the body 10 through the third flow channel 13. Thus, according to the Bernoulli effect, the silicon wafer is adsorbed in the peripheral area of the air intake duct 20 and the area where the third flow channel 13 is located.
[0045] A first flow channel 11 is also provided inside the air intake duct 20. The two are connected by multiple second flow channels 12. When air enters the air intake duct 20, the gas in the first flow channel 11 will also be discharged through the second flow channels 12 and the air intake duct 20 under the drive of the high-speed airflow. This will cause negative pressure adsorption to be generated in the area inside the air intake duct 20, thereby ensuring that the central area of the silicon wafer is simultaneously adsorbed by the suction cup. In other words, the silicon wafer can be evenly adsorbed by the suction cup through the action of airflow in various areas, reducing stress concentration on the silicon wafer.
[0046] For example, since the central axes of each third flow channel 13 do not coincide, any two third flow channels 13 extending to the edge of the body 10 cannot be on the same straight line, thus avoiding stress concentration across the entire silicon wafer, such as on the diagonal, reducing the probability of the silicon wafer breaking on the diagonal.
[0047] For example, both the air intake 20 and the first flow channel 11 are either circular or polygonal structures. When the air intake 20 is a circular structure, the gas distribution can be more uniform, reducing debris generated by eddies.
[0048] For example, when both the air intake 20 and the first flow channel 11 are circular structures, the center of the air intake 20 coincides with the center of the first flow channel 11. The air intake 20 adopts a circular structure, which, compared to a polygonal structure, basically does not generate vortices.
[0049] Meanwhile, the circular air intake duct 20 makes it easier to arrange the third flow channel 13 and the hollow structure 21 roughly evenly around its periphery, making the high-speed airflow guided by the airflow channel more uniform, that is, the adsorption force between the bottom surface of the suction cup and the silicon wafer is more evenly distributed on the silicon wafer.
[0050] like Figure 2As shown, taking the overall body 10 as having a roughly rectangular outline as an example, the shape of the body 10 roughly matches the rectangular shape of existing silicon wafers. The number of third flow channels 13 around the air intake duct 20 can be 8, 10 or more, wherein 4 third flow channels 13 extend to the four corner edges of the body 10 respectively, and at least 4 third flow channels 13 extend to the edges of the four sides of the body 10 respectively. For example, the number of third flow channels 13 extending to the edge of one side of the body 10 can be 1, 2 or more, without further limitation here.
[0051] For example, one or more perforated structures 21 are provided between two adjacent third flow channels 13 along the circumference of the air intake 20. The perforated structures 21 extend in a direction away from the air intake 20 and maintain a certain distance from the edge of the body 10.
[0052] The width of the hollow structure 21 is greater than the width of the third flow channel 13. For example, the width of the hollow structure 21 is two, three, or even more times the width of the third flow channel 13.
[0053] For example, the widths of the various perforated structures 21 can be the same or different. When the widths of the perforated structures 21 are different, the widths of two roughly opposite perforated structures 21 can be the same, and their shapes can also be roughly the same, so as to make the airflow more uniform.
[0054] Continue as Figure 2 As shown, the central axis of the third flow channel 13 coincides with the central axis of the second flow channel 12. This allows the airflow inside the intake duct 20 to flow out more smoothly, reducing resistance and loss of gas when flowing on the surface and improving the efficiency of the Bernoulli effect.
[0055] In another alternative embodiment, the central axis of the third flow channel 13 does not coincide with the central axis of the second flow channel 12.
[0056] In some embodiments, the number of third channels 13 is greater than or equal to the number of second channels 12. For example, there are four third channels 13 and four second channels 12. In this case, the third channels 13 correspond one-to-one with the second channels 12, and their central axes coincide. The four third channels 13 extend to the four corner edges of the body 10.
[0057] There are eight third flow channels 13 and four second flow channels 12. Four of the third flow channels 13 correspond one-to-one with the second flow channels 12, and their central axes coincide. These four third flow channels 13 extend to the four corner edges of the body 10. The other four third flow channels 13 extend to the edges of the four sides of the body 10 and do not correspond to the second flow channels 12. It is understood that the number of third flow channels 13 extending to one side of the body 10 can be multiple, such as two, three, or more, depending on the distribution of the hollow structure 21.
[0058] Continue as Figure 2 As shown, the width of the third flow channel 13 is the same as the width of the second flow channel 12 to facilitate processing and shaping, and to reduce flow resistance and loss caused by inconsistent widths during airflow.
[0059] Considering the potential difficulty in desorption after adsorption between the silicon wafer and the bottom surface of the suction cup, the suction cup provided in the exemplary embodiment of this utility model further includes an air inlet 15 formed in the center of the body 10 and a plurality of fourth channels 14 formed on the surface of the body 10. One end of the fourth channel 14 is connected to the air inlet 15 and the other end is connected to the first channel 11.
[0060] In practical applications, the air intake 15 penetrates the center of the body 10, that is, it is located at the center of the first flow channel 11 or the air intake channel 20, such as... Figure 4 As shown, compressed gas can be injected into the air inlet 15 through the first air nozzle 151 on the top surface of the body 10, thereby detaching and releasing the silicon wafer adsorbed on the bottom surface of the body 10. Figure 4 This is a side view of the suction cup according to an embodiment of the present invention. To prevent the silicon wafer from shattering when the gas impacts it, a fourth flow channel 14 is provided around the air inlet 15, for example, four fourth flow channels 14 are provided.
[0061] Specifically, the central axes of each fourth flow channel 14 do not coincide; each fourth flow channel 14 corresponds to a second flow channel 12, and the central axis of each fourth flow channel 14 coincides with the central axis of the corresponding second flow channel 12.
[0062] That is, the four fourth flow channels 14, the four second flow channels 12, and the four third flow channels 13 extending to the four corner edges of the body 10 correspond one-to-one, forming gas channels extending to the four corner edges of the body 10. As a result, the gas ejected from the air inlet 15 can be smoothly discharged from the four corner edges of the body 10, avoiding strong impact on the silicon wafer and causing it to break.
[0063] For example, the width of the fourth flow channel 14 is the same as the width of the second flow channel 12 and the third flow channel 13, which can reduce the flow resistance and loss caused by the inconsistent width when the airflow passes through.
[0064] Understandably, due to the staggered arrangement of the third flow channels 13, the fourth flow channels 14 are also staggered. That is, the central axes of the fourth flow channels 14 do not coincide. In other words, the fourth flow channels 14, the second flow channels 12, and the third flow channels 13 extending to the four corner edges of the body 10 do not extend radially along the first flow channel 11. Specifically, the extension directions of the fourth flow channels 14, the second flow channels 12, and the third flow channels 13 do not pass through the center of the first flow channel 11. Therefore, the airflow channels do not span the entire silicon wafer, preventing stress concentration along the diagonal of the wafer and thus preventing breakage.
[0065] The suction cups in the related technologies have a square structure, and the corners of the cups can cause stress concentration during contact with the silicon wafer, making the corners of the silicon wafer prone to breakage.
[0066] Figure 3 This is a front structural diagram of the suction cup according to an embodiment of the present utility model. (In conjunction with...) Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in the suction cup of the exemplary embodiment of this utility model, the body 10 has a polygonal structure, and a rectangular structure will be used as an example in the following description. The body 10 has a plurality of first recesses 161 located at the corners along its edge, and the first recesses 161 are recessed toward the center of the body 10.
[0067] For example, each corner of the body 10 has three sequentially connected first recesses 161, forming three arc-shaped recessed structures, which can avoid stress concentration on the silicon wafer caused by sharp corners.
[0068] For example, among the three first recesses 161 at each corner, the arc length of the first recess 161 located in the middle is greater than the arc length of the first recesses 161 located on both sides.
[0069] In some embodiments, the edge of the body 10 also has a plurality of second recesses 162, which are located between two adjacent corners and are recessed toward the center of the body 10. That is, the second recesses 162 are formed in the middle of the edge of the rectangular structure of the body 10 and are connected to the first recesses 161 at the corners.
[0070] For example, the second recess 162 is an arc-shaped or polygonal recess structure, that is, the edge of the body 10 forms a non-straight polygonal edge, which can effectively disperse the stress generated by the suction cup on the silicon wafer surface and reduce the possibility of fragmentation.
[0071] On the one hand, the combination of the rounded edge structure and the straight air passage of the third flow channel 13 can effectively control the airflow speed and distribution. For uncommon-sized silicon wafers or silicon wafers with slight notches, this type of edge-structured chuck can provide higher adsorption accuracy.
[0072] On the other hand, the rounded edge structure is equivalent to removing some unnecessary areas on the basis of the roughly rectangular body 10, which further reduces the weight of the suction cup and helps to improve the response speed and energy saving of the suction cup.
[0073] In some embodiments, the surface of the body 10 provided in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is further provided with a buffer layer in the area that contacts the object to be absorbed. That is, except for the airflow channel formed on the bottom surface of the body 10, the other bottom surface areas are all covered with a buffer layer; or the body 10 is composed of two parts, one is a substrate, and the other is a buffer layer superimposed on the substrate, and the gas flow channels such as the air inlet 20 mentioned above are formed on the buffer layer.
[0074] For example, the buffer layer can be rubber or EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) sponge, which can reduce the reaction force when in contact with the silicon wafer, thereby playing a role in shock absorption.
[0075] It is understood that the silicon wafer described above is merely an example, and the suction cup of the exemplary embodiment of this utility model can also be used for adsorption and transport of glass, plastic sheets and other objects with flat surfaces.
[0076] An exemplary embodiment of this utility model also provides a handling device, including an air compressor and a suction cup, wherein the suction cup is gas-connected to the air compressor and is the suction cup described in the above embodiment.
[0077] like Figure 4 As shown, the top surface of the suction cup has a first air nozzle 151 and a second air nozzle 22, wherein an air compressor can be connected to the first air nozzle 151 or the second air nozzle 22 by switching a switching valve. The first air nozzle 151 is connected to the air inlet 15, and the second air nozzle 22 is connected to the air inlet 20. The air compressor can provide a high-speed airflow to the air inlet 20 through the second air nozzle 22 to adsorb the silicon wafer, and spray air through the first air nozzle 151 into the air inlet 15 to desorb the silicon wafer.
[0078] The aforementioned handling equipment may also include a robotic arm, and the top surface of the suction cup is provided with an adapter 30, such as a flange, which is connected to the robotic arm.
[0079] The technological advantages of the aforementioned handling equipment compared to existing technologies are the same as those of the aforementioned suction cups, and will not be repeated here.
[0080] Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments are merely for clearly illustrating the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make other changes or modifications based on the above disclosure, and these changes or modifications still fall within the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A suction cup, characterized in that, It includes a main body, multiple hollow structures formed on the main body, and an air intake, a first flow channel, multiple second flow channels and multiple third flow channels formed on the surface of the main body. The air intake and the first flow channel are both annular structures, and the air intake surrounds the outside of the first flow channel. One end of the second flow channel is connected to the first flow channel, and the other end is connected to the air intake channel; One end of the third flow channel is connected to the air intake channel, and the other end extends to the edge of the body; wherein the central axes of each of the third flow channels do not coincide. One end of the hollow structure is connected to the air intake, and the other end extends along a direction away from the first flow channel to a part of the body near the edge.
2. The suction cup according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the air intake and the first flow channel are either circular or polygonal structures; and / or When both the air intake and the first flow channel are circular structures, the center of the air intake coincides with the center of the first flow channel.
3. The suction cup according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central axis of the third flow channel may coincide with or not coincide with the central axis of the second flow channel; and / or, The number of the third flow channels is greater than or equal to the number of the second flow channels.
4. The suction cup according to claim 3, characterized in that, The width of the third flow channel is the same as the width of the second flow channel; and / or, The width of the hollow structure is greater than the width of the third flow channel.
5. The suction cup according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The suction cup also includes an air inlet formed at the center of the body and a plurality of fourth channels formed on the surface of the body, one end of the fourth channel being connected to the air inlet and the other end being connected to the first channel.
6. The suction cup according to claim 5, characterized in that, The central axes of each of the aforementioned fourth channels do not coincide; The fourth flow channel corresponds one-to-one with the second flow channel, and the central axis of each fourth flow channel coincides with the central axis of the corresponding second flow channel; and / or, The width of the fourth flow channel is the same as the width of the second flow channel.
7. The suction cup according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The body has a polygonal structure, and the edges of the body have multiple first recesses located at the corners and connected in sequence, with the first recesses facing the center of the body.
8. The suction cup according to claim 7, characterized in that, The edge of the body also has a plurality of second recesses, the second recesses being located between two adjacent corner portions, and the second recesses being recessed toward the center of the body; and / or, The first recess is an arc-shaped recessed structure; and / or, The second recess is an arc-shaped or polygonal recess structure.
9. The suction cup according to claim 7, characterized in that, The surface of the body is also provided with a buffer layer in the area that comes into contact with the object to be absorbed.
10. A handling device, characterized in that, It includes an air compressor and a suction cup, wherein the suction cup is gas-connected to the air compressor, and the suction cup is the suction cup according to any one of claims 1-9.