Clamping mechanism, processing device and processing system

Abstract

This application relates to a clamping mechanism, a processing device, and a processing system. The clamping mechanism is used to clamp a vertically placed circuit board. The clamping mechanism includes: a support component, which is slidably disposed along the direction of gravity; and a clamping component, which is movably connected to the support component and used to clamp the circuit board. The clamping component drives the circuit board to slide in a direction that is perpendicular to both the thickness direction and the direction of gravity of the circuit board. Since the thickness direction of the circuit board is perpendicular to the direction of gravity, it can be placed vertically in the processing device. Therefore, when the circuit board is transferred from the previous production line to the processing device, or from the processing device to the next production line, the circuit board can always maintain a vertically placed state without having to change the placement of the circuit board multiple times, thereby improving the efficiency of circuit board processing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of circuit board processing technology, and in particular to a clamping mechanism, processing device and processing system. Background Technology

[0002] The processing equipment is used to process circuit boards. During the process, the circuit board is first clamped and fixed on a processing platform, and then processed by a processing mechanism. However, in traditional processing equipment, the circuit board is usually placed horizontally on the processing platform, which affects the efficiency of circuit board processing. Utility Model Content

[0003] One of the technical problems addressed by this application is how to improve the efficiency of circuit board manufacturing.

[0004] A clamping mechanism for clamping a vertically placed circuit board, the clamping mechanism comprising:

[0005] The support components are slidably positioned along the direction of gravity; and

[0006] A clamping assembly is movably connected to the support assembly and is used to clamp the circuit board, and the clamping assembly drives the circuit board to slide in a direction that is perpendicular to both the thickness direction and the gravity direction of the circuit board.

[0007] In one embodiment, the clamping assembly is rotatably connected to the support assembly by rotating about an axis extending in the direction of gravity.

[0008] In one embodiment, the clamping assembly includes multiple sets of clamping members spaced apart along the direction of movement of the circuit board relative to the clamping assembly. Each set of clamping members includes an active roller and a driven roller spaced apart along the thickness direction of the circuit board and rotatably connected to the support assembly. The active roller and the driven roller are used to clamp and drive the circuit board to move.

[0009] In one embodiment, the support assembly has an adjustment hole that extends a predetermined length along the thickness direction of the circuit board, and the driven roller can slide in the adjustment hole.

[0010] In one embodiment, the clamping assembly further includes an elastic element connected between the driving roller and the driven roller.

[0011] In one embodiment, the clamping mechanism further includes a drive member and a conveyor belt, the drive member driving the drive roller to rotate via the conveyor belt.

[0012] In one embodiment, the clamping mechanism further includes a roller, and the support assembly includes a first support portion and a second support portion spaced apart along the direction of gravity, the first support portion being located above the second support portion, and the roller rotating about an axis extending along the thickness direction of the circuit board and rotatably connected to the second support portion.

[0013] A processing apparatus includes a base, a processing mechanism, and a clamping mechanism as described above. The support assembly is slidably disposed on the base along the direction of gravity. The processing mechanism includes a processing component disposed on the base, the processing component being used to process a circuit board.

[0014] In one embodiment, the number of processing components is greater than or equal to two, and the two processing components are located on opposite sides in the thickness direction of the circuit board to process two surfaces in the thickness direction of the circuit board.

[0015] In one embodiment, a suction mechanism is further included, the suction mechanism including a suction port and a suction tube, the suction port being located between the processing component and the circuit board along the thickness direction of the circuit board, and the lumen of the suction tube extending along the direction of gravity and communicating with the suction port.

[0016] In one embodiment, the processing component is slidably connected to the base along the thickness direction of the circuit board.

[0017] In one embodiment, the processing mechanism is a laser processing mechanism or a mechanical processing mechanism.

[0018] In one embodiment, when the processing mechanism is a laser processing mechanism, the processing component includes a deflector and a focusing component. The deflector is used to control the deflection direction of the laser beam, and the focusing component is used to focus the laser beam.

[0019] In one embodiment, the processing mechanism further includes a laser and a beam splitter disposed on the base. There are multiple processing components, which are spaced apart on a plane parallel to the vertically placed circuit board. The laser beam emitted by the laser is split into multiple branch lasers by the beam splitter, and different branch lasers enter different processing components.

[0020] A processing system includes a front-end production line, a back-end production line, and a processing device as described in any one of the above, wherein the processing device is located between the front-end production line and the back-end production line, and both the front-end production line and the back-end production line are used to process vertically placed circuit boards.

[0021] In one embodiment, the upstream production line includes a blackening or browning production line; and / or, the downstream production line includes a cleaning production line.

[0022] One technical advantage of one embodiment of this application is that, since the thickness direction of the circuit board is perpendicular to the direction of gravity, it is placed vertically in the clamping mechanism. Therefore, when the circuit board is transferred from the front production line to the clamping mechanism, or when the circuit board is transferred from the clamping mechanism to the back production line, the circuit board can always be kept in a vertical position without having to change the placement method of the circuit board multiple times, thereby improving the work efficiency of circuit board processing. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a processing apparatus provided in one embodiment.

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial three-dimensional structural diagram of the processing device under the clamping circuit board.

[0025] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A partial three-dimensional structural diagram of the processing device without clamping the circuit board.

[0026] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged structural diagram at point A in the middle.

[0027] Figure 5 for Figure 3 Enlarged structural diagram at point B.

[0028] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A side view of the processing device.

[0029] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing method provided in one embodiment.

[0030] Figure 8 A process flow diagram of a processing method provided in another embodiment.

[0031] Reference numerals: laser processing device 10, circuit board 20, base 100, accommodating space 110, opening 111, clamping mechanism 200, clamping assembly 220, clamping element 221, driving roller 2211, driven roller 2212, elastic element 222, driving element 230, conveyor belt 240, roller 250, cylindrical part 251, conical part 252, support assembly 210, first support part 211, second support part 212, adjusting hole 213, processing mechanism 400, processing assembly 410, laser 420, branch laser 421, beam splitting assembly 430, suction mechanism 500, suction port 510, suction tube 520. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0033] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0034] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0035] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0036] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0037] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0038] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 This application provides a processing apparatus 10 for processing a board-shaped circuit board 20. The circuit board 20 can be any type of PCB, including common multilayer boards, high-multilayer boards, HDI, FPC, rigid-flex boards, and IC packaging substrates. The processing apparatus 10 can perform various processing operations on the circuit board 20, including drilling and slotting. When processing the circuit board 20, the thickness direction of the circuit board 20 is perpendicular to the direction of gravity, thus placing the circuit board 20 vertically rather than horizontally.

[0039] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 The processing device 10 includes a base 100, a clamping mechanism 200, and a processing mechanism 300. The clamping mechanism 200 includes a support assembly 210 and a clamping assembly 220. The support assembly 210 is slidably connected to the base 100 along the direction of gravity, and the clamping assembly 220 is rotatably connected to the support assembly 210. The clamping assembly 220 rotates relative to the support assembly 210 about an axis extending along the direction of gravity. The clamping assembly 220 applies a force along the thickness direction of the circuit board 20 to clamp the circuit board 20. When the clamping assembly 220 rotates relative to the support assembly 210, it drives the circuit board 20 to translate along both the thickness direction and the direction of gravity, thus enabling the processing mechanism 300 to process various positions of the circuit board 20.

[0040] In other embodiments, the clamping component 220 may also be slidably connected to the support component 210. When the clamping component 220 slides relative to the support component 210, the circuit board 20 may be translated along the thickness direction and gravity direction of the circuit board 20, which are both perpendicular to the thickness direction and gravity direction of the circuit board 20. That is, the clamping component 220 drives the circuit board 20 to translate along the thickness direction and gravity direction of the circuit board 20.

[0041] The direction in which the clamping assembly 220 drives the circuit board 20 can be understood as a first direction, which is the sliding direction of the circuit board 20 relative to the clamping assembly 220. The thickness direction of the circuit board 20 can be understood as a second direction, and the gravity direction of the circuit board 20 can be understood as a third direction. The first direction, the second direction, and the third direction can be extensions of three coordinate axes in a spatial rectangular coordinate system. For example, the first direction can be along the X-axis, the second direction can be along the Y-axis, and the third direction can be along the Z-axis.

[0042] During the processing of the circuit board 20, the support component 210 moves relative to the base 100 along a third direction, and the clamping component 220 drives the circuit board 20 to move along a first direction. Therefore, the circuit board 20 can generate at least two degrees of freedom of displacement relative to the base 100 along the first direction and the third direction, which facilitates the processing of each processing area of ​​the circuit board 20.

[0043] In existing technologies, circuit boards are typically processed by placing them horizontally, with the thickness direction of the circuit board parallel to its direction of gravity. However, in some circuit board manufacturing processes, before further processing, the circuit board is placed vertically in a pre-processing line, where its thickness direction is perpendicular to its direction of gravity. This pre-processing line includes blackening or browning processes. After processing, the circuit board needs to undergo post-processing in a vertically placed position in a downstream production line. Therefore, when the circuit board is transferred from the pre-processing line to the processing unit, it needs to be changed from vertical to horizontal; conversely, when it is transferred from the processing unit to the downstream production line, it needs to be changed back to vertical. This requires multiple changes in the placement of the circuit board, reducing processing efficiency and hindering the simplification and integration of production lines for different processing steps.

[0044] See Figure 1 and Figure 2In the embodiments of this disclosure, since the circuit board 20 is placed vertically in the processing device 10, when the circuit board 20 is transferred from the front production line to the processing device 10, or when the circuit board 20 is transferred from the processing device 10 to the back production line, the circuit board 20 is always placed vertically. There is no need to change the placement of the circuit board 20 multiple times, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the circuit board 20. It is also beneficial to simplify and integrate the processing device 10 with the front production line before processing and the back production line after processing as needed, reduce the space occupied by the production line, and facilitate the automated design and control of the production line.

[0045] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the base 100 is provided with a receiving space 110, within which the clamping mechanism 200 and the circuit board 20 can be accommodated. Openings 111 are provided at both ends of the receiving space 110 in the direction of movement of the circuit board 20 relative to the clamping assembly 220, providing a transfer channel for the transfer of the circuit board 20. This facilitates the circuit board 20 being moved into or out of the base 100 and the entire processing device 10 through the openings 111. For example, the circuit board 20 can be transferred between the upstream production line and the processing device 10 through the openings 111, and the circuit board 20 can also be transferred between the downstream production line and the processing device 10 through the openings 111. It is understood that in actual operation, the receiving space 110 is in a closed state, meaning the openings 111 are closed.

[0046] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some embodiments, the support assembly 210 includes a first support portion 211 and a second support portion 212, which are spaced apart along a third direction, with the first support portion 211 located above the second support portion 212. The two ends of the clamping assembly 220 are rotatably connected to the first support portion 211 and the second support portion 212, respectively.

[0047] See Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5In some embodiments, the clamping assembly 220 includes multiple sets of clamping members 221, which are spaced apart along a first direction. Each set of clamping members 221 includes a driving roller 2211 and a driven roller 2212, which are spaced apart along the thickness direction of the circuit board 20. The two ends of the driving roller 2211 and the driven roller 2212 are rotatably connected to the first support portion 211 and the second support portion 212, respectively. The driving roller 2211 and the driven roller 2212 are used to clamp the circuit board 20. When the driving roller 2211 rotates under the action of an external force, it drives the driven roller 2212 to rotate through the circuit board 20, thereby causing the driving roller 2211 and the driven roller 2212 to jointly drive the circuit board 20 to move relative to the entire clamping assembly 220 along the first direction. It can be understood that the active roller 2211 actively rotates relative to the circuit board 20 under the action of an external force, while the driven roller 2212 passively rotates under the frictional force of the circuit board 20. In other embodiments, the driven roller 2212 can rotate under the action of an external force, or the active roller 2211 and the driven roller 2212 can jointly drive the circuit board 20 to move along a first direction.

[0048] In some embodiments, the active roller 2211 and / or driven roller 2212 of the clamping member 221 can slide relative to each other in the second direction. This allows the spacing between two adjacent sets of clamping members 221 in the second direction to be adjusted according to the thickness of the circuit board 20 and the force applied to the circuit board 20 during processing, thereby preventing the circuit board 20 from vibrating during processing.

[0049] In some embodiments, the support assembly 210 has an adjustment hole 213, which extends a set length along the thickness direction of the circuit board 20, and the active roller shaft 2211 or the driven roller shaft 2212 can slide in the adjustment hole 213.

[0050] In one specific embodiment, see Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5The driven roller 2212 can slide within the adjusting hole 213. Therefore, the driven roller 2212 can both rotate and slide relative to the support assembly 210 within the adjusting hole 213. It can be understood that when the driven roller 2212 can rotate and slide relative to the support assembly 210 within the adjusting hole 213, to prevent the circuit board 20 from shaking during processing, the driving roller 2211 can only rotate relative to the support assembly 210 and cannot slide relative to the support assembly 210 along the thickness direction of the circuit board 20. When the driven roller 2212 slides within the adjusting hole 213, the distance between the driving roller 2211 and the driven roller 2212 along the thickness direction of the circuit board 20 can be changed. This facilitates the clamping of circuit boards 20 of different thicknesses by the driving roller 2211 and the driven roller 2212, thereby improving the applicability of the processing device 10 to processing different circuit boards 20. It is understood that the driven roller 2212 can also be slidably connected to the support assembly 210 in other ways, such as by means of a slide rail. In other embodiments, the driven roller 2212 can only rotate relative to the support assembly 210, while the driving roller 2211 can slide relative to the support assembly 210 along the thickness direction of the circuit board 20.

[0051] See Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, the clamping assembly 220 further includes an elastic element 222 connected between the driving roller 2211 and the driven roller 2212. Through the function of the elastic element 222, on the one hand, it can apply a reasonable clamping force to the circuit boards 20 of different thicknesses by the driving roller 2211 and the driven roller 2212; on the other hand, it can provide a buffering effect during the contact process between the driving roller 2211 and the driven roller 2212 and the circuit board 20, avoiding hard collisions between the driving roller 2211 and the driven roller 2212 and the circuit board 20, thereby preventing damage to the circuit board 20.

[0052] See Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5In some embodiments, the clamping mechanism 200 further includes a drive member 230 and a conveyor belt 240. The drive member 230 can be a motor, etc., and can be mounted on the first support portion 211 of the support assembly 210. The output shaft of the drive member 230 can rotate about an axis extending along the direction of gravity. A conveyor belt 240 is fitted between any two adjacent active roller shafts 2211, and a conveyor belt 240 is fitted between the output shaft of the drive member 230 and one of the active roller shafts 2211. For example, a conveyor belt 240 can be fitted between the output shaft of the drive member 230 and the active roller shaft 2211 located at the far end. Therefore, when the output shaft of the drive member 230 rotates, the combined action of multiple conveyor belts 240 causes multiple active roller shafts 2211 to rotate synchronously in the same direction, thereby jointly driving the circuit board 20 to slide in the first direction together with the driven roller shaft 2212. In other embodiments, the conveyor belt 240 can be replaced by gears, that is, the output shaft of the drive unit 230 can transmit power to each active roller shaft 2211 through gears, which can also make multiple active roller shafts 2211 rotate synchronously in the same direction. The drive unit 230 and the conveyor belt 240 can also be disposed on the second support 212.

[0053] See Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, the clamping mechanism 200 further includes a roller 250, which rotates about an axis extending in a second direction, thereby rotatably connecting the roller 250 to the second support portion 212. The roller 250 is used to support the circuit board 20 from the bottom of the circuit board 20 and guide the movement of the circuit board 20 along the first direction. For example, the roller 250 is directly rotatably connected to the mounting base, so that the roller 250 rotates relative to the mounting base about an axis extending in the second direction. The mounting base is directly and fixedly connected to the second support portion 212 by a detachable connection. Therefore, when the roller 250 rotates relative to the mounting base, the roller 250 will also rotate relative to the second support portion 212, thus realizing the rotational connection between the roller 250 and the second support portion 212. The rotation of the roller 250 allows the circuit board 20 to smoothly move into or out of the processing device 10 through the opening 111 of the accommodating space 110, thereby reducing the movement resistance of the circuit board 20 during the movement. It can also work in conjunction with the clamping member 221 to drive the circuit board 20 to move along the first direction during processing, thus improving the processing efficiency of the circuit board 20. In some embodiments, the roller 250 can be actively rotated by a power source, causing the roller 250 to drive the circuit board 20 to move along the first direction. In other embodiments, the roller 250 is not driven by a power source; during the movement of the circuit board 20, the circuit board 20 passively rotates the roller 250 under the action of the clamping member 221.

[0054] In some embodiments, the number of rollers 250 is multiple, and the multiple rollers 250 are spaced apart along a first direction. By providing multiple rollers 250, the resistance to the movement of the circuit board 20 along the first direction can be further reduced, and the balance and stability of the circuit board 20 during processing can be improved, avoiding or reducing vibration problems of the circuit board 20 during processing. When the rollers 250 actively rotate, the multiple rollers 250 can be driven by chains, belts, or gears, so that the multiple rollers 250 are driven by the same power source to rotate synchronously.

[0055] See Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, the roller 250 includes a cylindrical portion 251 and two tapered portions 252. The two tapered portions 252 are connected to opposite ends of the cylindrical portion 251, such that the cylindrical portion 251 is connected between the two tapered portions 252. The two tapered portions 252 can be mirror images of the cylindrical portion 251. The cylindrical portion 251 is used to support the circuit board 20. The outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 251 can be set to be constant. From the end of the tapered portion 252 near the cylindrical portion 251 to the end away from the cylindrical portion 251, the outer diameter of the tapered portion 252 can gradually increase. This can fully utilize the guiding and limiting function of the tapered portion 252 on the circuit board 20, ensuring that the circuit board 20 is smoothly supported on the cylindrical portion 251. It can also improve the stability of the circuit board 20 in terms of support and clamping, avoid the circuit board from shaking during processing, and improve processing accuracy. It is understood that when the thickness of the circuit board 20 is greater than the length of the cylindrical portion 251, the circuit board 20 can be simultaneously supported on two tapered portions 252. Therefore, by providing two tapered portions 252, the roller 250 can be adapted to support circuit boards 20 of various thicknesses. In some embodiments, the spacing between the two tapered portions 252 can be adjusted to change the length of the cylindrical portion 251, making it convenient to provide support and movement guidance for circuit boards of different thicknesses.

[0056] See Figure 3 and Figure 6In some embodiments, the processing mechanism 400 includes a processing component 410, which is disposed on the base 100 and used to process the circuit board 20. There are two processing mechanisms 400, with their processing components 410 located on opposite sides in the second direction. This allows the processing components 410 of the two processing mechanisms 400 to simultaneously process two surfaces of the circuit board 20 in the second direction, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the circuit board 20. In other embodiments, after one processing component 410 has finished processing one surface of the circuit board 20 along its thickness direction, the other processing component 410 can process the other surface of the circuit board 20 in the thickness direction. That is, although the two surfaces of the circuit board 20 in the thickness direction are not processed simultaneously, it is not necessary for the clamping mechanism 200 to flip or re-clamp the circuit board 20 so that the unprocessed surface of the circuit board 20 faces the processing component 410, which also improves processing efficiency. It is understandable that the structures to be processed on the two surfaces of the circuit board 20 can be different, so that the two processing components 410 can process the two surfaces of the circuit board 20 with different processing parameters such as processing speed, processing power and processing path.

[0057] In some embodiments, the processing mechanism 400 can be a laser processing mechanism or a mechanical processing mechanism. Obviously, the laser processing mechanism processes the circuit board 20 using a laser beam, while the mechanical processing mechanism processes the circuit board 20 using a cutting tool. Therefore, depending on the actual needs, the processing mechanism 400 can be a laser processing mechanism or a mechanical processing mechanism, or other processing methods can be used to process the circuit board 20.

[0058] See Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5In some embodiments, the processing component 410 is slidably connected to the base 100 along the second direction. For example, the processing component 410 can be fixed on a sliding plate, which is slidably connected to the base 100 along the second direction. The sliding plate can be driven by a power source such as a linear motor or a lead screw, so that the processing component 410 slides relative to the base 100 in the second direction to move closer to or further away from the circuit board 20. When the processing mechanism 300 is a laser processing mechanism, the focal length of the laser beam of the processing component 410 can be adjusted so that the laser beam can process the circuit board 20 through different methods such as focused processing or defocused processing. It can be understood that when focused processing is used, the focal point is placed at the processing position of the circuit board 20, thereby increasing the energy of the laser beam at the processing position to improve processing efficiency and processing accuracy. For example, a focused processing method can be used to process high-precision micro blind hole structures on the circuit board 20. When defocusing is used, the focal point falls outside the processing position of the circuit board 20. This avoids damage or deformation of the circuit board 20 due to localized overheating at the processing position. It also allows for a suitable increase in the size of the processing spot. For example, defocusing can be used to process large structures on the circuit board 20. When the processing mechanism 400 is a mechanical processing mechanism, the relative displacement speed and resistance between the tool and the circuit board 20 can be reasonably adjusted to ensure that the tool processes the circuit board 20 at a reasonable processing speed and feed pressure, thereby improving processing efficiency while ensuring processing accuracy.

[0059] In some embodiments, when the processing mechanism 400 is a laser processing mechanism, the processing component 410 includes a deflector and a focusing component. The deflector is used to control the deflection direction of the laser beam, and the focusing component is used to focus the laser beam, adjusting the size and focal length of the focused spot of the laser beam acting on the circuit board 20. By setting the deflector, the laser beam emitted by the processing component 410 can scan the processing area of ​​the circuit board 20 within the deflection range to achieve processing. The deflector may include mechanically controlled galvanometers or rotating mirrors, or electrically controlled acousto-optic deflectors (AOD) or acousto-optic modulators (AOM). It is understood that, given the obstruction of the laser beam by the clamping component 221, the processing area cannot be covered by the clamping component 221. Therefore, two adjacent sets of clamping components 221 of the clamping component 220 can define part of the edge of the processing area.

[0060] See Figure 1 and Figure 2In some embodiments, the processing mechanism 400 further includes a laser 420 and a beam splitter 430. The laser 420 and beam splitter 430 can be fixedly mounted on the base 100. The number of lasers 420 is greater than or equal to one, and the number of beam splitters 430 is greater than or equal to the number of lasers 420. The same laser 420 can correspond to multiple processing components 410, which are spaced apart on a plane parallel to the vertically placed circuit board 20. This allows multiple processing components 410 to simultaneously process different processing areas of at least one surface of the circuit board 20, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the circuit board 20. The laser beam emitted by the laser 420 is split into multiple branch lasers 421 by the beam splitter 430. The number of branch lasers 421 is equal to the number of processing components 410, forming a one-to-one correspondence, so that different branch lasers 421 enter different processing components 410. This allows at least one surface of the circuit board 20 to be processed simultaneously by multiple processing components 410, also improving the processing efficiency of the circuit board 20. Of course, the same laser 420 can also correspond to multiple beam splitting components 430. Multiple beam splitting components 430 can divide the laser beam generated by the same laser 420 into multiple branch lasers 421, so that different branch lasers 421 enter different processing components 410.

[0061] See Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the processing apparatus 10 further includes a suction mechanism 500. Along the thickness direction of the circuit board 20, the suction port 510 of the suction mechanism 500 is located between the processing component 410 and the circuit board 20. The suction mechanism 500 can be fixedly connected to the base 100. By providing the suction mechanism 500, dust and other impurities generated during laser processing of the circuit board 20 can be promptly removed by negative pressure, preventing dust from adhering to optical components such as the focusing component and affecting processing, thereby improving the processing efficiency and accuracy of the circuit board 20. The suction mechanism 500 includes a suction tube 520, the lumen of which extends along a third direction and communicates with the suction port 510. During operation, the suction mechanism 500 provides a downward suction force to the suction port 510 along the suction tube 520. Figure 6 The direction indicated by the dashed arrow is the direction of the adsorption force. Dust and other impurities in the suction port 510 are discharged through the cavity of the suction pipe 520. Since the cavity of the suction pipe 520 is oriented in a third direction, dust and other impurities in the cavity can be rapidly discharged from the cavity under the action of gravity, thereby improving the working efficiency of the suction mechanism 500. It can be understood that, given that the circuit board 20 is placed vertically during processing, under the combined action of gravity and the adsorption force generated by the suction mechanism 500, dust can be quickly detached from the circuit board 20, thereby improving the dust suction effect of the suction mechanism 500.

[0062] This application also provides a processing system, which includes a front-end production line, a back-end production line, and the aforementioned processing device 10. The processing device 10 is located between the front-end and back-end production lines, and both the front-end and back-end production lines are used to process vertically placed circuit boards 20. Therefore, when the circuit board 20 is transferred from the front-end production line to the processing device 10, or from the processing device 10 to the back-end production line, the circuit board 20 is always vertically placed, eliminating the need for multiple changes in the placement of the circuit board 20. This improves the processing efficiency of the circuit board 20 and facilitates the simplification and integration of the processing device 10 with the front-end and back-end production lines as needed, reducing the space occupied by the entire processing system and facilitating the automated design and control of the processing system. The front-end production line may include a circuit board blackening or browning production line, and the back-end production line may include a circuit board cleaning production line.

[0063] See Figure 7 This application also provides a processing method, which can be performed using the aforementioned processing apparatus 10, enabling the processing of the aforementioned circuit board 20. The processing method mainly includes the following steps:

[0064] S610, the circuit board 20 is fixed to the clamping assembly 220 in a vertical position.

[0065] S620, the control clamping component 220 drives the circuit board 20 to move so that any of its processing areas are aligned with the processing range of the processing component 410, and the clamping component 220 defines a portion of the edge of the processing area.

[0066] S630, the processing component 410 controls the processing area of ​​the circuit board 20 to process.

[0067] S640, after the processing component 410 has finished processing the prior processing area of ​​the circuit board 20, the circuit board 20 is slid along the direction of gravity by the clamping component 220 and / or driven to slide by the clamping component 220, so that the processing component 410 processes the subsequent processing area of ​​the circuit board 20.

[0068] Since the circuit board 20 is placed vertically during processing, it can maintain its vertical position when transferred from the previous production line to the processing device 10 for processing, or when transferred from the processing device 10 to the next production line. This eliminates the need for multiple changes to the placement of the circuit board 20, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the circuit board 20. Furthermore, the clamping assembly 220 allows the circuit board 20 to move along the first and third directions; while the processing assembly 410 is relatively fixed along the first and third directions. Therefore, in the first and third directions, the circuit board 20 can move while the processing assembly 410 cannot. This means that the movement of the circuit board 20 aligns each processing area of ​​the circuit board 20 with the processing assembly 410 in the second direction, allowing the processing assembly 410 to accurately process each processing area. It also effectively avoids affecting the positional accuracy of the processing assembly 410 due to its movement in the first and third directions, thus improving the processing accuracy of the circuit board 20.

[0069] In some embodiments, the clamping assembly 220 defines a portion of the edge of the processing area, that is, two adjacent sets of clamping members 221 of the clamping assembly 220 define a portion of the edge of the processing area. During the processing of the processing area of ​​the circuit board 20 by the processing assembly 410, there are processing assemblies 410 on both sides of the circuit board 20 in the thickness direction. Therefore, the processing assemblies 410 on both sides of the circuit board 20 can process two surfaces in the thickness direction of the circuit board 20. For example, the processing assembly 410 can process two surfaces in the thickness direction of the circuit board 20 simultaneously, which can eliminate intermediate waiting time and improve processing efficiency. Or, the processing assembly 410 can process two surfaces in the thickness direction of the circuit board 20 sequentially. Therefore, adopting a sequential processing mode according to the actual processing requirements of the two surfaces can improve the processing accuracy of the circuit board 20.

[0070] In some embodiments, during the processing of the two surfaces of the circuit board 20 in the thickness direction by the processing component 410, the processing component 410 can process the two surfaces respectively using different processing parameters. This can meet the different processing requirements of the two surfaces in terms of shape and size, thereby ensuring the processing accuracy of the circuit board 20. For example, the processing parameters may include processing speed, processing power, or processing path, that is, according to actual needs, the processing components 410 located on both sides of the circuit board 20 can process the two surfaces respectively using different processing speeds, processing powers, or processing paths.

[0071] In some embodiments, during the processing of the processing area of ​​the circuit board 20 by the processing component 410, the processing component 410 can process the circuit board 20 by laser processing, that is, by processing the circuit board 20 with a laser beam emitted by the processing component 410. In this case, the processing component 410 is understood to be a laser processing component. Alternatively, the processing component 410 can process the circuit board 20 by mechanical processing, that is, by directly contacting the circuit board 20 with a cutting tool of the processing component 410 to process the circuit board 20. In this case, the processing component 410 is understood to be a mechanical processing component. This increases the diversity of processing methods used for processing the circuit board 20.

[0072] In some embodiments, during the laser processing of the circuit board 20 by the processing component 410, the laser beam generated by the processing component 410 can be deflected to cover the processing area of ​​the circuit board 20. Specifically, by moving the circuit board 20 in a first direction and a third direction, the processing area of ​​the circuit board 20 can be aligned with the processing component 410 in a second direction. At this time, since the processing component 410 remains stationary in both the first and third directions, the laser beam emitted by the processing component 410 can be deflected by a deflector provided inside the processing component 410 to cover the entire processing area of ​​the circuit board 20, that is, the laser beam is deflected to scan the processing area and thus process the circuit board 20.

[0073] In some embodiments, during the laser processing of the circuit board 20 by the processing component 410, the processing component 410 can slide along the thickness direction of the circuit board 20, thereby increasing the focal length of the laser beam. That is, the focal position of the laser beam can be adjusted according to processing needs, so that the laser beam can process the circuit board 20 through focused processing or defocused processing. It is understood that when using focused processing, the focal point is placed at the processing location of the circuit board 20, thereby improving the energy utilization rate of the laser beam at the processing location and increasing processing efficiency. For example, a thicker circuit board 20 can be processed using focused processing. When using defocused processing, the focal point is placed outside the processing location of the circuit board 20, which can prevent damage or deformation of the circuit board 20 due to localized overheating at the processing location. For example, a thinner circuit board 20 can be processed using focused processing. During the machining process of the circuit board 20 by the machining component 410, the machining component 410 can slide along the thickness direction of the circuit board 20, thereby adjusting the low pressure between the tool and the circuit board 20, ensuring that the tool processes the circuit board 20 with a reasonable feed pressure, and improving the machining efficiency while ensuring machining accuracy.

[0074] In some embodiments, during the processing of the circuit board 20 by the processing component 410, the dust in the processing area is removed by the negative pressure generated by the suction mechanism 500. This prevents dust from entering the external environment and affecting the processing environment, and also prevents dust from adhering to the optical elements of the laser processing component 410, thus avoiding affecting the transmission efficiency and accuracy of the laser beam. It also prevents dust from adhering to the core mechanical components of the machining component 410, which could lead to performance degradation or even malfunction. This improves the processing efficiency and accuracy of the circuit board 20. Since the circuit board 20 is placed vertically during processing, the gravity of the dust also plays a significant role under the negative pressure, allowing the dust to be quickly removed from the circuit board 20 under the combined action of negative pressure and gravity, thereby improving the dust removal effect.

[0075] In some embodiments, after the circuit board 20 is processed, the clamping assembly 220 can be moved along the direction of gravity to a suitable unloading position. In other words, the clamping assembly 220 and the circuit board 20 are at a reasonable height. Then, the clamping assembly 220 drives the circuit board 20 to move, thereby causing the circuit board 20 to detach from the clamping assembly 220 and the entire processing device 10, so that the circuit board 20 can be transferred to the subsequent production line for processing.

[0076] In some embodiments, before the processing component 410 processes the processing area of ​​the circuit board 20, that is, before the circuit board 20 is processed, the circuit board 20 needs to be transferred from the previous production line to the processing device 10 for processing. At this time, the clamping component 220 can be moved to the loading position along the direction of gravity first. In other words, the clamping component 220 and the circuit board 20 are at a reasonable height. Then the clamping component 220 drives the circuit board 20 to move, so that the circuit board 20 is removed from the previous production line and transferred to the processing device 10, so that the processing component 410 can process the circuit board 20 subsequently.

[0077] Therefore, after the processing component 410 has completely processed the circuit board 20, the clamping component 220 will move to the unloading position, transferring the circuit board 20 from the unloading position to the subsequent production line. After the circuit board 20 is completely disengaged from the clamping component 220 at the unloading position, the clamping component 220 will return from the unloading position to the loading position, transferring the circuit board 20 from the previous production line and the loading position to the clamping component 220, so that the clamping component 220 can move to the designated position for processing by the processing component 410.

[0078] See Figure 8 In some embodiments, this application also provides a processing method that applies the above-described processing system, the processing method comprising the following steps:

[0079] S710, Circuit Board 20 is placed vertically on the front-end production line for front-end processing;

[0080] S720, the circuit board 20 after the previous processing is transported to the processing device 10 in a vertical position for vertical placement and processing;

[0081] S730, the circuit board 20 processed by the processing device 10 is transported vertically to the downstream production line for vertical placement and downstream processing. Therefore, when the circuit board 20 is transferred from the upstream production line to the processing device 10, or from the processing device 10 to the downstream production line, the circuit board 20 is always vertically placed, eliminating the need for multiple changes in the placement of the circuit board 20. This improves the processing efficiency of the circuit board 20 and also facilitates the simplification and integration of the processing device 10 with the upstream and downstream production lines as needed, reducing the space occupied by the entire processing system and facilitating the automated design and control of the processing system.

[0082] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0083] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A clamping mechanism for clamping a vertically placed circuit board, characterized in that, The clamping mechanism includes: The support component is slidably positioned along the direction of gravity; and A clamping assembly is movably connected to the support assembly and is used to clamp the circuit board, and the clamping assembly drives the circuit board to slide in a direction that is perpendicular to both the thickness direction and the gravity direction of the circuit board.

2. The clamping mechanism of claim 1, wherein The clamping assembly rotates about an axis extending in the direction of gravity and is rotatably connected to the support assembly.

3. The clamping mechanism of claim 1, wherein, The clamping assembly includes multiple sets of clamping members spaced apart along the direction of movement of the circuit board relative to the clamping assembly. Each set of clamping members includes an active roller and a driven roller spaced apart along the thickness direction of the circuit board and rotatably connected to the support assembly. The active roller and the driven roller are used to clamp and drive the circuit board to move.

4. The clamping mechanism of claim 3, wherein, The support assembly has an adjustment hole that extends a set length along the thickness direction of the circuit board, and the driven roller can slide in the adjustment hole.

5. The clamping mechanism of claim 3, wherein The clamping assembly also includes an elastic element connected between the driving roller and the driven roller.

6. The clamping mechanism of claim 3, wherein, The clamping mechanism also includes a drive unit and a conveyor belt, wherein the drive unit drives the active roller to rotate via the conveyor belt.

7. The chucking mechanism of claim 1, wherein The clamping mechanism further includes rollers, and the support assembly includes a first support portion and a second support portion spaced apart along the direction of gravity. The first support portion is located above the second support portion, and the rollers rotate about an axis extending along the thickness direction of the circuit board and are rotatably connected to the second support portion.

8. A processing device, characterized by The processing device includes a base, a processing mechanism, and a clamping mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 7. The support assembly is slidably disposed on the base along the direction of gravity. The processing mechanism includes a processing component disposed on the base, and the processing component is used to process the circuit board.

9. The processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein, The number of processing components is greater than or equal to two, and the two processing components are located on opposite sides in the thickness direction of the circuit board to process the two surfaces in the thickness direction of the circuit board.

10. The processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein It also includes a suction mechanism, which includes a suction port and a suction tube. The suction port is located between the processing component and the circuit board along the thickness direction of the circuit board, and the lumen of the suction tube extends along the direction of gravity and communicates with the suction port.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein, The processing component is slidably connected to the base along the thickness direction of the circuit board.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein, The processing mechanism is a laser processing mechanism or a mechanical processing mechanism.

13. The processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein, When the processing mechanism is a laser processing mechanism, the processing components include a deflector and a focusing component. The deflector is used to control the deflection direction of the laser beam, and the focusing component is used to focus the laser beam.

14. The processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein, The processing mechanism also includes a laser and a beam splitter mounted on the base. There are multiple processing components, which are spaced apart on a plane parallel to the vertically placed circuit board. The laser beam emitted by the laser is split into multiple branch lasers by the beam splitter, and different branch lasers enter different processing components.

15. A processing system characterized by, It includes a front-end production line, a back-end production line, and a processing apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 14, wherein the processing apparatus is located between the front-end production line and the back-end production line, and both the front-end production line and the back-end production line are used to process vertically placed circuit boards.

16. The processing system of claim 15, wherein, The upstream production line includes a blackening or browning production line; and / or, the downstream production line includes a cleaning production line.

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