A hopper and a dosing system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a material box and feeding system relates to SMT mounting equipment technical field, wherein, material box includes: main part, one side of main part is provided with side plate, and the other side of main part is open setting, center axis, one end of center axis sets up in side plate, limiting component, limiting component sets up in center axis, wherein, the axle of material belt disc is provided with through groove, and one end of center axis passes through through groove and sets up in main part, makes material belt disc can revolve around center axis, and limiting component restricts the displacement of material belt disc in the axial direction of center axis in the other end of center axis, the utility model provides technical scheme through adopting center axis and limiting component cooperation, makes material belt disc can be fixed on the main part of material box, and can revolve around center axis, and limiting component will be positioned to material belt disc when material belt disc rotates, avoids its swing when rotating, and guarantees the smooth of feeding in SMT process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of SMT placement equipment technology, and in particular to a material box and feeding system. Background Technology

[0002] SMT (Surface Mount Technology) is a surface mount technology and a commonly used process in the electronics assembly industry.

[0003] In the SMT assembly process, electronic components are often supplied using tapes. The tapes are wound around a tape reel to form a tape loop, which is then rotated and positioned in the component tray. As the feeding process progresses, the diameter of the tape loop formed by the tape wound around the reel gradually decreases. This causes the force transmitted to the tape reel due to the pulling of the tape to gradually increase, resulting in the tape reel being affected by external forces and rotating unsmoothly in the component tray, or even running out of the component tray. Utility Model Content

[0004] The main objective of this invention is to provide a material box and feeding system, aiming to solve the problem of uneven rotation of the material reel in the material box due to the tension of the material belt.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a material box for carrying material tape reels, the material box comprising:

[0006] The main body has a side plate on one side and an open side on the other side.

[0007] A central shaft, one end of which is disposed on the side plate;

[0008] A limiting component, wherein the limiting component is disposed on the central axis;

[0009] The material strip reel has a through groove at its center, and one end of the central shaft passes through the through groove and is disposed in the main body, so that the material strip reel can rotate around the central shaft. The limiting component restricts the displacement of the material strip reel in its axial direction at the other end of the central shaft.

[0010] In one embodiment, the end of the central shaft is hollow and has a mounting groove, and the limiting component is disposed in the mounting groove.

[0011] In one embodiment, the limiting component includes an abutment, a spring, and several floating members. The side wall of the mounting groove has an opening through which the floating members extend. The floating members partially pass through the opening and abut against the conveyor belt. One end of the spring is disposed at the bottom of the mounting groove. One end of the abutment abuts against the other end of the spring, and the other end of the abutment abuts against the floating members. The abutment can move within the mounting groove.

[0012] In one embodiment, the floating member is spherical, and the end of the abutting member is provided with a guide slope that cooperates with the floating member.

[0013] In one embodiment, the number of floating elements is at least four.

[0014] In one embodiment, the inner wall of the through groove is provided with a plurality of slots along the radial direction of the strip reel, and during the rotation of the strip reel, at least two of the floating members are misaligned with the slots.

[0015] In one embodiment, the end of the abutment is recessed to form a receiving groove for accommodating the spring.

[0016] In one embodiment, the abutment member has a weight-reducing groove, the length direction of which is perpendicular to the axial direction of the abutment member.

[0017] In one embodiment, the tape reel can be removed from the opening.

[0018] This utility model also proposes a feeding system, including the aforementioned material box.

[0019] The technical solution of this utility model uses a central axis and a limiting component to fix the tape reel to the main body of the material box and allow it to rotate around the central axis. The limiting component limits the tape reel when it rotates, preventing it from swinging during rotation and ensuring smooth material loading during the SMT process. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the usage state of the material box provided by this utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the material box;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the material conveyor belt structure;

[0024] Figure 4 Exploded view of the central axis and limiting components;

[0025] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the central axis and limiting components from another perspective.

[0026] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0027] 1. Material box; 11. Main body; 111. First vertical plate; 112. Second vertical plate; 113. Horizontal plate; 12. Side plate; 2. Central shaft; 21. Mounting groove; 22. Opening; 3. Limiting component; 31. Abutting component; 311. Guide slope; 312. Receiving groove; 313. Weight reduction groove; 32. Spring; 33. Floating component; 4. Material reel; 41. Through groove; 42. Slot.

[0028] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this utility model will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

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

[0030] It should be noted that if the embodiments of this utility model involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0031] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this utility model involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the use of "and / or" or "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions. For example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.

[0032] Surface Mount Technology (SMT) is a core process in the electronics assembly industry. It refers to the direct mounting and soldering of leadless or short-lead surface mount components (SMC / SMD) onto pads on the surface of a printed circuit board (PCB), rather than inserting component leads into vias in traditional through-hole mounting (THT). This technology has gradually become mainstream in electronics assembly since the 1980s, greatly driving the miniaturization, lightweighting, high density, and high performance of electronic products.

[0033] During surface mount technology (SMT) mounting, various SMT components can be fed using a tape method. That is, the various SMT components are fixed on the tape, and then the tape is wound around a tape reel to form a tape loop, which is placed in a cassette. As SMT mounting continues, the mounting equipment will continuously pick up the SMT components from the tape, which will continuously pull the tape and cause the tape reel to roll in the cassette. The rolling of the tape reel will continuously release the tape so that the mounting equipment can pick up the SMT components from the tape.

[0034] However, as the tape is pulled, the length of the tape wound on the tape reel will continuously decrease, that is, the diameter of the tape loop will continuously decrease. As a result, the force transmitted to the tape reel due to pulling the tape will continuously increase. The change in force will affect the rotation of the tape reel. As the force continues to increase, the tape reel will tend to swing more and more during rotation, and the rotation of the tape reel will become more and more uneven, and may even run out of the material box and affect the feeding of the mounting equipment.

[0035] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention proposes a material box 1 for supporting the material reel 4 and limiting its movement to prevent it from swaying or even running out of the material box 1 during rotation. Specifically, the material box 1 includes a main body 11, a central shaft 2, and a limiting component 3. A side plate 12 is provided on one side of the main body 11, and the other side of the main body 11 is open. One end of the central shaft 2 is located on the side plate 12, and the limiting component 3 is located on the other end of the central shaft 2. This allows the material reel 4 to be fitted onto the central shaft 2. The side plate 12 and the limiting component 3 together limit the axial displacement of the material reel 4 on the central shaft 2, thereby preventing the material reel 4 from swaying during rotation and ensuring stable feeding.

[0036] Specifically, in this utility model, the main body 11 includes a first vertical plate 111, a second vertical plate 112, and a horizontal plate 113. The first vertical plate 111 and the second vertical plate 112 are respectively disposed at both ends of the horizontal plate 113. The length directions of the first vertical plate 111 and the second vertical plate 112 are parallel, and the length directions of the first vertical plate 111 and the second vertical plate 112 are perpendicular to the length direction of the horizontal plate 113. The first vertical plate 111, the second vertical plate 112, and the horizontal plate 113 together constitute the main frame of the main body 11, and the length of the horizontal plate 113 is slightly larger than the diameter of the material tray 4 so that the main body 11 can accommodate the material tray 4.

[0037] The side plate 12 is fixed to one side of the main body 11, that is, the three sides of the side plate 12 are fixed to the first vertical plate 111, the second vertical plate 112 and the horizontal plate 113 respectively. Correspondingly, the other side of the main body 11 naturally forms an open setting, which facilitates the installation or removal of the material reel 4. The end of the central shaft 2 is set on the side plate 12. The central shaft 2 can be fixedly connected to the side plate 12 or rotatably connected to the side plate 12. For example, the side plate 12 has a hole for the end of the central shaft 2 to be inserted into the hole, and the central shaft 2 is inserted into the hole. Alternatively, on the basis of the above, a bearing is set in the hole, and the central shaft 2 is inserted into the bearing. The above is only an example of the possible connection methods between the central shaft 2 and the side plate 12, and is not a specific limitation on the connection method between the central shaft 2 and the side plate 12.

[0038] Correspondingly, a through groove 41 is provided at the center of the tape reel 4. The end of the central shaft 2 passes through the through groove 41 and is connected to the side plate 12. The axis of the tape reel 4 coincides with the axis of the central shaft 2, so that the tape reel 4 can rotate around the central shaft 2. The limiting component 3 limits the tape reel 4 at the other end of the central shaft 2 to prevent the tape reel 4 from swinging during rotation. It should be noted that, in conjunction with the above, depending on whether the central shaft 2 rotates or not, it is possible to select whether the central shaft 2 rotates with the tape reel 4. That is, the tape reel 4 rotates and the central shaft 2 also rotates, and the two have the same angular velocity; or the tape reel 4 rotates and the central shaft 2 also rotates, but the two do not have the same angular velocity; or the tape reel 4 rotates and the central shaft 2 does not rotate. These three situations can be selected according to actual design and production needs.

[0039] In this invention, a mounting groove 21 is formed in the hollow end of the central shaft 2 away from the side plate 12. The limiting component 3 is disposed in the mounting groove 21, so that the limiting component 3 and the side plate 12 can jointly limit the material reel 4. The mounting groove 21 provides a dedicated installation space for the limiting component 3, avoiding the problems of easy damage and susceptibility to dust and other impurities caused by the limiting component 3 being exposed to the outside, thus extending the service life of the limiting component 3. Furthermore, by embedding the limiting component 3 inside the end of the central shaft 2, there is no need to set up an additional installation structure outside the central shaft 2, reducing the overall space occupied by the material box 1, making it more suitable for the limited installation environment inside the SMT equipment, and reducing its impact on the installation space. The risk of interference from other components; specifically, the limiting component 3 includes an abutment 31, a spring 32 and several floating components 33. The side wall of the mounting groove 21 is provided with an opening 22 for the floating components 33 to extend out. The floating components 33 partially protrude through the opening 22 and abut against the material belt reel 4. One end of the spring 32 is located at the bottom of the mounting groove 21. One end of the abutment 31 abuts against the other end of the spring 32, and the other end of the abutment 31 abuts against the floating components 33. The abutment 31 can move within the mounting groove 21. The spring 32 is always in a compressed state within the mounting groove 21. The size of the opening 22 is smaller than the size of the floating components 33.

[0040] In the actual assembly process, after aligning the through groove 41 of the tape reel 4 with the central shaft 2, pressing the contact member 31 further compresses the spring 32, allowing the floating member 33 to retract into the mounting groove 21. Then, the tape reel 4 is installed on the central shaft 2. Releasing the contact member 31 allows it to re-engage with the floating member 33, causing part of the floating member 33 to extend from the opening 22, thereby limiting the tape reel 4. The limiting assembly 3 automatically completes the limiting without requiring additional manual operation, improving the installation efficiency of the tape reel 4. It should be noted that the elastic properties of the spring 32 cause the contact member 31 to retract into the mounting groove 21. The spring 32 can move within the mounting groove 21 according to the actual position or slight dimensional deviation of the tape reel 4 after installation, thereby pushing the floating part 33 to always maintain stable contact with the tape reel 4. Even if there is a certain manufacturing error in the tape reel 4, reliable axial limiting can be achieved, improving the versatility and stability of the limiting. When the tape reel 4 generates axial impact force due to tape tension fluctuation or equipment vibration, the spring 32 can absorb part of the impact force through its own deformation, avoiding the impact force from being directly transmitted to the central shaft 2 or the main body 11, reducing the rigid collision between the tape reel 4 and the material box 1, reducing component wear, and extending the service life of the material box 1 and the tape reel 4.

[0041] Furthermore, the floating member 33 is spherical, and the opening 22 is circular. The diameter of the opening 22 is smaller than the diameter of the maximum cross-section of the floating member 33. The end of the contact member 31 is provided with a guide slope 311 that cooperates with the floating member 33. The cooperation between the guide slope 311 and the spherical floating member 33 enables the thrust of the contact member 31 on the floating member 33 to be transmitted to the floating member 33 more evenly, ensuring that the floating member 33 is under balanced force and avoiding the problem of severe wear on one side or limit failure caused by uneven force on the floating member 33, thereby improving the working reliability of the limit assembly 3. In addition, the spherical structure allows the floating member 33 to roll or move flexibly along the guide slope 311 and the opening 22 of the mounting groove 21 when it is squeezed by the receiving tape reel 4 or pushed by the contact member 31, reducing jamming and ensuring that the contact member 31 driven by the spring 32 can smoothly drive the floating member 33 to achieve limit and reset, further ensuring the stability of the rotation and limit of the tape reel 4.

[0042] It should be noted that since the tape reel 4 needs to be rewound, it is generally a standard part. To facilitate rewinding, the inner wall of the through groove 41 is provided with several slots along the radial direction of the tape reel 4. The number of slots is generally three, but there may be one, two, or more. Considering the existence of the slots and the possible variation in their number, to ensure the limiting effect of the floating parts 33 on the tape reel 4, the number of floating parts 33 is at least four, and the included angle between any two adjacent floating parts 33 on the plane perpendicular to the central axis 2 is equal. Considering that the number of slots is one, two, or three, at least two of the four floating parts 33 are misaligned with the slots, thus ensuring the limiting effect of the floating parts 33 on the tape reel 4. That is, the misaligned floating parts 33 ensure that the tape reel 4 will not rotate and jam due to all floating parts 33 being simultaneously inserted into the slots, thus ensuring the tape reel 4's stability. The continuity of rotation is ensured. Specifically, at least four floating elements 33 form multi-point, symmetrical axial limiting forces on the tape reel 4, preventing uneven force distribution on the tape reel 4 due to insufficient number of floating elements 33 (such as two or three), which could lead to unilateral tilting or jamming. This ensures that the tape reel 4 always rotates coaxially, improving rotational stability. In case of a malfunction, even if some floating elements 33 temporarily fail due to wear or failure, the remaining floating elements 33 can still maintain basic axial limiting functions. This prevents the entire limiting assembly 3 from failing due to the failure of a single floating element 33, reducing the risk of the tape reel 4 coming off during production and improving the fault tolerance and reliability of the material box 1. Furthermore, the multiple floating elements 33 share the axial pressure of the tape reel 4, with each floating element 33 bearing less pressure, which can reduce the wear rate of a single floating element 33, extend the overall service life of the floating elements 33, and reduce the maintenance frequency and cost of the material box 1.

[0043] Furthermore, the end of the contact member 31 is recessed to form a receiving groove 312 for accommodating the spring 32. The receiving groove 312 can limit one end of the spring 32, preventing the spring 32 from shifting, tilting, or falling off within the mounting groove 21. This ensures that the spring 32 always extends and contracts axially along the central axis 2, ensuring a stable thrust direction of the spring 32 on the contact member 31, thereby ensuring the reliable limiting effect of the floating member 33. In addition, the receiving groove 312 can partially embed the spring 32 into the contact member 31, reducing the axial space occupied by the spring 32 within the mounting groove 21. This makes the overall structure of the limiting component 3 more compact, providing the possibility for miniaturized design of the end of the central axis 2, and further adapting to the space requirements of SMT equipment. Moreover, the receiving groove 312 provides a protective enclosure for the spring 32, preventing accidental contact or hooking between the spring 32 and the side wall of the mounting groove 21 or the floating member 33 during extension and contraction. This reduces the risk of wear and jamming of the spring 32, extends its service life, and ensures the long-term stable operation of the limiting component 3.

[0044] The contact member 31 is also provided with a weight reduction groove 313. The length direction of the weight reduction groove 313 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the contact member 31. Thus, without affecting the structural strength of the contact member 31, the weight reduction groove 313 can remove unnecessary materials from the contact member 31, reduce the weight of the contact member 31 itself, and thus reduce the overall weight of the material box 1. This makes it easier to install, disassemble and transport the material box 1 on the SMT equipment, improving operational convenience. In addition, the lightweight contact member 31 has less inertia when moving in the mounting groove 21, and can respond to the extension and retraction of the spring 32 more quickly and sensitively. This avoids the delay or jamming of the floating member 33 due to excessive inertia of the contact member 31, further ensuring the synchronization and stability of the rotation and limiting of the material tape reel 4.

[0045] In this utility model, when installing the material reel 4, first place the material reel 4 in the open area, then align the through groove 41 with the central shaft 2, then press the contact member 31, and at the same time push the material reel 4 towards the side plate 12. When the floating member 33 is completely submerged in the through groove 41, the contact member 31 can be released, and then continue to push until the floating member 33 is exposed in the through groove 41 and is in the contact position. At this time, there is usually a "click" sound, which is the sound made when the floating member 33 is in the contact position.

[0046] During disassembly, first press the contact member 31, and then pull the tape reel 4 away from the side plate 12. Similarly, after the floating member 33 is completely submerged in the through groove 41, the contact member 31 can be released, and then the tape reel 4 can be completely removed from the central shaft 2.

[0047] It should be noted that in the actual production process, the installation and removal of the conveyor belt 4 can be completed entirely by a robotic arm.

[0048] This utility model also proposes a feeding system, which includes the aforementioned material box 1. The specific structure of the material box 1 is as described in the above embodiments. Since this feeding system adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0049] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present utility model and does not limit the patent scope of the present utility model. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the technical concept of the present utility model and the contents of the present utility model specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A material box for carrying a material reel, characterized in that, The material box includes: The main body has a side plate on one side and an open side on the other side. A central shaft, one end of which is disposed on the side plate; A limiting component, wherein the limiting component is disposed on the central axis; The material reel has a through groove at its center, and one end of the central shaft passes through the through groove and is disposed in the main body, so that the material reel can rotate around the central shaft. The limiting component restricts the displacement of the material reel in its axial direction at the other end of the central shaft.

2. The material box as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The central shaft has a hollow end with a mounting groove, and the limiting component is disposed in the mounting groove.

3. The material box as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The limiting component includes an abutment, a spring, and several floating components. The side wall of the mounting groove has an opening through which the floating components extend. The floating components partially pass through the opening and abut against the conveyor belt. One end of the spring is located at the bottom of the mounting groove. One end of the abutment abuts against the other end of the spring, and the other end of the abutment abuts against the floating components. The abutment can move within the mounting groove.

4. The material box as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The floating component is spherical, and the end of the abutting component is provided with a guide slope that cooperates with the floating component.

5. The material box as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The number of floating components is at least four.

6. The material box as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The inner wall of the through groove is provided with a plurality of slots along the radial direction of the material strip reel. During the rotation of the material strip reel, at least two of the floating parts are misaligned with the slots.

7. The material box as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The end of the abutment is recessed to form a receiving groove for accommodating the spring.

8. The material box as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The abutment has a weight-reducing groove, and the length direction of the weight-reducing groove is perpendicular to the axial direction of the abutment.

9. The material box as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The feed reel can be removed from the opening.

10. A feeding system, characterized in that, The material box includes any one of claims 1 to 9.

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