Reversing device and plating production line

Abstract

We provide a reversing device and a plating production line. [Solution] The inversion device is used in a plating production line, which includes two horizontal plating devices. The inversion device is installed between the two horizontal plating devices and includes a machine frame, a feeding mechanism and an inversion mechanism installed on the machine frame. The feeding mechanism has a horizontal transport surface for horizontally placing circuit boards. Circuit boards plated by one horizontal plating device enter the horizontal transport surface and are transported horizontally through the feeding mechanism to the other horizontal plating device. During transport, the inversion mechanism flips the circuit board on the horizontal transport surface so that the plating transport mechanisms of the two horizontal plating devices each sandwich the circuit board on its opposing sides, and also swaps the positions of the two opposing sides of the circuit board. This makes the plating layer of the circuit board, which has been plated twice by the two horizontal plating devices, more uniform and effectively improves the production quality of the circuit boards.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of circuit board plating, and particularly to an inversion device and a plating production line.

Background Art

[0002] The effect of the conventional primary plating of a PCB substrate is not very ideal, and secondary plating and tertiary plating are required. In primary plating and secondary plating, the plating is thin, but the surface of the substrate member is required to be uniformly plated. Therefore, primary plating and secondary plating adopt the horizontal plating method. In order to achieve the best plating effect, the substrate member is turned over and the clamping points or clamping sides are exchanged. The closer to the clamping point or clamping side, the greater the current, so generally the plating is thicker. Turning over is because the chemical solution environments on the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate are different. The positioning accuracy of the substrate member inverted by the conventional inversion device is low, the inversion step is slow, it is complicated, the efficiency is not high, and it affects the plating quality of the circuit board.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] The main object of the present invention is to propose an inversion device and a plating production line in order to solve the problem of poor plating quality of the conventional circuit board.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention proposes an inversion device used in a plating production line. The plating production line includes a horizontal plating device. The horizontal plating device includes a plating transport mechanism and a plating cylinder. The plating transport mechanism is used to move the circuit board in the plating cylinder by clamping the side of the circuit board for plating. The inversion device is provided between two of the horizontal plating devices and includes a machine body frame, a feed mechanism and an inversion mechanism provided on the machine body frame. At both ends of the feeding mechanism closest to the two horizontal plating apparatuses, a first horizontal plane and a second horizontal plane are provided, respectively. The first horizontal plane is used to receive plated circuit boards from one of the horizontal plating apparatuses, and the feeding mechanism is used to transport the circuit boards to the second horizontal plane and to horizontally insert the circuit boards from the second horizontal plane into the other horizontal plating apparatus. The inversion mechanism is used to flip the circuit board in the feeding mechanism such that the plating transport mechanisms of the two horizontal plating apparatuses each sandwich the circuit board on opposite sides.

[0005] In one embodiment, the reversing mechanism includes a drive assembly, a rotating shaft, and a clamping assembly, wherein the clamping assembly is mounted on the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft is drive-connected to the drive assembly, the clamping assembly is provided with an insertion groove for inserting a circuit board, and the drive assembly is used to rotate the rotating shaft so that the clamping assembly reverses the circuit board.

[0006] In one embodiment, the clamping assembly includes a plurality of locking blocks arranged at intervals along the length of the rotation axis, each of which has a locking groove, and the plurality of locking grooves communicate to form the insertion groove.

[0007] In one embodiment, the clamping assembly further includes a plurality of first guide wheels arranged at intervals on the rotating shaft and provided at the bottom of the locking groove for sliding contact with the side of the circuit board, And / or, on opposite sides of the rotating shaft, a plurality of the locking blocks and a plurality of the first guide wheels are provided, respectively.

[0008] In one embodiment, the drive assembly includes a drive motor, a transmission belt, and a transmission wheel, with one end of the rotating shaft connected to the transmission wheel, the transmission belt fitted to the transmission wheel and the motor, and the motor rotates the transmission wheel via the transmission belt, thereby rotating the rotating shaft.

[0009] In one embodiment, the feeding mechanism includes a first transport line and a second transport line provided at intervals from each other, the first transport line and the second transport line transport the circuit board along a first direction, and the reversing mechanism is provided between the first transport line and the second transport line to reverse the circuit board in the first transport line to the second transport line.

[0010] In one embodiment, the feeding mechanism further includes a first push assembly provided on the first transport line for pushing the circuit board on the first transport line to the reversing mechanism, and a second push assembly provided on the second transport line for pushing the circuit board on the second transport line and moving it along the first direction.

[0011] In one embodiment, the feeding mechanism further includes a third transport line and a fourth transport line, wherein the fourth transport line extends along the transport direction of the first transport line, the second push assembly is used to push the circuit board in the second transport line to the third transport line, the third transport line is provided along a second direction for transporting the circuit board in the second transport line to the fourth transport line, and the first direction and the second direction are at an angle. And / or, the third transport line is docked to the second and fourth transport lines and is provided to be vertically movable along the third direction in order to rise to push up the circuit boards in the second transport line, or to lower to place the circuit boards in the third transport line onto the fourth transport line.

[0012] In one embodiment, the feeding mechanism further includes a third push assembly provided on the third transport line for pushing a circuit board in the third transport line along the second direction to the fourth transport line, and a fourth push assembly for pushing a circuit board in the fourth transport line along the first direction and adjusting the pitch of two adjacent circuit boards. and / or the feeding mechanism further includes a positioning assembly provided on the fourth transport line, wherein the third push assembly pushes a circuit board located on the third transport line, moving it along the second direction and bringing it into contact with the positioning assembly.

[0013] The present invention further proposes a plating production line comprising two horizontal plating apparatuses and a reversing apparatus, as described in any one of the above embodiments, provided between the two horizontal plating apparatuses. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The technical solution of the present invention improves the plating quality and production efficiency of circuit boards by connecting two horizontal plating devices with an inversion device. Specifically, the inversion device is used in a plating production line, and this plating production line includes two horizontal plating devices, each of which includes a plating transport mechanism and a plating cylinder, the plating transport mechanism is used to plate the circuit board by moving it within the plating cylinder with one side of the circuit board sandwiched between them, and the inversion device is provided between the two horizontal plating devices and includes a machine frame, a feeding mechanism and an inversion mechanism provided on the machine frame. The feeding mechanism has a transport rail having a first horizontal surface and a second horizontal surface for horizontally placing the circuit board, the circuit board plated by one horizontal plating device enters the first horizontal surface, is transported to the second horizontal surface by the feeding mechanism and then enters horizontally into the other horizontal plating device. During transport, the inversion mechanism flips the circuit board over on the horizontal transport surface so that the plating transport mechanisms of the two horizontal plating devices each sandwich the opposing sides of the circuit board, thereby exchanging the positions of the two sides on the opposing side of the circuit board.

[0015] In conventional horizontal plating equipment, the circuit board is plated by energizing a jig in the plating transport mechanism. However, because the current is high at the clamping points or edges of the circuit board that are close to the jig in the plating transport mechanism, the plating layer is thick. Conversely, the current decreases as the position on the circuit board moves away from the jig in the plating transport mechanism, resulting in a thinner plating layer. It is clear that a uniform plating layer cannot be obtained with a single plating pass. Furthermore, the chemical solution environment differs on the upper and lower surfaces of the circuit board inside the plating cylinder, resulting in different plating effects on both sides. This solution involves providing an inversion device to invert the upper and lower surfaces of the circuit board and switch the clamping points or edges to the opposite side, thereby making the plating layer of the circuit board plated twice by two horizontal plating devices more uniform and effectively improving the production quality of the circuit board. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] To more clearly illustrate embodiments of the present invention or technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings that may be used in the description of embodiments or the prior art are briefly described below. Clearly, the drawings described below represent only a few embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on the structures shown in these drawings without expending any creative effort. [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment of the inversion device provided by the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of one embodiment of the inversion device provided by the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the feed mechanism and the reversing mechanism in one embodiment of the reversing device provided by the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of the partial structure of the feed mechanism and the reversing mechanism in one embodiment of the reversing device provided by the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing how a feeding mechanism in one embodiment of the reversing device provided by the present invention transports a circuit board. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the reversing mechanism in one embodiment of the reversing device provided by the present invention. [Figure 7]It is a schematic structural diagram of a rotating shaft and a clamping assembly in an embodiment of the inversion device provided by the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a schematic structural diagram of a first push assembly in an embodiment of the inversion device provided by the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a schematic partial structural diagram of an embodiment of a plating production line provided by the present invention. For the realization of the object, functional features and advantages of the present invention, further description will be made in conjunction with the embodiments and the drawings.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] The following clearly and completely describes the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor based on the embodiments of the present invention belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

[0018] In addition, in the embodiments of the present invention, if there are directional indications such as (up, down, left, right, front, back...), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement situation between various components in a specific posture. When the specific posture changes, the directional indications also change accordingly.

[0019] In addition, in the embodiments of the present invention, when there are descriptions related to "first", "second", etc., these descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are used only for the purpose of description and cannot be understood as indicating relative importance, implying, or implicitly indicating the number of technical features shown. Therefore, the features limited as "first", "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one feature. Also, in the case of "and / or" or "or / and" appearing throughout the text, its meaning includes three parallel solution means. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes solution means A, or solution means B, or solution means where A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Also, the technical solution means between each embodiment can be combined with each other, but it must be based on what those skilled in the art can achieve. If contradictions or impossibilities occur in the combination of technical solution means, such a combination of technical solution means does not exist and should be considered not within the protection scope required by the present invention..

[0020] The effect of the primary plating of the conventional PCB substrate is not very ideal, and secondary plating and tertiary plating are required. In the primary plating and secondary plating, the plating is thin, but the surface of the substrate member is required to be uniformly plated. Therefore, the primary plating and secondary plating adopt the horizontal plating method. In order to achieve the best plating effect, the substrate member is turned over and the clamping points or clamping sides are exchanged. Since the current is large near the clamping points or clamping sides, generally, the plating is thick, and the clamping points or clamping sides are exchanged. Turning it over is because the chemical solution environments on the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate are different. The positioning accuracy of the substrate member inverted by the conventional inversion device is low, the inversion step is slow, it is complex, the efficiency is not high, and it affects the plating quality of the circuit board.

[0021] The present invention proposes an inversion device.

[0022] Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 9, in one embodiment of the present invention, the inversion device 100 is used in a plating production line, which includes two horizontal plating devices 200, each of which includes a plating transport mechanism 210 and a plating cylinder 220, the plating transport mechanism 210 being used to plate the circuit board 300 by moving it within the plating cylinder 220 with one side of the circuit board 300 between them. The inversion device 100 is provided between the two horizontal plating devices 200 and includes a machine frame 110 and a feed mechanism 120 and an inversion mechanism 130 provided on the machine frame 110. The feed mechanism 120 has a transport rail having a first horizontal surface and a second horizontal surface for horizontally placing the circuit board 300. Referring further to Figure 9, the first horizontal plane is aligned with the substrate discharge end of one horizontal plating apparatus 200, and the second horizontal plane is aligned with the substrate supply end of the other horizontal plating apparatus 200. The circuit board 300 plated by one horizontal plating apparatus 200 enters the first horizontal plane, is transported to the second horizontal plane by the feeding mechanism 120, and enters the other horizontal plating apparatus 200 horizontally. During transport, the inversion mechanism 130 flips the circuit board 300 in the feeding mechanism 120 so that the plating transport mechanisms 210 of the two horizontal plating apparatuses 200 each sandwich the circuit board 300 on its opposing sides, and also swaps the positions of the two sides of the circuit board 300 on its opposing sides.

[0023] Normally, the horizontal plating apparatus 200 applies current to the jig of the plating transport mechanism 210 to plate the circuit board 300. However, because the current is high at the clamping point or edge of the circuit board 300 that is close to the jig of the plating transport mechanism 210, the plating layer is thick. Conversely, the current decreases as the position on the circuit board 300 moves away from the jig of the plating transport mechanism 210, resulting in a thinner plating layer. It is clear that a uniform plating layer cannot be obtained with a single plating pass. Furthermore, because the chemical solution environment differs between the upper and lower surfaces of the circuit board 300 inside the plating cylinder 220, the plating effect also differs on both sides. In this solution, by providing an inversion device 100, the upper and lower surfaces of the circuit board 300 are inverted, and the clamping point or edge is switched to the opposite side, thereby making the plating layer of the circuit board 300 plated twice by two horizontal plating apparatuses 200 more uniform and effectively improving the production quality of the circuit board 300.

[0024] The feeding mechanism 120 may be formed from a structure such as a belt conveying line, a roller conveying line, or a conveying line combining a rotating roller and a friction wheel. The circuit board 300 moves horizontally along the feeding mechanism 120 from the previous horizontal plating apparatus 200 to the plating conveying mechanism 210 of the next horizontal plating apparatus 200, thereby enabling the plating conveying mechanism 210 to accurately grip the circuit board 300 and ensuring the stability of the continuous transport process. The number of conveying lines may be multiple or single. The conveying lines may have an overall horizontal conveying surface. In this case, the first horizontal surface and the second horizontal surface may be on the same plane as the horizontal conveying surface, or a curved transport structure may be provided between the first horizontal surface and the second horizontal surface. The circuit board 300 only needs to be able to enter horizontally from the substrate discharge end of the horizontal plating apparatus 200 to the first horizontal surface, or from the second horizontal surface to the substrate supply end of the next horizontal plating apparatus 200. The number of transport lines and the structure between the two horizontal planes are not specifically limited, as long as they allow for accurate transport of the circuit board 300.

[0025] In one embodiment, the reversing mechanism 130 includes a drive assembly 131, a rotating shaft 132, and a clamping assembly 133, wherein the clamping assembly 133 is mounted on the rotating shaft 132, the rotating shaft 132 is driven and connected to the drive assembly 131, the clamping assembly 133 is provided with an insertion groove 133a for inserting a circuit board 300, and the drive assembly 131 is used to rotate the rotating shaft 132 so that the clamping assembly 133 reverses the circuit board 300.

[0026] As shown in Figures 3 to 7, in one embodiment of the present invention, the reversing mechanism 130 includes a drive assembly 131, a rotating shaft 132, and a clamping assembly 133, the feed mechanism 120 transports the circuit board 300 along a first direction, the rotating shaft 132 similarly extends along the first direction, the clamping assembly 133 is provided on the rotating shaft 132, the drive assembly 131 is used to rotate the rotating shaft 132 and the clamping assembly 133, the clamping assembly 133 is provided with an insertion groove 133a, the insertion groove 133a extends along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 132 and can be aligned with the horizontal transport surface of the feed mechanism 120. When the feed mechanism 120 transports the circuit board 300 to the inversion mechanism 130, the sides of the circuit board 300 are inserted into the insertion groove 133a, the drive assembly 131 rotates the rotation shaft 132, and the clamping assembly 133 inverts the circuit board 300 by 180° and returns it to the horizontal transport surface of the feed mechanism 120. At this time, the circuit board 300 is turned over, and the two sides of the circuit board 300 along the first direction are swapped, so that the sides of the circuit board 300 that will be sandwiched by the plating transport mechanism 210 in the two horizontal plating apparatuses 200 are positioned on opposing sides, ensuring uniformity of the plating layer.

[0027] In one embodiment, the clamping assembly 133 includes a plurality of locking blocks 1331 arranged at intervals along the length of the rotation axis 132, each locking block 1331 having a locking groove 1332, and the plurality of locking grooves 1332 communicate with each other to form an insertion groove 133a.

[0028] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, in one embodiment of the present invention, the clamping assembly 133 includes a plurality of locking blocks 1331, specifically, the plurality of locking blocks 1331 are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the rotation axis 132, each locking block 1331 is provided with a locking groove 1332, the locking groove 1332 is provided opening toward the direction away from the rotation axis 132, and the plurality of locking grooves 1332 communicate with each other to form an insertion groove 133a. When the circuit board 300 moves on the horizontal transport surface, one side passes through the locking grooves 1332 of the plurality of locking blocks 1331 in sequence, and when it arrives at a preset position, the drive assembly 131 rotates the rotation axis 132, and the locking blocks 1331 clamp the circuit board 300 so that it rotates 180° around the rotation axis 132 above the horizontal transport surface. When the insertion groove 133a is aligned with the horizontal transport surface again, the feeding mechanism 120 transports the circuit board 300 horizontally to the next horizontal plating apparatus 200. To understand this, when multiple locking blocks 1331 are provided to form the insertion groove 133a to accommodate circuit boards 300 of different sizes, the length of the insertion groove 133a can be adjusted by adjusting the number of locking blocks 1331 or the pitch between adjacent locking blocks 1331, thereby allowing circuit boards 300 of different sizes to be reversed, which is highly practical.

[0029] In one embodiment, the clamping assembly 133 further includes a plurality of first guide wheels 1333 arranged at intervals on a rotating shaft 132 and provided at the bottom of a locking groove 1332 for sliding contact with the side of the circuit board 300. And / or, on opposite sides of the rotating shaft 132, a plurality of locking blocks 1331 and a plurality of first guide wheels 1333 are provided, respectively.

[0030] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, in one embodiment of the present invention, the clamping assembly 133 further includes a plurality of first guide wheels 1333, specifically, the plurality of first guide wheels 1333 are spaced apart along the axial direction of the rotation axis 132, and a first guide wheel 1333 is provided between two adjacent locking blocks 1331, the side walls of the first guide wheels 1333 are higher than the bottom walls of the locking grooves 1332, and the edges of the circuit board 300 can slide against the side walls of the first guide wheels 1333 during the process in which the circuit board 300 moves along the first direction and is inserted into the insertion groove 133a, thereby reducing friction. During reversal, the sides of the circuit board 300 are brought into contact with the side walls of the plurality of first guide wheels 1333 by gravity. Once the inversion is complete, the feed mechanism 120 transports the circuit board 300 along the horizontal transport surface, and the sides of the circuit board 300 slide against the multiple first guide wheels 1333 to reduce friction and avoid wear of the circuit board 300. Of course, the arrangement of the first guide wheels 1333 can be other than in this embodiment, such as providing one first guide wheel 1333 for every two or three locking blocks 1331, as long as it avoids the circuit board 300 getting stuck or worn, but is not particularly limited here.

[0031] To improve the inversion efficiency, multiple locking blocks 1331 and multiple first guide wheels 1333 are provided on opposite sides of the rotating shaft 132. Specifically, the multiple locking blocks 1331 and multiple first guide wheels 1333 are arranged in a mirror image on opposite sides of the rotating shaft 132, forming two insertion grooves 133a. When the first circuit board 300 enters one insertion groove 133a and completes inversion, the second circuit board 300 can enter the second insertion groove 133a and wait to be inverted. When the first circuit board 300 exits the insertion groove 133a along the first direction, the second circuit board 300 is inverted, and the subsequent third circuit board 300 enters the insertion groove 133a and waits. By repeating this process, the rotating shaft 132 only needs to rotate half a turn each time, and the overall transport efficiency of the inversion device 100 can be greatly improved by utilizing the gap time during transport after the inversion of the circuit boards 300.

[0032] In one embodiment, the drive assembly 131 includes a drive motor 1311, a transmission belt 1312, and a transmission wheel 1313, with one end of the rotating shaft 132 connected to the transmission wheel 1313, the transmission belt 1312 fitted to the transmission wheel 1313 and the drive motor 1311, and the drive motor 1311 rotates the transmission wheel 1313 via the transmission belt 1312, thereby rotating the rotating shaft 132.

[0033] As shown in Figure 6, in one embodiment of the present invention, the drive assembly 131 includes a drive motor 1311, a transmission belt 1312, and a transmission wheel 1313, specifically, one end of a rotating shaft 132 is connected to the transmission wheel 1313, the drive motor 1311 is mounted on a bracket and connected to the transmission wheel 1313 via the transmission belt 1312, the drive motor 1311 rotates the transmission wheel 1313 via the transmission belt 1312, thereby driving the clamp assembly 133 to rotate the rotating shaft 132 around a first direction and invert the circuit board 300. The cost of the drive motor 1311 and the transmission belt 1312 is lower than that of gears, and the structure of the transmission belt 1312 can absorb vibrations, resulting in less noise and quieter operation than gears, and easier maintenance. Of course, in some other embodiments of the present invention, the structure of the drive assembly 131 is not specifically limited.

[0034] In one embodiment, the feeding mechanism 120 includes a first transport line 121 and a second transport line 122 that are spaced apart, the first transport line 121 and the second transport line 122 transport the circuit board 300 along a first direction, and the reversing mechanism 130 is provided between the first transport line 121 and the second transport line 122 to reverse the circuit board 300 in the first transport line 121 to the second transport line 122.

[0035] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, in one embodiment of the present invention, the feeding mechanism 120 includes a first transport line 121 and a second transport line 122. Specifically, the first transport line 121 and the second transport line 122 are spaced apart and both extend along a first direction, and the reversing mechanism 130 is provided between the first transport line 121 and the second transport line 122. In this embodiment, the first transport line 121 and the second transport line 122 are provided with friction wheels on rotating rollers to form a horizontal transport surface. The rotating rollers rotate, causing the friction wheels to rotate, which in turn move the circuit board 300 along the first direction. The locking block 1331 of the clamping assembly 133 is provided in the gap of the rotating rollers. The circuit board 300 moves along the first direction on the first transport line 121 and is inserted into the insertion groove 133a. The reversing mechanism 130 rotates the circuit board 300 and reverses it to the second transport line 122. When the insertion groove 133a aligns with the horizontal transport surface of the second transport line 122, the second transport line 122 moves the circuit board 300 along the first direction, detaching it from the reversing mechanism 130. At this time, the rotation axis 132 can then reverse the next circuit board 300 again.

[0036] To make it clear, the end of the first transport line 121 away from the reversing mechanism 130 may be connected to the substrate discharge end of one horizontal plating apparatus 200, and the end of the second transport line 122 away from the reversing mechanism 130 may be connected to the substrate supply end of the other horizontal plating apparatus 200. In this case, if the two horizontal plating apparatuses 200 are not on the same horizontal line, or if the two horizontal plating apparatuses 200 are provided side by side as shown in Figure 9, an additional transport structure for transporting the inverted circuit board 300 to the next horizontal plating apparatus 200 needs to be connected to the second transport line 122, which will be described in detail below.

[0037] In one embodiment, the feeding mechanism 120 further includes a first push assembly 123 provided on the first transport line 121 to push the circuit board 300 on the first transport line 121 to the reversing mechanism 130, and a second push assembly 124 provided on the second transport line 122 to push the circuit board 300 on the second transport line 122 and move it along the first direction.

[0038] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in one embodiment of the present invention, the feed mechanism 120 further includes a first push assembly 123 and a second push assembly 124, specifically, the first push assembly 123 includes a first linear motor 1231 and a first substrate push member 1233 provided above the first transport line 121, wherein the first linear motor 1231 is provided along a first direction, and the first substrate push member 1233 is driven and connected to the first linear motor 1231 to push the circuit board 300 on the first transport line 121 along the first direction and to insert its side into the insertion groove 133a of the reversal mechanism 130. The second push assembly 124 includes a second linear motor 1241 and a second substrate push member 1242, which are located above the second transport line 122. The second linear motor 1241 is provided along a first direction, and the second substrate push member 1242 is driven and connected to the second linear motor 1241 to push the inverted circuit board 300 in the second transport line 122 out of the insertion groove 133a of the inversion mechanism 130 along the first direction.

[0039] By providing the first push assembly 123 and the second push assembly 124, the transport efficiency of the circuit board 300 can be improved. As shown in Figure 8, the first push assembly 123 further includes a first lifting mechanism 1232 and a second guide wheel 1234, and the first board push member 1233 is connected to the first linear motor 1231 via the first lifting mechanism 1232, and the first lifting mechanism employs an air cylinder and can move the first board push member 1233 up and down along the third direction. Multiple second guide wheels 1234 are provided on the side of the first board push member 1233 facing the first transport line 121, and the multiple second guide wheels 1234 are arranged at intervals along the second direction and are rotatably mounted on the first board push member 1233. When the circuit board 300 plated by the horizontal plating apparatus 200 enters the first transport line 121 from the substrate discharge end, the first lifting mechanism 1232 drives the first substrate push member 1233 away from the first transport line 121, and the first linear motor 1231 moves the first substrate push member 1233 away from the reversing device 100. When it reaches a predetermined position, the first lifting mechanism 1232 moves the first substrate push member 1233 downward along the third direction so that the side wall of the second guide wheel 1234 can contact the circuit board 300. At this time, the first linear motor 1231 moves the first substrate push member 1233 along the first direction, moving the circuit board 300 and inserting it into the insertion groove 133a of the reversing mechanism 130. As can be seen from the above, by providing the first lifting mechanism 1232, interference with the circuit board 300 can be avoided during the reciprocating movement of the first substrate push member 1233.

[0040] In one embodiment, the feeding mechanism 120 further includes a third transport line 125 and a fourth transport line 126, the fourth transport line 126 extending along the transport direction of the first transport line 121, a second push assembly 124 used to push the circuit board 300 in the second transport line 122 to the third transport line 125, the third transport line 125 provided along a second direction to transport the circuit board 300 in the second transport line 122 to the fourth transport line 126, and the first and second directions are at an angle. And / or, the third transport line 125 is docked with the second transport line 122 and the fourth transport line 126 and is provided to be vertically movable along the third direction in order to rise to push up the circuit board 300 in the second transport line 122, or to descend to place the circuit board 300 in the third transport line 125 onto the fourth transport line 126.

[0041] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in one embodiment of the present invention, the feeding mechanism 120 further includes a third transport line 125 and a fourth transport line 126, specifically, the fourth transport line 126 is provided on an extension of the first transport line 121, and the third transport line 125 is provided along a second direction and both ends are connected to the second transport line 122 and the fourth transport line 126, respectively. When the second push assembly 124 pushes the circuit board 300 on the second transport line 122 to the third transport line 125, the circuit board 300 can move along the third transport line 125 in the opposite direction of the second direction to the fourth transport line 126, and finally the fourth transport line 126 transports the circuit board 300 along the first direction to the target horizontal plating apparatus 200. Referring to Figures 5 and 9, the two horizontal plating apparatuses 200 are provided side by side. In this solution, by providing a third transport line 125 and a fourth transport line 126, the inverted circuit board 300 can be accurately transported to the corresponding horizontal plating apparatus 200.

[0042] Furthermore, the fourth transport line 126 also employs a structure in which friction wheels are provided on the rotating rollers, and the third transport line 125 employs a bracket with multiple rollers, the multiple rollers are spaced apart along the second direction, and below the bracket is a second lifting mechanism 1251 for raising and lowering the bracket and the rollers on the bracket along the third direction. Specifically, when the circuit board 300 in the second transport line 122 is transported to the position of the third transport line 125, the second lifting mechanism 1251 raises the bracket, pushing up the circuit board 300 located in the second transport line 122, and the circuit board 300 slides into contact with the rollers in the third transport line 125. When the circuit board 300 moves along the opposite direction of the second direction to the position of the fourth transport line 126, the second lifting mechanism 1251 moves the bracket downward along the third direction to place the circuit board 300 on the fourth transport line 126, which is used to transport the circuit board 300 to the corresponding horizontal plating apparatus 200.

[0043] To make it easier to understand, the third transport line 125 is provided to be vertically movable, and accordingly, rollers are provided that are spaced apart from the second transport line 122 and the fourth transport line 126, thereby preventing scratches during the movement of the circuit board 300 and ensuring the plating quality of the circuit board 300.

[0044] In one embodiment, the feed mechanism 120 further includes a third push assembly 127 provided on the third transport line 125 to push the circuit board 300 on the third transport line 125 along a second direction to the fourth transport line 126, and a fourth push assembly 128 for pushing the circuit board 300 on the fourth transport line 126 along a first direction and for adjusting the pitch between two adjacent circuit boards 300. and / or the feed mechanism 120 further includes a positioning assembly 129 provided on the fourth transport line 126, and a third push assembly 127 pushes the circuit board 300 located on the third transport line 125, moving it along the second direction and bringing it into contact with the positioning assembly 129.

[0045] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in one embodiment of the present invention, the feed mechanism 120 further includes a third push assembly 127 and a fourth push assembly 128, specifically the third push assembly 127 including a third linear motor 1271 provided along the second direction and a third substrate push member 1272 driven and connected to the third linear motor 1271. When the third transport line 125 pushes up the circuit board 300 in the second transport line 122, the third linear motor 1271 is used to drive the third substrate push member 1272 to push the circuit board 300 and move it above the fourth transport line 126 along the opposite direction of the second direction. The fourth push assembly 128 includes a fourth linear motor 1281 provided along a first direction and a fourth substrate push member 1282 driven and connected to the fourth linear motor 1281. When the third transport line 125 places the circuit board 300 onto the fourth transport line 126, the fourth linear motor 1281 drives the fourth substrate push member 1282 to push the circuit board 300 along the first direction to the horizontal plating apparatus 200.

[0046] Furthermore, in order to push and move the circuit board 300, a plurality of second guide wheels 1234 are provided at intervals below the second board pushing member 1242, the third board pushing member 1272, and the fourth board pushing member 1282, all corresponding to the edges of the circuit board 300.

[0047] Furthermore, the feed mechanism 120 further includes a positioning assembly 129, specifically, the positioning assembly 129 includes a fifth linear motor 1291 provided above the fourth transport line 126 and a stopper 1292 driven and connected to the fifth linear motor 1291. When the third linear motor 1271 pushes the circuit board 300 on the third transport line 125 to above the fourth transport line 126, it is positioned by contacting the stopper 1292, thereby aligning the edge of the circuit board 300 with the plating transport mechanism 210 of the horizontal plating apparatus 200 and ensuring stability in clamping the substrate material. The fifth linear motor 1291 is used to move the stopper 1292 and adjust its position, ensuring the positional accuracy of the circuit board 300.

[0048] Furthermore, the feed mechanism 120 includes a position limiting member 140 in addition to the stopper 1292. As shown in Figure 5, position limiting members 140 are provided near the reversing mechanism 130 on the first transport line 121 and near the third transport line 125 on the second transport line 122, respectively, in order to position the circuit boards 300 on the first transport line 121 and the second transport line 122. The position limiting member 140 and / or the stopper 1292 are provided with a third guide wheel 141. The third guide wheel 141 has the same structure as the first guide wheel 1333 and the second guide wheel 1234 described above. Both position limiting members 140 are provided along the second direction, and the multiple third guide wheels 141 on the position limiting member 140 are also arranged at intervals along the second direction, acting as guides for the circuit boards 300. Of course, on the side of the stopper 1292 facing the fourth transport line 126, there are a plurality of third guide wheels 141 arranged at intervals along the first direction to contact the positioning circuit board 300 and to guide the circuit board 300 as it moves along the first direction.

[0049] Furthermore, the fourth linear motor 1281 and the fourth substrate push member 1282 push and move the circuit boards 300. The fourth linear motor 1281 adjusts the pitch between the positioned circuit boards 300, and the pitch between two adjacent circuit boards 300 that have entered the horizontal plating apparatus 200 can be set to a preset value L. However, due to the influence of the control accuracy of mechanical transport, there is a difference between the actual pitch value D between two adjacent circuit boards and the preset value L. By setting the linear motor, L and D can be made to satisfy L-1.5mm ≤ D ≤ L+1.5mm, that is, the error can be controlled within a range of 1.5mm. For example, if the preset value L for the substrate is set to 10mm, the minimum value of the actual pitch value D may be 8.5mm, the maximum value may be 11.5mm, the pitch value D may be 9.5mm, or any one of the values ​​within the aforementioned range. By accurately controlling the pitch between substrates, the plating quality can be improved.

[0050] The present invention further proposes a plating production line, the horizontal plating apparatus 200 comprising two horizontal plating apparatuses 200 and a reversing apparatus 100 provided between the two horizontal plating apparatuses 200, the specific structure of which refers to the above embodiments, and the horizontal plating apparatus 200 employs all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, and therefore has all the beneficial effects of the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which are not described herein.

[0051] The foregoing describes only exemplary embodiments of the present invention and does not limit the scope of the patent. Any equivalent structural transformations performed using the contents of the specification and drawings of the present invention, or their direct or indirect application to other related technical fields, under the technical concept of the present invention, are all included within the scope of patent protection of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0052] 100 Inverting device 110 Aircraft Frame 120 Feed mechanism 121 First Conveyor Line 122 Second Conveyor Line 123 First Push Assembly 1231 First Linear Motor 1232 First Lifting Mechanism 1233 First substrate push member 1234 Second Guide Wheel 124 Second Push Assembly 1241 Second Linear Motor 1242 Second substrate push member 125 Third conveyor line 1251 Second Lifting Mechanism 126 Fourth Conveyor Line 127 Third Push Assembly 1271 Third Linear Motor 1272 Third substrate push member 128. Fourth Push Assembly 1281 4th Linear Motor 1282 Fourth substrate push member 129 Positioning Assembly 1291 Fifth Linear Motor 1292 Stopper 130 Reversing Mechanism 131 Drive Assembly 1311 Drive motor 1312 Power transmission belt 1313 Transmission Wheel 132 Rotation axis 133 Clamp Assembly 133a Insertion groove 1331 Locking block 1332 Retaining groove 1333 First Guide Wheel 140 Position limiting member 141 Third Guide Wheel 200 Horizontal Plating Machine 210 Plating transport mechanism 220 Plated Cylinder 300 circuit boards.

Claims

1. A reversing device used in a plating production line, The plating production line includes a horizontal plating apparatus, the horizontal plating apparatus includes a plating transport mechanism and a plating cylinder, the plating transport mechanism is used to plate the circuit board by moving it within the plating cylinder with its sides sandwiched between them, and the reversing apparatus is provided between two of the horizontal plating apparatuses and includes a machine frame, a feeding mechanism and a reversing mechanism provided on the machine frame. At both ends of the feeding mechanism closest to the two horizontal plating apparatuses, a first horizontal plane and a second horizontal plane are provided, respectively. The first horizontal plane is used to receive the plated circuit board from one of the horizontal plating apparatuses, and the feeding mechanism transports the circuit board to the second horizontal plane, thereby allowing the circuit board to enter horizontally from the second horizontal plane into the other horizontal plating apparatus. The inversion mechanism is characterized in that it is used to flip the circuit board in the feeding mechanism such that the plating transport mechanisms of the two horizontal plating apparatuses each sandwich the circuit board on opposite sides.

2. The reversing mechanism includes a drive assembly, a rotating shaft, and a clamping assembly. The reversing device according to claim 1, wherein the clamping assembly is provided on the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft is driven and connected to the drive assembly, the clamping assembly is provided with an insertion groove for inserting a circuit board, and the drive assembly is used to rotate the rotating shaft so that the clamping assembly reverses the circuit board.

3. The aforementioned clamping assembly is It includes a plurality of locking blocks arranged at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the rotation axis, each of which has a locking groove. The reversing device according to claim 2, characterized in that a plurality of the locking grooves communicate with each other to form the insertion groove.

4. The clamping assembly further includes a plurality of first guide wheels arranged at intervals on the rotating shaft and provided at the bottom of the locking groove for sliding contact with the side of the circuit board, The reversing device according to claim 3, characterized in that a plurality of locking blocks and a plurality of first guide wheels are provided on opposite sides of the rotating shaft.

5. The reversing device according to claim 2, wherein the drive assembly includes a drive motor, a transmission belt, and a transmission wheel, one end of the rotating shaft is connected to the transmission wheel, the transmission belt is fitted to the transmission wheel and the drive motor, and the drive motor rotates the transmission wheel via the transmission belt, thereby rotationally driving the rotating shaft.

6. The inversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the feeding mechanism includes a first transport line and a second transport line provided at intervals, the first transport line and the second transport line transport a circuit board along a first direction, and the inversion mechanism is provided between the first transport line and the second transport line to invert the circuit board in the first transport line to the second transport line.

7. The aforementioned feeding mechanism is To push the circuit board in the first transport line to the reversing mechanism, a first push assembly is provided in the first transport line, The reversing device according to claim 6, further comprising a second push assembly provided on the second transport line for pushing a circuit board on the second transport line and moving it along the first direction.

8. The feeding mechanism further includes a third transport line and a fourth transport line, wherein the fourth transport line extends along the transport direction of the first transport line, the second push assembly is used to push the circuit board in the second transport line to the third transport line, and the third transport line is provided along a second direction for transporting the circuit board in the second transport line to the fourth transport line, with the first direction and the second direction being at an angle. The reversing device according to claim 7, characterized in that the third transport line is docked to the second transport line and the fourth transport line and is provided to be vertically movable along the third direction in order to rise to push up the circuit board in the second transport line or to lower to place the circuit board in the third transport line onto the fourth transport line.

9. The aforementioned feeding mechanism is To push the circuit board in the third transport line along the second direction to the fourth transport line, a third push assembly is provided on the third transport line, The fourth push assembly further includes a fourth push assembly for pushing a circuit board in the fourth transport line along the first direction and for adjusting the pitch between two adjacent circuit boards, and / or the feeding mechanism further includes a positioning assembly provided on the fourth transport line, wherein the third push assembly pushes a circuit board located on the third transport line to move it along the second direction and bring it into contact with the positioning assembly, characterized in that the reversing device according to claim 8.

10. It is a plating production line, Two horizontal plating machines, A plating production line characterized by including a reversing device according to claim 1, which is provided between two of the horizontal plating devices.

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