Automatic loading device for electroplating racks

Abstract

This invention provides an automated electroplating fixture loading device, including a frame, a glass substrate holder, a fixture clamping frame, a steering and transfer mechanism, a fixture cover plate loading and unloading mechanism, an image capturing mechanism, and a glass substrate alignment and loading mechanism. The steering and transfer mechanism enables switching between vertical pick-and-place and horizontal loading states of the fixture, while the fixture cover plate loading and unloading mechanism enables automatic disassembly and lifting of the cover plate, achieving fully automated operation. The image capturing mechanism accurately captures the position information of the glass substrate, and the controller controls the alignment mechanism to achieve precise alignment in the X, Y, and planar rotation directions. Combined with a vacuum adsorption platform, the glass substrate is stably fixed, preventing displacement during the alignment process, effectively reducing loading offset and breakage rate, and improving loading efficiency and accuracy.

Claims

1. An automatic loading device for electroplating racks, comprising: A frame comprising a fixture pick-and-place workstation and a substrate loading workstation; a glass substrate holder for loading square glass substrates, the glass substrate holder comprising a main body and a U-shaped cover plate, the U-shaped cover plate being detachably mounted to the main body by bolts; a fixture clamping frame for clamping the glass substrate holder; a steering and transfer mechanism comprising a rotary drive mechanism, a horizontal shifting mechanism and a horizontal support mechanism, the rotary drive mechanism for shifting the fixture clamping frame between a vertical and a horizontal state at the fixture pick-and-place workstation, the horizontal shifting mechanism for moving the fixture clamping frame between the fixture pick-and-place workstation and the substrate loading workstation, and the horizontal support mechanism for horizontally supporting the fixture clamping frame at the substrate loading workstation; a fixture cover plate loading and unloading mechanism for disassembling and lifting the U-shaped cover plate of the glass substrate holder; and an image capturing mechanism for capturing edge position information of a pre-positioned glass substrate. A glass substrate alignment and mounting mechanism includes a vacuum adsorption platform, an alignment mechanism, a lifting mechanism, and a mounting base plate. The mounting base plate is fixedly mounted on the frame of the mounting workstation. The base of the lifting mechanism is fixedly mounted on the lower surface of the mounting base plate. The lifting rod of the lifting mechanism passes upward through the mounting base plate. The alignment mechanism includes an alignment base plate, an alignment offset mechanism, and an alignment top plate. The alignment base plate is fixedly mounted on the lifting rod of the lifting mechanism. The alignment offset mechanism is used to drive the alignment top plate to adjust its position relative to the alignment base plate in the X-axis, Y-axis, and planar rotation angle. The vacuum adsorption platform is fixedly mounted on the alignment top plate. The vacuum adsorption platform has a plurality of suction holes, which are connected to a control valve and a vacuum generator via pipelines. A controller is connected to the image capturing mechanism and the alignment mechanism via signal connection. The controller receives edge position information of the glass substrate detected by the image capturing mechanism, processes it, and sends a command signal to control the operation of the alignment mechanism.

2. As in request item 1, the automatic loading device for electroplating racks, wherein, The glass substrate hanger has hanger positioning holes at each of its four corners. The hanger clamping frame includes a main frame, with a plurality of guide blocks on its left and right sides. Each guide block has a guide groove matching the thickness of the glass substrate hanger's edge. The lower side of the main frame has a lower limit block with a limit groove matching the thickness of the lower part of the glass substrate hanger. Each of the four corners of the main frame has a hanger positioning mechanism, which includes a linear drive element and a positioning pin. The linear drive element is fixedly mounted on the back of the main frame. A pin is installed at the end of the telescopic rod of the linear drive element. The positioning pin passes through the main frame and engages with the mounting positioning hole of the glass substrate hanger. The left and right sides of the main frame are respectively provided with a mounting clamping mechanism. The mounting clamping mechanism includes a rotary clamping element, a rotating arm, and a pressure head. The rotary clamping element is fixedly installed on the back of the main frame. The output shaft of the rotary clamping element passes through the main frame. One end of the rotating arm is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the rotary clamping element, and the pressure head is fixedly connected to the other end of the rotating arm.

3. As in request item 1, the automatic loading device for electroplating racks, wherein, The glass substrate holder has a first U-shaped sealing ring and an outer U-shaped sealing ring between its main body and the U-shaped cover plate. The main body also has an air passage for air tightness testing. An air nozzle is provided at the outer end of the air passage, and the inner end of the air passage communicates with the space between the first U-shaped sealing ring and the outer U-shaped sealing ring. The frame also has an air tightness testing mechanism, which includes a pressure air nozzle connector, a pressure linear drive mechanism, and an air tightness tester. The base of the pressure linear drive mechanism is fixedly installed on the frame. The pressure air nozzle connector is installed on the lifting block of the pressure linear drive mechanism. The pressure air nozzle connector is connected to the air tightness tester via a pipeline. When performing air tightness testing, the glass substrate holder is in a horizontal state, and the pressure air nozzle connector moves down to press and seal against the air nozzle of the glass substrate holder.

4. The automatic loading device for electroplating racks as described in claim 2, wherein, Conductive plates are provided on each side of the main body corresponding to the outer perimeter of the first spiral sealing ring. A cathode plug is provided on the main body, and the cathode plug is electrically connected to the conductive plates via a wire. Conductive test sockets are provided on the upper part of the left and right sides of the main frame. The cathode plug of the glass substrate hanger is mated with the conductive test socket, and the conductive test socket is electrically connected to the conductivity tester.

5. The automatic loading device for electroplating racks as described in claim 1, wherein, The rotary drive mechanism includes a left rotary support module, a right rotary support module, and a geared motor module. Both the left and right rotary support modules include a support side plate, a rotary shaft, and a rotary seat. The support side plate is fixedly installed on the back edge of the hanger clamp. The rotary shaft is vertically fixedly connected to the support side plate and rotatably mounted on the rotary seat via bearings. The geared motor module is drive-connected to the rotary shaft of either the left or right rotary support module. The geared motor module includes a drive motor, a worm gear mechanism, and a gear set. The worm gear mechanism includes a worm wheel and a worm. The gear set includes a meshing large gear and a small gear. The drive motor is drive-connected to the worm. The small gear is coaxially fixedly connected to the worm wheel, and the large gear is coaxially fixedly connected to the rotary shaft.

6. The automatic loading device for electroplating racks as described in claim 5, wherein, The horizontal shifting mechanism includes a horizontal guide rail and a horizontal linear drive element. The base of the horizontal guide rail and the horizontal linear drive element are horizontally fixed on the frame. The rotating seat of the left rotating support module and the rotating seat of the right rotating support module are respectively mounted on the slider of the horizontal guide rail and the slider of the horizontal linear drive element.

7. The automatic loading device for electroplating racks as described in claim 6, wherein, The lower part of the back of the main frame of the hanging clamp is provided with a horizontal support positioning hole; the horizontal support mechanism includes a lifting drive element, a horizontal support plate, a connecting plate, a guide post, a guide sleeve seat, and an upward lifting height limiting mechanism. The lifting drive element is vertically arranged, and the horizontal support plate is horizontally fixedly connected to the top of the lifting component of the lifting drive element. The horizontal support plate is also provided with two positioning posts spaced apart on the left and right. The positioning posts match the horizontal support positioning holes. The guide sleeve seat is fixedly connected to the base of the lifting drive element. The horizontal support plate is also connected to the guide post via the connecting plate. The guide post is vertically and flexibly inserted through the guide sleeve seat. The upward lifting height limiting mechanism... The structure includes a first limiting member and a second limiting member. The first limiting member is fixedly connected to the base of the lifting drive element, and the second limiting member is fixedly connected to the lifting component of the lifting drive element. The first limiting member is located above the second limiting member. When the first limiting member and the second limiting member abut, the horizontal support plate contacts and supports the lower edge of the back of the main frame of the hanger clamp, so that the glass substrate hanger on the hanger clamp is in a horizontal state. The first limiting member is threadedly connected to an adjustable pressing screw, and the lower end of the pressing screw abuts against the second limiting member.

8. The automatic loading device for electroplating racks as described in claim 1, wherein, The mounting plate loading and unloading mechanism includes a double-layer structural frame, a lifting mounting plate, a plurality of electric screwdrivers, a plurality of suction cups, an outer guide post mechanism, an inner guide post mechanism, and an upper lifting drive element. The double-layer structural frame is fixedly installed on the top of the loading workstation of the machine frame. The double-layer structural frame includes an upper structural plate, a lower extension connecting column, and a lower structural plate. The outer contour of the lower structural plate is smaller than that of the upper structural plate. The upper and lower structural plates are arranged parallel to each other at intervals. Multiple lower extension connecting columns are fixedly connected between the upper and lower structural plates. The upper structural plate has a clearance opening in the middle for the upper lifting drive element to pass through. The lower structural plate has a clearance opening in the middle for... The outer guide post mechanism includes an outer guide sleeve and an outer guide post that are fitted together, and the inner guide post mechanism includes an inner guide sleeve and an inner guide post that are fitted together. The lower ends of the outer guide post and the inner guide post are fixedly connected to the lifting mounting plate. The outer guide sleeve is fixedly installed on the upper structural plate, and the inner guide sleeve is fixedly installed on the lower structural plate. The base of the upper lifting drive element is fixedly installed on the lower structural plate. The electric screwdriver and the suction cup are mounted in a U-shape on the lifting mounting plate. The suction cup is also equipped with a suction cup drive mechanism for controlling the lifting and moving of the suction cup. The suction cup is also connected to a suction control valve and a vacuum generator via a pipeline.

9. The automatic loading device for electroplating racks as described in claim 1, wherein, The image capturing mechanism includes a camera, a wing plate, an extendable slide plate, a linear extendable drive element, and a horizontal mounting plate. The horizontal mounting plate is horizontally mounted on a frame located above the glass substrate. The base of the linear extendable drive element is fixedly mounted on the horizontal mounting plate. The extendable slide plate is fixedly mounted on a movable block of the linear extendable drive element. The wing plate is horizontally and vertically mounted at the end of the extendable slide plate near the glass substrate. The camera includes at least a first camera, a second camera, and a third camera. The first camera and the second camera are used to capture position images of the front and rear ends of the first edge of the glass substrate, respectively. The third camera is used to capture images of a second edge of the glass substrate perpendicular to the first edge. The position image of the part, the linear extension drive element is used to drive the camera to retract to a lateral position above the glass substrate after the image is captured; the horizontal mounting plate is also provided with a stop seat extending vertically to one side of the linear extension drive element, the end of the stop seat is provided with a horizontally arranged stop block, the stop block is used to horizontally limit the surface of the extension slide plate facing away from the horizontal mounting plate, the stop seat is installed on the horizontal mounting plate near the wing plate; a travel limit block is fixedly installed on the extension slide plate, and a first stop block and a second stop block for controlling the extension position and retraction position of the camera are fixedly installed at both ends of the horizontal mounting plate, the travel limit block is located between the first stop block and the second stop block.

10. The automatic loading device for electroplating racks as described in claim 1, wherein, A plurality of sealing ring image capturing heads are mounted in parallel on one side of the correction base plate near the bottom edge of the glass substrate hanger, and the sealing ring image capturing heads face the bottom edge of the first spiral sealing ring on the glass substrate hanger.

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