Sheet transfer apparatus and sheet coating device

Abstract

A sheet transfer apparatus, comprising a mounting base (1), wherein the mounting base (1) is provided with two connecting shafts (11); a shift fork assembly (2), wherein the shift fork assembly (2) comprises a connecting rod (21) and two shift forks (22), the two shift forks (22) are rotatably connected to the two connecting shafts (11) respectively, one end of each of the two shift forks (22) is connected to the connecting rod (21), and the other end of each of the two shift forks (22) is used for acquiring or releasing a sheet (100); and a driving assembly (3), wherein the driving assembly (3) is used for driving the connecting rod (21) to swing, so that the other ends of the two shift forks (22) can form a height difference. The sheet transfer apparatus ensures the placement accuracy of two rows of sheets and improves the efficiency of sheet transfer. Further comprised is a sheet coating device.

Description

Sheet transfer device and sheet coating equipment

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202520535704.2, filed on March 25, 2025, entitled “Sheet Transfer Apparatus and Sheet Coating Equipment”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to a sheet transfer apparatus and a sheet coating equipment. Background Technology

[0003] In the field of sheet material transfer, sheets typically need to be moved from storage baskets to supporting structures for processing. For example, solar cell wafers are transferred from storage baskets to graphite boats using robotic arms.

[0004] In related technologies, robotic arms typically use a single-insertion method to pick up and place silicon wafers when transferring solar cells, resulting in a slow pick-and-place cycle and low transfer efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One object of this disclosure is to provide a new technical solution for a sheet transfer device and a sheet coating equipment.

[0006] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a sheet transfer apparatus is provided, the sheet transfer apparatus comprising:

[0007] Mounting base, wherein two connecting shafts are provided on the mounting base;

[0008] A fork assembly includes a connecting rod and two forks, the two forks being rotatably connected to two connecting shafts respectively, and one end of each fork being connected to the connecting rod, and the other end of each fork being used to pick up or release a sheet.

[0009] A drive assembly for driving the linkage to swing, wherein the other ends of the two forks can form a height difference.

[0010] Optionally, the drive assembly includes a drive unit, a moving unit, and a transmission unit. The drive unit is connected to the moving unit and is used to drive the moving unit to move. The moving unit is connected to the connecting rod through the transmission unit.

[0011] When the moving part moves, the moving part can drive the connecting rod to swing through the transmission part.

[0012] Optionally, the connecting shaft is arranged along a first direction, and the driving part is used to drive the moving part to move along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0013] Optionally, the drive unit includes a motor and a lead screw, the lead screw being connected to the output end of the motor along a second direction, and the moving part engaging with the lead screw in a transmission relationship.

[0014] Optionally, the transmission part includes a transmission block and a first transmission shaft and a second transmission shaft that are relatively eccentrically arranged. The transmission block is connected to the moving part, the first transmission shaft is fitted into the transmission block, and the second transmission shaft is fitted into the connecting rod.

[0015] Optionally, the moving part is provided with two stop edges at intervals on the side near the transmission block, and the upper limit of the transmission block in the second direction is located between the two stop edges.

[0016] Optionally, it also includes a rotary drive mechanism connected to the mounting base and used to drive the mounting base and the shift fork assembly to rotate by a set angle.

[0017] Optionally, the other end of the fork is connected to a suction cup via a universal structure, the suction cup being used to pick up or release the sheet.

[0018] Optionally, a limiting block is provided on the mounting base, and the limiting block is disposed on both sides of the connecting rod in the second direction.

[0019] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a sheet coating apparatus is provided, the sheet coating apparatus comprising a sheet storage mechanism, a support mechanism, and the sheet transfer device described in the first aspect;

[0020] The sheet transfer device is used to transfer the sheet between the sheet storage mechanism and the carrying mechanism.

[0021] One technical advantage of this disclosure is that:

[0022] This disclosure provides a sheet transfer device, which includes a mounting base with two connecting shafts; a fork assembly including a connecting rod and two forks, each fork being rotatably connected to one of the connecting shafts, with one end of each fork connected to the connecting rod and the other end of each fork used to acquire or release sheet material; and a drive assembly for driving the connecting rod to swing, allowing the other ends of the two forks to form a height difference, ensuring the accuracy of the two rows of sheet material placement and improving the efficiency of sheet material transfer.

[0023] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will become clear from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with their description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sheet transfer device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0026] Figure 2 is a side view of a sheet transfer device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 3 is an axonometric view of a sheet transfer device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0028] Figure 4 is an enlarged view of point A in Figure 3;

[0029] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a sheet transfer device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure rotating when acquiring a sheet.

[0030] in:

[0031] 1. Mounting base; 11. Connecting shaft; 12. Limiting block; 2. Shift fork assembly; 21. Connecting rod; 22. Shift fork; 221. Suction cup; 3. Drive assembly; 31. Drive unit; 311. Motor; 312. Lead screw; 32. Moving part; 321. Stop; 33. Transmission unit; 331. Transmission block; 332. First transmission shaft; 333. Second transmission shaft;

[0032] 100. Sheets. Detailed Implementation

[0033] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0034] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this disclosure, and should not be construed as limiting it. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this disclosure without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0035] The terms "first" and "second" in this disclosure may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0036] In the description of this disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this disclosure and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this disclosure.

[0037] In the description of this disclosure, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linkage" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure based on the specific circumstances.

[0038] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.

[0039] Referring to Figure 1, this disclosure provides a sheet transfer apparatus, which includes:

[0040] Mounting base 1, with two connecting shafts 11 provided on the mounting base 1;

[0041] The shift fork assembly 2 includes a connecting rod 21 and two shift forks 22. The two shift forks 22 are rotatably connected to two connecting shafts 11, and one end of each shift fork 22 is connected to the connecting rod 21. The other end of each shift fork 22 is used to pick up or release the sheet 100.

[0042] Drive assembly 3 is used to drive link 21 to swing, and the other ends of the two forks 22 can form a height difference.

[0043] In the above embodiments, the mounting base 1 can be fixedly set to ensure the stability of the sheet transfer device; the mounting base 1 can also be movable, for example, the mounting base 1 can rotate or move to drive the shift fork assembly 2 to rotate or move synchronously, so as to form a height difference with the other end of the two shift forks 22.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the two connecting shafts 11 on the mounting base 1 provide stable rotational support for the shift fork assembly 2. Referring to Figure 1, two connecting shafts 11 are spaced apart on the mounting base 1. The two connecting shafts 11 can be parallel to each other. For example, the two connecting shafts 11 can both be arranged on the mounting base 1 along the X direction in Figure 1, so that while the two shift forks 22 are respectively connected to the two connecting shafts 11, mutual interference between the two shift forks 22 during rotation is avoided.

[0045] In one embodiment, the two connecting shafts 11 can be symmetrically arranged on the mounting base 1. Specifically, the two connecting shafts 11 have the same height in the Z direction perpendicular to the XOY plane, and the same distance from the edge of the mounting base 1 in the X and Y directions, which facilitates the synchronous rotation of the two forks 22 on the two connecting shafts 11.

[0046] In another embodiment, two connecting shafts 11 are arranged one above the other on the mounting base 1. Specifically, the two connecting shafts 11 are at different heights perpendicular to the XOY plane, so that the two forks 22 can form a height difference when rotating on the two connecting shafts 11.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the shift fork 22 can be elongated, with the middle part of the two shift forks 22 rotatably connected to the two connecting shafts 11 respectively. One end of each shift fork 22 is connected to the connecting rod 21, which means that the two shift forks 22 can be rotated by the swing of the connecting rod 21. The other end of each shift fork 22 is used to pick up or release the sheet 100. That is, when the other end of each shift fork 22 picks up the sheet 100, the other end of each shift fork 22 will form two rows of sheets 100 arranged side by side along the Y direction. The sheets 100 on the two shift forks 22 can be deflected by a certain angle by the swing of the connecting rod 21, so as to adjust the height of the two rows of sheets 100.

[0048] In the above embodiments, when the two forks 22 of the fork assembly 2 acquire the sheet, they can grip the sheet 100 with the gripper or adsorb the sheet 100 with the suction cup, so that the sheet 100 can be transferred quickly and accurately during the transfer process, thereby improving the transfer efficiency.

[0049] In one embodiment, the sheet 100 can be a solar cell, such as a silicon wafer of a solar cell. The silicon wafer of the solar cell is transferred to a support structure such as a graphite boat by a sheet transfer device to ensure the stability of the film coating on the sheet at high temperature.

[0050] In this embodiment, the two rows of sheets 100 at the other end of the two forks 22 can be transferred to the graphite boat, which has two rows of boat grooves at different heights to form two rows of sheets 100 with different heights on the graphite boat. By driving the connecting rod 21 to swing through the drive assembly 3, the height difference between the two rows of sheets 100 obtained at the other end of the two forks 22 can be precisely controlled, so that the two rows of sheets 100 can match the two rows of placement positions with different heights in the boat grooves of the graphite boat, thus meeting the placement accuracy requirements of the two rows of sheets 100 in the Z direction and improving the efficiency of sheet 100 transfer.

[0051] Moreover, the two rows of sheets 100 with a height difference are precisely matched with the two grooves of the graphite boat at different heights, which avoids the grinding problem caused by friction between the sheet 100 and the graphite boat and ensures the consistency of the gap between the sheet 100 and the groove of the graphite boat.

[0052] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 1 and 2, the drive assembly 3 includes a drive part 31, a moving part 32 and a transmission part 33. The drive part 31 is connected to the moving part 32 and is used to drive the moving part 32 to move. The moving part 32 is connected to the connecting rod 21 through the transmission part 33.

[0053] When the moving part 32 moves, the moving part 32 can drive the connecting rod 21 to swing through the transmission part 33.

[0054] In the above embodiments, the drive unit 31 can be a drive structure such as a motor or a cylinder to provide power for the movement of the moving part 32 and the transmission part 33. The moving part 32, as a bridge connecting the drive unit 31 and the transmission part 33, can move in a straight line or a curve under the drive of the drive unit 31. While ensuring that the movement of the moving part 32 is efficiently transmitted to the connecting rod 21, the transmission part 33 can use a transmission structure such as an eccentric wheel, a cam or a gear to change the form of motion transmission. For example, while transmitting the linear motion of the moving part 32 to the connecting rod 21, the arc deflection of the connecting rod 21 can be realized to ensure the flexibility of the rotation of the two shift forks 22.

[0055] In addition, the cooperation between the drive unit 31 and the transmission unit 33 can also change the swing angle and swing speed of the connecting rod 21, thereby precisely controlling the amplitude and speed of the rotation of the shift fork 22, which helps to ensure that the shift fork 22 can accurately pick up or release the sheet 100.

[0056] In some embodiments, the connecting shaft 11 is arranged along a first direction, and the driving part 31 is used to drive the moving part 32 to move along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0057] In the above embodiments, the first direction can be the X direction in Figure 1, and the second direction can be the Y direction in Figure 1. When the extension direction of the connecting shaft 11 and the movement direction of the moving part 32 are perpendicular to each other, two-dimensional space can be effectively utilized, avoiding excessive extension of the sheet transfer device in a single direction, making the sheet transfer device more compact and helping to save space.

[0058] In the above embodiment, both connecting shafts 11 are arranged along the first direction so that the two rows of sheets 100 at the other end of the two shift forks 22 are parallel in the X direction; the connecting rod 21 and the shift forks 22 can swing in a plane perpendicular to the X direction, and the swing of the connecting rod 21 drives the sheets 100 on the two shift forks 22 to deflect at a certain angle, so that the two rows of sheets 100 can form a height difference in the Z direction.

[0059] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 3 and 4, the drive unit 31 includes a motor 311 and a lead screw 312. The lead screw 312 is connected to the output end of the motor 311 along a second direction, and the moving part 32 is in transmission cooperation with the lead screw 312.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the motor 311 converts the rotational motion into the linear motion of the moving part 32 along the second direction through the lead screw 312, which not only improves the transmission efficiency, but also ensures the accuracy and stability of the movement of the moving part 32.

[0061] In another embodiment, the drive unit 31 includes a cylinder, which can directly push the moving unit 32 to move in the second direction, thereby simplifying the transmission structure of the sheet transfer device.

[0062] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 3 and 4, the transmission part 33 includes a transmission block 331 and a first transmission shaft 332 and a second transmission shaft 333 that are relatively eccentrically arranged. The transmission block 331 is connected to the moving part 32, the first transmission shaft 332 is fitted with the transmission block 331, and the second transmission shaft 333 is fitted with the connecting rod 21.

[0063] In the above embodiment, when the driving part 31 drives the moving part 32 to move to the right as shown in FIG3, the moving part 32 will drive the transmission block 331 to move to the right. At this time, the first transmission shaft 332 has the tendency to move to the right along with the transmission block 331 and simultaneously drive the connecting rod 21 to move to the right. However, since the shift fork 22 can only rotate around the connecting shaft 11, the connecting rod 21 swings to the lower right. The connecting rod 21 will drive the second transmission shaft 333 to rotate, and the second transmission shaft 333 will drive the first transmission shaft 332 to rotate. This realizes that the linear movement of the moving part 32 is transformed into the arc swing of the connecting rod 21, ensuring the flexibility and stability of the driving assembly 3 driving the connecting rod 21 to swing.

[0064] In addition, when it is necessary to change the swing angle or speed of the connecting rod 21, this can be achieved by adjusting the eccentricity of the first drive shaft 332 and the second drive shaft 333.

[0065] In some embodiments, referring to FIG4, the moving part 32 is provided with two flanges 321 spaced apart on the side near the transmission block 331, and the upper limit of the transmission block 331 in the second direction is located between the two flanges 321.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the retaining edge 321 on the moving part 32 restricts the swaying of the transmission block 331 in the second direction, thereby ensuring the stability and accuracy of the transmission block 331 during movement and preventing the transmission block 331 from disengaging from the moving part 32.

[0067] In some embodiments, the sheet transfer device further includes a rotary drive mechanism connected to the mounting base 1 and used to drive the mounting base 1 and the fork assembly 2 to rotate by a set angle so that the sheet at the other end of the fork 22 forms a height difference.

[0068] In the above embodiment, when the other end of the two forks 22 retrieves the sheet 100 from the sheet storage mechanism, the two rows of sheets 100 on the two forks 22 can be arranged vertically; driven by the connecting rod 21, the two forks 22 can move parallel to the two connecting shafts 11, thereby causing the two rows of sheets 100 to deflect at a certain angle, as shown in the upper area of ​​Figure 5. At this time, the two rows of sheets 100 are inclined.

[0069] The rotary drive mechanism can be a robotic arm or a turntable mechanism. The rotary drive mechanism drives the mounting base 1 and the shift fork assembly 2 to rotate as a whole in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 5, so that the two rows of sheets 100 on the two shift forks 22 remain vertical, thus ensuring that the two rows of sheets 100 are vertically inserted into the two boat slots set at different heights in the graphite boat with a height difference.

[0070] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 2, the other end of the fork 22 is connected to a suction cup 221 via a universal structure. The suction cup 221 is used to pick up or release the sheet 100.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the universal structure allows the suction cup 221 to rotate freely in multiple directions relative to the fork 22, so that when the suction cup 221 picks up the sheet 100, the gravity of the suction cup 221 and the sheet 100 remains vertical, which enhances the stability of the sheet transfer device during the sheet transfer process.

[0072] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1, a limiting block 12 is provided on the mounting base 1, and the limiting block 12 is provided on both sides of the connecting rod 21 in the second direction.

[0073] In the above embodiment, during the swinging process of the drive assembly 3 driving the connecting rod 21, the connecting rod 21 will have a component of movement in the second direction. The limiting block 12 is provided on both sides of the connecting rod 21 in the second direction, which can limit the range of movement of the connecting rod 21 in the second direction, ensuring that the connecting rod 21 and its connected shift fork will not exceed the predetermined stroke during operation, thereby maintaining the stability and safety of the sheet transfer device.

[0074] In one embodiment, the limiting block 12 is provided with a connecting hole, and a limiting rod is movably disposed in the connecting hole. The limiting space is adjusted by moving the limiting rod on the limiting block 12, thereby flexibly adjusting the movement range of the connecting rod 21 in the second direction.

[0075] This disclosure also provides a sheet coating apparatus, which includes a sheet storage mechanism, a support mechanism, and the sheet transfer device described above.

[0076] The sheet storage mechanism is used to store the sheet 100, and the sheet transfer device is used to transfer the sheet 100 between the sheet storage mechanism and the carrier mechanism. The carrier mechanism is used to carry the sheet to be coated so as to achieve coating on the sheet.

[0077] In the above embodiments, the sheet storage mechanism can be a sheet channel, and the supporting structure can include a graphite boat. When the fork assembly 2 of the sheet transfer device picks up a sheet from the sheet channel and places it into the boat groove of the graphite boat, the sheet transfer device transfers two rows of sheets 100 aligned in the Z direction into two rows of sheets 100 that are parallel in the X direction and have a height difference in the Z direction. This improves the sheet transfer efficiency and facilitates the coating of the sheet.

[0078] In addition, when the two rows of sheets 100 are removed from the graphite boat groove, the sheet transfer device will transfer the two rows of sheets 100 that are parallel in the X direction and have a height difference in the Z direction into two rows of sheets 100 that are aligned in the Z direction, so that the two rows of sheets 100 can be placed on the sheet channel and the efficiency of sheet transfer can be guaranteed.

[0079] While specific embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail by way of example, those skilled in the art should understand that the examples are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A sheet transfer device, comprising: Mounting base (1), on which two connecting shafts (11) are provided; The shift fork assembly (2) includes a connecting rod (21) and two shift forks (22). The two shift forks (22) are rotatably connected to the two connecting shafts (11), and one end of each of the two shift forks (22) is connected to the connecting rod (21). The other end of each of the two shift forks (22) is used to pick up or release the sheet (100). A drive assembly (3) is used to drive the link (21) to swing, and the other ends of the two forks (22) can form a height difference.

2. The sheet transfer device according to claim 1, wherein, The drive assembly (3) includes a drive unit (31), a moving unit (32) and a transmission unit (33). The drive unit (31) is connected to the moving unit (32) and is used to drive the moving unit (32) to move. The moving unit (32) is connected to the connecting rod (21) through the transmission unit (33). When the moving part (32) moves, the moving part (32) can drive the connecting rod (21) to swing through the transmission part (33).

3. The sheet transfer device according to claim 2, wherein, The connecting shaft (11) is arranged along a first direction, and the driving part (31) is used to drive the moving part (32) to move along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction.

4. The sheet transfer apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, The drive unit (31) includes a motor (311) and a lead screw (312). The lead screw (312) is connected to the output end of the motor (311) along a second direction. The moving part (32) is in transmission cooperation with the lead screw (312).

5. The sheet transfer apparatus according to any one of claims 2-4, wherein, The transmission unit (33) includes a transmission block (331) and a first transmission shaft (332) and a second transmission shaft (333) that are eccentrically arranged. The transmission block (331) is connected to the moving part (32). The first transmission shaft (332) is fitted into the transmission block (331), and the second transmission shaft (333) is fitted into the connecting rod (21).

6. The sheet transfer apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, The moving part (32) has two stop edges (321) spaced apart on the side near the transmission block (331), and the transmission block (331) is located between the two stop edges (321) at its upper limit in the second direction.

7. The sheet transfer apparatus according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein, It also includes a rotary drive mechanism, which is connected to the mounting base (1) and is used to drive the mounting base (1) and the fork assembly (2) to rotate by a set angle.

8. The sheet transfer apparatus according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein, The other end of the fork (22) is connected to a suction cup (221) via a universal structure. The suction cup (221) is used to pick up or release the sheet (100).

9. The sheet transfer apparatus according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein, The mounting base (1) is provided with a limiting block (12), which is located on both sides of the connecting rod (21) in the second direction.

10. A sheet coating apparatus, comprising a sheet storage mechanism, a support mechanism, and a sheet transfer device as described in any one of claims 1-9; The sheet transfer device is used to transfer the sheet (100) between the sheet storage mechanism and the carrying mechanism.

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