GB2285812A

GB2285812A - A Clamp-and-conveying device for a board-shaped working piece e.g.PCB in electro-plating process

Info

Publication number: GB2285812A
Application number: GB9400192A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Po Chung Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-01-07
Filing date: 1994-01-07
Publication date: 1995-07-26
Also published as: GB9400192D0

Abstract

Clamp-and-conveying device for a board-shaped working piece eg. PCB in electro-plating process. The device comprises a conveyor 10, a turning-and-lifting mechanism 11 for turning the board downwards from a horizontal to a vertical position and lifting the board upwards to clamps 35 and comprising (Figs. 3, 4 not shown) a U-frame 15, a lifting rack 16, upper and lower clamp assemblies 21, 22, a turning pneumatic cylinder 17 and a plurality of lifting pneumatic cylinders and means for conveying the board to an electroplating tank comprising clamps 35 mounted under a plurality of hanging frames 31 on a V-shaped seat 32 pushed on T-shaped rail 43 alternately with several pneumatic cylinders. After a PC board is fed to the lifting rack 16, it is clamped by the upper and lower clamp assemblies; then, the turning pneumatic cylinder pulls the PC board downwards to turn at an angle of 90 degrees, then, a plurality of lifting pneumatic cylinders push the lifting rack upwards to have the PC board pushed up to the clamp under the V-shaped seat before being moved to the electro-plating tank. After a PC board is electro-plated, it is removed from the device by following the reverse steps of the operation. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: A Clamp-and-conveying Device for A Board-shaped Working Piece in ELectro-plating Proces8 This invention relates to a clamp-and-conveying device for a board-shaped work piece in electro-plating process so as to save the operation cost and space with automatic steps.

When a Board-shaped working piece, such as a PC board (printed circuit board), being electro-plated, the equipment and operation thereof requires more space; the conventional electro-plating operation might be called a one-way (clamping and conveying or removing) turn-up method; such turn-up method requires a given height for the equipment for the oneway operation (feeding or de-feeding), and therefore the operation efficiency is rather low, but the cost thereof is high.

In order to improve the drawbacks of the conventional device, the present invention is developed; the prime feature of the present invention is that the turn-up method in the conventional device has been changed and replaced with a turn-down ward method by means of a lifting rack and a pneumatic cylinder; a PC board can be conveyed to a clamp assembly, and then conveyed into an electro-plating tank. The present invention comprises a conveyer, a turning-and-lifting mechanism, a V-shaped alternating-push assembly and a clamp assembly. The turning-and-lifting mechanism includes a Uframe, a lifting rack, two sets of upper and lower clamp assemblies, a turning pneumatic cylinder, and a plurality of lifting pneumatic cylinders. A PC board can be conveyed to an electro-plating tank by means of a V-shaped seat pushed alternately with several pneumatic cylinders, and several clamps mounted under a plurality of hanging frames. As soon as a PC board is electro-plated in a tank, the PC board can be removed from the device by following a reverse operation procedures; such operation according to the present invention can save the cost of equipment and operation space, etc.

An embodiment of the invention is described by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a front view of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a fragmental perspective view of a turning and-lifting mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates the turning-and-lifting operation of the present invention; FIG. 5 illustrates another turning-and-lifting oper ation of the present invention; FIG. 6 illustrates still another turning-and-lifting operation of the present invention; FIG. 7 is a front view of a V-shaped alternating-push assembly of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a top view of the V-shaped alternating-push assembly of the present invention; FIG. 9 is a side view of the V-shaped alternating push assembly of the present invention.

Referring to FIGs. 1 and 2, the present invention relates to a clamp-and-conveying device for a board-shaped working piece upon electro-plating; the present invention comprises a conveyer 10, a turning-and-lifting mechanism 11, a V-shaped alternating-push assembly 12, and a clamp assembly 13. The conveyer 10 is a conventional conveyer for longitudinal and horizontal conveying operation for feeding and de-feeding a printed circuit board 14. The turning-andlifting mechanism 11 as shown in FIGs. 3 and 4 includes a Uframe 15, a lifting rack 16, a turning pneumatic cylinder 17, a plurality of lifting pneumatic cylinders 18, 19 and 20, an upper clamp assembly 21 and a lower clamp assembly 22. The lifting rack 16 includes a roller rack 23, two clamp assemblies 21 and 22 on the rear side thereof controlled with an upper pneumatic cylinder 24 and a lower pneumatic cylinder 25 so as to clamp a printed circuit board 14 without dripping. One side of the lifting rack 16 is welded with a plurality of bracket blocks 26, 27 and 28, which are fastened with several lifting pneumatic cylinders 18, 19 and 20 respectively; the tail ends of such lifting pneumatic cylinders are fixedly mounted on the U-frame 15; the U-frame is mounted with two spindles 29 as a rotation pivot of the Uframe; one end of the U-frame 15 is connected with a turning pneumatic cylinder 17 for controlling the U-frame 15 to turn over. The clamp assembly 13 includes a plurality of horizontal rods 30, a plurality of hanging frames 31, a Vshaped seat 32, two horizontal pneumatic cylinders 33 and 34, and a plurality of clamps 35. The various sets of the horizontal rods 30 and hanging frames 31 mounted on the Vshaped seat 32 are controlled with pneumatic cylinders 39 so as to select a suitable position to feed or de-feeding working pieces alternately. A clamp 35 mounted under the hanging frames 31 is a rotary arm assembly. The mouth of the clamp is normally pulled in closed condition with a pull spring 36; in the event of requiring the mouth of clamp to open, two pneumatic cylinders 33 and 34 on both sides of the clamp will control the mouth to hold a PC (printed circuit) board 14 fed. The V-shaped alternating-push assembly 12 is shown in FIGs. 7 to 9; the V-shaped seat 32 is used to limit the frames 37 and 38 pushed with the pneumatic cylinders 39 and 40 to move along the U- shaped frames 41 and 42 respectively so as to have the horizontal rods 30, the hanging frames 31 and the clamps 35 on the V-shaped seat 32 moved alternately over the T-shaped rail 43. The V-shaped seat 32 over the T-shaped rail will fall on the lifting block 45 in front of the sliding frame 44, which is movably fastened to the T-shaped rail 43 with a plurality of rollers 46; the sliding frame 44 can move up and down by means of a rope 47, a rope pulley 48 and a motor (not shown) so as to have the clamp 35 on the lower end of the hanging frame 31 to clamp or release a working piece. A series of operation of the clamp assembly are shown in FIGs. 4 to 6; FIG.4 illustrates a PC board 14 being clamped with an upper pneumatic cylinder 24 and a lower pneumatic cylinder 25 and moving forwards. FIG. 5 illustrates the piston rod of the turning pneumatic cylinder 17 being pulled back to cause the whole U-frame 15 assembly and the lifting rack 16 to turn around the spindle 29 at an angle of 90 degrees, and then the lifting pneumatic cylinders 18 push the lifting rack 16 upwards so as to have one end of the PC board 14 extended into the clamp 35 opened with the pneumatic cylinders 33 and 34 before being clamped and sending to an electroplating tank. FIG. 6 illustrates the reverse procedures after the electro-plating process, i.e., to de-feeding the working piece by opening the clamps and turning the U-frame 15; such method would save space, operation steps, and lower the manufacturing cost.

Claims

Claims.

A clamp-and-conveying device for a board-shaped working piece in electro-plating process comprising a conveyer, a turning-and-lifting mechanism, a V-shaped alternating-push assembly; said conveyer being a conventional conveyer able to convey longitudinally and horizontally; said turning-and-lifting mechanism including a U-frame a lifting rack 16, a turning pneumatic cylinder, a plurality of lifting pneumatic cylinders and two clamp assemblies; one side of said lifting rack including a roller rack, a clamp assembly controlled with an upper pneumatic cylinder and a lower pneumatic cylinder; the other side of said lifting rack being welded with a plurality of bracket blocks which each being fastened with a lifting pneumatic cylinder, and the tail end of said lifting pneumatic cylinder being fixed to said Uframe, which being mounted on said device frame with two spindles; one end of said U-frame being fastened with said turning pneumatic cylinder; said V- shaped alternating-push assembly including at least two frames, two push pneumatic cylinders, two U-shaped frames, a T-shaped rail, a sliding frame, a rope and a rope pulley; said V-shaped seat being limited in said frames and being pushed with said push pneumatic cylinders to move in said U-shaped frame so as to have said horizontal rods, said hanging frames and said clamps mounted on said V-shaped seat moved alternately to said T-shaped rail; after said V-shaped seat resting on said lifting block in front of said sliding frame, and said sliding frame being fastened to said T-shaped rail by means of several roller, said sliding frame being pulled up and down by means of said rope around said rope pulley and a motor; said clamp assembly including said horizontal rods, said hanging frames, said V-shaped seat, said horizontal pneumatic cylinder and said clamps; said clamp mounted on the lower end of said hanging frame being a rotary arm assembly, which being normally pulled with a pull spring, and being opened by using pneumatic cylinders on both sides thereof.