JPH033576Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> This invention relates to a cathode roller suitable for use in a plating process line.

<Prior art and problems to be solved> Conventionally, as a means to cathode the object to be plated, for example, an electric brush type (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-17867
JP-A No. 58-58293) and a roller type (JP-A-58-58293) are known.

However, although these conventional electric brush and roller type cathodization means can be easily adopted as long as sufficient surface contact can be made with the current-carrying part of the object to be plated, it is difficult to use such conventional electric brush and roller type cathodization means, such as a resin-sealed IC lead frame. If most of the surface is covered with resin and the surface is uneven, it is disadvantageous because the electrically conductive portion will be limited.

Furthermore, since the objects to be plated that are not strip-shaped but strip-shaped move individually, the "contact state" is likely to be insufficient.

Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide a cathode roller that can sufficiently, reliably, and stably maintain contact with the object to be plated.

<Means for Solving the Problems> In order to achieve the above object, this cathode roller is rotated by a shaft that can be freely energized, has a tapered inclined surface on which the object to be plated is placed, and is made of an insulating material. a roller body provided on the small diameter side of the roller body electrically connected to the shaft and having a diameter larger than the small diameter portion of the roller body so as to come into contact with the side edge of the object to be plated; and an energization stopper made of a conductive material.

<Function> By using the above-described means, the side end of the object to be plated comes into contact with the energization stopper naturally due to the tapered inclined surface of the roller body. On the other hand, since the energization stopper is electrically connected to the shaft, the object to be plated is also turned into a cathode by passing a cathode current through the shaft. By rotating the roller body and the current stopper while maintaining this state, the object to be plated can be transferred substantially horizontally.

<Example> The details of this invention will be explained below based on the drawings.

1 to 3 are diagrams showing an embodiment of this invention.

In this embodiment, the object to be plated 1 is an IC lead frame, as shown in FIG. 3, which has an uneven surface formed by a metal part 2 and a mold part 3 formed by resin sealing. [hereinafter referred to as lead frame] is used.

Further, the cathode roller 5 is assumed to be one used in a process requiring electrolysis other than the plating process, for example, an electrolytic degreasing process.

This cathode roller 5 is rotated by a shaft 7 that can be freely energized, and includes a roller body 8 formed of an insulating material and having a tapered inclined surface 6 which also serves as a mounting surface for the lead frame 1.
is electrically connected to the shaft 7 on the small diameter portion 9 side of the lead frame 1, and is provided on the side end portion 1 of the lead frame 1.
0, and an energization stopper 11 made of a conductive material and having a diameter L2 larger than the diameter L1 of the small diameter portion 9 of the roller body 8.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a presser roller, which is provided corresponding to the cathode roller 5. This presser roller 12 is made of sponge and has elasticity, and is attached to the lead frame 1.
is pressed onto the inclined surface 6 of the roller body 8 to facilitate horizontal feeding.

The shaft 7 rotates the cathode roller 5 and also serves as a current stopper 11 when the cathode current is applied.
The lead frame 1 is made into a cathode through the process, and is made of a conductive material.

Although not shown, the cathode rollers 5 and the presser rollers 12 are provided in large numbers in the direction of the pass line (arrow PL direction) of the lead frame 1, and are used to sequentially transport the lead frame 1 in a horizontal state while converting it into a cathode. be. Further, 13 is a shaft for the presser roller, and 14 is a large diameter portion.

Next, the lead frame 1 is moved by the cathode roller 5.
The cathodization and transport conditions of

Since the inclined surface 6 of the roller body 8 is formed in a tapered shape, the lead frame 1 moves along the inclined surface 6 to the right in the figure (in the direction of arrow R), and the side end 10 of the lead frame 1 [metal part ] comes into contact with the energization stopper 11, and the lead frame 1 is turned into a cathode.

Then, the lead frame 1 is elastically pressed onto the inclined surface 6 of the cathode roller 5 by the presser roller 12 rotating above, and the contact state of the side end 10 with the current-carrying stopper 11 becomes even more stable. hand,
It is transferred in the pass line direction while being sufficiently reliably cathodized.

Even if the lead frame 1 is slightly distorted, it is elastically pressed by the upper presser roller 12, so the lead frame 1 will not be lifted up, and the lead frame 1 will be transferred together with the rotation of the lower cathode roller 5. Therefore, no positional deviation or deviation in the direction of movement occurs during transportation.

Further, in this embodiment, an example has been described in which the lead frame 1 is transported in a substantially horizontal state, but the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the shaft 7 itself may be formed of an insulating material, and a lead wire for supplying electricity may be provided inside the shaft 7 to supply electricity.

<Effects> Since the cathode roller according to this invention has the contents as explained above, (a) the inclined surface of the cathode roller has a tapered shape;
Since it rotates with the object to be plated placed on the inclined surface, the object to be plated moves toward the small diameter part of the roller body in the transport direction, and as a result, the side edge of the object to be plated comes into contact with the current-carrying stopper. (b) Even if the object to be plated is sealed with resin and has an uneven surface due to the molded part, the energization stopper is placed on the side instead of the surface of the object to be plated. (c) Since the cathode roller is rotated while the object to be plated is received by the current-carrying stopper, a sufficiently stable contact condition can be obtained and the cathode current can be easily applied. This has the effect of allowing the object to be transported. Furthermore, according to the embodiment, (d) Even if the object to be plated has some distortion,
Since the object to be plated is elastically pressed by the presser roller from above, the object to be plated does not lift up, and the side end of the object to be plated can be brought into contact with the energization stopper and turned into a cathode, and the object can be transferred. (E) Since the object to be plated is elastically pressed from above by the presser roller, there is no possibility of positional deviation or deviation in the direction of movement when the object to be plated is transferred. (F) If the cathode roller and the presser roller are installed vertically, There is also the additional effect that the object to be plated can be transported while being turned into a cathode in a vertical state, and the range of application can be expanded.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an embodiment of the cathode roller according to this invention, FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged sectional view taken along the arrow line in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an IC lead frame of FIG. 1... Object to be plated [lead frame], 5...
... Cathode roller, 6 ... Inclined surface, 7 ... Shaft, 8 ... Roller body, 9 ... Small diameter part, 10 ...
Side end portion, 11... Energization stopper, L1, L2...
Diameter size.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] A roller body made of an insulating material, which is rotated by a shaft that can be freely energized, and has a tapered inclined surface on which an object to be plated is placed, and the shaft is located on the small diameter side of the roller body. and a current-carrying stopper formed of a conductive material and having a diameter larger than the small diameter portion of the roller body so as to come into contact with the side end of the object to be plated. .