SE509419C2 - Device for holding a blade or disc shaped object - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for holding and carrying plane objects (P) in a machine (10) comprising a treatment station (13) in which the objects (P) are treated, and a conveyor (15) for transporting the objects through the machine (10), said device comprising carriers (16) for carrying the objects and a holding member (18) for each carrier (16) for holding an object at an edge portion, the object being suspended in the holding member. According to the invention the holding member includes at least one clamp (24) having two cooperating shanks (25, 26) which are movable toward and away from each other, each shank having a clamping element (29, 33). The clamping elements define a gap therebetween which can be opened for receiving the object. At least one of the clamping elements has at least one edge-like ridge (29A, 33A), the crest of which facing the other clamping element.

Description

15 20 25 30 35 509 419 _2_ len is produced by etching then a so-called resist, i.e. a coating resistant to the etching liquid corresponding to the desired conduit pattern has been applied to the copper foil. After etching, the wire pattern is exposed by removing the resistance, so-called stripping.

The resistor can be applied to the panel using various methods. In a known method, a film of a photosensitive resist material is rolled onto the copper foil surface, after which the conduction pattern is exposed on the film, which is then developed. The portions corresponding to the spaces between the conductive parts of the conductor pattern are removed, so that a resist pattern corresponding to the desired conductor pattern remains.

With a newer method, it is possible to make the conductor width and the gaps between the conductive portions of the conductor pattern considerably smaller than with the first-mentioned method. In this method, the resist film is applied electrophoretically. The copper-foiled laminate or panel can then serve as an electrode in an electrically conductive bath containing the light-sensitive resist material in loose form. The non-conductive resist material travels to the foil surface and attaches to it. When the foil surface, and where applicable copper-plated walls in holes in the panel, has been completely coated with a dense film of resist material, the electrophoretic coating process stops. After thorough blowing of the remaining bath liquid and drying of the panels, the formed film is exposed and developed in the same way as in the first-mentioned method.

In the electrophoretic coating method, the grippers must not only hold the panel but also maintain a good electrically conductive contact with the copper foil.

One and the same gripper should as far as possible be able to be used for different types of panels, eg thin panels, thick and heavy panels (such as multilayer panels, which are panels with several insulating layers and between these lying conductive layers), rigid panels, easily flexible panels, panels to be treated with the electrophoretic resist coating method, panels to be subjected to other methods which do not require a power supply to the panel, and so on.

Additional requirements that it is desirable for the grippers to meet are the following: - The grippers should hold the panel so firmly that the panel can be agitated and vibrated without being disturbed in the holding mechanism so that good chemical turnover in through-plated holes in the panel is ensured.

- The grippers should hold the panel by means of gripping means which penetrate the surface layer of the panel only to a small extent; the gripping means should therefore not be pointed or needle-shaped.

- The grippers should grip over as small a part of the panel as possible; the part of the panel that the grippers grip must generally be cut away and discarded, which means loss of expensive material.

- Bath liquid must be able to be effectively blown away from the surfaces of the grippers.

- The grippers must transfer as little bath liquid as possible from one treatment bath to the next.

- The grippers must hold the panel in a vertical position, regardless of whether it is thin or thick.

- In the case where the grippers also serve as electrical contact means, its contact surfaces for transmitting current to the panel must be as small as possible, so that undesirable plating with resist and the consequent need for cleaning and loss of valuable material is minimized. Resistant material adhered to the contact surfaces must be able to be removed chemically without the clamps being opened, and the contact surfaces must have a long service life.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the type indicated whose gripper well meets at least most of the above requirements.

This object is solved according to the invention with a device in which the gripping means of the holding mechanism have the features stated in the independent patent claim. The dependent claims set out characteristics of advantageous embodiments.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings which show a preferred embodiment.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a treatment plant of the type initially indicated; Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a panel carrier belonging to the plant with holding mechanisms for four panels; Fig. 3 is a side view of a gripper in the retaining mechanism; Figs. 4-6 show the gripping means of the gripping device in different positions.

The dip treatment plant 10 schematically shown in Fig. 1 is of the per se known type shown and described in SE-B-459 084. For a detailed description of the plant and its mode of operation, reference is made to this publication; here the plant is described only to the extent necessary for an understanding of the present invention.

At one end, on the left in Fig. 1, the plant has a feeding station 11 (not shown) with a magazine for a supply of panels to be treated. 10 15 20 25 30 35 509 419 _ 5 _ At the other, right-hand end, the plant has a discharge station 12, also not shown in more detail, with a magazine where finished panels are placed.

Between the inlet and discharge stations there are a row of tanks 13 for treatment baths, for example baths for electrophoretic coating of the panels with resist material and pre- and post-treatment of the coated panels, and devices 14 for drying the treated panels. Behind the row of tanks 13 there is a transport device, generally designated 15, which serves to transport the panels stepwise from the feeding station 11 to the feeding station 12 and during the transport dipping the panels in one or more of the treatment baths in the tanks 13.

The transport of the panels is carried out using a number of goods carriers 16, which have a bracket or cantilevered support beam 17 with four holding mechanisms 18. These hold the panels P along their upper edge and move along a horizontal path during the movement from the feeding station 11 to the feeding station. 12. In addition, they move up and down at the baths in which the panels are to be treated and also at the feeding station 11 and the feeding station 12.

At the feeding station 11, the holding mechanisms 18 are engaged with the upper edge portion of their respective panels in the magazine and the panel is then held suspended in the holding mechanism until the goods carrier 16 reaches the discharge station 12, where the holding mechanisms are opened and the finished panels are disassembled.

From the dispensing station 12, the goods carriers 16 are returned to the dispensing station 11 on an upper transport path 19.

Fig. 2 shows one of the goods carriers 16 with the four holding mechanisms 18, which hold and support four hanging panels P with these oriented in vertical planes which are parallel to the direction in which the transport takes place. During its movement, the goods carrier 16 is slidably supported on a series of holding plates 20 arranged next to each other (two of which are shown in Fig. 2). The holding plates 20 are individually movable in vertical direction between an upper position and a lower position.

When two adjacent holding plates 20 are in the upper position or in the lower position, the goods carrier can be displaced horizontally from one holding plate to the other by means of a feed device 21 shown only hintingly.

As far as it has been described so far, the transport device is known. The invention relates to a special design of the transport device, and more particularly to the holding mechanisms 18 of the goods or panel carriers 16. This design is described in more detail below with reference to Figs. 2-5.

The four retaining mechanisms 18 are mounted on a horizontal frame 22, which is suspended in the supporting beam on band-shaped, electrically insulating holders (not shown) in such a way that the frame and thus also the retaining mechanisms 18 can be vibrated or pivoted back and forth by means of a agitation device not shown. The agitation, which is performed while the panels P are lowered in a bath, serves to bring about a relative movement of the panels and the bath liquid, so that it comes into good contact with all free surfaces of the panels.

The four holding mechanisms 18 are equal to each other and consist essentially of a horizontal rod 23 arranged in the transport direction, mounted on the frame 22 and four pliers-like grippers 24 attached thereto. A gripper is shown in side view in Fig. 3.

Each gripper 24 has a pair of leg members 25 and 26, which are articulated together by means of a hinge bolt 27, the center line of which is parallel to the rod 23. One leg member 25 is attached to the rod 23 at its upper end and supports the hinge bolt. 27 and the second leg part 26. Above the hinge bolt 27, a compression spring 28 is inserted between the leg parts 25, 26. The spring 28 constantly strives to move the upper legs 25A and 25A of the upper leg parts, respectively. 26A away from each other.

The fixed leg portion 25 of the gripper 24 is formed by a vertical rod, which at its lower end has a similarly vertical, downwardly projecting gripping member 29. This is in the form of a threaded rod, the upper end of which is screwed into a threaded hole 25B in the upper leg 25A. The gripping member 29, which forms a lower leg on the leg part 25, can be adjusted in height and in rotation by being rotated relative to the upper leg. It can be locked in a selected setting position by means of a lock nut 30.

The leg portion 26 similarly has an upper leg 26A in the form of a rod and a lower leg formed by a threaded rod 31 projecting downwardly from the lower end of the rod. Its upper end is screwed into a threaded hole 26B in the upper leg 26A and can be adjusted in height in the same way as the gripping member 29 and locked in a selected adjusting position by means of a locking nut 32. A gripping member 33 in the form of a short piece of a threaded rod is attached to the rod 31 next to its lower end by welding, soldering or in another appropriate manner.

The gripping member 33 is fixed to the rod 31 in such a way that it lies opposite the gripping member 29 with the center line substantially horizontal.

The compression spring 28 constantly strives to keep the gripper 24 in a closed position with the gripping members 29 and 33 lying next to each other. An opening mechanism (not shown) at the feeding station 11 in the treatment plant is arranged to bring them together so that the upper edge portion of a panel P in the feeding magazine can move (Figs. 5, 6). the mechanism then releases the upper legs, the gripper is closed by the upper legs 25A, 26A to open the gripper, slid in between the lower legs. When the opening spring 28, the threads of the gripping members 29 and 33 enter (Figs. 3, 4).

A corresponding opening mechanism is provided for dispensing station engagement with the panel P on opposite sides of this Den. The gripper 24 is made entirely of metal so that it can serve as a connection device for supplying power to the panel P. Alternatively, only the grippers 29 and 33 and the rod 31 are made of or coated with metal and so arranged that they can be connected to a power source. The gripping means 29 and 33 then serve not only as holding means but also as electrical connection means, which connect it lowered in a treatment bath, as an electrode (anode) in, for example, an electrophoretic resist coating system serving the panel P with the current source. the gripping means 29 and 33 are pointed threads, e.g. met- (M8-M12 is suitable in most cases), the ramparts 29A and 33A, respectively, thus have a substantially triangular threads on risky threads and thread cross-sections. The sections of the threaded walls 29A and 33A with which the gripping means 29, 33 are in contact with the opposite sides of the panel P are therefore in the form of edge-like axes, of which the axes of the gripping member 29 are parallel to each other and inclined towards the horizontal plane at a small angle. pitch angle, while the axes of the gripping member 33, which are also parallel to each other, are inclined at a small angle to a vertical plane parallel to the direction of transport, i.e. perpendicular to the panel sides.

The contact surfaces on the gripping members 29, 33 which the tops of the axes form are therefore very small, but not so small that they easily penetrate a metal foil on the panel sides. They further have the form of two orthogonal or generally orthogonal systems of parallel short lines which lie opposite each other on opposite sides of the panel P. The contact surfaces therefore provide good electrical contact between the gripping means 29, 33 of the grippers on one side and on the other hand the panel, partly a very good grip on the panel, so that it is reliably held against forces acting on the panel at the contact surfaces, regardless of the direction of the forces, without there being a great risk of the panel being damaged where it is in contact with the gripping means. 10 15 20 25 30 35 509 419 _ 9 _ The threads on the gripping members 29, 33 can be standardized tip threads, whereby thread diameters and other quantities are chosen in such a way that the surface pressure at the contact surfaces is sufficient to ensure good contact and secure holding but yet not so large that the panels are damaged at the contact points.

It is appropriate that several, eg at least two or three thread turns are in contact with the panel on each side. If necessary, the threaded tips can be sharpened at the contact points by filing or grinding or in another suitable way so that they provide a good grip. In the exemplary embodiment of the gripping members 29, 33 shown and described, the choice of threads as the elements with which the gripping means are in contact with the panels dictated by manufacturing practical reasons; standard elements in the form of screws or threaded rods can be used. Obvious and in terms of the intended function equivalent alternatives are other axis-like formations, eg annular axes with a triangular cross-section.

The shapes of the gripping means which the embodiment shown and described as an example represent are advantageous also in that they allow an efficient blowing away of bath liquid which accompanies the gripping devices when the panels are lifted out of the baths. Normally, the panels must be completely immersed in the baths during the treatment, which means that some of the gripping members will also be immersed in the bath liquid. Bath liquid will therefore inevitably remain on the gripping members when they are brought up, but this liquid can be easily blown away at the same time as liquid that comes with the panels is blown away after the panels have been lifted up. Bath liquid tends to remain especially at the narrow spaces at the contact points of the gripping means, but the chosen shape of the gripping means contributes to the blowing being effective even there.

In those applications where the treatment of the panels involves applying a resist film to the panels by electrophoretic technique in the manner described above, the resist material tends to coat even the surfaces of the gripping means lowered in the resist bath. . These surfaces must therefore be freed from resistance after the treatment, which can be done by chemical means.

The shown and described design of the gripping members 29 and 33 with cross-arranged systems of axes is advantageous also with respect to the removal of resist coating on the gripping members. When the grippers have been opened to release the panel in the dispensing station and allowed to close, the grippers 29 and 33 come into direct contact with each other. However, they only touch each other at the intersections of the axes, which is why the liquid used to remove the resist coating on the gripping members very easily reaches the coating even at the parts of the gripping members which are in contact with the panel during the treatment.

In order to minimize the undesired coating of the gripping means with resist material, the gripping means can be coated with a thin layer of resist-repellent material, eg Teflon®.

This material can be easily removed, for example by means of a file or another abrasive aid, at the surfaces of the gripping means which are to serve as contact surfaces. In the embodiment shown and described, if necessary, new contact surfaces on the gripping member 29 can be provided successively by rotating the gripping member part of a revolution and then releasing from the coating at the portion thus placed opposite the other gripping member.

The coating with a resist-repellent material also helps to facilitate the drainage of treatment liquid from the gripping means. The runoff is also promoted by the fact that the ridges on the gripping members everywhere have a certain, in most places strong slope towards the horizontal plane.

Fig. 4 shows the gripper 24 used to hold a panel P 'which is considerably thicker than that shown in Fig. 3. A comparison between Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 shows that the difference in thickness does not imply any difference in the engagement of the gripping means with panels.

Claims (9)

10 15 20 25 30 35 509 419 Patent claims Device for holding and supporting a (P), (15) for transporting the object through a plant (13) for leaf-shaped or disc-shaped object, in particular in a machine processing of the object, which device comprises a carrier (16 ) and a mechanism (18) mounted thereon for holding the object along an edge thereof, characterized in that the holding mechanism (18) has at least one gripper (24) with two cooperating gripping legs (25, 26) moving towards and away from each other. ) (29,33) there is an openable gap for receiving said edge on a case with a respective gripping member as between the car target (P) and (29,33) (29A, 33A) whose top is directed towards the other at least one gripping means has at least one edge-like ridge gripping means. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the gripping means (29, 33) of both gripping legs (25, 26) have at least one edge-like ridge (29A, 33A) and that the ridge (29A) on one gripping member (29) extends in a first direction and the ridge (33A) (33) forming an angle, preferably one almost on the second gripping means extending in a second directional angle, with the first direction. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by (25, 26) formed by a section of a rod with a plurality of ridges (29A, 33A) running around at least the gripping means (29, 33A) of at least one gripping leg. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the gripping means (29) of at least one gripping leg (25) are formed by a round rod with a pointed screw thread (29A). Device according to Claim 4, characterized in that the gripping means (29) is the core (25). is rotatable and axially adjustable in gripping sensors 10 15 20 25 30 509 419 _ 12 _ Device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that also the gripping means (33) of the second gripping leg (26) are formed by a round rod with a pointed screw thread (33A) and are mounted on and oriented transversely to a rod-shaped bracket (31), which is rotatable and axially adjustable in the gripping leg (26). A plant for processing leaf-shaped or disc-shaped (P) plant comprises a machine (15) of objects in a series of treatment stations (13), which is arranged to transport the objects through the series of treatment stations (13) and has at least one object carrier (16) with a device (18) for holding an object along an edge thereof and with the object freely hanging in the holding device, characterized in that the holding device (18) has at least one gripping device (24) with two cooperating and mutually movable cooperating means. gripping legs (25, 26), each having its own gripping means (24) and between them forming an openable gap limited by the gripping means for receiving said edge of the object (P) and (29, 33) with a plurality of substantially parallel, each gripping means is constituted by a piece of a rod of pointed stops (29A, 33A), the ridges (29A) of one gripping means (29) being substantially horizontal while the ridges (33A) of the other gripping means (33) are in are substantially vertical. Plant according to Claim 7, characterized in that the gripping means (29, 33) are adjustable axially and in the rotational direction in the gripping legs (25, 26) and can be locked in the selected adjusting layers. Plant according to claim 7 or 8, characterized by (25, 26) each other about a horizontal axis line are pivotable relative to (27). that the grip legs