Patent Application
20250065459
This application claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. CN202322253097.4 filed on Aug. 21, 2023 in the State Intellectual Property Office of China, the whole disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates to a fixing device, in particular to a fixing device suitable for fixing a flexible flat piece
In the prior art, before crimping the terminals onto a flexible flat cable (FFC) or a flexible printed circuit board (FPC), it is necessary to first clamp and secure the flexible flat cable or the flexible printed circuit board with a fixture. However, during the process of closing the fixture, the flexible flat cable or the flexible printed circuit board are prone to movement. Therefore, in the prior art, it is necessary to hold the flexible flat cable or the flexible printed circuit board with human hands to prevent the flexible flat cable or the flexible printed circuit board from being moved during the clamping process. In addition, due to the flexibility of flexible flat cable or the flexible printed circuit board, wrinkles, warping, or deflection are also prone to occur during the clamping process, which may require readjustment and replacement of the flexible flat cable or the flexible printed circuit board.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a fixing device adapted to fix a flexible flat piece comprises a support platform adapted to support the flexible flat piece and a fixture adapted to clamp the flexible flat piece onto the support platform. The support platform includes a vacuum chamber formed therein having multiple vacuum suction holes formed in the top wall of the vacuum chamber. The vacuum suction holes are adapted to secure the flexible flat piece on the top surface of the support platform to prevent the flexible flat piece from being moved as it is clamped by the fixture.
The accompanying drawings incorporated therein and forming a part of the specification illustrate the present disclosure and, and together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the disclosure and to enable those skilled in the relevant art to manufacture and use the embodiments described herein.
The features disclosed in this disclosure will become more apparent in the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where similar reference numerals always identify the corresponding components. In the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals typically represent identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar components. Unless otherwise stated, the drawings provided throughout the entire disclosure should not be construed as drawings drawn to scale.
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described hereinafter in detail with reference to the attached drawings, wherein the like reference numerals refer to the like elements. The present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiment set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.
In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are schematically shown in order to simplify the drawing.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a fixing device for fixing a flexible flat piece. The fixing device comprises support platform for supporting the flexible flat piece, and a fixture for clamping the flexible flat piece onto the support platform. A vacuum chamber is formed in the support platform, and multiple vacuum suction holes are formed in the top wall of the vacuum chamber; the vacuum suction holes are used to secure the flexible flat piece on the top surface of the support platform to prevent the flexible flat piece from being moved during it is clamped by the fixture.
As shown in
The fixing device further comprises a connecting pipe 12 connected to the support platform 1 and communicated with the vacuum chamber 10. In the illustrated embodiment, multiple vacuum chambers 10 are formed in the support platform 1, and the multiple vacuum chambers 10 are separated from each other. The fixing device includes multiple connecting pipes 12, which are respectively connected to multiple vacuum chambers 10. Multiple vacuum suction holes 11 on the top wall of the vacuum chamber 10 are arranged in an array with multi rows and multi columns. The arrangement density of vacuum suction holes 11 can be set according to actual needs.
In the illustrated embodiments, the fixing device further comprises a vacuum generating device 3 connected to the connecting pipe 12 for generating negative pressure in the vacuum chamber 10. The vacuum generating device 3 can be a vacuum pump or a vacuum generator.
The fixture 2 is rotatably installed on the support platform 1 and can be rotated relative to the support platform 1 between a closed position of clamping the flexible flat piece 7 and an opened position of releasing the flexible flat piece 7. The fixing device further includes a locking device 5, which is installed on the support platform 1 to lock fixture 2 in the closed position to prevent accidental opening of the fixture 2.
The fixture 2 comprises a pressing plate 21 and a pair of rotating arms 22. The pressing plate 21 has two opposite ends in the first horizontal direction Y. The pair of rotating arms 22 are respectively fixed to both ends of pressing plate 21. The rotating arm 22 is rotatably connected to the support platform 1, allowing the pressing plate 21 to be rotated between the closed and opened positions. When the pressing plate 21 is rotated to the closed position, the flexible flat piece 7 is clamped between the bottom surface of the pressing plate 21 and the top surface of the support platform 1. The fixture 2 further includes a handle 23, which is connected to the pressing plate 21, so that the fixture 2 can be rotated between the closed and open positions by operating the handle 23.
The fixing device further comprises a pair of mounting plates 13, which are respectively fixed to the opposite ends of the support platform 1 in the first horizontal direction Y. The fixture 2 also includes a pair of mounting shafts 24. The pair of mounting shafts 24 are respectively fixed to the pair of rotating arms 22. A mounting hole 134 is formed in the mounting plate 13, and the mounting shaft 24 is rotatably fitted in the mounting hole 134. The axis of the mounting shaft 24 and the mounting hole 134 extends along the first horizontal direction Y.
A locking hole 22a is formed in the rotating arm 22 of the fixture 2. The locking device 5 includes a locking pin 52 and a driver 50. The locking pin 52 is adapted to be moved between a locking position engaged with the locking hole 22a and an unlocking position separated from the locking hole 22a. The driver 50 is used to drive the locking pin 52 to move between the locking and unlocking positions. When the fixture 2 is rotated to the closed position and the locking pin 52 is moved to the locking position, the locking pin 52 is engaged with the locking hole 22a to lock fixture 2 in the closed position.
The fixing device further comprises a pair of mounting brackets 6, which are respectively fixed to the pair of mounting plates 13. The fixing device includes a pair of locking devices 5. The drivers 50 of the pair of locking devices 5 are respectively installed on the pair of mounting brackets 6. In the illustrated embodiments, the driver 50 is a cylinder 50, and a telescopic rod 51 of the cylinder 50 is connected to the locking pin 52 for driving the locking pin 52 to move between the locking position and the unlocking position. However, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments, and the driver 50 can also be a hydraulic cylinder or an electromagnetic device.
The fixing device further comprises a frame 4 for installing and supporting the aforementioned support platform 1. The frame 4 includes a horizontal top plate 40, and the support platform 1 is movably installed on the horizontal top plate 40 to be able to move along a second horizontal direction X perpendicular to the first horizontal direction Y.
The fixing device further comprises a slide rail 45 and a slider 15. The slide rail 45 is fixed to the top surface of the horizontal top plate 40 and extends along the second horizontal direction X. The slider 15 is fixed to the bottom surface of the support platform 1 and slidably mated with the slide rail 45. The support platform 1, as well as the fixture 2 and locking device 5 installed on the support platform 1, can move together along the slide rail 45.
The fixing device further comprises a driving device and a transmission mechanism 14, 44. The driving device is installed onto the horizontal top plate 40. The transmission mechanism 14, 44 is connected between the driving device and the support platform 1. The driving device is used to drive the support platform 1 to move along the slide rail 45. In the illustrated embodiments, the transmission mechanism 14 and 44 includes a rack 14 and a gear 44. The rack 14 is fixed to the bottom surface of the support platform 1. The gear 44 is rotatably installed on the horizontal top plate 40 and meshed with the rack 14. The driving device is a motor, and the output shaft of the motor is connected to the gear 44 for driving the gear 44 to rotate. The vacuum generating device 3 is installed on the bottom surface of the horizontal top plate 40 of the frame 4.
It should be appreciated for those skilled in this art that the above embodiments are intended to be illustrated, and not restrictive. For example, many modifications may be made to the above embodiments by those skilled in this art, and various features described in different embodiments may be freely combined with each other without conflicting in configuration or principle.
Although several exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.
As used herein, an element recited in the singular and proceeded with the word “a” or “an” should be understood as not excluding plural of said elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly stated. Furthermore, references to “one embodiment” of the present invention are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Moreover, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments “comprising” or “having” an element or a plurality of elements having a particular property may include additional such elements not having that property.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202322253097.4 | Aug 2023 | CN | national |
