This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 100144009 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on Nov. 30, 2011, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Technical Field
The disclosure related to a suction-type transmission apparatus, and in particular, to a transmission apparatus having a suction roller.
2. Related Art
With the advancement of technologies, the development of consumer products is changing with human demands. Since the product made by flexible electronics technology is good in flexibility, such technology is promising. Conventionally, products are made by electronic components of which the substrate is rigid, wherein the substrate is made of silicon or glass. In contrast, the flexible electronics technology is able to fabricate flexible electronic products. In order to fabricate flexible electronic products, applications of flexible substrates such as plastics, metal sheets, thin glass, cloth and paper all fall within the study scope in this field. Since the products made by the flexible electronics technology are light, thin, shock-withstand, flexible, easy for carrying, capable of being used while being bended, and having freeness in changes in shape, such technology has superiority in field of portable electronic and newly emerging products. With respect to the equipments applied in the flexible electronic technology, because materials uses by such technology are deformable, roll-to-roll processing devices are widely used. And, compared with equipment used in conventional technology, such roll-to-roll processing devices are an important improvement.
However, while flexible substrate is transported in the roll-to-roll processing device, many rollers are needed to transport or redirect the flexible substrate. Besides, an upper surface or a lower surface of the flexible substrate contacts with the rollers. However, there are many circumstances where the surface of the substrate to be further processed is not suitable for direct contacting with the rollers or being pressed. For example, the substrate which undergoes a wet process is not completely dried or solidified; the surface of the substrate has micro-structures; the coating material coated on the substrate is fragile, or some electronic circuits have been disposed on the substrate.
In order to solve the problem that the process surface of the substrate is contaminated or damaged due to a normal force applied by the rollers, a suction-type transmission roller is used to replace the normal force with a holding force. Accordingly, the problem of the flexible substrate which is pressed by the roller is overcome.
However, a roll-to-toll processing device includes a plurality of suction-type transmission roller, the suction position of one suction-type transmission roller is different from another, and the suction position of each suction-type transmission roller is fixed. Accordingly, the place where a suction-type suction roller is limited due to its fixed suction position
The suction-type transmission apparatus according to the disclosure comprises at least one suction region allocation member and a suction wheel member. The suction region allocation member has a chamber and a plurality of through holes in communication with the chamber. The suction wheel member comprises a rotating shaft, an inner lining body, and an outer ring sleeve. The rotating shaft is pivoted to the suction region allocation member. The inner lining body is disposed on the rotating shaft and is laminated to the suction region allocation member. The inner lining body has a plurality of gas flow channels that are disposed in parallel, and the inner lining body has a plurality of gas holes corresponding to the through holes on a side thereof. The gas holes are disposed around the rotating shaft, and the gas holes are in communication with the gas flow channels. The outer ring sleeve is sleeved on the inner lining body, and covers the gas flow channels; and the outer ring sleeve has a plurality of micro-pores in communication with the gas flow channels. The chamber is connected to a gas extraction port, and at least one sealing element is selectively disposed in the chamber to seal at least one of the through holes, so as to form a suction region scope for the suction wheel member.
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.
The disclosure is directed to a suction-type transmission apparatus, so as to solve the problem that a suction position of a conventional suction-type roller cannot be adjusted, and resulting in limitation in the application of the suction roller.
In some embodiments, the suction-type transmission apparatus 10 according to the disclosure is a suction-type roller apparatus, which is applicable in flexible substrate process equipment 99 of roll-to-roll processing. When a flexible substrate 90 transferred to the flexible substrate process equipment 99, the suction-type transmission apparatus 10 provides negative-pressure suction for transmitting, guiding and positioning the flexible substrate 90.
Referring to
Furthermore, the suction wheel member 110 of this embodiment comprises a rotating shaft 130, an inner lining body 110, and an outer ring sleeve 120. The rotating shaft 130 is pivoted to the suction region allocation member 200. The inner lining body 110 is disposed on the rotating shaft 130 and is laminated to the contact disk 220 of the suction region allocation member 200. The inner lining body 110 is configured to rotate with respect to the suction region allocation member 200 through the rotating shaft 130. The material of the inner lining body 110 may be metal; and the inner lining body 110 has a plurality of gas flow channels 118 that are disposed in parallel. The gas flow channels 118 is formed by a surface of the inner lining body 110 that is curved inward and extends along an axial direction of the rotating shaft 130. In addition, the inner lining body 110 has a plurality of gas holes 116 at a side thereof. The gas holes 116 correspond to the through holes 222, and the number of the gas holes 116 matches the number of the gas flow channels 118 on the inner lining body 110. The gas holes 116 surround the rotating shaft 130, and each of the gas holes 116 corresponds to and is in communication with one of the gas flow channels 118.
The outer ring sleeve 120 of this embodiment is a ring cylinder of which the sectional view is in a ring shape. The outer ring sleeve 120 is sleeved on the inner lining body 110 and wraps the gas flow channels 118. The outer ring sleeve 120 has a plurality of micro-pores in communication with the gas flow channels 118. Specifically, in this embodiment or other embodiments, the material of the outer ring sleeve 120 may be a porous material. For example, the outer ring sleeve 120 may be made of a porous ceramic substrate, a powder-sintered metal complex, fiber woven material, or a porous polymer material. Therefore, due to the property of the porous material, i.e. the outer ring sleeve 120 with a plurality of micro-pores inside, gas can pass through the outer ring sleeve 120 through the micro-pores. The suction-type transmission apparatus is configured to contact with the flexible substrate 90 through the outer ring sleeve 120 of the suction wheel member, and suck the flexible substrate 90 thereon by means of the micro-pores on the outer ring sleeve 120.
Furthermore, in this embodiment or other embodiments, the inner lining body 110 has flanges 114 at two opposite ends respectively, and the outer ring sleeve 120 is disposed between the two flanges 114. The flanges 114 of the inner lining body 110 are laminated to the contact disk 220 of the suction region allocation member 200. The gas hole 116 is located on the flange 114; and the gas holes 116 run through the flange 114. When the inner lining body 110 rotates with respect to the contact disk 220, the gas holes 116 may overlap the through holes 222 on the contact disk 220, so that the gas flow channels 118 is communicated with the chamber 212 through the gas holes 116 and the through holes 222.
Moreover, in this embodiment or some embodiments, the suction-type transmission apparatus 10 comprises at least one suction region allocation member 200. In the drawing of this embodiment, the suction-type transmission apparatus 10 having two suction region allocation members 200 is taken as an example, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The two suction region allocation members 200 are respectively disposed at two opposite sides of the inner lining body 110, and laminated to flanges 114 at two opposite sides of the inner lining body 110. Through such a structure configuration, the suction wheel member 100 is enabled to have an even and strong suction performance.
Furthermore, the chamber 212 of the suction region allocation member 200 may be connected to at least one gas extraction joint 216. The gas extraction joint 216 has a gas extraction port 2161. The number of the gas extraction-joints 216 is not intended to limit the disclosure. In other embodiments, the number of the gas extraction joints 216 may be greater than one. The gas extraction joint 216 is connected to a gas discharge device (not shown) through the gas extraction port 2161. The gas discharge device evacuates the air in the suction region allocation member 200, so as to make the pressure in the chamber 212 be negative. The gas flow channels 118 are in communication with the chamber 212 so the pressure in the gas flow channels 118 are also negative. In this way, due to the negative pressure in the gas flow channels 118, the micro-pores on the outer ring sleeve 120 that are in communication with the gas flow channels 118 is capable of sucking things. When the flexible substrate 90 is transferred on the outer ring sleeve 120, it is hold and sucked by the outer ring sleeve 120. Accordingly, the flexible substrate 90 can move stably with respect to the outer ring sleeve 120. Moreover, the pores on the outer ring sleeve 120 are very small so during that the outer ring sleeve 120 sucks the flexible substrate 90, the surface of the flexible printed circuit 90 board will not be deformed.
Furthermore, at least one sealing element 230 may be selectively disposed in the chamber 212 of the suction region allocation member 200 to seal at least one of the through holes 222. While the suction wheel member 100 rotates, the gas hole 116 aligned with the through hole 222 which is sealed by a sealing element 230 cannot be in communicated with the chamber 212. In this way, the gas flow channel 118 in communication with the gas hole 116 cannot be in communication with the chamber 212, and the pressure in the gas flow channel 118 does not remain negative. Accordingly, the portion of the outer ring sleeve 120 located above the gas flow channel 118 in which the pressure does not remain negative can not suck and therefore, hold the flexible substrate 90 temporarily.
Therefore, by appropriately using the sealing element 230 to seal the through holes 222 on the contact disk 220, the position and scope of the suction region of the outer ring sleeve 120 on the suction wheel member 100 is adjustable. For example, the through holes 222 may be disposed on the contact disk 220 at an regular angle interval around the rotating shaft 130, and the angle interval may be an angle of 15 degrees, so the contact disk 220 has 24 through holes 222, as shown in
Furthermore, in this embodiment and some embodiments, the suction-type transmission apparatus 10 may further comprise a bearing module 300. The bearing module 300 comprises at least one bearing 310. Optionally, the bearing module 300 may further comprise a fixing cover 320. The side housing 210 of the suction region allocation member 200 may further have a through slot 211 at the center thereof. The chamber 212 surrounds the through slot 211. The bearing 310 is accommodated in the slot 211, and the rotating shaft 130 is inserted into the bear 310. The fixing cover 320 is fixed to the side housing 210 through a locking element 330 and covers the through slot 211, so as to fix the bear 310 in the through slot 211. Moreover, in this embodiment, the suction wheel member 100 is inserted into the bearing 310 through the rotating shaft 130 and is pivoted to the suction region allocation member 200.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, the side housing 210 of the suction region allocation member 200 is further connected to a gas inlet joint 218 and a connection tube 2182 that is disposed in the chamber 212. The gas inlet joint 218 has a gas inlet 2181. The gas inlet joint 218 is connected to a gas inlet device (not shown) through the gas inlet 2181. The connection tube 2182 communicates the gas inlet 2181 with one of the through holes 222, so that the gas inlet 2181 is not in communication with the chamber 212, and the gas inlet device is merely configured to discharge gas in the gas flow channel 118 which is rotated to align with connection tube 2182. Furthermore, when the chamber 212 is in an negative pressure state to enable the suction wheel member 100 to perform a suction action on the outer ring sleeve 120 of the suction wheel member 100, dust and suspended particles in the air may be sucked in and block the micro-pores on the outer ring sleeve 120, and as a result, the suction performance of the suction wheel member 100 deteriorates. Therefore, by rotating the gas flow channel 118 to communicate the gas inlet joint 218 through the connection tube 2182, the gas inlet device can discharge gas in the gas flow channel 118 so as to remove the dust and particles that are blocked on the micro-pores on the outer ring sleeve 120. In this way, it is ensured that the suction wheel member 110 remains a good suction performance.
It should be noted that the feature that the suction region allocation member 200 of this embodiment has a gas inlet 2181 is not intended to limit the disclosure. In other embodiments, the gas extraction port 2161 may be connected to a gas discharge device and a gas inlet device at the same time, so that the chamber 212 can selectively generate a negative pressure or a positive pressure therein. Therefore the suction wheel member 100 can suck things when the chamber 212 has a negative pressure. Or, the suction wheel member can making things floating on it or discharge gas when the chamber 212 has a positive pressure, thereby achieving self-cleaning function. Furthermore, a gas inlet device and a gas discharge device are connected to the suction wheel member 100 at the same time through the gas extraction port 2161, the suction wheel member 100 can sucking things or make things floating on it.
Reference is made to
Next, the detailed structures of a sealed state when the through holes 222 are sealed by the sealing element 230 and an open state when the through holes 222 are not sealed by the sealing element 230 in this embodiment are described in the following. In this embodiment or other embodiments, the side housing 210 further has a plurality of lock holes 214. The suction region allocation member 200 further comprises a plurality of nuts 240 that are screwed to the lock holes 214. When the through holes 222 are in the sealed state, the nuts 240 are locked to the lock hole 214 and push the sealing element 230, so that the sealing element 230 is disposed between the nuts 240 and the contact disk 220, as shown in
Moreover, in this embodiment and some embodiments, the chambers 212 may have a plurality of elastic elements 250 and a plurality of elastic elements 260 therein, and the elastic elements 250 and the elastic elements 260 may be springs. The number of the elastic elements 250 corresponds to the number of the sealed through holes 222; and the number of the elastic elements 260 corresponds to the number of the through holes 222 that are not sealed. The elastic elements 250 are disposed between the nut 240 and the sealing element 230 (as shown in
It should be noted that, in the suction-type transmission apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the plurality of elastic elements 250 and the plurality of elastic elements 260 are disposed in the chamber 212 to apply pushing forces for the contact disks 220 to be closely laminated to the flanges 114, but the structural feature for avoiding gas leakage is not intended to limit the disclosure. For example, as shown in
Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the through holes 222 are in an open state (as shown in
Or, in other embodiments, when the through holes 222 are in an open state, a pushing element 280 may be further disposed between the elastic elements 260 and the contact disk 220, as shown in
Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sealing element 230 has a protruding post 232 and a ring side wall 234 at two opposite ends respectively, as shown in
Or, referring to
Or, referring to
Next, reference is made to
In the suction-type transmission apparatus according to the forgoing embodiments, a sealing element is alternatively disposed in the chamber to seal some through holes, so as to configure a suction region scope for the suction wheel member. Accordingly, the suction angle of the suction wheel member is adjustable. In this way, when the suction-type roller is applied in roll-to-roll processing equipment, the suction angle may be adjusted after installation, thereby meeting various application requirements.
Furthermore, since the outer ring sleeve is made of a porous material which has, a plurality of micro-pores, the manufacturing cost is reduced. Additionally, the holes on the outer ring sleeve are very small, so while the outer ring sleeve sucks the flexible substrate, the surface of the flexible substrate will not be deformed.
In addition, the inner lining body may be made of metal, so that the gas flow channels on the inner lining body can be easily formed, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost. Furthermore, a gas inlet device and a gas discharge device are connected to the suction wheel member at the same time through the gas discharge port, and the suction wheel member can achieve a vacuum suction and floatation effect at the same time, thereby meeting various practical application requirements.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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