Electroplating apparatus

Abstract

An exemplary electroplating apparatus includes an electroplating tank containing an electroplating solution and including a first side and a second side, a pay out reel arranged adjacent to the first side, a plurality of parallel anode plates in the electroplating solution, a plurality of first conveying rollers in the electroplating solution and adjacent to the first side of the electroplating tank, a plurality of second conveying rollers in the electroplating solution and adjacent to the second side of the electroplating tank, the conveying rollers arranged in a staggered fashion and aligned with the respective anode plates and being electrifiable to allow a current to flow through the flexible substrate, and a take up reel arranged adjacent to the second side. The conveying rollers cooperate to convey the flexible substrate from the pay out reel to the take up reel along a zigzag path.

1 . An electroplating apparatus for electroplating a flexible substrate, comprising:
 an electroplating tank containing an electroplating solution, the electroplating tank including a first side and an opposing second side;   a pay out reel arranged adjacent to the first side of the electroplating tank and configured for paying out the flexible substrate;   a plurality of parallel anode plates immersed in the electroplating solution and configured to electroplate the flexible substrate;   a plurality of first conveying rollers immersed in the electroplating solution and adjacent to the first side of the electroplating tank;   a plurality of second conveying rollers immersed in the electroplating solution and adjacent to the second side of the electroplating tank, the first and second conveying rollers arranged in a staggered fashion and aligned with the respective anode plates, the first and second conveying rollers being electrifiable to allow a current to flow through the flexible substrate, and   a take up reel arranged adjacent to the second side, the first and second conveying rollers configured for cooperating to convey the flexible substrate from the pay out reel to the take up reel along a zigzag path, the take up reel configured for reeling in the flexible substrate from the conveying rollers.   
     
     
         2 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the anode plates are equidistantly spaced. 
     
     
         3 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first conveying rollers are configured for revolving in a first rotating direction, and the second conveying rollers are configured for revolving in a second rotating direction opposite to the first rotating direction. 
     
     
         4 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the zigzag path includes a plurality of parallel zig segments and a plurality of parallel zag segments, the zig segments parallel with the zag segments. 
     
     
         5 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the zig segments and zag segments are arranged in an alternate fashion and equidistantly spaced. 
     
     
         6 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of insulated clapboards connected with the respective anode plates for separating anode plates from the corresponding first and second conveying rollers. 
     
     
         7 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein each of the insulate clapboard is perpendicular to the corresponding anode plate. 
     
     
         8 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the length of each the insulated clapboard along a direction perpendicular to the corresponding anode plate is longer than the thickness of the corresponding anode plate. 
     
     
         9 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a positive ion supply bath for supplying a positive ion solution to the electroplating tank, wherein the anode plates are insoluble anodes. 
     
     
         10 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising an automatic positive ion supply system, the automatic positive ion supply system comprising a positive ion concentration detector, a controlling device, and an infusion pump, the concentration detector being immersed in the electroplating solution for detecting the positive ion concentration in the electroplating solution, the infusion pump being connected to the positive ion supply bath, the controlling device being configured for receiving detected positive ion concentration value from the concentration detector, and controlling the infusion pump to pump the solution in the positive ion supply bath into the electroplating tank when the detected positive ion concentration value is lower than a predetermined value. 
     
     
         11 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a mixing tube immersed in the electroplating solution, the mixing tube being configured for producing gas bubbles to promote mixture swirl in the electroplating solution. 
     
     
         12 . An electroplating apparatus for electroplating a flexible substrate, comprising:
 an electroplating tank containing an electroplating solution, the electroplating tank including a first side and an opposing second side;   a pay out reel arranged adjacent to the first side of the electroplating tank and configured for paying out the flexible substrate;   a plurality of parallel anode plates immersed in the electroplating solution and configured to electroplate the flexible substrate;   a plurality of first conveying rollers immersed in the electroplating solution and adjacent to the first side of the electroplating tank;   a plurality of second conveying rollers immersed in the electroplating solution and adjacent to the second side of the electroplating tank, the first and second conveying rollers arranged in a staggered fashion and aligned with the respective anode plates, the first and second conveying rollers being electrifiable to allow a current to flow through the flexible substrate;   a take up reel arranged adjacent to the second side, the first and second conveying rollers configured for cooperating to convey the flexible substrate from the pay out reel to the take up reel along a zigzag path, the take up reel configured for reeling in the flexible substrate from the conveying rollers, and   a mixing tube immersed in the electroplating solution, the mixing tube being configured for producing gas bubbles to promote mixture swirl in the electroplating solution.   
     
     
         13 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the anode plates are equidistantly spaced. 
     
     
         14 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the first conveying rollers are configured for revolving in a first rotating direction, and the second conveying rollers are configured for revolving in a second rotating direction opposite to the first rotating direction. 
     
     
         15 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the zigzag path includes a plurality of parallel zig segments and a plurality of parallel zag segments, the zig segments parallel with the zag segments. 
     
     
         16 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the zig segments and zag segments are arranged in an alternate fashion and equidistantly spaced. 
     
     
         17 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of insulated clapboards connected with the respective anode plates for separating anode plates from the corresponding first and second conveying rollers. 
     
     
         18 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein each of the insulate clapboard is perpendicular to the corresponding anode plate. 
     
     
         19 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising a positive ion supply bath for supplying a positive ion solution to the electroplating tank, wherein the anode plates are insoluble anodes. 
     
     
         20 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the anode plates are oriented parallel to a surface of the electroplating solution.