Vacuum coating automatic loading and unloading system and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a vacuum coating automatic loading and unloading system which comprises a movable workbench, a mechanical arm is installed on the movable workbench, an empty frame stacking area and a stand-by frame stacking area are further arranged on the movable workbench, and the empty frame stacking area and the stand-by frame stacking area are used for storing turnover frames. The top surface of the turnover frame is provided with a plurality of placing holes used for containing the clamp assembly, the clamp assembly can be embedded into or taken out of a slotted hole of an umbrella tray of the coating machine, the clamp assembly comprises a tray and a cover plate, the tray is internally provided with a plurality of coating grooves used for containing lens substrates to be coated, the bottoms of the coating grooves are through, and the cover plate is arranged on the tray. And the cover plate is detachably connected with the tray. The tray and the cover plate of the clamp assembly are matched to ensure that the lens substrate is located in the clamp assembly, only the surface, needing to be coated, of the lens substrate is exposed downwards, dust-free protection on the exposed surface of the lens substrate before and after coating is achieved through the stacking turnover frame, and the risk that the lens substrate is affected by the environment in the transfer process is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of vacuum coating equipment, and in particular relates to a vacuum coating automatic loading and unloading system and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Optical lenses are widely used in digital cameras, mobile phones, projectors, camcorders, and other technical fields. During the production process, optical lenses must maintain high purity, transparency, and uniformity. The coating process is a crucial step in subsequent processing. Currently, the coating process for optical lenses involves placing the lens in a coating machine and, under vacuum conditions, depositing one or more layers of film from an evaporation source onto the lens substrate.

[0003] Traditional operating methods have the following major flaws: manual operation requires 1-2 people to operate each device at a time, which is relatively inefficient; in the manual operating procedures, if the operation is not standardized and obvious vibration or tilt occurs, it will affect the loose contact between the substrate and the fixture, causing damage to the substrate, product coating defects or even waste; too many people, the personnel's clean clothes, gloves, masks, etc. will affect the clean environment, thereby affecting the surface quality of the coating.

[0004] For example, patent CN116770220A discloses an automated optical precision coating loading and unloading device that uses a camera positioning mechanism to locate the placement of the lens on the coating plate, and uses a first robotic arm and a second robotic arm to control the suction cup and the clamp to transfer and place the lens, thereby improving the efficiency of lens loading and unloading and reducing labor costs.

[0005] However, the existing technology still has the following problems: when using a suction cup to directly absorb the lens, even if a silicone suction head is used, the external force applied during the adsorption process will inevitably affect the lens, and it cannot be used in terminal products that have higher precision requirements for lenses; in addition, the existing technology does not provide other protection for the lens substrate. During the transportation and static process of the lens to be coated, it is exposed to the environment for a long time, and it is difficult to prevent contamination of the lens. Therefore, there is still room for improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a vacuum coating automatic loading and unloading system and a control method thereof, so as to avoid damage and contamination of the lens before and after vacuum coating and ensure the quality of the lens coating.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problems is: to provide a vacuum coating automatic loading and unloading system, including a movable workbench, on which a robotic arm is installed, and an empty rack stacking area and a standby rack stacking area for storing turnover racks are also provided. The execution end of the robotic arm is provided with a vacuum suction cup, and the top surface of the turnover rack is provided with a plurality of placement holes for holding the fixture assembly. The fixture assembly can be embedded in the slot hole of the coating machine umbrella tray or taken out therefrom. The fixture assembly includes a tray and a cover plate. The tray is provided with a plurality of coating grooves for accommodating lens substrates to be coated. The bottom of the coating groove is through-connected, and the cover plate is detachably connected to the tray.

[0008] Preferably, the robotic arm includes a lifting platform, a first rotating arm is provided at the end of the lifting platform, a second rotating arm is provided at the end of the first rotating arm, and the vacuum suction cup is provided at the lower part of the end of the second rotating arm.

[0009] Preferably, a high-definition camera is provided at the end of the second rotating arm and on one side of the vacuum suction cup.

[0010] Preferably, the turnover rack is a hollow rectangular box with an open bottom, the center of the top plane of the turnover rack is a suction cup adsorption point, and a plurality of placement holes are arranged in an array with the suction cup adsorption point as the center. A handle is provided at each end of the turnover rack in the length direction, and stacking limit blocks are provided at both ends in the width direction.

[0011] Preferably, fixture support plates are provided at the four corners of the bottom of the placement hole.

[0012] Preferably, the tray is rectangular in shape, and its outer dimensions match those of the slot holes of the coating machine umbrella tray and the placement holes of the turnover rack, and the outer dimensions of the cover plate match those of the tray.

[0013] Preferably, the inner dimensions of the coating tank match the outer dimensions of the lens substrate, and an inwardly extending substrate support plate is provided at the bottom of the coating tank, and the distance from the upper surface of the tray to the upper surface of the substrate support plate is greater than the thickness of the lens substrate.

[0014] Preferably, threaded holes are provided at the four corners of the tray, and through holes matching the positions of the threaded holes are provided at the four corners of the cover plate. The tray and the cover plate are detachably connected by bolts screwed into the threaded holes.

[0015] Preferably, one side of the movable workbench surface and the robotic arm is a stacking area for standby racks, and the other side is a stacking area for empty racks.

[0016] Preferably, universal pulleys with brakes are provided at the bottom of the four corners of the movable workbench.

[0017] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention also provides a control method using the above vacuum coating automatic loading and unloading system, comprising the following steps: First, the flawless lens substrates that have been inspected are neatly placed in the fixture assembly, locked and stacked on the turnover rack; after preparing the corresponding number of turnover racks according to the number of slots in the coating machine's umbrella tray, all turnover racks are stacked in the standby rack stacking area on the surface of the movable workbench; the movable workbench is pushed to one side of the coating machine, and through the preset path, the robotic arm uses the vacuum suction cup to absorb and place the first fixture assembly into a slot in the innermost circle of the umbrella tray; after placing one, the coating machine is linked to control the umbrella tray to rotate an angle, and the second one is placed, and the slots in the innermost circle of the umbrella tray are filled; the robotic arm is controlled to place the second circle of slots in the umbrella tray, and the slots are placed in sequence until the required slots are filled according to the production plan; after all the fixture components are placed, the movable workbench is pushed away, the coating machine door is closed to start coating, and after coating is completed, the movable workbench is pushed in again, and the fixture assembly is removed from the coating machine's umbrella tray by the robotic arm. The whole process is the opposite of the above process.

[0018] The beneficial effect lies in that, compared to the prior art, the present invention innovatively configures a dedicated fixture assembly for use during the process of loading and unloading lens substrates from a coating machine, preventing direct contact between the robotic arm's suction cup and the lens. The fixture assembly's tray and cover plate cooperate to secure the lens substrate within the fixture assembly, with only the surface of the lens substrate to be coated facing downward. Furthermore, stacking turnover racks ensures dust-free protection of the exposed surface of the lens substrate before and after coating, further reducing the risk of environmental impact during transport.

[0019] Since each fixture assembly can hold multiple lenses, the tray of the present application can arbitrarily modify the size of the through-holes at the bottom of the coating tank to place lens substrates of different sizes according to product conditions. It is no longer restricted by the size of the slot holes of the coating machine umbrella tray. When coating lens substrates of different sizes and shapes, there is no need to replace the umbrella tray, which saves a lot of time and improves production efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional diagram of a vacuum coating automatic loading and unloading system.

[0021] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A magnified 3D image of the middle rotary rack equipped with the fixture assembly.

[0022] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A magnified 3D image of the middle turnover rack in an unloaded state.

[0023] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Exploded and enlarged view of the middle fixture assembly.

[0024] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A magnified image of the robotic arm.

[0025] Among them, 1-tray; 2-lens substrate; 3-cover plate; 4-bolt; 11-fixture support plate; 12-handle; 13-stacking limit block; 14-placement hole; 15-suction cup adsorption point; 21-fixture assembly; 22-turnover rack; 31-lifting platform; 32-high-definition camera; 33-vacuum suction cup; 34-first rotating arm; 35-second rotating arm; 41-movable workbench; 42-empty rack stacking area; 43-robotic arm; 44-coating machine; 45-umbrella tray; 46-slot hole; 47-standby rack stacking area; 48-positioning screw.

[0026] The same reference numerals in the various drawings represent the same components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Below in conjunction with specific embodiment, further set forth the present invention.Should be understood that these embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not used in limiting the scope of the present invention.In addition, should be understood that after reading the content taught by the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to the present invention, and these equivalent forms fall equally within the scope limited by the appended claims of the application.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a vacuum coating automatic loading and unloading system, including a movable workbench 41, on which a robotic arm 43 is installed, and an empty rack stacking area 42 and a standby rack stacking area 47 for storing turnover racks 22 are provided. The execution end of the robotic arm 43 is provided with a vacuum suction cup 33, and the top surface of the turnover rack 22 is provided with a plurality of placement holes 14 for holding the fixture assembly 21. The fixture assembly 21 can be embedded in the slot 46 of the umbrella tray 45 of the coating machine 44 or taken out therefrom. The fixture assembly 21 includes a tray 1 and a cover plate 3. The tray 1 is provided with a plurality of coating grooves for accommodating the lens substrates 2 to be coated. The bottom of the coating groove is through-connected, and the cover plate 3 is detachably connected to the tray 1.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, in a specific embodiment, universal pulleys with brakes are installed at the bottom of the four corners of the movable workbench 41 to facilitate the operator to quickly move the movable workbench 41 between the workstations before and after the coating process, while avoiding affecting the operation of the coating machine 44. The movable workbench 41 is also provided with threaded holes, through which positioning screws 48 are passed to lock the relative position with the coating machine 44. The fixture assembly 21 can be placed by setting a fixed movement path for the robot arm 43 without the assistance of a vision system.

[0030] like Figure 2 、 3As shown, in a specific embodiment, the turnover rack 22 is a hollow rectangular box with an open bottom. The center of the top plane of the turnover rack 22 is a suction cup adsorption point 15, and a plurality of placement holes 14 are arranged in an array with the suction cup adsorption point 15 as the center. A handle 12 is provided at each end of the length direction of the turnover rack 22, and a stacking limit block 13 is provided at both ends of the width direction. The handle 12 is convenient for the operator to manually stack or take and place. The height of the stacking limit block 13 is higher than the top plane of the turnover rack 22. The stacking limit blocks 13 are arranged in pairs, and the spacing between their opposite surfaces matches the width of the turnover rack 22, so that the turnover rack 22 can be neatly stacked layer by layer. In addition, the same stacking limit blocks 13 are provided on the surface of the standby rack stacking area 47 and the empty rack stacking area 42 to ensure that the turnover rack 22 can be taken and placed according to the same path each time the robotic arm 43 is activated.

[0031] The four corners of the bottom of the placement hole 14 are provided with fixture support plates 11. When the fixture assembly 21 is placed in the placement hole 14, its outer dimensions are loosely aligned with the inner dimensions of the placement hole 14, while the fixture support plates 11 provide a cushion to prevent the fixture assembly 21 from passing through the placement hole 14. Furthermore, the slots 46 of the corresponding coating machine 44 of the present invention are provided with coating support plates similar to the fixture support plates 11 to accommodate the fixture assembly 21.

[0032] like Figure 4 As shown, in a specific embodiment, the tray 1 is rectangular in shape, and its dimensions match those of the slot 46 of the umbrella plate 45 of the coating machine 44 and the placement hole 14 of the turnover rack 22. The dimensions of the cover plate 3 also match those of the tray 1, so that the tray 1 can be accurately inserted into the slot 46 or placement hole 14.

[0033] The internal dimensions of the coating tank match the external dimensions of the lens substrate 2. A substrate support plate extending inward is provided at the bottom of the coating tank. The distance from the upper surface of the tray 1 to the upper surface of the substrate support plate is greater than the thickness of the lens substrate 2, so that the lens substrate 2 is not easy to move after being embedded in the coating tank and the height will not be higher than the top plane of the tray 1, ensuring that the top cover can be locked on the tray 1.

[0034] The tray 1 has threaded holes at its four corners, and the cover 3 has through holes at its four corners that match the positions of the threaded holes. The tray 1 and the cover 3 are detachably connected by bolts 4 that are screwed into the threaded holes. In other embodiments, the detachable connection between the tray 1 and the cover 3 can be achieved by a snap-fit ​​structure or the like.

[0035] like Figure 5As shown, in one specific embodiment, the robotic arm 43 includes a lifting platform 31, with a first rotating arm 34 disposed at the end of the lifting platform 31, a second rotating arm 35 disposed at the end of the first rotating arm 34, and the vacuum suction cup 33 disposed below the end of the second rotating arm 35. In other embodiments, the robotic arm 43 may also utilize other types of multi-axis robotic arms. The selected robotic arm should ensure that the range of motion of the actuator reaches the surface of the movable workbench 41 and the slot 46 of the umbrella plate 45 of the coating machine 44. The robotic arm 43 is equipped with a controller, which can also be connected to the remote control and coating machine 44 via a wired or wireless module.

[0036] In addition, a high-definition camera 32 is installed at the end of the second rotating arm 35 and on one side of the vacuum suction cup 33. The high-definition camera 32 is used to provide image input for the visual system. The high-definition camera 32 is located at a certain distance from the vacuum suction cup 33 to ensure that the movable workbench 41 and the coating machine 44 umbrella plate 45 can still be captured while the turnover rack 22 is attached.

[0037] When the present invention is used, the following steps are included: first, in the pre-inspection station, the lens substrate 2 that has been inspected and is flawless is neatly placed in the fixture assembly 21, and the cover plate 3 is locked and then stacked on the turnover rack 22; after the corresponding number of turnover racks 22 are prepared according to the number of slots 46 of the umbrella tray 45 of the coating machine 44, all the turnover racks 22 are stacked in the standby rack stacking area 47 on the surface of the movable workbench 41; then the movable workbench 41 is pushed to one side of the coating machine 44, the robot arm 43 is powered and the program is started, and through the preset path, the robot arm 43 adsorbs and places the first A fixture assembly 21 is placed into a slot 46 in the innermost circle of the umbrella tray 45. After placing one fixture assembly 21, the controller, linked to the coating machine 44, controls the umbrella tray 45 to rotate an angle so that the next slot 46 faces the robotic arm 43, facilitating the placement of the next fixture assembly 21. This process continues until the innermost circle of slots 46 in the umbrella tray 45 is filled. The robotic arm 43 is then controlled to place the second circle of slots 46 in the umbrella tray 45, continuing until the required slots 46 are filled according to the production plan. After all fixture assemblies 21 are placed, the movable workbench 41 is removed, and the coating machine 44 door is closed to begin coating. After coating is complete, the movable workbench 41 is pushed back in, and the robotic arm 43 removes the fixture assembly 21 from the umbrella tray 45 in the coating machine 44. The entire process is the reverse of the above process.

[0038] When all fixture assemblies 21 on one of the revolving racks 22 are placed onto the umbrella tray 45, the robotic arm 43 automatically draws suction from the suction cup attachment point 15 located at the center of the revolving rack 22, transferring the empty revolving rack 22 to the empty rack stacking area 42. When the coated lens substrates 2 are removed from the umbrella tray 45 and placed on a full revolving rack 22, the filled revolving rack 22 is similarly transferred to the standby rack stacking area 47 by adsorbing suction from the suction cup attachment point 15.

[0039] During operation, the center position of the clamping fixture on the umbrella tray 45, the position of the standby rack stacking area 47 and the empty rack stacking area 42 on the movable workbench 41 and the relative position of the robot arm 43 are all fixed, and the number of slots 46 corresponding to the umbrella tray 45 of the coating machine 44 is also fixed. The three-dimensional coordinates of the center position of the clamp assembly 21 relative to the turnover rack 22 are also fixed. In this way, the starting position and the ending position can be input into the robot arm 43 program according to the specific positions of the two, and finally all the movement paths of the robot arm 43 can be completely set.

[0040] In order to make the system more reliable and safe, the robotic arm 43 is also equipped with a high-definition camera 32, assisted by a visual system. The visual system can identify the positions of the fixture assembly 21, the turnover frame 22 and the slots 46 of the umbrella plate 45, so as to further confirm and fine-tune the positions to achieve a safer and more reliable purpose.

Claims

1. A vacuum coating automatic loading and unloading system, characterized in that: It includes a movable workbench, on which a robotic arm is installed, and an empty rack stacking area and a standby rack stacking area for storing turnover racks. The execution end of the robotic arm is provided with a vacuum suction cup. The top surface of the turnover rack is provided with a plurality of placement holes for holding the fixture assembly, and the fixture assembly can be inserted into or removed from the slot of the coating machine umbrella plate. The fixture assembly includes a tray and a cover plate. The tray is provided with a plurality of coating tanks for accommodating lens substrates to be coated. The bottoms of the coating tanks are through-connected. The cover plate is detachably connected to the tray.

2. The automatic loading and unloading system for vacuum coating according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robotic arm includes a lifting platform, a first rotating arm is provided at the end of the lifting platform, a second rotating arm is provided at the end of the first rotating arm, and the vacuum suction cup is provided at the lower part of the end of the second rotating arm.

3. The automatic loading and unloading system for vacuum coating according to claim 2, characterized in that: A high-definition camera is provided at the end of the second rotating arm and on one side of the vacuum suction cup.

4. The automatic loading and unloading system for vacuum coating according to claim 1, characterized in that: The turnover rack is a hollow rectangular box with an open bottom. The center of the top plane of the turnover rack is a suction cup adsorption point, and a plurality of placement holes are arranged in an array with the suction cup adsorption point as the center. A handle is provided at each end of the turnover rack in the length direction, and stacking limit blocks are provided at both ends in the width direction.

5. The automatic loading and unloading system for vacuum coating according to claim 4, characterized in that: The four corners of the bottom of the placement hole are provided with clamp supporting plates.

6. The automatic loading and unloading system for vacuum coating according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tray is rectangular in shape, and its outer dimensions match those of the slot holes of the coating machine umbrella tray and the placement holes of the turnover rack. The outer dimensions of the cover plate match those of the tray.

7. The automatic loading and unloading system for vacuum coating according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner dimensions of the coating tank match the outer dimensions of the lens substrate. An inwardly extending substrate support plate is provided at the bottom of the coating tank. The distance from the upper surface of the tray to the upper surface of the substrate support plate is greater than the thickness of the lens substrate.

8. The automatic loading and unloading system for vacuum coating according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tray is provided with threaded holes at the four corners, and the cover plate is provided with through holes at the four corners matching the positions of the threaded holes. The tray and the cover plate are detachably connected by bolts screwed into the threaded holes.

9. The automatic loading and unloading system for vacuum coating according to claim 1, characterized in that: Universal pulleys with brakes are provided at the bottom of the four corners of the movable workbench.

10. A control method for a vacuum coating automatic loading and unloading system, characterized in that: The vacuum coating automatic loading and unloading system according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is used, comprising the following steps: First, the flawless lens substrates that have been inspected are neatly placed in the fixture assembly, locked with the cover plate, and stacked on the turnover rack; After preparing the corresponding number of turnover racks according to the number of slots in the coating machine umbrella tray, stack all turnover racks in the standby rack stacking area on the surface of the movable workbench; Push the movable workbench to one side of the coating machine. Through the preset path, the robotic arm uses the vacuum suction cup to absorb and place the first fixture component into a slot on the innermost circle of the umbrella plate. After placing one, the coating machine is linked to control the umbrella plate to rotate an angle, and the second one is placed, and the placement is continued until the innermost circle slot of the umbrella plate is filled; Control the robotic arm to place the second circle of slots on the umbrella plate, placing them in sequence until the required slots are filled according to the production plan; After all fixture components are placed, push the movable workbench away and close the coating machine door to start coating. After the coating is completed, the movable workbench is pushed forward again, and the fixture assembly is removed from the umbrella plate of the coating machine by the robotic arm. The whole process is the opposite of the above process.

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