Movable vacuum coating mechanism and coating method

Abstract

The invention provides a movable vacuum coating mechanism and a coating method. A detection assembly, a crucible working station, a movable assembly and a crucible assembly are arranged in a coating cavity; the detection assembly is used for detecting the stock of coating materials in the crucibles in the crucible working position, and when it is detected that the stock of the coating materials in all the crucibles is lower than a preset value, the center control assembly controls the movable assembly to rotate and drives the crucible assembly to start rotating, so that the first crucible disc and the second crucible disc are interchanged, and the second crucible disc enters the crucible working position; and the coating work is continuously carried out through the coating material in the second crucible disc. According to the movable vacuum coating mechanism provided by the invention, the positions of the first crucible disc and the second crucible disc are exchanged in the same vacuum environment, so that the technical problem of how to improve the coating thickness of an optical device under the condition of not breaking vacuum or increasing the size of the crucible is solved, and the vacuum coating precision of the optical device is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of optical device coating, and in particular relates to a movable vacuum coating mechanism and a coating method. Background Art

[0002] When coating the surface of an optical device, the crucible is often not moved. Instead, the optical device is often moved and rotated to cause the coating material in the crucible to evaporate and then condense on the optical device to form a coating layer, thereby enabling the optical device to achieve specific optical properties.

[0003] When the thickness of the coating layer of a coated optical device needs to be increased, more coating material is required. Existing coating machines generally achieve this by expanding the crucible size or breaking the vacuum to add coating material. If this is achieved by expanding the crucible size, the heating component will need to be expanded accordingly, resulting in the vacuum chamber size also needing to be expanded accordingly. However, expanding the vacuum chamber size will lead to a decrease in the accuracy of the coating, which will ultimately affect the optical properties of the optical device. If the crucible is added by breaking the vacuum during the coating process, the coating parameter states before and after breaking the vacuum will be different, resulting in deviations in the coating thickness, which in turn affects the optical properties of the optical device. Therefore, how to increase the coating thickness of optical devices without breaking the vacuum or increasing the crucible size is a technical problem that needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the technical problem of how to increase the thickness of the coating layer without breaking the vacuum or increasing the size of the crucible during the coating process of optical devices, the present invention provides a movable vacuum coating mechanism and a coating method.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a movable vacuum coating mechanism, comprising a coating chamber, wherein the movable vacuum coating mechanism comprises a detection component, a central control component, a movable component and a crucible component;

[0007] The movable component is arranged in the coating cavity;

[0008] The crucible assembly is at least one group, which includes a mounting base and a first crucible plate and a second crucible plate arranged on the mounting base, and the mounting base is arranged on the top of the movable assembly;

[0009] The first crucible plate and the second crucible plate are respectively provided with a plurality of crucible slots, and the crucible slots are used to accommodate crucibles;

[0010] The detection component is arranged close to the crucible component; the movable component and the detection component are both electrically connected to the central control component; the detection component is used to detect the coating material inventory in each crucible on the crucible plate in the crucible working position, and send the coating material inventory to the central control component; the central control component determines whether the coating material inventory is lower than a preset value. When the coating material inventory in all crucibles is lower than the preset value, the central control component controls the movable component to drive the crucible assembly to rotate, so that the positions of the first crucible plate and the second crucible plate are interchanged; otherwise, the coating state is maintained.

[0011] Optionally, the movable component includes a rotating drive member, which is electrically connected to the central control component. A first output shaft is provided on the rotating drive member, and the mounting seat is fixedly connected to the first output shaft. The rotating drive member is used to drive the mounting seat to rotate.

[0012] Optionally, the first crucible plate and the second crucible plate are symmetrically distributed on the mounting base about the first output axis.

[0013] Optionally, the movable assembly further comprises a lifting drive member connected to the lower side of the rotating drive member; the lifting drive member is used to drive the rotating drive member and the crucible assembly to move up and down to avoid collision during the rotation of the crucible assembly.

[0014] Optionally, the detection component includes any one of an infrared detector, an image detector and / or a radar detector.

[0015] Optionally, the movable vacuum coating mechanism further includes a crucible drive assembly; the mounting seat is provided with a first mounting position and a second mounting position, the first mounting position is used to accommodate the first crucible plate, and the second mounting position is used to accommodate the second crucible plate; a first transmission portion is provided in the first mounting position, and the first transmission portion is connected to the first crucible plate; a second transmission portion is provided in the second mounting position, and the second transmission portion is connected to the second crucible plate;

[0016] The crucible drive assembly is used to, when the first crucible plate is in the coating state, be movably connected to the first transmission part and drive the first crucible plate to rotate via the first transmission part; or, when the second crucible plate is in the coating state, be movably connected to the second transmission part and drive the second crucible plate to rotate via the second transmission part.

[0017] Optionally, the crucible driving assembly includes a driving member and a driving gear, the driving member is disposed in the coating chamber, the driving member is provided with a second output shaft, and the driving gear is connected to the second output shaft;

[0018] The first transmission part includes a first driven gear and a first connecting member, one end of the first connecting member is fixedly connected to the first driven gear, and the other end is connected to the first crucible plate; when the first crucible plate is in the crucible working position, the first driven gear is meshed with the driving gear;

[0019] The second transmission part includes a second driven gear and a second connecting member, one end of the second connecting member is fixedly connected to the second driven gear, and the other end is connected to the second crucible plate; when the second crucible plate is in the crucible working position, the second driven gear is engaged with the driving gear.

[0020] Optionally, the crucible driving assembly further includes a telescopic mechanism, one end of which is fixedly disposed in the coating chamber, and the other end of which is connected to the driving member.

[0021] In a second aspect, the present invention further provides a coating method, which is applied to any of the movable vacuum coating mechanisms described above, comprising:

[0022] S1: placing the device to be coated into the coating chamber, adding coating material into the crucibles on the first crucible plate and the second crucible plate, placing the first crucible plate in the crucible working position, and coating the device to be coated using the first crucible plate by a vacuum coating method;

[0023] S2: During the coating process, the detection component detects each crucible of the first crucible plate on the crucible working position to obtain the coating material inventory in each crucible of the first crucible plate, and sends the coating material inventory to the central control component;

[0024] S3: The central control component compares the coating material inventory with a preset value;

[0025] When the amount of coating material in all crucibles on the first crucible plate is lower than the preset value, the central control component sends a first electrical signal to the movable component; or when the amount of coating material in the crucible is greater than or equal to the preset value, the central control component sends a second electrical signal to the movable component;

[0026] S4: the movable component drives the crucible component to rotate based on the first electrical signal, so that the first crucible plate and the second crucible plate are interchanged, and the second crucible plate enters the crucible working position; or the movable component maintains the coating state based on the second electrical signal;

[0027] S5: Complete vacuum coating of the device to be coated by vacuum coating method.

[0028] Optionally, step S4 includes:

[0029] S4.1: If a first electrical signal is received, based on the first electrical signal, the lifting drive member in the movable assembly drives the crucible assembly to rise, so that the first crucible plate leaves the crucible working position; if a second electrical signal is received, executing step S4.4;

[0030] S4.2: The rotary drive member in the movable assembly drives the crucible assembly to rotate via the first output shaft, so that the first crucible plate and the second crucible plate are interchanged, and the second crucible plate is positioned above the crucible working position;

[0031] S4.3: The lifting drive member drives the crucible assembly to descend until the second crucible plate enters the crucible working position;

[0032] S4.4: Maintain the coating state and perform vacuum coating.

[0033] (1) The present invention provides a movable vacuum coating mechanism, in which a detection component, a crucible working position, a movable component and a crucible component are provided in a coating chamber; the detection component is used to detect the coating material inventory of the crucible in the crucible plate in the crucible working position, and when it is detected that the coating material inventory in all the crucibles in the crucible plate is lower than a preset value, the central control component controls the movable component to rotate, driving the crucible assembly to start rotating, so that the positions of the first crucible plate and the second crucible plate are interchanged, so that the second crucible plate enters the crucible working position, and the coating work is continued through the coating material in the second crucible plate. The movable vacuum coating mechanism provided by the present invention solves the technical problem of how to increase the coating thickness of optical devices without breaking the vacuum or increasing the crucible size by interchangeably positioning the first crucible plate and the second crucible plate under the same vacuum environment, thereby greatly improving the accuracy of vacuum coating of optical devices.

[0034] (2) The present invention also provides a coating method, which solves the technical problem in the prior art that it is impossible to increase the coating thickness of optical devices without breaking the vacuum or increasing the crucible size. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the movable assembly, crucible assembly and crucible driving assembly of the movable vacuum coating mechanism of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 It is a further schematic diagram of the movable assembly, crucible assembly and crucible driving assembly of the movable vacuum coating mechanism of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a crucible drive assembly in the present invention;

[0038] Figure 4 is a top view of the movable assembly, crucible assembly and crucible drive assembly of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the driving gear and the first driven gear in the present invention;

[0040] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the rotation of two crucible assemblies in the present invention;

[0041] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the movable vacuum coating mechanism in the coating device of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 8 It is a simplified schematic diagram of the coating method of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram of the first crucible plate or the second crucible plate in the present invention.

[0044] Among them: 1. movable component; 11. rotating drive member; 12. first output shaft; 13. lifting drive member; 2. crucible assembly; 21. first crucible plate; 22. second crucible plate; 23. first mounting position; 24. second mounting position; 25. mounting seat; 26. crucible slot; 3. crucible drive assembly; 31. drive member; 32. drive gear; 33. telescopic mechanism; 4. first transmission part; 41. first driven gear; 42. first connecting member; 5. second transmission part; 51. second driven gear; 52. second connecting member; 6. detection component. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is actually only illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention and its application or use. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0046] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present invention. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0047] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of the parts and steps, numerical expressions and numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention. At the same time, it should be clear that, for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn according to actual proportional relationships. The technology, methods and equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but in appropriate cases, the technology, methods and equipment should be considered as part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed here, any specific value should be interpreted as being merely exemplary, rather than as a limitation. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar numbers and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in an accompanying drawing, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0048] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the directions or positional relationships indicated by directional words such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" are usually based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise specified, these directional words do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction or be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention: the directional words "inside and outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0049] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature to other devices or features as shown in the figures. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation described in the figures. For example, if the device in the drawings is inverted, the device described as "above other devices or structures" or "above other devices or structures" will be positioned as "below other devices or structures" or "below other devices or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below". The device can also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used here are interpreted accordingly.

[0050] In addition, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to limit components is only for the convenience of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0051] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features of the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0052] Example 1

[0053] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figure 3 as well as Figure 7 、 Figure 8 , shows a schematic diagram of the movable vacuum coating mechanism provided in the present invention, the movable vacuum coating mechanism includes a coating chamber, and includes a detection component 6, a central control component, a movable component 1 and a crucible component 2; the movable component 1 is arranged in the coating chamber; the crucible component 2 is at least one group, which includes a mounting seat 25 and a first crucible plate 21 and a second crucible plate 22 arranged on the mounting seat 25, and the mounting seat 25 is arranged on the top of the movable component 1; the first crucible plate 21 and the second crucible plate 22 are respectively provided with a plurality of crucible grooves 26, the crucible grooves 26 are used to accommodate the crucibles crucible; the detection component 6 is arranged near the crucible component 2; the movable component 1 and the detection component 6 are electrically connected to the central control component; the detection component 6 is used to detect the coating material inventory in each crucible on the crucible plate in the crucible working position, and send the coating material inventory to the central control component; the central control component determines whether the coating material inventory is lower than the preset value. When the coating material inventory in all crucibles is lower than the preset value, the central control component controls the movable component 1 to drive the crucible component 2 to rotate, so that the positions of the first crucible plate 21 and the second crucible plate 22 are interchanged; otherwise, the coating state is maintained.

[0054] In application, the first crucible plate 21 is first in the crucible working position and in the coating state to perform coating operations on optical devices; when the first crucible plate 21 is in the crucible working position and in the coating state, the detection component 6 detects the coating material inventory in the first crucible plate 21 and sends the detected coating material inventory to the central control component; the central control component determines whether the coating material inventory is lower than the preset value; when the coating material inventory in all crucibles is lower than the preset value, the central control component controls the movable component 1 to drive the crucible component 2 to rotate, so that the first crucible plate 21 leaves the crucible working position, and the second crucible plate 22 enters the crucible working position, so that the second crucible plate 22 replaces the first crucible plate 21 to coat the optical device, thereby eliminating the need to break the vacuum chamber to add material or increase the crucible size; if the central control component determines that the coating material inventory is higher than or equal to the preset value, the coating state of the first crucible plate 21 continues to be maintained.

[0055] In this embodiment, a movable vacuum coating mechanism is provided, wherein a coating chamber is provided with a detection component 6, a crucible working position, a movable component 1, and a crucible component 2; the detection component 6 is used to detect the amount of coating material in the crucible in the crucible working position. When it is detected that the amount of coating material in the crucible is lower than a preset value, the central control component controls the movable component 1 to rotate, driving the crucible component 2 to start rotating, so that the first crucible plate 21 and the second crucible plate 22 are interchanged, so that the second crucible plate 22 enters the crucible working position, and the coating operation continues using the coating material of all crucibles in the second crucible plate 22. The movable vacuum coating mechanism provided by the present invention solves the technical problem of how to increase the coating thickness of optical devices without breaking the vacuum or increasing the crucible size by interchangeably positioning the first crucible plate 21 and the second crucible plate 22 under the same vacuum environment, thereby greatly improving the accuracy of vacuum coating of optical devices.

[0056] Furthermore, when the detection component 6 detects that the amount of coating material in the first crucible plate 21 is lower than a preset value, the first electrical signal is sent to the central control component; when the detection component 6 detects that the amount of coating material in the first crucible plate 21 is higher than or equal to the preset value, the second electrical signal is sent to the central control component; the central control component controls the movable component 1 to drive the crucible component 2 to rotate based on the received first electrical signal or second electrical signal.

[0057] Furthermore, the detection component 6 also detects the coating material inventory in all crucibles on the second crucible plate 22. When the coating material inventory in all crucibles in the first crucible plate 21 and the second crucible plate 22 is lower than the preset value, the detection component 6 sends a third electrical signal to the central control component. The central control component issues a reminder of depletion of the coating material based on the third electrical signal, and stops the coating status of the first crucible plate 21 and the second crucible plate 22.

[0058] Furthermore, the coating chamber is provided with a coating evaporation source assembly, which is positioned within the crucible working position to evaporate the coating material within the crucible, completing the coating operation on the optical device. It should be noted that coating evaporation source assemblies are conventional technology in the art. Those skilled in the art can select the model, type, and operating mode of the coating evaporation source assembly based on actual production and use requirements, and will not be further described in this embodiment.

[0059] Optionally, the movable assembly 1 in the present invention includes a rotary drive member 11 , a first output shaft 12 is provided on the rotary drive member 11 , a mounting seat 25 is fixedly connected to the first output shaft 12 , and the rotary drive member 11 is used to drive the mounting seat 25 to rotate.

[0060] In this embodiment, the crucible assembly 2 is driven to rotate by rotating the driving member 11 and the first output shaft 12. When the detection component 6 detects that the amount of coating material in the first crucible 21 is lower than a preset value, the mounting seat 25 is rotated, and the second crucible plate 22 replaces the first crucible plate 21 to enter the crucible working position, and the coating operation on the optical device is continued.

[0061] It should be noted that the fixed connection method between the mounting base 25 and the first output shaft 12 can be specifically selected as an anchor connection, a bolt connection, a snap connection or any other connection method known to those skilled in the art, and is not specifically limited in this embodiment.

[0062] Furthermore, the rotary driving member 11 can be specifically selected as a driving motor with a reducer or other driving devices known to those skilled in the art, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment.

[0063] Optionally, the first crucible plate 21 and the second crucible plate 22 in the present invention are symmetrically distributed on the mounting base 25 about the first output shaft 12 .

[0064] In this embodiment, the first crucible plate 21 and the second crucible plate 22 are symmetrically arranged around the first output shaft 12, thereby improving the stability of the crucible assembly 2 during the rotation driven by the first output shaft 12. At the same time, when the crucible assembly 2 is rotated by the movable component 1, the first crucible plate 21 and the second crucible plate 22 can be accurately interchanged.

[0065] Optionally, the movable component 1 in the present invention further includes a lifting drive member 13, which is connected to the lower side of the rotating drive member 11; the lifting drive member 13 is used to drive the rotating drive member 11 and the crucible assembly 2 to move up and down to avoid collision during the rotation of the crucible assembly 2.

[0066] In this embodiment, the movable assembly 1 further comprises a lifting drive 13, which drives the rotary drive 11 and the crucible assembly 2 to be lifted and lowered, thereby preventing the crucible assembly 2 from colliding with other components in the coating chamber, such as the detection assembly 6, the coating evaporation source assembly, or other components, during the rotation of the crucible assembly 2. In a specific application, the coating chamber may be provided with a detection assembly 6, a coating evaporation source assembly, or multiple crucible assemblies 2. When the crucible assembly 2 needs to be rotated so that the second crucible plate 22 replaces the first crucible plate 21 for coating, the lifting drive 13 drives the crucible assembly 2 and the rotary drive 11 to be lifted, thereby staggering them from other components in the coating chamber. The lifted rotary drive 11 drives the crucible assembly 2 to rotate, completing the replacement of the first crucible plate 21 with the second crucible plate 22, and then lowers the crucible plate 22 to allow the second crucible plate 22 to enter the crucible working position, thereby preventing the crucible assembly 2 from colliding and causing damage during the rotation process.

[0067] Optionally, the detection component 6 in the present invention is a detector that can detect the inventory of coating materials by means of infrared detectors, image detectors, radar detectors, etc., and can transmit the detected information to the central control component.

[0068] In this embodiment, the detection component 6 detects the coating material level in each crucible on the first crucible tray 21 and the second crucible tray 22, and feeds the coating material level information back to the central control component. Specifically, the detection component 6 detects the coating material level in each crucible on the first crucible tray 21 and the second crucible tray 22, and feeds the coating material level information back to the central control component. The central control component compares the detected level with a preset value and, based on the comparison result, controls the movable component 1 to perform a corresponding operation.

[0069] Furthermore, a positioning detection function can be added to the detection component 6 to perform positioning detection on the position of the first crucible plate 21 or the second crucible plate 22, and the position of the first crucible plate 21 or the second crucible plate 22 can be fed back to the central control component. The crucible component 2 can be accurately positioned by the central control component and the movable component 1, so that after the second crucible plate 22 replaces the first crucible plate 21, it is still in the same position in the crucible working position, thereby avoiding differences in the coating effect.

[0070] Optionally, refer to Figure 4 and Figure 7 The movable vacuum coating mechanism in the present invention also includes a crucible driving assembly 3; the crucible assembly 2 includes a first mounting position 23 and a second mounting position 24, the first mounting position 23 is used to accommodate the first crucible plate 21, and the second mounting position 24 is used to accommodate the second crucible plate 22; a first transmission part 4 is provided in the first mounting position 23, and the first transmission part 4 is connected to the first crucible plate 21; a second transmission part 5 is provided in the second mounting position 24, and the second transmission part 5 is connected to the second crucible plate 22; the crucible driving assembly 3 is used to, when the first crucible plate 21 is in the crucible working position, be movably connected to the first transmission part 4, and drive the first crucible plate 21 to rotate through the first transmission part 4; or, when the second crucible plate 22 is in the crucible working position, be movably connected to the second transmission part 5, and drive the second crucible plate 22 to rotate through the second transmission part 5.

[0071] In this embodiment, during the process of coating an optical device using a crucible, the coating operation is performed in sequence using the coating materials in multiple crucibles as the crucible plate rotates. The crucible drive assembly 3 is movably connected with the first transmission part 4 and the second transmission part 5, so that the first crucible plate 21 or the second crucible plate 22 in the coating state rotates to complete the coating operation.

[0072] Specifically, referring to Figure x, the crucible grooves 26 on the first crucible plate 21 and the second crucible plate 22 can be evenly distributed along the edge of the crucible plate and respectively accommodate crucibles; or, the first crucible plate 21 and the second crucible plate 22 can be set as a whole receiving groove set along the edge of the crucible plate, and the coating material is held through the receiving groove.

[0073] Optionally, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 5 The crucible driving assembly 3 in the present invention includes a driving member 31 and a driving gear 32. The driving member 31 is arranged in the coating chamber. The driving member 31 is provided with a second output shaft, and the driving gear 32 is connected to the second output shaft; the first transmission part 4 includes a first driven gear 41 and a first connecting member 42. One end of the first connecting member 42 is fixedly connected to the first driven gear 41, and the other end is connected to the first crucible plate 21; when the first crucible plate 21 is in the crucible working position, the first driven gear 41 is meshed with the driving gear 32; the second transmission part 5 includes a second driven gear 51 and a second connecting member 52. One end of the second connecting member 52 is fixedly connected to the second driven gear 51, and the other end is connected to the second crucible plate 22; when the second crucible plate 22 is in the crucible working position, the second driven gear 51 is meshed with the driving gear 32.

[0074] In this embodiment, when the first crucible plate 21 is in the crucible working position, the first driven gear 41 is engaged with the driving gear 32, thereby driving the first crucible plate 21 through the driving member 31, the driving gear 32, the first driven gear 41 and the first connecting member 42, so that the first crucible plate 21 rotates during the coating process; when the second crucible plate 22 is in the crucible working position, the second driven gear 51 is engaged with the driving gear 32, thereby driving the second crucible plate 22 through the driving member 31, the driving gear 32, the second driven gear 51 and the second connecting member 52, so that the second crucible plate 22 rotates during the coating process, so that the crucibles on the second crucible plate 22 are coated in sequence.

[0075] Furthermore, in the process of rotating the crucible assembly 2 so that the second crucible plate 22 replaces the first crucible plate 21, the crucible assembly 2 and the movable assembly 1 can be raised by the lifting drive member 13 in the above embodiment, so that the first driven gear 41 or the second driven gear 51 is disengaged from the driving gear 32, thereby avoiding the first driven gear 41 or the second driven gear 51 from colliding and rubbing with the driving gear 32 during the rotation of the crucible assembly 2, thereby preventing damage; after the rotation of the crucible assembly 2 is completed, the crucible assembly 2 and the movable assembly 1 are lowered by the lifting drive member 13, and the corresponding driven gears are engaged with the driving gear 32.

[0076] Optionally, the crucible driving assembly 3 in the present invention further includes a telescopic mechanism 33 , one end of the telescopic mechanism 33 is fixedly disposed in the coating chamber, and the other end is connected to the driving member 31 .

[0077] In this embodiment, the crucible drive assembly 3 also includes a telescopic mechanism 33, one end of the telescopic mechanism 33 is fixedly arranged in the coating chamber, and the other end is connected to the driving member 31. When the crucible assembly 2 is rotated to replace the first crucible plate 21 with the second crucible plate 22, the telescopic mechanism 33 can be shortened first to move the driving member 31 and the driving gear 32, thereby disengaging the driving gear 32 from the driven gear, thereby avoiding collision between the crucible assembly 2 and the crucible drive assembly 3 during rotation and causing damage.

[0078] Specifically, the telescopic mechanism 33 may include a telescopic driving member and a telescopic arm.

[0079] Further, refer to Figure 6 In the present invention, there can be two crucible assemblies 2, and the two crucible assemblies 2 are arranged side by side in the coating chamber.

[0080] In this embodiment, two crucible assemblies 2 are provided, arranged side by side within the coating chamber. Accordingly, two movable assemblies 1 and two crucible drive assemblies 3 are provided. In specific applications, the two crucible assemblies 2 can each contain different coating materials to perform specific coating operations on optical devices. For example, the crucibles of the two crucible assemblies 2 can each contain coating materials with different refractive indices. During the coating process, by combining the two coating materials, a specific optical device coating operation can be achieved.

[0081] Further, refer to Figure 6 , the rotation directions of the two crucible assemblies 2 are opposite when switching the first crucible plate 21 and the second crucible plate 22, so as to avoid collision caused by rotating in the same direction.

[0082] Example 2

[0083] Secondly, refer to Figure 8 The present invention further provides a coating method, which is applied to any movable vacuum coating mechanism in Example 1. The coating method comprises the following steps:

[0084] S1: Detecting the first crucible plate on the crucible working position to obtain the amount of coating material in the crucible on the first crucible plate;

[0085] S2: Compare the coating material inventory with a preset value; when the coating material inventory is greater than or equal to the preset value, execute step S3; when the coating material inventory is lower than the preset value, execute step S4;

[0086] S3: Maintain coating state;

[0087] S4: The movable component drives the crucible to rotate, so that the first crucible plate leaves the crucible working position and the second crucible plate enters the crucible working position.

[0088] The specific implementation steps of the coating method include:

[0089] S1: placing the device to be coated into the coating chamber, adding coating material into the crucibles on the first crucible plate 21 and the second crucible plate 22, placing the first crucible plate 21 in the crucible working position, and coating the device to be coated using the first crucible plate 21 by a vacuum coating method;

[0090] S2: During the coating process, the detection component 6 detects each crucible of the first crucible plate 21 on the crucible working position to obtain the coating material inventory in each crucible on the first crucible plate 21, and sends the coating material inventory to the central control component;

[0091] S3: The central control component compares the coating material inventory with a preset value;

[0092] When the amount of coating material in all crucibles on the first crucible plate 21 is lower than a preset value, the central control component sends a first electrical signal to the movable component 1; or when the amount of coating material in any crucible is greater than or equal to the preset value, the central control component sends a second electrical signal to the movable component 1;

[0093] S4: the movable component 1 drives the crucible component 2 to rotate based on the first electrical signal, so that the first crucible plate 21 and the second crucible plate 22 are interchanged, and the second crucible plate 22 enters the crucible working position; or the movable component 1 maintains the coating state based on the second electrical signal;

[0094] S5: Complete vacuum coating of the device to be coated by vacuum coating method.

[0095] Optionally, step S4 in the present invention specifically includes:

[0096] S4.1: If a first electrical signal is received, based on the first electrical signal, the lifting drive member 13 in the movable assembly 1 drives the crucible assembly 2 to rise, so that the first crucible plate 21 leaves the crucible working position; if a second electrical signal is received, execute step S4.4;

[0097] S4.2: The rotary drive member 11 in the movable assembly 1 drives the crucible assembly 2 to rotate via the first output shaft 12, so that the first crucible plate 21 and the second crucible plate 22 are interchanged, and the second crucible plate 22 is positioned above the crucible working position;

[0098] S4.3: The lifting drive 13 drives the crucible assembly 2 to descend to the second crucible plate 22 and enter the crucible working position;

[0099] S4.4: Maintain the coating state and perform vacuum coating.

[0100] In this embodiment, the provided coating method is applied to any of the movable vacuum coating mechanisms described in Example 1. By combining the movable assembly 1, the crucible assembly 2, and the detection assembly 6, when the coating material in the first crucible plate 21 falls below a preset value, the movable assembly 1 switches between the first crucible plate 21 and the second crucible plate 22, thereby completing the operation of thickening the coating on the optical device without breaking the vacuum, thereby ensuring a consistent vacuum level during the coating. It should be noted that the coating device in this embodiment has the same structure and benefits as any of the movable vacuum coating mechanisms described in Example 1, and therefore will not be further described.

[0101] Throughout this specification, reference to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples" means that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, illustrative uses of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0102] While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, and that the scope of the invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A movable vacuum coating mechanism, comprising a coating chamber, characterized in that: The movable vacuum coating mechanism comprises a detection component (6), a central control component, a movable component (1) and a crucible component (2); The movable component (1) is arranged in the coating chamber; The crucible assembly (2) is at least one group, comprising a mounting seat (25) and a first crucible plate (21) and a second crucible plate (22) arranged on the mounting seat (25), wherein the mounting seat (25) is arranged on the top of the movable assembly (1); The first crucible plate (21) and the second crucible plate (22) are respectively provided with a plurality of crucible grooves (26), and the crucible grooves (26) are used to accommodate crucibles; The detection component (6) is arranged close to the crucible component (2); the movable component (1) and the detection component (6) are both electrically connected to the central control component; the detection component (6) is used to detect the amount of coating material in each crucible on the crucible plate in the crucible working position, and send the amount of coating material to the central control component; The central control component determines whether the coating material inventory is lower than a preset value. When the coating material inventory in all crucibles is lower than the preset value, the central control component controls the movable component (1) to drive the crucible component (2) to rotate so that the first crucible plate (21) and the second crucible plate (22) are interchanged; otherwise, the coating state is maintained.

2. The movable vacuum coating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable component (1) comprises a rotating drive member (11), the rotating drive member (11) is electrically connected to the central control component, a first output shaft (12) is provided on the rotating drive member (11), the mounting seat (25) is fixedly connected to the first output shaft (12), and the rotating drive member (11) is used to drive the mounting seat (25) to rotate.

3. The movable vacuum coating mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first crucible plate (21) and the second crucible plate (22) are symmetrically distributed on the mounting seat (25) about the first output axis (12).

4. The movable vacuum coating mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The movable assembly (1) further comprises a lifting drive member (13), wherein the lifting drive member (13) is connected to the lower side of the rotating drive member (11); The lifting drive member (13) is used to drive the rotating drive member (11) and the crucible assembly (2) to rise and fall, so as to avoid collision during the rotation of the crucible assembly (2).

5. The movable vacuum coating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detection component (6) comprises any one of an infrared detector, an image detector and / or a radar detector.

6. The movable vacuum coating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable vacuum coating mechanism also includes a crucible driving component (3); The mounting seat (25) is provided with a first mounting position (23) and a second mounting position (24), wherein the first mounting position (23) is used to accommodate the first crucible plate (21), and the second mounting position (24) is used to accommodate the second crucible plate (22); A first transmission part (4) is arranged in the first installation position (23), and the first transmission part (4) is connected to the first crucible plate (21); a second transmission part (5) is arranged in the second installation position (24), and the second transmission part (5) is connected to the second crucible plate (22); The crucible driving assembly (3) is used to, when the first crucible plate (21) is in the crucible working position, be movably connected to the first transmission part (4) and drive the first crucible plate (21) to rotate via the first transmission part (4); or, when the second crucible plate (22) is in the crucible working position, be movably connected to the second transmission part (5) and drive the second crucible plate (22) to rotate via the second transmission part (5).

7. The movable vacuum coating mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: The crucible driving assembly (3) comprises a driving member (31) and a driving gear (32), wherein the driving member (31) is arranged in the coating chamber, the driving member (31) is provided with a second output shaft, and the driving gear (32) is connected to the second output shaft; The first transmission part (4) comprises a first driven gear (41) and a first connecting member (42); one end of the first connecting member (42) is fixedly connected to the first driven gear (41), and the other end is connected to the first crucible plate (21); when the first crucible plate (21) is in the crucible working position, the first driven gear (41) is meshed with the driving gear (32); The second transmission part (5) comprises a second driven gear (51) and a second connecting member (52); one end of the second connecting member (52) is fixedly connected to the second driven gear (51), and the other end is connected to the second crucible plate (22); when the second crucible plate (22) is in the crucible working position, the second driven gear (51) is meshed with the driving gear (32).

8. The movable vacuum coating mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that: The crucible driving assembly (3) further comprises a telescopic mechanism (33), one end of which is fixedly arranged in the coating chamber and the other end of which is connected to the driving member (31).

9. A coating method, applied to the movable vacuum coating mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: include: S1: placing a device to be coated in a coating chamber, adding coating materials into the crucibles on the first crucible plate (21) and the second crucible plate (22), placing the first crucible plate (21) in the crucible working position, and coating the device to be coated using the first crucible plate (21) by a vacuum coating method; S2: During the coating process, the detection component (6) detects each crucible of the first crucible plate (21) on the crucible working position to obtain the coating material inventory in each crucible on the first crucible plate (21), and sends the coating material inventory to the central control component; S3: the central control component compares the coating material inventory with a preset value; When the amount of coating material in all crucibles on the first crucible plate (21) is lower than a preset value, the central control component sends a first electrical signal to the movable component (1); or when the amount of coating material in the crucible is greater than or equal to the preset value, the central control component sends a second electrical signal to the movable component (1); S4: the movable component (1) drives the crucible component (2) to rotate based on the first electrical signal, so that the first crucible plate (21) and the second crucible plate (22) are interchanged in position, so that the second crucible plate (22) enters the crucible working position; or the movable component (1) maintains the coating state based on the second electrical signal; S5: Complete vacuum coating of the device to be coated by vacuum coating method.

10. The coating method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The step S4 comprises: S4.1: If a first electrical signal is received, based on the first electrical signal, the lifting drive member (13) in the movable component (1) drives the crucible component (2) to rise, so that the first crucible plate (21) leaves the crucible working position; if a second electrical signal is received, step S4.4 is executed; S4.2: The rotating driving member (11) in the movable assembly (1) drives the crucible assembly (2) to rotate via the first output shaft (12), so that the positions of the first crucible plate (21) and the second crucible plate (22) are interchanged, so that the second crucible plate (22) enters above the crucible working position; S4.3: the lifting drive member (13) drives the crucible assembly (2) to descend to the second crucible plate (22) and enter the crucible working position; S4.4: Maintain the coating state and perform vacuum coating.

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