A fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses and its control system

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of vacuum coating machines, and specifically is a fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses and its control system, comprising a machine body, a vacuum unit, a coating unit, an electrical control unit, a heating unit and a cooling unit; the coating unit comprises a substrate rack, which is rotatably connected to the machine body; the motor drives the substrate plate to rotate through the drive shaft, and the substrate plate drives the lens to rotate in the substrate rack. When the substrate rack is turned over and contacts the pressure sensor, the pressure sensor triggers the control motor to stop rotating and remain fixed, thereby realizing the turning over of the lens during the coating process, avoiding opening the coating machine during the coating process, resulting in the internal environment of the coating machine being affected, and the lens producing thermal expansion and contraction effects due to the influence of the temperature and humidity environment, causing the film layer structure to be damaged, thereby improving the lens coating effect while improving the convenience of using the vacuum coating machine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of vacuum coating machines, and in particular to a fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses and a control system thereof. Background Art

[0002] A vacuum coating machine is a device used to coat various thin films on the surface of an object. It is widely used in optics, electronics, decoration and other fields. The vacuum coating machine includes a vacuum system, an evaporation source, a substrate rack, and a coating material supply system. There are two types of vacuum coating machines for lens coating:

[0003] Physical vapor deposition: In a vacuum environment, an evaporation source heats and evaporates the coating material into gaseous atoms or molecules. These gaseous particles fly toward the lens surface at a specific speed and direction. Because the lens surface temperature is relatively low, the gaseous particles cool and condense on the lens surface, forming a thin film. By controlling the temperature of the evaporation source, the evaporation time, and the type and amount of coating material, the thickness and composition of the film can be precisely controlled.

[0004] Chemical Vapor Deposition: Utilizes gaseous chemicals to react chemically under high temperature and in the presence of catalysts to form a solid thin film on the lens surface. For example, gaseous compounds containing elements such as silicon and oxygen are passed into the coating chamber. Under certain conditions, these compounds decompose and react chemically to form a thin film such as silicon dioxide on the lens surface. Compared with PVD, CVD can be performed at a lower temperature and the film has better adhesion and uniformity.

[0005] However, in actual use, a large number of lenses need to be installed on the substrate rack, which will cause the lenses to stay in the outside world for a long time. In the process of installing the lenses, personnel will frequently walk back and forth, take tools for installation, and other dust-generating operations, which makes it easier for the lenses to be contaminated with dust before coating, affecting the optical performance of the lenses and damaging the film structure of the lens coating. Moreover, after the lenses are installed, it is also necessary to check whether there is dust adhering to the surface, which will further extend the residence time of the lenses. In addition, after the lenses are coated, different lenses have different cooling methods and cooling times, which requires the lenses to be taken out of the coating machine for additional cooling or insulation. However, during the removal process, the temperature of the coated lenses is high, and direct exposure to the outside world will cause the lenses and film layers to expand and contract due to heat, affecting the coating effect. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to make up for the deficiencies of the prior art and solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention proposes a fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses and a control system thereof.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the technical problem is as follows: the present invention proposes a fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses and its control system, including a machine body, a vacuum unit, a coating unit, an electrical control unit, a heating unit and a cooling unit; the coating unit includes:

[0008] A substrate rack is rotatably connected to the body, and the top of the substrate rack is connected to a drive device built into the body. The inner ring of the substrate rack is annularly distributed with rectangular areas. A substrate plate is rotatably connected within the rectangular area of the substrate rack. The substrate plate is evenly provided with mounting grooves. The inner wall of the mounting groove is threadedly connected to a screw rod, and one end of the screw rod is rotatably connected to a rotating block. A fixing ring is provided between adjacent rotating blocks, and the fixing ring is composed of multiple I-shaped rods hinged to each other. An apron is provided on the inner ring of the fixing ring, and the lens is installed in the apron.

[0009] A drive shaft is rotatably connected to the edge of the substrate rack, and one end of the drive shaft is connected to the substrate plate, and the other end is connected to the motor installed on the substrate rack; the inner ring of the substrate rack is hinged with an extrusion rod through a torsion spring, the extrusion rod is made of high-temperature resistant plastic, and a pressure sensor is provided on the extrusion rod, which is in contact with the substrate plate.

[0010] Preferably, a sealing cover is evenly installed on the substrate rack, and the sealing cover seals the top and bottom of the substrate plate, the inner wall of the sealing cover is provided with a heat-insulating material, the heat-insulating material is provided with a heating component, and the outer edge of the sealing cover is provided with a rubber strip, which contacts the substrate rack; a sliding rod is slidably connected inside the sealing cover, and the sliding rod slides around the center of the substrate rack, a driving assembly is installed on the top of the sealing cover, and the driving assembly is connected to the sliding rod, and the driving assembly drives the sliding rod to move horizontally and vertically inside the sealing cover; a detection device is installed on the sealing cover, a nozzle is evenly provided on one side of the sliding rod, and the probe in the detection device is located at the center of the bottom of the sliding rod, the nozzle is located on one side of the sliding rod, and a one-way suction nozzle is provided on the top of the sealing cover.

[0011] Preferably, a cleaning brush is provided on the side of the slide rod away from the nozzle, and a sticky mesh tube is provided on one side of the cleaning brush. The sticky mesh tube is away from the nozzle and is composed of multiple hollow tubes connected together.

[0012] Preferably, the sliding rod is located between the sticky mesh tube and the cleaning brush and a vibrating rod is provided. The vibrating rod is hinged to the sliding rod through a torsion spring. The bottom of the vibrating rod is in a grid shape and surrounds the cleaning brush. The top of the sealing cover is evenly provided with a shifting block, and the top of the vibrating rod contacts the shifting block.

[0013] Preferably, suction holes are evenly opened on the sticky mesh tube, the bottom of the sticky mesh tube is closed, and the top is connected to the suction nozzle through an air pipe.

[0014] Preferably, a ventilation pipe is provided in the sealing cover, and a temperature and humidity sensor is provided in the ventilation pipe. One end of the ventilation pipe is connected to the sealing cover through a valve, and the other end is connected to the nozzle. The ventilation pipe is located in the insulation material and close to the heating component.

[0015] Preferably, baffles are evenly provided at the bottom of the sliding rod, and the baffles are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the lens, and the lens is located between adjacent baffles.

[0016] Preferably, a centering mark device is provided on one side of the baffle close to the center of the slide bar, and the centering mark device is used to assist the detection device in detecting the position of the lens.

[0017] Preferably, the single bristle of the cleaning brush is ring-shaped, and the cleaning brush is made of soft material.

[0018] A control system for a fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses, the control system comprising a hardware system and a software system. The hardware system comprises a central processing unit, a sensor, an actuator and a human-machine interface, and the software system comprises a control program, monitoring software and a diagnostic alarm program.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0020] 1. The present invention describes a fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses and its control system. When installing the lenses, the worker uses a tool to rotate the screw and screws the screw into the inner wall of the installation groove. When the screw rotates, the rotating block is restricted by the fixed ring and does not rotate. The screws in the installation groove move away from each other as they are screwed in, driving the fixed ring to expand from the inside to the outside until the fixed ring and the rubber ring expand or deform to fit the shape of the lens. In this way, the types of lenses that can be adapted to each coating can be increased, such as lenses of the same type but different shapes or frequent replacement of substrate racks according to the shape of the lens, which is a tedious operation. This improves the convenience of using the vacuum coating machine, thereby improving the practicality of the vacuum coating machine.

[0021] 2. The present invention describes a fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses and its control system. The motor drives the substrate plate to rotate through the drive shaft, and the substrate plate drives the lens to rotate in the substrate rack. When the substrate rack is turned over and contacts the pressure sensor, the pressure sensor triggers the control motor to stop rotating and remain fixed, thereby realizing the turning over of the lens during the coating process, avoiding opening the coating machine during the coating process, resulting in an imbalance in the vacuum degree inside the coating machine, affecting the temperature and humidity environment, extending the coating time, reducing the coating efficiency, and causing the lens to produce thermal expansion and contraction effects due to the influence of the temperature and humidity environment, resulting in damage to the film layer structure. This improves the lens coating effect while improving the convenience of using the vacuum coating machine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2It is a partial perspective view of the substrate holder;

[0025] Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a substrate holder;

[0026] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the substrate plate when installing circular lenses and elliptical lenses;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the sliding rod cleaning the lens;

[0028] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the slide bar;

[0029] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the fixed circle;

[0030] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the vent pipe in the sealing cover;

[0031] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram of the vibrating rod separating the cleaning brushes;

[0032] Figure 10 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the vibrating rod;

[0033] Figure 11 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the extruded rod;

[0034] Figure 12 This is a comparison between the cleaning with looped bristles and regular bristles.

[0035] In the figure: body 1, substrate rack 11, drive device 12, substrate plate 13, mounting groove 14, screw 15, rotating block 16, fixing ring 17, rubber ring 18, driving shaft 19, motor 2, extrusion rod 21, pressure sensor 22, sealing cover 23, thermal insulation material 24, heating component 25, rubber strip 26, slide rod 27, driving assembly 28, detection device 29, nozzle 3, suction nozzle 31, cleaning brush 32, sticky mesh tube 33, vibration rod 34, shifting block 35, suction hole 36, ventilation pipe 37, baffle 38, centering marking device 39. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the drawings shown in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] Example 1:

[0038] In order to effectively solve the above problems, as shown in the accompanying drawings of the specification Figures 1-12As shown, a fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses includes a machine body 1, a vacuum unit, a coating unit, an electrical control unit, a heating unit, and a cooling unit; the coating unit includes:

[0039] A substrate rack 11 is rotatably connected to the body 1, and the top of the substrate rack 11 is connected to a drive device 12 built into the body 1. A rectangular area is distributed in an annular pattern around the inner ring of the substrate rack 11. A substrate plate 13 is rotatably connected to the rectangular area of the substrate rack 11. Mounting grooves 14 are evenly formed on the substrate plate 13. Screws 15 are threadedly connected to the inner walls of the mounting grooves 14. A rotating block 16 is rotatably connected to one end of the screw 15. A fixing ring 17 is provided between adjacent rotating blocks 16. The fixing ring 17 is composed of multiple I-shaped rods hinged together. An apron 18 is provided on the inner ring of the fixing ring 17, and the lens is mounted within the apron 18.

[0040] A drive shaft 19 is rotatably connected to the edge of the substrate frame 11, with one end of the drive shaft 19 connected to the substrate plate 13 and the other end connected to the motor 2 mounted on the substrate frame 11. An extrusion rod 21 is hinged to the inner ring of the substrate frame 11 via a torsion spring. The extrusion rod 21 is made of high-temperature resistant plastic and is provided with a pressure sensor 22. The pressure sensor 22 is in contact with the substrate plate 13.

[0041] The driving device 12 is a conventional device in the coating machine, which consists of a motor, a reducer and a transmission part. After the lens is installed, the worker installs the substrate rack 11 into the vacuum coating machine and connects it to the driving device 12. The driving device 12 drives the substrate rack 11 to rotate, and the substrate rack 11 drives the lens to rotate; the rubber ring 18 is a conventional part used to fix and install the lens; the motor 2 is a conventional driving part, and the motor 2 is a high-temperature resistant type, which is suitable for the internal working environment of the coating machine. The motor 2 is connected to the pressure sensor 22. The worker sets the motor 2 to rotate half a circle periodically, and the motor 2 drives the substrate plate 13 to rotate half a circle and turn over. When the substrate plate 13 passes the pressure sensor 22, the pressure The force sensor 22 is not triggered. When the substrate plate 13 contacts the pressure sensor 22 again after being turned over, the pressure sensor 22 triggers the control motor 2 to stop rotating and remain fixed, thereby realizing the turning over of the lens during the coating process. The pressure sensor 22 is a conventional electrical appliance, such as a full silicon carbide high-temperature pressure sensor 22, which can work during the coating process. If the coating situation is special, there is no need to use the motor 2. Since the motor 2 is installed on the edge of the substrate frame 11, it is convenient for workers to disassemble and assemble. Workers can turn over the substrate plate 13 by themselves, and after operations such as centering detection, the substrate plate 13 is fixed to complete the purpose of turning over and coating the lens. The screw 15 rotates, and the rotating block 16 is fixed and does not rotate due to the influence of the rubber ring 18.

[0042] Specific working process: When installing the lens, the worker rotates the screw 15 with a tool and screws the screw 15 into the inner wall of the installation groove 14. When the screw 15 rotates, the rotating block 16 is restricted by the fixing ring 17 and does not rotate. The screws 15 in the installation groove 14 move away from each other as they are screwed in, driving the fixing ring 17 to expand from the inside to the outside, for example, the fixing ring 17 expands from an elliptical shape to a circular shape. The specific shape of the expansion of the fixing ring 17 is determined according to the lens to be coated, until the fixing ring 17 and the rubber ring 18 expand or deform to conform to the shape of the lens, that is, when the lens is round, the fixing ring 17 and the rubber ring 18 expand to a circular shape, and when the lens is elliptical, the fixing ring 17 and the rubber ring 18 expand to an elliptical shape. In this way, the types of lenses that can be adapted to each coating can be increased, such as lenses of the same type but different shapes or frequent replacement of the substrate holder 11 according to the shape of the lens, and other tedious operations. The use convenience of the vacuum coating machine is improved, thereby improving the practicality of the vacuum coating machine.

[0043] The worker puts the lens into the middle of the rubber ring 18. At this time, the lens is located in the middle of the I-shaped fixing ring 17. The top and bottom protruding parts of the fixing ring 17 are pressed against the top and bottom of the edge of the lens through the rubber ring 18 to clamp the lens and improve the stability during the coating process. In addition, when installing the lens, the worker unscrews the screw 15 from the inner wall of the installation groove 14. The screw 15 drives the fixing ring 17 and the rubber ring 18 to retract inward through the rotating block 16 to fix the lens. In addition, the worker can also use a torque wrench to drive the screw 15 to rotate. The torque wrench is also called a torque wrench or a torque adjustable wrench. It is a type of wrench. For example, the fixing torques of glass lenses and resin lenses are different. When fixing the glass lenses, the worker sets the torque value on the torque wrench in advance. When the worker uses the torque wrench to twist the screw 15 to fix the glass lens, when the torque value required for fixing reaches the set value, the torque wrench emits a prompt sound to remind the worker that the force required for fixing the glass lens by the screw 15 has been reached. The cycle is repeated until the lens is fixed. By fixing the lens in this way, different forces can be used for fixing according to the lenses of different materials. In addition, the torque wrench can more accurately achieve the effect of fixing with the preset torque.

[0044] Furthermore, the fixing ring 17 contacts the lens through the rubber ring 18, which can better protect the lens itself and play a role in reducing vibration during the lens flipping process; if the lens needs double-sided coating, a suitable interval time is selected during the lens coating process to start the motor 2. The worker can use conventional control operations such as wireless start or preset time. The motor 2 drives the substrate plate 13 to rotate through the drive shaft 19. The substrate plate 13 pushes the squeezing rod 21. At this time, the pressure sensor 22 is not triggered. The squeezing rod 21 drives the pressure sensor 22 away from the substrate plate 13. The substrate plate 13 drives the lens to rotate in the substrate frame 11. When the substrate plate 13 contacts the pressure sensor 22 after being flipped over, the pressure sensor 22 is The sensor 22 triggers the control motor 2 to stop rotating and remain fixed, realizing the flipping of the lens during the coating process, avoiding opening the coating machine during the coating process, which affects the internal environment of the coating machine, prolongs the coating time, reduces the coating efficiency, and causes the lens to expand and contract due to the influence of the temperature and humidity environment, resulting in damage to the film structure. This improves the lens coating effect while improving the ease of use of the vacuum coating machine. In addition, workers can also use the pressure value generated by the contact between the pressure sensor 22 and the substrate plate 13 to reflect whether the substrate plate 13 is flipped to a horizontal state, complete the self-inspection effect of the horizontal state after flipping, and improve the ease of use.

[0045] Example 2:

[0046] On the basis of embodiment 1, a sealing cover 23 is evenly installed on the substrate rack 11, and the sealing cover 23 seals the top and bottom of the substrate plate 13, the inner wall of the sealing cover 23 is provided with a heat-insulating material 24, and a heating component 25 is provided in the heat-insulating material 24. A rubber strip 26 is provided at the outer edge of the sealing cover 23, and the rubber strip 26 contacts the substrate rack 11; a sliding rod 27 is slidably connected in the sealing cover 23, and the sliding rod 27 slides around the center of the substrate rack 11, and a driving assembly 28 is installed at the top of the sealing cover 23, and the driving assembly 28 is connected to the sliding rod 27, and the driving assembly 28 drives the sliding rod 27 to move horizontally and vertically in the sealing cover 23; a detection device 29 is installed on the sealing cover 23, and a nozzle 3 is evenly provided on one side of the sliding rod 27, and the probe in the detection device 29 is located at the bottom center of the sliding rod 27, and the nozzle 3 is located on one side of the sliding rod 27, and a one-way suction nozzle 31 is provided on the top of the sealing cover 23;

[0047] A cleaning brush 32 is provided on the side of the slide bar 27 away from the nozzle 3, and a sticky mesh tube 33 is provided on one side of the cleaning brush 32. The sticky mesh tube 33 is away from the nozzle 3 and is composed of multiple hollow tubes connected together.

[0048] The drive assembly 28 is a conventional electric guide rail mechanism, consisting of a linear guide rail and an electric slider. For example, the linear guide rail drives the slider 27 to move along the X-axis, and the electric slider drives the slider 27 to move along the Y-axis. The drive assembly 28 is commonly used in CNC lathes, engraving machines and other equipment. The heating assembly 25 is a conventional electric heating device, and the insulation material 24 is a conventional material used for lens insulation and cooling.

[0049] The detection device 29 is a conventional device for detecting the cleanliness of a lens surface, such as a machine vision tester. It is composed of a camera, a light source, and image processing software. It does not require manual operation. The camera captures an image of the lens surface, and then uses the image processing software to analyze the image to identify and detect surface defects such as contaminants and scratches. The instrument can automatically determine whether the lens surface cleanliness is qualified according to preset standards. In addition, the machine vision tester can also automatically detect the installation accuracy of the lens. First, it identifies the edge or specific marking features of the lens and the corresponding features of the mounting seat. Then, it calculates the positional deviation and angular deviation of the lens relative to the mounting slot 14, which can achieve centering measurement and adjustment to ensure the accuracy of the lens installation position, thereby improving the lens installation accuracy and avoiding large deviations in the lens installation accuracy that affect the coating effect.

[0050] The nozzle 3 is connected to a conventional air pump unit provided in the workshop through a hole on the top of the sealing cover 23 . The air pump unit sprays clean air specifically for cleaning lenses to the nozzle 3 , and the air pump unit sucks the air in the sealing cover 23 through the suction nozzle 31 .

[0051] Specific working process: After the lens on a substrate plate 13 is installed, two sealing covers 23 are installed in the substrate rack 11 to cover the substrate plate 13. The sealing cover 23 is attached to the inner wall of the substrate rack 11 through the adhesive strip 26 to seal the environment around the substrate plate 13. Then, air is sucked into the sealing cover 23 through the suction nozzle 31 to form a low vacuum environment. In a vacuum environment, the number of air molecules is greatly reduced, and dust particles lose the buoyancy of the air and the carrying effect of the airflow. Their movement and sedimentation mode is different from that in the atmospheric environment. This makes it difficult for dust to naturally settle on the lens surface, thereby reducing the probability of the lens being contaminated by dust again during the coating process.

[0052] When the lens is in a vacuum environment, the adhesion of the dust originally attached to the lens surface will be weakened due to the decrease in the surrounding air pressure; at the same time, the interference of air resistance in the vacuum environment is weakened. At this time, the nozzle 3 blows clean gas to the lens surface, and the dust is more easily detached from the lens surface and is sucked away and collected by the suction nozzle 31, thereby improving the cleanliness of the lens surface and thus improving the coating effect of the lens; moreover, the vacuum environment is cleaner than the surrounding environment exposed to the outside world, and the propagation characteristics of the light of the detection device 29 therein are relatively stable, and there are no interfering factors such as dust in the atmosphere scattering light, which enables the detection device 29 to observe the dust situation on the lens surface more clearly, making it easier for workers to adopt targeted cleaning measures; moreover, the lens is in the sealing cover 23 while waiting to be placed in the coating machine after installation, and the outside light cannot enter the inside of the sealing cover 23, thereby reducing the influence of the outside light on the detection device 29, improving the detection accuracy of the lens surface cleanliness, thereby improving the detection accuracy, and then improving the cleanliness of the lens;

[0053] After the sealing cover 23 is evacuated, the driving assembly 28 drives the slide bar 27 to move and inspect the lenses one by one. If a lens is detected to be unqualified in cleanliness, the lens at that location is marked. After the inspection of a lens on a substrate plate 13 is completed, the marked lens is blown clean. At this time, the sealing cover 23 loses the vacuum environment temporarily due to the blowing cleaning work. After the blowing cleaning is completed, it continues to be sucked to a low vacuum environment, and then the cleanliness of the marked lens is inspected again until the lens passes the inspection. If the lens is still unqualified, the marked lens is marked, and the sealing cover 23 selects a low vacuum environment or restores it according to the actual situation. After coating, the marked unqualified lens is subjected to subsequent processing;

[0054] While the lens is waiting to be coated, the heating assembly 25 preheats the interior of the sealing cover 23. Preheating the lens can increase the surface temperature of the lens and intensify the molecular motion. When the coating material is deposited on the lens surface, it can better interact with the molecules on the lens surface, forming a stronger chemical bond or physical adsorption, thereby enhancing the adhesion between the film layer and the lens, making the film layer less likely to fall off, and improving the coating effect of the lens.

[0055] If the lens is not preheated before coating, the deposition of coating material during the coating process will cause the surface temperature of the lens to change, resulting in thermal stress inside the lens. Preheating the lens can keep the lens at a relatively high and uniform temperature before coating, reducing the thermal stress caused by temperature changes during the coating process, avoiding problems such as cracks in the coating layer or lens deformation due to stress concentration, and improving the stability and durability of the lens and coating layer.

[0056] Furthermore, when heating the small chamber formed in the sealing cover 23, the heat propagation path within the small chamber is relatively short due to its smaller space, making it easier to achieve uniform temperature distribution. The heating or cooling source can act more evenly on various parts of the chamber, reducing local overheating or overcooling. In contrast, in the large chamber of the vacuum coating machine, heat needs to be propagated in a larger space and is easily affected by factors such as airflow and chamber structure, resulting in uneven temperature distribution and increasing the difficulty and complexity of temperature control. This facilitates heating of the lens before coating and cooling after coating, thereby improving the coating effect of the coating machine on the lens.

[0057] When the cleaning brush 32 is cleaned, the cleaning brush 32 is moved to the side of the lens, and the nozzle 3 blows air toward the lens in coordination with the suction nozzle 31. The airflow passes through the lens and enters the cleaning brush 32, blowing the dust mixed in the cleaning brush 32 toward the suction nozzle 31, forming a relatively fixed airflow path, thereby preventing the airflow from carrying dust around and affecting other lenses. In addition, when the airflow carries out the dust in the cleaning brush 32, it passes through the sticky mesh tube 33, which adheres to the dust, reduces the dust carried by the airflow, and reduces the range of movement of the dust carried by the airflow, thereby improving the cleanliness of the inside of the sealing cover 23. In addition, the cleaning brush 32 can also be cleaned by blowing air, thereby improving the cleanliness of the cleaning brush 32 when it is working continuously.

[0058] Example 3:

[0059] On the basis of the second embodiment, the sliding rod 27 is provided with a vibrating rod 34 between the sticky mesh tube 33 and the cleaning brush 32. The vibrating rod 34 is hinged to the sliding rod 27 by a torsion spring. The bottom of the vibrating rod 34 is in a grid-like shape and encircles the cleaning brush 32. The top of the sealing cover 23 is evenly provided with a shift block 35, and the top of the vibrating rod 34 contacts the shift block 35; one hole in the grid at the bottom of the vibrating rod 34 encircles a part of the cleaning brush 32, and the other hole encircles another part of the cleaning brush 32, until all the cleaning brushes 32 are encircled by the grid portion at the bottom of the vibrating rod 34;

[0060] The sticky net tube 33 is evenly provided with suction holes 36, the bottom of the sticky net tube 33 is closed, and the top is connected to the suction nozzle 31 through an air pipe;

[0061] A vent pipe 37 is provided in the sealing cover 23 , and a temperature and humidity sensor is provided in the vent pipe 37 . One end of the vent pipe 37 is connected to the sealing cover 23 through a valve, and the other end is connected to the nozzle 3 . The vent pipe 37 is located in the insulation material 24 and close to the heating component 25 .

[0062] Specific working process: When the cleaning brush 32 moves in an area away from the lens, the slide bar 27 drives the vibrating rod 34 to move. The vibrating rod 34 passes through a plurality of linearly arranged dial blocks 35. The vibrating rod 34 repeatedly tilts and resets to form vibrations. The vibrating rod 34 drives the cleaning brush 32 to twist left and right through the grid-like shape at the bottom, combing out the dust trapped in the cleaning brush 32. The blowing effect of the nozzle 3 is combined to remove the dust and maintain the cleanliness of the cleaning brush 32, thereby improving the cleaning effect and avoiding contamination of the lens during cleaning.

[0063] The suction nozzle 31 is connected to the sticky net tube 33 through an air pipe, so that the sticky net tube 33 sucks air from the cleaning brush 32 through the suction hole 36 at a close distance, shortening the air flow path while improving the dust collection effect on the cleaning brush 32, further improving the cleanliness of the cleaning brush 32;

[0064] Before the nozzle 3 sprays air, the air flows through the vent pipe 37. Since the vent pipe 37 is located inside the heat-insulating material 24 and close to the heating assembly 25, the vent pipe 37 is heated. The airflow passing through the vent pipe 37 is heated by the vent pipe 37 and then blown toward the close-up lens, which helps to preheat the individual lenses.

[0065] In addition, a conventional temperature and humidity sensor is provided in the ventilation pipe 37 to detect the temperature and humidity of the passing airflow. The data from the temperature and humidity sensor facilitates workers to adjust the temperature and humidity parameters of the airflow, which helps to adjust the surface temperature and humidity of the lens itself and improve the coating effect. For example, in a high humidity environment, the lens surface easily absorbs water vapor in the air, forming a thin layer of water film; this water film affects the direct contact between the coating material and the lens surface, hindering the wetting and adhesion of the coating material to the lens, resulting in a decrease in the adhesion of the film layer; excessively high temperature may intensify the molecular motion on the lens surface, resulting in increased surface roughness, affecting the adhesion and optical performance of the coating; excessively low temperature may make the lens surface too hard, making it difficult for the coating material to spread evenly on its surface, which also affects the coating quality;

[0066] In addition, by adjusting the temperature and humidity parameters of the airflow, lenses of different materials can be treated differently at close range through the nozzle 3 to achieve adaptive preheating of the lenses. For example, the thermal expansion coefficient of glass lenses is relatively small and their sensitivity to temperature changes is lower than that of resin lenses. When the temperature is high, resin lenses may be slightly deformed, while glass lenses are relatively stable.

[0067] Example 4:

[0068] On the basis of the third embodiment, baffles 38 are evenly provided at the bottom of the slide bar 27, and the baffles 38 are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the lens, and the lens is located between adjacent baffles 38;

[0069] A centering marking device 39 is provided on one side of the baffle 38 close to the center of the slide bar 27. The centering marking device 39 is used to assist the detection device 29 in detecting the position of the lens.

[0070] The single bristle of the cleaning brush 32 is in a ring shape, and the cleaning brush 32 is made of soft material.

[0071] Specific working process: By setting the baffle 38, when the nozzle 3 is working on a single lens, the baffles 38 on both sides of the lens intercept the airflow and guide the airflow to the lens and the cleaning brush 32, avoiding the outflow of the airflow and the possibility of the airflow carrying dust and further ensuring the flow path of the airflow;

[0072] Position offset will cause the relative position between the lens and the coating source to change, resulting in uneven deposition of the coating material on the lens surface; since the machine vision detection instrument in the detection device 29 can also automatically detect the installation accuracy of the lens, by setting a centering mark device 39, which is a component of the auxiliary detection device 29, the centering mark device 39 can be a marking line, which guides the detection device 29 through the marking line and provides position requirements for the detection device 29. It can also be an electronic marking device that assists the detection device 29 in detecting the installation position of the lens through optical methods, realizes re-detection of the installation position of the lens, and ensures the installation accuracy of the lens; if there are too many unqualified lenses on a single substrate plate 13, the worker will remove the sealing cover 23 and readjust and process the lens;

[0073] By setting the single bristle of the cleaning brush 32 to be circular, the end of the cleaning brush 32 is curved when the cleaning brush 32 contacts the lens, thereby preventing the tip of the cleaning brush 32 from contacting the lens, causing the cleaning brush 32 to repeatedly contact the lens and cause scratches on the lens, thereby improving the protection of the lens;

[0074] Furthermore, the bottom of the cleaning brush 32 is curved. When it contacts and adheres to the lens surface, the curved portion of the lens bends and gently scrapes the lens surface, thereby improving the cleaning effect. Compared with a cleaning brush 32 with vertical bristles, the tip of the cleaning brush 32 with vertical bristles repeatedly scrapes and sweeps across the lens surface, increasing the risk of scratching the lens surface.

[0075] Furthermore, the cleaning brush 32 can be made of a material that is less hard than the lens and is prone to static electricity generation, such as chemical fiber fabrics, plush materials, and plastics. During the self-cleaning process of the cleaning brush 32 swinging through the shift block 35, the cleaning brush 32 frequently rubs against each other to generate static electricity and accumulates static electricity. When the cleaning brush 32 comes into contact with the lens surface, the dust is adsorbed by the electrostatic adsorption effect, thereby improving the cleaning effect.

[0076] In addition, when the cleaning brush 32 moves to one side of the lens, the cleaning brush 32 can also contact the metal substrate plate 13, eliminating the static electricity in the cleaning brush 32, so that the dust in the cleaning brush 32 loses the electrostatic adsorption effect, which helps to remove dust and improve the practicality of the vacuum coating machine.

[0077] Embodiment 5:

[0078] A control system for a fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses, the control system comprising a hardware system and a software system. The hardware system comprises a central processing unit, a sensor, an actuator, and a human-machine interface, and the software system comprises a control program, monitoring software, and a diagnostic alarm program.

[0079] Hardware system

[0080] Central processing unit: usually adopts PLC; PLC has the advantages of high reliability, strong anti-interference ability, simple programming, etc., and is suitable for conventional coating process control;

[0081] Sensors: including vacuum sensors, temperature sensors, thickness sensors, etc.; vacuum sensors are used to monitor the vacuum level of the coating chamber in real time; temperature sensors are distributed in the substrate, evaporation source and other parts to monitor the temperature of each part; thickness sensors are used to measure the thickness of the coating online;

[0082] Actuators: such as the motor of the vacuum pump, the heating power supply of the evaporation source, the drive motor of the substrate holder 11, etc. These actuators act according to the instructions of the controller to control parameters such as vacuum degree, evaporation rate, and substrate movement;

[0083] Human-machine interface: usually a touch screen or industrial computer display; the operator inputs process parameters such as coating thickness, time, vacuum requirements, temperature setting value, etc. through the human-machine interface, and can also view the operating status of the equipment, the actual values of various parameters, and alarm information in real time;

[0084] Software System

[0085] Control program: written in a specialized programming language, such as the ladder diagram language of a PLC; the control program implements logical control and parameter adjustment of each hardware device according to the requirements of the coating process, ensuring that the coating process proceeds according to predetermined steps and parameters;

[0086] Monitoring software: used to monitor the operating status of the equipment in real time, displaying the real-time values of various parameters and the operating status icon of the equipment in a graphical interface; the monitoring software also has a data recording function, which can store key parameters of the coating process such as vacuum degree, temperature, coating time, thickness, etc. for subsequent query and analysis;

[0087] Fault diagnosis and alarm program: It can diagnose the operating status of the equipment in real time. When an abnormal situation is detected, such as abnormal vacuum, excessive temperature, equipment failure, etc., an alarm signal will be issued immediately, and the fault information will be displayed on the human-machine interface to prompt the operator to take appropriate measures.

[0088] Control flow of the control system

[0089] Initialization: After the equipment is powered on, the control system first performs a self-test to check whether each hardware device is working properly, such as whether the sensor can normally collect data and whether the actuator can respond normally. Then, the operator enters the process parameters of this coating through the human-machine interface, including the target vacuum degree, substrate heating temperature, evaporation power of the coating material, coating time, coating thickness, etc. These parameters are transmitted to the central processing unit for storage and processing;

[0090] Vacuum system control: The control system starts the vacuum pump group, opens the corresponding vacuum valve, and begins to evacuate the coating chamber. The vacuum sensor monitors the vacuum level in the coating chamber in real time and feeds the signal back to the central processing unit. The central processing unit compares the actual vacuum level with the set target vacuum level and adjusts the operating status of the vacuum pump group based on the difference, such as adjusting the speed of the vacuum pump or switching between different levels of vacuum pumps, to ensure that the vacuum level in the coating chamber gradually reaches and stabilizes at the target value.

[0091] Heating system control: When the vacuum level reaches a certain level, the control system activates the heating system to heat the substrate. The temperature sensor measures the substrate temperature in real time and feeds the temperature signal back to the central processing unit. The central processing unit controls the substrate heating rate and final temperature by adjusting the power of the heating element according to the set heating temperature value, so that the substrate temperature is stabilized within the set range. During the heating process, if the temperature fluctuates abnormally, the control system will adjust the heating power in time to ensure temperature stability.

[0092] Coating process control: After the substrate temperature reaches the set value and the vacuum level stabilizes, the control system activates the evaporation source. Based on the characteristics of the coating material and process requirements, the central processing unit controls the heating power supply of the evaporation source to evaporate the coating material at a certain rate. At the same time, the thickness sensor monitors the thickness of the coating in real time and feeds the thickness information back to the central processing unit. The central processing unit compares the real-time thickness data with the set coating thickness. When the coating thickness reaches the set value, the control system shuts down the evaporation source and stops coating. During the coating process, the rotation or movement control of the substrate holder 11 may also be involved to ensure the uniformity of the film layer. The central processing unit controls the drive motor of the substrate holder 11 to rotate or move the substrate according to a preset speed and method.

[0093] Cooling and ending: After the coating is completed, the control system turns off the heating system and starts the cooling system to cool the substrate and equipment. The cooling system removes the heat in the equipment through circulating cooling water, so that the temperature of the substrate and various components of the equipment gradually drops to room temperature. During the cooling process, the control system continues to monitor parameters such as vacuum degree and temperature to ensure that the equipment is in a safe state. When the equipment cools to room temperature and the vacuum degree remains stable for a period of time, the control system opens the inflation valve and fills the coating chamber with dry air or inert gas to restore the pressure in the coating chamber to atmospheric pressure. Finally, the operator can open the coating chamber and remove the coated substrate, and the coating process is completed.

[0094] Fault handling: During the entire coating process, the fault diagnosis program of the control system continuously monitors the status of various devices and parameters; once an abnormal situation is detected, such as a sudden drop in vacuum, temperature exceeding the set range, equipment component failure, etc., the fault diagnosis program immediately triggers the alarm mechanism, displays detailed fault information on the human-machine interface, and issues a sound or light alarm signal; the operator conducts corresponding investigation and processing according to the fault prompt; at the same time, the control system will take corresponding protective measures according to the severity of the fault, such as stopping the equipment operation, cutting off the power supply, etc., to prevent equipment damage or affecting the coating quality.

[0095] The basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention are shown and described above. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments. The foregoing embodiments and descriptions are merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention. Various changes and modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Such changes and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention. The scope of protection claimed in the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses, comprising a machine body (1), a vacuum unit, a coating unit, an electrical control unit, a heating unit and a cooling unit; characterized in that: The coating unit comprises: A substrate frame (11) is rotatably connected to the body (1), and the top of the substrate frame (11) is connected to a driving device (12) built into the body (1). A rectangular area is distributed in an annular manner on the inner ring of the substrate frame (11). A substrate plate (13) is rotatably connected in the rectangular area of the substrate frame (11). The substrate plate (13) is evenly provided with mounting grooves (14). The inner wall of the mounting groove (14) is threadedly connected with a screw rod (15). One end of the screw rod (15) is rotatably connected to a rotating block (16). A fixing ring (17) is provided between adjacent rotating blocks (16). The fixing ring (17) is composed of a plurality of I-shaped rods hinged to each other. An inner ring of the fixing ring (17) is provided with an elastic ring (18), and the lens is installed in the elastic ring (18). A drive shaft (19) is rotatably connected to the edge of the substrate frame (11), and one end of the drive shaft (19) is connected to the substrate plate (13), and the other end is connected to the motor (2) installed on the substrate frame (11); the inner ring of the substrate frame (11) is hinged with an extrusion rod (21) through a torsion spring, the extrusion rod (21) is made of high-temperature resistant plastic, and a pressure sensor (22) is provided on the extrusion rod (21), and the pressure sensor (22) is in contact with the substrate plate (13).

2. The fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses according to claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate rack (11) is evenly provided with a sealing cover (23), and the sealing cover (23) seals the top and bottom of the substrate plate (13), the inner wall of the sealing cover (23) is provided with a heat-insulating material (24), and the heat-insulating material (24) is provided with a heating component (25), and the outer edge of the sealing cover (23) is provided with a rubber strip (26), and the rubber strip (26) is in contact with the substrate rack (11); the sealing cover (23) is slidably connected with a slide rod (27), and the slide rod (27) slides around the center of the substrate rack (11), and the sealing cover ( 23) is provided with a driving assembly (28) at the top, and the driving assembly (28) is connected to the slide bar (27), and the driving assembly (28) drives the slide bar (27) to move horizontally and vertically in the sealing cover (23); a detection device (29) is provided on the sealing cover (23), a nozzle (3) is evenly provided on one side of the slide bar (27), and the probe in the detection device (29) is located at the bottom center of the slide bar (27), the nozzle (3) is located on one side of the slide bar (27), and a one-way suction nozzle (31) is provided on the top of the sealing cover (23).

3. The fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses according to claim 2, characterized in that: A cleaning brush (32) is provided on the side of the slide bar (27) away from the nozzle (3), and a sticky mesh tube (33) is provided on one side of the cleaning brush (32). The sticky mesh tube (33) is away from the nozzle (3) and is composed of a plurality of hollow tubes connected together.

4. The fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses according to claim 3, characterized in that: The sliding rod (27) is located between the sticky mesh tube (33) and the cleaning brush (32), and a vibration rod (34) is provided. The vibration rod (34) is hinged to the sliding rod (27) through a torsion spring. The bottom of the vibration rod (34) is in a grid shape and surrounds the cleaning brush (32). The top of the sealing cover (23) is evenly provided with a shifting block (35), and the top of the vibration rod (34) contacts the shifting block (35).

5. The fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses according to claim 4, characterized in that: Suction holes (36) are evenly opened on the sticky net tube (33), the bottom of the sticky net tube (33) is closed, and the top is connected to the suction nozzle (31) through an air pipe.

6. The fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses according to claim 4, characterized in that: A vent pipe (37) is provided in the sealing cover (23), and a temperature and humidity sensor is provided in the vent pipe (37). One end of the vent pipe (37) is connected to the sealing cover (23) through a valve, and the other end is connected to the nozzle (3). The vent pipe (37) is located in the thermal insulation material (24) and close to the heating component (25).

7. The fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses according to claim 2, characterized in that: Baffles (38) are evenly arranged at the bottom of the slide bar (27), and the baffles (38) are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the lens, and the lens is located between adjacent baffles (38).

8. The fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses according to claim 7, characterized in that: A centering marking device (39) is provided on one side of the baffle (38) close to the center of the slide bar (27). The centering marking device (39) is used to assist the detection device (29) in detecting the position of the lens.

9. The fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses according to claim 3, characterized in that: The single bristle of the cleaning brush (32) is in a ring shape, and the cleaning brush (32) is made of soft material.

10. A control system for a fully automatic vacuum coating machine for optical lenses, the control system being applicable to the fully automatic vacuum coating machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The control system includes a hardware system and a software system. The hardware system includes a central processing unit, sensors, actuators and a human-machine interface, and the software system includes a control program, monitoring software and a diagnosis and alarm program.

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