Vacuum coating equipment and vacuum coating method for flexible base material

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of vacuum coating, and particularly discloses vacuum coating equipment for a flexible base material and a vacuum coating method.The vacuum coating equipment for the flexible base material comprises a coating mechanism and a winding mechanism arranged on the outer side of the coating mechanism and used for winding and unfolding the flexible base material. Therefore, the height of the rolled flexible base material is correspondingly adjusted to adapt to flexible base materials of different sizes, meanwhile, the flexible base material has matched rolling and unfolding spaces between the second base plate and the third base plate, the film coating efficiency is prevented from being affected, the spaces on the inner side and the outer side of the flexible base material can still be relatively separated, the film coating uniformity is improved, and meanwhile, the film coating efficiency is improved. Through cooperation of the first coating assembly, the second coating assembly and the first connecting assembly, the height of the target material mechanism can be adjusted in a linkage mode, so that the target material mechanism bombards target material atoms from the center position of the flexible base material, and the coating uniformity is further improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of vacuum coating, and in particular to a vacuum coating device and a vacuum coating method for a flexible substrate. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of flexible screen related technologies, foldable screen mobile phones are rapidly iterating and have become the representative of high-end products of major mobile phone manufacturers. The outermost layer of the foldable screen mobile phone screen usually uses colorless polyimide film or ultra-thin glass as a flexible substrate. However, the disadvantages of flexible substrates are also obvious, that is, their hardness, wear resistance and scratch resistance are poor. To this end, vacuum coating technology can effectively solve the above problems. Among them, magnetron sputtering coating is a physical vapor deposition technology that applies an electromagnetic field in a vacuum environment to bombard the surface of a solid target material with argon ions. The sputtered target atoms are deposited on the workpiece to form a thin film.

[0003] Publication number CN115058698B discloses a roll-to-roll vacuum coating machine. The problem raised in its background technology is: the existing roll-to-roll coating machine is prone to causing wrinkles in the film when unwinding and rewinding the film, resulting in uneven film, which is not conducive to the coating treatment of the film. In addition, during operation, the film is subjected to uneven tensile stress, which is prone to excessive instantaneous tensile stress and damage to the film.

[0004] Based on the existing technology, the following problems exist: In the process of unfolding and rewinding the flexible substrate for vacuum coating, the existing vacuum coating equipment for flexible substrates is prone to deformation, which makes it inconvenient to match with flexible substrates of different sizes, inconvenient for actual vacuum coating, and inconvenient to synchronously adjust the distance between the target material and the substrate, affecting the uniformity of the coating. Referring to the above application documents, it only ensures the stability of the flexible substrate during the winding process through a mechanism similar to tension adjustment, which has certain shortcomings. In order to solve the above problems, a vacuum coating equipment and a vacuum coating method for flexible substrates are proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions: A vacuum coating apparatus for a flexible substrate comprises a vacuum furnace, a coating mechanism disposed in the vacuum furnace and arranged vertically, a winding mechanism disposed outside the coating mechanism for unwinding the flexible substrate, and a lifting mechanism disposed on a side of the winding mechanism away from the coating mechanism, wherein the coating mechanism comprises: The first substrate is fixedly arranged on the inner side wall of the vacuum furnace, the second substrate is fixedly arranged on the top of the first substrate, the third substrate is lifted and lowered on the top of the second substrate, the first substrate is provided with a first guide assembly arranged in a circular array with the center point of the second substrate, so as to guide the unwinding of the flexible substrate, the top of the first substrate and the top of the second substrate are respectively provided with a first coating assembly and a second coating assembly, so as to coat the flexible substrate from both sides thereof, respectively, and the winding mechanism includes: The spline shaft is rotatably arranged on the bottom inner wall of the vacuum furnace and is symmetrically arranged with respect to the center point of the second base plate. The side walls of the two spline shafts are respectively provided with a first winding assembly and a second winding assembly. The first winding assembly includes: The winding drum is sleeved on the side wall of the spline shaft. A spacing for installing the winding drum is left between the top of the spline shaft and the top inner wall of the vacuum furnace. The top of the third base plate is provided with a first connecting component.

[0006] Furthermore, the first guiding component includes: A first guide tube is rotatably mounted on the top of the first substrate. A second guide tube is movably mounted on the top of the first substrate. The flexible substrate is rolled up between the first guide tube and the second guide tube. The tops of the first guide tube and the second guide tube both extend to the top of the vacuum furnace. A support assembly arranged in a circular array is disposed on a side of the second substrate and the third substrate facing away from each other to limit the position of the second guide tube. The support assembly includes: The support seat is fixedly arranged on a side where the second substrate and the third substrate are away from each other. A supporting groove is provided on the top of the support seat and passes through the second substrate, the third substrate and the first substrate. First sliding grooves are provided on the inner walls on both sides of the supporting groove. First sliders are placed inside the first sliding grooves. The outer wall of the second guide tube is fixedly connected to the side where the first slider is close to each other. First springs are placed inside the first sliding grooves so that the second guide tube has a tendency to approach the first guide tube.

[0007] Furthermore, the first coating assembly and the second coating assembly are identical and arranged opposite to each other so as to coat the flexible substrate from the inner side and the outer side thereof, respectively. The second coating assembly comprises: The frame is fixedly mounted on the top of the second base plate, a first transmission mechanism is provided at the inner middle end of the frame, a first tooth plate and a second tooth plate are slidably provided on the inner walls of both sides of the frame, the top of the first tooth plate is fixedly connected to the bottom of the third base plate, and the first tooth plate and the second tooth plate are moved in the same direction by the first transmission mechanism; The guide rods are fixedly arranged on the top of the second base plate in an annular array. The side walls of the guide rods are sleeved with a ring body, and the outer wall of the ring body is fixedly connected to the second tooth plate.

[0008] Furthermore, the second coating assembly further includes: The movable plate is horizontally movably arranged on the outer wall of the ring body and extends into the ring body. The side wall of one end of the movable plate located outside the ring body is provided with a target mechanism, and the side wall of one end of the movable plate located inside the ring body is respectively provided with an arc surface and a limit frame, and a limit groove is provided on the top of the limit frame; The first servo motor is fixed on the top of the vacuum furnace. The output shaft of the first servo motor is fixed with a rotating shaft extending into the vacuum furnace through a coupling. The side wall of the rotating shaft is fixed with a shift rod. The side wall of the rotating shaft is sleeved in the limiting groove. The inner wall of the ring body is fixed with a second spring, and the second spring is fixedly connected to the top of the limiting frame.

[0009] Furthermore, the two spline shafts are connected in a transmission manner so that the two spline shafts rotate synchronously. A second servo motor for driving the spline shafts to rotate is fixedly provided on the bottom inner wall of the vacuum furnace. A second guide assembly is provided on the bottom inner wall of the vacuum furnace and located inside the first winding assembly and the second winding assembly. The first winding assembly and the second winding assembly are the same, and the first winding assembly further includes: A first auxiliary ring is fixedly mounted on the top of the winding drum, and a first clamping groove is formed on the outer wall of the first auxiliary ring; The second auxiliary ring is fixed on the bottom of the winding drum, and the inner walls of the first auxiliary ring and the second auxiliary ring are sleeved on the side wall of the spline shaft. The outer wall of the second auxiliary ring is provided with a second slot.

[0010] Furthermore, the second guide component includes: The third guide tube is rotatably arranged on the bottom inner wall of the vacuum furnace. The fourth guide tube is rotatably arranged on the bottom inner wall of the vacuum furnace. The flexible substrate is rolled up between the third guide tube and the fourth guide tube. The tops of the third guide tube and the fourth guide tube both extend to the top of the vacuum furnace.

[0011] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism includes: A lifting seat is fixedly mounted on the bottom inner wall of the vacuum furnace, a second chute is provided on the inner side of the lifting seat, a second slider is placed inside the second chute, and a second connecting assembly for connecting the second slider and the winding drum is provided on the inner side of the lifting seat; The third servo motor is fixed on the top of the vacuum furnace. The output shaft of the third servo motor is fixed with a threaded rod extending into the second sliding groove through a coupling. The threaded rod is threadedly connected to the second sliding block.

[0012] Furthermore, the second connection component includes: A connecting frame is fixedly provided on the inner side of the second slider, and a second transmission mechanism is provided on the top of the connecting frame. A first rotating rod and a second rotating rod are rotatably provided on the top of the connecting frame. The first rotating rod and the second rotating rod are symmetrically arranged with respect to the center point of the connecting frame. The side walls of the first rotating rod and the second rotating rod are respectively fixedly provided with a first gear and a second gear, and the first gear and the second gear are meshed. a fourth servo motor, fixedly disposed at the bottom of the connecting frame, and driving the first gear and the second gear on both sides of the top of the connecting frame to rotate synchronously through the second transmission mechanism; The clamping plate is fixed on the side walls of the first rotating rod and the second rotating rod. An outer ring plate is fixed on one end of the clamping plate away from the first rotating rod, and an inner ring plate is fixed on the inner side of the outer ring plate.

[0013] Furthermore, the first connection component includes: The connecting seat is fixed on the top of the third base plate, and limiting grooves are provided on both sides of the connecting seat. The inner walls of the limiting grooves are sleeved with connecting blocks and connecting plates. The connecting blocks and the connecting plates are fixedly connected on the side close to each other, and the side walls of the connecting plate cooperate with the inner wall stop of the limiting groove. The inner wall of the limiting groove and the side of the connecting plate away from the connecting block are fixedly provided with third springs arranged at intervals.

[0014] The present invention also provides a vacuum coating method for a flexible substrate vacuum coating device, using the flexible substrate vacuum coating device, the method comprises the following steps: S1: Open the door of the vacuum furnace, and install the winding drum wrapped with the flexible substrate and the winding drum without the flexible substrate into the vacuum furnace through the winding mechanism; S2: After the flexible substrate is installed, the flexible substrate is rolled up along a predetermined route. During the rolling process, the flexible substrate is coated by a coating mechanism.

[0015] The present invention provides a vacuum coating device and method for a flexible substrate. Compared with the prior art, the device has the following advantages: 1. The present invention adjusts the height of the first winding assembly and the second winding assembly so that the height of the unrolled flexible substrate can be adjusted accordingly to accommodate flexible substrates of different sizes. At the same time, the flexible substrate has an adaptive unrolling space between the second substrate and the third substrate, thereby avoiding affecting the efficiency of the coating. The space inside and outside the flexible substrate can still be relatively separated, thereby improving the uniformity of the coating. At the same time, through the cooperation of the first coating assembly, the second coating assembly and the first connecting assembly, the height of the target mechanism can be adjusted in a linked manner, thereby allowing the target mechanism to bombard target atoms at the center position of the flexible substrate, further improving the uniformity of the coating.

[0016] 2. The present invention adjusts the height of the first winding assembly and the second winding assembly through the first connecting assembly and the second connecting assembly, while facilitating synchronous adjustment of the height of the third substrate and the target material mechanism. It is suitable for flexible substrates of different sizes and is easy to operate without affecting the coating effect.

[0017] 3. The present invention uses the first coating assembly and the second coating assembly to ensure that the target mechanism is always located at the center of the flexible substrate, thereby avoiding affecting the efficiency of coating and facilitating the adjustment of the distance between the target mechanism and the flexible substrate, thereby improving the uniformity of coating.

[0018] 4. The present invention uses the first guide component and the second guide component to move the flexible substrate between the second substrate and the third substrate along a circular trajectory, thereby facilitating coating the flexible substrate from both sides, improving the coating efficiency, and relatively separating the inner and outer spaces of the flexible substrate, which is beneficial to reducing the movement range of the target atoms after bombardment, so that the target atoms are evenly deposited on the flexible substrate, thereby improving the coating effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vacuum furnace of the present invention from a top view; Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the lifting mechanism and winding mechanism of the present invention; Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the coating mechanism, winding mechanism and first guide assembly of the present invention; Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of the first winding assembly, the second winding assembly and the second connecting assembly of the present invention; Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the second connecting assembly and winding drum structure of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of the second connection assembly of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic structural diagram of the first winding assembly of the present invention; Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the longitudinal cross-sectional structure of the first substrate and the third substrate of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic structural diagram of the first guide assembly and the second guide assembly of the present invention; Figure 11 For the present invention Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the enlarged structure of A; Figure 12 This is a schematic structural diagram of the first connecting component of the present invention; Figure 13 Schematic diagram of the structure of the second coating assembly and the first coating assembly of the present invention; Figure 14 It is a schematic diagram of the longitudinal cross-sectional structure of the ring body of the present invention.

[0020] Reference numerals in the above drawings: 1. vacuum furnace; 2. second guide assembly; 3. first servo motor; 4. fifth servo motor; 5. first guide assembly; 6. coating mechanism; 7. winding mechanism; 8. lifting mechanism; 21. Third guide tube; 22. Fourth guide tube; 51. First guide tube; 52. Second guide tube; 53. Support assembly; 531. Support seat; 532. Support slot; 61. First coating assembly; 62. First substrate; 63. First connecting assembly; 64. Third substrate; 65. Second substrate; 66. Second connecting assembly; 67. Second coating assembly; 631, connecting seat; 632, connecting plate; 633, connecting block; 661, connecting frame; 662, second gear; 663, second transmission mechanism; 664, first gear; 665, clamping plate; 666, outer ring plate; 667, inner ring plate; 668, fourth servo motor; 671, ring body; 672, second tooth plate; 673, frame body; 674, first tooth plate; 675, first transmission mechanism; 676, movable plate; 677, target mechanism; 678, guide rod; 679, arcuate surface; 6791, limit frame; 6792, limit slot; 6793, shift rod; 71. spline shaft; 72. first winding assembly; 73. second servo motor; 74. second winding assembly; 721, winding drum; 722, first clamping slot; 723, first auxiliary ring; 724, second auxiliary ring; 725, second clamping slot; 81. Lifting seat; 82. Third servo motor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments 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.

[0022] Example 1: Please refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figure 3 and Figure 4A vacuum coating device for a flexible substrate includes a vacuum furnace 1. During the coating process, the flexible substrate is placed in a vacuum environment by the vacuum furnace 1, thereby achieving vacuum coating. The device also includes a coating mechanism 6 arranged vertically in the vacuum furnace 1, a winding mechanism 7 arranged outside the coating mechanism 6 for unwinding the flexible substrate, and a lifting mechanism 8 arranged on the side of the winding mechanism 7 away from the coating mechanism 6. The coating mechanism 6 includes: The first substrate 62 is fixed to the inner wall of the vacuum furnace 1. A second substrate 65 is fixed on the top of the first substrate 62. A third substrate 64 is lifted and lowered on the top of the second substrate 65. The top of the first substrate 62 is provided with a first guide assembly 5 arranged in a circular array with the center point of the second substrate 65 to guide the unrolling of the flexible substrate. The top of the first substrate 62 and the top of the second substrate 65 are respectively provided with a first coating assembly 61 and a second coating assembly 67 to coat the flexible substrate from both sides.

[0023] During specific implementation, the flexible substrate is moved along a circular trajectory between the second substrate 65 and the third substrate 64 by the first guiding component 5 and the second guiding component 2, so that the first coating component 61 and the second coating component 67 can coat the flexible substrate from both sides, thereby improving the coating efficiency and making the inner and outer spaces of the flexible substrate relatively separated, which is conducive to reducing the movement range of the target atoms after bombardment, so that the target atoms can be evenly deposited on the flexible substrate, thereby improving the coating effect.

[0024] Due to the different sizes of flexible substrates, in order to facilitate coating of flexible substrates of different sizes and reduce wrinkles in the flexible substrate during the unrolling process, the height of the third substrate 64 is adjusted by the second connecting assembly 66 so that flexible substrates of different sizes can be unrolled between the third substrate 64 and the second substrate 65. The height of the first winding assembly 72 and the second winding assembly 74 are adjusted by the lifting mechanism 8, so that the height of the unrolled flexible substrate is adjusted accordingly to accommodate flexible substrates of different sizes. At the same time, the flexible substrate has an appropriate unrolling space between the second substrate 65 and the third substrate 64 to avoid affecting the efficiency of the coating. The movement trajectory of the flexible substrate and the obstruction of the second substrate 65 and the third substrate 64 can still keep the space inside and outside the flexible substrate relatively separated, thereby improving the uniformity of the coating. At the same time, through the cooperation of the first coating assembly 61, the second coating assembly 67 and the first connecting assembly 63, the height of the target mechanism 677 can be adjusted in a linked manner, so that the target mechanism 677 bombards target atoms at the center of the flexible substrate, further improving the uniformity of the coating.

[0025] The first coating assembly 61 and the second coating assembly 67 are identical and are disposed opposite to each other to coat the flexible substrate from the inner side and the outer side, respectively. The second coating assembly 67 includes: The frame 673 is fixedly mounted on the top of the second base plate 65. A first transmission mechanism 675 is provided at the inner middle end of the frame 673. A first tooth plate 674 and a second tooth plate 672 are slidably mounted on the inner walls of both sides of the frame 673. The top of the first tooth plate 674 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the third base plate 64. The first transmission mechanism 675 enables the first tooth plate 674 and the second tooth plate 672 to move in the same direction. The guide rods 678 are fixedly arranged on the top of the second base plate 65 in an annular array. The side walls of the guide rods 678 are sleeved with a ring body 671 , and the outer wall of the ring body 671 is fixedly connected to the second gear plate 672 .

[0026] See also Figure 9 、 Figure 13 and Figure 14 , the second coating component 67 further includes: The movable plate 676 is horizontally movable on the outer wall of the ring body 671 and extends into the ring body 671. The side wall of the movable plate 676 located outside the ring body 671 is provided with a target mechanism 677. The side wall of the movable plate 676 located inside the ring body 671 is provided with an arc surface 679 and a limit frame 6791. The limit frame 6791 has a limit slot 6792 defined at its top. The first servo motor 3 is fixed on the top of the vacuum furnace 1. The output shaft of the first servo motor 3 is fixed with a rotating shaft extending into the vacuum furnace 1 through a coupling. The side wall of the rotating shaft is fixed with a shift rod 6793, and the side wall of the rotating shaft is sleeved in the limiting groove 6792. The inner wall of the ring body 671 is fixed with a second spring, and the second spring is fixedly connected to the top of the limiting frame 6791.

[0027] In a specific implementation, when the height of the third substrate 64 is adjusted through the first connecting component 63, the third substrate 64 drives the first tooth plate 674 to move upward, and the first tooth plate 674 drives the second tooth plate 672 to move upward through the first transmission mechanism 675, and the second tooth plate 672 drives the ring body 671 to move upward, thereby driving the movable plate 676 and the target material mechanism 677 to move upward, so as to synchronously adjust the height of the target material mechanism 677 according to flexible substrates of different sizes, so that the bombarded target atoms are more evenly deposited on the surface of the flexible substrate, thereby improving the uniformity of the coating.

[0028] Since the heights of the top of the third substrate 64 and the top of the winding drum 721 are synchronized, when the height of the winding drum 721 and the third substrate 64 increases by two units, the target mechanism 677 needs to move upward by one unit to ensure that it is located at the center of the flexible substrate. This avoids compromising the uniformity of the coating due to adapting to flexible substrates of different sizes. To this end, the transmission ratio between the first transmission mechanism 675 and the second tooth plate 672 is adjusted so that when the first tooth plate 674 moves upward by two units, the second tooth plate 672 moves upward by one unit. This ensures that the target mechanism 677 is always located at the center of the flexible substrate, avoiding any impact on the coating efficiency.

[0029] The first transmission mechanism 675 includes two meshing first transmission gears, and the sides of the first transmission gears that are away from each other are respectively meshed with the first tooth plate 674 and the second tooth plate 672, so that the first tooth plate 674 can drive the second tooth plate 672 to move upward or downward synchronously, and through the transmission ratio of the meshing of the two first transmission gears, it is easy to adjust the moving distance of the second tooth plate 672, which is convenient for actual adjustment and use.

[0030] During the coating process, the distance between the target material and the substrate affects the uniformity of the target material atomic distribution. In order to improve the uniformity of the deposition of target material atoms on the surface of the flexible substrate, the first servo motor 3 drives the rotating shaft and the lever 6793 of the second coating component 67 to rotate. The lever 6793 squeezes the movable plate 676 along the arc surface 679 to overcome the elastic force of the second spring to move, thereby adjusting the horizontal position of the target material mechanism 677 and adjusting the distance between the target material mechanism 677 and the flexible substrate, thereby improving the uniformity of the coating.

[0031] By making the movable plate 676 only able to move horizontally on the side wall of the ring body 671, the movable plate 676 and the target mechanism 677 can be lifted and lowered synchronously when the ring body 671 is lifted and lowered. By making the height of the lever 6793 and the curved surface 679 greater than the lifting height of the ring body 671, the lever 6793 is kept at a certain distance from the limit frame 6791. Therefore, when the ring body 671 is lifted and lowered, the lever 6793 is always in contact with the curved surface 679 to facilitate the movement of the movable plate 676. The second spring facilitates the reset of the movable plate 676 and the target mechanism 677 for the next use.

[0032] The limiting frame 6791 is sleeved on the side wall of the rotating shaft to prevent the movable plate 676 from being separated from the ring body 671.

[0033] The first tooth plate 674 of the first coating component 61 is fixedly connected to the third substrate 64 to facilitate synchronous adjustment of the height of the target mechanism 677 of the first coating component 61 and the second coating component 67. The first coating component 61 also includes a fifth servo motor 4 to drive the lever 6793 of the first coating component 61 to rotate. The specific transmission is the same as that of the second coating component 67 and will not be repeated here.

[0034] Example 2: Please refer to Figure 4 、 Figure 5 、 Figure 6 and Figure 8 The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the winding mechanism 7 includes: The spline shaft 71 is rotatably mounted on the bottom inner wall of the vacuum furnace 1 and is symmetrically arranged with respect to the center point of the second base plate 65. The side walls of the two spline shafts 71 are respectively provided with a first winding assembly 72 and a second winding assembly 74. The first winding assembly 72 includes: The winding drum 721 is sleeved on the side wall of the spline shaft 71 , and a gap for installing the winding drum 721 is left between the top of the spline shaft 71 and the top inner wall of the vacuum furnace 1 . The first connecting component 63 is provided on the top of the third base plate 64 .

[0035] The two spline shafts 71 are connected in a transmission manner so that the two spline shafts 71 rotate synchronously. A second servo motor 73 for driving the spline shaft 71 to rotate is fixedly provided on the bottom inner wall of the vacuum furnace 1. A second guide assembly 2 is provided on the bottom inner wall of the vacuum furnace 1 and located inside the first winding assembly 72 and the second winding assembly 74. The first winding assembly 72 and the second winding assembly 74 are the same. The first winding assembly 72 also includes: The first auxiliary ring 723 is fixed on the top of the winding drum 721, and the outer wall of the first auxiliary ring 723 is provided with a first slot 722; The second auxiliary ring 724 is fixed to the bottom of the winding drum 721 , and the inner walls of the first auxiliary ring 723 and the second auxiliary ring 724 are both sleeved on the side walls of the spline shaft 71 . The outer wall of the second auxiliary ring 724 is provided with a second slot 725 .

[0036] In a specific implementation, the winding drum 721 is sleeved on the side wall of the spline shaft 71 so that the spline shaft 71 can drive the winding drum 721 to rotate while the winding drum 721 can move vertically, thereby facilitating adjustment of the height of the winding drum 721 to suit flexible substrates of different sizes.

[0037] When driving the two spline shafts 71 to rotate, the two spline shafts 71 are connected by a transmission method of gears and chains. This is the existing technology and will not be described in detail here, so that the two spline shafts 71 rotate synchronously, thereby driving the winding drums 721 of the first winding assembly 72 and the second winding assembly 74 to rotate synchronously, so that while one of the winding drums 721 reels the flexible substrate, the other winding drum 721 unfolds the flexible substrate, so that the flexible substrate is stably wound, so that it can be coated during the winding process. One of the spline shafts 71 is driven to rotate by the second servo motor 73, thereby driving the two spline shafts 71 to rotate synchronously, which is convenient for actual driving use.

[0038] The lifting mechanism 8 and the second connecting assembly 66 facilitate synchronous adjustment of the heights of the winding drums 721 of the first winding assembly 72 and the second winding assembly 74 , thereby facilitating adjustment according to the size of the flexible substrate and facilitating practical use.

[0039] The first card slot 722 and the second card slot 725 facilitate cooperation with the first connecting component 63 and the second connecting component 66 respectively, so that when adjusting the height of the winding drum 721, the height of the third substrate 64 and the target material mechanism 677 can be adjusted synchronously, which is convenient for practical operation.

[0040] In order to ensure the stability of the winding of the flexible substrate, the flexible substrate can be adaptively squeezed by an external tension adjustment mechanism to ensure the tension of the flexible substrate during the winding process. This is a prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0041] See also Figure 3 , the lifting mechanism 8 includes: The lifting seat 81 is fixed to the bottom inner wall of the vacuum furnace 1. A second chute is provided on the inner side of the lifting seat 81. A second slider is placed inside the second chute. A second connecting assembly 66 for connecting the second slider and the winding drum 721 is provided on the inner side of the lifting seat 81. The third servo motor 82 is fixed on the top of the vacuum furnace 1. The output shaft of the third servo motor 82 is fixed with a threaded rod extending into the second sliding groove through a coupling. The threaded rod is threadedly connected to the second sliding block.

[0042] During the specific implementation, the third servo motor 82 is started, and the output shaft of the third servo motor 82 drives the threaded rod to rotate, so as to drive the second slider to move during the rotation of the threaded rod, so as to drive the second connecting component 66 to move, thereby adjusting the positioning position of the winding drum 721, thereby adjusting the height of the winding drum 721.

[0043] See also Figure 7 , the second connecting component 66 includes: A connecting frame 661 is fixedly mounted on the inner side of the second slider. A second transmission mechanism 663 is provided on the top of the connecting frame 661. A first rotating rod and a second rotating rod are rotatably mounted on the top of the connecting frame 661. The first rotating rod and the second rotating rod are symmetrically arranged about the center point of the connecting frame 661. A first gear 664 and a second gear 662 are fixedly mounted on the side walls of the first rotating rod and the second rotating rod, respectively. The first gear 664 and the second gear 662 are meshed with each other. A fourth servo motor 668 is fixed to the bottom of the connecting frame 661. The fourth servo motor 668 drives the first gear 664 and the second gear 662 on both sides of the top of the connecting frame 661 to rotate synchronously through the second transmission mechanism 663. The clamping plate 665 is fixed to the side walls of the first rotating rod and the second rotating rod. An outer ring plate 666 is fixed to one end of the clamping plate 665 away from the first rotating rod, and an inner ring plate 667 is fixed to the inner side of the outer ring plate 666.

[0044] During the specific implementation, the fourth servo motor 668 is started, so that the fourth servo motor 668 drives the two clamping plates 665 on the top side of the connecting frame 661 to move away from each other, so that the two outer ring plates 666 are respectively located on both sides of the spline shaft 71, and then the winding drum 721 is placed on the side wall of the spline shaft 71 along the top of the spline shaft 71. When the second auxiliary ring 724 at the bottom of the winding drum 721 is horizontal with the inner ring plate 667, the two outer ring plates 666 are brought close to each other to insert the inner ring plate 667 into the second clamping groove 725, thereby positioning the winding drum 721 and adjusting the height of the winding drum 721 through the lifting mechanism 8.

[0045] By setting the second slot 725, after the inner ring plate 667 is inserted into the second slot 725, the winding drum 721 can rotate on the side wall of the inner ring plate 667 through the second slot 725, thereby not affecting the rotation of the winding drum 721 and facilitating the height positioning of the winding drum 721.

[0046] The first gear 664 and the second gear 662 on both sides of the top of the connecting frame 661 are driven by the second transmission mechanism 663, so as to facilitate synchronous adjustment of the height of the winding drum 721 of the first winding assembly 72 and the second winding assembly 74, which is convenient for practical operation.

[0047] The second transmission mechanism 663 includes a second transmission gear and two third transmission gears that are rotatably arranged on the top of the connecting frame 661. The two third transmission gears are respectively engaged with the two sides of the second transmission gear and are engaged with the first gear 664 or the second gear 662, so that the rotation directions of the first gear 664 and the second gear 662 are opposite, so that the card plates 665 can rotate closer to or away from each other.

[0048] See also Figure 12 , the first connection component 63 includes: The connecting seat 631 is fixed on the top of the third base plate 64. Limiting grooves are provided on both sides of the connecting seat 631. The inner walls of the limiting grooves are sleeved with connecting blocks 633 and connecting plates 632. The connecting blocks 633 and the connecting plates 632 are fixedly connected on the side close to each other. The side walls of the connecting plates 632 cooperate with the inner wall stops of the limiting grooves. The inner wall of the limiting groove and the side of the connecting plate 632 away from the connecting block 633 are fixed with third springs arranged at intervals.

[0049] In specific implementation, after the height adjustment of the winding drum 721 is completed, the connecting block 633 is inserted into the first card slot 722 of the first auxiliary ring 723, so that the third substrate 64 is connected to the winding drum 721, so that the height of the third substrate 64 is adjusted according to the size of the flexible substrate.

[0050] The connection plate 632 cooperates with the limiting groove stopper to prevent the connection block 633 from being separated from the connection seat 631.

[0051] Example 3: Please refer to Figure 10 and Figure 11 The difference between this embodiment and the second embodiment is that the first guide component 5 includes: The first guide tube 51 is rotatably mounted on the top of the first substrate 62. The second guide tube 52 is movably mounted on the top of the first substrate 62. The flexible substrate is rolled up between the first guide tube 51 and the second guide tube 52. The tops of the first guide tube 51 and the second guide tube 52 both extend to the top of the vacuum furnace 1. The second substrate 65 and the third substrate 64 are both provided with support assemblies 53 arranged in a circular array on the side away from each other to limit the position of the second guide tube 52. The support assemblies 53 include: The support seat 531 is fixedly arranged on the side where the second substrate 65 and the third substrate 64 are away from each other. A support groove 532 is provided on the top of the support seat 531, which passes through the second substrate 65, the third substrate 64 and the first substrate 62. The inner walls on both sides of the support groove 532 are provided with a first sliding groove, and a first slider is placed inside the first sliding groove. The outer wall of the second guide tube 52 is fixedly connected to the side where the first slider is close to each other, and a first spring is placed inside the first sliding groove so that the second guide tube 52 has a tendency to approach the first guide tube 51.

[0052] See also Figure 10 , the second guiding component 2 includes: The third guide tube 21 is rotatably provided on the bottom inner wall of the vacuum furnace 1. The fourth guide tube 22 is rotatably provided on the bottom inner wall of the vacuum furnace 1. The flexible substrate is rolled up between the third guide tube 21 and the fourth guide tube 22. The tops of the third guide tube 21 and the fourth guide tube 22 both extend to the top of the vacuum furnace 1.

[0053] During specific implementation, the flexible substrate is moved between the first guide tube 51 and the second guide tube 52, thereby restricting the movement trajectory of the flexible substrate so that the flexible substrate moves along a similar circular trajectory in the second substrate 65 and the third substrate 64, and cooperates with the third substrate 64 and the second substrate 65, so that the inner and outer sides of the flexible substrate are relatively separated, which is convenient for actual coating use.

[0054] The first winding assembly 72 and the second winding assembly 74 are guided to positions close to the flexible substrate by the third guiding tube 21 and the fourth guiding tube 22 , thereby improving the guiding stability and thus improving the movement stability of the flexible substrate.

[0055] The third substrate 64 is limited by the first guide tube 51 and the second guide tube 52 to improve the stability of the movement of the third substrate 64, and the third substrate 64 is limited by the rotating shaft of the second coating assembly 67 to further improve the stability of the movement.

[0056] By connecting the ends of the first guide tube 51, the second guide tube 52, the third guide tube 21 and the fourth guide tube 22 to external liquid pipelines, it is convenient to transport refrigerant or heat medium into the interior thereof, so as to dissipate heat or heat the flexible substrate and facilitate actual coating use. The external pipelines are existing technology and will not be described in detail here and are not drawn in the figure.

[0057] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a vacuum coating method for a flexible substrate using a vacuum coating device. The method comprises the following steps: S1: Open the door of the vacuum furnace 1, and install the winding drum 721 wound with the flexible substrate and the winding drum 721 not wound with the flexible substrate in the vacuum furnace 1 through the second winding assembly 74 and the first winding assembly 72 of the winding mechanism 7, so that the first winding assembly 72 rewinds the flexible substrate while the second winding assembly 74 unwinds the flexible substrate, or reverse the movement, that is, the first winding assembly 72 unwinds the flexible substrate while the second winding assembly 74 rewinds the flexible substrate; S2: After the flexible substrate is installed, the flexible substrate is unrolled along a predetermined route, so that under the guidance of the first guide component 5 and the second guide component 2, the flexible substrate is unrolled along a similar circular trajectory between the second substrate 65 and the third substrate 64, so as to facilitate the subsequent simultaneous coating of both sides of the flexible substrate by the first coating component 61 and the second coating component 67, and the flexible substrate can be unrolled back and forth, so as to facilitate the uniform distribution of target atoms on the flexible substrate and improve the uniformity of the coating. During the unrolling process, the flexible substrate is coated by the coating mechanism 6.

[0058] Meanwhile, the contents not described in detail in this specification belong to the prior art known to those skilled in the art.

[0059] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as first and second, etc., are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0060] 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 these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, and that the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A vacuum coating device for a flexible substrate, comprising a vacuum furnace, characterized in that: The invention also includes a coating mechanism disposed in a vacuum furnace and arranged vertically, a winding mechanism disposed outside the coating mechanism for unwinding the flexible substrate, and a lifting mechanism disposed on a side of the winding mechanism away from the coating mechanism. The coating mechanism includes: The first substrate is fixedly arranged on the inner side wall of the vacuum furnace, the second substrate is fixedly arranged on the top of the first substrate, the third substrate is lifted and lowered on the top of the second substrate, the first substrate is provided with a first guide assembly arranged in a circular array with the center point of the second substrate, so as to guide the unwinding of the flexible substrate, the top of the first substrate and the top of the second substrate are respectively provided with a first coating assembly and a second coating assembly, so as to coat the flexible substrate from both sides thereof, respectively, and the winding mechanism includes: The spline shaft is rotatably arranged on the bottom inner wall of the vacuum furnace and is symmetrically arranged with respect to the center point of the second base plate. The side walls of the two spline shafts are respectively provided with a first winding assembly and a second winding assembly. The first winding assembly includes: The winding drum is sleeved on the side wall of the spline shaft. A spacing for installing the winding drum is left between the top of the spline shaft and the top inner wall of the vacuum furnace. The top of the third base plate is provided with a first connecting component.

2. The vacuum coating equipment for flexible substrates according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first guide component includes: A first guide tube is rotatably mounted on the top of the first substrate. A second guide tube is movably mounted on the top of the first substrate. The flexible substrate is rolled up between the first guide tube and the second guide tube. The tops of the first guide tube and the second guide tube both extend to the top of the vacuum furnace. A support assembly arranged in a circular array is disposed on a side of the second substrate and the third substrate facing away from each other to limit the position of the second guide tube. The support assembly includes: The support seat is fixedly arranged on a side where the second substrate and the third substrate are away from each other. A supporting groove is provided on the top of the support seat and passes through the second substrate, the third substrate and the first substrate. First sliding grooves are provided on the inner walls on both sides of the supporting groove. First sliders are placed inside the first sliding grooves. The outer wall of the second guide tube is fixedly connected to the side where the first slider is close to each other. First springs are placed inside the first sliding grooves so that the second guide tube has a tendency to approach the first guide tube.

3. The vacuum coating equipment for flexible substrates according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first coating assembly and the second coating assembly are identical and are arranged opposite to each other to coat the flexible substrate from the inner side and the outer side respectively. The second coating assembly includes: The frame is fixedly mounted on the top of the second base plate, a first transmission mechanism is provided at the inner middle end of the frame, a first tooth plate and a second tooth plate are slidably provided on the inner walls of both sides of the frame, the top of the first tooth plate is fixedly connected to the bottom of the third base plate, and the first tooth plate and the second tooth plate are moved in the same direction by the first transmission mechanism; The guide rods are fixedly arranged on the top of the second base plate in an annular array. The side walls of the guide rods are sleeved with a ring body, and the outer wall of the ring body is fixedly connected to the second tooth plate.

4. The vacuum coating equipment for a flexible substrate according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second coating assembly further includes: The movable plate is horizontally movably arranged on the outer wall of the ring body and extends into the ring body. The side wall of one end of the movable plate located outside the ring body is provided with a target mechanism, and the side wall of one end of the movable plate located inside the ring body is respectively provided with an arc surface and a limit frame, and a limit groove is provided on the top of the limit frame; The first servo motor is fixed on the top of the vacuum furnace. The output shaft of the first servo motor is fixed with a rotating shaft extending into the vacuum furnace through a coupling. The side wall of the rotating shaft is fixed with a shift rod. The side wall of the rotating shaft is sleeved in the limiting groove. The inner wall of the ring body is fixed with a second spring, and the second spring is fixedly connected to the top of the limiting frame.

5. The vacuum coating equipment for flexible substrates according to claim 4, characterized in that: The two spline shafts are connected in a transmission manner so that the two spline shafts rotate synchronously. A second servo motor for driving the spline shafts to rotate is fixedly provided on the bottom inner wall of the vacuum furnace. A second guide assembly is provided on the bottom inner wall of the vacuum furnace and is located inside the first winding assembly and the second winding assembly. The first winding assembly and the second winding assembly are the same. The first winding assembly also includes: A first auxiliary ring is fixedly mounted on the top of the winding drum, and a first clamping groove is formed on the outer wall of the first auxiliary ring; The second auxiliary ring is fixed on the bottom of the winding drum, and the inner walls of the first auxiliary ring and the second auxiliary ring are sleeved on the side wall of the spline shaft. The outer wall of the second auxiliary ring is provided with a second slot.

6. The vacuum coating equipment for a flexible substrate according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second guide component includes: The third guide tube is rotatably arranged on the bottom inner wall of the vacuum furnace. The fourth guide tube is rotatably arranged on the bottom inner wall of the vacuum furnace. The flexible substrate is rolled up between the third guide tube and the fourth guide tube. The tops of the third guide tube and the fourth guide tube both extend to the top of the vacuum furnace.

7. The vacuum coating equipment for a flexible substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism comprises: A lifting seat is fixedly mounted on the bottom inner wall of the vacuum furnace, a second chute is provided on the inner side of the lifting seat, a second slider is placed inside the second chute, and a second connecting assembly for connecting the second slider and the winding drum is provided on the inner side of the lifting seat; The third servo motor is fixed on the top of the vacuum furnace. The output shaft of the third servo motor is fixed with a threaded rod extending into the second sliding groove through a coupling. The threaded rod is threadedly connected to the second sliding block.

8. The vacuum coating equipment for a flexible substrate according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second connection component includes: A connecting frame is fixedly provided on the inner side of the second slider, and a second transmission mechanism is provided on the top of the connecting frame. A first rotating rod and a second rotating rod are rotatably provided on the top of the connecting frame. The first rotating rod and the second rotating rod are symmetrically arranged with respect to the center point of the connecting frame. The side walls of the first rotating rod and the second rotating rod are respectively fixedly provided with a first gear and a second gear, and the first gear and the second gear are meshed. a fourth servo motor, fixedly disposed at the bottom of the connecting frame, and driving the first gear and the second gear on both sides of the top of the connecting frame to rotate synchronously through the second transmission mechanism; The clamping plate is fixed on the side walls of the first rotating rod and the second rotating rod. An outer ring plate is fixed on one end of the clamping plate away from the first rotating rod, and an inner ring plate is fixed on the inner side of the outer ring plate.

9. The vacuum coating equipment for flexible substrates according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first connection component includes: The connecting seat is fixed on the top of the third base plate, and limiting grooves are provided on both sides of the connecting seat. The inner walls of the limiting grooves are sleeved with connecting blocks and connecting plates. The connecting blocks and the connecting plates are fixedly connected on the side close to each other, and the side walls of the connecting plate cooperate with the inner wall stop of the limiting groove. The inner wall of the limiting groove and the side of the connecting plate away from the connecting block are fixedly provided with third springs arranged at intervals.

10. A vacuum coating method for a flexible substrate vacuum coating device, characterized in that: The method using the vacuum coating equipment for a flexible substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 9 comprises the following steps: S1: Open the door of the vacuum furnace, and install the winding drum wrapped with the flexible substrate and the winding drum without the flexible substrate into the vacuum furnace through the winding mechanism; S2: After the flexible substrate is installed, the flexible substrate is rolled up along a predetermined route. During the rolling process, the flexible substrate is coated by a coating mechanism.

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