Continuous production equipment for PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating of pot

Abstract

The invention provides continuous production equipment for PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating of cookware. The pot PVD coating continuous production equipment is used for coating pots in batches, and comprises at least one coating chamber used for forming a vacuum coating environment; and the bearing device is used for bearing a plurality of cookware and conveying the cookware into the coating chamber, and the bearing device comprises a movable tray and at least two rotating drums placed on the movable tray. Wherein the plurality of cookware are arranged on the rotating drum to form a plurality of column units, each column unit is provided with at least four cookware and at least one cookware carrier, and the rotating drum is driven to rotate in the coating chamber, so that the cookware of each column unit can be uniformly coated. According to the continuous production equipment for pot PVD coating, the number of pots coated at a time can be increased, meanwhile, the uniformity of pot coating can be guaranteed, and the production efficiency and the coating quality of pot coating are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of coating equipment technology, and in particular to a continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware. Background Technology

[0002] Non-stick technology is one of the key research areas in the cookware industry. A common non-stick technology involves applying a non-stick coating to the inner wall of the cookware, with Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) being the most frequently used material. This coating effectively solves the problem of food sticking. However, during use, especially at high temperatures and in contact with steel spatulas or spoons, the non-stick coating can easily peel off, contaminating food and causing the cookware to lose its non-stick properties.

[0003] In recent years, the industry has developed PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) technology for cookware. This involves forming a PVD coating on the inner wall of the cookware. PVD coatings have low surface energy, providing excellent non-stick properties, and the coating adheres firmly to the cookware, making it less prone to peeling off. Simultaneously, PVD coatings also improve the cookware's heat distribution and corrosion resistance. Patent application CN118924138A discloses a cookware with a PVD coating.

[0004] PVD coating processes require a vacuum environment, and currently, PVD coating equipment is typically a vacuum furnace. However, the formation and maintenance of a vacuum environment takes a considerable amount of time, and the number of cookware that can be coated per furnace is currently limited, resulting in low production efficiency for cookware coating using existing vacuum furnaces.

[0005] Therefore, it is essential to develop a PVD coating equipment that can mass-produce PVD coatings for cookware and improve the coating efficiency of cookware. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application aims to provide a continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware with high production efficiency and good batch coating uniformity.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution: a continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware, used for batch coating of cookware, the continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware comprising:

[0008] At least one coating chamber for forming a vacuum coating environment; and

[0009] A carrying device for carrying multiple cookwares and conveying them into the coating chamber, the carrying device comprising a movable tray and at least two rotating drums placed on the movable tray;

[0010] The multiple cookwares are arranged in multiple columns on a rotating drum. Each column has at least four cookwares and at least one cookware carrier. The rotating drum is driven to rotate in the coating chamber so that the cookwares in each column can be uniformly coated.

[0011] Optionally, the rotating drum includes a core cylinder, and the cookware carrier is detachably mounted on the periphery of the core cylinder.

[0012] Optionally, there are multiple cookware carriers arranged sequentially along the circumference of the core cylinder, and each cookware carrier is provided with multiple cookware receiving holes arranged along the axial direction of the core cylinder.

[0013] Optionally, the coating chamber is equipped with a lifting drive mechanism and a rotation drive mechanism. The lifting drive mechanism is configured to lift the rotating drum upwards and detach it from the moving tray, and the rotation drive mechanism is configured to drive the rotating drum to rotate about its own central axis.

[0014] Optionally, the coating chamber is provided with a coating material source for each of the rotating drums, and the coating material source for each rotating drum is configured to be distributed on opposite sides of the rotating drum.

[0015] Optionally, the plating source includes a target carrier and several sets of targets disposed on the target carrier, wherein the arrangement of the several sets of targets corresponds to the arrangement of several adjacent cookware carriers among the multiple cookware carriers.

[0016] Optionally, the coating chamber is provided with a heating and film-fixing device, which includes multiple heating elements distributed at the upstream end, downstream end, and between two adjacent rotating drums of the coating chamber.

[0017] Optionally, the continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware includes:

[0018] A feed transition chamber, located upstream of the coating chamber, is separated from the coating chamber by an openable and closable isolation door. The feed transition chamber is configured to prevent direct communication between the upstream end of the coating chamber and the external environment.

[0019] The material feeding transition chamber is located downstream of the coating chamber and is separated from the coating chamber by an openable and closable isolation door. The material feeding transition chamber is configured to prevent the downstream end of the coating chamber from being directly connected to the external environment.

[0020] Optionally, the feed transition chamber is provided with a heating and degassing device, which is configured to heat the feed transition chamber to remove adsorbed gas before or during the evacuation process.

[0021] Optionally, the coating chambers are arranged in two or more in sequence to coat the cookware with a base film and a top film in sequence, or to coat the cookware with a base film, a middle film and a top film in sequence; wherein, an openable and closable isolation door is provided between two adjacent coating chambers to isolate the adjacent coating chambers during the coating process.

[0022] The continuous PVD coating production equipment for cookware provided in this application includes a coating chamber and a support device for coating within the coating chamber. The support device includes a movable tray and at least two rotating drums placed on the movable tray. Multiple cookware are arranged in multiple rows on the rotating drums, each row having at least four cookware and at least one cookware carrier. The rotating drums are driven to rotate within the coating chamber, ensuring that the cookware in each row is uniformly coated. The continuous PVD coating production equipment for cookware provided in this application can increase the number of cookware that can be coated at one time while simultaneously ensuring the uniformity of the coating, thus improving the production efficiency and coating quality of cookware coating. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below only relate to some embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit this application.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a top view schematic diagram of an embodiment of the continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware according to this application.

[0025] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a side view schematic diagram of an embodiment of the continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware in this application.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating drum in one embodiment of the continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware in this application.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a top view schematic diagram of a continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware according to an embodiment of the present application, showing the cookware mounted on a rotating drum.

[0029] Figure 6 This is a top view schematic diagram of another embodiment of the continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware in this application.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Supporting device; 11. Rotating drum; 111. Core cylinder; 112. Cookware carrier; 1120. Cookware receiving hole; 12. Moving tray; 2. Loading station; 3. Feeding transition chamber; 31. Heating and degassing device; 4. Coating chamber; 401. Lifting drive mechanism; 402. Rotation drive mechanism; 41. Bottom film chamber; 42. Middle film chamber; 43. Top film chamber; 5. Unloading transition chamber; 6. Unloading station; 7. Isolation door; 8. Coating material source; 81. Target carrier; 82. Target; 9. Heating and solidifying device; 10. Cookware. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0032] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined or explained in subsequent drawings.

[0033] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this patent document shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this patent specification and claims do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms "an," "a," or "the" do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms "comprising" or "including" indicate that the element or object preceding "comprising" encompasses the element or object listed following "comprising" or its equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or objects. Terms such as "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," "outer," "far," and "near" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly. These terms are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0034] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0035] The following detailed description of some embodiments of this application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, features in the following embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0036] Please see Figures 1 to 6 As shown, this application provides a continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware 10, used for batch coating of cookware 10. The continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware includes at least one coating chamber 4 and a carrying device 1 for carrying cookware 10 in and out of the coating chamber 4. The coating chamber 4 is configured to form a vacuum coating environment. The carrying device 1 is used to carry multiple cookware 10 at a time and transport them to the coating chamber 4 by a conveying device. The carrying device 1 includes a rotating drum 11 with a peripheral wall adapted to arrange multiple cookware 10. The multiple cookware 10 are arranged in multiple rows within the rotating drum 11, each row having at least four cookware 10 and at least one cookware carrier 112. The rotating drum 11 is driven to rotate in the coating chamber 4 so that the cookware 10 in each row can be uniformly coated. The carrying device 1 includes a movable tray 12 and at least two rotating drums 11 placed on the movable tray 12. At least two rotating drums 11 are configured as a group to be placed in the same coating chamber 4. In the coating chamber 4, each of the rotating drums 11 can be driven by a drive device to rotate around its own central axis, so that the multiple pots 10 arranged on the peripheral wall of the rotating drum 11 are uniformly coated.

[0037] PVD coating technology refers to a technique that uses physical methods under vacuum conditions to vaporize the surface of a material source (solid or liquid) into gaseous atoms or molecules, or partially ionize them into ions, and then deposits a thin film with specific functions on the surface of the substrate through a low-pressure gas (or plasma) process. PVD coating technology is mainly divided into three categories: vacuum evaporation coating, vacuum sputtering coating, and vacuum ion plating. The main methods of PVD coating technology include vacuum evaporation, sputtering coating, arc plasma coating, ion plating, and molecular beam epitaxy. Corresponding vacuum coating equipment includes vacuum evaporation coating machines, vacuum sputtering coating machines, and vacuum ion plating machines. The continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware in this embodiment uses sputtering coating; however, in other embodiments, evaporation or ion plating methods may also be used.

[0038] The continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware provided in this application can simultaneously coat multiple cookware 10 on multiple rotating drums 11 in one coating chamber 4, which can increase the number of cookware 10 coated at one time; multiple cookware 10 are arranged on each rotating drum 11, and the uniformity of coating of multiple cookware 10 on each rotating drum 11 can be ensured by the independent rotation of each rotating drum 11, thereby improving the production efficiency and coating quality of cookware 10 coating.

[0039] Please see Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the supporting device 1 includes a movable tray 12, and at least two rotating drums 11 configured as a group are supported by the same movable tray 12. This embodiment uses two rotating drums 11 as a group as an example; in other embodiments, a group may also consist of three, four or more rotating drums 11.

[0040] In this embodiment, the movable tray 12 is a generally rectangular plate, on which a positioning structure can be provided to facilitate the positioning and installation of the rotating drum 11. The movable tray 12 has a through hole, which is configured to allow a lifting component to pass through and lift the rotating drum 11 without affecting the support of the movable tray 12 for the rotating drum 11. In this embodiment, two rotating drums 11 configured as a group are arranged along the length direction of the movable tray 12. The length direction of the movable tray 12 is also its direction of movement in and out of the coating chamber 4.

[0041] Please refer to the following first. Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the rotating drum 11 is cylindrical in shape, comprising a core cylinder 111 and multiple cookware carriers 112 detachably mounted on the periphery of the core cylinder 111. The cookware carriers 112 are arranged sequentially along the circumference of the core cylinder 111, and each cookware carrier 112 has multiple cookware receiving holes 1120 arranged axially along the core cylinder 111. In this embodiment, each cookware carrier 112 has five cookware receiving holes 1120 along the vertical direction, i.e., along the central axis of the rotating drum 11. Cookware 10 is placed in the cookware receiving holes 1120 and forms a row unit with one cookware carrier 112. In this embodiment, each rotating drum 11 includes 15 row units, meaning each rotating drum 11 can accommodate 75 cookware 10. Of course, in other embodiments, the number of cookware carriers 112 included in each rotating drum 11 and the number of cookware receiving holes 1120 provided on each cookware carrier 112 are not limited thereto. When PVD coating is required on the inner surface of the cookware 10, each cookware 10 is placed with its opening facing outward into the cookware receiving hole 1120 of each cookware carrier 112 to form a row unit. Multiple row units are sequentially hung onto the core cylinder 111 by a robotic arm to form the rotating drum 11. The row units are assembled onto the core cylinder 111 one by one, which is convenient to operate and facilitates intelligent production. In this embodiment, the cookware carrier 112 is a plate-shaped cuboid, and the rotating drum 11 formed by splicing in this way is approximately a regular prism. For example, in this embodiment, the rotating drum 11 is a regular 15-sided prism. In other embodiments, the cookware carrier 112 may also be configured as a curved shape, such as a curved panel body divided by two generatrices on the circumferential side of the annular cylinder, and the rotating drum 11 formed by splicing multiple cookware carriers 112 with such structures is approximately cylindrical.

[0042] In this embodiment, each cookware carrier 112 is designed for easy removal from the core cylinder 111. This facilitates the installation of the cookware 10 into the cookware receiving hole 1120 and the removal of the cookware 10 from the cookware receiving hole 1120. The cookware carrier 112 can be detachably connected to the core cylinder 111 via hooks, slots, or other connection methods. Please refer to [further details omitted]. Figure 1 As shown, each cookware carrier 112 is equipped with a cookware 10 to be coated, and at the loading station 2, a robotic arm grips and assembles it onto the core cylinder 111 to form a rotating drum 11; two rotating drums 11 fully loaded with cookware 10 are assembled onto a moving tray 12 to form a carrying device 1; the carrying device 1 carries the cookware 10 through the coating chamber 4 to complete the coating and then proceeds to the unloading station 6; at the unloading station 6, a robotic arm removes each cookware carrier 112 and takes out the coated cookware 10; at the loading station 2, the cookware carrier 112 and the cookware 10 to be coated are reassembled, and this process is repeated continuously.

[0043] Please continue reading. Figure 1As shown, in this embodiment, the continuous PVD coating production equipment for cookware sequentially includes a loading station 2, a feeding transition chamber 3, a coating chamber 4, a discharging transition chamber 5, and a discharging station 6. The coating chamber 4 can be one or more. Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the coating chamber 4 comprises two chambers; Figure 6 In the embodiment shown, the coating chamber 4 comprises three chambers.

[0044] In this embodiment, the feeding transition chamber 3 is located upstream of the coating chamber 4. An openable and closable isolation door 7 is provided between the feeding transition chamber 3 and the coating chamber 4, and the feeding transition chamber 3 is configured to prevent the upstream end of the coating chamber 4 from directly communicating with the external environment. The inlet end of the feeding transition chamber 3 is directly connected to the external environment, and the carrying device 1, on which the cookware 10 is loaded at the loading station 2, is fed into the feeding transition chamber 3 from its inlet end. An isolation door 7 is also provided at the inlet end of the feeding transition chamber 3, and this isolation door 7 can be closed to prevent the feeding transition chamber 3 from communicating with the external environment.

[0045] The feeding transition chamber 3 helps maintain the vacuum level of the downstream coating chamber 4. When the isolation door 7 at the inlet end of the feeding transition chamber 3 is opened for feeding, the isolation door 7 at the outlet end of the feeding transition chamber 3 is closed to prevent the external environment from communicating with the coating chamber 4 through the feeding transition chamber 3, which would disrupt the vacuum environment of the coating chamber 4. After feeding is completed in the feeding transition chamber 3, the isolation door 7 at the inlet end of the feeding transition chamber 3 is closed, and the feeding transition chamber 3 is evacuated to a certain vacuum level. Then, the isolation door 7 at the outlet end of the feeding transition chamber 3 is opened to transport the carrying device 1 and the pot 10 it carries from the feeding transition chamber 3 to the coating chamber 4.

[0046] Please see Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the feed transition chamber 3 is equipped with a heating and degassing device 31. The heating and degassing device 31 is configured to heat the feed transition chamber 3 before or during vacuuming to remove adsorbed gases. Heating by the heating and degassing device 31 desorbs gas molecules (such as water vapor, organic matter, etc.) adsorbed in complex corners or on the surface of the chamber material within the feed transition chamber 3, releasing them into the chamber. Then, vacuuming effectively removes adsorbed gases and contaminants deep within the material, promoting thorough degassing and resulting in a higher and more stable vacuum environment in the feed transition chamber 3 and the downstream coating chamber 4. Furthermore, the heating and degassing device 31 also preheats the cookware 10 to prevent the cookware 10 from being transported to the coating chamber 4 at a lower temperature, which could lead to poor coating quality.

[0047] In this embodiment, the heating and degassing device 31 is disposed beside the two rotating drums 11, and the heating and degassing device 31 corresponding to each rotating drum 11 is configured to be distributed on opposite sides of the rotating drum 11. During the heating process, the rotating drums 11 can also be driven to rotate around their respective central axes to improve the uniformity of heating. The specific structure of the heating and degassing device 31 is not limited, and it can be a heating tube, heating plate, etc.

[0048] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the upstream end of the coating chamber 4, i.e., the inlet end, is connected to the outlet end of the feed transition chamber 3, and an openable and closable isolation door 7 is provided between the two. A coating material source 8 is arranged in the coating chamber 4 corresponding to each of the rotating drums 11. In this embodiment, the coating material source 8 corresponding to each rotating drum 11 is configured to be distributed on opposite sides of the rotating drum 11; by arranging the coating material sources 8 on both sides of each rotating drum 11 for simultaneous sputtering, the coating efficiency can be improved and the coating time shortened. The coating material source 8 includes a target carrier 81 and several sets of targets 82 disposed on the target carrier 81. The arrangement of the several sets of targets 82 corresponds to the arrangement of several adjacent cookware carriers 112 in the plurality of cookware carriers 112, which can improve the uniformity of the coating. The arrangement, for example, in this embodiment, is as follows: each side of the plating source 8 includes three sets of targets 82. The three sets of targets 82 are distributed approximately along an arc on the target carrier 81, and this arc is part of the concentric circle of the cross-section of the rotating drum 11. The central angle between two adjacent sets of targets 82 is approximately the same as the central angle between two adjacent cookware carriers 112 on the rotating drum 11. The material of the target 82 is specifically set according to the composition to be coated, for example, it can be a titanium target, a chromium target, etc. The coating chamber 4 can also be supplied with carbon sources, nitrogen sources, etc., to provide carbon and nitrogen, thereby forming metal carbides, metal nitrides, and other films with metal elements.

[0049] The coating chamber 4 is also equipped with a heating and film-fixing device 9, which is used to heat the coating during the coating process to solidify the coating and ensure a strong bond. In this embodiment, the heating and film-fixing device 9 includes multiple heating elements distributed at the upstream end, downstream end, and between adjacent rotating drums 11 of the coating chamber 4. Distributing the heating and film-fixing device 9 as multiple heating elements improves heating uniformity to ensure film quality. In this application, when the rotating drum 11 is placed inside the coating chamber 4, the distance between it and the wall of the coating chamber 4 is usually not large to avoid a large footprint and increased cost due to a large coating chamber 4. The narrow distance between the rotating drum 11 and the wall of the coating chamber 4 can affect heat transfer in the upstream end, downstream end, and between adjacent rotating drums 11 of the coating chamber 4. This application improves heating uniformity by distributing multiple heating elements in these three spaces. The specific structure of the heating and film-fixing device 9 is not limited; it can be a heating tube, heating plate, etc. The heating temperature of the heating and curing device 9 can be set according to the curing requirements of different types of coatings. For example, its heating temperature can be set in the range of 100°C to 260°C.

[0050] exist Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, there are two coating chambers 4: a base film chamber 41 for coating the base film and a face film chamber 43 for coating the face film. The base film chamber 41 and face film chamber 43 are configured in the same way, as detailed above. Only different target materials 82 are used depending on the materials of the base film and the face film. Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, there are three coating chambers 4: a base film chamber 41 for coating the base film, a middle layer film chamber 42 for coating the middle layer film, and a surface film chamber 43 for coating the surface film. The base film chamber 41, middle layer film chamber 42, and surface film chamber 43 are arranged in the same way, as detailed above. Different target materials 82 can be used depending on the materials of the base film, middle layer film, and surface film. Two or more coating chambers 4 are arranged sequentially to coat the cookware 10 with the base film and surface film, or the base film, middle layer film, and surface film sequentially. An openable and closable isolation door 7 is provided between adjacent coating chambers 4 to isolate them during the coating process and prevent mutual interference between the coating processes of adjacent chambers 4.

[0051] For further details, please refer to Figure 3As shown, in this embodiment, the driving device for driving the rotating drum 11 to rotate specifically includes a lifting driving mechanism 401 and a rotating driving mechanism 402. The lifting driving mechanism 401 is configured to lift the rotating drum 11 upwards and remove it from the support of the moving tray 12, and the rotating driving mechanism 402 is configured to drive the rotating drum 11 to rotate about its own central axis. Specifically, the moving tray 12 is provided with a through hole, which is constructed to allow the lifting driving mechanism 401 to pass through and lift the rotating drum 11 without affecting the support of the moving tray 12 for the rotating drum 11. The lifted rotating drum 11 is connected to the rotating driving mechanism 402 located at its upper end, so that it is driven to rotate by the rotating driving mechanism 402. During the rotation of the rotating drum 11, the moving tray 12 remains stationary. In other embodiments, the lifting drive mechanism 401 and the rotation drive mechanism 402 may both be located below the rotating drum 11, lifting the rotating drum 11 and applying a rotational force from below to drive the rotating drum 11 to rotate. The specific structure of the lifting drive mechanism 401 and the rotation drive mechanism 402 is not limited, and for example, a cylinder mechanism, a hydraulic mechanism, a motor mechanism, etc. can be used.

[0052] In this embodiment, during the coating process in the coating chamber 4, the driving device drives the rotating drum 11 to rotate; in some embodiments, the rotating drum 11 can also be driven to rotate when it is in the feeding transition chamber 3, in which case the driving device described above can also be provided in the feeding transition chamber 3.

[0053] Please continue reading. Figure 1 As shown, the material feeding transition chamber 5 is located downstream of the coating chamber 4, and an openable and closable isolation door 7 is provided between them. The material feeding transition chamber 5 is configured to prevent the downstream end of the coating chamber 4 from directly communicating with the external environment. The outlet end of the material feeding transition chamber 5 is directly communicating with the external environment, and an isolation door 7 is also provided at the outlet end of the material feeding transition chamber 5. This isolation door 7 can be closed to prevent the material feeding transition chamber 5 from communicating with the external environment.

[0054] The feeding transition chamber 5 helps maintain the vacuum level of the environment inside the coating chamber 4 upstream of it. When the isolation door 7 at the outlet end of the feeding transition chamber 5 is opened to allow the coated cookware 10 to be discharged, the isolation door 7 at the inlet end of the feeding transition chamber 5 is closed to prevent the external environment from communicating with the coating chamber 4 through the feeding transition chamber 5, which would disrupt the vacuum environment of the coating chamber 4. After the feeding transition chamber 5 has discharged its contents, the isolation door 7 at the outlet end of the feeding transition chamber 5 is closed, and the feeding transition chamber 5 is evacuated to a certain vacuum level. Then, the isolation door 7 at the outlet end of the coating chamber 4 is opened to transport the carrying device 1 and the cookware 10 it carries from the coating chamber 4 to the feeding transition chamber 5.

[0055] In use, the carrier device 1 assembles the cookware 10 to be coated at the loading station 2; the carrier device 1 carries the cookware 10 to be coated through the feeding transition chamber 3, multiple coating chambers 4 and unloading transition chamber 5 to complete the coating, and then runs to the unloading station 6; the coated cookware 10 is taken out at the unloading station 6, thus completing the coating of a batch of cookware 10.

[0056] As described above in the specific embodiments, the continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware provided in this application includes a coating chamber 4 and a supporting device 1 that can be placed in the coating chamber 4 for coating. The supporting device 1 includes at least two rotating drums 11, and multiple cookware 10 are suitable for being arranged on the peripheral wall of each rotating drum 11. The at least two rotating drums 11 are configured as a group to be placed in the same coating chamber 4 for coating processing. In the coating chamber 4, each rotating drum 11 is configured to be driven by a driving device to rotate around its own central axis, so that the multiple cookware 10 arranged on the peripheral wall of the rotating drum 11 are uniformly coated. This application can increase the number of cookware 10 coated at one time. Each opening and closing of the isolation door 7 can realize the conveying of at least two rotating drums 11 to the next chamber. While achieving coating of the same number of cookware 10, the number of opening and closing of the isolation door 7 and the number of times the chamber is evacuated are reduced, thereby reducing the time occupied by opening and closing the door and evacuating the chamber, and greatly improving the coating capacity. At the same time, the rotation of each rotating drum 11 around its own axis ensures the uniformity of the coating on the cookware 10, which improves the production efficiency of coating the cookware 10 and also ensures that the cookware 10 has a good coating quality.

[0057] The above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A continuous production line for PVD coating of cookware, used for batch coating of cookware, characterized in that, The continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware includes: At least one coating chamber for forming a vacuum coating environment; and A carrying device for carrying multiple cookwares and conveying them into the coating chamber, the carrying device comprising a movable tray and at least two rotating drums placed on the movable tray; The multiple cookwares are arranged in multiple columns on a rotating drum. Each column has at least four cookwares and at least one cookware carrier. The rotating drum is driven to rotate in the coating chamber so that the cookwares in each column can be uniformly coated.

2. The continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating drum includes a core cylinder, and the cookware carrier is detachably mounted on the periphery of the core cylinder.

3. The continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The cookware carrier is a plurality of cookware carriers arranged sequentially along the circumference of the core cylinder, and each cookware carrier is provided with a plurality of cookware receiving holes arranged along the axial direction of the core cylinder.

4. The continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The coating chamber is equipped with a lifting drive mechanism and a rotation drive mechanism. The lifting drive mechanism is configured to lift the rotating drum upwards and detach it from the moving tray. The rotation drive mechanism is configured to drive the rotating drum to rotate about its own central axis.

5. The continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The coating chamber is provided with a coating material source for each of the rotating drums, and the coating material source for each rotating drum is configured to be distributed on opposite sides of the rotating drum.

6. The continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The plating source includes a target carrier and several sets of targets disposed on the target carrier, wherein the arrangement of the several sets of targets corresponds to the arrangement of several adjacent cookware carriers.

7. The continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The coating chamber is equipped with a heating and film-fixing device, which includes multiple heating elements distributed at the upstream end, downstream end, and between two adjacent rotating drums of the coating chamber.

8. The continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware includes: A feed transition chamber, located upstream of the coating chamber, is separated from the coating chamber by an openable and closable isolation door. The feed transition chamber is configured to prevent direct communication between the upstream end of the coating chamber and the external environment. The material feeding transition chamber is located downstream of the coating chamber and is separated from the coating chamber by an openable and closable isolation door. The material feeding transition chamber is configured to prevent the downstream end of the coating chamber from being directly connected to the external environment.

9. The continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The feed transition chamber is equipped with a heating and degassing device, which is configured to heat the feed transition chamber to remove adsorbed gas before or during the evacuation process.

10. The continuous production equipment for PVD coating of cookware as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The coating chambers are arranged in two or more in sequence to coat the cookware with a base film and a top film in sequence, or to coat the cookware with a base film, a middle film and a top film in sequence; wherein, an openable and closable isolation door is provided between two adjacent coating chambers to isolate the adjacent coating chambers during the coating process.

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