Die head collision prevention device and slot coater

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of slot coating machines and discloses a die head anti-collision device and a slot coating machine. The die head anti-collision device includes a height adjustment mechanism, a fixing component, a scraper, a pressure sensor, and a controller. The scraper is mounted on the fixing component and located in front of the die head in the direction of movement. The height of the scraper can be adjusted by operating the height adjustment mechanism. The pressure sensor is installed between the fixing component and the scraper. When the scraper contacts the substrate or a protrusion on the substrate surface, the pressure sensor detects the stress from the scraper and sends a signal to the controller. The controller controls the lifting mechanism of the die head to raise the die head to a safe position, thereby preventing the die head from being damaged by collisions with foreign objects. Furthermore, once the scraper is damaged, a new scraper can be directly replaced, making the anti-collision device highly reliable and low-cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of slot coating machines, and particularly relates to a die head anti-collision device and a slot coating machine. Background Technology

[0002] Slit coating, a precision coating technology, works by extruding a coating solution under pressure and flow rate through the slit of a coating die lip, transferring it onto the substrate. Due to solution characteristics and processing plasticity requirements, the die lip is generally not made of high-hardness material, and the wet film thickness is typically within a few hundred micrometers. The gap between the coating and the substrate is extremely small, making the die lip susceptible to damage from particles and protrusions generated on the substrate or during other stages of production. Furthermore, if the driver or software controlling the die movement malfunctions during production, the actual slit value may fall below the set value, and the die lip may even collide with the substrate. Die lip maintenance requires high precision, is expensive, and has a long maintenance cycle, thus significantly impacting stable production. At least one new spare part must be used during maintenance, resulting in very high production costs.

[0003] In existing technologies, the main die head anti-collision techniques rely on CCD or other online monitoring technologies to inspect the substrate surface and screen out defective substrates. However, these methods cannot guarantee 100% detection of hidden foreign matter during the coating process, nor can they completely prevent the introduction of defects between the inspection and coating stages. Therefore, existing die head anti-collision technologies cannot completely eliminate die head damage. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a die head anti-collision device and a slit coating machine, which integrates the anti-collision device and the die head for synchronous operation. The scraper is located in front of the die head in the direction of movement. When the equipment is malfunctioning or there are protruding foreign objects on the substrate, the scraper can first collide with the substrate or the foreign objects on the substrate and output a signal to the slit coating machine to control the lifting mechanism to raise the die head to a safe position to prevent the die head from being damaged by the collision with foreign objects.

[0005] This invention provides a mold head anti-collision device, comprising a height adjustment mechanism, a fixing component, a scraper, a pressure sensor, and a controller. The height adjustment mechanism is mounted on the mold head's fixing frame, and the fixing component is fixedly connected to the output end of the height adjustment mechanism. The scraper is mounted on the fixing component and located in front of the mold head's movement direction. The height position of the scraper can be adjusted by operating the height adjustment mechanism. The pressure sensor is installed between the fixing component and the scraper and is electrically connected to the controller. The height position of the scraper is not higher than the height of the mold lip of the mold head. When the scraper contacts the substrate or a protrusion on the substrate surface, the pressure sensor can detect the stress from the scraper and send a signal to the controller. The controller can control the mold head's lifting mechanism to raise the mold head to a safe position.

[0006] Furthermore, the height adjustment mechanism includes a motor, a lead screw, and a displacement adjustment block. The motor is fixed on the mold head, the fixing part is fixedly connected to the displacement adjustment block, and the displacement adjustment block and the lead screw are threaded together. The motor drives the lead screw to rotate, and the lead screw drives the displacement adjustment block to move up and down.

[0007] Furthermore, the mold head anti-collision device also includes an air knife, which is fixed at the bottom of the fixing member and is used to blow airflow onto the upper surface of the substrate to clean the foreign objects on the upper surface of the substrate.

[0008] Furthermore, the mold head anti-collision device also includes a CCD imaging detection system, which is installed on one side of the fixing component to capture the deformation and damage of the scraper.

[0009] Furthermore, the mold head anti-collision device also includes a clamping plate and a fixing bolt. The clamping plate is fixedly connected to the fixing member, and there is a downward-facing mounting groove between the clamping plate and the fixing member. Bolt holes are provided on the opposite side walls of the mounting groove. The scraper is detachably installed in the mounting groove by the fixing bolt, and the bottom end of the scraper extends downward out of the mounting groove.

[0010] Furthermore, the mold head anti-collision device also includes an elastic trigger element, which is sandwiched between the scraper and the pressure sensor. When the scraper contacts a protrusion on the substrate or on the substrate surface, the elastic trigger element can trigger the pressure sensor to send a signal to the controller.

[0011] Furthermore, the pressure sensor and the elastic trigger are provided between the top of the scraper and the top wall of the mounting groove, and between the outer side of the scraper and the inner side wall of the mounting groove.

[0012] Furthermore, the mold head anti-collision device also includes a fixing spring, which is sleeved on the outer periphery of the fixing bolt. One end of the fixing spring presses against the groove wall of the mounting groove, and the other end presses against the scraper.

[0013] Furthermore, two compression springs are respectively provided on both sides of the top of the scraper.

[0014] Furthermore, the anti-collision device for the mold head also includes a displacement sensor, which is installed on the top of the fixing member and is used to detect the displacement change of the fixing member in the height direction. The displacement sensor is electrically connected to the controller.

[0015] To achieve the aforementioned objective, the present invention also provides a slot coating machine, comprising a die head, a coating platform, a lifting mechanism, and a die head anti-collision device thereof; the die head and the die head anti-collision device are both fixedly connected to the output end of the lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism can drive the die head and the die head anti-collision device to move up and down synchronously, and the coating platform is used to place the substrate to be coated.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the die head anti-collision device and slit coating machine of the present invention have the following characteristics: (1) The anti-collision device for the die head provided by the present invention has the scraper located in front of the direction of movement of the die head. Before coating, both the die head and the scraper are located outside the coating area. After coating begins, the scraper enters the coating area first. Therefore, if there are protruding foreign objects on the substrate, they will contact the scraper first and transmit the compressive stress to the pressure sensor. The pressure sensor outputs a signal to the lifting mechanism of the slit coating machine to lift the die head to a safe position, thereby preventing the die head from being damaged by collision with foreign objects.

[0017] (2) Due to the properties of the solution and the requirements of processing plasticity, the die head is generally not selected from high hardness materials. Therefore, the die head is easily damaged when it is hit by foreign objects. On the other hand, the scraper in this invention does not need to directly contact the coating solution, nor does it need to meet the high precision requirements of coating. Therefore, the scraper can be processed from high strength materials. Once the scraper is damaged by impact, a new scraper can be directly replaced, so that the anti-collision device has the characteristics of high reliability and low cost.

[0018] (3) Since the scraper can be adjusted to the same height as or slightly lower than the die lip of the die head, when the die head is abnormally operated due to the equipment itself, the scraper will also contact the substrate first, thereby avoiding the die head being damaged by impacting the substrate. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a front structural diagram of a mold head anti-collision device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a side view of a mold head anti-collision device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a slot coating machine provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] The labels in each figure are as follows: 1. Fixing component; 2. Scraper; 3. Pressure sensor; 4. Motor; 5. Lead screw; 6. Elastic trigger; 7. Fixing spring; 8. Displacement sensor; 9. Air knife; 10. Die head; 11. Displacement adjustment block; 12. Clamping plate; 13. Fixing bolt; 14. CCD imaging detection system; 15. Scraper through hole; 16. Compression spring; 20. Fixing frame; 30. Coating platform. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0022] Please refer to Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, a preferred embodiment of the mold head anti-collision device of the present invention includes a height adjustment mechanism, a fixing member 1, a scraper 2, a pressure sensor 3, and a controller (not shown in the figure).

[0023] The height adjustment mechanism is mounted on the fixing frame 20 of the die head 10. The fixing member 1 is fixedly connected to the output end of the height adjustment mechanism. The scraper 2 is mounted on the fixing member 1 and is located in front of the die head 10 in the direction of movement. In this embodiment, the height adjustment mechanism includes a motor 4, a lead screw 5, and a displacement adjustment block 11. The motor 4 is fixed on the die head 10, the fixing member 1 is fixedly connected to the displacement adjustment block 11, and the displacement adjustment block 11 and the lead screw 5 are threaded together. The motor 4 drives the lead screw 5 to rotate, and the lead screw 5 drives the displacement adjustment block 11 to move up and down. The fixing member 1 moves up and down with the displacement adjustment block 11, thereby realizing the height adjustment of the scraper 2, so that the height of the scraper 2 is not higher than the height of the die lip of the die head 10 (the die lip is located at the bottom of the die head 10), and is level with or slightly lower than the die lip.

[0024] It should be noted that in other embodiments, in addition to the manually adjustable height adjustment mechanism described above, other types of manual height adjustment mechanisms can also be used, such as a high-precision manual screw to achieve the height adjustment function of the scraper; electric or pneumatic lifting mechanisms, such as lifting mechanisms with servo motors or high-precision cylinders, can also be used to achieve the height adjustment function of the scraper.

[0025] The pressure sensor 3 is installed between the fixing member 1 and the scraper 2, and is electrically connected to the controller. Preferably, the fixing member 1 is L-shaped, including a horizontal section and a vertical section, and the pressure sensor 3 is installed between the horizontal section and the top surface of the scraper 2. When the scraper 2 contacts the substrate or a protrusion on the substrate surface, the pressure sensor 3 can detect the stress from the scraper 2 and send a signal to the controller. The controller can then control the lifting mechanism of the mold head 10 to raise the mold head 10 to a safe position.

[0026] The scraper 2 in this embodiment can be any shape, such as a blade, cuboid, or cylinder, as long as its bottom surface is tangent to or parallel to the base plane. The scraper 2 can be made of a high-hardness material, so that even if it is hit multiple times by foreign objects on the base, it will not cause much damage to its surface.

[0027] The working principle of the mold head anti-collision device in this embodiment is as follows: Before coating, both the die head 10 and the scraper 2 are located outside the coating area. After coating begins, the scraper 2 enters the coating area first. If there are protruding foreign objects on the substrate, they will contact the scraper 2 first and transfer the compressive stress to the pressure sensor 3. The pressure sensor 3 outputs a signal to the lifting mechanism of the slot coater to lift the die head 10 to a safe position, thereby preventing the die head 10 from being damaged by collision with foreign objects.

[0028] Due to the properties of the solution and the requirements for processing plasticity, the die head 10 is generally not made of a high-hardness material. Therefore, the die head 10 is easily damaged when it collides with foreign objects. However, the scraper 2 in this embodiment does not need to directly contact the coating solution, nor does it need to meet the high precision requirements of coating. Therefore, the scraper 2 can be made of a high-strength material. Once the scraper 2 is damaged, it can be directly replaced, making the anti-collision device highly reliable and low-cost.

[0029] Since the scraper 2 can be adjusted to the same height as or slightly lower than the mold head 10, when the mold head 10 malfunctions due to the equipment itself, the scraper 2 will contact the substrate first, thus preventing the mold head 10 from impacting and being damaged.

[0030] The anti-collision device for the mold head in this embodiment also includes a clamping piece 12 and a fixing bolt 13. The clamping piece 12 is fixedly connected to the fixing member 1, and there is a downward-facing mounting groove between the clamping piece 12 and the fixing member 1. In this embodiment, the mounting groove is formed by the vertical section of the fixing member 1 and the clamping piece 12. Bolt holes are provided on the opposite side walls of the mounting groove. The scraper 2 is detachably installed in the mounting groove by the fixing bolt 13, and the bottom end of the scraper 2 extends downward out of the mounting groove. The scraper 2 can be replaced by removing the fixing bolt 13. A scraper through hole 15 is provided on the scraper 2, and the fixing bolt 13 passes through the scraper through hole 15.

[0031] To improve the sensitivity of the pressure sensor 3, the anti-collision device for the mold head in this embodiment also includes an elastic trigger 6. Preferably, a spring device can be used as the elastic trigger 6. The elastic trigger 6 is sandwiched between the scraper 2 and the pressure sensor 3. Under normal conditions, the elastic trigger 6 does not trigger the pressure sensor 3. Once the scraper 2 comes into contact with a protrusion on the substrate or the substrate surface, the elastic trigger 6 is compressed, which triggers the pressure sensor 3 to send a signal to the controller.

[0032] To detect impacts in both vertical and horizontal directions, this embodiment includes pressure sensors 3 and elastic triggers 6 located between the top of the scraper 2 and the top wall of the mounting groove, and between the outer side of the scraper 2 and the inner side wall of the mounting groove. Thus, if the scraper 2 collides with a foreign object during horizontal movement or descent, the pressure sensors in the corresponding directions will detect it.

[0033] The anti-collision device for the mold head in this embodiment also includes a fixing spring 7, which is sleeved on the outer periphery of the fixing bolt 13. One end of the fixing spring 7 presses against the wall of the mounting groove, and the other end presses against the scraper 2. The fixing spring 7 can press against the scraper 2, thereby stabilizing the scraper 2 and preventing it from wobbling from side to side.

[0034] Two compression springs 16 are respectively provided on both sides of the top of the scraper 2 to adjust the levelness of the gap between the bottom of the scraper 2 and the upper surface of the substrate.

[0035] In order to capture the displacement change in the height direction of the fixing member 1 and calibrate the height of the scraper 2, the anti-collision device of the mold head in this embodiment also includes two displacement sensors 8. The two displacement sensors 8 are installed at intervals on the top of the fixing member 1. The displacement sensors 8 are electrically connected to the controller to feed back the captured signals to the controller so that the controller can perform related operations.

[0036] In some preferred embodiments, the mold head anti-collision device of the present invention further includes an air knife 9, which is fixed at the bottom of the fixing member 1. Its air outlet is tilted downward and faces the upper surface of the substrate, and is used to blow airflow onto the upper surface of the substrate to clean the foreign objects on the upper surface of the substrate.

[0037] In some preferred embodiments, the die head anti-collision device of the present invention further includes a CCD imaging detection system 14, which is installed on the front side of the fixing member 1 and is used to capture the deformation and damage of the scraper 2. The CCD imaging detection system 14 feeds back the captured signal to the controller. After processing the signal, the controller controls the lifting mechanism to raise the die head according to the processing structure, or sends the signal to the coating equipment. For example, when deformation or damage to the scraper 2 is detected, the coating equipment can be controlled to stop operation. Furthermore, alarm measures can be set to notify the staff through display or sound to replace the scraper 2.

[0038] Please see Figure 3 This embodiment also provides a slot coating machine, including a die head 10, a fixed frame 20, a coating platform 30, a lifting mechanism, and a die head anti-collision device according to this embodiment. The die head 10 and the die head anti-collision device are both fixed on the fixed frame 20, which is fixedly connected to the output end of the lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism can drive the die head 10 and the die head anti-collision device to move up and down synchronously. The coating platform 30 is used to place the substrate to be coated.

[0039] In summary, this embodiment integrates the anti-collision device and the die head 10 together for synchronous operation. When there are foreign objects on the outer surface of the substrate, or when the coating machine is malfunctioning, the scraper 2 of the anti-collision device can first collide with the foreign objects or the substrate and send a control signal to the lifting mechanism of the coating machine to raise the die head 10 to a safe position. This effectively prevents the die head from being damaged by collisions with foreign objects and avoids problems such as production delays and high maintenance costs caused by downtime for maintenance or replacement of the die head 10.

[0040] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mold head anti-collision device, characterized in that, Includes a height adjustment mechanism, fasteners, scraper, pressure sensor, and controller; The height adjustment mechanism is mounted on the fixed frame of the mold head. The fixing part is fixedly connected to the output end of the height adjustment mechanism. The scraper is mounted on the fixing part and located in front of the mold head in the direction of movement. The height position of the scraper can be adjusted by operating the height adjustment mechanism. The pressure sensor is installed between the fixing component and the scraper, and the pressure sensor is electrically connected to the controller. The height of the scraper is not higher than the height of the die lip of the die head. When the scraper contacts the substrate or a protrusion on the substrate surface, the pressure sensor can detect the stress from the scraper and send a signal to the controller. The controller can control the lifting mechanism of the die head to raise the die head to a safe position.

2. The anti-collision device for the mold head according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height adjustment mechanism includes a motor, a lead screw, and a displacement adjustment block. The motor is fixed on the mold head, the fixing part is fixedly connected to the displacement adjustment block, and the displacement adjustment block and the lead screw are threaded together. The motor drives the lead screw to rotate, and the lead screw drives the displacement adjustment block to move up and down.

3. The anti-collision device for the mold head according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an air knife, which is fixed at the bottom of the fixing member and is used to blow airflow onto the upper surface of the substrate to clean foreign objects from the upper surface of the substrate.

4. The anti-collision device for the mold head according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a CCD imaging detection system, which is installed on one side of the fixture to capture the deformation and damage of the scraper.

5. The anti-collision device for the mold head according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a clamp and a fixing bolt. The clamp is fixedly connected to the fixing member, and there is a downward-facing mounting groove between the clamp and the fixing member. Bolt holes are provided on the opposite side walls of the mounting groove. The scraper is detachably installed in the mounting groove by the fixing bolt, and the bottom end of the scraper extends downward out of the mounting groove.

6. The anti-collision device for the mold head according to claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes an elastic trigger, which is sandwiched between the scraper and the pressure sensor. When the scraper contacts a protrusion on the substrate or the substrate surface, the elastic trigger can trigger the pressure sensor to send a signal to the controller. The pressure sensor and the elastic trigger are provided between the top of the scraper and the top wall of the mounting groove, and between the outer side of the scraper and the inner side wall of the mounting groove.

7. The anti-collision device for the mold head according to claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes a fixing spring, which is sleeved on the outer periphery of the fixing bolt, and one end of the fixing spring presses against the groove wall of the mounting groove, while the other end presses against the scraper.

8. The anti-collision device for the mold head according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two compression springs are also provided on each side of the top of the scraper.

9. The anti-collision device for the mold head according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a displacement sensor, which is mounted on the top of the fixture and is used to detect changes in the displacement of the fixture in the height direction. The displacement sensor is electrically connected to the controller.

10. A slot coating machine, characterized in that, It includes a die head, a coating platform, a lifting mechanism, and a die head anti-collision device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; the die head and the die head anti-collision device are both fixedly connected to the output end of the lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism can drive the die head and the die head anti-collision device to rise and fall synchronously, and the coating platform is used to place the substrate to be coated.

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