A rotary vacuum transfer valve for a photovoltaic vacuum coating installation

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of photovoltaic vacuum coating equipment, and discloses a rotary vacuum transmission valve for photovoltaic vacuum coating equipment, which comprises a valve body outer frame assembly provided with coaxial substrate transmission grooves, a rotary valve body assembly provided with valve body grooves and sealing arc surfaces aligned with the substrate transmission grooves, a double-end synchronous driving assembly for driving the rotary valve body assembly to make reciprocating rotary motion, a vacuum sealing assembly for improving the sealing between the substrate transmission grooves and the rotary valve body assembly, and a valve body dust scraping assembly for scraping dust particles attached to the surface of the rotary valve body assembly. When the valve body grooves are aligned with the substrate transmission grooves to form a continuous substrate transmission channel, the valve is in an open state; when the sealing arc surfaces are aligned with the substrate transmission grooves and the sealing arc surfaces are in close contact with the vacuum sealing assembly, the valve is in a closed state; thereby realizing fast opening and closing response speed and adapting to high-tact production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of photovoltaic vacuum coating equipment, and in particular to a rotary vacuum transfer valve for photovoltaic vacuum coating equipment. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of photovoltaic cell technology, high-efficiency cell technologies such as TOPCon, HJT, and XBC have placed higher demands on the vacuum environment, production cycle time, and operational stability of coating equipment. Vacuum transfer valves (GV valves), as core components of photovoltaic coating equipment, are used to achieve vacuum isolation between adjacent process chambers and the opening and closing of silicon wafer substrate transfer channels. Their performance directly determines the equipment's production efficiency and product yield.

[0003] Currently, the vacuum transfer valves commonly used in PVD and PECVD equipment in the photovoltaic industry are mostly sliding or lifting gate valves, which have the following drawbacks in practical applications:

[0004] 1. The opening and closing action has a long stroke and slow response speed, which cannot match the high-speed and high-capacity production requirements of high-efficiency battery production lines, thus limiting the improvement of equipment production efficiency.

[0005] 2. The sealing pair adopts a reciprocating friction structure. The sealing ring is in a state of large-stroke sliding friction for a long time, resulting in a fast wear rate and short maintenance cycle, which greatly increases the downtime cost of the production line.

[0006] 3. The overall structure is large in size, requiring additional space for translation / lifting installation, which is not conducive to the compact and integrated design of coating equipment and cannot adapt to the layout requirements of miniaturized cavities.

[0007] 4. Single-end driven rotary valves suffer from insufficient torque and poor coaxiality of valve body rotation. Long-term operation can easily lead to jamming and sealing failure, making them unable to meet the requirements for long-term continuous operation in high vacuum environments.

[0008] 5. For large-size silicon wafers of 182 / 210mm and above, the existing valve's through-hole structure is prone to steps and sharp corners, which can cause problems such as jitter, jamming, and wafer chipping during substrate transport, seriously affecting product yield.

[0009] 6. The photovoltaic PVD and PECVD coating processes generate a large amount of process dust such as silicon powder and metal oxides, which easily adhere to the surface of the rotary valve body. As the valve body rotates, it enters the sealing pair, which not only scratches the sealing ring but also wears down the valve body surface, leading to increased sealing gaps and vacuum leakage. This significantly shortens the valve's service life and maintenance cycle. The existing rotary valve body surface has insufficient wear resistance, and after long-term reciprocating rotation and friction, scratches and wear are easily formed, further increasing the risk of sealing failure and failing to meet the requirements for long-term continuous and stable operation of photovoltaic coating equipment.

[0010] Therefore, developing a vacuum transmission valve with fast response speed, long sealing life, stable operation, compact structure, strong dust pollution resistance, and adaptability to large-size silicon wafer transmission has become an urgent need in the photovoltaic coating equipment field. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a rotary vacuum transfer valve for photovoltaic vacuum coating equipment. This valve solves the problems of slow response, high wear, large size, poor operational stability, easy jamming, and susceptibility to process dust contamination leading to sealing failure in existing vacuum valves, thus meeting the production requirements of photovoltaic PVD and PECVD equipment for high cycle time, high vacuum, high stability, and long lifespan.

[0012] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0013] This invention discloses a rotary vacuum transfer valve for photovoltaic vacuum coating equipment, which includes a valve body outer frame assembly, a rotary valve body assembly, a double-end synchronous drive assembly, a vacuum sealing assembly, and a valve body dust scraping assembly.

[0014] The valve body outer frame assembly is a sealed valve cavity located between two adjacent vacuum chambers. Coaxial substrate transfer slots are formed on the opposite sidewalls of the valve body outer frame assembly. The rotary valve body assembly is located within the valve cavity of the valve body outer frame assembly. The rotary valve body assembly has a valve body slot aligned with the substrate transfer slot and a sealing arc surface. Rotating the rotary valve body assembly controls the opening and closing of the substrate transfer slot. The vacuum sealing assembly is located at the inner port of the substrate transfer slot and is press-fitted with the rotary valve body assembly to improve the seal between the substrate transfer slot and the rotary valve body assembly. The valve body dust scraper assembly is located on both sides of the vacuum sealing assembly and is press-fitted with the rotary valve body assembly to scrape off dust particles adhering to the surface of the rotary valve body assembly. The dual-end synchronous drive assembly is located at both ends of the rotary valve body assembly to drive the rotary valve body assembly to perform reciprocating rotation.

[0015] When the dual-end synchronous drive assembly drives the rotary valve body assembly to the first position, the valve body through groove aligns with the substrate transmission through groove to form a continuous substrate transmission channel, and the valve is in the open state; when it rotates to the second position, the sealing arc surface aligns with the substrate transmission through groove, and the sealing arc surface fits and seals with the vacuum sealing assembly, and the valve is in the closed state.

[0016] Furthermore, the valve body outer frame assembly includes a middle frame, an upper cover plate, and a lower cover plate. The middle frame is a hollow cuboid cavity structure. The upper cover plate and the lower cover plate are respectively sealed and fixed to the top and bottom of the middle frame to form a sealed valve cavity. The first set of opposite sidewalls of the middle frame are provided with coaxial substrate transmission slots, and the second set of opposite sidewalls of the middle frame are provided with coaxial drive mounting holes that cooperate with the dual-end synchronous drive assembly.

[0017] Furthermore, the rotary valve body assembly includes a rotary valve cylinder, two drive shafts, and a bearing support unit. The rotary valve cylinder has a cylindrical structure, and the two drive shafts are coaxially fixed to both ends of the rotary valve cylinder. The rotary valve body assembly is mounted on the lower end face of the upper cover plate via the bearing support unit. The cylinder wall of the rotary valve cylinder has an axially penetrating valve body groove, and the remaining cylinder wall of the rotary valve cylinder, except for the valve body groove, is a smooth sealing arc surface. An elastic buffer element adapted to the sealing arc surface is also provided on the inner side of the substrate transmission groove, and the buffer element fits against the sealing arc surface.

[0018] Furthermore, the dual-end synchronous drive assembly includes two sets of magnetic fluid sealing units and two sets of angular stroke drivers. The two sets of magnetic fluid sealing units are coaxially installed in the two drive mounting holes of the middle frame. One end of the inner shaft of the magnetic fluid sealing unit is coaxially connected to the drive shaft on the same side, and the other end of the inner shaft of the magnetic fluid sealing unit is coaxially connected to the output shaft of the angular stroke driver on the same side. The two sets of angular stroke drivers drive synchronously to drive the rotary valve cylinder to perform a 90° reciprocating rotation.

[0019] Furthermore, the vacuum sealing assembly includes a valve body sealing unit, which includes an annular sealing ring. The annular sealing ring is disposed around a buffer member at the inner port of the transmission channel of the substrate, and the inner lip of the annular sealing ring is interference-fitted with the outer cylindrical surface of the rotary valve cylinder.

[0020] Furthermore, the valve body dust scraping assembly includes two sets of dust scraping components. The two sets of dust scraping components are respectively arranged on both sides of the valve body sealing unit along the circumference of the rotary valve cylinder. The dust scraping lip of the dust scraping component is interference-fitted with the outer cylindrical surface of the rotary valve cylinder, and is used to scrape off the dust particles attached to its surface when the rotary valve cylinder rotates.

[0021] Furthermore, the rotary valve cylinder is a seamless stainless steel cylinder with an outer diameter of 100-102mm and an axial length of 15-16mm. The diameter of the drive shaft is 28-30mm, and the two drive shafts are coaxially welded and fixed to both ends of the rotary valve cylinder.

[0022] Furthermore, the dual-end synchronous drive assembly also includes a driver mounting bracket and a rigid coupling. The angular stroke driver is fixed to the outer side wall of the middle frame through the driver mounting bracket. Both ends of the inner shaft of the magnetohydrodynamic sealing unit are coaxially and fixedly connected to the drive shaft and the output shaft of the angular stroke driver respectively through the rigid coupling.

[0023] Furthermore, the angular stroke drive is an angular stroke pneumatic actuator or an electric angular stroke actuator, with a rated output angle of 90°.

[0024] Furthermore, the valve body sealing unit also includes a sealing ring mounting groove, which is formed on the buffer at the inner port of the substrate transmission channel of the middle frame and is arranged around the entire circumference of the substrate transmission channel. The annular sealing ring is interference-fitted into the sealing ring mounting groove.

[0025] Furthermore, the valve body dust scraper assembly also includes two sets of dust scraper mounting grooves. The two sets of dust scraper mounting grooves are opened on the buffer member on the inner side wall of the middle frame and are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the sealing ring mounting groove along the circumference of the rotary valve cylinder. The dust scraper is interference-fitted into the dust scraper mounting groove.

[0026] Furthermore, the dust scraper is an integral dust scraper ring made of polytetrafluoroethylene filled with graphite material, the interference of the dust scraper lip is 0.2mm-0.4mm, and the dust scraper lip is inclined towards the rotation direction of the rotary valve cylinder at an angle of 15°-30°.

[0027] Furthermore, the outer cylindrical surface of the rotary valve cylinder is integrally coated with a wear-resistant coating, which is any one of hard chromium plating, titanium nitride plating, or diamond-like carbon (DLC) plating. The thickness of the wear-resistant coating is 5μm~20μm, and the microhardness is ≥HV800. The surface of the wear-resistant coating is uniformly coated with perfluoropolyether vacuum grease.

[0028] Furthermore, the opening size of the valve body through groove matches the opening size of the substrate transmission through groove, and the edges of the valve body through groove are all rounded.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0030] 1. Fast opening and closing response, suitable for high-speed production: Adopting a rotary opening and closing structure, compared with traditional sliding / lifting gate valves, the opening and closing stroke is extremely short, and the action response time can be shortened. It can perfectly match the high-speed and high-capacity production needs of photovoltaic high-efficiency cell production lines, and greatly improve the production efficiency of equipment.

[0031] 2. Low seal wear and long service life: The sealing pair adopts a radial rotation fit structure. The sealing ring only generates short-stroke sliding friction with the outer arc surface of the valve cylinder during the 90° rotation. Compared with the traditional reciprocating seal, the wear is reduced, significantly extending the service life of the sealing ring and the equipment maintenance cycle, and reducing production line downtime costs.

[0032] 3. Compact structure, adaptable to miniaturized equipment design: The overall design adopts an integrated design, with the dual-end drive components arranged coaxially along the long side of the valve body. No additional space is required for lifting / translation installation, reducing the overall size of the valve and perfectly adapting to the compact and miniaturized cavity layout requirements of photovoltaic coating equipment.

[0033] 4. Dual-end synchronous drive, strong operational stability: It adopts two sets of angular stroke drivers to output torque synchronously at both ends. The rotary valve body is driven to rotate synchronously through dual-end magnetohydrodynamics, which effectively solves the problems of insufficient single-end drive torque, poor coaxiality of valve body rotation, and easy jamming. The rotation coaxiality tolerance can be controlled within 0.02mm, which greatly improves the stability and reliability of the valve in long-term continuous operation in high vacuum environment.

[0034] 5. Smooth transmission and strong yield assurance: The valve body through-slot of the rotary valve cylinder and the transmission through-slot of the middle frame can be completely coaxially aligned, with a continuous through-diameter without steps. Combined with the rounded corner treatment of the through-slot edges, it effectively avoids problems such as jamming, shaking, and edge chipping during the transmission of large-size silicon wafer substrates, significantly improving the stability of silicon wafer transmission and product yield.

[0035] 6. Excellent vacuum sealing and high cleanliness: It adopts a vacuum-specific magnetohydrodynamic sealing structure to achieve leak-free isolation between the drive end and the vacuum valve chamber. The ultimate vacuum degree can reach 1×10^-5 Pa, which can fully meet the high vacuum process requirements of PVD and PECVD equipment. At the same time, it can effectively prevent dust contamination of the drive components from entering the vacuum chamber and ensure process cleanliness.

[0036] 7. Strong anti-pollution capability and further improved sealing reliability: Symmetrical bidirectional dust scraping components are added to both sides of the sealing unit, which can scrape off particles such as silicon powder and process dust attached to the surface of the valve body in real time during the reciprocating rotation of the valve body. This effectively prevents dust from entering the sealing pair and scratching the sealing ring and valve body surface, fundamentally solving the sealing failure problem caused by photovoltaic process dust, and greatly improving the operational stability and sealing reliability of the valve in high dust process environments.

[0037] 8. Excellent wear resistance and further extended service life: The outer surface of the rotary valve cylinder is coated with a high-hardness wear-resistant coating. Combined with vacuum-specific lubricating grease, the wear resistance of the valve body surface can be greatly improved. At the same time, the friction coefficient between the sealing pair, dust scraper assembly and valve body surface can be significantly reduced, reducing friction and wear, further extending the overall service life of the valve and extending the equipment maintenance cycle.

[0038] 9. Strong vacuum compatibility and no process contamination: It adopts a vacuum-grade wear-resistant coating and a perfluoropolyether vacuum grease with low saturated vapor pressure. The outgassing is extremely low and no volatile organic compounds are released. It will not cause pollution to the vacuum chamber environment, fully meet the high cleanliness requirements of photovoltaic cell coating process, and avoid the yield reduction caused by silicon wafer contamination. Attached Figure Description

[0039] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0040] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this embodiment.

[0041] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of this embodiment.

[0042] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating body assembly.

[0043] Figure 4 This is a side view of this embodiment.

[0044] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the cross section along AA.

[0045] Figure 6 This is a front view of this embodiment.

[0046] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A cross-sectional view along BB.

[0047] Explanation of key component symbols:

[0048] 1. Valve body outer frame assembly; 11. Middle frame; 12. Upper cover plate; 13. Lower cover plate; 14. Base plate transmission channel; 15. Drive mounting hole; 16. Buffer component.

[0049] 2. Rotary valve body assembly; 21. Rotary valve cylinder; 22. Drive shaft; 23. Bearing support unit; 24. Valve body through groove; 25. Sealing arc surface;

[0050] 3. Double-ended synchronous drive assembly; 31. Magnetohydrodynamic sealing unit; 32. Angular stroke drive; 33. Drive mounting bracket; 34. Rigid coupling.

[0051] 41. Annular sealing ring;

[0052] 51. Dust scraper parts. Detailed Implementation

[0053] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0054] In this invention, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "up," "down," "left," and "right" are generally understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the directions shown in actual applications.

[0055] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0056] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that they are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0057] The endpoints and any values ​​of the ranges disclosed herein are not limited to the precise ranges or values, and should be understood to include values ​​close to these ranges or values. For numerical ranges, the endpoint values ​​of the various ranges, the endpoint values ​​of the various ranges and individual point values, and individual point values ​​can be combined with each other to obtain one or more new numerical ranges, which should be considered as specifically disclosed herein. The terms "optional" and "discretionary" mean that they may or may not be included (or may or may not be present).

[0058] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, the present invention discloses a rotary vacuum transfer valve for photovoltaic vacuum coating equipment, which includes a valve body outer frame assembly 1, a rotary valve body assembly 2, a double-end synchronous drive assembly 3, a vacuum sealing assembly, and a valve body dust scraping assembly.

[0059] like Figure 2 As shown, the valve body outer frame assembly 1 includes a middle frame 11, an upper cover plate 12, and a lower cover plate 13. The middle frame 11 is a hollow cuboid cavity structure. The upper cover plate 12 and the lower cover plate 13 are respectively sealed and fixed to the top and bottom of the middle frame 11 by fasteners, forming a sealed valve cavity. A through rectangular substrate transmission groove 14 is provided on the first set of opposite sidewalls along the short side of the middle frame 11 for the substrate carrying the silicon wafer to pass through. A coaxial circular drive mounting hole 15 is provided on the second set of opposite sidewalls along the long side of the middle frame 11 for mounting the magnetohydrodynamic sealing unit 31.

[0060] like Figure 3 As shown, the rotary valve body assembly 2 includes a rotary valve cylinder 21, two drive shafts 22, and a bearing support unit 23. The rotary valve cylinder 21 is a seamless stainless steel cylindrical body with an outer diameter of 100-102 mm and an axial length of 15-16 mm. The diameter of the drive shafts 22 is 28-30 mm. The two drive shafts 22 are coaxially welded and fixed to both ends of the rotary valve cylinder 21 to ensure coaxiality. The bearing support unit 23 includes two sets of vacuum-specific seated bearings. Both sets of seated bearings are fixed to the lower end face of the upper cover plate 12 by fasteners. The two drive shafts 22 are respectively interference-fitted with the inner rings of the corresponding side seated bearings to achieve radial and axial positioning of the rotary valve body assembly 2. A rectangular valve body through-slot 24 extending axially is formed on the cylinder wall of the rotary valve cylinder 21. The opening size of the valve body through-slot 24 matches the substrate transmission through-slot 14 of the middle frame 11. The edges of the valve body through-slot 24 are rounded to avoid scratching the substrate and silicon wafer. The rest of the cylinder wall of the rotary valve cylinder 21, except for the valve body through-slot 24, is a polished smooth sealing arc surface 25. An elastic buffer 16 adapted to the sealing arc surface 25 is also provided on the inner side of the substrate transmission through-slot 14. The buffer 16 fits against the sealing arc surface 25, wrapping the rotary valve cylinder 21, making the rotation of the rotary valve cylinder 21 more stable and increasing the vacuum seal when the valve is closed. The outer cylindrical surface of the rotary valve cylinder 21 is coated with a high-hardness wear-resistant coating. The wear-resistant coating is any one of hard chromium plating, titanium nitride plating, or diamond-like carbon (DLC) plating. The thickness of the wear-resistant coating is 5μm~20μm, and the microhardness is ≥HV800. The wear-resistant coating surface is uniformly coated with perfluoropolyether vacuum grease.

[0061] like Figure 2 , Figure 5As shown, the dual-end synchronous drive assembly 3 includes two sets of magnetohydrodynamic sealing units 31, two sets of angular stroke actuators 32, actuator mounting brackets 33, and rigid couplings 34. The two sets of magnetohydrodynamic sealing units 31 are coaxially mounted in the two drive mounting holes 15 of the middle frame 11, and are sealed and fixed to the middle frame 11 by flanges, achieving leak-free isolation between the drive end and the vacuum valve chamber. One end of the inner shaft of the magnetohydrodynamic sealing unit 31 is coaxially fixedly connected to the drive shaft 22 on the same side via a rigid coupling 34, and the other end is coaxially fixedly connected to the output shaft of the angular stroke actuator 32 on the same side via a rigid coupling 34. The angular stroke actuator 32 is fixed to the outer wall of the middle frame 11 via a flat flange and four support columns. The two sets of angular stroke actuators 32 are angular stroke pneumatic actuators or electric angular stroke actuators, synchronously driven by the same control unit, with a rated output angle of 90°, used to drive the rotary valve cylinder 21 to perform reciprocating rotational motion from 0° to 90°, realizing the opening and closing of the valve.

[0062] like Figure 2 , Figure 7 As shown, the vacuum sealing assembly includes a valve body sealing unit and an outer frame sealing unit. The valve body sealing unit includes a vacuum-specific annular sealing ring 41 and a sealing ring mounting groove. The sealing ring mounting groove is located on a buffer member 16 at the inner port of the transmission channel 14 of the substrate of the middle frame 11, and is arranged around the entire transmission channel 14 of the substrate. The annular sealing ring 41 is interference-fitted into the sealing ring mounting groove, and the inner lip of the annular sealing ring 41 is interference-fitted with the outer cylindrical surface of the rotary valve cylinder 21 to ensure reliable sealing. The outer frame sealing unit includes an upper cover plate 12 sealing gasket and a lower cover plate 13 sealing gasket, which are respectively disposed between the contact surfaces of the upper cover plate 12 and the middle frame 11, and the lower cover plate 13 and the middle frame 11. Compression sealing is achieved by the pre-tightening force of fasteners to isolate the valve cavity from the external atmosphere.

[0063] like Figure 5 , Figure 7 As shown, the valve body dust scraping assembly includes two sets of dust scraping components 51 and two sets of dust scraping mounting grooves. The two sets of dust scraping mounting grooves are formed on the buffer component 16 on the inner side wall of the middle frame 11, and are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the sealing ring mounting groove along the circumference of the rotary valve cylinder 21. The two sets of dust scraping components 51 are respectively interference-fitted into the dust scraping mounting grooves on the corresponding sides. The dust scraping lip of the dust scraping component 51 is interference-fitted with the outer cylindrical surface of the rotary valve cylinder 21, and the dust scraping lip is inclined towards the rotation direction of the rotary valve cylinder 21. When the rotary valve cylinder 21 reciprocates, it can scrape off particles such as silicon powder and metal dust attached to its surface in both directions, preventing dust from entering the sealing pair and scratching the sealing ring and valve body surface.

[0064] When the rotary valve cylinder 21 is rotated 90° to the first position by the rotary actuator 32, the valve body through groove 24 is coaxially aligned with the substrate transmission through groove 14, forming a continuous substrate transmission through groove 14, and the valve is in the open state. When the rotary valve cylinder 21 is rotated 90° in the opposite direction to the second position by the rotary actuator 32, the sealing arc surface 25 is aligned with the substrate transmission through groove 14, and the sealing arc surface 25 is tightly fitted with the annular sealing ring 41 to achieve vacuum sealing, and the valve is in the closed state. This achieves fast opening and closing response speed, adapting to high-cycle production. At the same time, it also has the effects of low sealing wear, long service life, compact structure, adaptability to equipment miniaturization design, dual-end synchronous drive, strong operation stability, smooth transmission, strong yield guarantee capability, excellent vacuum sealing performance, high cleanliness, strong anti-contamination ability, and excellent wear resistance.

[0065] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above; however, the present invention is not limited thereto. Within the scope of the inventive concept, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention, including combinations of various technical features in any other suitable manner. These simple modifications and combinations should also be considered as the content disclosed in the present invention and are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rotary vacuum transfer valve for a photovoltaic vacuum coating apparatus, characterized by: It includes a valve body outer frame assembly (1), a rotary valve body assembly (2), a dual-end synchronous drive assembly (3), a vacuum sealing assembly, and a valve body dust scraping assembly; The valve body frame assembly (1) is a sealed valve chamber, located between two adjacent vacuum chambers. Coaxial substrate transmission slots (14) are provided on the opposite side walls of the valve body frame assembly (1). The rotary valve body assembly (2) is disposed in the valve cavity of the valve body outer frame assembly (1). The rotary valve body assembly (2) is provided with a valve body through groove (24) aligned with the substrate transmission through groove (14) and a sealing arc surface (25). The substrate transmission through groove (14) is opened and closed by rotating the rotary valve body assembly (2). The vacuum sealing assembly is disposed on the inner port of the substrate transmission channel (14) and is press-fitted with the rotary valve body assembly (2) to improve the sealing between the substrate transmission channel (14) and the rotary valve body assembly (2). The valve body dust scraping assembly is located on both sides of the vacuum sealing assembly and is press-fitted with the rotary valve body assembly (2) to scrape off dust particles attached to the surface of the rotary valve body assembly (2). The dual-end synchronous drive assembly (3) is disposed at both ends of the rotary valve body assembly (2) and is used to drive the rotary valve body assembly (2) to perform reciprocating rotational motion; When the dual-end synchronous drive assembly (3) drives the rotary valve body assembly (2) to rotate to the first position, the valve body through groove (24) aligns with the substrate transmission through groove (14) to form a continuous substrate transmission channel, and the valve is in the open state; when it rotates to the second position, the sealing arc surface (25) aligns with the substrate transmission through groove (14), the sealing arc surface (25) fits and seals with the vacuum sealing assembly, and the valve is in the closed state.

2. The rotary vacuum translation valve for a photovoltaic vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve body outer frame assembly (1) includes a middle frame (11), an upper cover plate (12) and a lower cover plate (13). The middle frame (11) is a hollow cuboid cavity structure. The upper cover plate (12) and the lower cover plate (13) are respectively sealed and fixed to the top and bottom of the middle frame (11) to form a sealed valve cavity. The first set of opposite sidewalls of the middle frame (11) is provided with a coaxial substrate transmission groove (14). The second set of opposite sidewalls of the middle frame (11) is provided with a coaxial drive mounting hole (15) that cooperates with the double-end synchronous drive assembly (3).

3. The rotary vacuum translation valve for a photovoltaic vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rotary valve body assembly (2) includes a rotary valve cylinder (21), two drive shafts (22) and a bearing support unit (23). The rotary valve cylinder (21) is a cylindrical structure. The two drive shafts (22) are coaxially fixed at both ends of the rotary valve cylinder (21). The rotary valve body assembly (2) is installed on the lower end face of the upper cover plate (12) through the bearing support unit (23). The cylinder wall of the rotary valve cylinder (21) is provided with a valve body through groove (24) that runs through the axial direction. The remaining cylinder wall of the rotary valve cylinder (21) except for the valve body through groove (24) is a smooth sealing arc surface (25). An elastic buffer (16) that is adapted to the sealing arc surface (25) is also provided on the inner side of the substrate transmission through groove (14). The buffer (16) fits against the sealing arc surface (25).

4. The rotary vacuum transfer valve for photovoltaic vacuum coating equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The dual-end synchronous drive assembly (3) includes two sets of magnetic fluid sealing units (31) and two sets of angular stroke drivers (32). The two sets of magnetic fluid sealing units (31) are coaxially installed in the two drive mounting holes (15) of the middle frame (11). One end of the inner shaft of the magnetic fluid sealing unit (31) is coaxially connected to the drive shaft (22) on the same side, and the other end of the inner shaft of the magnetic fluid sealing unit (31) is coaxially connected to the output shaft of the angular stroke driver (32) on the same side. The two sets of angular stroke drivers (32) drive synchronously to drive the rotary valve cylinder (21) to perform a 90° reciprocating rotation.

5. The rotary vacuum translation valve for a photovoltaic vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that: The vacuum sealing assembly includes a valve body sealing unit, which includes an annular sealing ring (41). The annular sealing ring (41) is disposed around the buffer (16) of the inner port of the substrate transmission channel (14). The inner lip of the annular sealing ring (41) is press-fitted with the outer cylindrical surface of the rotary valve cylinder (21).

6. The rotary vacuum translation valve for a photovoltaic vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: The valve body dust scraping assembly includes two sets of dust scraping components (51). The two sets of dust scraping components (51) are respectively arranged on both sides of the valve body sealing unit along the circumference of the rotary valve cylinder (21). The dust scraping lip of the dust scraping component (51) is press-fitted with the outer cylindrical surface of the rotary valve cylinder (21) to scrape off the dust particles attached to its surface when the rotary valve cylinder (21) rotates.

7. A rotary vacuum transfer valve for a photovoltaic vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that: The rotary valve cylinder (21) is a seamless stainless steel cylinder with an outer diameter of 100-102mm and an axial length of 15-16mm. The diameter of the drive shaft (22) is 28-30mm. The two drive shafts (22) are coaxially welded and fixed to both ends of the rotary valve cylinder (21).

8. The rotary vacuum translation valve for a photovoltaic vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that: The dual-end synchronous drive assembly (3) also includes a driver mounting bracket (33) and a rigid coupling (34). The angular stroke driver (32) is fixed to the outer side wall of the middle frame (11) through the driver mounting bracket (33). Both ends of the inner shaft of the magnetohydrodynamic sealing unit (31) are coaxially fixedly connected to the drive shaft (22) and the output shaft of the angular stroke driver (32) through the rigid coupling (34).

9. The rotary vacuum translation valve for photovoltaic vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that: The angular stroke drive (32) is an angular stroke pneumatic actuator or an electric angular stroke actuator, with a rated output angle of 90°.

10. The rotary vacuum translation valve for photovoltaic vacuum coating apparatuses according to claim 6, characterized in that: The valve body sealing unit also includes a sealing ring mounting groove. The sealing ring mounting groove is opened on the buffer (16) at the inner port of the substrate transmission channel (14) of the middle frame (11) and is arranged around the substrate transmission channel (14) in a full circle. The annular sealing ring (41) is interference-fitted into the sealing ring mounting groove.

11. The rotary vacuum translation valve for a photovoltaic vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that: The valve body dust scraper assembly also includes two sets of dust scraper mounting slots. The two sets of dust scraper mounting slots are opened on the buffer member (16) on the inner side wall of the middle frame (11) and are respectively symmetrically arranged on both sides of the sealing ring mounting slot along the circumference of the rotary valve cylinder (21). The dust scraper (51) is interference-fitted into the dust scraper mounting slot.

12. The rotary vacuum transfer valve for photovoltaic vacuum coating equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that: The dust scraper (51) is an integral dust scraper ring made of polytetrafluoroethylene filled with graphite material. The interference of the dust scraper lip is 0.2m-0.4mm. The dust scraper lip is tilted towards the rotation direction of the rotary valve cylinder (21) with an inclination angle of 15°-30°.

13. The rotary vacuum translation valve for photovoltaic vacuum coating apparatuses according to claim 6, characterized in that: The outer cylindrical surface of the rotary valve cylinder (21) is coated with a wear-resistant coating. The wear-resistant coating is any one of hard chromium plating, titanium nitride plating, or diamond-like carbon (DLC) plating. The thickness of the wear-resistant coating is 5μm~20μm, and the microhardness is ≥HV800. The surface of the wear-resistant coating is uniformly coated with perfluoropolyether vacuum grease.

14. The rotary vacuum translation valve for photovoltaic vacuum coating apparatuses according to claim 6, characterized in that: The opening size of the valve body through groove (24) matches the opening size of the substrate transmission through groove (14), and the edges of the valve body through groove (24) are all rounded.

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