Gate valve and vacuum coating equipment

Abstract

The utility model is applicable to the technical field of vacuum coating equipment, and provides a gate valve and vacuum coating equipment, the gate valve comprises a valve body internally provided with a valve cavity, and the side wall of the valve body is provided with two valve ports which are communicated with the valve cavity and are oppositely arranged; the two inserting plates are movably arranged in the valve cavity, are matched with the two valve ports in a one-to-one correspondence manner and are used for opening or closing the corresponding valve ports; and the driving assembly comprises a sliding block arranged in the valve cavity in a sliding mode, a screw rod which is in threaded connection with the sliding block and can drive the sliding block to slide up and down, at least two connecting rod mechanisms hinged to the sliding block and a rotating motor connected with the screw rod, and the two inserting plates are connected with the corresponding connecting rod mechanisms correspondingly. According to the gate valve provided by the utility model, the production, use and maintenance cost can be reduced, and the opening and closing reliability of the valve port of the gate valve can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of vacuum coating equipment, in particular to a plug-in valve and vacuum coating equipment. Background Art

[0002] Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) vacuum coating equipment uses microwaves or radio frequencies to ionize the gas containing the atoms of the film components, forming plasma locally, and using the principle that the plasma is highly chemically active and easily reacts, thereby depositing the required film on the workpiece to be plated. Among them, in the vacuum coating equipment used for vacuum coating technology, the gate valve is an indispensable component for sealing between two adjacent vacuum chambers or a single vacuum chamber. Its function is that when a single vacuum chamber needs to be processed, the gate valve needs to be used to seal the vacuum chamber so that the vacuum environment in the vacuum chamber is not destroyed.

[0003] In the prior art, the gate valve used in vacuum coating equipment usually includes a valve body with a valve cavity, the side wall of the valve body is provided with two valve ports connected to the valve cavity, and two gates corresponding to the two valve ports are provided in the valve cavity. The hydraulic cylinder drives the connecting rod mechanism to drive the two gates to open or close the two valve ports at the same time to achieve the opening or sealing of the vacuum chamber. However, due to the high cost of using the hydraulic cylinder and the high cost of subsequent maintenance, the gate valve has high production and maintenance costs; moreover, the hydraulic cylinder directly uses the connecting rod mechanism to drive the two gates to move to open or close the two valve ports, and the reliability of opening or closing the valve ports is poor. Utility Model Content

[0004] The utility model provides a plug valve, aiming to solve the problems of high production and repair and maintenance costs and poor reliability of opening or closing a valve port in a plug valve of vacuum coating equipment in the prior art.

[0005] The utility model is implemented by providing a plug valve for vacuum coating equipment, comprising:

[0006] A valve body having a valve cavity therein, wherein a side wall of the valve body is provided with two valve ports which are in communication with the valve cavity and are arranged opposite to each other;

[0007] Two plug plates movably disposed in the valve cavity, the two plug plates correspondingly cooperate with the two valve ports one by one and are used to open or close the corresponding valve ports; and

[0008] A driving assembly, the driving assembly includes a slider slidably arranged in the valve cavity, a screw threadedly connected to the slider and capable of driving the slider to slide up and down, at least two connecting rod mechanisms hinged to the slider, and a rotating motor connected to the screw, and the two plug plates are respectively connected to the corresponding connecting rod mechanisms.

[0009] Preferably, one of the two plug plates is penetrated by a vent hole communicating with the valve cavity.

[0010] Preferably, the driving assembly further comprises:

[0011] Two guide rails are arranged on both sides of the valve cavity, and the two ends of the slider form a sliding fit with the two guide rails respectively, and the slider can slide up and down along the two guide rails.

[0012] Preferably, the driving assembly further comprises:

[0013] At least two connecting blocks are detachably fixed on the sliding block, and two ends of the sliding block are respectively slidably matched with the two guide rails through the connecting blocks.

[0014] Preferably, guide wheels for allowing workpieces to enter and exit the valve cavity are respectively provided at the bottom of the two valve ports.

[0015] Preferably, along the length direction of each of the plug boards, at least two of the connecting rod mechanisms are correspondingly arranged at both end positions of each of the plug boards.

[0016] Preferably, the number of the ventilation holes is at least two arranged along the length direction of the plug board.

[0017] Preferably, a sealing gasket for sealing the valve port is provided on a side of each of the plug plates close to the corresponding valve port.

[0018] Preferably, the valve chamber is also provided with a first sensor for detecting when the two plug plates move upward to a certain position and triggering a signal for the rotating motor to stop rotating, and a second sensor for detecting when the two plug plates move downward to a certain position and triggering a signal for the rotating motor to stop rotating.

[0019] The utility model also provides a vacuum coating device, comprising the above-mentioned plug-in valve.

[0020] The utility model provides a gate valve by providing a slider, a screw connected to the slider threadably, and a rotating motor connected to the screw, the slider is connected to the two gates through a connecting rod mechanism, the rotating motor drives the screw to rotate, the screw rotation drives the slider to move up and down, and the slider drives the connecting rod mechanism to move during the movement of the slider, so that the two gates open or close the corresponding valve ports at the same time, and the rotating motor is used to replace the hydraulic cylinder as a power device, which can reduce the production, use and maintenance costs of the gate valve; moreover, the rotating motor drives the slider to move up and down stably along the screw by the screw, and the slider drives the two gates to open or close the two valve ports through the connecting rod mechanism. Compared with the mode in which the hydraulic cylinder directly drives the connecting rod mechanism to drive the two gates to move, the gate valve of the utility model utilizes the self-locking function of the thread between the screw and the slider, and after the two gates open or close the valve ports, the two gates can stably maintain the valve ports in an open or closed state, thereby greatly improving the reliability of opening and closing the valve ports of the gate valve. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a gate valve provided in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a gate valve provided by an embodiment of the utility model with one side wall removed;

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a partial structure of a gate valve provided in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0024] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a drive assembly and a plug plate of a plug plate valve provided in an embodiment of the utility model when assembled;

[0025] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a drive assembly of a gate valve provided in an embodiment of the utility model.

[0026] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a vacuum coating device provided in an embodiment of the utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the utility model more clear, the utility model is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the utility model and are not used to limit the utility model.

[0028] The embodiment of the utility model provides a gate valve by providing a slider, a screw connected to the slider threadably, and a rotating motor connected to the screw. The slider is connected to the two gates through a connecting rod mechanism. The rotating motor drives the screw to rotate, and the rotation of the screw drives the slider to move up and down. During the movement of the slider, the connecting rod mechanism is driven to operate, so that the two gates open or close the corresponding valve ports at the same time. The rotating motor is used to replace the hydraulic cylinder as a power device, which can reduce the production, use and maintenance costs of the gate valve; moreover, the rotating motor drives the slider to move up and down stably along the screw by the screw, and the slider drives the two gates through the connecting rod mechanism to open or close the two valve ports. Compared with the mode in which the hydraulic cylinder directly drives the connecting rod mechanism to drive the two gates to move, the gate valve of the utility model uses the self-locking function of the thread between the screw and the slider. After the two gates open or close the valve ports, the two gates can stably maintain the valve ports in an open or closed state, which greatly improves the reliability of opening and closing the valve ports of the gate valve.

[0029] Please refer to Figure 1-Figure 5 The utility model provides a gate valve for vacuum coating equipment, including:

[0030] A valve body 1 is provided with a valve cavity 11, and a side wall of the valve body 1 is provided with two valve ports 12 which are connected with the valve cavity 11 and are arranged opposite to each other;

[0031] Two plug plates 2 movably disposed in the valve cavity 11, the two plug plates 2 are matched with the two valve ports 12 in a one-to-one correspondence and are used to open or close the corresponding valve ports 12; and

[0032] The driving assembly 3 includes a slider 31 slidably arranged in the valve chamber 11, a screw 32 threadedly connected to the slider 31 and capable of driving the slider 31 to slide up and down, at least two connecting rod mechanisms 33 hinged to the slider 31, and a rotating motor 34 connected to the screw 32. The two plug plates 2 are respectively connected to the corresponding connecting rod mechanisms 33.

[0033] In the embodiment of the utility model, the vacuum chamber can be a coating chamber, a drying chamber or a buffer chamber, etc. The gate valve can be arranged at the feed inlet or the discharge port of any vacuum chamber, and is used to open or close the feed inlet or the discharge port of the vacuum chamber. The gate valve can also be arranged between two adjacent vacuum chambers, and is used to control the connection or isolation between the two adjacent vacuum chambers.

[0034] In the embodiment of the utility model, the valve body 1 is specifically formed by surrounding six side walls, and a valve port 12 is respectively arranged on two side walls which are arranged opposite to each other on the left and right sides of the valve body 1 .

[0035] In the embodiment of the utility model, a gate valve is provided by setting a slider 31, a screw 32 threadedly connected to the slider 31, and a rotating motor 34 connected to the screw 32. The slider 31 is connected to the two gates 2 through a connecting rod mechanism 33. The rotating motor 34 is used to drive the screw 32 to rotate. During the rotation of the screw 32, the slider 31 is driven to slide up and down. During the movement of the slider 31, the connecting rod mechanism 33 is driven to rotate. The connecting rod mechanism 33 drives the two gates 2 to open or close the corresponding valve ports 12 at the same time. Since the rotary motor 34 is used to replace the hydraulic cylinder as the power device, the production, use and maintenance costs of the gate valve can be reduced compared with the gate valve with the hydraulic cylinder as the power device; moreover, the rotary motor 34 uses the screw 32 to drive the slider 31 to slide up and down stably along the screw 32, and the slider 31 then drives the two gates 2 through the connecting rod mechanism 33 to realize the opening or closing of the two valve ports 12. Compared with the way in which the hydraulic cylinder directly drives the connecting rod mechanism 33 to drive the two gates 2 to move, after the two gates 2 of the gate valve of the utility model open or close the two valve ports 12 and move into place, the self-locking function of the thread between the screw 32 and the slider 31 can be used to make the two gates 2 stably keep the valve ports 12 in the open or closed state, thereby greatly improving the reliability of opening and closing the valve ports 12 of the gate valve.

[0036] In the embodiment of the utility model, the rotating motor 34 can rotate forward and reverse, so the rotating motor 34 can drive the screw 32 to rotate forward and reverse, the forward and reverse rotation of the screw 32 can respectively drive the slider 31 to slide up and down, and the up and down sliding of the slider 31 drives the connecting rod mechanism 33 to rotate, thereby driving the two plug plates 2 to move toward the corresponding valve port 12 or away from the corresponding valve port 12, thereby realizing the closing or opening of the two valve ports 12.

[0037] Specifically, when the two valve ports 12 of the gate valve need to be closed, the rotating motor 34 rotates forward to drive the screw rod 32 to rotate forward. Due to the threaded cooperation between the screw rod 32 and the slider 31, the slider 31 converts the rotational motion of the screw rod 32 into linear motion. The forward rotation of the screw rod 32 drives the slider 31 to slide downward. During the downward movement of the slider 31, the connecting rod mechanisms 33 are driven to rotate. During the rotation of each connecting rod mechanism 33, the two gate plates 2 are pushed to open each other. The two gate plates 2 move toward the corresponding valve ports 12 at the same time until the two gate plates 2 and the inner wall of the valve body 1 are aligned. The two plug plates 2 fit tightly together so that they completely cover the corresponding valve ports 12, thereby closing the two valve ports 12. When the two valve ports 12 of the plug valve need to be opened, the rotary motor 34 reverses to drive the screw rod 32 to rotate in the opposite direction, and the screw rod 32 rotates in the opposite direction to drive the slider 31 to move upward. During the upward movement of the slider 31, the connecting rod mechanism 33 is driven to rotate. During the rotation of each connecting rod mechanism 33, the two plug plates 2 are pushed closer to each other, and the two plug plates 2 move away from the corresponding valve ports 12 respectively until the two plug plates 2 move into place, thereby opening the two valve ports 12.

[0038] As an embodiment of the present invention, one of the two plug plates 2 is penetrated by a vent hole 21 communicating with the valve chamber 11 .

[0039] In practical applications, the plug plate 2 with the vent hole 21 is arranged close to the vacuum chamber that needs to be sealed. For example, one valve port 12 of the plug plate valve is arranged close to the vacuum chamber and communicated with the feed port of the vacuum chamber, and the other valve port 12 is arranged away from the vacuum chamber, and the plug plate 2 corresponding to the valve port 12 away from the vacuum chamber is provided with the vent hole 21.

[0040] In this embodiment, a vent hole 21 connected to the valve cavity 11 is provided on the plug plate 2 corresponding to the valve port 12 far away from the vacuum chamber. When the two plug plates 2 close the corresponding valve ports 12, the external air pressure or the air pressure in the adjacent chamber can enter the valve cavity 11 through the vent hole 21 and push the plug plate 2 to move toward the valve port 12, so that the air pressure in the valve cavity 11 is consistent with the external air pressure or the air pressure in the adjacent chamber. On the one hand, the thrust of the air pressure can be used to push the plug plate 2 to move, which can reduce the driving force required for the plug plate 2, so that the plug plate 2 can be driven by a rotating motor 34 with a smaller driving force, which can further reduce the production cost of the plug plate valve, thereby reducing the production cost of the vacuum coating equipment using the plug plate valve; on the other hand, since the air pressure entering the valve cavity 11 through the vent hole 21 applies a force to the plug plate 2, the plug plate 2 can be made to fit tightly against the inner wall of the valve body 1 to achieve a good seal of the valve port 12, thereby improving the sealing performance of the vacuum chamber.

[0041] As an embodiment of the present invention, the number of the vent holes 21 is at least two, which are arranged in sequence and spaced apart along the length direction of the plug board 2. Figure 3 The number of the vent holes 21 shown in the figure is two. The external air pressure can enter the valve cavity 11 through at least two vent holes 21 at the same time, so that the air pressure pushes the plug plate 2 to move more balanced, thereby improving the sealing effect of the plug plate 2 on the valve port 12.

[0042] As an embodiment of the present invention, the vent hole 21 is a waist-shaped hole. Of course, the shape of the vent hole 21 can also be other shapes.

[0043] As an embodiment of the present utility model, the driving assembly 3 further includes:

[0044] Two guide rails 35 are arranged on both sides of the valve cavity 11 , and both ends of the slider 31 form a sliding fit with the two guide rails 35 , respectively, so that the slider 31 can slide up and down along the two guide rails 35 .

[0045] In this embodiment, two guide rails 35 are used to guide and limit the slider 31 during its movement, so that the slider 31 can stably slide up and down along the screw rod 32, so that the slider 31 can drive the two plug boards 2 to move more smoothly.

[0046] As an embodiment of the present utility model, the driving assembly 3 further includes:

[0047] At least two connecting blocks 36 are detachably fixed to the slider 31 , and two ends of the slider 31 are respectively slidably matched with the two guide rails 35 through the connecting blocks 36 .

[0048] In this embodiment, the slider 31 forms a sliding fit with the guide rail 35 by means of a connecting block 36 detachably fixed to the slider 31, so as to facilitate the assembly of the slider 31 and the guide rail 35. In addition, both ends of the slider 31 can also directly form a sliding fit with the two guide rails 35.

[0049] As an embodiment of the present utility model, guide wheels 6 for allowing workpieces to enter and exit the valve cavity 11 are respectively provided at the bottom of the two valve ports 12 .

[0050] In this embodiment, two guide wheels 6 are respectively disposed at the bottom of each valve port 12 , and the guide wheels 6 are used to guide the workpiece to enter and exit the valve cavity 11 , so that the workpiece can enter and exit the valve cavity 11 smoothly.

[0051] As an embodiment of the present invention, at least two connecting rod mechanisms 33 are correspondingly arranged at both ends of each plug board 2 along the length direction of each plug board 2. The specific number of the connecting rod mechanisms 33 is not limited, and the connecting rod mechanisms 33 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the slider 31, and the connecting rod mechanisms 33 on both sides of the slider 31 are respectively connected to the corresponding plug boards 2.

[0052] In this embodiment, both ends of each plug board 2 are connected to the slider 31 by at least two connecting rod mechanisms 33, so that the plug board 2 can be more evenly stressed, the plug board 2 can move more smoothly, and the plug board 2 can better seal the valve port 12.

[0053] As an embodiment of the present invention, each connecting rod mechanism 33 includes two movable rods hinged to each other, one end of one movable rod is connected to the slider 31, and one end of the other movable rod is connected to the corresponding plug plate 2. Of course, the structure of the connecting rod mechanism 33 is not limited to this, and can also be set to other structures.

[0054] As an embodiment of the present utility model, a sealing gasket 7 for sealing the valve port 12 is provided on a side of each plug plate 2 close to the corresponding valve port 12 .

[0055] In this embodiment, each plug plate 2 contacts the inner wall of the valve body 1 by means of a sealing gasket 7, thereby increasing the sealing performance of the plug plate 2 and the valve body 1, and making the sealing performance of the valve port 12 better.

[0056] As an embodiment of the utility model, the valve chamber 11 is also provided with a first sensor 8 for detecting that the two plug plates 2 move upward to the position and trigger the rotating motor 34 to stop rotating, and a second sensor 9 for detecting that the two plug plates 2 move downward to the position and trigger the rotating motor 34 to stop rotating.

[0057] In this embodiment, when the first sensor 8 detects that the two plug boards 2 move upward to open the valve port 12, the controller electrically connected to the first sensor 8 and the rotary motor 34 receives the trigger signal of the first sensor 8, and the controller controls the rotary motor 34 to stop rotating; when the second sensor 9 detects that the two plug boards 2 move downward to close the valve port 12, the controller receives the trigger signal of the second sensor 9, and the controller controls the rotary motor 34 to stop rotating; the first sensor 8 and the second sensor 9 can be used to accurately control the movement position of the plug board 2, greatly improving the reliability of opening and closing the plug board 2. Specifically, the first sensor 8 and the second sensor 9 are both Hall sensors. Of course, the first sensor 8 and the second sensor 9 can also be infrared sensors or other types of sensors.

[0058] The utility model also provides a vacuum coating device in an embodiment, including the gate valve of the above embodiment. Specifically, the vacuum coating device can be a PECVD vacuum coating device. The vacuum coating device provided by the utility model embodiment can reduce the production, use and maintenance costs of the gate valve by setting the gate valve, and the gate valve has good reliability in opening and closing the valve port.

[0059] Please refer to Figure 6 In the embodiment of the utility model, the vacuum coating device specifically includes a feeding mechanism 20, a first gate valve 30, a first buffer chamber 40, a second gate valve 50, a drying chamber 60, a third gate valve 70, a coating chamber 80, a fourth gate valve 90, a second buffer chamber 100, a fifth gate valve 110 and a feeding mechanism 120, which are arranged in sequence. Among them, the structures of the first gate valve 30, the second gate valve 50, the third gate valve 70, the fourth gate valve 90 and the fifth gate valve 120 are the same, and they are all the gate valves described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1.

[0060] Among them, the first gate valve 30 is used to control the closing or opening of the feed port of the first buffer chamber 40, the first gate valve 30 is used to control the connection or isolation between the first buffer chamber 40 and the drying chamber 60, the third gate valve 70 is used to control the connection or isolation between the drying chamber 60 and the coating chamber 80, the fourth gate valve 90 is used to control the connection or isolation between the coating chamber 80 and the second buffer chamber 100, and the fifth gate valve 110 is used to control the closing or opening of the discharge port of the second buffer chamber 100.

[0061] In this embodiment, the coating workpiece passes through the feeding mechanism 20, the first gate valve 30, the first buffer chamber 40, and the second gate valve 50 in sequence to enter the drying chamber 60 for drying treatment, and then passes through the third gate valve 70 to enter the coating chamber 80 for coating. After the coating of the coating workpiece is completed, it passes through the fourth gate valve 90, the second buffer chamber 100, and the fifth gate valve 110 in sequence, and then is unloaded from the unloading mechanism 120 to achieve continuous coating of the coating equipment. Among them, the vacuum coating equipment is a double-layer coating production line, which can be continuously coated at the same time, which can greatly improve the coating efficiency, that is, the upper and lower layers of the vacuum coating equipment are sequentially provided with the feeding mechanism 20, the first gate valve 30, the first buffer chamber 40, the second gate valve 50, the drying chamber 60, the third gate valve 70, the coating chamber 80, the fourth gate valve 90, the second buffer chamber 100, the fifth gate valve 110 and the unloading mechanism 120. Preferably, the upper and lower coating production lines share a drying chamber 60, which can reduce production costs. In addition, the coating equipment can also be a coating production line with three or more layers, which can further improve the coating efficiency.

[0062] The embodiment of the utility model provides a gate valve by providing a slider, a screw connected to the slider by thread, and a rotating motor connected to the screw, the slider is connected to the two gates through a connecting rod mechanism, the rotating motor is used to drive the screw to rotate, the screw rotates and drives the slider to move up and down, and the slider drives the connecting rod mechanism to move during the movement of the slider, so that the two gates open or close the corresponding valve ports at the same time, and the rotating motor is used to replace the hydraulic cylinder as a power device, which can reduce the production, use and maintenance costs of the gate valve; moreover, the rotating motor can drive the slider to move up and down stably along the screw by using the screw, and the slider drives the two gates to open or close the two valve ports through the connecting rod mechanism, compared with the mode in which the hydraulic cylinder directly drives the connecting rod mechanism to drive the two gates to move, the gate valve of the utility model uses the self-locking function of the thread between the screw and the slider, and after the two gates open or close the valve ports, the two gates can stably maintain the valve ports in an open or closed state, thereby greatly improving the reliability of opening and closing the valve ports of the gate valve.

[0063] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are 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 in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gate valve for vacuum coating equipment, characterized in that: include: A valve body having a valve cavity therein, wherein a side wall of the valve body is provided with two valve ports which are in communication with the valve cavity and are arranged opposite to each other; Two plug plates movably arranged in the valve cavity, the two plug plates correspondingly cooperate with the two valve ports one by one and are used to open or close the corresponding valve ports; as well as A driving assembly, the driving assembly includes a slider slidably arranged in the valve cavity, a screw threadedly connected to the slider and capable of driving the slider to slide up and down, at least two connecting rod mechanisms hinged to the slider, and a rotating motor connected to the screw, and the two plug plates are respectively connected to the corresponding connecting rod mechanisms.

2. The gate valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: One of the two plug plates is penetrated by a vent hole which is in communication with the valve cavity.

3. The gate valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive assembly also includes: Two guide rails are arranged on both sides of the valve cavity, and the two ends of the slider form a sliding fit with the two guide rails respectively, and the slider can slide up and down along the two guide rails.

4. The gate valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The drive assembly also includes: At least two connecting blocks are detachably fixed on the sliding block, and two ends of the sliding block are respectively slidably matched with the two guide rails through the connecting blocks.

5. The gate valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottoms of the two valve ports are respectively provided with guide wheels for allowing workpieces to enter and exit the valve cavity.

6. The gate valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: Along the length direction of each of the plug boards, at least two of the connecting rod mechanisms are correspondingly arranged at both ends of each of the plug boards.

7. The gate valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of the ventilation holes is at least two and is arranged along the length direction of the plugboard.

8. The gate valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sealing gasket for sealing the valve port is provided on one side of each plug plate close to the corresponding valve port.

9. The gate valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve cavity is also provided with a first sensor for detecting that the two plug plates move upward to a certain position and triggering a signal for the rotating motor to stop rotating, and a second sensor for detecting that the two plug plates move downward to a certain position and triggering a signal for the rotating motor to stop rotating.

10. A vacuum coating device, characterized in that: It comprises a gate valve as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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