Vacuum evaporation equipment

Abstract

The vacuum evaporation equipment comprises a feeding mechanism, and the feeding mechanism is provided with a discharging opening; a material receiving opening of the feeding mechanism is connected with a discharging opening of the feeding mechanism or located below the discharging opening of the feeding mechanism; and the first driving piece can drive the feeding mechanism to wholly or partially move and / or rotate. When feeding is not needed, the first driving part drives the feeding mechanism to integrally or partially move and / or rotate, so that the feeding mechanism is far away from the evaporation mechanism. Therefore, the feeding mechanism is prevented from being in a high-temperature environment all the time, deformation or cracking caused by the fact that the feeding mechanism is located above the evaporation mechanism all the time is reduced, the continuous use period of the feeding mechanism is prolonged, and the requirement of the solar industry for continuous coating can be met. Moreover, the feeding mechanism does not need to be located above the evaporation mechanism all the time, a large number of materials can be prevented from being attached to the feeding mechanism, the materials are saved, and normal use of the feeding mechanism is guaranteed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of vacuum evaporation, in particular to a vacuum evaporation equipment. BACKGROUND

[0002] At present, solar cells are used more and more widely as a new energy alternative. Among them, photovoltaic solar cells are devices for converting solar light energy into electrical energy. Specifically, solar cells use the photovoltaic principle to generate carriers, and then use electrodes to lead out the carriers, thereby facilitating the effective use of electrical energy.

[0003] The physical vapor deposition coating technology is used in the solar cell manufacturing process. This technology uses physical processes to deposit materials on the surface of a carrier. The simplest and most commonly used method is thermal evaporation, which converts the material into a gas state by evaporation or sublimation after heating and then deposits it on the substrate surface. At present, the commonly used thermal evaporation method is divided into resistance heating type, electron beam heating type, and induction heating type according to the heating method. The principle of resistance heating type vacuum coating is to place the film material in a vacuum chamber, heat the film material by resistance heating to make it evaporate, and the atoms or molecules are separated from the surface of the evaporation source and contact the surface of the coated workpiece to form a thin film after condensation. The principle of electron beam heating type vacuum coating is to accelerate electrons by electric field and hit the film material, and the kinetic energy of the electrons is converted into heat energy to heat and vaporize the film material, thereby realizing evaporation coating.

[0004] However, the solar industry has a rigid need for continuous coating, so there is an urgent need to develop a thermal evaporation system that can operate continuously for a long time. In addition, in the resistance heating type thermal evaporation equipment, the temperature around the evaporator assembly is relatively high, and the feeding mechanism is easily damaged by long-term heating or exposure to the coating atmosphere, which shortens the continuous use cycle of the feeding mechanism. CONTENT OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The purpose of the present application is to provide a vacuum evaporation equipment that prevents the feeding mechanism from being heated for a long time or exposed to the coating atmosphere, thereby improving the continuous use cycle of the feeding mechanism.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] A vacuum evaporation equipment, comprising:

[0008] A feeding mechanism, the feeding mechanism having a discharge port;

[0009] A feeding mechanism, the feeding mechanism having a discharge port;

[0010] An evaporation mechanism for holding and heating materials;

[0011] The first driving member drives the feeding mechanism as a whole or part to move and / or rotate to approach or move away from the evaporation mechanism.

[0012] In the process of using the vacuum evaporation device, when feeding is needed, the first driving member drives the feeding mechanism as a whole or part to move and / or rotate, so that the discharge port of the feeding mechanism can move and / or rotate to the upper side of the evaporation mechanism. When feeding is not needed, the first driving member drives the feeding mechanism as a whole or part to move and / or rotate, so that the feeding mechanism moves away from the evaporation mechanism. In this way, the feeding mechanism does not have to be located above the evaporation mechanism all the time, avoiding the feeding mechanism being in a high-temperature environment all the time, thereby reducing the deformation or cracking caused by the feeding mechanism being above the evaporation mechanism all the time, and thereby prolonging the continuous use period of the feeding mechanism, which can meet the demand of the solar energy industry for continuous coating. Moreover, the feeding mechanism does not have to be located above the evaporation mechanism all the time, which can prevent a large amount of material from adhering to the feeding mechanism, saving material and ensuring normal use of the feeding mechanism.

[0013] In an implementation manner, the feeding mechanism comprises a moving conveying member and a feeding assembly arranged on the moving conveying member;

[0014] The first driving member can drive the feeding assembly to reciprocate along the moving conveying member. With this technical solution, the first driving member drives the feeding assembly to reciprocate between the feeding mechanism and the evaporation mechanism, thereby realizing reciprocating feeding.

[0015] In an implementation manner, the feeding assembly comprises a linear feeder, and the linear feeder reciprocates along the moving conveying member with a small distance, which is convenient for operation; or,

[0016] The feeding assembly comprises a rotary feeder, and the rotary feeder comprises a support member, a plurality of feeding vessels arranged on the support member, a second driving member capable of driving the support member to rotate, and a third driving member capable of driving the feeding vessels to discharge. With this technical solution, intermittent feeding is realized through rotation of the rotary feeder, which can ensure that the amount of feeding each time is not greatly different and is convenient for operation.

[0017] In an implementation manner, the feeding assembly comprises a rotary feeder;

[0018] The feeding assembly further comprises a feeding chute and a fourth driving member capable of driving the feeding chute to rotate, and the feeding chute has a feeding port which is connected to or located below the discharging position of the rotary feeder. When the fourth driving member drives the feeding chute to rotate to a first position, one end of the feeding chute is used to receive the material in the feeding vessels, and the other end of the feeding chute is located above the evaporation mechanism, thereby facilitating guiding the material in the feeding vessels into the evaporation vessels.

[0019] In an implementation manner, the feeding assembly comprises a rotary feeder; the support comprises a vertical shaft and at least one horizontal rod, the middle of the horizontal rod is rotationally connected with the vertical shaft or the end of the horizontal rod is rotationally connected with the vertical shaft, and the end of the horizontal rod not connected with the vertical shaft supports the feeding vessel. In this way, the structure is simple and the cost is low; or the support comprises a rotary disc, the rotary disc comprises a plurality of support positions distributed along the circumference thereof, and the rotary disc drives the plurality of feeding vessels to rotate to the material receiving position or the material discharging position in sequence.

[0020] Or, the third driving member can drive the feeding vessel to rotate and tilt to discharge the material; or the bottom of the feeding vessel is provided with a discharging valve, and the third driving member can drive the discharging valve to open and close. In this way, the structure is simple and the material can be quickly discharged.

[0021] In an implementation manner, the feeding assembly comprises a feeding slide and a fourth driving member for driving the feeding slide to rotate, and the feeding slide is connected with or located below the discharging position of the rotary feeder. When the fourth driving member drives the feeding slide to rotate to the first position, one end of the feeding slide is used for receiving the material in the feeding vessel, and the other end of the feeding slide is located above the evaporation mechanism, so that the material in the feeding vessel can be guided into the evaporation vessel.

[0022] In an implementation manner, the vacuum evaporation device further comprises a heat insulation plate arranged on the side of the feeding mechanism away from the feeding mechanism, and when the feeding mechanism finishes conveying the material, the heat insulation plate is moved to the position between the evaporation vessel and the feeding mechanism to block the heat around the evaporation vessel and the evaporated material, so as to avoid affecting the feeding slide.

[0023] The heat insulation plate has an opening for the feeding mechanism to pass through, so that the position of the heat insulation plate can be kept unchanged without frequent movement of the heat insulation plate, and the structure is simplified; or the vacuum evaporation device further comprises a fifth driving member, and the fifth driving member can drive the heat insulation plate to rotate and / or move to avoid the feeding mechanism. In this way, the heat insulation plate is moved to a position away from the evaporation vessel and the feeding mechanism, and does not affect the normal conveying of the material.

[0024] In an implementation manner, the vacuum evaporation device further comprises a capacity monitoring system for monitoring the weight and / or volume of the material in the evaporation mechanism. In this way, the capacity monitoring system can monitor the weight and / or volume of the material in the evaporation mechanism in real time, the feeding mechanism stops conveying the material when the weight and / or volume of the material in the evaporation mechanism reaches the maximum preset value, so as to prevent the material from overflowing from the evaporation mechanism, and the feeding mechanism continues to convey the material to the evaporation mechanism when the weight and / or volume of the material in the evaporation mechanism reaches the minimum preset value, so as to prevent material shortage.

[0025] In an implementation, the capacity monitoring system comprises a counter and / or a weight sensor, the counter is arranged at the discharge port of the feeding mechanism or the receiving port of the feeding mechanism, and is capable of counting the amount of material moving from the discharge port of the feeding mechanism to the receiving port of the feeding mechanism, in this way, the counter can record the number of particles of the granular material output from the feeding mechanism in real time, and when the number of particles reaches a preset value, the feeding mechanism stops the continuous feeding of the material; the weight sensor is arranged at the bottom of the evaporation mechanism, when the weight of the material in the evaporation mechanism reaches a minimum preset weight, the feeding mechanism feeds the material into the evaporation mechanism to prevent material shortage, and when the weight of the material in the evaporation mechanism reaches a maximum preset weight, the feeding mechanism stops the continuous feeding of the material to prevent the material from overflowing from the evaporation mechanism.

[0026] In an implementation, the vacuum evaporation device comprises an evaporation chamber and a carrying mechanism, the carrying mechanism is used for carrying the workpiece to be plated, and at least the evaporation mechanism and the carrying mechanism are located in the evaporation chamber.

[0027] In an implementation, the feeding mechanism, the feeding mechanism, the evaporation mechanism and the carrying mechanism are all located in the evaporation chamber, in this way, the feeding, the feeding and the evaporation are all completed in the evaporation chamber, which is conducive to the continuous operation of the vacuum evaporation process.

[0028] In an implementation, the vacuum evaporation device further comprises a feeding chamber, the sidewall between the feeding chamber and the evaporation chamber has an opening.

[0029] The feeding mechanism is located in the feeding chamber, and the feeding mechanism is located in the evaporation chamber, in this way, when the feeding mechanism fails, the feeding mechanism, the evaporation mechanism and the carrying mechanism in the evaporation chamber can continue to operate during the maintenance of the feeding mechanism, thereby reducing the maintenance cost.

[0030] Alternatively, the feeding mechanism is located outside the feeding chamber and the evaporation chamber, and the feeding mechanism is located in the feeding chamber, in this way, the feeding mechanism, the feeding mechanism, the evaporation mechanism and the carrying mechanism are convenient for individual maintenance, and any of the above mechanisms can be individually maintained without affecting the normal operation of the remaining mechanisms, thereby further reducing the maintenance cost.

[0031] Alternatively, the feeding assembly comprises a rotary feeder and a feeding slide, the rotary feeder is located in the feeding chamber and the feeding slide is located in the evaporation chamber, in this way, the feeding mechanism, the rotary feeder, the feeding slide and the evaporation mechanism are also convenient for individual maintenance, and the maintenance cost is also reduced.

[0032] In an implementation, the evaporation mechanism comprises an evaporation vessel, a heater and a heat preservation member surrounding the outer wall of the evaporation vessel.

[0033] The bottom wall of the evaporation vessel is gradually inclined downward in a direction away from the feeding mechanism, so that the material can gradually flow along the bottom wall of the evaporation vessel to the bottom of the entire evaporation vessel, the material is more evenly distributed in the evaporation vessel, and uniform heating and evaporation of the material in the evaporation vessel are facilitated.

[0034] And / or, the evaporation mechanism further comprises a melting vessel located in the evaporation vessel, the melting vessel comprises a melting inlet and a melting material outlet, and the melting material outlet of the melting vessel is higher than the bottom wall of the evaporation vessel. So that the material can gradually flow along the bottom wall of the evaporation vessel to the bottom of the entire evaporation vessel, the material is more evenly distributed in the evaporation vessel, and uniform heating and evaporation of the material in the evaporation vessel are facilitated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0035] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the present application, constitute a part of this application and illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present application and the description thereof serve to explain the present application and do not limit the present application in any manner. In the drawings:

[0036] Figure 1 A schematic view of a vacuum evaporation device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 2 A schematic view of a vacuum evaporation device provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 1 A schematic view of a vacuum evaporation device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 3 A schematic view of a vacuum evaporation device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 4 A schematic view of a vacuum evaporation device provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 A schematic view of a vacuum evaporation device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 5 A schematic view of a vacuum evaporation device provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 A schematic view of a vacuum evaporation device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 6 A schematic view of a vacuum evaporation device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figure 7 A schematic view of a vacuum evaporation device provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 6 A schematic view of a vacuum evaporation device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 8 A schematic view of a vacuum evaporation device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 9 A schematic view of a vacuum evaporation device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 10 A schematic view of a vacuum evaporation device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 11 For Figure 10 A schematic view of the feeding of the vacuum evaporation equipment;

[0047] Figure 12 A schematic view of a rotary feeder provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 13 A schematic view of an evaporation mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 14 A schematic view of another evaporation mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 15 A schematic view of another evaporation mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 16 A schematic view of another evaporation mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0052] Reference signs:

[0053] 1 - feeding mechanism, 2 - linear feeder, 3 - slide rail, 4 - heat insulation plate, 5 - bearing mechanism, 6 - evaporation vessel, 7 - heater, 8 - heat preservation piece, 9 - support table, 10 - evaporation cavity, 11 - first valve, 12 - feeding cavity, 13 - feeding vessel, 14 - cross rod, 15 - vertical shaft, 16 - second valve, 17 - discharging valve, 18 - third valve, 19 - feeding slide, 20 - rotary disc, 21 - melting vessel, 21a - melting inlet, 21b - melting outlet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below in combination with the drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and do not limit the present application.

[0055] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0056] In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used only for the purpose of description, and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implying the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more, unless otherwise explicitly and specifically limited. The meaning of "several" is one or more, unless otherwise explicitly and specifically limited.

[0057] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0058] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connecting", "connecting" should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or integrally connected; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0059] The feeding mechanism and the feeding mechanism in the vacuum evaporation equipment provided by the embodiments of the present application are mainly used for supplying granular materials, block materials or other shaped solid materials, of course, liquid materials can also be supplied. The material supplied can include aluminum, copper, nickel, tin, silver, titanium, chromium, iron and other metals or their alloys, as well as silicon, germanium, quartz and other non-metals.

[0060] The vacuum evaporation device provided by the embodiments of the present application comprises a feeding mechanism 1, a feeding mechanism, an evaporation mechanism and a first driving member. The feeding mechanism 1 has a discharge port, and is used to provide material and deliver the material to the feeding mechanism. The receiving port of the feeding mechanism is connected with the discharge port of the feeding mechanism 1, or the receiving port of the feeding mechanism is located below the discharge port of the feeding mechanism 1, so that the material flowing out of the discharge port of the feeding mechanism 1 can enter the feeding mechanism. The first driving member can drive the whole or part of the feeding mechanism to move and / or rotate, so that the discharge port of the feeding mechanism can move and / or rotate above the evaporation mechanism, and the material flowing out of the discharge port of the feeding mechanism can directly fall into the evaporation mechanism. The evaporation mechanism is used to hold and heat the material, that is, the material is held in the evaporation mechanism, and the evaporation mechanism heats the material, so as to realize evaporation coating. When the material in the evaporation mechanism reaches a preset weight, the feeding is completed, and the first driving member drives the whole or part of the feeding mechanism to move and / or rotate, so as to move the feeding mechanism away from the evaporation mechanism.

[0061] As can be seen from the above, in the process of applying the vacuum evaporation device provided by the present application, when feeding is needed, the first driving member drives the whole or part of the feeding mechanism to move and / or rotate, so that the discharge port of the feeding mechanism can move and / or rotate above the evaporation mechanism. When feeding is not needed, the first driving member drives the whole or part of the feeding mechanism to move and / or rotate, so as to move the feeding mechanism away from the evaporation mechanism. In this way, the feeding mechanism does not have to be located above the evaporation mechanism all the time, avoiding the feeding mechanism being in a high-temperature environment all the time, thereby reducing the deformation or cracking caused by the feeding mechanism being located above the evaporation mechanism all the time, thereby prolonging the continuous use period of the feeding mechanism, and meeting the demand of the solar industry for continuous coating. Moreover, the feeding mechanism does not have to be located above the evaporation mechanism all the time, which can prevent a large amount of material from adhering to the feeding mechanism, saves material, and ensures the normal use of the feeding mechanism.

[0062] As Figures 1-5As shown, the feeding mechanism may include a movable conveyor and a feeding assembly disposed on the movable conveyor, and the first driving member may drive the feeding assembly to move back and forth along the movable conveyor. In this embodiment, the first driving member may drive the feeding assembly to move along the movable conveyor so that the discharge port of the feeding assembly is located above the evaporation mechanism or away from the evaporation mechanism. Specifically, the first driving member drives the feeding assembly to move back and forth between the loading mechanism 1 and the evaporation mechanism. That is, when the first driving member drives the feeding assembly to move in a direction away from the evaporation mechanism, the feeding assembly moves along the movable conveyor gradually closer to the loading mechanism 1, so that the feeding port of the feeding assembly is connected with the discharge port of the loading mechanism 1 or the feeding port of the feeding assembly is located below the discharge port of the loading mechanism 1. After the material is transported from the loading mechanism 1 to the feeding assembly, the first driving member drives the feeding assembly to move in a direction closer to the evaporation mechanism, so that the feeding assembly moves along the movable conveyor gradually closer to the evaporation mechanism, and finally the material in the feeding assembly falls into the evaporation mechanism. With this technical solution, the first driving member drives the feeding assembly to move back and forth between the feeding mechanism 1 and the evaporation mechanism, thereby realizing reciprocating feeding. Among them, the moving conveying member can be specifically a slide rail 3, a conveyor belt and other components.

[0063] Among them, Figures 1-2 As shown, the feed assembly can be a linear feeder 2, with one end of the linear feeder 2 positioned near the loading mechanism 1 and the other end positioned near the evaporation mechanism. This arrangement reduces the reciprocating distance of the linear feeder 2 along the slide rail 3, facilitating operation. Specifically, the linear feeder 2 can be a linear vibrating feeder.

[0064] Or, as Figures 3-5 As shown, the feeding assembly includes a rotary feeder, that is, the first driving member drives the rotary feeder to rotate, thereby intermittently supplying materials to the evaporation mechanism. The rotary feeder includes a support, a feeding vessel 13, a second driving member and a third driving member. There are multiple feeding vessels 13 and they are arranged on the support. The multiple feeding vessels 13 are distributed along the circumference of the support. The second driving member can drive the support to rotate as a whole or partially so that the multiple feeding vessels 13 rotate along the circumference of the support. The third driving member can drive the feeding vessel 13 to unload. Specifically, as Figure 3 As shown, when feeding is not required, the first driving member can drive the rotating feeder to move to a position close to the feeding mechanism 1, and the second driving member drives the supporting member to rotate, so that the multiple feeding vessels 13 are rotated to the bottom of the discharge port of the feeding mechanism 1 in sequence, thereby filling the multiple feeding vessels 13 with materials in sequence. Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, when loading is required, the first drive member can drive the loader to a position close to the loading mechanism 1. The second drive member drives the entire or partial rotation of the support member, causing multiple feeding vessels 13 to rotate sequentially above the evaporation mechanism. The third drive member drives the feeding vessels 13 to unload the materials, thereby sequentially dropping the materials in the multiple feeding vessels 13 into the evaporation mechanism. This technical solution achieves intermittent loading by rotating the feeder, ensuring that the amount of material loaded each time is relatively consistent and facilitating operation.

[0065] Of course, if the feeding assembly includes a rotary feeder, the vacuum evaporation apparatus can also include no slide rail 3. Specifically, in this technical solution, the rotary feeder includes a support member, a feeding vessel 13, a second drive member, and a third drive member. The support member can be fixed between the loading mechanism 1 and the evaporation mechanism. Thus, simply by rotating the support member, the multiple feeding vessels 13 can be rotated sequentially to the top of the evaporation mechanism for loading. When loading is not required, the support member can be rotated until the multiple feeding vessels 13 are all away from the top of the evaporation mechanism.

[0066] Further, such as Figure 10 As shown, in the above technical solution, when the feeding assembly includes a rotary feeder and does not include a slide rail 3, the feeding assembly also includes a feeding chute 19 and a fourth driving member for driving the feeding chute 19 to rotate. The feeding port of the feeding chute 19 is connected to the discharge of the rotary feeder or is located below the discharge of the rotary feeder. In this solution, the feeding chute 19 is used to directly guide the material in the feeding container 13 to the evaporation mechanism. Specifically, Figure 10 As shown, when the fourth driving member drives the feeding slide 19 to rotate to the first position, one end of the feeding slide 19 is used to receive the material in the feeding vessel 13, and the other end of the feeding slide 19 is located above the evaporation mechanism, which is convenient for guiding the material in the feeding vessel 13 into the evaporation vessel 6. When no material is needed, as shown in FIG. Figure 11 As shown, the feeding chute 19 is rotated to a vertical state, away from the top of the evaporation mechanism, so as to prevent the material from adhering to the surface of the feeding chute 19.

[0067] In the above embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the support member of the rotary feeder can include a vertical shaft 15 and at least one horizontal crossbar 14. The crossbar 14 is arranged horizontally, and the number of crossbars 14 can be one or more. When the crossbar 14 is long, the middle of the crossbar 14 is rotatably connected to the vertical shaft 15, and the ends of the crossbar 14 support the feeder 13. When the crossbar 14 is short, the ends of the crossbar 14 are rotatably connected to the vertical shaft 15, and the ends of the crossbar 14 not connected to the vertical shaft 15 support the feeder 13. This arrangement has a simple structure and low cost.

[0068] Or, as Figure 12As shown, the support member includes a turntable 20, which includes multiple support positions distributed along its circumference. Multiple feeding vessels 13 are placed on the multiple support positions of the turntable 20. When the turntable 20 rotates, the multiple feeding vessels 13 are driven to rotate to the receiving position or the unloading position in sequence.

[0069] like Figure 4 As shown, the third drive member can drive the feeding vessel 13 to rotate and tilt, thereby pouring out the material in the feeding vessel 13. Specifically, the third drive member can be a telescopic cylinder, a motor, etc. The feeding vessel 13 is rotatably connected to the support member, and the third drive member drives the feeding vessel 13 to rotate, thereby pouring out the material. A third drive member can be provided near each feeding vessel 13, so that multiple feeding vessels 13 can be operated independently of each other.

[0070] Or, as Figure 5 As shown, a discharge valve 17 is provided at the bottom of the feeding vessel 13. A third drive element can drive the discharge valve 17 to open and close. Specifically, the third drive element can be a telescopic cylinder, a motor, etc. The discharge valve 17 is rotatably connected to the bottom of the feeding vessel 13. The third drive element drives the discharge valve 17 to rotate, thereby achieving discharge. A third drive element can be provided near each feeding vessel 13 to enable independent operation of multiple feeding vessels 13.

[0071] like Figures 6-7 As shown, in this technical solution, the feeding assembly may not include the rotary feeder and the linear feeder 2. The feeding assembly includes a feeding chute 19 and a fourth driving member that drives the feeding chute 19 to rotate. The feeding port of the feeding chute 19 is connected to the discharge port of the loading mechanism 1 or the feeding port of the feeding chute 19 is located below the discharge port of the loading mechanism 1. In this solution, the feeding chute 19 is used to guide the material flowing out of the loading mechanism 1 directly into the evaporation mechanism. Specifically, Figure 6 As shown, when the fourth driving member drives the feeding chute 19 to rotate to the first position, one end of the feeding chute 19 is used to receive the material in the feeding mechanism 1, and the other end of the feeding chute 19 is located above the evaporation mechanism, so as to facilitate the material in the feeding vessel 13 to be directed to the evaporation vessel 6. When feeding is not required, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, the feeding chute 19 is rotated to a vertical state, away from the top of the evaporation mechanism, so as to prevent the material from adhering to the surface of the feeding chute 19.

[0072] In some embodiments, as Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, the vacuum evaporation device further comprises a heat insulation plate 4 arranged on the side of the feeding mechanism away from the feeding mechanism, which moves away from the evaporation vessel 6 and the feeding mechanism when the feeding mechanism feeds the material above the evaporation vessel 6, and moves between the evaporation vessel 6 and the feeding mechanism after the feeding mechanism finishes feeding the material, so as to block the heat around the evaporation vessel 6 and the evaporated material, and avoid affecting the feeding slide 19. The heat insulation plate 4 can be a metal plate or a water-cooled plate.

[0073] Further, the heat insulation plate 4 has an opening for the feeding mechanism to pass through, so that the heat insulation plate 4 does not need to be moved frequently, and the position of the heat insulation plate 4 can be kept unchanged to block the heat around the evaporation vessel 6 and the evaporated material during the entire vacuum evaporation process. Alternatively, the vacuum evaporation device further comprises a fifth driving member capable of driving the heat insulation plate 4 to rotate and / or move to avoid the feeding mechanism, i.e. the fifth driving member can drive the heat insulation plate 4 to rotate or move linearly in the vertical direction, so that the heat insulation plate 4 moves away from the evaporation vessel 6 and the feeding mechanism when the feeding mechanism feeds the material above the evaporation vessel 6, without affecting the normal feeding of the material. The fifth driving member can be a telescopic pneumatic cylinder, a telescopic hydraulic cylinder, an electromagnetic driving member or a motor.

[0074] In addition, the vacuum evaporation device provided by the present application can further comprise a capacity monitoring system for monitoring the weight and / or volume of the material in the evaporation mechanism. By using this technical solution, the capacity monitoring system can monitor the weight and / or volume of the material in the evaporation mechanism in real time, and when the weight and / or volume of the material in the evaporation mechanism reaches a maximum preset value, the feeding mechanism 1 stops the continuous feeding of the material, preventing the material from overflowing from the evaporation mechanism; when the weight and / or volume of the material in the evaporation mechanism reaches a minimum preset value, the feeding mechanism 1 continues to feed the material into the evaporation mechanism, preventing material shortage.

[0075] The capacity monitoring system comprises a counter and / or a weight sensor. The counter is arranged at the discharge port of the feeding mechanism 1 or the receiving port of the feeding mechanism, and the counter can count the number of materials moving from the discharge port of the feeding mechanism 1 to the receiving port of the feeding mechanism. Specifically, the counter can be arranged at the discharge port of the feeding mechanism 1, at the receiving port of the feeding mechanism, or between the discharge port of the feeding mechanism 1 and the receiving port of the feeding mechanism. The counter can record the number of particles of the granular material output from the feeding mechanism 1 in real time, and when the number of particles reaches a preset value, the feeding mechanism 1 stops the continuous feeding of the material. Specifically, the counter can be an infrared counter, a proximity switch, etc. Since the weight of each particle of material is within a certain error range, the total weight of the material can be obtained by recording the number of particles of the granular material output from the feeding mechanism 1, and then the quantitative feeding of the material can be realized.

[0076] The weight sensor is arranged at the bottom of the evaporation mechanism, and the weight sensor can weigh the material in the evaporation mechanism. When the weight of the material in the evaporation mechanism reaches the minimum preset weight, the feeding mechanism 1 feeds the material into the evaporation mechanism, preventing material shortage. When the weight of the material in the evaporation mechanism reaches the maximum preset weight, the feeding mechanism 1 stops feeding the material, preventing the material from overflowing from the evaporation mechanism.

[0077] In addition, the vacuum evaporation device further comprises a carrying mechanism 5 and an evaporation cavity 10. The carrying mechanism 5 is used to carry the workpiece to be plated. Specifically, the carrying mechanism 5 can be a carrying plate with adsorption holes, which carries the workpiece to be plated in an adsorbed manner. At least the evaporation mechanism and the carrying mechanism 5 are located in the evaporation cavity 10. Thus, during the vacuum evaporation process, the evaporation cavity 10 is in a vacuum state to reduce the collision probability of evaporation particles, which is conducive to vacuum coating. The first driving member can drive the feeding mechanism as a whole or in part to move and / or rotate to approach or move away from the evaporation mechanism. Thus, the feeding mechanism does not have to be located above the evaporation mechanism all the time, avoiding the feeding mechanism being in a high-temperature environment all the time, thereby reducing the deformation or cracking of the feeding mechanism caused by the feeding mechanism being located above the evaporation mechanism all the time, and thereby prolonging the continuous use period of the feeding mechanism, which can meet the demand of the solar industry for continuous coating. In addition, the feeding mechanism does not have to be located above the evaporation mechanism all the time, which can prevent a large amount of material from adhering to the feeding mechanism, saving material and ensuring the normal use of the feeding mechanism.

[0078] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1-2 The evaporation mechanism, the carrying mechanism 5, the feeding mechanism and the feeding mechanism are all located in the evaporation cavity 10. Thus, the feeding, feeding and evaporation are all completed in the evaporation cavity 10, which is conducive to the continuous performance of the vacuum evaporation process. By using this technical solution, the evaporation cavity 10 is in a vacuum state all the time during the vacuum evaporation process, the carrying mechanism 5 carries and positions the workpiece to be plated, the feeding mechanism 1 supplies material to the feeding mechanism, the feeding mechanism then feeds the material into the evaporation mechanism, the evaporation structure heats the material, and the material is deposited on the workpiece to be plated after evaporation, thereby realizing evaporation coating.

[0079] As shown in Figures 3-7 The vacuum evaporation device further comprises a feeding cavity 12, and the sidewall between the feeding cavity 12 and the evaporation cavity 10 has an opening. During the vacuum evaporation process, the feeding cavity 12 is also in a vacuum environment to prevent the air pressure in the feeding cavity 12 from affecting the vacuum degree in the evaporation cavity 10. Specifically, the feeding cavity 12 and the evaporation cavity 10 can be two adjacent cavities, and the opening of the sidewall between the feeding cavity 12 and the evaporation cavity 10 is used for the feeding mechanism or the feeding mechanism 1 to pass through. In addition, the vacuum evaporation device can further comprise a second valve 16 capable of blocking the opening of the sidewall between the feeding cavity 12 and the evaporation cavity 10, so as to block the opening of the sidewall between the feeding cavity 12 and the evaporation cavity 10 when feeding is not needed.

[0080] In some other embodiments, as shown in Figure 6 and Figure 7 The feeding mechanism 1 is located in the feeding cavity 12, and the feeding mechanism is located in the evaporation cavity 10. That is, the feeding mechanism, the evaporation mechanism and the supporting mechanism 5 are all located in the evaporation cavity 10, and the feeding mechanism 1 is located in the feeding cavity 12. The outlet of the feeding mechanism 1 can supply the material to the feeding mechanism through the opening of the sidewall between the feeding cavity 12 and the evaporation cavity 10. In this embodiment, the top of the feeding cavity 12 can be provided with an opening and a third valve 18 capable of sealing the opening, so that the feeding mechanism 1 can be supplied with material when the third valve 18 is opened. In this technical solution, during the vacuum evaporation process, the supporting mechanism 5 supports and positions the workpiece to be plated, the feeding cavity 12 and the evaporation cavity 10 are always in a vacuum state, the outlet of the feeding mechanism 1 supplies the material to the feeding mechanism through the opening of the sidewall between the feeding cavity 12 and the evaporation cavity 10, the feeding mechanism then supplies the material to the evaporation mechanism, the evaporation mechanism heats the material, and the material is deposited on the workpiece to be plated after evaporation, thereby realizing evaporation film plating.

[0081] By using this technical solution, when the feeding mechanism 1 fails, it can be repaired without stopping the machine, that is, during the repair of the feeding mechanism 1, the feeding mechanism, the evaporation mechanism and the supporting mechanism 5 in the evaporation cavity 10 continue to operate, thereby reducing the repair cost.

[0082] In some other embodiments, as shown in Figures 3-5As shown, the feeding mechanism 1 is located outside the charging cavity 12 and the evaporation cavity 10, i.e. the feeding mechanism 1 is located in the atmospheric environment, and the feeding mechanism is located in the charging cavity 12. That is, the feeding mechanism is located in the charging cavity 12, the evaporation mechanism and the supporting mechanism 5 are located in the evaporation cavity 10, and the feeding mechanism 1 is located outside the charging cavity 12 and the evaporation cavity 10. Among them, the feeding mechanism can supply the material to the evaporation mechanism through the opening of the side wall between the charging cavity 12 and the evaporation cavity 10. The side wall of the charging cavity 12 close to the feeding mechanism 1 can also be provided with an opening, and a first valve 11 is arranged at the opening. When feeding is needed, the first valve 11 is opened, and the discharge port of the feeding mechanism 1 passes through the opening to feed the feeding mechanism. When feeding is not needed, the first valve 11 is closed to prevent heat loss. In this technical solution, during the vacuum evaporation process, the supporting mechanism 5 supports and positions the workpiece to be plated. First, the second valve 16 at the opening of the side wall between the charging cavity 12 and the evaporation cavity 10 is closed, the evaporation cavity 10 is vacuumized, and then the charging cavity 12 is vacuumized. After the vacuum degree in the charging cavity 12 meets the requirements, the second valve 16 at the opening of the side wall between the charging cavity 12 and the evaporation cavity 10 is opened, and then the discharge port of the feeding mechanism 1 passes through the opening of the side wall between the charging cavity 12 and the evaporation cavity 10 to supply the material to the feeding mechanism. The feeding mechanism then supplies the material to the evaporation mechanism. After the material in the evaporation mechanism reaches the preset value, the feeding mechanism retreats into the charging cavity 12, the second valve 16 is closed, and the charging cavity 12 is broken. When feeding is needed again, the second valve 16 is closed again, the evaporation cavity 10 is vacuumized, and then the charging cavity 12 is vacuumized. After the vacuum degree in the charging cavity 12 meets the requirements, the second valve 16 is opened, and the feeding mechanism 1 and the feeding mechanism repeat the feeding process.

[0083] In this way, the feeding mechanism 1, the feeding mechanism, the evaporation mechanism and the supporting mechanism 5 can be conveniently maintained separately. When any of the above mechanisms fails, it can be maintained separately without affecting the normal operation of the remaining mechanisms, further reducing the maintenance cost.

[0084] In other embodiments, as shown in Figure 10 and Figure 11 The feeding assembly includes a rotary feeder and a feeding slide 19. The rotary feeder is located in the charging cavity 12, and the feeding slide 19 is located in the evaporation cavity 10. That is, part of the feeding assembly is located in the charging cavity 12, and part of the feeding assembly is located in the evaporation cavity 10. In this way, the feeding mechanism 1, the rotary feeder, the feeding slide 19 and the evaporation mechanism can be conveniently maintained separately, also reducing the maintenance cost.

[0085] As a possible implementation, as shown in Figure 10 and Figure 11As shown, the evaporation mechanism comprises an evaporation vessel 6, a heater 7 and a heat preservation member 8 surrounding the outer wall of the evaporation vessel 6. The heater 7 can be arranged around the evaporation vessel 6 to heat the material inside the evaporation vessel 6. The heater 7 can be arranged according to the application environment, for example, can be an electron gun, an inductive heating device or a resistance wire heating device, etc., which is not limited in the present application. The heat preservation member 8 is arranged to surround the evaporation vessel 6 and the heater 7 to prevent heat dissipation. The lower side of the evaporation mechanism can be provided with a support table 9, and the evaporation mechanism is placed on the upper side of the support table 9.

[0086] In another embodiment, the bottom wall of the evaporation vessel 6 is gradually inclined downward in the direction away from the feeding mechanism, so that the material can gradually flow along the bottom wall of the evaporation vessel 6 to the bottom of the entire evaporation vessel 6, so that the material is more evenly distributed in the evaporation vessel 6, which is beneficial to the uniform heating and evaporation of the material in the evaporation vessel 6. Of course, the bottom wall of the evaporation vessel 6 can also be arranged in a horizontal direction, which is not limited herein.

[0087] As shown, Figures 13-16 The evaporation mechanism further comprises a melting vessel 21 located in the evaporation vessel 6, the melting vessel 21 comprises a melting inlet 21a and a molten material outlet 21b, and the molten material outlet 21b of the melting vessel 21 is higher than the bottom wall of the evaporation vessel 6. That is, the melting vessel 21 is arranged inside the evaporation vessel 6, the feeding mechanism first delivers the material to the melting vessel 21 through the melting inlet 21a of the melting vessel 21, the material is melted in the melting vessel 21 and then flows out of the melting vessel 21 through the molten material outlet 21b, and then flows into the evaporation vessel 6 for evaporation. In this way, the melting vessel 21 acts as an intermediate buffer vessel, which first melts the solid material into liquid and then delivers the liquid to the evaporation vessel 6, which can prevent the material from directly falling into the evaporation vessel 6 and causing the molten material to splash, thereby affecting the evaporation process.

[0088] As shown, Figure 13 The top of the melting vessel 21 can be open, which is convenient for the material to fall into the melting vessel 21. Alternatively, as shown, Figure 14 The melting vessel 21 has a top wall, and the top wall is provided with the melting inlet 21a, so that the shielding effect of the top wall of the melting vessel 21 can reduce the splashing of the molten material.

[0089] Alternatively, as shown, Figure 14 and Figure 15 The melting vessel 21 has a top wall, and the side wall of the melting vessel 21 is provided with the melting inlet 21a, the feeding mechanism delivers the material to the melting vessel 21 through the melting inlet 21a on the side of the melting vessel 21, and the shielding effect of the top wall of the melting vessel 21 is stronger, which further reduces the splashing of the molten material.

[0090] As shown, Figure 14 and Figure 15As shown, the melting vessel 21 can include two parts, an upper part and a lower part, which are relatively buckled to form the melting vessel 21, so as to facilitate cleaning of the residual waste in the melting vessel 21 and maintenance of the melting vessel 21. Of course, as shown, the melting vessel 21 can also be a whole structure, which is not limited herein. Figure 16 As shown, the melting vessel 21 can include two parts, an upper part and a lower part, which are relatively buckled to form the melting vessel 21, so as to facilitate cleaning of the residual waste in the melting vessel 21 and maintenance of the melting vessel 21. Of course, as shown, the melting vessel 21 can also be a whole structure, which is not limited herein.

[0091] In the description of the above embodiments, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0092] The above describes only specific embodiments of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical range disclosed by the present application, which should be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A vacuum evaporation apparatus, characterized by, The application relates to a vacuum evaporation device. The device comprises: a feeding mechanism with an outlet; a feeding mechanism with a receiving port connected to or below the outlet of the feeding mechanism; an evaporation mechanism for containing and heating materials; 2. The vacuum evaporation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a first driving member for moving and / or rotating the feeding mechanism as a whole or in part to approach or move away from the evaporation mechanism. The feeding mechanism comprises a moving conveyor and a feeding assembly arranged on the moving conveyor; 3. The vacuum evaporation apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that The first driving member can drive the feeding assembly to reciprocate along the moving conveyor. The feeding assembly comprises a linear feeder; or 4. The vacuum evaporation apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that The feeding assembly comprises a rotating feeder, which comprises a support, a plurality of feeding vessels arranged on the support, a second driving member for rotating the support, and a third driving member for discharging the feeding vessels. The feeding assembly comprises a rotating feeder; 5. The vacuum evaporation apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that The feeding assembly further comprises a feeding slide and a fourth driving member for rotating the feeding slide, and the feeding slide has a feeding port connected to or below the discharge port of the rotating feeder. The feeding assembly comprises a rotating feeder; 6. The vacuum evaporation apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that The support comprises a vertical shaft and at least one horizontal rod, the middle of the horizontal rod is rotationally connected to the vertical shaft, or the end of the horizontal rod is rotationally connected to the vertical shaft, and the end of the horizontal rod not connected to the vertical shaft supports the feeding vessels; or the support comprises a rotating disc, which comprises a plurality of support positions arranged along the circumference of the rotating disc.

7. The vacuum evaporation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that The third driving member can drive the feeding vessels to rotate and tilt to discharge; or the bottom of the feeding vessels is provided with a discharge valve, and the third driving member can drive the discharge valve to open and close. The feeding assembly comprises a feeding slide and a fourth driving member for rotating the feeding slide, and the feeding slide has a feeding port connected to or below the discharge port of the rotating feeder.

8. The vacuum evaporation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that The vacuum evaporation device further comprises a heat insulation plate arranged on the side of the feeding mechanism away from the feeding mechanism; 9. The vacuum evaporation apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that The heat insulation plate has an opening for the feeding mechanism to pass through, or the vacuum evaporation device further comprises a fifth driving member for rotating and / or moving the heat insulation plate to avoid the feeding mechanism. The vacuum evaporation device further comprises a capacity monitoring system for monitoring the weight and / or volume of the materials in the evaporation mechanism. The capacity monitoring system comprises a counter and / or a weight sensor, the counter is arranged at the outlet of the feeding mechanism or the receiving port of the feeding mechanism, and can count the number of materials moved from the outlet of the feeding mechanism to the receiving port of the feeding mechanism; and the weight sensor is arranged at the bottom of the evaporation mechanism.

10. The vacuum evaporation apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that The vacuum evaporation device comprises an evaporation cavity and a carrying mechanism for carrying a workpiece to be plated, and at least the evaporation mechanism and the carrying mechanism are located in the evaporation cavity.

11. The vacuum evaporation apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that The feeding mechanism, the feeding mechanism, the evaporation mechanism and the carrying mechanism are all located in the evaporation cavity.

12. The vacuum evaporation apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that The vacuum evaporation device further comprises a feeding cavity, and a sidewall between the feeding cavity and the evaporation cavity has an opening. The feeding mechanism is located in the feeding cavity, and the feeding mechanism is located in the evaporation cavity. Or, the feeding mechanism is located outside the feeding cavity and the evaporation cavity, and the feeding mechanism is located in the feeding cavity; or, the feeding assembly comprises a rotary feeder and a feeding slide, the rotary feeder is located in the feeding cavity, and the feeding slide is located in the evaporation cavity.

13. The vacuum evaporation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that The evaporation mechanism comprises an evaporation vessel, a heater and a heat preservation member surrounding the outer wall of the evaporation vessel. The bottom wall of the evaporation vessel is gradually inclined downward in a direction away from the feeding mechanism; and / or, the evaporation mechanism further comprises a melting vessel located in the evaporation vessel, the melting vessel comprises a melting inlet and a molten material outlet, and the molten material outlet of the melting vessel is higher than the bottom wall of the evaporation vessel.

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