Automatic workpiece hanging, taking and conveying system for workpiece barrel of sputtering machine

Abstract

The utility model discloses an automatic workpiece hanging, taking and conveying system for workpiece barrels of a sputtering machine. The automatic workpiece hanging, taking and conveying system comprises a manipulator grabbing device, a workpiece placing frame, a vacuum coating chamber capable of containing a plurality of workpiece barrels, a conveying device and a transfer device, the mechanical arm grabbing device comprises a mechanical arm and a grabbing assembly, and the grabbing assembly is operated through the mechanical arm to hang or take down the workpiece from the workpiece barrel. A plurality of workpieces are placed on the workpiece placing frame and are used by the manipulator grabbing device; the conveying device is arranged on one side of the mechanical arm grabbing device, the transfer devices are arranged at the two ends of the conveying device correspondingly, and the workpiece barrels are conveyed to the vacuum coating chamber through the conveying device and the transfer devices. The conveying device is further provided with a rotating disc capable of enabling the workpiece barrels to rotate freely. According to the utility model, not only can the workload of manual hanging be replaced, but also the two surfaces of the workpiece can be coated without going in and out of the vacuum chamber back and forth, so that a closed conveying chain for the coated workpiece barrel workpiece is formed, the vacuum coating efficiency is effectively improved, and the requirements of customers are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of optical component coating production technology, specifically to an automatic workpiece loading and conveying system for sputtering machine workpiece barrels. Background Technology

[0002] In the coating process of optical components, many key components, such as cut-off filters and beam splitters, require coatings on both surfaces to meet specific optical performance requirements. For example, lenses typically require anti-reflective coatings on both surfaces to ensure good image quality and high transmittance. The traditional coating method involves placing the component in a sputtering chamber, depositing a film on one side, removing it, and then placing it back in for coating the other side. While this method achieves the coating requirements, it is time-consuming, inefficient, and requires repeated entry and exit from the vacuum chamber.

[0003] In sputtering coating machines, the workpieces to be coated are mounted on rectangular jig plates. These jig plates are then manually hung onto a cylindrical frame. After coating is completed, the jig plates are removed. However, the cylindrical frame is bulky, and as customers demand higher equipment efficiency, the load capacity of the equipment is increasing, leading to greater jig plate height and weight. Manually hanging and removing these jig plates is both labor-intensive and time-consuming, severely limiting the coating efficiency of the materials.

[0004] In addition to coating both surfaces of the workpiece during the coating process, the conveying of the workpiece, including loading and unloading, is also an important part of the entire coating process. With the rapid development of the vacuum coating industry, customers have increasingly higher requirements for coating efficiency. The traditional method of conveying and transferring coating brackets is to use a reciprocating inlet (open at one end) and outlet mechanism. This inevitably leads to frequent evacuation and venting of the vacuum chamber, which wastes too much time. There is an urgent need for a fully automatic continuous loading and unloading mechanism to meet the needs of customers. Utility Model Content

[0005] To meet the above technical requirements, the purpose of this utility model is to provide an automatic workpiece loading and conveying system for sputtering machine workpiece barrels. This system not only replaces the workload of manual loading and avoids errors during manual loading, greatly reducing the human error rate, but also, through the transfer of the transfer vehicle and the assembly line, more importantly, it can coat both sides of the workpiece without having to go back and forth in and out of the vacuum chamber. This forms a closed conveyor chain for the workpieces in the coated workpiece barrel, which will effectively improve the efficiency of vacuum coating and meet customer needs.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is: an automatic workpiece picking and conveying system for sputtering machine workpiece barrels, including a robotic gripping device, a workpiece placement rack, a vacuum coating chamber that can accommodate multiple workpiece barrels, a conveying device, and a transfer device.

[0007] The robotic gripping device includes a robotic arm and a gripping component. The robotic arm operates the gripping component to hook or remove workpieces from the workpiece bucket.

[0008] The workpiece placement rack holds multiple workpieces for use by the robotic arm gripping device;

[0009] The conveying device is located on one side of the robotic gripper, and a transfer device is provided at each end of the conveying device. The workpiece drum is transported to the vacuum coating chamber through the conveying device and the transfer device.

[0010] The conveying device is also equipped with a turntable that allows the workpiece drum to rotate freely. When the turntable rotates, it facilitates the gripping components to hook or remove the workpieces from the workpiece drum one by one.

[0011] The vacuum coating chamber is used to coat the workpieces on the workpiece drum, and the vacuum coating chamber is equipped with an automatic workpiece flipping mechanism, which can freely flip the workpieces on the workpiece drum 180 degrees one by one.

[0012] Furthermore, the gripping component in the robotic gripper includes a clamping plate connected to the robotic arm's operating end. The inner side of the clamping plate has a fixed clamping groove and a sliding clamping groove near both ends, respectively. A clamping cylinder is located at the bottom of the sliding clamping groove, and a guide wheel is located near the inner wall of the clamping plate. The clamping plate is U-shaped, and two limiting cylinders are located on the outer side of the clamping plate along its length. The cylinder rods of these limiting cylinders can extend into the inner side of the clamping plate. When gripped, a fixture plate for supporting the workpiece is placed between the fixed clamping groove and the sliding clamping groove. Both the upper and lower ends of the fixture plate have gourd holes for hooking onto the workpiece bucket.

[0013] The conveying device includes a support frame and a power slide rail located inside the support frame. The bottom of the workpiece barrel is provided with a movable base that matches the power slide rail, and the top of the workpiece barrel is provided with a through hole. A turntable is located at one end of the power slide rail, and a lifting and pushing mechanism is provided on the side near the turntable. A lifting mechanism is provided below the turntable, and a servo motor is provided on the support frame above the turntable. The servo motor is provided with a conical output end that can be inserted into the through hole of the workpiece barrel when working.

[0014] The transfer device includes a powered ground rail and a transfer car that can move freely along the powered ground rail. The transfer car receives the workpiece barrel from the conveying device. The bottom of the transfer car is also equipped with a powered slide rail that allows the workpiece barrel to enter the vacuum coating chamber.

[0015] The vacuum coating chamber receives a workpiece barrel from a transfer device. Multiple workpiece frames, each capable of rotating 180 degrees, are attached to the outer wall of the workpiece barrel. Workpieces are attached to hanging posts at the top and bottom of the workpiece frames via gourd holes on a fixture plate. The bottom of the workpiece frame passes through the bottom of the workpiece barrel and connects to a first retainer. The vacuum coating chamber has an inlet door and an outlet door, each corresponding to a transfer device. The inner part of the vacuum coating chamber is equipped with a coating gun for workpiece coating, an automatic flipping mechanism for workpiece rotation, and a traveling mechanism for moving the workpiece barrel from the inlet door to the outlet door. The traveling mechanism includes a powered slide rail located inside the vacuum coating chamber. A turntable is positioned between the powered slide rails, with a lifting and pushing mechanism near the turntable and a lifting mechanism below the turntable. A servo motor is located at the top of the vacuum coating chamber, and its conical output end can be inserted into a through hole at the top of the workpiece barrel during operation.

[0016] The automatic flipping mechanism includes three sets of power rotation mechanisms located at the bottom of the vacuum coating chamber. Under the rotation of the servo motor, any three adjacent workpiece frames can be freely flipped through their respective sets of power rotation mechanisms. The power rotation mechanism includes a lifting cylinder, a bottom motor, and a support base for placing the lifting cylinder and the bottom motor. A universal structure is provided at the top of the cylinder rod of the lifting cylinder. A first gear and a second card that can match and engage with the first card are sequentially sleeved on the outside of the universal structure from bottom to top. The output end of the bottom motor is provided with a second gear that meshes with the first gear. The cylinder rod of the lifting cylinder extends to engage the first card and the second card. The bottom motor sequentially drives the second gear, the first gear, and the universal structure to rotate, which can sequentially satisfy the free flipping of the three workpiece frames by 180 degrees. It is set that a workpiece frames are movably hung on the outer wall of the workpiece barrel. When the servo motor works, it drives the workpiece barrel to rotate by an angle of 360 / a each time.

[0017] The universal joint structure includes a universal coupling connected to the top of the cylinder rod of the lifting cylinder and a universal shaft connected to the universal coupling. Under the action of external force, the universal shaft can rotate freely on the universal coupling. The first gear and the second locator are sleeved on the outer wall of the universal shaft from bottom to top. A sleeve is also movably sleeved on the outer wall of the universal shaft between the first gear and the second locator. A support plate and a fixed plate are respectively fixedly sleeved on the outside of the sleeve. The support plate is connected to the support seat by a tie rod, and the fixed plate is fixed to the bottom surface of the frame. A connecting column is also provided at the top of the universal shaft, and the second locator is set on the universal shaft near the connecting column.

[0018] The workpiece barrel consists of a top plate, a bottom plate, and several workpiece frames located between the top and bottom plates. Each workpiece frame has a rotating shaft at both its upper and lower ends, which can rotate freely on the top and bottom plates respectively. The first clamping seat is sleeved on the rotating shaft located at the bottom of the workpiece frame. The end of the rotating shaft is also provided with a slot hole that matches and connects with the connecting column. Several connecting supports are also provided between the top and bottom plates inside the workpiece barrel. After the workpiece barrel is lifted by the turntable, the conical output end of the servo motor is inserted into the through hole at the top of the workpiece barrel.

[0019] The top of the vacuum coating chamber is also equipped with a positioning cylinder. Positioning holes are evenly distributed on the surface of the workpiece barrel near each workpiece frame. When the workpiece frame is flipped, the cylinder rod of the positioning cylinder passes through the top of the vacuum coating chamber and extends into the positioning hole to fulfill the positioning function.

[0020] Each lifting cylinder and bottom motor in the power rotation mechanism can work independently.

[0021] Before operation, the workpieces on the workstation rack are arranged, and the workpiece barrel is placed on the power slide rail via the movable base, ready to start moving. When not in operation, the lifting and pushing mechanism is positioned lower, below the power slide rail. When the workpiece barrel moves to the front end of the lifting and pushing mechanism, the lifting and pushing mechanism rises, and the pushing contact in the lifting and pushing mechanism pushes the workpiece barrel to the turntable. At this time, the lifting mechanism raises the turntable, so that the conical output end of the servo motor is inserted into the through hole at the top of the workpiece barrel and contacts the edge of the through hole.

[0022] The robotic gripper grasps workpieces by gripping them. When gripped, the positioning cylinder retracts, ensuring the distance between the fixed and sliding slots is greater than the workpiece's length. Then, the positioning cylinder extends, securing the workpiece between the fixed and sliding slots. To ensure workpiece stability, a limiting cylinder on the back of the clamping plate extends, maintaining lateral stability. The robotic arm on one side operates the gripping assembly, moving the workpiece to the workpiece frame. The workpiece is then hooked onto the hanging posts of the workpiece frame through the gourd holes. The clamping and limiting cylinders retract, and the gripping assembly leaves the workpiece. After the workpiece on one side of the workpiece bin is hooked, the servo motor is activated, and the workpiece bin faces the gripping assembly with the empty workpiece frame until the bin is completely full. The lifting mechanism then lowers the turntable, returning the workpiece bin to its original position on the power slide rail. The workpiece bin is then moved to the transfer device via the power slide rail. The transfer vehicle then travels via the power ground rail to the vacuum coating chamber's entrance door, and finally, via the power slide rail, delivers the workpiece bin into the vacuum coating chamber.

[0023] After each workpiece barrel enters the vacuum coating chamber, it moves to the turntable surface and, similar to the working principle of the conveying device, is coated evenly on one side of the workpiece by the lifting and pushing mechanism, the lifting mechanism, and the servo motor. The workpiece barrel is then ready to be rotated 180 degrees.

[0024] When the flipping operation begins, the workpiece located above the central power rotation mechanism is selected as the first workpiece to be flipped. The cylinder rod of the positioning cylinder at the top of the frame extends and inserts into the positioning hole below the cylinder rod, thus positioning the entire workpiece barrel. The lifting cylinders of the three power rotation mechanisms are activated until the connecting column on the universal joint connects with the slot. Then, the bottom motors on both sides are activated, and the second gear and the first gear engage. At this time, the second chuck and the first chuck mesh together under the action of rotational force, which begins to drive the two adjacent workpiece frames of the workpiece to be flipped to rotate clockwise until they rotate 90 degrees. After completion, the central bottom motor is activated and rotates 180 degrees clockwise according to the above principle, so that the workpiece to be flipped completes a 180-degree flip. At this time, the bottom motors on both sides rotate 90 degrees counterclockwise, so that the two adjacent workpieces return to their original positions.

[0025] After the above flipping is completed, the positioning cylinder rod retracts, and after the servo motor rotates 360 degrees, one of the original two adjacent workpieces becomes the new workpiece to be flipped, while the workpiece that has already been flipped becomes the adjacent workpiece of the new workpiece to be flipped. According to the above working principle, the two adjacent workpieces are now rotated 90 degrees clockwise, and then the new workpiece to be flipped is flipped 180 degrees. After that, the workpieces on both sides are reversed 90 degrees to return to their original positions. In this way, all the workpieces are flipped 180 degrees in sequence, and then the coating is performed.

[0026] Before each servo motor rotates 360° / a, the cylinder rod of the positioning cylinder needs to retract; after each servo motor rotates 360° / a, the cylinder rod of the positioning cylinder begins to extend.

[0027] After coating, the workpiece barrel moves towards the exit door via a power slide rail. Under the operation of the exit door transfer device, the workpiece barrel returns to the original position where the workpiece is hung. The coated workpiece is removed and replaced with a new workpiece. The workpieces on the workpiece barrel are continuously coated according to the above working principle.

[0028] The beneficial effects of this utility model are: it can not only replace the workload of manual hanging and pick-up, avoid errors during manual hanging and pick-up, and greatly reduce the human error rate, but also, through the transfer of the transfer vehicle and the assembly line, more importantly, it can coat both sides of the workpiece without having to go in and out of the vacuum chamber. This forms a closed transfer chain that can coat the workpiece barrel, which will effectively improve the efficiency of vacuum coating and meet the needs of customers.

[0029] For each workpiece, the device ensures that the surface is flipped under vacuum, preventing the entry of oxygen and other gases during the coating process, thus guaranteeing the quality of the coating layer. The workpiece bucket is used to load multiple workpieces for simultaneous coating, improving equipment utilization and production efficiency. By completing the coating of two surfaces consecutively after a single vacuuming operation, this device greatly saves processing time, reduces workpiece movement during the coating process, and avoids contamination and downtime caused by intermediate steps, thereby improving the efficiency and quality of the overall production process. It is suitable for widespread application in the production of optical components. Attached Figure Description

[0030] The structure and features of this utility model will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the robotic gripping device in this utility model.

[0033] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A plan view.

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the workpiece structure in this utility model.

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the conveying device and the transfer device in this utility model.

[0036] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure at point A in the middle.

[0037] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the working of the power rotation mechanism in the vacuum coating chamber of this utility model.

[0038] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A magnified view of a portion of point B in the middle.

[0039] Figure 9 yes Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure from another direction.

[0040] Figure 10 yes Figure 9 A partially enlarged schematic diagram of the top of the workpiece barrel.

[0041] Figure 11 yes Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure for removing the bottom of the vacuum coating chamber.

[0042] Figure 12 yes Figure 11A partially enlarged schematic diagram of the central power rotation mechanism and the bottom of the workpiece barrel.

[0043] Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of rotating a workpiece by 180 degrees in this utility model.

[0044] Figure 14 This is a plan view of the power rotation mechanism in this utility model.

[0045] Appendix Figure 1-14 In the diagram, the components are: 1. Vacuum coating chamber; 2. Positioning cylinder; 3. Servo motor; 4. Workpiece barrel; 5. Power rotation mechanism; 6. Rotating shaft; 7. Workpiece; 8. Workpiece frame; 9. Connecting support; 10. Cylinder rod of the positioning cylinder; 11. First locating seat; 12. Support base; 13. Bottom motor; 14. Lifting cylinder; 15. First gear; 16. Second gear; 17. Sleeve; 18. Second locating seat; 19. Fixing plate; 20. Support plate; 21. Positioning hole; 22. Tie rod; 23. Universal coupling; 24. 25. Axis; 26. Connecting column; 27. Workpiece placement rack; 28. Conveying device; 29. ​​Through hole; 30. Exit door; 31. Inlet door; 32. Transfer device; 33. Robot arm; 34. Clamping cylinder; 35. Limiting cylinder; 36. Pallet; 37. Fixed slot; 38. Sliding slot; 39. Hoist hole; 40. Powered ground rail; 41. Transfer car; 42. Powered slide rail; 43. Support frame; 44. Turntable; 45. Lifting and pushing mechanism; 46. Pushing contact; 47. Lifting mechanism; 48. Hanging column. Detailed Implementation

[0046] Appendix Figure 1-9 This is one embodiment of the present invention, which discloses an automatic workpiece loading and conveying system for sputtering machine workpiece barrel 4, including a robotic arm 32 gripping device, a workpiece placement rack 26, a vacuum coating chamber 1 that can accommodate multiple workpiece barrels 4, a conveying device 27 and a transfer device 31.

[0047] The robotic arm 32 gripping device includes a robotic arm 32 and a gripping component. The robotic arm 32 operates the gripping component to hook or remove workpieces 7 from the workpiece bucket 4. The gripping component in the robotic arm 32 gripping device includes a clamping plate 35 connected to the operating end of the robotic arm 32. The inner side of the clamping plate 35 is provided with a fixed clamping groove 37 and a sliding clamping groove 38 near both ends. The bottom of the sliding clamping groove 38 is provided with a clamping cylinder 33, and the sliding clamping groove 38 is provided with a guide wheel near the inner wall of the clamping plate 35. The clamping plate 35 is a U-shaped plate, and the outer side of the clamping plate 35 is provided with two limiting cylinders 34 in the length direction. The cylinder rod of the limiting cylinder 34 can extend into the inner side of the clamping plate 35. When gripped, the fixture plate used to support the workpiece 7 is placed between the fixed clamping groove 37 and the sliding clamping groove 38. Both the upper and lower ends of the fixture plate are provided with gourd holes 39 that can be hooked to the workpiece bucket 4.

[0048] The workpiece placement rack 26 holds multiple workpieces 7 for use by the gripping device of the robotic arm 32.

[0049] The conveying device 27 is located on one side of the gripping device of the robot arm 32. The conveying device 27 is equipped with a turntable 44 that allows the workpiece barrel 4 to rotate freely. When the turntable 44 rotates, it is convenient for the gripping component to hook or remove the workpieces 7 on the workpiece barrel 4 one by one. The conveying device 27 includes a support frame 43 and a power slide rail 42 located inside the support frame 43. The bottom of the workpiece barrel 4 is equipped with a movable base that matches the power slide rail 42. The top of the workpiece barrel 4 is provided with a through hole 28. The turntable 44 is located at one end of the power slide rail 42. A lifting and pushing mechanism 45 is provided on the side near the turntable 44. A lifting mechanism 47 is provided below the turntable 44. A servo motor 3 is provided on the support frame 43 above the turntable 44. The servo motor 3 is provided with a conical output end that can be inserted into the through hole 28 of the workpiece barrel 4 when working.

[0050] The conveying device 27 is equipped with a transfer device 31 at each end. The workpiece barrel 4 is conveyed to the vacuum coating chamber 1 through the conveying device 27 and the transfer device 31. The transfer device 31 includes a power rail 40 and a transfer car 41 that can move freely along the power rail 40. The transfer car 41 receives the workpiece barrel 4 from the conveying device 27. The bottom of the transfer car 41 is also equipped with a power slide rail 42 that allows the workpiece barrel 4 to enter the vacuum coating chamber 1.

[0051] The vacuum coating chamber 1 is used to coat the workpieces 7 on the workpiece barrel 4, and the vacuum coating chamber 1 is equipped with an automatic workpiece flipping mechanism, which can make the workpieces 7 on the workpiece barrel 4 flip freely 180 degrees one by one.

[0052] Vacuum coating chamber 1 receives workpiece barrel 4 from transfer device 31. Workpiece frame 8, which can rotate 180 degrees freely, is hung on the outer wall of workpiece barrel 4. Workpiece 7 is hung on hanging posts 48 at the upper and lower ends of workpiece frame 8 through gourd holes 39 on fixture plate. The bottom end of workpiece frame 8 passes through the bottom of workpiece barrel 4 and is connected to a first card seat 11. Vacuum coating chamber 1 has an inlet door 30 and an outlet door 29, each corresponding to a transfer device 31. Vacuum coating chamber 1 is equipped with a coating gun for coating workpiece 7, an automatic flipping mechanism for flipping workpiece 7, and a walking mechanism for moving workpiece barrel 4 from inlet door 30 to outlet door 29. The walking mechanism includes a power slide rail 42 located inside vacuum coating chamber 1. A turntable 44 is set between the power slide rails 42 in vacuum coating chamber 1. A lifting and pushing mechanism 45 is set on the side near the turntable 44. A lifting mechanism 47 is set below the turntable 44.

[0053] A servo motor 3 is installed at the top of the vacuum coating chamber 1. When the tapered output end of the servo motor 3 is working, it can be inserted into the through hole 28 of the workpiece barrel 4.

[0054] The automatic flipping mechanism includes three sets of power rotation mechanisms 5 located at the bottom of the vacuum coating chamber 1. Under the rotation of the servo motor 3, any three adjacent workpiece frames 8 can be freely flipped through their respective sets of power rotation mechanisms 5. The power rotation mechanism 5 includes a lifting cylinder 14, a bottom motor 13, and a support base 12 for placing the lifting cylinder 14 and the bottom motor 13. The top of the cylinder rod of the lifting cylinder 14 is provided with a universal structure. From bottom to top, a first gear 15 and a second card seat 18 that can match and engage with the first card seat 11 are sequentially sleeved on the outside of the universal structure. The output end of the bottom motor 13 is provided with a second gear 16 that meshes with the first gear 15. When the cylinder rod of the lifting cylinder 14 extends, the first card seat 11 and the second card seat 18 mesh together. The bottom motor 13 sequentially drives the second gear 16, the first gear 15, and the universal structure to rotate, which can sequentially satisfy the free flipping of the three workpiece frames 8 by 180 degrees. When the servo motor 3 is working, it drives the workpiece barrel 4 to rotate by 18 degrees each time.

[0055] The universal joint structure includes a universal coupling 23 connected to the top of the cylinder rod of the lifting cylinder 14 and a universal shaft 24 connected to the universal coupling 23. Under the action of external force, the universal shaft 24 can rotate freely on the universal coupling 23. The first gear 15 and the second locating seat 18 are sleeved on the outer wall of the universal shaft 24 from bottom to top. A sleeve 17 is also movably sleeved between the first gear 15 and the second locating seat 18 on the outer wall of the universal shaft 24. A support plate 20 and a fixing plate 19 are respectively fixedly sleeved on the outside of the sleeve 17. The support plate 20 is connected to the support base 12 through a tie rod 22. The fixing plate 19 is fixed to the bottom surface of the frame. A connecting column 25 is also provided at the top of the universal shaft 24. The second locating seat 18 is set on the universal shaft 24 near the connecting column 25.

[0056] The workpiece barrel 4 is composed of a top plate, a bottom plate, and several workpiece frames 8 located between the top plate and the bottom plate. The upper and lower ends of the workpiece frames 8 are provided with rotating shafts 6 that can rotate freely on the top plate and the bottom plate, respectively. The first card seat 11 is sleeved on the rotating shaft 6 located at the bottom end of the workpiece frame 8. The end of the rotating shaft 6 is also provided with a slot that matches and connects with the connecting column 25. Several connecting supports 9 are also provided between the top plate and the bottom plate inside the workpiece barrel 4. After the workpiece barrel 4 is lifted by the turntable 44, the conical output end of the servo motor 3 is inserted into the through hole 28 at the top of the workpiece barrel 4.

[0057] The top of the vacuum coating chamber 1 is also equipped with a positioning cylinder 2. The surface of the workpiece barrel 4 is evenly distributed with positioning holes 21 near each workpiece frame 8. When the workpiece frame 8 is flipped, the cylinder rod of the positioning cylinder 2 passes through the top of the vacuum coating chamber 1 and extends into the positioning hole 21 to satisfy the positioning function.

[0058] Each lifting cylinder 14 and the bottom motor 13 in the power rotation mechanism 5 can work independently.

[0059] Before operation, the workpiece 7 is placed on the workstation rack, and the workpiece barrel 4 is placed on the power slide rail 42 via the movable base to prepare for starting to move. When not in operation, the lifting and pushing mechanism 45 is in a lower position, placed below the power slide rail 42. When the workpiece barrel 4 moves to the front end of the lifting and pushing mechanism 45, the lifting and pushing mechanism 45 is raised. The pushing contact 46 in the lifting and pushing mechanism 45 pushes the workpiece barrel 4 to the turntable 44. At this time, the lifting mechanism 47 raises the turntable 44, so that the conical output end of the servo motor 3 is inserted into the through hole 28 at the top of the workpiece barrel 4 and contacts the edge of the through hole 28. When the servo motor 3 is working, the workpiece barrel 4 is rotated by friction.

[0060] The robotic arm 32 grips the workpiece 7 by grasping the gripper. When gripped, the positioning cylinder 2 retracts, making the distance between the fixed slot 37 and the sliding slot 38 greater than the length of the workpiece 7. Then, the positioning cylinder 2 extends, locking the workpiece 7 between the fixed slot 37 and the sliding slot 38. To ensure the stability of the workpiece 7, the limiting cylinder 34 located on the back of the clamping plate 35 extends, keeping the workpiece 7 stable on the side. The robotic arm 32 on one side starts operating the gripping assembly, moving the workpiece 7 onto the workpiece frame 8. The workpiece 7 is then hooked onto the hanging post 48 of the workpiece frame 8 through the gourd hole 39 on the workpiece 7. After the workpiece 7 is attached, the clamping cylinder 33 and the limiting cylinder 34 retract, and the gripping component leaves the workpiece 7. After the workpiece 7 on one side of the workpiece barrel 4 is attached, the servo motor 3 is started, and the workpiece barrel 4 faces the empty workpiece frame 8 towards the gripping component until the workpiece barrel 4 is completely full. Then the lifting mechanism 47 lowers the turntable 44, and the workpiece barrel 4 returns to its original position on the power slide rail 42 until it moves to the transfer device 31 through the power slide rail 42. The transfer car 41 reaches the door 30 of the vacuum coating chamber 1 through the power ground rail 40. Then the transfer car 41 sends the workpiece barrel 4 into the vacuum coating chamber 1 through the power slide rail 42.

[0061] After each workpiece barrel 4 enters the vacuum coating chamber 1, it moves to the surface of the turntable 44 and is in place. Similar to the working principle of the conveying device 27, the coating gun evenly coats one side of the workpiece 7 through the lifting and pushing mechanism 45, the lifting mechanism 47, and the servo motor 3, and is ready to start flipping the workpiece 7 in each workpiece barrel 4 180 degrees.

[0062] When the flipping operation begins, the workpiece 7 located above the central power rotation mechanism 5 is selected as the first workpiece 7 to be flipped. The cylinder rod of the positioning cylinder 2 at the top of the frame extends and is inserted into the positioning hole 21 below the cylinder rod, which positions the entire workpiece barrel 4. The lifting cylinder 14 in the three power rotation mechanisms 5 is activated until the connecting column 25 on the universal joint 24 is connected to the slot. Then, the bottom motors 13 on both sides are activated, and the second gear 16 and the first gear 15 engage in transmission. At this time, the second chuck 18 and the first chuck 11 mesh together under the action of rotational force, which starts to drive the two adjacent workpiece frames 8 of the workpiece 7 to be flipped to rotate clockwise until they rotate 90 degrees. After completion, the central bottom motor 13 is activated and rotates 180 degrees clockwise according to the above principle, so that the workpiece 7 to be flipped completes a 180-degree flip. At this time, the bottom motors 13 on both sides rotate 90 degrees counterclockwise, so that the two adjacent workpieces 7 return to their original positions.

[0063] After the above flipping is completed, the cylinder rod of positioning cylinder 2 retracts, and after the servo motor 3 rotates 18 degrees, one of the original two adjacent workpieces 7 becomes the new workpiece 7 to be flipped, while the workpiece 7 that has been flipped becomes the adjacent workpiece 7 of the new workpiece 7 to be flipped. According to the above working principle, the two adjacent workpieces 7 are rotated 90 degrees clockwise, and then the new workpiece 7 to be flipped is flipped 180 degrees. After that, the workpieces 7 on both sides are reversed 90 degrees to return to their original positions. In this way, all the workpieces 7 are flipped 180 degrees in sequence, and then the coating is performed.

[0064] Before each rotation of the servo motor 3 by 18 degrees, the cylinder rod of the positioning cylinder 2 needs to retract. After each rotation of the servo motor 3 by 18 degrees, the cylinder rod of the positioning cylinder 2 extends into the positioning hole to position the workpiece barrel 4.

[0065] See appendix Figure 13 The attached diagram shows a schematic of three adjacent workpieces 7 being flipped. This is a bottom view. The middle disk 1 is the workpiece 7 to be flipped, and the other two are adjacent workpieces 7. The first picture shows the workpiece 7 before flipping. The second picture shows the two adjacent workpieces 7 having rotated 90 degrees clockwise. The third picture shows the middle workpiece 7 having rotated 180 degrees clockwise. The fourth picture shows the two adjacent workpieces 7 having rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise as required and returned to their original positions.

[0066] After the coating is completed, the workpiece barrel 4 moves to the exit door 29 via the power slide rail 42. Under the operation of the transfer device 31 at the exit door 29, the workpiece barrel 4 returns to the original position where the workpiece 7 is hung. The coated workpiece 7 is removed and replaced with a new workpiece 7. The workpiece 7 on the workpiece barrel 4 is continuously coated according to the above working principle.

[0067] The above are only some specific embodiments of this utility model, but the design concept of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any non-substantial modifications made to this utility model using this concept shall be considered as an infringement of the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. An automatic workpiece loading and conveying system for a sputtering machine workpiece barrel, characterized in that: It includes a robotic gripper, a workpiece rack, a vacuum coating chamber that can hold multiple workpiece drums, a conveying device, and a transfer device; The robotic gripping device includes a robotic arm and a gripping component. The robotic arm operates the gripping component to hook or remove workpieces from the workpiece bucket. The workpiece placement rack holds multiple workpieces for use by the robotic arm gripping device; The conveying device is located on one side of the robotic gripper, and a transfer device is provided at each end of the conveying device. The workpiece drum is transported to the vacuum coating chamber through the conveying device and the transfer device. The conveying device is also equipped with a turntable that allows the workpiece drum to rotate freely. When the turntable rotates, it facilitates the gripping components to hook or remove the workpieces from the workpiece drum one by one. The vacuum coating chamber is used to coat the workpieces on the workpiece drum, and the vacuum coating chamber is equipped with an automatic workpiece flipping mechanism, which can freely flip the workpieces on the workpiece drum 180 degrees one by one.

2. The automatic workpiece loading and conveying system for sputtering machine workpiece barrels according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gripping component of the robotic arm gripping device includes a clamping plate connected to the robotic arm's operating end. The inner side of the clamping plate has a fixed clamping slot and a sliding clamping slot near both ends. A clamping cylinder is located at the bottom of the sliding clamping slot, and a guide wheel is located near the inner wall of the clamping plate. The clamping plate is U-shaped, and two limiting cylinders are located on its outer side along its length. The cylinder rods of these limiting cylinders can extend into the inner side of the clamping plate. When gripped, a fixture plate for supporting the workpiece is placed between the fixed clamping slot and the sliding clamping slot. Both the upper and lower ends of the fixture plate have gourd holes for hooking onto the workpiece bucket.

3. The automatic workpiece loading and conveying system for sputtering machine workpiece barrels according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveying device includes a support frame and a power slide rail located inside the support frame. The bottom of the workpiece barrel is provided with a movable base that matches the power slide rail, and the top of the workpiece barrel is provided with a through hole. The turntable is located at one end of the power slide rail, and a lifting and pushing mechanism is provided on the side near the turntable. A lifting mechanism is provided below the turntable, and a servo motor is provided on the support frame above the turntable. The servo motor is provided with a tapered output end that can be inserted into the through hole of the workpiece barrel when working.

4. The automatic workpiece loading and conveying system for sputtering machine workpiece barrels according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transfer device includes a powered ground rail and a transfer car that can move freely along the powered ground rail. The transfer car receives the workpiece barrel from the conveying device. The bottom of the transfer car is also equipped with a powered slide rail that allows the workpiece barrel to enter the vacuum coating chamber.

5. The automatic workpiece loading and conveying system for sputtering machine workpiece barrels according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum coating chamber receives a workpiece barrel from a transfer device. Multiple workpiece frames, each capable of rotating 180 degrees, are attached to the outer wall of the workpiece barrel. Workpieces are attached to hanging posts at the top and bottom of the workpiece frames via gourd holes on a fixture plate. The bottom of the workpiece frame passes through the bottom of the workpiece barrel and connects to a first retainer. The vacuum coating chamber has an inlet door and an outlet door, each corresponding to a transfer device. The inner part of the vacuum coating chamber is equipped with a coating gun for workpiece coating, an automatic flipping mechanism for workpiece rotation, and a traveling mechanism for moving the workpiece barrel from the inlet door to the outlet door. The traveling mechanism includes a powered slide rail located inside the vacuum coating chamber. A turntable is positioned between the powered slide rails, with a lifting and pushing mechanism near the turntable and a lifting mechanism below the turntable. A servo motor is located at the top of the vacuum coating chamber, and its conical output end can be inserted into a through hole at the top of the workpiece barrel during operation.

6. The automatic workpiece loading and conveying system for sputtering machine workpiece barrels according to claim 5, characterized in that: The automatic flipping mechanism includes three sets of power rotation mechanisms located at the bottom of the vacuum coating chamber. Under the rotation of the servo motor, any three adjacent workpiece frames can be freely flipped through their respective sets of power rotation mechanisms. The power rotation mechanism includes a lifting cylinder, a bottom motor, and a support base for placing the lifting cylinder and the bottom motor. A universal structure is provided at the top of the cylinder rod of the lifting cylinder. A first gear and a second card that can match and engage with the first card are sequentially sleeved on the outside of the universal structure from bottom to top. The output end of the bottom motor is provided with a second gear that meshes with the first gear. The cylinder rod of the lifting cylinder extends to engage the first card and the second card. The bottom motor sequentially drives the second gear, the first gear, and the universal structure to rotate, which can sequentially satisfy the free flipping of the three workpiece frames by 180 degrees. It is set that a workpiece frames are movably hung on the outer wall of the workpiece barrel. When the servo motor works, it drives the workpiece barrel to rotate by an angle of 360 / a each time.

7. The automatic workpiece loading and conveying system for sputtering machine workpiece barrels according to claim 6, characterized in that: The universal joint structure includes a universal coupling connected to the top of the cylinder rod of the lifting cylinder and a universal shaft connected to the universal coupling. Under the action of external force, the universal shaft can rotate freely on the universal coupling. The first gear and the second locator are sleeved on the outer wall of the universal shaft from bottom to top. A sleeve is also movably sleeved on the outer wall of the universal shaft between the first gear and the second locator. A support plate and a fixed plate are respectively fixedly sleeved on the outside of the sleeve. The support plate is connected to the support seat by a tie rod, and the fixed plate is fixed to the bottom surface of the frame. A connecting column is also provided at the top of the universal shaft, and the second locator is set on the universal shaft near the connecting column.

8. The automatic workpiece loading and conveying system for sputtering machine workpiece barrels according to claim 6, characterized in that: The workpiece barrel consists of a top plate, a bottom plate, and several workpiece frames located between the top and bottom plates. Each workpiece frame has a rotating shaft at both its upper and lower ends, which can rotate freely on the top and bottom plates respectively. The first clamping seat is sleeved on the rotating shaft located at the bottom of the workpiece frame. The end of the rotating shaft is also provided with a slot hole that matches and connects with the connecting column. Several connecting supports are also provided between the top and bottom plates inside the workpiece barrel. After the workpiece barrel is lifted by the turntable, the conical output end of the servo motor is inserted into the through hole at the top of the workpiece barrel.

9. The automatic workpiece loading and conveying system for sputtering machine workpiece barrels according to claim 5, characterized in that: The top of the vacuum coating chamber is also equipped with a positioning cylinder. Positioning holes are evenly distributed on the surface of the workpiece barrel near each workpiece frame. When the workpiece frame is flipped, the cylinder rod of the positioning cylinder passes through the top of the vacuum coating chamber and extends into the positioning hole to fulfill the positioning function.

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