A glass coating production line

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of glass coating, specifically to a glass coating production line. The utility model provides a glass coating production line with at least two sputtering chambers arranged front and back along the line. A conveying mechanism transports the glass to be coated forward, allowing it to pass through each sputtering chamber sequentially for coating. A ventilation chamber connects adjacent sputtering chambers, with a rear air inlet at the rear and a front air inlet at the front. Different gases can be injected into the ventilation chamber through the front and rear air inlets. The ventilation chamber also has an exhaust port. This glass coating production line minimizes cross-contamination of auxiliary gases between different sputtering chambers and achieves high overall production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of glass coating, specifically to a glass coating production line. Background Technology

[0002] Magnetron sputtering is a widely used technology for coating the outer surface of glass. Existing sputtering production lines typically include a sputtering chamber and a conveying mechanism. The sputtering chamber contains the magnetron sputtering equipment, and the glass to be coated is conveyed into the sputtering chamber by the conveying mechanism to receive the magnetron sputtering coating. To ensure optimal coating results, the air in the sputtering chamber must be evacuated to create a vacuum environment before coating begins. Then, depending on the characteristics of the material to be coated, a specific type of auxiliary gas is introduced into the sputtering chamber (other gases are considered impurities, and the higher their content, the worse the coating quality), providing ideal environmental conditions for the magnetron sputtering process.

[0003] To meet the diverse needs of various applications, glass products require multiple layers of films with different functions and compositions to be coated on their surfaces. To this end, existing sputtering coating production lines have been equipped with multiple sputtering chambers. These chambers are arranged sequentially along the production line and are interconnected. Each sputtering chamber is supplied with a different auxiliary gas depending on the material being sputtered. The glass to be coated is conveyed into these sputtering chambers sequentially by a conveyor mechanism. To prevent the glass from carrying the first auxiliary gas from one sputtering chamber into the next, a gas-isolating chamber is installed between adjacent sputtering chambers. The gas-isolating chamber connects two adjacent sputtering chambers and is equipped with an air pump and a vacuum pump. The front of the gas-isolating chamber has an inlet connecting to the preceding sputtering chamber, and the rear has an outlet connecting to the following sputtering chamber. A front gas-isolating plate is installed at the inlet, and a rear gas-isolating plate is installed at the outlet. These front and rear gas-isolating plates separate the gas-isolating chamber from the corresponding sputtering chamber. After the glass undergoes its first coating in the first sputtering chamber, it is conveyed to the second sputtering chamber via a transport mechanism. It briefly stops in a gas-isolating chamber, where front and rear gas-isolating plates separate the two chambers, creating a closed space. A vacuum pump then removes the first auxiliary gas carried away by the glass. A second auxiliary gas is then introduced into the gas-isolating chamber to balance the pressure, completing the venting process. Afterward, the rear gas-isolating plate is opened, allowing the transport mechanism to transfer the glass from the gas-isolating chamber to the second sputtering chamber for a second sputtering coating. While this method effectively prevents cross-contamination of auxiliary gases between different sputtering chambers and ensures coating quality, the need for this series of operations after each coating process results in a lengthy production time and reduced overall production efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a glass coating production line in which the auxiliary gases between different sputtering chambers are not easily cross-contaminated, and the overall production efficiency is high.

[0005] To solve the above problems, this utility model provides a glass coating production line, which has at least two sputtering chambers arranged in a front-to-back manner along the production line. A conveying mechanism is provided to convey the glass to be coated forward so that it passes through each sputtering chamber in sequence to receive coating. A ventilation chamber is connected between two adjacent sputtering chambers. The ventilation chamber has a rear air inlet at the rear end and a front air inlet at the front end. The front and rear air inlets can fill the ventilation chamber with different gases. The ventilation chamber has an exhaust port.

[0006] Furthermore, no barrier is installed between two adjacent sputtering chambers, and they are always kept connected.

[0007] Furthermore, the air extraction port is located between the front and rear air inlets.

[0008] Furthermore, the ventilation chamber comprises multiple sections arranged front to back, with each pair of adjacent sections connected front to back. The rear air inlet is located at the rear end of the last section, while the front air inlet is located at the front end of the foremost section. A transition air inlet is provided at the connection point of each pair of adjacent sections.

[0009] Furthermore, each section of the ventilation chamber is provided with an air extraction port.

[0010] Furthermore, it includes a transport frame for carrying the glass, which can be placed on the conveying mechanism to receive transport.

[0011] Furthermore, the transport frame has a through-hole in the middle for accommodating the glass, and a fixing mechanism for securing the glass is installed on the transport frame.

[0012] Furthermore, the transport frame has sidewalls that enclose a first space for accommodating the glass, and the vertical dimension of the sidewalls is slightly smaller than the ventilation chamber cavity.

[0013] The conveying mechanism includes multiple conveyor wheels in a left row and multiple conveyor wheels in a right row, located on the left and right sides of the production line, respectively. The left and right rows of conveyor wheels are symmetrically arranged along the production line, with multiple conveyor wheels in each row arranged at intervals. The transport frame is placed on the conveyor wheels on the left and right sides for support. A drive motor is provided to drive these conveyor wheels.

[0014] Furthermore, this production line is specifically a curved glass coating production line, and / or the air extraction port is equipped with a molecular pump.

[0015] Beneficial effects: In the ventilation chamber, the rear inlet near the first sputtering chamber continuously injects the same first auxiliary gas as the first sputtering chamber, while the front inlet near the second sputtering chamber continuously injects the same second auxiliary gas as the second sputtering chamber. Under the action of the exhaust port, the first and second auxiliary gases continuously converge at the exhaust port and are then drawn out of the ventilation chamber. After the glass undergoes coating in the first sputtering chamber, it is conveyed forward by the conveying mechanism, inevitably carrying some of the first auxiliary gas with it. After leaving the first sputtering chamber, the glass enters the ventilation chamber and is conveyed forward to the second sputtering chamber. During this process, the first auxiliary gas carried out by the glass is continuously attracted by the exhaust port and thus continuously drawn out of the ventilation chamber (at this time, the movement direction of the first auxiliary gas and the movement direction of the glass are both forward). After passing the exhaust port, the glass continues forward into the second sputtering chamber. The first auxiliary gas surrounding it is drawn back by the exhaust port and moves away from the glass. Simultaneously, the second auxiliary gas, drawn back by the exhaust port, continues to pass over the glass and move towards the exhaust port, further carrying away the first auxiliary gas surrounding the glass. Thus, by the time the glass leaves the ventilation chamber and reaches the second sputtering chamber, the gas surrounding it has been largely replaced by the second auxiliary gas. Therefore, the second auxiliary gas in the second sputtering chamber is less prone to contamination, ensuring the coating quality in the second sputtering chamber. Because the glass does not need to pause briefly during its journey to the second sputtering chamber as in the prior art, the entire process is shorter and the overall production efficiency is higher. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a simplified schematic diagram of the air-tight chamber in a curved glass coating production line.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a simplified structural diagram of a curved glass coating production line from a top-down perspective, including the first sputtering chamber, the gas-proof chamber, and the second sputtering chamber. The top plate of the gas-proof chamber and the transport frame are omitted.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a simplified half-section diagram of the air-insulating chamber in a curved glass coating production line, with the top plate of the air-insulating chamber hidden and the chamber cavity exposed.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a simplified structural diagram of the air-sealing chamber in a curved glass coating production line, with the top plate of the air-sealing chamber hidden and the chamber cavity exposed.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a simplified structural diagram of the air-tight chamber of a curved glass coating production line, viewed from the front (back to front).

[0021] Figure 6 This is a simplified half-section diagram of a curved glass coating production line.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a simplified schematic diagram of the transportation frame structure.

[0023] Symbol explanation:

[0024] 1-First sputtering chamber; 2-Second sputtering chamber; 3-Ventilation chamber; 30-Ventilation chamber cavity; 31-Front section of ventilation chamber; 32-Middle section of ventilation chamber; 33-Rear section of ventilation chamber; 34-Rear inflation port; 35-Front inflation port; 36-Transition inflation port; 37-Ejection port; 41-Transfer wheel; 42-Drive motor; 5-Transport frame; 51-Side wall; 6-Molecular pump; 71-First space; 72-Second space. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0026] Curved glass coating production line (see) Figure 2 The production line has a first sputtering chamber 1 located at the rear and a second sputtering chamber 2 located at the front. Each sputtering chamber 1 and 2 (not shown in the figure) is equipped with a magnetron sputtering device (not shown in the figure), a gas supply port (not shown in the figure), and a conveying mechanism. The specific structure of the conveying mechanism is detailed below. It can convey the curved glass to be coated forward and pass through each sputtering chamber. The magnetron sputtering device is existing technology and can coat the curved glass that passes through. The gas supply port is connected to an air pump (not shown in the figure) which can introduce different auxiliary gases into the sputtering chamber according to the material to be sputtered by the magnetron sputtering device. In this embodiment, the gas supply port of the first sputtering chamber 1 continuously introduces the first auxiliary gas, while the gas supply port of the second sputtering chamber 2 continuously introduces the second auxiliary gas.

[0027] See Figure 2 A ventilation chamber 3 is connected between the first sputtering chamber 1 and the second sputtering chamber 2. The ventilation chamber 3 cavity 30 (see figure) connects rearward to the cavity of the first sputtering chamber 1 and forward to the cavity of the second sputtering chamber 2. Thus, the cavities of the first sputtering chamber 1, the ventilation chamber 3, and the second sputtering chamber 2 are connected front-to-back. Each of the three cavities is equipped with a conveying mechanism, through which the curved glass is conveyed sequentially from the cavity through the first sputtering chamber 1, the ventilation chamber 3, and the second sputtering chamber 2. Taking the conveying mechanism of the ventilation chamber 3 as an example, see... Figure 3 and Figure 4On the left side wall of the ventilation chamber 3 (cavity 30), there is a row of multiple left conveyor wheels 41, while on the right side wall, there is a symmetrical row of multiple right conveyor wheels 41 (the right conveyor wheels 41 are not visible due to the angle of the attached drawing). The left and right conveyor wheels 41 are arranged at intervals. Two drive motors 42, one on the left and one on the right, are installed outside the ventilation chamber 3. The left drive motor 42's shaft extends to the right into the ventilation chamber 3 (cavity 30) and is synchronously connected to the left conveyor wheels 41 via a timing belt (not shown in the figure). When the left drive motor 42 starts, it drives all the left conveyor wheels 41 forward through its shaft and timing belt. The right drive motor 42's shaft extends to the left into the ventilation chamber 3 (cavity 30) and is synchronously connected to the right conveyor wheels 41 via another timing belt (not shown in the figure). When the right drive motor 42 starts, it drives all the right conveyor wheels 41 forward through its shaft and timing belt. See [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1 For ease of transport, the production line is equipped with a transport frame 5 for carrying curved glass. The four side walls 51 of the transport frame 5 (see...) Figure 7 The glass is enclosed, with a central, open section. A suction cup (not shown in the figure, but can be a cylinder-driven suction cup; in other embodiments, it can be a mechanical gripper, with the gripping part covered with a soft material to prevent damage to the glass) is installed on the transport frame 5 as a fixing mechanism. The curved glass to be coated (not shown in the figure) is placed in the center of the transport frame 5 and held in place by the suction cup. The transport frame 5 containing the curved glass is as follows: Figure 5 The left and right conveyor wheels 41, placed on the left and right sides as shown, support the transport frame 5. When the left and right conveyor wheels 41 rotate forward together as described above, they drive the supported transport frame 5 forward. The left conveyor wheel 41, the right conveyor wheel 41, the left drive motor 42, and the right drive motor 42 together serve as the transport mechanism. The transport mechanism structure of the first sputtering chamber 1 and the second sputtering chamber 2 is the same as that of the ventilation chamber 3, and will not be described in detail here.

[0028] Because the first sputtering chamber 1 and the second sputtering chamber 2 need to coat the curved glass to be coated with films of different functions and compositions, they require different auxiliary gases. After the curved glass in the transport frame 5 completes its first coating in the first sputtering chamber 1, it is conveyed forward by the receiving and transporting mechanism to the second sputtering chamber 2 for a second coating. When leaving the first sputtering chamber 1, the transport frame 5 and the curved glass inevitably carry some of the first auxiliary gas out of the first sputtering chamber 1. If this first auxiliary gas enters the second sputtering chamber 2 with the curved glass, it will contaminate the second auxiliary gas in the second sputtering chamber 2, affecting the coating quality. Therefore, it is necessary to replace the first auxiliary gas surrounding the curved glass before it reaches the second sputtering chamber 2. See Figure 2The ventilation chamber 3 includes a front section 31, a middle section 32, and a rear section 33 arranged front to back. Each pair of adjacent sections is connected front to back. At the rear end of the rear section 33 of the ventilation chamber 3, four rear air inlets 34 are arranged at intervals from left to right. These rear air inlets 34 are located at the connection between the ventilation chamber 3 and the first sputtering chamber 1. At the front end of the front section 31 of the ventilation chamber 3, four front air inlets 35 are arranged at intervals from left to right. These front air inlets 35 are located at the connection between the ventilation chamber 3 and the second sputtering chamber 2. In addition, at the connection between the front section 31 and the middle section 32 of the ventilation chamber 3, and at the connection between the middle section 32 and the rear section 33 of the ventilation chamber 3, four transition air inlets 36 are arranged at intervals from left to right. The front inflation port 35, the transition inflation port 36, and the rear inflation port 34 are all externally connected to air pumps (not shown in the figure), which can introduce gas into the ventilation chamber 3. Specifically, the rear inflation port 34 can continuously inject a first auxiliary gas into the ventilation chamber 3, while the transition inflation port 36 and the front inflation port 35 can continuously inject a second auxiliary gas into the ventilation chamber 3. (See...) Figure 2 and Figure 4 Each section 31, 32, and 33 of the ventilation chamber 3 has three air extraction ports 37 arranged at left and right intervals on its bottom wall. Each air extraction port 37 is externally connected to a molecular pump 6 (see...). Figure 3 (The specific structure and working principle are not detailed here). When the molecular pump 6 is started, the corresponding air extraction port 37 extracts air from the corresponding section of the air exchange chamber 3.

[0029] The ventilation process is as follows: After the curved glass is coated in the first sputtering chamber 1, it is conveyed away from the first sputtering chamber 1 by the conveying mechanism along with the transport frame 5, and a portion of the first auxiliary gas is carried out of the first sputtering chamber 1. After leaving the first sputtering chamber 1, the transport frame 5 containing the curved glass first enters the rear section 33 of the ventilation chamber 3 and goes to the middle section 32 of the ventilation chamber 3. During this process, the first auxiliary gas carried out by the transport frame 5 (along with the curved glass) will be continuously attracted forward by the three air extraction ports 37 in the rear section 33 of the ventilation chamber 3 and thus continuously drawn out of the ventilation chamber 3. The rear air filling port 34 of the rear section 33 of the ventilation chamber 3 continuously fills the rear section 33 of the ventilation chamber 3 with the first auxiliary gas to balance the air pressure (which can effectively prevent the second auxiliary gas from flowing back into the first sputtering chamber 1). Before the transport frame 5 (along with the curved glass) passes the three exhaust ports 37 of the rear section 33 of the ventilation chamber 3, the direction of movement of the first auxiliary gas attracted is forward, just like the direction of movement of the transport frame 5. Since the rear air inlet 34 near the transport frame 5 continuously fills in the first auxiliary gas, even if some of the first auxiliary gas surrounding the transport frame 5 is attracted by the three exhaust ports 37 of the rear section 33 of the ventilation chamber 3, it cannot achieve a ventilation effect for the time being. After the transport frame 5 (along with the curved glass) passes the three exhaust ports 37 of the rear section 33 of the ventilation chamber 3, the first auxiliary gas still surrounding the transport frame 5 is... The first auxiliary gas is drawn backward and accelerates away from the transport frame 5 by the three exhaust ports 37 of the rear section 33 of the ventilation chamber 3 (since the transport frame 5 has not yet entered the middle section 32 of the ventilation chamber 3 and is far from the exhaust ports 37 of the middle section 32, the attraction of the first auxiliary gas to these exhaust ports 37 is small and can be ignored). At the same time, a portion of the second auxiliary gas, which is filled by the rear transition air inlet 36, is also drawn by the three exhaust ports 37 of the rear section 33 of the ventilation chamber 3, and continues to pass over the transport frame 5 and move backward toward these three exhaust ports 37, further carrying away the first auxiliary gas surrounding the transport frame 5. In this way, when the transport frame 5 (along with the curved glass) is conveyed forward by the conveying mechanism to the middle section 32 of the ventilation chamber 3, a large portion of the first auxiliary gas surrounding the transport frame 5 has been replaced by the second auxiliary gas, and the ventilation effect is initially apparent.

[0030] After the transport frame 5 (along with the curved glass) enters the middle section 32 of the ventilation chamber 3, its ventilation process is basically the same as that in the rear section 33 of the ventilation chamber 3. The difference is that the transport frame 5 (along with the curved glass) does not start ventilation until it passes the three air extraction ports 37 in the middle section 32 of the ventilation chamber 3. Before the transport frame 5 (along with the curved glass) passes the three exhaust ports 37 of the middle section 32 of the ventilation chamber 3, the gas surrounding the transport frame 5 (part of the first auxiliary gas and part of the second auxiliary gas that has completed the ventilation) is attracted forward by the three exhaust ports 37 and continuously drawn out of the ventilation chamber 3. Since the transition filling port 36 near the rear of the transport frame 5 continuously fills the middle section 32 of the ventilation chamber 3 with the second auxiliary gas to balance the air pressure, even if the transport frame 5 (along with the curved glass) has not passed the three exhaust ports 37 of the middle section 32 of the ventilation chamber 3, the second auxiliary gas filled by the transition filling port 36 will continue to pass the transport frame 5 and move forward to the three exhaust ports 37 under the attraction of the exhaust ports 37, further carrying away the gas surrounding the transport frame 5, thereby achieving ventilation and continuously reducing the content of the first auxiliary gas surrounding the transport frame 5.

[0031] After the transport frame 5 (along with the curved glass) enters the front section 31 of the ventilation chamber 3, its ventilation process is exactly the same as that in the middle section 32 of the ventilation chamber 3, and will not be described in detail here. The front air inlet 35 of the front section 31 of the ventilation chamber 3 continuously injects the second auxiliary gas into the front section 31 of the ventilation chamber 3, which can both balance the air pressure in the chamber 30 of the ventilation chamber 3 and provide the second auxiliary gas to ventilate the gas surrounding the transport frame 5. After the transport frame 5 (along with the curved glass) has undergone ventilation in the rear section 33, middle section 32 and front section 31 of the ventilation chamber 3, when it reaches the second sputtering chamber 2, the gas originally surrounding it has been basically replaced by the second auxiliary gas. Therefore, the second auxiliary gas in the second sputtering chamber 2 is not easily contaminated, ensuring the coating quality of the second sputtering chamber 2. Since no barrier is set between the first sputtering chamber 1 and the second sputtering chamber 2 during the entire air exchange process, the two sputtering chambers 1 and 2 remain connected at all times. The transport frame 5 (along with the curved glass) can achieve air exchange without a short stop as in the prior art when it goes to the second sputtering chamber 2. The whole process takes less time and the overall production efficiency is higher.

[0032] In addition, see Figure 7 The side walls 51 of the transport frame 5 enclose the space to form the first space 71 (i.e., the curved glass enclosure); see Figure 5 and Figure 6The vertical dimension of the sidewall 51 is slightly smaller than that of the ventilation chamber 30 (for example, in this embodiment, the vertical dimension of the sidewall 51 is 200mm while the vertical dimension of the chamber 30 is 240mm). Therefore, only small gaps (20mm in this embodiment) are left between the sidewall 51 and the top wall of the ventilation chamber 30, and between the sidewall 51 and the bottom wall of the ventilation chamber 30. Thus, during the forward transport of the transport frame 5, the gas flow in and out of the first space 71 of the ventilation chamber 30 is restricted, reducing the possibility of gas erratic movement (not completely restricting gas flow into the first space 71 for replenishment, but only to reduce the possibility of gas erratic movement). See Figure 6 Multiple transport frames 5 are sequentially conveyed forward by left and right conveyor wheels 41. A second space 72 is left between adjacent transport frames 5. Similarly, the flow of gas in and out of the second space 72 within the ventilation chamber 30 is restricted, reducing the possibility of gas erratic movement. Since both the first space 71 and the second space 72 can restrict gas flow and reduce erratic movement, during the sequential forward conveyance of these transport frames 5, each first space 71 and second space 72 passes through each segment 31, 32, 33 of the ventilation chamber 3 (see...). Figure 2 Inflation ports 34, 35, and 36 (see) Figure 2 When the gas is above the air inlet 37 or above the air outlet 38, the gas in the space chamber 30 will be filled by the corresponding air inlets 34, 35, and 36 or drawn out by the corresponding air outlet 37 and continuously drawn out of the air exchange chamber 3 to achieve air exchange. During the air exchange process, the gas in each space is not easy to move around randomly and will not affect the air exchange effect.

[0033] In this embodiment, the ventilation chamber 3 includes a front section 31, a middle section 32, and a rear section 33. In other embodiments, the ventilation chamber 3 may be only one section, in which case the transition inflation port 36 is no longer provided, and only three air extraction ports 37 are retained, which are arranged at intervals on the left and right. These three air extraction ports 37 are preferably located between the front inflation port 35 and the rear inflation port 34.

[0034] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the scope of patent protection. Any non-substantial changes or substitutions made by those skilled in the art based on the present invention will still fall within the scope of patent protection.

Claims

1. A glass coating production line, comprising at least two sputtering chambers (1, 2) arranged front to back along the production line, and a conveying mechanism for conveying the glass to be coated forward so that it sequentially passes through each sputtering chamber (1, 2) to receive coating, characterized in that, A ventilation chamber (3) is connected between two adjacent sputtering chambers (1, 2). The ventilation chamber (3) has a rear air inlet (34) at the rear end and a front air inlet (35) at the front end. The front and rear air inlets (34, 35) can fill the ventilation chamber (3) with different gases. The ventilation chamber (3) has an exhaust port (37).

2. The glass coating production line as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The two adjacent sputtering chambers (1, 2) are not separated by any barrier and are always connected.

3. The glass coating production line as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The air extraction port (37) is located between the front and rear air inlets (34, 35).

4. The glass coating production line as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The ventilation chamber (3) includes multiple sections (31, 32, 33) arranged in a front-to-back manner. Each pair of adjacent sections is connected in front and back. The rear air inlet (34) is located at the rear end of the last section (33), while the front air inlet (35) is located at the front end of the first section (31). A transition air inlet (36) is provided at the connection between each pair of adjacent sections.

5. The glass coating production line as described in claim 4, characterized in that, Each section of the ventilation chamber (3) is provided with an air extraction port (37).

6. The glass coating production line as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Includes a transport frame (5) for carrying glass, which can be placed on the conveying mechanism to be transported.

7. The glass coating production line as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The transport frame (5) has a through-hole in the middle for accommodating the glass, and a fixing mechanism for fixing the glass is installed on the transport frame (5).

8. The glass coating production line as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The transport frame (5) has a side wall (51) that encloses to form a first space (71) for accommodating the glass. The vertical dimension of the side wall (51) is slightly smaller than the chamber cavity (30) of the ventilation chamber (3).

9. The glass coating production line as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The conveying mechanism includes multiple conveying wheels (41) in the left row and multiple conveying wheels (41) in the right row, located on the left and right sides of the production line, respectively. The two rows of conveying wheels (41) are symmetrically arranged along the left and right sides of the production line, and multiple conveying wheels (41) in each row are arranged at intervals. The transport frame (5) is placed on the conveying wheels (41) on the left and right sides for support. A drive motor (42) is provided to drive these conveying wheels (41).

10. The glass coating production line according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, This production line is specifically a curved glass coating production line, and / or the air extraction port (37) is equipped with a molecular pump (6).

Images