PVD coating apparatus
By installing a flexible insulating layer and a grounding rail on the transmission wheel, the problems of carrier vibration and undischarged charge were solved, improving the coating quality of the PVD coating equipment and the finished quality of the solar cells.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TONGWEI SOLAR ENERGY (CHENGDU) CO LID
- Filing Date
- 2025-05-27
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-23
Smart Images
Figure CN224394993U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of battery cell processing technology, and more specifically, to a PVD coating equipment. Background Technology
[0002] The principle of PVD coating equipment is to ionize argon gas into charged plasma in a vacuum, and then use a magnetic field to bombard the target material to form a sputtered coating. During the solar cell coating process, the carrier used to support the cells has a large charge. If this charge is not grounded, arcing will occur, significantly affecting the cell's performance and the coating color. Currently, metal transfer wheels are commonly used to connect the carrier to the PVD coating equipment, achieving grounding and discharging of the carrier.
[0003] The inventors discovered that vehicles using metal wheels vibrate excessively during transport. When solar cells are coated in such high-vibration vehicles, the vibrations can damage the cells, affecting the quality of the finished product. Utility Model Content
[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a PVD coating equipment that can release the charge carried by the carrier while avoiding damage to the battery cells caused by vibration during carrier movement, thereby improving the quality of the finished battery cells.
[0005] The embodiments of this utility model can be implemented as follows:
[0006] In a first aspect, this utility model provides a PVD coating apparatus, including a coating chamber and a carrier, wherein the coating chamber has a vacuum chamber for accommodating the carrier, and further includes:
[0007] The transfer wheel is disposed in the coating chamber. Multiple transfer wheels are spaced apart on both sides of the vacuum chamber. The transfer wheel abuts against the carrier and is used to drive the carrier to move along the vacuum chamber. The transfer wheel is provided with a flexible insulating layer for contacting the carrier.
[0008] A grounding rail is disposed in the coating chamber and located inside the vacuum cavity, and the grounding rail is disposed along the length direction of the coating chamber;
[0009] A contact device connected to the carrier is used to maintain contact with the grounding rail while the carrier is moving within the vacuum chamber, so as to connect the carrier with the coating chamber.
[0010] In an optional embodiment, the carrier has locking slots on both sides, and the transmission wheel is locked into the locking slots.
[0011] In an optional embodiment, a plurality of guide wheels are spaced apart on both sides of the coating chamber and located on the coating chamber. The guide wheels extend into the snap-fit groove and abut against the carrier. The guide wheels are flexible insulated rollers.
[0012] In an optional embodiment, the grounding rail is provided on both sides of the vacuum cavity.
[0013] In an optional embodiment, multiple contact devices are provided on both sides of the vehicle.
[0014] In an optional embodiment, the contact device includes a mounting base, a connecting rod, and an elastic element. The mounting base is connected to the carrier, the connecting rod is rotatably mounted on the mounting base, and the elastic element is connected to one end of the mounting base and one end of the connecting rod, respectively, and is used to rotate the other end of the connecting rod to always abut against the grounding rail. Furthermore, both the mounting base and the connecting rod are conductive structures.
[0015] In an optional embodiment, the mounting base is detachably connected to the carrier.
[0016] In an optional embodiment, the elastic element includes a memory spring;
[0017] Alternatively, the elastic element may include a rubber elastic element;
[0018] Alternatively, the elastic element may include a plastic elastic element.
[0019] In an optional embodiment, the connecting rod has a connecting portion at one end near the grounding rail, and the connecting portion has a receiving groove for accommodating the grounding rail.
[0020] In an optional embodiment, the connecting portion is Y-shaped;
[0021] Alternatively, the connecting portion may be U-shaped;
[0022] Alternatively, the connecting portion may be U-shaped.
[0023] The beneficial effects of the PVD coating equipment provided in this embodiment of the invention include:
[0024] By incorporating a flexible insulating layer on the transfer wheel, vibrations of the carrier during its movement within the vacuum chamber are reduced. Simultaneously, a grounding rail and contact device are installed to discharge any charge from the carrier as it moves within the vacuum chamber. This process releases the carrier's charge, improving coating performance while preventing excessive vibration and damage to the solar cells, ultimately enhancing the final product quality. Attached Figure Description
[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this utility model and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the PVD coating equipment provided in this embodiment;
[0027] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the coating chamber provided in this embodiment;
[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vehicle provided in this embodiment;
[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the contact device provided in this embodiment.
[0030] Icons: 100-Coating chamber; 110-Vacuum chamber; 120-Transfer wheel; 121-Flexible insulation layer; 130-Grounding rail; 140-Guide wheel; 200-Carrier; 210-Snap-fit groove; 300-Contact device; 310-Mounting base; 320-Connecting rod; 330-Elastic element; 340-Connecting part; 341-Receiving groove. Detailed Implementation
[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this utility model described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.
[0032] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0033] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.
[0034] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "inner," or "outer" are used to indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the utility model product is usually placed during use, they are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.
[0035] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.
[0036] It should be noted that, where there is no conflict, the features in the embodiments of this utility model can be combined with each other.
[0037] The principle of PVD coating equipment is to ionize argon gas into charged plasma in a vacuum, and then use a magnetic field to bombard the target material to form a sputtered coating. During the coating process, the carrier holding the solar cells has a large amount of charge. If this charge is not grounded and discharged, arcing will occur, significantly affecting the performance of the solar cells and the coating color. In traditional PVD coating equipment, the transmission wheels used to drive the carrier are generally made of metal, so that the charge attached to the carrier is discharged as it moves within the PVD coating equipment.
[0038] However, due to the long length of PVD coating equipment (some PVD coating equipment reaches tens of meters), and the use of metal wheels for grounding, the carrier vibrates greatly during the transportation process inside the PVD coating equipment. The solar cells are coated in a high-vibration carrier, and the solar cells will be damaged due to vibration and impact, affecting the flatness quality of the solar cells.
[0039] To address the aforementioned technical problems and improve the issue of damage caused by vibration during the solar cell coating process, this invention provides a PVD coating equipment. The overall structure, working principle, and technical effects of the PVD coating equipment provided by this invention are described in detail below with reference to embodiments and accompanying drawings.
[0040] Please refer to Figures 1-3 This invention provides a PVD coating equipment, applied in the field of PVD coating processing technology for solar cells. PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) is a surface treatment technology, and PVD coatings have advantages such as high hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and aesthetic appeal. Furthermore, the PVD coating equipment provided by this invention reduces vibration during the movement of the carrier 200, thereby minimizing damage to the solar cells caused by vibration, while simultaneously releasing the charge on the carrier 200, thus improving the coating quality of the solar cells.
[0041] The PVD coating equipment provided by this utility model includes a coating chamber 100 and a carrier 200. The carrier 200 is used to carry the battery cells to be coated. The coating chamber 100 has a vacuum chamber 110 for accommodating the carrier 200. The carrier 200 carrying the battery cells enters the vacuum chamber 110 and moves along the vacuum chamber 110. During this process, the coating chamber 100 performs coating processing on the battery cells on the carrier 200. Further, in this embodiment, the PVD coating equipment also includes transfer wheels 120. Multiple transfer wheels 120 are spaced apart on both sides of the vacuum chamber 110. The transfer wheels 120 on both sides of the vacuum chamber 110 abut against both sides of the carrier 200, and when the transfer wheels 120 rotate, they drive the carrier 200 to move along the length direction of the coating chamber 100 within the vacuum chamber 110. To prevent excessive vibration of the carrier 200 when it moves through the transfer wheel 120, a flexible insulating layer 121 is provided on the transfer wheel 120. The carrier 200 contacts the transfer wheel 120 through the flexible insulating layer 121, which acts as a buffer and shock absorber. Because of the flexible insulating layer 121 between the carrier 200 and the transfer wheel 120, the charge on the carrier 200 cannot be released during the coating process. Therefore, in this embodiment, the PVD coating equipment also includes a grounding rail 130 and a contact device 300. The grounding rail 130 is disposed on the coating chamber 100 and located within the vacuum chamber 110. The grounding rail 130 is arranged along the length of the coating chamber 100, is made of conductive metal, and is electrically connected to the coating chamber 100. The contact device 300 is installed on the carrier 200. When the carrier 200 moves into the coating chamber 100 and moves within the coating chamber 100, the contact device 300 always abuts against the grounding rail 130, thereby connecting the carrier 200 and the coating chamber 100 to release the charge on the carrier 200.
[0042] By providing a flexible insulating layer 121 on the transfer wheel 120, vibration of the carrier 200 during movement within the vacuum chamber 110 is reduced. Simultaneously, by providing a grounding rail 130 and a contact device 300, the charge on the carrier 200 is discharged during movement within the vacuum chamber 110. This releases the charge from the carrier 200, improving coating performance while preventing excessive vibration and damage to the solar cells, thus improving the final product quality of the solar cells.
[0043] Please refer to Figure 2 In this embodiment, the flexible insulating layer 121 is a fluororubber ring fitted onto the transmission wheel 120. In other embodiments, the flexible insulating layer 121 may also be made of flexible insulating materials such as polyurethane, silicone, or polyethylene. Furthermore, the flexible insulating layer 121 may also be a washer or padding structure fitted onto the transmission wheel 120. This embodiment does not limit the specific structural form or material of the flexible insulating layer 121.
[0044] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 Furthermore, to facilitate the movement of the carrier 200 driven by the transfer wheels 120, in this embodiment, locking grooves 210 are provided on both sides of the carrier 200. The locking grooves 210 are used to accommodate the transfer wheels 120. When the carrier 200 moves into the vacuum chamber 110, the transfer wheels 120 are locked into the locking grooves 210. The carrier 200 is supported in the coating chamber 100 by the transfer wheels 120 on both sides of the vacuum chamber 110, and the rotation of the transfer wheels 120 drives the carrier 200 to move within the vacuum chamber 110. At the same time, in order to further improve the stability of the movement of the carrier 200 and prevent the carrier 200 from deviating during movement, in this embodiment, multiple guide wheels 140 are provided at intervals on both sides of the coating chamber 100 and located in the vacuum chamber 110. The guide wheel 140 also extends into the locking groove 210 and abuts against the carrier 200. Thus, during the movement of the carrier 200, multiple guide wheels 140 work together to limit the movement of the carrier 200, thereby improving the stability of the carrier 200 during movement. At the same time, in order to avoid vibration when the carrier 200 contacts the guide wheel 140, the guide wheel 140 is set as a flexible insulated roller.
[0045] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 To ensure that the carrier 200 remains in contact with the coating chamber 100 while moving within the vacuum chamber 110, thereby improving the charge release effect of the carrier 200 during movement within the vacuum chamber 110, in some optional embodiments, grounding rails 130 are provided on both sides of the vacuum chamber 110, and multiple contact devices 300 are provided on both sides of the carrier 200, with each contact device 300 on one side of the carrier 200 abutting against two grounding rails 130. This creates multiple contact points between the carrier 200 and the grounding rails 130, improving the conductivity between the carrier 200 and the coating chamber 100, and thus enhancing the charge release effect on the carrier 200.
[0046] Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The contact device 300 includes a mounting base 310, a connecting rod 320, and an elastic element 330. The mounting base 310 is mounted on the carrier 200 and is inverted T-shaped. The middle part of the connecting rod 320 is rotatably connected to the top of the mounting base 310. The elastic element 330 is connected to one end of the mounting base 310 and one end of the connecting rod 320, respectively. The elastic element 330 ensures that one end of the connecting rod 320 always tends to rotate towards the carrier 200, thereby causing the other end of the connecting rod 320 to rotate until it always abuts against the grounding rail 130, thus ensuring the connection between the connecting rod 320 and the grounding rail 130. Both the mounting base 310 and the connecting rod 320 are conductive structures, thereby achieving the effect of connecting the grounding rail 130 and the carrier 200.
[0047] By setting the elastic element 330 and the rotatably set connecting rod 320, during the movement of the carrier 200 in the vacuum chamber 110, the elastic element 330 makes the connecting rod 320 always abut against the grounding guide rail 130, so as to achieve stable communication between the carrier 200 and the coating chamber 100, and ensure that the charge on the carrier 200 can be stably grounded and released through the coating chamber 100.
[0048] Please refer to Figure 4 In some alternative embodiments, the mounting base 310 is detachably connected to the carrier 200 to facilitate the installation and removal of the contact device 300.
[0049] In this embodiment, the elastic element 330 includes a memory spring. In other alternative embodiments, the elastic element 330 may also include a rubber elastic element 330 or a plastic elastic element 330. The elastic element 330 only needs to apply an external force to the connecting rod 320 to rotate the connecting rod 320 to abut against the grounding rail 130. In this embodiment, the specific structural form of the elastic element 330 is not limited.
[0050] Please refer to Figure 4 Furthermore, to ensure good contact between the connecting rod 320 and the grounding rail 130, in some optional embodiments, a connecting portion 340 is provided at the end of the connecting rod 320 near the grounding rail 130. The connecting portion 340 has a receiving groove 341 for accommodating the grounding rail 130. When the carrier 200 moves within the vacuum chamber 110, the grounding rail 130 is located in the receiving groove 341, ensuring sufficient contact between the grounding rail 130 and the connecting rod 320 and preventing the connecting rod 320 from detaching from the grounding rail 130, thus improving the contact stability between the connecting rod 320 and the grounding rail 130. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 340 is Y-shaped; in other embodiments, the connecting portion 340 may also be U-shaped or U-shaped. It is sufficient that the connecting portion 340 has a receiving groove 341 for accommodating the grounding rail 130; the specific structural form of the connecting portion 340 is not limited in this embodiment.
[0051] In summary, the implementation principle of the PVD coating equipment provided by this utility model is as follows: By setting a flexible insulating layer 121 on the transfer wheel 120, the vibration of the carrier 200 when moving within the vacuum chamber 110 is reduced. Simultaneously, by setting a grounding rail 130 and a contact device 300, the charge on the carrier 200 is discharged when it moves within the vacuum chamber 110. This releases the charge on the carrier 200, improving coating performance while preventing excessive vibration and damage to the solar cells, thus improving the final product quality of the solar cells.
[0052] The above description is only a specific embodiment of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.
Claims
1. A PVD coating apparatus, comprising a coating chamber and a carrier, wherein the coating chamber has a vacuum chamber for accommodating the carrier, characterized in that, Also includes: The transfer wheel is disposed in the coating chamber. Multiple transfer wheels are spaced apart on both sides of the vacuum chamber. The transfer wheel abuts against the carrier and is used to drive the carrier to move along the vacuum chamber. The transfer wheel is provided with a flexible insulating layer for contacting the carrier. A grounding rail is disposed in the coating chamber and located inside the vacuum cavity, and the grounding rail is disposed along the length direction of the coating chamber; A contact device connected to the carrier is used to maintain contact with the grounding rail while the carrier is moving within the vacuum chamber, so as to connect the carrier with the coating chamber.
2. The PVD coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vehicle has locking slots on both sides, and the transmission wheel is locked into the locking slots.
3. The PVD coating equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, Multiple guide wheels are spaced apart on both sides of the coating chamber and located on the coating chamber. The guide wheels extend into the snap-fit groove and abut against the carrier. The guide wheels are flexible insulated rollers.
4. The PVD coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The grounding rails are provided on both sides of the vacuum cavity.
5. The PVD coating equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, Multiple contact devices are provided on both sides of the vehicle.
6. The PVD coating equipment according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The contact device includes a mounting base, a connecting rod, and an elastic element. The mounting base is connected to the carrier, the connecting rod is rotatably mounted on the mounting base, and the elastic element is connected to one end of the mounting base and one end of the connecting rod, respectively, and is used to rotate the other end of the connecting rod to always abut against the grounding rail. Furthermore, both the mounting base and the connecting rod are conductive structures.
7. The PVD coating equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The mounting base is detachably connected to the vehicle.
8. The PVD coating equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The elastic element includes a memory spring; Alternatively, the elastic element may include a rubber elastic element; Alternatively, the elastic element may include a plastic elastic element.
9. The PVD coating equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The connecting rod has a connecting part at one end near the grounding rail, and the connecting part has a receiving groove for accommodating the grounding rail.
10. The PVD coating equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that, The connecting part is Y-shaped; Alternatively, the connecting portion may be U-shaped; Alternatively, the connecting portion may be U-shaped.