Plate feeding device and vacuum coating apparatus

Abstract

The utility model discloses a board device and vacuum coating equipment, including upper guide assembly and lower guide assembly, the upper guide assembly includes upper support, first guide piece and second guide piece, first guide piece with second guide piece interval forms the transmission channel of along first horizontal direction along stretch, lower guide assembly includes lower support and support piece, and support piece rotatory mounting is in lower support, when board device is in working condition, upper guide assembly with lower guide assembly is opposite to set up in vertical direction, and support piece is located the just below of transmission channel. The board device of the utility model can provide the guide for the feed inlet of the board into equipment, so that the board can be quickly aligned transmission channel, and the board accuracy and stability are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of carrier conveying technology, and in particular to a plate loading device and a vacuum coating equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Vacuum coating equipment is essential for the production of semiconductors such as solar cells. Structurally, vacuum coating equipment can be categorized into horizontal, vertical, and tubular types. During coating, silicon wafers are placed on a carrier plate and moved in and out of the vacuum coating equipment. "Plate entry" refers to the process of the carrier plate entering the vacuum coating equipment through the inlet of the coating chamber. For vertical vacuum coating equipment, the carrier plate needs to enter and exit the equipment upright. However, the carrier plate is typically large in mass and size, while the inlet of the vacuum coating equipment is usually narrow, only slightly larger than the carrier plate. Accurate alignment between the carrier plate and the inlet is crucial, and the carrier plate must remain stable during entry, avoiding tilting and maintaining a stable, upright position for smooth entry. Otherwise, collisions may occur between the carrier plate and the area around the inlet, or the carrier plate may not align accurately with the carrier plate conveyor rails inside the inlet, causing the carrier plate to derail or fail to meet process requirements after entry. Utility Model Content

[0003] To solve at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems, on the one hand, this utility model provides a board feeding device that can guide the board into the feed port of the equipment, thereby improving the accuracy and stability of board feeding.

[0004] On the other hand, this utility model also proposes a vacuum coating equipment having the aforementioned plate insertion device.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this utility model is to design a board-feeding device, including an upper guide assembly and a lower guide assembly; the upper guide assembly includes an upper bracket, a first guide member, and a second guide member, both of which are rotatably mounted on the upper bracket, and the first guide member and the second guide member are spaced apart to form a conveying channel extending along a first horizontal direction; the lower guide assembly includes a lower bracket and a support member, the support member being rotatably mounted on the lower bracket; when the board-feeding device is in working condition, the upper guide assembly and the lower guide assembly are arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction, and the support member is located directly below the conveying channel.

[0006] In some embodiments, the first guide member is one of a guide wheel, a bearing, and a ball bearing, and / or the second guide member is one of a guide wheel, a bearing, and a ball bearing.

[0007] In some embodiments, there are multiple first guide members, which are spaced apart along the first horizontal direction. The number of first guide members is greater than the number of second guide members, and at least one first guide member is located at the entrance front of the conveying channel.

[0008] In some embodiments, the lower guide assembly further includes a third guide member rotatably mounted on the lower support, the third guide member and the first guide member being located on the same side of the conveying channel.

[0009] In some embodiments, the third guide element is one of a guide wheel, a bearing, and a ball bearing.

[0010] In some embodiments, there are multiple third guide members, which are spaced apart along the first horizontal direction.

[0011] In some embodiments, the support members are provided in multiples, with at least one of the support members located in front of all the third guide members in the first horizontal direction.

[0012] In some embodiments, the support member is one of a guide wheel, a bearing, and a ball bearing.

[0013] A vacuum coating equipment includes a feeding chamber and the aforementioned plate feeding device. The feeding chamber has a feeding port on one side, the upper guide assembly is disposed above the feeding port, and the lower guide assembly is disposed below the feeding port.

[0014] In some embodiments, one end of the upper support is provided with a first hinge assembly and a first locking assembly, the first hinge assembly being hinged to the feed chamber, and the first locking assembly being used to selectively lock the upper support to the feed chamber; one end of the lower support is provided with a second hinge assembly and a second locking assembly, the second hinge assembly being hinged to the feed chamber, and the second locking assembly being used to selectively lock the lower support to the feed chamber.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0016] The feeding device of this utility model can provide guidance for the feeding port of the carrier plate entering the equipment, so that the carrier plate can be quickly aligned with the conveying channel. That is, the guiding function is used to pre-guide and adjust the posture of the carrier plate in the initial stage of the carrier plate entering the channel, so that the carrier plate can enter the conveying channel smoothly and avoid the carrier plate from deflecting or hitting the channel wall during the initial entry, thereby improving the accuracy and stability of the feeding.

[0017] The vacuum coating equipment provided by this utility model includes a feeding chamber and the aforementioned plate feeding device. A feeding port is provided on one side of the feeding chamber, and the upper guide component of the plate feeding device is located above the feeding port, while the lower guide component of the plate feeding device is located below the feeding port. Through the cooperation of the lower guide component and the upper guide component, the plate feeding speed and accuracy are improved. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. To illustrate the details and facilitate understanding of its principles, the drawings are not necessarily to scale, and similar reference numerals may describe similar components in different views. The accompanying drawings generally illustrate the embodiments discussed herein by way of example and not limitation. Wherein:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a front view diagram of the carrier plate;

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the DD cross section;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the feed chamber.

[0022] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Enlarged schematic diagram at point F in the middle.

[0023] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Enlarged schematic diagram of point G in the middle.

[0024] In the figure, 1 is the feeding chamber; 6 is the carrier plate; 8 is the door panel; 20 is the upper bracket; 21 is the first guide component; 22 is the second guide component; 23 is the third guide component; 24 is the support component; 25 is the lower bracket; 26 is the first hinge assembly; 27 is the first locking assembly; 28 is the second hinge assembly; 29 is the second locking assembly; and 33 is the cylindrical rod. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The following are specific embodiments of this utility model, and the technical solution of this utility model will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this utility model is not limited to these embodiments, and the following embodiments do not limit the utility model involved in the claims. In addition, all combinations of features described in the embodiments are not necessarily necessary for the solution of the utility model.

[0026] The principle and structure of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0027] Example

[0028] like Figure 1-5As shown, a loading device for a vacuum coating equipment is used to smoothly and accurately feed a carrier plate 6 into the feeding chamber 1 of the coating equipment. The loading device includes an upper guide assembly and a lower guide assembly. A feed inlet is provided on one side of the feeding chamber 1. The upper guide assembly is positioned above the feed inlet, and the lower guide assembly is positioned below the feed inlet. When the loading device is in operation, the upper and lower guide assemblies are vertically opposite each other, forming a symmetrical guiding and supporting environment. A support member 24 is located directly below the conveying channel, used to support the carrier plate 6 and guide it smoothly into the feeding chamber 1 vertically.

[0029] Specifically, the upper guide assembly includes an upper bracket 20, a first guide member 21, and a second guide member 22. Both the first guide member 21 and the second guide member 22 are rotatably mounted on the upper bracket 20, and the two are spaced apart to form a conveying channel extending along a first horizontal direction. A plurality of first guide members 21 are spaced apart along the horizontal direction, and their number is greater than that of second guide members 22. At least one first guide member 21 is located at the front end of the entrance of the conveying channel. The carrier plate 6 first contacts at least one first guide member 21, so that the carrier plate 6 can be quickly aligned with the conveying channel in the horizontal direction, i.e., the guiding function, which is used to pre-guide and adjust the attitude of the carrier plate 6 in the initial stage of entering the channel, so that the carrier plate 6 can enter the conveying channel smoothly and avoid the carrier plate 6 from deflecting or hitting the channel wall during the initial entry.

[0030] The lower guide assembly includes a lower bracket 25, a support member 24, and a third guide member 23. The support member 24 is rotatably mounted on the lower bracket 25, located directly below the conveyor channel, and is used to support the carrier plate 6 and form a stable vertical support force, keeping the carrier plate 6 upright in the vertical direction. The third guide member 23 is rotatably mounted on the lower bracket 25 and is located on the same side of the conveyor channel as the first guide member 21. When the carrier plate 6 is placed on the support member 24, the first guide member 21 and the third guide member 23 contact the carrier plate 6 from the same side, working together with the first guide member 21 to guide the carrier plate 6 to move along the conveyor channel, ensuring that the carrier plate 6 also maintains a stable position in the horizontal direction, preventing displacement or shaking. Multiple support members 24 are provided, and in the horizontal direction, at least one support member 24 is located in front of all the third guide members 23, so that the support member 24 first contacts the bottom plate of the carrier plate 6, ensuring that the carrier plate 6 can immediately receive downward support when entering the initial section of the conveyor channel, thereby preventing the carrier plate 6 from tilting or tipping over due to unstable center of gravity.

[0031] Through the coordinated action of the upper and lower guide components, the feeding device can provide multi-point, all-around guidance and support for the carrier plate 6 in both horizontal and vertical directions, allowing it to smoothly pass through the feed inlet into the feeding chamber 1 in an upright and stable posture. This ensures the smooth transfer of the carrier plate through the subsequent slit channel, process chamber, and buffer chamber. The first guide component 21, the second guide component 22, and the third guide component 23 form a multi-point guide, effectively constraining the movement trajectory of the carrier plate 6 during its initial entry into the channel and throughout the entire transfer process, preventing deviation and collision, and improving feeding accuracy. The support component 24 provides vertical support force, keeping the carrier plate 6 upright. Together with the guide components, it forms multi-directional constraints in all directions, reducing swaying, ensuring the substrate surface is clean, and preventing dust or particles from falling off.

[0032] The first guide member 21, the second guide member 22, the third guide member 23, and the support member 24 can be one of the following: guide wheel, bearing, and universal ball bearing. In this embodiment, guide wheel is used. There are six first guide members 21 and six third guide members 23. The six first guide members 21 are arranged side by side along the conveying direction, and the six third guide members 23 are arranged side by side along the conveying direction. The second guide member 22 is a guide wheel that is slightly larger than the first guide member 21. There are three support members 24. The three support members 24 are arranged side by side along the conveying direction. The support member 24 is a guide wheel with a concave center. The concave center part is used to guide the bottom edge of the carrier plate 6. The bottom edge of the carrier plate 6 can be set into an arc shape that matches the concave position, or simply a cylindrical rod 33 can be set on the bottom edge of the carrier plate 6 to cooperate with the concave position.

[0033] An infeeding device is installed at the inlet of the feeding chamber to assist the carrier plate 6 in accurately and smoothly entering the chamber of the coating equipment. However, the inlet usually also has a door panel to control its opening and closing. To prevent the infeeding device from blocking the door panel, the upper support 20 is further provided with a first hinge assembly 26 and a first locking assembly 27 at one end. The first hinge assembly 26 is hinged to the feeding chamber 1, and the first locking assembly 27 is used to selectively lock the upper support 20 to the feeding chamber 1. The lower support 25 is provided with a second hinge assembly 28 and a second locking assembly 29 at one end. The second hinge assembly 28 is hinged to the feeding chamber 1, and the second locking assembly 29 is used to selectively lock the lower support 25 to the feeding chamber 1. The locking assembly can be a fastener such as a locking bolt, thereby temporarily fixing the support relative to the feeding chamber 1.

[0034] When the carrier plate 6 needs to be transferred, the upper guide assembly and the lower guide assembly are rotated to the front of the feed port to correspond with the internal guide device. The upper bracket 20 and the lower bracket 25 can be fixed to the feed chamber 1 by their respective locking components to ensure the stability of the upper guide assembly and the lower guide assembly in the vertical and horizontal directions. This ensures that the carrier plate 6 maintains an upright and stable movement trajectory during the feeding process, prevents tilting or shaking, and improves the guiding accuracy and process reliability.

[0035] When the carrier plate 6 is not needed, the locking assembly is released, causing the upper bracket 20 to rotate upward around the hinge axis and the lower bracket 25 to rotate to one side around the hinge axis, so that the upper guide assembly and the lower guide assembly can easily leave the feed port, thus avoiding affecting the opening and closing of the door panel 8.

[0036] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative examples illustrating the spirit of this utility model. Those skilled in the art to which this utility model pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to replace them, without departing from the spirit of this utility model or exceeding the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A plate feeding device, characterized in that, Includes upper guide components and lower guide components; The upper guide assembly includes an upper bracket, a first guide member, and a second guide member. The first guide member and the second guide member are rotatably mounted on the upper bracket, and the first guide member and the second guide member are spaced apart to form a conveying channel extending along a first horizontal direction. The lower guide assembly includes a lower bracket and a support member, wherein the support member is rotatably mounted on the lower bracket. When the plate feeding device is in operation, the upper guide assembly and the lower guide assembly are arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction, and the support member is located directly below the conveying channel.

2. The plate feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first guide member is one of a guide wheel, a bearing, and a universal ball bearing, and / or the second guide member is one of a guide wheel, a bearing, and a universal ball bearing.

3. The plate-feeding device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first guide is provided in multiple ways, and the multiple first guides are spaced apart along the first horizontal direction. The number of first guides is greater than the number of second guides, and at least one first guide is located at the front end of the entrance of the conveying channel.

4. The plate feeding device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The lower guide assembly further includes a third guide member, which is rotatably mounted on the lower support. The third guide member and the first guide member are located on the same side of the conveying channel.

5. The plate feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The third guide component is one of a guide wheel, a bearing, or a universal ball bearing.

6. The plate feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The third guide member is provided in multiple ways, and the multiple third guide members are spaced apart along the first horizontal direction.

7. The plate feeding device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The support members are provided in multiple forms, and in the first horizontal direction, at least one of the support members is located in front of all the third guide members.

8. The plate feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support component is one of the following: a guide wheel, a bearing, or a ball bearing.

9. A vacuum coating equipment, characterized in that, It includes a feeding chamber and a plate feeding device as described in any one of claims 1-8, wherein a feeding port is provided on one side of the feeding chamber, the upper guide assembly is disposed above the feeding port, and the lower guide assembly is disposed below the feeding port.

10. The vacuum coating equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that, One end of the upper support is provided with a first hinge assembly and a first locking assembly. The first hinge assembly is hinged to the feed chamber, and the first locking assembly is used to selectively lock the upper support to the feed chamber. One end of the lower support is provided with a second hinge assembly and a second locking assembly. The second hinge assembly is hinged to the feed chamber, and the second locking assembly is used to selectively lock the lower support into the feed chamber.

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