In-line Vacuum Coating Spring-Loaded Gear Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing in-line vacuum coating systems face challenges in achieving uniform and continuous coating on rotationally symmetrical substrates like pipes, which require independent control of feed speed and rotational speed, and a secure, low-wear coupling of a stationary rotary drive with a movable carrier.
Innovation Solution
A stationary rotatable sprocket shaft connected to a rotary drive and a spring-loaded gear wheel that can engage with a splined shaft on the carrier, ensuring a constant and secure rotary drive transmission, combined with a pulley system and conical receptacles for secure substrate fixation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a stationary rotary drive is coupled with a movable carrier, then continuous rotation during transport is achieved, but wear and coupling reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The gear wheel is made dynamically adjustable through spring loading, allowing it to move longitudinally to accommodate variations in carrier position and maintain reliable meshing with the splined shaft throughout the transport cycle
Solution Approach 2:
The spring loading mechanism changes the positional parameter of the gear wheel, enabling it to deflect and maintain optimal engagement with the splined shaft despite movements of the carrier during transport
2Speed
If a gear wheel is used for rotation transmission, then rotary motion is achieved, but wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
By spring-loading the gear wheel, its engagement parameters with the splined shaft are optimized dynamically, distributing wear more evenly and reducing overall wear through controlled deflection during operation
Solution Approach 2:
The spring loading provides a cushioning effect that absorbs shocks and reduces impact loads during engagement, thereby minimizing wear on the gear teeth and splined shaft before damage can occur
3Productivity
If multiple substrates are arranged on a carrier, then productivity increases, but control of coating uniformity becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The single splined shaft with gear wheel mechanism serves as a universal rotary drive for multiple substrates simultaneously arranged on the carrier, ensuring each substrate receives consistent rotational motion and uniform coating
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded gear wheel is pre-positioned to engage with the splined shaft before the carrier enters the coating zone, ensuring rotational motion is established and maintained uniformly for all substrates throughout the coating process
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables continuous, uniform, and uninterrupted coating of tubular substrates as the carrier moves through the vacuum chamber, ensuring efficient and reliable coating of elongated substrates with rotational symmetry.
Implementation Method 1
a gear wheel (11) that can be engaged with the splined shaft (10) and is rotatably mounted on the carrier (6), which is spring-loaded
Implementation Method 2
the gear wheel (11) meshes with the teeth of the splined shaft (10)
Implementation Method 3
a pulley (17) is fastened to the shaft (16) at one end for receiving a transmission belt (18), which runs on the pulley (17) on the drive side and on another pulley (19) on the output side
Implementation Method 4
the other rollers (20) are each provided with a conical receptacle (22) in the axial direction for fixing the end face (23) of the tubular substrate (8)
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an in-line vacuum coating system comprising a vacuum chamber, a coating source and a substrate carrier for holding tubular substrates, said carrier being displaceable using the vacuum chamber. The invention provides a sure method of simply and securely coupling a fixed rotational drive unit to a carrier that can be displaced at a constant rate of speed in an in-line vacuum coating system. This is accomplished by way of a fixed splined shaft (10) that is rotatably installed and is connected to a rotational drive unit, and by way of a gear (11) that can be engaged with the splined shaft (10) and that is rotatably mounted on the carrier (6), said gear being longitudinally displaceable to a predefined extent in spring-loaded fashion in a direction opposite to the direction of travel (12) of the carrier (6).