JP2021080529A - Sealing device, vacuum device, film deposition apparatus and multilayer film manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a sealing device capable of comparatively inexpensively forming a large differential pressure.SOLUTION: The sealing device according to one aspect of the present invention capable of continuously conveying a web while separating a first space from a second space having a pressure lower than that of the first space comprises: a frame arranged in a partition for separating the first space from the second space and having a conveyance opening passing the web; and a sealing roller arranged in the inside of the conveyance opening and guiding the web. The inner wall surface of the conveyance opening includes a pair of circumferential sealing surfaces facing the peripheral surface of the sealing roller at a fixed interval and a pair of end sealing surfaces facing the end surface of the sealing roller, and the frame includes: an exhaust passage opened to the circumferential sealing surface and connected to a low pressure source; and a suction groove continuously formed from the circumferential sealing surface to the end sealing surface and communicating with the exhaust passage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a sealing device, a vacuum device, a film forming device, and a method for producing a multilayer film.

For example, in the production of a multilayer film such as a vapor-deposited film, a step of arranging the web in a space having a pressure different from that of atmospheric pressure is required. In such a processing process, a reel in which the web is wound is carried into the processing chamber, a predetermined processing is performed while rewinding the web, and a reel in which the processed web is wound is carried out from the processing chamber by batch processing. It was done. An anterior chamber (load lock) adjacent to the processing chamber is provided in order to maintain a constant pressure in the processing chamber and efficiently perform batch processing even when the reels are carried in and out, and the pressure in this anterior chamber is applied to the outside. A film forming apparatus is known that increases or decreases between the pressure and the pressure of the processing chamber.

However, even if the anterior chamber is provided, the productivity cannot be sufficiently improved by batch processing. Therefore, the web is continuously supplied into the pressurized or depressurized space, and the processed web is pressurized or depressurized. There is a demand for continuous treatment of continuous discharge from the water.

When performing continuous processing of the web, an opening (slit) through which the web passes is required in the partition wall that separates the two spaces with different pressures, and the atmospheric gas in the space on the high pressure side passes through this opening in the space on the low pressure side. Inflow to. Therefore, in order to efficiently maintain the pressure in each space at the required pressure, a technique is known in which a sealing device for suppressing the movement of atmospheric gas is provided in the opening through which the web passes.

Such a sealing device includes a roller that guides the web, and a housing that accommodates the roller and is opened to a space on the low pressure side and a space on the high pressure side to form a small gap between the roller and the roller. Some are configured to suck the gas in the gap between the roller and the housing toward the housing (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this configuration, the amount of gas flowing into the space on the low pressure side can be reduced by forcibly discharging the gas that is about to pass through the gap between the roller and the housing to the outside of the system.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 58-131470

In the sealing device described in Patent Document 1, the amount of gas passing through the gap between the peripheral surface of the roller and the housing can be reduced, but the gas is a gap formed between the end face of the roller and the housing. It also flows from the space on the high pressure side to the space on the low pressure side. Therefore, in the sealing device described in Patent Document 1, a large capacity is still required for the vacuum pump in order to set the pressure in the low pressure space low, so that an expensive vacuum pump or a plurality of vacuum pumps are required. ..

As a means of suppressing gas from flowing into the space on the low pressure side from the gap between the end face of the roller and the housing, it is conceivable to reduce the gap between the end face of the roller and the housing. However, since bearings and structures for holding the bearings are arranged on both sides of the roller in the axial direction, there is a limit to reducing the gap between the end face of the roller and the housing in consideration of these dimensional tolerances and positioning accuracy. is there. Further, a method of providing a contact seal having, for example, a rubber sealing member between the end face of the roller and the housing is conceivable, but in addition to making it difficult to control the rotation of the roller, abrasion powder of the sealing member adheres to the web. There is a risk. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sealing device and a vacuum device capable of forming a large differential pressure at a relatively low cost, and a film forming device and a multilayer film manufacturing method capable of forming a film at a relatively low cost.

The sealing device according to one aspect of the present invention is a sealing device capable of continuously transporting the web while separating the first space and the second space having a pressure lower than that of the first space, and is the same as the first space. A frame body provided on a partition partition separating the second space and having a transport opening through which the web passes, and a sealing roller disposed inside the transport opening and guiding the web. The inner wall surface of the transport opening includes a pair of peripheral sealing surfaces facing the peripheral surface of the sealing roller at regular intervals, and a pair of end sealing surfaces facing the end surface of the sealing roller. The frame is formed continuously from the peripheral sealing surface to the end sealing surface with an exhaust flow path that opens to the peripheral sealing surface and is connected to the low pressure source. It has a suction groove that communicates with the flow path.

In the sealing device according to one aspect of the present invention, the suction groove may be continuously formed on the pair of peripheral sealing surfaces and the pair of end sealing surfaces so as to surround the sealing roller.

In the sealing device according to one aspect of the present invention, the exhaust flow path may be opened only on one of the peripheral sealing surfaces.

In the sealing device according to one aspect of the present invention, a sealing member for sealing between the frame body and the peripheral surface of the sealing roller may be further provided.

A vacuum device according to another aspect of the present invention includes the sealing device and a decompression chamber that defines the second space.

The film forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention includes the vacuum apparatus and a film forming mechanism provided in the decompression chamber and laminating different materials on the surface of the web.

The multilayer film manufacturing method according to still another aspect of the present invention includes a step of laminating different materials on the surface of the web using the film forming apparatus.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sealing device and a vacuum device capable of forming a relatively large differential pressure, and a film forming apparatus and a multilayer film manufacturing method capable of forming a film at a relatively low cost.

It is a schematic cross-sectional view which shows the film forming apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view at right angles to the axis showing the sealing device of FIG. 1 in detail. It is a schematic sectional view in the axial direction of the sealing device of FIG. It is a schematic cross-sectional view which shows the film forming apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a axial right angle schematic cross-sectional view which shows the sealing device of FIG. 4 in detail. It is an axial schematic cross-sectional view which shows the modification of the sealing device of FIG. It is an axial schematic cross-sectional view which shows another modification of the sealing device of FIG. It is an axial schematic cross-sectional view which shows still another modification of the sealing device of FIG.

Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to the same or corresponding parts in each drawing. In addition, for convenience, hatching, member codes, and the like may be omitted, but in such cases, other drawings shall be referred to.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a film forming apparatus M according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The film forming apparatus M is an apparatus for laminating a film on the surface of the web W. The film forming apparatus M includes a vacuum apparatus U that forms a second space having a lower voltage than the first space, which is the surrounding space, and a film forming mechanism F that is arranged inside the vacuum apparatus U. The vacuum device U is an embodiment of the vacuum device according to the present invention. The term "vacuum" is not limited to the so-called high vacuum, but is a concept that includes a low vacuum and broadly includes a state in which the pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure.

In the film forming apparatus M, the web W is continuously conveyed so as to pass through the decompression chamber R. The web W is not particularly limited, but a resin film is typically considered. Specific materials of the resin film include, for example, polycarbonate, polymethacrylate, polyacrylonitrile, polymethylmethacrylate, polyacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, polyimide, polyamide, and the like. Examples thereof include polyether ketone, polyolefin, triacetyl cellulose and the like. Further, the resin film may be any film such as one having a protective film on both sides, one having a protective film on one side, and one having no protective film.

The vacuum device U is provided in a decompression chamber R that defines the second space, a portion where the web W enters the decompression chamber R, and a portion where the web W exits the decompression chamber R, respectively, and separates the first space and the second space. It also includes two sealing devices 1 capable of continuously transporting the web W. The sealing device 1 is an embodiment of the sealing device according to the present invention.

The decompression chamber R has a partition wall P that separates the first space and the second space. A low-voltage source V1 that discharges the gas inside the second space is connected to the decompression chamber R. As a result, the second space is depressurized to a pressure lower than that of the first space held at atmospheric pressure. The low voltage source V1 can be configured by, for example, an exhaust device such as a vacuum pump or an ejector. Examples of the vacuum pump used as the low-pressure source V1 include a diaphragm pump, a rotary pump, a dry pump, a cryopump, a mechanical booster pump, a turbo molecular pump, an ion pump, a getter pump, and the like. You may use it.

Further, the film forming apparatus M includes a low-voltage source V1 for discharging the gas inside the decompression chamber R, and a plurality of low-voltage sources V11, V12, and V13 connected to the sealing apparatus 1a, respectively. The low-voltage sources V11, V12, and V13 can be configured by the same exhaust device as the low-voltage source V1.

The film forming mechanism F forms a film by laminating different materials on the surface of the web W. In the illustrated example, the film forming mechanism F has a drum D around which the web W is wound, and a sputtering device E in which another material is supplied and laminated on the surface of the web W wound around the drum D.

<Seal device>
Hereinafter, the sealing device 1 of the film forming apparatus M will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 which are shown in detail. Note that FIG. 2 shows the sealing device 1 on the upstream side, but in the sealing device 1 on the downstream side, the entire device is arranged in a mirror image so as to switch the upstream side and the downstream side. This can be considered to be the reverse of the transport direction of the web W in FIG. 2 from a different viewpoint.

The sealing device 1 includes a frame body 10 having a transport opening 11 through which the web W passes, a sealing roller 20 disposed inside the transport opening 11 and guiding the web W, and the web W before and after the sealing roller 20. A pair of guide rollers 30 for guiding the guide rollers 30 are provided.

The frame body 10 is arranged on the partition wall P and holds a bearing (not shown) or the like that supports the sealing roller 20. The frame body 10 may be airtightly attached to the partition wall P, or may be formed integrally with the partition wall P.

The transport opening 11 of the frame body 10 is formed so as to communicate with the first space and the second space. The inner wall surface of the transport opening 11 is a pair of peripheral sealing surfaces (webs facing the region of the peripheral surface of the sealing roller 20 that guides the web W) facing the peripheral surfaces of the sealing roller 20 at regular intervals. The side peripheral sealing surface 111, the roller side peripheral sealing surface 112) facing the region of the peripheral surface of the sealing roller 20 that does not guide the web W, and the pair of end sealing surfaces facing the end surface of the sealing roller 20. 113 and.

The peripheral sealing surfaces 111 and 112 are formed in a cylindrical surface shape concentric with the sealing roller 20 in order to make the distance from the sealing roller 20 substantially constant. Further, it is preferable that the pair of end sealing surfaces 113 are formed in a plane shape parallel to each other.

Further, the frame body 10 opens to the web-side peripheral sealing surface 111, is connected to any of the corresponding low-pressure sources V11, V12, and V13, and discharges the gas in the space between the sealing roller 20 to the outside. A plurality of web-side exhaust flow paths (first web-side exhaust flow path 121, second web-side exhaust flow path 122, and third web-side exhaust flow path 123 in order from the first space side) and a roller-side peripheral sealing surface. A plurality of roller-side exhaust channels (first space side) that are opened in 112, connected to any of the corresponding low-pressure sources V11, V12, and V13, and exhaust the gas in the space between the sealing roller 20 and the sealing roller 20 to the outside. The first roller side exhaust flow path 131, the second roller side exhaust flow path 132, and the third roller side exhaust flow path 133) are continuously formed from the peripheral sealing surfaces 111 and 112 to the end sealing surface 113 in this order. , Web side exhaust flow paths 121, 122, 123 and roller side exhaust flow paths 131, 132, 133, respectively, a plurality of suction grooves (first suction groove 141, second suction groove 142, and first suction groove 142 in order from the first space side. It has 3 suction grooves 143) and. Although three suction grooves 141, 142, and 143 are formed in the transport opening 11, the number of suction grooves formed in the transport opening 11 and the number of exhaust flow paths are arbitrary.

The suction grooves 141, 142, and 143 of the present embodiment are formed on the inner surface of the transport opening 11 over the entire circumference. Specifically, the suction grooves 141, 142, and 143 cover the entire length of the web-side peripheral sealing surface 111 formed over the entire length of the web-side peripheral sealing surface 111 and the roller-side peripheral sealing surface 112. It is formed over the entire length of the roller side peripheral surface suction portion 147 and the pair of end sealing surfaces 113, and is connected between the ends of the web side peripheral surface suction portion 146 and the roller side peripheral surface suction portion 147, respectively. Each has a pair of end face suction portions 148. That is, the suction grooves 141, 142, and 143 are formed in an endless rectangular shape over the entire circumference of the inner wall surface of the transport opening 11 so as to surround the sealing roller 20, respectively.

The web-side peripheral suction portion 146 and the roller-side peripheral suction portion 147 are preferably formed in a straight line parallel to the rotation axis of the sealing roller 20, but the end face suction portion 148 is the second as shown in FIG. Like the suction groove 142, it may be formed so as to bypass the rotation shaft of the sealing roller 20 and the bearing structure that supports the rotation shaft.

The distance between the sealing surfaces 111, 112, 113 (excluding the suction grooves 141, 142, 143) and the sealing roller 20 is preferably 0.1 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less. As a result, it is possible to suppress the flow rate of the gas passing between the frame body 10 and the sealing roller 20 while preventing the sealing roller 20 or the web W from coming into contact with the frame body 10.

The width of the suction grooves 141, 142, 143 can be, for example, 5 mm or more and 25 mm or less. By making the widths of the suction grooves 141, 142, and 143 relatively small in this way, the sealing surfaces 111, 112, 113 of the transport opening 11 as a gas flow path from the first space to the second space are sealed. Since the flow path resistance in the gap between the stop roller 20 and the stop roller 20 can be increased, the amount of gas flowing from the first space to the second space can be effectively suppressed.

Further, the depths of the suction grooves 141, 142, and 143 can be 1 times or more and 3 times or less of the respective widths. By setting the depths of the suction grooves 141, 142, and 143 within the above range, the suction efficiency can be significantly improved. More specifically, since the gas has a property of sticking to the wall surface, the gas is present in the sealing surfaces 111, 112, 113 and the sealing roller 20 in the narrow gap between the sealing surfaces 111, 112, 113 and the sealing roller 20. Easy to move along the surface of. The gas that sticks to the wall surface is easily released from sticking to the wall surface the moment it spreads from a narrow space to a wide space. Therefore, by increasing the cross-sectional area of the suction grooves 141, 142, 143, the gas is released from sticking to the sealing surfaces 111, 112, 113 and the sealing roller 20, and the exhaust flow paths 121, 122, 123, It can be easily moved to 131, 132, 133. The width and depth of the suction grooves 141, 142, and 143 do not have to be constant.

In the sealing device 1, the gas inside the suction grooves 141, 142, 143 is discharged to the outside through the exhaust flow paths 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, so that the suction grooves 141, 142, 143 have the entire length. The gas in the space between the sealing roller 20 and the sealing roller 20 facing each other is sucked in. As a result, in the sealing device 1, the low-pressure sources V11, V12, and V13 allow the gas to pass through the gap between the web-side peripheral sealing surface 111 and the roller-side peripheral sealing surface 112 of the transport opening 11 and the sealing roller 20. Not only that, the gas that is about to pass through the gap between the pair of end sealing surfaces 113 of the transport opening 11 and the sealing roller 20 can also be discharged to the outside, so that the differential pressure between the first space and the second space can be discharged to the outside. Can be increased relatively easily.

In order to reduce the pressure in order from the first space to the second space, the pressure inside the suction grooves 141, 142, 143 and the exhaust flow paths 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133 is increased toward the second space side. It needs to be low. Therefore, it is preferable that the exhaust flow paths 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, and 133 are connected to low-voltage sources V11, V12, and V13, which are suitable for achieving a desired pressure, respectively. Further, in order to reduce the exhaust resistance, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of exhaust flow paths 121, 122, 123, respectively, are provided between the suction grooves 141, 142, 143 and the low-voltage sources V11, V12, V13, respectively. 131, 132, 133 may be provided in parallel.

If even a slight leak occurs between the exhaust flow paths 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133 and the low-voltage sources V11, V12, V13, the exhaust capacity will be significantly reduced, so the exhaust flow paths 121, 122, 123, 131 , 132, 133 and low-voltage sources V11, V12, V13 are required to have strength in the flow path such as piping. Specifically, for example, a pipe, a flexible hose, or the like may be arranged between the exhaust flow paths 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133 and the low-voltage sources V11, V12, V13. These flow paths may be connected by using a pipe joint such as a flange. Further, as the material of the pipes and the like constituting these flow paths, stainless steel such as SUS304 and SUS316, carbon steel, titanium, nickel and the like can be used.

The sealing roller 20 is arranged in the transport opening 11 and seals the transport opening 11 leaving a slight gap around it. In other words, one side of the sealing roller 20 in the radial direction is exposed to the first space, and the other side in the radial direction is exposed to the second space. The diameter of the sealing roller 20 is preferably larger than the thickness of the frame body 10 at the transport opening 11.

The sealing roller 20 supports the web W within a predetermined angle range of its peripheral surface to determine the position of the web W when passing through the transport opening 11. As a result, the sealing roller 20 keeps the distance between the web W and the inner wall of the transport opening 11 constant and minimal. That is, the web W enters the transport opening 11 in close contact with the peripheral surface of the sealing roller 20, and exits from the transport opening 11 while in close contact with the peripheral surface of the sealing roller 20.

The sealing roller 20 may be configured to be warmable or coolable to regulate the temperature of the web W. Specifically, the sealing roller 20 may have a heater inside for heating, a resistance heating element pattern may be formed near the surface, and exciting coils arranged adjacent to each other. It may have a metal layer that generates heat due to the high frequency magnetic field applied by. By preheating the web W in the first space to remove water, it is possible to prevent the web W from slipping on the sealing roller 20 due to evaporation of water due to decompression. Further, the sealing roller 20 may have a flow path through which the refrigerant is inserted for cooling. When the web W containing water enters the second space where the pressure is low, the saturated vapor pressure is lowered by cooling the web W with the sealing roller 20. As a result, it is possible to suppress the evaporation of water from the web W as the pressure drops, and prevent the web W from being lifted by water vapor and slipping on the sealing roller 20.

The guide roller 30 is arranged before and after the sealing roller 20 in order to bring the web W into close contact with the peripheral surface of the sealing roller 20 within a certain angle range by the tension thereof.

Since the film forming apparatus M having the above configuration includes the sealing device 1 and the vacuum apparatus U capable of forming a large differential pressure at a relatively low cost, the film can be formed on the web W at a relatively low cost.

In the sealing device 1, air can be discharged from the gaps on all sides of the sealing roller 20 without providing a complicated flow path. Therefore, the sealing device 1 can realize a large differential pressure while the device configuration is relatively simple. Therefore, the vacuum device U can sufficiently reduce the pressure inside the decompression chamber R by a small number of sealing devices 1, so that the vacuum device U is relatively inexpensive and has a small occupied area.

<Multilayer film manufacturing method>
One embodiment of the multilayer film manufacturing method according to the present invention includes a step of laminating different materials on the surface of the web W using the film forming apparatus M of FIG. The web W can be continuously supplied to the first buffer chamber R1 of the film forming apparatus M from a reel (not shown) around which the web W is wound. Further, the processed web W (manufactured multilayer film) continuously discharged from the sixth buffer chamber R6 can be wound up on another reel (not shown) and collected.

According to this multilayer film manufacturing method, the degree of vacuum of the decompression chamber Rf can be easily increased by the sealing device 1, so that a high-quality multilayer film is manufactured by forming a film on the web W as a base material at a relatively low cost. can do.

Further, by producing a multilayer film using the film forming apparatus M, an oven drying step, a coating step, an appearance inspection step, and a slit (film division) are performed on the upstream side and the downstream side of the film forming apparatus M, that is, under atmospheric pressure. ) The process can be performed. That is, since it is possible to perform only the processes that need to be performed under vacuum in the film forming apparatus M, it is possible to perform all the processes under vacuum without providing a large-scale manufacturing facility. The film can be continuously produced at a lower cost.

[Second Embodiment]
Hereinafter, the film forming apparatus Ma according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The film forming apparatus Ma shown in FIG. 4 is an apparatus for laminating a film on the surface of the web W, similarly to the film forming apparatus M of FIG. Regarding the film forming apparatus Ma of FIG. 4, the same components as those of the film forming apparatus Ma of FIG. 1 may be designated by the same reference numerals and redundant description may be omitted.

The film forming apparatus Ma includes a decompression chamber Ra that defines a second space whose pressure is lower than that of the first space open to the atmosphere, two sealing devices 1a arranged on a single partition wall Pa of the decompression chamber Ra, and the like. The vacuum apparatus Ua and the film forming mechanism F disposed inside the decompression chamber Ra of the vacuum apparatus Ua are provided. The vacuum device Ua is another embodiment of the vacuum device according to the present invention, and the sealing device 1a is another embodiment of the sealing device according to the present invention.

In the present embodiment, the web W enters the decompression chamber Ra through one sealing device 1a, is folded back in the decompression chamber Ra, and exits the other sealing device 1a in the opposite direction. Since the film forming apparatus Ma folds back and conveys the web W in the decompression chamber Ra, the occupied area of the entire apparatus is relatively small.

<Seal device>
Hereinafter, the sealing device 1a of the film forming apparatus Ma will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 which are shown in detail.

The sealing device 1a is arranged in the partition wall Pa, communicates with the first space and the second space, has a frame body 10a having a transport opening 11 through which the web W passes, and is disposed inside the transport opening 11 and is arranged inside the web W. A sealing roller 20 for guiding the web W and a pair of guide rollers 30 for guiding the web W before and after the sealing roller 20 are provided.

As shown in FIG. 6, the frame body 10a has a plurality of roller-side exhaust flow paths 131, 132, which are open to the roller-side peripheral sealing surface 112 facing the side of the peripheral surface of the sealing roller 20 that does not guide the web W. It is continuously formed from 133, the end sealing surfaces 113 on both sides from the roller side peripheral sealing surface 112, and further to the web side peripheral sealing surface 111 on the opposite side to the roller side peripheral sealing surface 112, and the roller side exhaust flow. It has a plurality of suction grooves 141, 142, 143 that communicate with the paths 131, 132, 133. That is, in the frame body 10a of the present embodiment, the exhaust flow path is not provided on the web-side peripheral sealing surface 111 facing the side of the peripheral surface of the sealing roller 20 that guides the web W.

The suction grooves 141, 142, and 143 are the web-side peripheral surface suction portion 146 formed over the entire length of the web-side peripheral sealing surface 111, and the roller side formed over the entire length of the roller-side peripheral sealing surface 112. A pair of end face suctions formed over the entire length of the peripheral surface suction portion 147 and the pair of end sealing surfaces 113 and connecting between the ends of the web side peripheral surface suction portion 146 and the roller side peripheral surface suction portion 147, respectively. Each has a part 148 and a part 148.

In the present embodiment, the entire suction grooves 141, 142, 143 formed so as to surround the sealing roller 20 are negative only by the roller side exhaust flow paths 131, 132, 133 provided on the roller side peripheral sealing surface 112 side. By applying pressure, gas is discharged from the gaps between the sealing rollers 20 and the transport openings 11 on all sides. In the sealing device 1a of the present embodiment, since the exhaust passages 121, 122, 123 are provided only on the web side peripheral sealing surface 111 side, the connection with the low voltage sources V11, V12, V13 is easier.

Since the roller side peripheral surface suction unit 147 sucks air in contact with the web W, if the suction force of the roller side peripheral surface suction unit 147 is too large, the web W will be lifted from the sealing roller 20 and misaligned, or the frame body 10a and the frame body 10a. There is a risk of contact and damage. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the suction force of the web-side peripheral surface suction unit 146 far from the roller-side exhaust flow paths 131, 132, 133 is smaller than the suction force of the roller-side peripheral surface suction unit 147. That is, in the sealing device 1a, while suppressing the amount of gas discharged from the web-side peripheral sealing surface 112, more gas is discharged to the outside from the roller-side peripheral surface suction unit 147 and the end surface suction unit 148. The amount of gas flowing from the first space to the second space can be sufficiently reduced. Also in this embodiment, by sufficiently increasing the cross-sectional area of the suction grooves 141, 142, 143, the suction grooves 141, 142, even on the roller side peripheral sealing surface 112 side where the exhaust flow path is not provided. The suction force of 143 can be prevented from becoming too small.

[Third Embodiment]
Further, the sealing device 1b according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The sealing device 1b of FIG. 7 can be used in place of the sealing device 1 of the film forming apparatus M of FIG. 1 and the sealing device 1a of the film forming apparatus Ma of FIG.

The sealing device 1b is arranged on a partition wall that separates the first space and the second space, and has a frame body 10b that communicates with the first space and the second space and has a transport opening 11 through which the web W passes. A sealing roller 20 that is arranged inside the transport opening 11 and guides the web W, a pair of guide rollers 30 that guide the web W before and after the sealing roller 20, and a web of the frame body 10b and the sealing roller 20. A shutter portion 40 that seals a gap with a side that does not guide W is provided.

The frame body 10b includes a plurality of web-side exhaust passages 121, 122, 123 that open to the web-side peripheral sealing surface 111 facing the side that guides the web W on the peripheral surface of the sealing roller 20, and the web-side peripheral sealing. It is continuously formed from the stop surface 111 to the end sealing surfaces 113 on both sides, and further to the roller side peripheral sealing surfaces 112 on the opposite side of the web side exhaust flow paths 121, 122, 123, and is formed on the web side exhaust flow paths 121, 122. , 123 is formed continuously from the second suction groove 142 communicating with the web side peripheral sealing surface 111 to the end sealing surfaces 113 on both sides, and does not extend to the second week sealing surface 112, but is exhausted on the web side. It has a first suction groove 141b and a third suction groove 143b that communicate with the flow paths 121, 122, 123. In the frame body 10b of the present embodiment, the exhaust flow path is not provided on the roller side peripheral sealing surface 112 facing the side of the peripheral surface of the sealing roller 20 that does not guide the web W.

In the present embodiment, the second suction groove 142 is formed over the entire length of the web-side peripheral sealing surface 111 and the roller-side peripheral sealing surface 112. A pair formed over the entire length of the roller side peripheral surface suction portion 147 and the pair of end sealing surfaces 113, and connecting between the ends of the web side peripheral surface suction portion 146 and the roller side peripheral surface suction portion 147, respectively. It has an end face suction portion 148 and. However, the first suction groove 141b and the third suction groove 143b of the present embodiment do not have the roller side peripheral surface suction portion.

The shutter portion 40 is arranged on the side of the first space of the frame body 10 so as to face the portion of the peripheral surface of the sealing roller 20 that does not guide the web W.

The shutter portion 40 includes a sealing member 41 that brings the tip edge close to the peripheral surface of the sealing roller 20, and a holding mechanism 42 that holds the sealing member 41 in an adjustable distance from the sealing roller 20.

At least the tip of the sealing member 41 close to the sealing roller 20 is preferably formed in the shape of a square rod or a strip. It is preferable that the sealing member 41 is oriented so that its tip surface is substantially parallel to the facing portion of the peripheral surface of the sealing roller 20 in the direction of rotation of the sealing roller 20. As a result, the flow path resistance of the gas passing through the gap between the sealing member 41 and the sealing roller 20 is increased, and the differential pressure between the first space and the second space is easily increased. Further, the tip edge of the sealing member 41 is curved in a convex or concave shape toward the sealing roller 20 in accordance with the bending of the sealing roller 20 during the steady operation of the film forming apparatus M.

The sealing roller 20 bends due to its own weight and the differential pressure between the first space and the second space. Therefore, it is preferable that the tip edge of the sealing member 41 is curved in a convex or concave shape toward the sealing roller 20 in accordance with the bending of the sealing roller 20 during the steady operation of the film forming apparatus Mb.

Although it depends on the structure of the sealing roller 20 and the set pressures of the first space and the second space, the force acting on the sealing roller 20 is dominated by the component due to the differential pressure between the first space and the second space. Often. Therefore, the resultant force that bends the sealing roller 20 can be substantially in the penetrating direction of the transport opening 11. Therefore, the tip edge of the seal member 41 of the shutter portion 40 arranged on the first space side is curved convexly toward the sealing roller 20 side.

The amount of radial deflection (maximum displacement observed in the central portion in the length direction) at the angular position where the shutter portion 40 is arranged during steady operation of the film forming apparatus Mb of the sealing roller 20 is, for example, 1200 mm in length. It is about 30 μm in the sealing roller 20 of the above. Further, when the sealing roller 20 is bent only by its own weight without the differential pressure between the first space and the second space under the same conditions, the bending amount of the sealing roller 20 is about 5μ.

The distance between the sealing member 41 and the sealing roller 20 during steady operation of the film forming apparatus M depends on the pressure difference between the first space and the second space to be obtained, but may be, for example, 100 μm or less. May be needed. When the distance between the sealing member 41 and the sealing roller 20 becomes large, the gas in the first space can flow into the second space through the gap between the sealing member 41 and the sealing roller 20, and the internal pressure in the second space can be increased. .. Further, when the sealing member 41 and the sealing roller 20 come into contact with each other, the sealing member 41 or the sealing roller 20 may be worn and abrasion powder may adhere to the web W. Therefore, the sealing member 41 and the sealing roller 20 come into contact with each other. You have to avoid it.

Since the tip edge of the seal member 41 is curved, the shutter portion 40 can reduce the distance between the seal member 41 and the sealing roller 20 as a whole. Conversely, when the tip edge of the sealing member 41 is linear, an assembly error or an assembly error may occur due to the difference in the distance between the sealing member 41 at the end and the center of the sealing roller 20 due to the bending of the sealing roller 20. When mechanical vibration or the like is applied, the distance between the sealing member 41 and the sealing roller 20 cannot be kept within the above range over the entire length of the sealing roller 20. Since the sealing device 1 having the sealing member 41 having a curved tip edge can reduce the amount of gas flowing from the first space to the second space, even if the low pressure source capable of discharging the gas from the second space is small. The differential pressure between the first space and the second space can be made relatively large.

The seal member 41 can be formed of steel, stainless steel, or the like. Further, the seal member 41 comes into contact with the sealing roller 20 due to an unexpected situation such as when the vacuum pump is urgently stopped due to a power failure or the like and the pressure on the low pressure side suddenly rises, or when a large vibration is received for some reason. However, it is preferable that the tip portion is coated with a resin or the like so as not to damage the sealing roller 20. As the resin for coating the tip of the sealing member 41, it is preferable to use urethane resin, acrylic resin, styrene acrylic resin, epoxy resin, vinyl ester resin, polyurea resin, NBR resin and the like, which have high hardness and excellent wear resistance. The thickness of the resin covering the tip of the seal member 41 is preferably about several tens of μm in order to suppress an error in the shape of the tip edge of the seal member 41.

The holding mechanism 42 brings the tip edge of the sealing member 41 close to the sealing roller 20 during the steady operation of the film forming apparatus M, and seals the tip edge of the sealing member 41 when the film forming apparatus M is stopped and during non-steady operation. It is configured so that it can be separated from 20.

The holding mechanism 42 holds the base member 43 arranged on the frame body 10 and the seal member 41 so as to be retractable in the radial direction of the sealing roller 20, and the diameter of the sealing roller 20 with respect to the base member 43. A movable support member 44 that is movably attached in a direction, an adjusting portion 45 that positions the seal member 41 on the movable support member 44, and a movable support member 44, and thus the seal member 41, are attached so as to project toward the sealing roller 20. It can be configured to have an elastic member 46 that is urged.

The holding mechanism 42 reduces the gap between the sealing member 41 and the sealing roller 20 by projecting the movable support member 44 toward the sealing roller 20 by the adjusting portion 45 in order to exert the sealing effect on the shutter portion 40. To do. Further, in the holding mechanism 42, when the bending of the sealing roller 20 is reduced due to some unexpected situation and the sealing roller 20 comes into contact with the sealing member 41, the sealing member 41 opposes the urging force of the elastic member 46. Prevents damage to the sealing roller 20 and the sealing member 41 by allowing the sealing roller 20 to retract.

The base member 43 may be formed integrally with the frame body 10 or may be airtightly attached to the frame body 10. It is preferable that the movable support member 44 is airtightly attached to the base member 43 and holds the seal member 41 airtightly. The adjusting unit 45 can be configured by, for example, a micrometer head or the like. The elastic member 46 is usually arranged so that the movable support member 44 is in pressure contact with the moving end on the sealing roller side, and can be configured by, for example, a spiral spring.

The adjusting unit 45 may be configured to automatically adjust the gap between the sealing member 41 and the sealing roller 20 according to the operating state of the vacuum device U, but may be configured so that the adjusting operation can be performed manually. Good. When the adjusting unit 45 is configured to be manually operated, the shutter unit 40 is preferably provided in the first space, that is, outside the decompression chamber R so that the apparatus can be easily accessed even during operation.

Further, in order to quickly reduce the pressure in the second space when the vacuum device U is started, the seal is sealed according to the amount of deflection of the sealing roller 20 that changes according to the differential pressure between the first space and the second space. It is desirable to change the position of the member 41 from moment to moment. In this case, when the shutter portion 40 is arranged on the first space side, even if the adjustment of the position of the seal member 41 is delayed, the gap between the seal member 41 and the sealing roller 20 increases, so that the seal member The risk of accidentally bringing 41 into contact with the sealing roller 20 is small.

The sealing device 1b of the present embodiment is provided on all sides of the sealing roller 20 from only the web-side exhaust flow paths 121, 122, 123 provided on the side of the web-side peripheral sealing surface 111 via the suction grooves 141b, 142, 143b. The gas is discharged from the gap between the transfer opening 11 and the transfer opening 11. Therefore, when the flow path resistances of the suction grooves 141b, 142, and 143b cannot be ignored, the pressure of the roller side peripheral surface suction portion 147 becomes higher than the pressure of the web side peripheral surface suction portion 146. In this case, the ability to discharge gas from the gap between the roller-side peripheral sealing surface 112 and the sealing roller 20 is compared with the ability to discharge gas from the gap between the web-side peripheral sealing surface 111 and the sealing roller 20. It may become smaller. However, since the sealing device 1b is provided with the shutter portion 40 on the web side peripheral sealing surface 111 side, the amount of gas flowing into the gap between the roller side peripheral sealing surface 112 and the sealing roller 20 is reduced. The amount of gas flowing into the second space through the gap between the roller-side peripheral sealing surface 112 and the sealing roller 20 can also be sufficiently suppressed.

Further, in the sealing device 1b of the present embodiment, since the first suction groove 141b and the third suction groove 143b do not have the roller side peripheral surface suction portion, the gap between the web side peripheral sealing surface 111 and the sealing roller 20 The effect of suppressing the amount of gas flowing into the second space through the gap between the end sealing surface 113 and the sealing roller 20 is relatively large as compared with the sealing device 1 and the sealing device 1a.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Further, the sealing device 1c according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The sealing device 1c of FIG. 8 can be used in place of the sealing device 1 of the film forming apparatus M of FIG. 1 and the sealing device 1a of the film forming apparatus Ma of FIG.

The sealing device 1c is arranged on a partition wall that separates the first space and the second space, and has a frame body 10c that communicates with the first space and the second space and has a transport opening 11 through which the web W passes. A sealing roller 20 that is arranged inside the transport opening 11 and guides the web W, a pair of guide rollers 30 that guide the web W before and after the sealing roller 20, and a web of the frame body 10b and the sealing roller 20. A shutter portion 40c that seals a gap with a side that does not guide W is provided.

The frame body 10c includes a plurality of web-side exhaust passages 121, 122, 123 that open to the web-side peripheral sealing surface 111 facing the side that guides the web W on the peripheral surface of the sealing roller 20, and the web-side peripheral sealing. It is continuously formed from the stop surface 111 to the end sealing surfaces 113 on both sides, and further to the roller side peripheral sealing surfaces 112 on the opposite side of the web side exhaust flow paths 121, 122, 123, and is formed on the web side exhaust flow paths 121, 122. , 123 is formed continuously from the third suction groove 143 communicating with the web side peripheral sealing surface 111 to the end sealing surfaces 113 on both sides, and does not extend to the second week sealing surface 112, but is exhausted on the web side. It has a first suction groove 141b and a second suction groove 142c that communicate with the flow paths 121, 122, and 123. In the frame body 10c of the present embodiment, the exhaust flow path is not provided on the roller side peripheral sealing surface 112 facing the side of the peripheral surface of the sealing roller 20 that does not guide the web W.

In the present embodiment, the third suction groove 143 is formed over the entire length of the web-side peripheral sealing surface 111 and the roller-side peripheral sealing surface 112. A pair formed over the entire length of the roller side peripheral surface suction portion 147 and the pair of end sealing surfaces 113, and connecting between the ends of the web side peripheral surface suction portion 146 and the roller side peripheral surface suction portion 147, respectively. It has an end face suction portion 148 and. However, the first suction groove 141b and the second suction groove 142c of the present embodiment do not have the roller side peripheral surface suction portion.

The shutter portion 40c includes a sealing member 41 that brings the tip edge close to the peripheral surface of the sealing roller 20, and a holding mechanism 42c that holds the sealing member 41 so that the distance between the sealing member 41 and the sealing roller 20 can be adjusted.

The holding mechanism 42c holds the base member 43c arranged on the frame body 10c and the sealing member 41, and is inclined in the circumferential direction and the radial direction of the sealing roller 20 with respect to the base member 43c. The structure may include a movable support member 44c that is movably attached, and a pressure contact portion 47 that presses the movable support member 44c against the base member 43 and fixes it by frictional force. The holding mechanism 42c can adjust the distance between the sealing member 41 and the sealing roller 20 according to the fixed position of the movable support member 44c with respect to the base member 43c. By using such a holding mechanism 42c, the gap between the seal member 41 and the sealing roller 20 can be controlled by the mounting position of the movable support member 44c, so that the seal member 41 can be fixed easily and stably.

The pressure contact portion 47 may have an adjusting screw 48 screwed into the base member 43c and an elastic member 49 sandwiched between the head of the adjusting screw 48 and the movable support member 44c. The elastic member 49 is in pressure contact with the base member 43c of the movable support member 44c. In other words, the elastic member 49 urges the seal member 41 to protrude toward the sealing roller 20, and if the seal member 41 comes into contact with the sealing roller 20 for some reason, the seal member 41 can be moved. It can be retracted together with the support member 44c.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and modifications can be made.

In the sealing device according to the present invention, the frame body has at least one suction groove having at least one peripheral suction portion communicating with the exhaust flow path and a pair of end face suction portions continuous from the peripheral suction portion. You just have to do it. That is, in the sealing device according to the present invention, the number of exhaust flow paths and suction grooves provided in the frame is arbitrary as long as it is 1 or more.

In the sealing device according to the present invention, a part or all of a plurality of exhaust flow paths may be connected to the same low pressure source via a pressure adjusting means such as a control valve.

In the film forming apparatus according to the present invention, the shutter portion may be arranged on the side of the second space. As a result, when the film forming apparatus is stopped and the bending of the sealing roller is reduced, the central portion of the sealing roller moves in the direction away from the sealing member, so that the driving portion of the sealing device can be omitted.

In the sealing device according to the present invention, the means for preventing damage due to contact between the sealing member and the sealing roller is not limited to the configuration in which the sealing member is urged by the elastic member, and the sealing member and the sealing roller or the web are measured by a sensor. A mechanism may be provided to detect the contact of the seal member and separate the seal member from the sealing roller.

1,1a, 1b, 1c Sealing device 10, 10a, 10b, 10c Frame 11 Conveyance opening 111 Web side peripheral sealing surface 112 Roller side peripheral sealing surface 113 End sealing surface 121, 122, 123 Web side exhaust flow path 131, 132, 133 Roller side exhaust flow path 141, 141b, 142, 142c, 143, 143b Suction groove 146 Web side peripheral surface suction part 147 Web side peripheral surface suction part 148 End surface suction part 20 Sealing roller 30 Guide roller 40, 40c Shutter part 41 Seal member 42, 42c Structure 43, 43c Base member 44, 44c Movable support member 45 Drive part 46 Elastic member Pressure contact part 47
Adjusting screw 48
Elastic member 49
D Drum E Sputtering device F Film forming mechanism M, Ma Film forming device P, Pa Partition wall R, Ra Pressure reducing chamber U, Ua Vacuum device V1, V11, V12, V13 Low voltage source W Web

Claims (7)

A sealing device capable of continuously transporting a web while isolating a first space and a second space having a lower pressure than the first space.
A frame body arranged on a partition wall separating the first space and the second space and having a transport opening through which the web passes, and a frame body having a transport opening through which the web passes.
A sealing roller disposed inside the transport opening and guiding the web,
With
The inner wall surface of the transport opening includes a pair of peripheral sealing surfaces facing the peripheral surface of the sealing roller at regular intervals, and a pair of end sealing surfaces facing the end surface of the sealing roller. Have and
The frame is formed continuously from the peripheral sealing surface to the end sealing surface with an exhaust flow path that opens to the peripheral sealing surface and is connected to the low voltage source, and communicates with the exhaust flow path. Suction groove and
Has a sealing device. The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the suction groove is continuously formed on the pair of peripheral sealing surfaces and the pair of end sealing surfaces so as to surround the sealing roller. The sealing device according to claim 2, wherein the exhaust flow path is opened only on one of the peripheral sealing surfaces. The sealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a sealing member for sealing between the frame body and the peripheral surface of the sealing roller. A vacuum device including the sealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and a decompression chamber that defines the second space. The vacuum apparatus according to claim 5 and
A film forming mechanism provided in the decompression chamber and laminating different materials on the surface of the web,
A film forming apparatus provided with. A method for producing a multilayer film, comprising a step of laminating different materials on the surface of the web using the film forming apparatus according to claim 6.

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