JPH0765173B2 - Sealing device for continuous vacuum processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sealing device for a continuous vacuum processing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a continuous vacuum processing apparatus for a band-shaped material, a sealing device is installed at a charging port and an extraction port so that the vacuum processing chamber and the atmosphere are shut off from each other. I have to. Various types of sealing devices have been proposed, and one example thereof is a belt sealing type disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-24067. However, in the above-mentioned conventional belt seal system, gaps are inevitably formed between the processing material and the belt and between the belt and the housing, and it is not possible to completely prevent the air from flowing into the vacuum processing chamber. Further, the sealing device itself has a complicated structure and is expensive. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sealing device for a continuous vacuum processing apparatus, which has a simple structure and can almost completely prevent invasion of outside air into the vacuum processing chamber.

[0003]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a sealing device provided at the inlet or the outlet of a continuous vacuum processing apparatus, wherein a liquid metal is introduced into the inlet or the outlet. A series of substantially U-shaped seal tanks that have been stored are continuously provided, and a pair of left and right reversing rolls are arranged above each liquid sealing surface of the seal tank, while a plurality of guide rolls are arranged in the liquid seal. 2 provided with a contacting / separating means capable of contacting / separating from each other at the edge
A wide liquid repellent endless belt of a book is wound around each of the rolls and stretched, and a strip-shaped material is sandwiched between the pair of endless belts to run, and above the liquid sealing surface on the upstream side of the sealing tank. The contacting / separating means is configured by a pressure-bonding member that is pressure-engaged.

[0004]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, a sealing device for a continuous vacuum processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the figure, 1 is a continuous vacuum processing apparatus, for example, a continuous vacuum vapor deposition apparatus for steel strips, and 3 is a sealing apparatus according to the present invention installed at a charging port 2 of the continuous vacuum vapor deposition apparatus 1. The sealing device 3 is roughly U-shaped sealing tank 4 in which the sealing liquid W is stored, a plurality of roll groups 5, and is wound around the roll groups 5, and a contacting / separating means 9 is provided at both edges. Two endless belts equipped with 8,
8 and crimping member 10.

The sealing tank 4 is substantially U-shaped, and one end thereof is the continuous vacuum processing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a vacuum processing chamber) 1
Liquid metal or alloy with a low melting point having a large specific gravity of 100 ° C. or less, for example, a sealing liquid W such as mercury or wood metal. Is housed.

The plurality of roll groups 5 include a pair of driving / reversing rolls 6a, 6a and reversing rolls 6b, 6b arranged above the sealing liquid W in the U-shaped seal tank 4, and the sealing liquid W.
Guide rolls 7a, 7a, which are immersed in the inside and guide one side of each of the two endless belts 8, 8 described below, and a common guide roll 7b which guides the facing portions of the two endless belts 8, 8 , 7b, ... And.

The endless belt 8 is made of a liquid-repellent material, for example, a fluororesin-based elastic material or a material obtained by laminating the elastic material. The protrusion 9a having a circular portion at the tip is provided on one side edge, and the contacting / separating means 9 is provided on the other side edge. The contacting / separating means 9 is formed by a recess 9b that is detachably fitted to the protrusion 9a. The endless belt 8 may have a flat shape. The endless belt 8 has the convex strip 9a and the concave strip 9b on the outside, and the driving / reversing roll 6a, the reversing roll 6b, and the guide rolls 7a, 7a, ..., 7b, 7b,
... and two endless belts 8,
In the side edge portion where 8 is opposed, the convex strip 9a of the one endless belt 8 faces the concave strip 9b of the other endless belt 8.

The pressure-bonding member 10 pressure-bonds the opposite side edge portions of the two endless belts 8 and 8 and fits the opposed convex stripes 9a and concave stripes 9b. It consists of a pair of rolls. And this pair of rolls 10
Is positioned above the sealing liquid W below the drive / reversal rolls 6a, 6a located on the upstream side of the sealing tank 4, that is, on the atmosphere side. The crimping member 10 may be a fastener that slides by guiding the two concavo-convex portions facing each other.

The sealing tank 4 is, as shown in FIG.
In addition to the case where the tank itself has a substantially U-shape, it is sufficient that the inside has a substantially U-shape as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and correspondingly, as shown in FIG. Two guide rolls 7a,
7b may also serve as a plurality of guide rolls. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the convex strip 9a is provided on one side edge of the endless belt 8 and the concave strip 9b is provided on the other side edge thereof (see FIG. 4). The other endless belt 8 may be provided with the concave line 9b. Further, although the sealing device 3 provided on the charging side of the vacuum processing chamber 1 has been described in the above embodiment, the sealing device having the same configuration is also arranged on the extraction side. However, the pressure bonding member 10 is located on the upstream side of the sealing tank 4,
That is, the reversing rolls 6b, 6 located on the vacuum processing chamber 1 side
It is set below b and above the sealing liquid W.

Next, the operation of the sealing device having the above construction will be described. First, the sealing liquid W is injected into the sealing tank 4 to shut off the inlet 2 and the outlet of the vacuum processing chamber 1 from the atmosphere, and then the vacuum processing chamber 1 is maintained at a predetermined vacuum degree. Then, the driving / reversing rolls 6a, 6a are rotated to move the steel strip S
Is inserted between the facing surfaces of the endless belts 8 and 8, both edge portions of the endless belts 8 and 8 are pressure-bonded by the pair of rolls 10 and the protruding ridges 9a and the recessed ridges 9b which are opposed to each other are fitted to each other. S is a state in which the endless belts 8 and 8 are compressed and sealed between the facing surfaces,
The endless belts 8 and 8 are conveyed as they are moved. As described above, the hydraulic pressure of the sealing liquid W acts on both surfaces of the endless belts 8 and 8 in which the steel strip S is sealed, and the sealed state is further strengthened. As described above, the endless belts 8 and 8 in which the strip W is enclosed reach the reversing rolls 6b and 6b located on the sealing liquid W, and the fitted state is released, and the steel strip S is placed in the vacuum processing chamber 1. After being conveyed and subjected to a predetermined vapor deposition process, it is carried out to the outside via the sealing device 3 on the extraction port side.

In the above-described embodiment, the contacting / separating means 9 provided on the endless belt 8 is formed of the convex strips 9a and the concave strips 9b which are fitted to each other. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the sealing liquid W does not contaminate the strips.
An adhesive tape or adhesive that can be repeatedly adhered and peeled off may be provided on the side edge of the endless belt 8, and the contacting / separating means 9 may be replaceably provided on the side edge of the endless belt 8. Even if the steel strip S is enclosed by the endless belts 8 and 8 as described above, there is a minute gap α between the sealing portions of the endless belts 8 and 8 and the strip S. Air will be included in α, but this part is minute and
Since it is long, the air hardly flows into the vacuum processing chamber 1 through this gap, and can be ignored.

When the sealing liquid W adheres to the contacting / separating means 9, a cleaner means (not shown) for removing the adhered sealing liquid may be provided above the pair of rolls 10 which are pressure bonding members. Further, a belt position restricting member may be provided above the pair of rolls 10 so that the contacting / separating means 9 is surely pressure-bonded.

[0013]

As is apparent from the above description, in the sealing device according to the present invention, the charging port or the extraction port of the vacuum processing chamber is completely sealed by the sealing tank sealing liquid, and the band-shaped material is sealed with this sealing member. Since the liquid moves in a state of being sealed between the facing surfaces of the two liquid-repellent endless belts, the sealing liquid does not adhere and the surface can be transported without being contaminated. Air can be reliably prevented from entering the vacuum processing chamber, and the vacuum exhaust device can be downsized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a sealing device provided at a charging port of a continuous vacuum processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a second embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a third embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a pressure-bonded state of the endless belt.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Continuous vacuum processing device, 2 ... Inlet, 3 ... Seal tank,
6a, 6b ... Inversion roll, 7a, 7b ... Guide roll,
8 ... Endless belt, 9 ... Contact / separation means, 10 ... Crimping member, S ...
Steel strip, W ... Sealing liquid.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A seal device arranged at an inlet or an extraction port of a continuous vacuum processing apparatus, wherein the inlet or the extraction port is provided with a substantially U-shaped seal tank in which liquid metal is stored, and the seal is provided. A pair of left and right reversing rolls are arranged above each liquid sealing surface of the tank, while a plurality of guide rolls are arranged in the liquid sealing, and both edges are provided with contacting / separating means capable of contacting / separating from each other
A wide liquid repellent endless belt of a book is wound around each of the rolls and stretched, and a strip-shaped material is sandwiched between the pair of endless belts to run, and above the liquid sealing surface on the upstream side of the sealing tank. A seal device for a continuous vacuum processing apparatus, comprising a pressure bonding member for pressure-engaging the contacting / separating means.