Workpiece carrier device, method for coating a workpiece, and workpiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12331391-B2
Application number	US-202017604579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2020
Priority date	Apr 17, 2019
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

The invention relates to a workpiece carrier device ( 1 ) for holding and moving workpieces ( 15 ), having: a workpiece carrier ( 2 ) for receiving workpieces ( 15 ), which is mounted on a main frame ( 4 ) so as to rotate about an axis ( 3 ); a drive part, which can likewise rotate about the axis ( 3 ) relative to the workpiece carrier ( 2 ); and multiple workpiece holders ( 5 ), which are arranged on the workpiece carrier ( 2 ) in a ring around the drive axis and are mounted on the workpiece carrier ( 2 ) so as to rotate about holder axes ( 6 ) which are spaced from the drive axis. The holder axes ( 6 ) run in such a way in relation to the axis ( 3 ) that the workpiece holders ( 5 ) form a conical crown arrangement ( 7 ). The invention further relates to a coating method using the workpiece carrier device ( 1 ) according to the invention and to workpieces or substrates ( 15 ) coated by means of the coating method (e.g, pins, pen injectors, balls, ball pins, pistons, nozzle needles etc.).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A workpiece carrier device for holding and moving workpieces having:
a workpiece carrier for receiving workpieces, which is mounted on a main frame so as to rotate about an axis,
a drive part, which can likewise rotate about the axis relative to the workpiece carrier, and
multiple workpiece holders, which are arranged on the workpiece carrier in a ring around the axis and are mounted on the workpiece carrier so as to rotate about holder axes which are spaced from the axis,
wherein the holder axes run in relation to the axis in such a way that the workpiece holders and/or the workpieces arranged in the workpiece holders form a conical crown arrangement and
wherein the drive part comprises a crank disk with link slots, wherein the link slots are designed as elongate oblong slots that are oriented radially to the axis, and which are arranged on the circumference and in each of which a drive portion of the workpiece holder runs, via which during operation the workpiece holders are set in a rotary motion,
wherein each of the workpiece holders is designed in a crank-like fashion and comprises a crank portion which runs between two coaxially extending end portions, one of which is rotatably mounted as a bearing end in a bearing point of the workpiece carrier and the other of which is rotationally arranged as a receiving end in a bearing opening of the workpiece carrier,
wherein the crank portion forms the drive portion that interacts with the link slots and that, during the drive of the crank disk, performs a reciprocating movement in these link slots and thereby exerts a rotary movement about the holder axes, and
wherein a support plate arrangement is provided, the support plate arrangement comprising guide slots fixed to the workpiece carrier, wherein a guide opening of the crank disc is located in each of the guide slots, and wherein said support plate arrangement is configured to stabilize the crank disc in a plane of movement.

2. The workpiece holder device according to claim 1 , wherein the holder axes form an angle of between 5° and 45° with the axis.

3. The workpiece carrier device according to claim 1 , wherein a drive cam which can rotate relative to the crank disk engages in a circulatory manner in a drive opening of the crank disk and, during operation, moves the crank disk normal to the axis and in this way carries out the rotary motion of the workpiece holder via the link slots.

4. The workpiece carrier device according to claim 3 , wherein the drive cam exerts its driving action via a drive roller, which is rotatably mounted eccentrically to the axis and which rolls on the edge of the drive opening during operation.

5. The workpiece carrier device according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing point is arranged in a bottom disk of the workpiece carrier.

6. The workpiece carrier device according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing end is mounted via a workpiece support sleeve, which is arranged at the receiving end.

7. The workpiece carrier device according to claim 1 , wherein multiple workpiece carriers arranged relative to one another in such a way that the conical crown arrangements of the workpiece holders of a workpiece carrier embrace the bottom disk of a further workpiece holder so that the further workpiece holders are largely arranged within a workpiece crown which is formed by workpieces arranged in the workpiece holders.

8. A coating arrangement having a workpiece carrier device according to claim 1 .

9. A method for coating substrates including:
providing a workpiece carrier device according to claim 1 ;
arranging substrates in workpiece holders;
moving and rotating the workpiece holders in a coating arrangement;
depositing a coating on the substrates; and
removing the coated substrates.

10. A substrate having a coating, which is applied according to the method of claim 9 , wherein the substrate has a tip area which has a flat, roof- or dome-shaped, spherical and/or conical form.

11. The substrate according to claim 10 , wherein the coating has at least a first layer which comprises a metal nitride and/or a metal carbide, and the coating preferably has at least a second layer, wherein the second layer is preferably an amorphous carbon layer which comprises a ta-C and/or an a-C:H and/or an a-C:H:Me and/or an a-C:H:X and/or an a-C:H:Me:X material, wherein Me is or comprises preferably tungsten or copper, and X preferably is or comprises silicon or nitrogen or oxygen, wherein a:C:H:Me denotes an amorphous carbon layer material doped with Me and a:C:H:X denotes an amorphous carbon layer material doped with X and a:C:H:Me:X denotes an amorphous carbon layer material doped with Me and X.

12. The substrate according to claim 11 , wherein the coating comprises both a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer preferably comprises CrN and/or CrC and the second layer preferably comprises ta-C and/or a-C:H and/or a-C:H:Me and/or a-C:H:X and/or a-C:H:Me:X.

13. The substrate according to claim 11 , wherein the coating comprises both a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer preferably comprises TiN and/or TiN and the second layer preferably comprises ta-C and/or a-C:H and/or a-C:H:Me and/or a-C:H:X and/or a-C:H:Me:X.

14. The substrate according to claim 11 , wherein the coating is designed as a multi-layered coating system which comprises two or more layers, wherein the coating comprises both a first layer and a second layer and the second layer is preferably deposited as an outer layer and the first layer is preferably deposited between the substrate and the second layer.

15. The substrate according to claim 10 , which is designed as one of the following components: pin, injection pin, ball-ball pin, piston, nozzle needle.

16. A workpiece carrier device for holding and moving workpieces having:
a workpiece carrier for receiving workpieces, which is mounted on a main frame so as to rotate about an axis,
a drive part, which can likewise rotate about the axis relative to the workpiece carrier, and
multiple workpiece holders, which are arranged on the workpiece carrier in a ring around the axis and are mounted on the workpiece carrier so as to rotate about holder axes which are spaced from the axis,
wherein the holder axes run in relation to the axis in such a way that the workpiece holders and/or the workpieces arranged in the workpiece holders form a conical crown arrangement and
wherein the drive part comprises a crank disk with link slots, wherein the link slots are designed as elongate oblong slots that are oriented radially to the axis, and which are arranged on the circumference and in each of which a drive portion of the workpiece holder runs, via which during operation the workpiece holders are set in a rotary motion,
wherein each of the workpiece holders is designed in a crank-like fashion and comprises a crank portion which runs between two coaxially extending end portions, one of which is rotatably mounted as a bearing end in a bearing point of the workpiece carrier and the other of which is rotationally arranged as a receiving end in a bearing opening of the workpiece carrier,
wherein the crank portion forms the drive portion that interacts with the link slots and that, during the drive of the crank disk, performs a reciprocating movement in these link slots and thereby exerts a rotary movement about the holder axes,
wherein a drive cam which can rotate relative to the crank disk engages in a circulatory manner in a drive opening of the crank disk and, during operation, moves the crank disk normal to the axis and in t

Assignees

• Oerlikon Surface Solutions Ag Pfaeffikon
• Oerlikon Surface Solutions Ag Pfaffikon

Inventors

• Meiler Rudolf
• Eberle Hubert
• Naeff Peter

Classifications

• C23C28/046

  with at least one amorphous inorganic material layer, e.g. DLC, a-C:H, a-C:Me, the layer being doped or not · CPC title

• C23C14/0641

  Nitrides (C23C14/0617 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C23C14/0635

  Carbides · CPC title

• C23C28/042

  including a refractory ceramic layer, e.g. refractory metal oxides, ZrO2, rare earth oxides · CPC title

• C23C28/04 Primary

  only coatings of inorganic non-metallic material · CPC title