Vacuum coating system for coating substrates in a continuous process, comprises vacuum chambers, which have a compartment system having two compartments arranged one behind other in a flow direction of the substrate and transport openings

摘要

The vacuum coating system comprises two vacuum chambers (1), which have a compartment system having two compartments arranged one behind other in a flow direction of the substrate. The vacuum chambers have transport openings (11) for substrate transport through the vacuum coating system into its input- and output-side external walls that are denoted as front walls (16), and a first seal for sealing the transport opening against the atmosphere. The first seal is arranged between the two opposing front walls of two coupled vacuum chambers. The front walls of the chambers have a further opening. The vacuum coating system comprises two vacuum chambers (1), which have a compartment system having two compartments arranged one behind other in a flow direction of the substrate. The vacuum chambers have transport openings (11) for substrate transport through the vacuum coating system into its input- and output-side external walls that are denoted as front walls (16), and a first seal for sealing the transport opening against the atmosphere. The first seal is arranged between the two opposing front walls of two coupled vacuum chambers. The front walls of the coupled chambers have a further opening separated from the transport opening and denoted as passage openings, which are arranged in a line to each other. A second seal is arranged between the front walls. The passage openings and the transport openings are sealed against each other and against atmosphere using the first and second seals. One of the seals is designed, so that it circulates the transport openings and the passage openings. The passage openings of both vacuum chambers consist of partial openings, of which a pair is arranged in a line to each other. The second seal circulating each one of the partial openings is arranged for each pair of the partial openings. The passage openings are partially closeable. One of the both seals is implemented as double-seal with partial seals running next to each other and spaced to each other. A vacuum connection is arranged between the partial seals of the double-seal. Both seals of the transport opening and the passage opening are in circular form. The first seal encompasses the second seal. The vacuum connection is arranged inside of one and outside of other of the both sealing rings. One of the both compartments, which adjoin at one of the oppositely lying front walls of the both vacuum chambers, is a pump compartment for evacuating the other compartment of the two vacuum chambers through the passage opening, where the second compartment is a treatment compartment. An independent claim is included for a process for treating a substrate in a vacuum coating system.