Method for loading and unloading a transport device

• Main Authors: STRUEMPFEL JOHANNES, SCHWERDTFEGER FALK, HECHT HANSRISTIAN, ULBRICHT ANDRE, BAUER REINHARDT, HEISIG ANDREWAS, RICHTER HEIKO, FREITAG HARTMUT
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.10.2011
• Subjects: CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; CHEMISTRY; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATIONOR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY IONIMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; CONVEYING; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL; METALLURGY; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS; SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS; STORING; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THESURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING ORTIPPING; TRANSPORTING

A transport device for transporting elongated substrates through a vacuum coating system comprises an essentially rectangular frame and two groups of holding elements, which are rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the frame in such a manner that any pair of opposite holding elements can be connected to both ends of a substrate. Furthermore, at least one retainer bar is provided that is operatively connected to a group of holding elements in such a manner that the holding elements of this group are moveable in order to increase or decrease by choice their distance from the holding elements of the other group. Also provided are a loading and unloading device for loading and unloading the transport device, and a method for loading and unloading the transport device.