Workpiece carrier

Abstract

A plurality of discs arranged along a central shaft and having holders uniformly distributed over the circumference, inclined obliquely outwards and intended for workpieces are supported in each case on a ring surrounding the discs. The successive rings form an approximately cylindrical cladding which prevents undesired coating of the discs. The cladding has groups of openings for the holders of a disc which are uniformly distributed over the circumference at the same height and each of which is formed by an upper recess in the ring carrying the disc and an adjacent lower recess of the following ring. Boundary lines between successive rings start in each case somewhat below the narrowest points of the webs separating adjacent openings, so that the lower recesses in each case do not narrow towards the edge of the ring and the upper recesses narrow at most slightly in such a way that the workpiece carrier can be assembled from bottom to top without difficulties.

1 . Workpiece carrier for a coating system, comprising a base ( 2 ) and a shaft ( 1 ) anchored or mounted therein and a plurality of discs ( 7 ) which follow one another along the shaft ( 1 ) and are rotatable relative to the base ( 2 ) and which in each case are provided with a plurality of holders ( 8 ) distributed over the circumference of the disc ( 7 ), inclined obliquely outwards away from the shaft ( 1 ) and intended for a workpiece ( 13 ), characterized in that said workpiece carrier has a cladding which surrounds the shaft ( 1 ) and the discs ( 7 ) and leaves free groups of openings which are distributed over the circumference and separated in each case by webs, through which openings in each case the holders ( 8 ) belonging to one of the discs ( 7 ) project, and which is composed of a plurality of rings ( 5 ) which follow one another along the shaft ( 1 ) and are directly adjacent to one another and which abut at boundary lines ( 17 ) which in each case divide one of the webs present between adjacent openings of a group. 
     
     
         2 . Workpiece carrier according to  claim 1 , characterized in that at least one boundary line ( 17 ) is formed, for example, in such a way that the mutual rotational position of the adjacent rings ( 5 ) inevitably corresponds to a fixed required position. 
     
     
         3 . Workpiece carrier according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the at least one boundary line ( 17 ) is at least partly approximately V-shaped. 
     
     
         4 . Workpiece carrier according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the openings of a group are of the same size in each case, are located at the same height and are distributed uniformly over the circumference so that adjacent openings are offset relative to one another in each case by a fixed angular pitch. 
     
     
         5 . Workpiece carrier according to  claim 4 , characterized in that each group has the same number of openings. 
     
     
         6 . Workpiece carrier according to  claim 5 , characterized in that the openings of groups directly following one another along the shaft ( 1 ) are offset in each case relative to one another by half the angular pitch. 
     
     
         7 . Workpiece carrier according to  claim 5 , characterized in that the rings ( 5 ) are formed in each case so as to be invariant with rotation through the angular pitch. 
     
     
         8 . Workpiece carrier according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the rings ( 5 ) are identical, apart from rings ( 5 ) at end positions. 
     
     
         9 . Workpiece carrier according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the cladding has a substantially cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         10 . Workpiece carrier according to  claim 1 , characterized in that each disc ( 7 ) is supported on a ring ( 5 ). 
     
     
         11 . Workpiece carrier according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the discs ( 7 ) each surround the shaft ( 1 ) in an annular manner. 
     
     
         12 . Workpiece carrier according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the rings ( 5 ) each have, on the inside, a stop on which in each case one of the discs ( 7 ) is supported. 
     
     
         13 . Workpiece carrier according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the stop is in the form of an all-round support ring ( 6 ). 
     
     
         14 . Workpiece carrier according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the holders ( 8 ) are each rotatably mounted on the discs ( 7 ) and a transmission part ( 18 ) which acts on rotary stops on the holders ( 8 ) and which in each case non-rotatably engages the shaft ( 1 ) is provided for each disc ( 7 ). 
     
     
         15 . Workpiece carrier according to  claim 14 , characterized in that the transmission part ( 18 ) is in each case axially displaceable on the shaft ( 1 ) and axially nondisplaceable relative to the disc ( 7 ).