Patent Publication Number: US-2023151478-A1

Title: Apparatus for accommodating an article in a vacuum-coating installation

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part application of international patent application PCT/EP2021/068190, filed Jul. 1, 2021, designating the United States and claiming priority from German patent application DE 10 2020 118 367.4, filed Jul. 13, 2020, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The disclosure relates to an apparatus for receiving an object in a vacuum coating installation, comprising a carrier which has a coating opening, comprising a holding device for holding the object in the coating opening, and comprising a pivot bearing for the holding device, which pivot bearing is secured to the carrier, has a pivot axis about which the holding device can be pivoted for turning the object that it holds in the coating opening, and has a bearing body with a circumferentially closed receptacle for a round body with an extent in the direction of the pivot axis. The disclosure moreover relates to a method for arranging a holding device, comprising an object secured therein, on the carrier of the apparatus, to a handling apparatus therefor, and to a computer program product. 
     BACKGROUND 
     To provide spectacle lenses with an antireflective coating, thin optical layers are applied to the lens element surfaces. The antireflective coatings are produced in vacuum coating installations. In vacuum coating installations, optically active materials in a high vacuum can be evaporated from an evaporator source or sputtered from a sputtering source and deposited on the spectacle lenses. 
     DE 10 2006 041 137 A1 discloses an apparatus of the type mentioned in the introduction. This apparatus has a carrier, which can be moved about a vertical axis of rotation in a vacuum chamber of a vacuum coating installation. The carrier comprises a body with a spherical cap, on which a multiplicity of holding devices, with objects that are to be coated secured therein, are received in pivot bearings, which can be turned in a coating opening by means of magnetic force. 
     This has the effect that two opposite surfaces of objects can be coated in the apparatus in a vacuum without it being necessary to vent the vacuum chamber after the first coating operation to turn objects, as a result of which an overall process time can be considerably reduced. 
     The holding devices known from DE 10 2006 041 137 A1 each have mounting pins, which must be inserted into a receptacle in a bearing body of the pivot bearing when a holding device is being arranged on the carrier. In order to be able to insert the mounting pins easily into the receptacle of a bearing body, the receptacle has an oversize in relation to the mounting pin. Careless work when holding devices are being arranged on the carrier can have the consequence here that a holding device is held in the pivot bearings only by one of two mounting pins. In that case, such a holding device, comprising the object secured therein, can no longer be turned in a vacuum coating installation. Furthermore, there is the risk in this case that a holding device comes out of a receptacle in a pivot bearing independently and then damages other objects arranged on the carrier for the coating operation. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is an object of the disclosure to specify an apparatus for receiving an object in a vacuum coating installation, which apparatus ensures that the object is securely held during the coating operation and makes it possible to arrange an object to be coated on a carrier with simple movements such that it can turn in the vacuum coating installation. 
     This object is achieved by an apparatus for receiving an object in a vacuum-coating installation, a method for arranging a holding device, a method for improving a finish of an object in a vacuum coating installation, a handling apparatus for arranging a holding device, and a computer program product for carrying out a method for improving a finish of an object in a vacuum coating installation as disclosed herein. Exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are discussed below. 
     An apparatus according to the disclosure for receiving an object in a vacuum coating installation, comprises a carrier which has a coating opening, comprises a holding device for holding the object in the coating opening, and comprises a pivot bearing for the holding device, which pivot bearing is secured to the carrier, has a pivot axis about which the holding device can be pivoted for turning the object that it holds in the coating opening, and has a bearing body with a circumferentially closed receptacle for a round body with an extent in the direction of the pivot axis, and which additionally has a circumferentially open receptacle for the round body, with the result that the round body can be inserted into the circumferentially closed receptacle through the circumferentially open receptacle when the holding device is being arranged on the carrier. 
     In the present case, a vacuum coating installation is understood to mean an installation with which objects can be coated under vacuum conditions, in particular high-vacuum conditions. Vacuum coating installations are, for example, cathode atomization installations, also referred to as sputtering installations, vapor deposition installations or chemical vapor deposition installations. 
     An object to be received in an apparatus according to the disclosure is in particular an optical element. In this context, an optical element is understood to mean an everyday object which has a function of absorbing, transmitting, reflecting, refracting or scattering electromagnetic radiation, such as e.g., visible light, UV or IR radiation. In the present case, optical elements are understood to mean e.g., lens elements, for example spectacle lens elements or contact lens elements, but also planar and round optical units, prisms, mirrors, spherical or aspherical lenses, edged spectacle lenses or elliptical lenses, etc. An object to be received in an apparatus according to the disclosure, however, may also be a tool such as a drill or a milling head. 
     In the present case, a circumferentially closed receptacle denotes a receptacle for a body, e.g., a mounting pin, which, after the body has been inserted into the receptacle, completely encloses the body with respect to the cross-sectional plane orthogonally to the insertion direction. 
     In the present case, a circumferentially open receptacle denotes a receptacle for a body, e.g., a mounting pin, which, after the body has been inserted into the receptacle, only partially encloses the body with respect to the cross-sectional plane orthogonally to the insertion direction. With particularity, partially means that the circumferentially open receptacle encloses at least half, further typically at least three quarters, of the body. 
     The circumferentially closed receptacle of the bearing body may merge with the circumferentially open receptacle of the bearing body or be spaced apart therefrom. 
     It is advantageous when the circumferentially open receptacle of the bearing body faces the coating opening of the carrier and when the extent of the circumferentially open receptacle of the bearing body in the direction of the pivot axis amounts to at least 50% and at most 100% of the distance between the circumferentially closed receptacle of the bearing body and the coating opening. This measure ensures that the holding device, comprising the object, can be placed in the coating opening and turned there, and that the circumferentially open receptacle of the bearing body is large enough to prevent the round body from moving out of the bearing body. 
     An exemplary embodiment provides that the circumferentially open receptacle of the bearing body has an opening arranged on a side of the bearing body that faces away from the carrier. It is particularly typical in this case for the opening to be arranged in the circumferentially open receptacle in such a way that it allows displacement of the round body in two spatial directions, specifically in the direction of the pivot axis and in a direction approximately orthogonal to the surface of the carrier. This has the advantage that the likelihood of the round body moving out of the pivot bearing is minimized. 
     The circumferentially open receptacle of the bearing body particularly typically has a U-shape in this case. Advantageously, the semicircle of the U-shape has the same radius as the circumferentially closed receptacle of the bearing body. The sides of the circumferentially open receptacle of the bearing body that face the body to be received further advantageously lie in the tangential planes of the sides of the circumferentially closed receptacle that face the body to be received. These measures have the advantage that, if the round body falls out of the circumferentially closed receptacle into the circumferentially open receptacle, further displacement of the round body toward the opening of the circumferentially open receptacle is restricted. In addition, the walls, surrounding the round body, of the circumferentially open receptacle ensure that the round body is guided back into the circumferentially closed receptacle again. In particular, it is useful for this if the circumferentially closed receptacle of the bearing body is located underneath the circumferentially open receptacle of the bearing body. This is because, in this case, the inherent weight of the round body or of the holding device and/or the movement of the carrier, e.g., a rotation of the carrier, during the coating operation causes the round body to move back into the circumferentially closed receptacle of the bearing body. In this way, the holding device is mounted particularly securely in the bearing body. 
     The round body may be a mounting pin attached to the holding device. In this case, the mounting pin is inserted into the receptacle of the bearing body in order to hold the holding device, comprising the object, on the carrier. 
     It is furthermore advantageous when the circumferentially closed receptacle has an oversize in relation to the round body. This oversize allows the round body to move in the bearing body, e.g., by rotation or displacement. The diameter of the circumferentially closed receptacle of the bearing body typically corresponds to between 101% and 150%, particularly typically between 110% and 140%, very particularly typically between 120% and 130%, of the diameter of the round body. This oversize has the advantage that the round body can move in the bearing body, but at the same time the angle of the pivot axis can only change slightly when the holding device is turning. 
     An exemplary embodiment provides a further pivot bearing for mounting the holding device on the carrier so as to be able to pivot about a pivot axis, which further pivot bearing serves for turning the object held by the holding device in the coating opening and has a further bearing body with a circumferentially closed receptacle for a further round body with an extent in the direction of the pivot axis. The further round body may be inserted into the further pivot bearing and the round body may be inserted into the pivot bearing, so that the holding device can be turned in the coating opening. 
     Advantageously, in this respect the pivot bearing is located underneath the further pivot bearing, since this facilitates the insertion of the round body into the pivot bearing and of the further round body into the further pivot bearing. Specifically, the further round body can first of all be inserted into the circumferentially closed receptacle of the further bearing body of the further pivot bearing, and then the round body can slide through the circumferentially open receptacle of the bearing body of the pivot bearing into the circumferentially closed receptacle of the bearing body of the pivot bearing. 
     Here, the further bearing body can likewise have a circumferentially open receptacle, for the further round body, which merges with the circumferentially closed receptacle and through which the further round body can be inserted into the circumferentially closed receptacle when the holding device is being arranged on the carrier. This measure facilitates the insertion of the further round body into the further bearing body of the further pivot bearing. 
     The arrangement of the circumferentially open receptacle for the round body on the carrier has the technical effect here that, when the round body is moving out of the circumferentially closed receptacle of the bearing body, the round body is guided by the circumferentially open receptacle of the bearing body in such a way that it moves back into the circumferentially closed receptacle again e.g., as a result of its own inherent weight or the inherent weight of the holding device or as a result of the movement of the carrier during the coating operation. 
     In addition, the circumferentially open receptacle facilitates the insertion of the round body into the circumferentially closed receptacle of the bearing body. In order to insert the round body into the circumferentially closed receptacle of the bearing body, specifically it does not need to be correctly guided in all three spatial directions. Instead, the round body can be inserted into the circumferentially open receptacle and from there into the circumferentially closed receptacle. If the holding device is mounted on the carrier in such a way that the holding device forms a large enough angle with the horizontal plane, the round body can also move into the circumferentially closed receptacle independently after being inserted into the circumferentially open receptacle of the bearing body. 
     One concept of the disclosure is that this facilitated way of inserting the round body into the circumferentially closed receptacle of the bearing body enables automatic insertion, carried out by a control unit with a computer unit and a computer program, of the round body into the circumferentially closed receptacle of the bearing body. This in particular saves time during the coating operation. 
     It is advantageous when the further bearing body is secured to the carrier, since this makes it possible to securely hold the holding device on the carrier during the coating operation. 
     The further round body may likewise be in the form of a mounting pin attached to the holding device. 
     An apparatus specified above for receiving an object in a vacuum coating installation makes it possible to avoid losses owing to damage to the objects, e.g., damage to lenses. Moreover, the operation of inserting the holding device into the pivot beating is facilitated and therefore the time needed for it is shorter. In addition, the pivot bearing according to the disclosure can be used for an automatic insertion method, which leads to savings on time and workforce for manually handling the objects. 
     It is advantageous when the bearing body is secured to the carrier. This enables stable mounting of the holding device on the carrier. 
     An end-face stop for the mounting pin is typically formed in the bearing body. This prevents the mounting pin from moving out of the bearing body in the direction of the circumferentially closed receptacle. To that end, the end-face stop closes off at least part of the circumferentially closed receptacle of the bearing body on the side facing away from the circumferentially open receptacle. Advantageously, the end-face stop closes off only part of the circumferentially closed receptacle, in particular the top part, since this makes it possible for dirt to exit through the bottom part of the circumferentially closed receptacle. 
     The pivot bearing and the further pivot bearing for mounting the holding device on the carrier so as to be able to pivot about a pivot axis lie on a meridian of a spherical cap. This has the advantage that the holding device is held in the pivot bearing by virtue of its own inherent weight and, as a result, movement of the round body out of the pivot bearing is avoided. 
     It is advantageous when the holding device is arranged in the pivot bearing and in the further pivot bearing so as to be displaceable in the direction of the pivot axis. This facilitates the insertion of the holding device into the pivot bearing and the further pivot bearing. 
     Advantageously, the bearing body of the pivot bearing is produced from a solid material, i.e., the bearing body is produced from one piece of material. This has the advantage that the bearing body is particularly stable. As an alternative, the bearing body of the pivot bearing has a first bearing body portion body, which is produced from a solid material and in which the circumferentially closed receptacle is formed, and a further bearing body portion body, which is produced from a solid material and in which the circumferentially open receptacle is formed. In this respect, the further bearing body portion body is attached to a joining surface of the first bearing body portion body or is spaced apart from the first bearing body portion body. This has the advantage that an already existing first bearing body portion body having a circumferentially closed opening can be widened by a further bearing body portion body. 
     The surfaces of the first bearing body portion body that face the round body to be received define here, with the circumferentially closed receptacle and the circumferentially open receptacle of the further bearing portion body, as far as possible a surface which is continuously differentiable. This measure ensures that, when the round body is sliding out of the circumferentially closed receptacle into the circumferentially open receptacle, it can independently slide back into the circumferentially closed receptacle again. On the other hand, an offset of the two surfaces would lead to tilting of the corresponding round body, so that it then can no longer slide back into the circumferentially closed receptacle. 
     The holding device for holding the object in the coating opening is turned in the coating opening by means of the pivot bearing for mounting the holding device on the carrier so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis. To that end, e.g., a magnetic force can be generated for the purpose of rotation of the holding device about the pivot axis, which is transferred to the holding device and turns the holding device. Such a method for turning the holding device in the coating opening is described in DE 10 2006 041 137 A1, to which reference is made herewith and the disclosure of which is incorporated in full in the present description of the disclosure. In this context, the spherical cap typically consists of non-magnetic stainless steel. The holding device and/or the object further typically consist of magnetic stainless steel. 
     The disclosure also relates to a method for arranging a holding device, comprising an object secured therein, for the purpose of being coated in a vacuum coating installation, on a carrier having a coating opening and having a bearing body, which is secured to the carrier or the holding device and has a circumferentially closed receptacle for a round body that has an extent in the direction of a pivot axis and is secured to the holding device or to the carrier, wherein the bearing body additionally has a circumferentially open receptacle for the round body, and in which method, by relatively displacing the holding device with respect to the carrier, the round body is inserted into the circumferentially open receptacle and thereafter moved into the circumferentially closed receptacle. This way of arranging the holding device is particularly easy and time-saving. In comparison to the circumferentially closed receptacle, the circumferentially open receptacle has a larger opening and thus makes it possible to insert the holding device into the circumferentially open receptacle from a greater number of directions—specifically from the direction of the pivot axis, from the direction of the opening of the circumferentially open receptacle, and from all directions in between. This also enables automatic insertion of the holding device, since the circumferentially open receptacle of the bearing body no longer needs to be controlled in three spatial dimensions. Instead, the round body attached to the holding device can be inserted through the opening of the circumferentially open receptacle into the bearing body until it rests against that wall of the circumferentially open receptacle that faces the body to be received, and then, by virtue of the inherent weight of the holding device, can slide into the circumferentially closed receptacle until it touches the end-face stop of the bearing body. 
     The method for arranging a holding device may be part of a method for improving the finish of an object in a vacuum coating installation, which method has the following method steps: The object is secured in a holding device. The holding device, comprising the object secured therein, for the purpose of being coated in a vacuum coating installation, is arranged on a carrier having a coating opening and having a bearing body, which is secured to the carrier or the holding device and has a circumferentially closed receptacle for a round body that has an extent in the direction of a pivot axis and is secured to the holding device or to the carrier, by the method described above for arranging a holding device. In this respect, the bearing body additionally has a circumferentially open receptacle for the round body. Lastly, the object is coated in the vacuum coating installation. 
     The disclosure furthermore relates to a handling apparatus having a control unit and having a computer unit, which serves to carry out the method specified above for arranging a holding device, comprising an object secured therein, for the purpose of being coated in a vacuum coating installation, on a carrier. The computer unit contains a computer program having program code which generates control commands for the control unit. The control unit serves to actuate a gripping tool of the handling apparatus, which inserts the holding device, comprising the object secured therein, into the circumferentially open receptacle of the pivot bearing, e.g., in the direction of the opening of the circumferentially open receptacle, until the round body attached to the holding device lies against that wall of the circumferentially open receptacle that faces the body to be received. If the pivot bearing is oriented in such a way that the circumferentially closed receptacle is deeper than the circumferentially open one, the gripping tool releases the holding device, and the holding device comprising the round body slides automatically from the circumferentially open receptacle into the circumferentially closed receptacle of the bearing body owing to its own inherent weight and gravitational force. If the circumferentially closed receptacle is not deeper than the circumferentially open receptacle, after the holding device comprising the round body has been inserted the handling apparatus can displace the holding device into the circumferentially closed receptacle. The circumferentially open receptacle simplifies the automatic insertion here. 
     If a further pivot bearing with a circumferentially closed receptacle is also secured to the carrier, the handling apparatus guides the holding device comprising the round body and the further round body into the pivot bearing and the further pivot bearing in such a way that, first of all, the further round body is inserted into the circumferentially closed opening of the further pivot bearing and then, as described above, the round body is inserted into the pivot bearing. 
     The disclosure moreover relates to a computer program product comprising a computer program having program code for carrying out all the method steps of the method specified above for arranging a holding device, when the computer program is loaded on the computer unit of the handling apparatus specified above and/or executed on the computer unit. 
     Exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are schematically represented in the drawings and described below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein: 
         FIG.  1    shows a vacuum coating installation having an apparatus for receiving objects; 
         FIG.  2    shows a holding device of the apparatus; 
         FIG.  3    shows a portion of a carrier of the apparatus for receiving objects, having a coating opening; 
         FIG.  4    shows a bearing body of a pivot bearing of the apparatus for receiving objects; 
         FIG.  5    shows a bearing body of a further pivot bearing of the apparatus for receiving objects; 
         FIG.  6    shows an alternative bearing body of the pivot bearing to the bearing body of  FIG.  4   ; 
         FIG.  7    shows the vacuum coating installation with a handling apparatus in a first position; and 
         FIG.  8    shows the vacuum coating installation with the handling apparatus in a further position. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG.  1    is a section through a vacuum coating installation  5  comprising an apparatus  10  for receiving objects  14 , which in the present case are in the form of spectacle lens elements. The vacuum coating installation  5  serves for coating the objects  14  received in the apparatus  10  with an optically active layer. To that end, the vacuum coating installation  5  contains a vacuum chamber  16 , in which a material for evaporation can be evaporated in a vacuum by means of an evaporator  22  arranged in the vacuum chamber. 
     For coating objects received in the apparatus  10 , material for evaporation arranged in the evaporator  22  is evaporated by virtue of being heated by an electric heater (not illustrated). It should be noted that, as an alternative to this, the vacuum coating installation  5  may contain in particular an evaporator in which the material for evaporation is evaporated by means of an electron beam. 
     The vacuum coating installation  5  has a housing  15  comprising a wall  17 , a floor  30  and a cover  28 , on which the apparatus  10  is held by way of a shaft body  23  in a rotary bearing  45  secured in the cover  28 . The apparatus  10  has a carrier  12 , which is attached to the shaft body  23  and comprises a body having a spherical cap  13 . Coating openings  18 , at which a spectacle lens element in the form of an object  14  to be coated can be held by means of a holding device  20 , are formed in the body of the carrier  12 . In the vacuum coating installation  5 , there is a drive module  24  for the shaft body  23 . By means of the drive module  24 , the shaft body  23  can be moved at a settable angular speed w about a vertical axis of rotation  26 . The axis of rotation  26  of the shaft body  23  passes through a spherical cap center  25  of the spherical cap  13  in the vacuum coating installation  5 . This spherical cap center  25  is arranged underneath the carrier  12  on the evaporator  22  at a perpendicular distance, corresponding to the spherical cap radius R, from the spherical cap  13  of the carrier  12  in the vacuum chamber  16 . The coating openings  18  in the body of the carrier  12  have a circular edge on the spherical cap  13 . 
     To hold the objects  14  to be coated in the coating openings  18  of the carrier  12 , the apparatus  10  has a multiplicity of holding devices  20  for the purpose of receiving the objects  14 . For each holding device  20 , on the carrier  12  of the apparatus  10  for receiving the objects  14  there is one pivot bearing  32  and one further pivot bearing  38 . The holding devices  20  are each mounted on the carrier  12  detachably in the pivot bearing  32  and so as to be able to rotate in the further pivot bearing  38 . 
     The objects  14  secured in the holding devices  20  are located in the apparatus  10  on the spherical cap  13  of the carrier  12 , i.e., on the surface of a sphere in the center of which, in the vacuum coating installation  5 , the evaporator  22  is arranged. This has the effect that respective layers with the same layer thicknesses are applied to the objects  14  to be coated in the vacuum coating installation  5 . 
       FIG.  2    shows a holding device  20  of the apparatus  10 .  FIG.  3    illustrates a portion of the carrier  12  with a coating opening  18  and with a holding device  20 . The holding device  20  has a turning ring  27  to which spring lamellae  29  are attached, which hold a spectacle lens element, in the form of an object  14  to be coated, at a lateral edge face  31  by means of spring force. 
     A round body  36  with a round body axis  37  and a further round body  40  with a further round body axis  39  are attached to the turning ring  27 . The round body axis  37  and the further round body axis  39  of the round bodies  36 ,  40  of the turning ring  27  are coaxial with one another. The round bodies  36 ,  40  attached to the turning ring  27  have the form of a pin. The round body  36  is arranged e.g., at a distance of 96 mm from the further round body  40 . 
     The pivot bearing  32  and the further pivot bearing  38  for a holding device  20  in the apparatus  10  define a pivot axis  34 . They lie on a meridian  42  of the spherical cap  13 . The pivot bearing  32  is closer to the equator  21  of the spherical cap  13  and is thus deeper than the further pivot bearing  38 . The inherent weight of the holding device  20  counteracts a movement of the round body  36  out of the bearing body of the pivot bearing  32 . The holding device  20 , comprising an object  14  held therein, may be turned in the apparatus  10  by rotation about the pivot axis  34 , wherein the turning ring  27  dips into the coating opening  18 . This makes it possible to be able to coat opposite surfaces of the objects  14  in the vacuum coating installation  5 . The circumferentially closed receptacle  46  of the pivot bearing  32  and the circumferentially closed receptacle  46  of the further pivot bearing  38  are arranged e.g., at a distance of 90 mm from one another. The circumferentially open receptacle  48  of the pivot bearing  32  and the circumferentially closed receptacle  46  of the further pivot bearing  38  are arranged e.g., at a distance of 87.7 mm from one another. 
       FIG.  4    shows the bearing body  51  of the pivot bearing  32 . The bearing body  53  of the further pivot bearing  38  can be seen in  FIG.  5   . The bearing body  51  of the pivot bearing  32  is produced from a solid material. It is secured to the carrier  12  and has a circumferentially closed receptacle  46  and a circumferentially open receptacle  48  with a depth indicated by the double-headed arrow  56 , to which depth the round body  36  or the further round body  40  can be inserted. The circumferentially open receptacle  48  in the bearing body  51  of the pivot bearing  32  merges with the circumferentially closed receptacle  46  of the bearing body  51  in this case. The circumferentially open receptacle  48  has a U-shape and has an oversize in relation to the round body  36  and the further round body  40 . The circumferentially open receptacle  48  of the bearing body  51  has an opening  47  arranged on a side of the bearing body  51  that faces away from the carrier  12 . The circumferentially closed receptacle  46  in the pivot bearing  32  has a stop  44 , which prevents movement of the round body  36  or of the further round body  40  when the round bodies  36 ,  40  butt against the stop  44  by way of their end faces. The bearing body  51  of the pivot bearing  32 , on a side facing away from the circumferentially open receptacle  48 , has an aperture with an opening  43 , which communicates with the circumferentially closed receptacle  46  and makes it possible to thoroughly rinse the circumferentially open receptacle  48  and the circumferentially closed receptacle  46  for cleaning purposes. 
     The further pivot bearing  38  has a bearing body  53  which is secured to the carrier  12  and has a circumferentially closed receptacle  46  for the round body  36  or the further round body  40 , which circumferentially closed receptacle is in the form of a through-bore in the bearing body  53 . 
     The circumferentially closed receptacles  46  of the pivot bearing  32  and of the further pivot bearing  38  define the pivot axis  34  for the holding device  20 . The holding device  20  is displaceable in the pivot bearing  32  and in the further pivot bearing  38  in the direction of the pivot axis  34 . 
       FIG.  6    shows an alternative bearing body  51 ′ for the pivot bearing  32  to the bearing body  51 , shown in  FIG.  4   , of the pivot bearing  32 . This bearing body  51 ′ has a first bearing body portion body  50  which is produced from a solid material and in which the circumferentially closed receptacle  46  is formed. A further bearing body portion body  52 , which is likewise produced from a solid material, is attached to the first bearing body portion body  50  at a joining surface  54  of the first bearing body portion body  50 , as indicated by the arrows  49 . Here, the circumferentially open receptacle  48  is formed in the further bearing body portion body  52 . 
     In the present case, the further bearing body portion body  52  is fixedly adhesively bonded to the first bearing body portion body  50 . It should be noted that the first bearing body portion body  50  and the further bearing body portion body  52  may also be connected by welding or soldering. As an alternative, the further bearing body portion body  52  may also be a body arranged spaced apart from the first bearing body portion body  50 . The extent, indicated by the double-headed arrow  56 , of the further bearing body portion body  52  may amount to between 50% and 100% of the distance D between the first bearing body portion body  50  and the coating opening  18 . 
       FIG.  7    shows the vacuum coating installation  5  comprising a handling apparatus  62 , which serves to automatically arrange a holding device  20 , comprising an object  14  held therein, in the pivot bearing  32  and in the further pivot bearing  38  at a coating opening  18  of the carrier  12  of the apparatus  10 . 
     The handling apparatus  62  has a base  64  comprising a rotary joint  66  for a first robot arm  68 , on which a second robot arm  70  is received in a pivot joint  72 . In a further pivot joint  74 , the second robot arm  70  bears a third robot arm  76 , which comprises a rotary joint  78  to which a gripping tool  80  for gripping the holding device  20 , comprising an object  14  held therein, is attached. The handling apparatus  62  comprises a computer unit  82  and a control unit  84 . The computer unit  82  contains a computer program that generates control commands for the control unit  84 , in order to receive a holding device  20 , which is fed by means of a feed system  86  and comprises an object  14  received therein, in a holding device receiving position. 
       FIG.  8    shows the vacuum coating installation  5  comprising the handling apparatus  62  in a holding device insertion position. Here, in a first step, the gripping tool  80 , comprising the holding device  20  held therein, is moved such that the further round body  40  attached to the turning ring  27  is inserted into the circumferentially closed receptacle  46  of the further pivot bearing  38 . In a further step, following the first step, the round body  36  is then pivoted into the circumferentially open receptacle  48  of the pivot bearing  32  and then moved into its circumferentially closed receptacle  46  in the direction of the pivot axis  34 . 
     In summary, the following should be noted: An apparatus  10  for receiving an object  14  in a vacuum coating installation  5  contains a carrier  12  which has a coating opening  18 , and has a holding device  20  for holding the object  14  in the coating opening  18 . In the apparatus  10  there is a pivot bearing  32  for the holding device  20 , which pivot bearing is secured to the carrier  12 , has a pivot axis  34  about which the holding device  20  can be pivoted for turning the object  14  that it holds in the coating opening  18 , and has a bearing body  51 ,  51 ′ with a circumferentially closed receptacle  46  for a round body  36  with an extent in the direction of the pivot axis  34 . The bearing body  51 ,  51 ′ has a circumferentially closed receptacle  46  and a circumferentially open receptacle  48  for the round body  36 , with the result that the round body  36  can be inserted into the circumferentially closed receptacle  46  through the circumferentially open receptacle  48  when the holding device  20  is being arranged on the carrier  12 . 
     The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure illustrates and describes the present invention. Additionally, the disclosure shows and describes only the exemplary embodiments but, as mentioned above, it is to be understood that the disclosure is capable of use in various other combinations, modifications, and environments and is capable of changes or modifications within the scope of the concept as expressed herein, commensurate with the above teachings and/or the skill or knowledge of the relevant art. 
     The term “comprising” (and its grammatical variations) as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of “having” or “including” and not in the exclusive sense of “consisting only of” The terms “a” and “the” as used herein are understood to encompass the plural as well as the singular. 
     All publications, patents and patent applications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference, and for any and all purposes, as if each individual publication, patent or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. In the case of inconsistencies, the present disclosure will prevail. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS 
     
         
           5  Vacuum coating installation 
           10  Apparatus 
           12  Carrier 
           13  Spherical cap 
           14  Object 
           15  Housing 
           16  Vacuum chamber 
           17  Wall 
           18  Coating opening 
           20  Holding device 
           21  Equator 
           22  Evaporator 
           23  Shaft body 
           24  Drive module 
           25  Spherical cap center 
           26  Axis of rotation 
           27  Turning ring 
           28  Cover 
           29  Spring lamellae 
           30  Bottom 
           31  Peripheral surface 
           32  Pivot bearing 
           34  Pivot axis 
           36  Round body 
           37  Round body axis 
           38  Further pivot bearing 
           39  Further round body axis 
           40  Further round body 
           42  Meridian 
           43  Opening 
           44  Stop 
           45  Rotary bearing 
           46  Circumferentially closed receptacle 
           47  Opening 
           48  Circumferentially open receptacle 
           49  Arrows 
           50  First bearing body portion body 
           51 ,  51 ′ Bearing body 
           52  Further bearing body portion body 
           53  Further bearing body 
           54  Joining surface 
           56  Double-headed arrow 
           62  Handling apparatus 
           64  Base 
           66  Rotary joint 
           68  First robot arm 
           70  Second robot arm 
           72  Pivot joint 
           74  Further pivot joint 
           76  Third robot arm 
           78  Rotary joint 
           80  Gripping tool 
           82  Computer unit 
           84  Control unit 
           86  Feed system 
         R Spherical cap radius 
         D Distance