Despatch Industries Limited

Despatch Industries Limited Partnership

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Lumerx, Inc.

Tl Systems Corporation

Hans L Melgaard

Louis A Larson

Daniel M Ruf

Phillip Vu

Matthew Benson

Wendell L Schafer

Robert A Ganz

Michael James Franklin

Eric W Nelson

Allan B Larson

Prathna Ung

Brian E Hajder

Keith Shodeen

Richard L Steblay

Matt Weierke

Phillip G Jordon

Irving J Pflug

Jeffrey A Bell

Robert Gerald Graham

Paul J Haas

Gary H Mercier

Rolf Douglas Kragseth

Joseph Stitz

Stewart Davenport

Ovens, discharge nozzle plates for distribution of gas through an oven, and methods to operate an oven are disclosed. Example ovens include a heating system to heat gas, a substrate heating volume, and a plenum comprising a side wall having a plurality of passages formed therein, the plenum configured to direct heated gas into the substrate heating volume from the plurality of passages, each of the plurality of passages formed in the plenum having a respective tapered cross-sectional shape.

Ovens, discharge nozzle plates for distribution of gas through an oven, and methods to operate an oven

One embodiment is directed to an oven for heating fibers. The oven comprises a supply structure disposed within the oven between first and second ends of the oven. The supply structure comprises a plurality of plenums stacked one above each other with gaps therebetween. The plenums are in fluid communication with a heating system. At least one plenum comprises at least one side wall comprising a plurality of passages formed therein, said at least one plenum configured to direct at least a portion of the heated gas into an interior of the oven from the plurality of passages. Each of the plurality of passages formed in said at least one plenum has a respective tapered cross-sectional shape.

Discharge nozzle plate for center-to-ends fiber oxidation oven

One embodiment is directed to an oven for heating fibers. The oven comprises a supply structure disposed within the oven between first and second ends of the oven. The supply structure comprises a plurality of plenums. The plenums are in fluid communication with a heating system. Each of the plenums comprises a pair of side walls, a bottom wall, and a top wall. Each of the plenums is configured so that first openings are formed in the respective side walls of that plenum. At least one plenum is configured so that one or more second openings are formed in at least one of the top wall or the bottom wall of at least one plenum. The at least one plenum is configured to supply heated gas from the heating system into the chamber from the first openings and said one or more second openings of the plenum.

Supply plenum for center-to-ends fiber oxidation oven

An example oven for heating fibers includes a chamber having upper and lower portions and a supply structure between first and second ends of the chamber, wherein the supply structure is in communication with a first heating system and is configured to direct first heated gas from the first heating system into the upper portion of the chamber to heat fibers in the upper portion at a first temperature, and wherein the supply structure is in communication with a second heating system and is configured to direct second heated gas from the second heating system into the lower portion of the chamber to heat fibers in the lower portion at a second temperature different than the first temperature such that the upper and lower portions of the chamber maintain the different temperatures without a physical barrier between the upper and lower portion.

Fiber oxidation oven with multiple independently controllable heating systems

One embodiment is directed to an oven for heating fibers. The oven comprises a plurality of walls forming a chamber and a supply structure disposed within the chamber between first and second ends of the chamber. The supply structure is in communication with a first heating system and is configured to direct heated gas from the first heating system into a first portion of the chamber. The supply structure is in communication with a second heating system and is configured to direct heated gas from the second heating system into a second portion of the chamber.

A dryer comprising an enclosure and a transporter for transporting one or more components therethrough between a first and a second opening. The dryer includes one or more heating elements and a first and a second duct within the enclosure. The first and said second duct each include a plurality of openings configured for discharging heated air towards the one or more components. An exhaust stack in fluid communication with an interior of the enclosure includes an exhaust blower for extracting fluid from within the enclosure, and one or more heating elements for oxidizing the vaporized compounds. The supply and the exhaust blowers cooperatively operate to induce infiltration of air through the first and the second opening. A method for operating the dryer is also provided.

Dryer

Protective enclosure and method for protecting heat sensitive, data recording devices in high temperature environments. The protective enclosure has a housing having at least one compartment for containing a heat sensitive, data recording device, e.g., a temperature recording device, and a jacket configured to contain a phase change material. The jacket may be vented and configured to at least partially surround the compartment. The housing may be sealed with an endcap. The recording device and a heat absorbing element are disposed within the same or within adjoining or adjacent sub-compartments within the enclosure. In a method, the enclosure with heat absorbing element and temperature recording device is placed within a heated environment or environment to be heated, e.g., a furnace. The recording device is connected to a thermal couple.

Enclosure and method for temperature-sensitive components

A fiber treatment oven having slots for the fibers to pass through and adjustable gates located proximate the slots. The gates may be connected via a linkage that allows movement of many gates at once and may be connected so that individual gates may be adjusted as well.

Fiber treatment oven with adjustable gates

A furnace of controlled heating and treatment of material using infrared radiation. The furnace is capable of continuous infrared treating of material with consistent radiation being applied to the material, ease of access to the furnace for maintenance cleaning and repair, excellent control of radiant cooling of the material to be treated, and ease of maintenance of a volatile component condenser.

Continuous infrared furnace

A surgical apparatus has a body portion that includes a shaft terminating in a distal head or tip for directing light radiation from the apparatus onto the lining of a body cavity for treating an ailment in a body cavity of a patient as for example a gastrointestinal ailment of a patient such as gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, gastric cancer, gastric lymphoma, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn's disease as well as for treating diseases of the circulatory system, urogenital systems and other body cavities. During use, the shaft of the apparatus is inserted into a body cavity, e.g., stomach or colon, of the patient to place the distal tip of the shaft in the desired position. The body cavity of the patient is then irradiated with light radiation so as to kill or debilitate microorganisms lining the body cavity without serious destruction of the body tissue of the patient to thereby improve or alleviate one or more of the symptoms of the ailment. A probiotic comprising innocuous bacteria can be administered to the patient to reestablish the growth of normal microbial flora when treating the gastrointestinal tract.

Apparatus and method for debilitating or killing microorganisms within the body

A vacuum oven with heat transfer fluid conduits. The oven of the invention generally includes a shell into which a removable rack may be placed. The rack has at least one plate which may be heated or cooled by a plate fluid conduit in contact with the plate and through which a heating or cooling fluid may be passed. Work pieces may be loaded in the rack, the rack placed in the shell, the shell sealed, and a vacuum drawn within the shell. The work pieces loaded on the rack are primarily heated and cooled by conductive and radiant heat transfer because of the limited amount of thermally conductive gases within the shell.

Annealing oven with heat transfer plate

A system for burn-in testing of integrated circuits and semiconductors at the wafer level and apparatus and method utilizing the system. The cascading heat control system of the invention has connected first and second heat transfer circuits to regulate the temperature of and the environment around semiconductor wafers under test. A low temperature gas is circulated, as a heat transfer gas, through the cascading heat control system. The heat transfer gas serves as a heat transfer medium and provides a low dew point environment, or both a low dew point and low oxidation environment, within the system. At least one wafer chuck incorporating a heat exchanger, or a series of such wafer chucks, and containing a semiconductors for testing is connected to the cascading heat control system through the heat exchanger. In the apparatus, a burn-in oven, the wafer chuck or series of wafer chucks are contained within a chamber environment. The first heat transfer circuit circulates heat transfer gas to the wafer chuck and a second heat transfer circuit circulate heat transfer gas within and through the chamber environment. In the method of the invention, heat transfer gas is circulated through the circuits and may be heated to a target temperature. Once at the target temperature, test signals are provided to the semiconductor wafers under test and cascading heat control system regulates the temperature and environment within the apparatus.

Wafer-level burn-in oven

An oven for magnetic annealing of magnetic media, along with methods for using the same. The oven has a vacuum chamber with vacuum port for loading and unloading magnetic media. The vacuum port is sealed by a vacuum seal or door adapted for movement between open and closed positions. A vacuum pump is connected to the chamber to provide a vacuum within the chamber. The oven includes a heat exchanger adapted to receive magnetic media and a heat transfer gas unit connected to the heat exchanger to form a closed, hermetically sealed heat transfer gas circuit for heating and cooling magnetic media loaded in the heat exchanger. A magnet located exterior to the vacuum chamber provides the magnetic field to magnetic media. Methods of the invention include the steps of loading magnetic media into the heat exchanger of the oven, closing the door to create a vacuum seal, generating a vacuum within the chamber, circulating heat transfer gas through the heat transfer gas circuit to ramp-up to the annealing temperature, providing a magnetic field of greater than 0.25 Tesla, holding the temperature at the annealing temperature to allowing the magnetic material of the magnetic media to assume the desired orientation, ramping down the temperature to cool the magnetic media to preserve the desired orientation, ramping down and removing the magnet field, and reintroducing atmosphere into the chamber. The magnetic media can then be unloaded.

Magnetic annealing oven and method

A sterilizable passageway for a sterilizable enclosure which includes an enclosure having an outer wall, which has a passageway therethrough. A collar lines a periphery of the passageway, the collar having a sealing surface and a heated surface. A heater is positioned to deliver heat to the heated surface of the collar to selectively heat the collar for sterilization. A selectively positionable door is moveable between an operating position wherein it is spaced away from the passageway to permit the passage of articles into or out of the enclosure and a sterilizing position wherein it substantially seals the passageway. This door optimally includes a gasket positioned to contact the sealing surface of the collar when the door is in its sterilizing position.

Sterilizable passageway

The present invention provides a method of heat-treating an oxygen-sensitive workpiece to minimize any oxidation of the workpiece, as well as an improved door seal specially suited for use with oxygen-sensitive products. In the method, an oven has an oven chamber and an outer housing, with an enclosure being defined therebetween. The workpiece is placed in the oven chamber and the chamber is sealed. Heated inert gas is circulated within the enclosure to heat the oven chamber and to hold it at a desired treatment temperature. The oven chamber is then cooled to a threshold temperature of the workpiece using inert gas. The chamber is then cooled further by circulating aerobic gas, preferably ambient air, within the enclosure. Another embodiment of the invention provides an oven with a housing forming an oven chamber, the oven chamber having a door opening in one of said walls. The oven also has a heated door and an inflatable seal carried by either the door or the housing, the seal extending about the area of contact between the door and the housing, the seal being filled with a nitrogen-containing gas.

Growing community of inventors

North Oaks, MN, United States of America

Hans L Melgaard