The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 12, 1985
Filed:
May. 24, 1982
Scott C Holden, Manchester, MA (US);
Varian Associates, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
Method and apparatus for high speed vacuum pumping of an air lock. A vacuum pumped expansion tank having a volume larger than the volume of the air lock is coupled through a valve to the air lock. When evacuation of the air lock is desired, the valve is opened for a brief duration and the gas in the air lock rapidly expands into the expansion tank. Multiple pumping stages, each including a vacuum pumped expansion tank coupled through a valve to the air lock, can be utilized to decrease the final pressure in the air lock. The valves are sequentially opened to permit sequential expansion of the gas in the air lock into the expansion tanks. Multiple air locks can time share the same pumping system.