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:
May. 14, 1985
Filed:
Nov. 06, 1981
N Robert Crain, Huntington Beach, CA (US);
Carson T Richert, Buena Park, CA (US);
Radiant Technology Corporation, Cerritos, CA (US);
Abstract
An infrared furnace has a housing with insulated walls defining an elongated straight tunnel disposed on a longitudinal axis between an entrance and an exit. A conveyor continuously moves through the tunnel along the longitudinal axis between the entrance and the exit. A first plurality of elongated tubular infrared heating elements are disposed in the tunnel above the conveyor in spaced apart parallel relationship transverse to the longitudinal axis. A second plurality of tubular elongated infrared heating elements are disposed in the tunnel below the conveyor in spaced apart parallel relationship transverse to the longitudinal axis. The housing has insulated walls each comprising a porous insulative inner panel and a non-porous outer panel. At least one of the outer panels is spaced from its associated inner panel to form a plenum chamber therebetween. The insulated walls define an elongated tunnel in which a source of infrared radiation is disposed. Gas under pressure is supplied to the plenum chamber to induce flow through the inner panel to the tunnel. A first baffle unit has a chamber connectng the entrance of the tunnel to the exterior of the furnace. A second baffle unit has a chamber connecting the exit of the tunnel to the exterior of the furnace such that the conveyor passes through the chambers. Gas is injected onto the conveyor in the chambers to prevent contamination from entering the tunnel. A plurality of parallel spaced apart rods extend through the tunnel parallel to its longitudinal axis directly under the conveyor to support the conveyor. Two of the rods lie near the respective sides of the housing and heating elements are disposed in these rods to compensate for heat loss to the sides of the housing.