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, 1991
Filed:
Jan. 11, 1990
Anton Kunz, Triesenberg, LI;
Balzers Aktiengesellschaft, Balzers, LI;
Abstract
A cylinder is flanged onto the wall of a vacuum chamber in which a workpiece is to be coated and is to brought into contact with a current or power conductor for accomplishing same, and the current conductor in the form of a piston rod extends through this cylinder. The piston rod includes at one end a disk of graphite intended to contact the workpiece. An annular piston which is rigidly mounted on the piston rod is subjected at its outer side to the atmospheric pressure and closes a space off located within the cylinder and enclosed by a bellows, which space communicates with the vacuum chamber. A spiral pressure spring within the cylinder which rests against its bottom and against the inner side of the piston counteracts the atmospheric pressure at the outer side of the piston. In case of a subatmospheric pressure in the space, the piston is moved inwards into the cylinder against the action of the spring and the contact between the current conductor and the workpiece is established automatically. If the vacuum chamber and the space is aerated, the spring urges the piston in the opposite direction such that the current contact is interrupted automatically, thus excluding faulty operator manipulations.