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:
Jul. 04, 1995
Filed:
Dec. 07, 1992
Abstract
The present invention relates to a thermal processing method wherein a cylindrical process tube that has at one end an entrance/exit is provided at the other end thereof with a heat source, and thermal processing is performed on a workpiece which has been brought in from the entrance/exit of the process tube to a prescribed position therein. This thermal processing method and an apparatus therefor is characterized in that, when the workpiece is moved to the prescribed position, it is first moved to a proximity position that is closer to the heat source than the prescribed position, then it is returned therefrom to the prescribed position. The invention is further characterized in that, if the actual processing temperature at the prescribed position changes while the workpiece is undergoing thermal processing, the workpiece is moved such that the position of the workpiece with respect to the heat generation source is changed in order to return the processing temperature at the prescribed position to the prescribed processing temperature. This ensures that the temperature of the workpiece can be rapidly raised to the prescribed processing temperature and also that, if the temperature of the workpiece should change, it can be rapidly returned to the prescribed processing temperature.