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:
Jun. 30, 1998
Filed:
Jan. 17, 1997
Harold A McMaster, Perrysburg, OH (US);
James B Foote, Toledo, OH (US);
Alan J McMaster, Dexter, MI (US);
Solar Cells, Inc., Toledo, OH (US);
Abstract
A processing system (20,20') for processing sheet glass G includes a housing (22) and at least one slit seal (38i,38i',38e,38e') constructed to permit continuous passage of sheet glass in an efficient manner without fluttering. The slit seal functions as both an ingress slit seal (38i,38i') and as an egress slit seal (38e,38e'). Each slit seal has side seals (100, 102, 112, 114) and preferably has three stages of vacuum drawn by an associated first, second and third vacuum pumps (80,82,84). The sealing method for use in processing sheet glass has particular utility in connection with depositing semiconductor materials for photovoltaics and can be performed on either discrete glass sheets (28) or a continuous glass ribbon (30).