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:
Sep. 14, 1999
Filed:
Mar. 13, 1997
Shigeru Namiki, Kadomashi, JP;
Hatsuhiko Shibasaki, Ibaragishi, JP;
Tadaomi Amano, Osakashi, JP;
Katsuyuki Kita, Katanoshi, JP;
Akira Okuda, Sakaishi, JP;
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
More than two pressure reducing chambers 6 to 9 are located on both the upstream and the downstream of vacuum processing housings 11 and 12. Each of the pressure reducing chambers 6 to 9 includes a film conveying means 30, a vacuum exhausting means, and a gate valve 20 provided with a resilient member for closely holding down the running film 1 to seal off the vacuum state of a belt-like passage of the gate valve 20. As the pressure reducing chambers 6 to 9 are protected with their specific gate valve belt-like passage arrangement from reduction of the vacuum state and located respectively on the upstream and downstream sides of the vacuum processing units 11 and 12, the vacuum state in the continuous vacuum processing apparatus will be maintained to a desired level. While the running film 1 is being conveyed, the gate valves 20 at the first and second stages are actuated alternately for opening and closing after vacuum evacuation.