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. 20, 2001
Filed:
May. 24, 1999
Dean Tran, Westminster, CA (US);
David M. Carberry, Redondo Beach, CA (US);
David H. Boger, Redondo Beach, CA (US);
George J. Vendura, Jr., Rossmoor, CA (US);
Alan M. Hirschberg, Thousand Oaks, CA (US);
TRW Inc., Redondo Beach, CA (US);
Abstract
A vacuum chuck (,) for holding thin sheet material, particularly during high-temperature manufacturing processes, and an apparatus (,) for forming a substantially uniform coating of a substance on a thin sheet material. The vacuum chuck includes a chuck body (,) having a gas-permeable support surface (,) for supporting the thin sheet material to define a vacuum chamber (,) having an inlet (,), a valve member (,) for controlling fluid flow through the vacuum chamber inlet, and a locking shim (,) for holding the valve member in the vacuum chamber inlet. The locking shim is responsive to the vacuum chamber inlet being coupled to a vacuum source for permitting the valve member to partially withdraw from the vacuum chamber inlet, to permit drawing of a vacuum in the vacuum chamber, supporting the thin sheet material on the gas-permeable support surface in a substantially flat position, and is responsive to the vacuum chamber inlet being removed from the vacuum source for inserting the valve member more fully into the vacuum chamber inlet, to seal the vacuum chamber and retain the vacuum therein, holding the thin sheet material on the gas-permeable support surface. One vacuum is attained, temperature excursions during the deposition process will cause the locking shim to press against the valve member with more force. Assuring a sound vacuum through the entire process. The manufacturing apparatus includes a conveyor (,) on which the vacuum chuck is conveyed, with the thin sheet material held thereon, and a source (,) of coating substance.