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:
Oct. 21, 2008
Filed:
Mar. 06, 2007
Satoshi Sakai, Yokohama, JP;
Shigenori Tsuruga, Yokohama, JP;
Hideo Yamakoshi, Yokohama, JP;
Shizuma Kuribayashi, Yokohama, JP;
Minoru Danno, Yokohama, JP;
Hiroshi Futami, Yokohama, JP;
Noriko Yamazaki, Yokohama, JP;
Satoshi Sakai, Yokohama, JP;
Shigenori Tsuruga, Yokohama, JP;
Hideo Yamakoshi, Yokohama, JP;
Shizuma Kuribayashi, Yokohama, JP;
Minoru Danno, Yokohama, JP;
Hiroshi Futami, Yokohama, JP;
Noriko Yamazaki, Yokohama, JP;
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An optical properties restoration apparatus improves reliability and longevity of optical properties of an optical system, lying upon a vacuum boundary, by preventing, suppressing, or improving degradation of optical properties. The apparatus includes creating the near vacuum zone to excite an oxidation reaction of carbon, generating a flow of an oxygen atom-containing gas such as water gas or oxide gas in the near vacuum zone, and supplying active energy in the near vacuum zone to cause a carbon oxidation reaction between the oxygen atom-containing gas and the carbon. The near vacuum zone faces the lighting surfaces of the optical system and a lower limit value for a partial pressure of the gases containing oxygen atoms that is supplied to the near vacuum zone is set to a level over a speed of the carbon buildup that deposits on the lighting surfaces of the optical system.