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:
Dec. 01, 2009
Filed:
Oct. 03, 2006
Chris P. Grudzien, Haverhill, MA (US);
Chris P. Grudzien, Haverhill, MA (US);
MKS Instruments, Inc., Andover, MA (US);
Abstract
The present invention is directed at methods and apparatuses for facilitating the establishment of a reference pressure within a reference chamber of a pressure transducer. The transducer has a housing and a cover, the housing defining a reference chamber and an aperture. A meltable sealing material is disposed on at least one of the cover and the housing. The apparatus includes a pressure chamber that is rotatable between a first position and a second position, a pressure source that is connected to the pressure chamber, a guide that is attachable to the transducer near the aperture, and a heater for selectively heating the pressure chamber to a temperature sufficiently high to melt the sealing material. The cover is positioned in an internal space of the guide. The guide is attached to the transducer near the aperture. The transducer, cover and guide are placed in the pressure chamber, the pressure chamber is rotated to the first position and a pressure is generated in the pressure chamber via the pressure source. After a reference pressure has been established in the reference chamber, the pressure chamber is rotated to the second position. Gravity causes the cover to move within the space towards the aperture when the pressure chamber is rotated to the second position. The heater then heats the pressure chamber to melt the sealing material. Upon cooling, the sealing material forms a seal that seals the reference pressure in the reference chamber of the transducer.