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:
May. 08, 2012
Filed:
Jun. 16, 2009
Yasushi Hirata, Otsu, JP;
Naoya Takei, Nara, JP;
Yoshito Komada, Yamatokoriyama, JP;
Horiba, Ltd., Kyoto, JP;
Abstract
This invention is intended to make a crucible feeder mechanism simple in configuration, to realize low cost and to increase the number of accommodated crucibles while making the crucible feeder mechanism small in size. In the crucible feeder mechanism, the crucibles are mounted on an inclined mount surfacein parallel and a tapered guide surface guidesthe crucibles sliding down the mount surfaceto a crucible moving mechanismprovided at an outlet port of a guide member. This crucible moving mechanism includes an accommodation concave portionX accommodating one of the crucibles and provided on a circumferential surface portionof the crucible moving mechanism. The crucible moving mechanism rotates and moves between an accommodation position at which the accommodation concave portion receives the sliding-down crucible and a feed position at which the accommodation concave portion communicates with a crucible feed portand drops the sliding-down crucible.