Abstract: A method for metering powdered or granular material onto a heated surface to vaporize such material. The method comprises providing a rotatable auger d for receiving powdered or granular material and as the rotatable auger rotates, such rotatable auger translates such powdered or granular material along a feed path to a feeding location. The method also providing at least one opening at the feeding location such that the pressure produced by the rotating rotatable auger at the feeding location causes the powdered or granular material to be forced through the opening onto the heated surface in a controllable manner. The material is agitated or fluidized proximate to the feeding location.

Abstract: A method for metering powdered or granular material onto a heated surface to vaporize such material, includes providing a container with powdered or granular material having at least one component; providing a rotatable auger disposed in material receiving relationship with the container for receiving powdered or granular material from the container and as the auger rotates, such rotating auger translates such powdered or granular material along a feed path to a feeding location; and providing at least one opening at the feeding location such that the pressure produced by the rotating auger at the feeding location causes the powdered or granular material to be forced through the opening onto the heated surface in a controllable manner.

Abstract: Apparatus for vaporizing a particulate material, comprising a metering apparatus including: a reservoir; a housing having an internal volume and first and second openings for respectively receiving and discharging the particulate material; a rotatable shaft disposed in the internal volume, the shaft having a smooth surface and a circumferential groove for receiving particulate material from the reservoir and for discharging the particulate material; the rotatable shaft and the internal volume cooperating such that the particulate material is transported by the circumferential groove and not along the remainder of the rotatable shaft; a scraper disposed in relation to the second opening, having at its end substantially the same cross section as the groove in the rotating shaft, the scraper cooperating with the groove to dislodge particulate material retained therein, and in response to the shaft rotating, delivers metered amounts of particulate material through the second opening; to the flash evaporator.

Abstract: An OLED display, comprising: a substrate; an OLED having two spaced-apart electrodes and organic layers disposed there between, and the OLED disposed over the substrate; an encapsulation container fixed by perimeter seal to the substrate and disposed over the OLED to provide an enclosure; and the substrate or the encapsulation container, or both, including compliant regions that flex, compress, or expand under stress and reduce stress transfer between the substrate and the encapsulation container through the perimeter seal.

Abstract: A method for controlling the deposition of vaporized organic material onto a substrate surface, includes providing a heating device to produce vaporized organic material; providing a manifold having at least one aperture through which vaporized organic material passes for deposition onto the substrate surface; providing a controller operating independently of the heating device and effective in a first condition for limiting the passage of vaporized organic material through the aperture, and effective in a second condition for facilitating the passage of vaporized organic material through the aperture; and wherein the heating device, or the controller, or both are contiguous to the manifold.

Abstract: A flat panel OLED device including a transparent deformable substrate having first and second sides and defining a predetermined illumination region and a non-illumination region; a moisture-sensitive OLED disposed over the first side of the transparent substrate within the illumination region and means for applying electrical signals to the OLED which causes the OLED to produce light and heat; a protective layer disposed over the OLED; a flexible encapsulating foil disposed over the protective layer, but not attached thereto, and which dissipates the heat and sealingly connected to the substrate in the non-illumination region; and a rigid chassis structure operatively associated with the transparent deformable substrate for providing rigidity to the transparent deformable substrate.

Abstract: A flat panel OLED device including a transparent deformable substrate having first and second sides and defining a predetermined illumination region and a non-illumination region; a moisture-sensitive OLED disposed over the first side of the transparent substrate within the illumination region and means for applying electrical signals to the OLED which causes the OLED to produce light and heat; a protective layer disposed over the OLED; a flexible encapsulating foil disposed over the protective layer, but not attached thereto; and a rigid chassis structure operatively associated with the transparent deformable substrate for dissipating the heat and providing rigidity to the transparent deformable substrate.

Abstract: A method for the vaporization of particulate material includes providing one or more containers each containing possibly distinct particulate materials each having at least one component, fluidizing the particulate material in at least one of the containers, and providing a vaporization zone that is thermally isolated from at least one of the containers. The method further includes delivering particulate material received from each container to the vaporization zone, and applying heat to vaporize the delivered particulate materials at the vaporization zone.

Abstract: A method for hermetically sealing an organic thin-film light-emitting device between a substrate and a cover including the steps of bringing the substrate and cover into close proximity at a peripheral side edge of at least one of the substrate or cover, bringing an energy absorbing material into contact with the cover and substrate at the peripheral side edge of at least one of the substrate or cover, and applying energy directly to the energy absorbing material, causing the energy absorbing material to transfer heat to the substrate and the cover to fuse and form a hermetic seal along the peripheral side edge.

Abstract: A method of depositing organic material onto an OLED substrate, comprising: providing a manifold for receiving vaporized organic material, the manifold including an aperture plate having openings, the aperture plate openings being selected to provide beams of vaporized organic material directed to the substrate, such beams having off-axis components; and providing a mask spaced between the OLED substrate and the manifold, the mask having openings that respectively correspond to the aperture plate openings, the mask openings being selected to skim off at least a portion of the off-axis components of the beams.

Abstract: Apparatus for vaporization of powdered material, includes one or more containers each containing possibly distinct powdered materials each having at least one component; a structure for fluidizing the powdered material in each container; a vaporization zone that is thermally isolated from at least one of the containers; a transporting structure for receiving fluidized powdered material from each container and delivering such fluidized powdered materials to the vaporization zone; and vaporizing the delivered powdered materials at the vaporization zone by applying heat.

Abstract: A method for making a shadow mask array is taught. Producing a plurality of shadow mask sections; inspecting the plurality of shadow mask sections to determine which shadow mask sections are acceptable as meeting predetermined criteria; positioning a predetermined number of the acceptable mask sections into predetermined locations relative to one another to form a mask section array thereby distributing any error in individual mask sections across the mask section array; and attaching the individual mask sections of the mask section array to a support structure. The support structure allows for expansion and/or contraction of the individual mask sections of the mask section array while maintaining relative positioning of the individual shadow mask section in the shadow mask array.

Abstract: A method for making a shadow mask array is taught comprising the steps of producing a plurality of shadow mask sections; inspecting the plurality of shadow mask sections to determine which shadow mask sections are acceptable as meeting predetermined criteria; positioning a predetermined number of the acceptable mask sections into predetermined locations relative to one another to form a mask section array thereby distributing any error in individual mask sections across the mask section array; and attaching the individual mask sections of the mask section array to a support structure. The support structure allows for expansion and/or contraction of the individual mask sections of the mask section array while maintaining relative positioning of the individual shadow mask section in the shadow mask array.

Abstract: An air-bearing apparatus for aiding in conveying a web is taught comprising a central web support housing including a cylindrical surface and two sides. There is an end cap positioned adjacent each of the two sides, the end caps and the central web support housing defining at least one plenum therein. The central web support housing is provided with a plurality of bores extending from the at least one plenum to the cylindrical surface, the plurality of bores forming at least one row of air jet orifices in the cylindrical surface wherein each bore is directed approximately parallel to a cylindrical axis of the central web support housing with adjacent bores being oppositely directed, the at least one row of air jet orifices extending around at least a portion of the circumference of the cylindrical surface over which the web travels.

Abstract: An apparatus for uniformly distributing parts on a conveyor surface which includes a storage bin for holding randomly oriented parts in bulk, a conveyor adjacent the storage bin for acquiring a fragment of the randomly oriented parts in the storage bin and delivering that fragment of randomly oriented parts to a chute, a vibratory conveyor receiving the fragment of randomly oriented parts from said chute, and a belt conveyor for receiving the randomly oriented parts from said vibratory conveyor. The vibratory conveyor includes at least one rib projecting upward therefrom and extending across at least a section of the vibratory conveyor perpendicular to the direction of conveyance, the at least one rib acting as a flow obstruction to cause the randomly oriented parts traveling on the vibratory conveyor to gather and spread across a width of said vibratory conveyor to thereby spread more uniformly on the vibratory conveyor after passing over the at least one rib.

Abstract: An actuating device is taught for use with a robotic arm having a linear actuator which includes an actuated portion and a stationary portion with a tool device supported by the actuated portion. The actuating device includes a bracket attached to the stationary potion of the linear actuator with bracket presenting an engaging surface. There is a mechanical assembly for controlling rotation of parts acquired by the tool device which is attached to the actuated member of the linear actuator of the robotic arm. The mechanical assembly includes a displacement linkage member and a rotatable subassembly. The displacement linkage member contacts the engaging surface when the mechanical assembly is raised to a predetermined height through operation of the linear actuator portion. By raising the mechanical assembly above the predetermined height, the displacement linkage member is caused to drive rotation of the rotatable subassembly.

Abstract: An apparatus for uniformly distributing parts on a conveyor surface which includes a storage bin for holding randomly oriented parts in bulk, a conveyor adjacent the storage bin for acquiring a fragment of the randomly oriented parts in the storage bin and delivering that fragment of randomly oriented parts to a chute, a vibratory conveyor receiving the fragment of randomly oriented parts from said chute, and a belt conveyor for receiving the randomly oriented parts from said vibratory conveyor. The vibratory conveyor includes at least one rib projecting upward therefrom and extending across at least a section of the vibratory conveyor perpendicular to the direction of conveyance, the at least one rib acting as a flow obstruction to cause the randomly oriented parts traveling on the vibratory conveyor to gather and spread across a width of said vibratory conveyor to thereby spread more uniformly on the vibratory conveyor after passing over the at least one rib.

Abstract: An improved lighting system which illuminates the parts with both generally collimated and diffused light simultaneously useful with machine vision systems. This lighting system allows determination of part identification, part location, part orientation about a vertical axis thereof as well as side-up orientation of the part. The parts are transported on a conveyor surface which is made of a translucent medium. However, such translucent medium does permit the viewing of the shadows cast by objects thereon. The light source is positioned directly over the parts being inspected. A camera is positioned below the conveyor surface. Residing between the collimated light source and the parts supported on the conveyor surface is a light-diffusing member. The light-diffusing member has a structure such that it permits a portion of the generally collimated light to pass therethrough without obstruction while simultaneously diffusing a second portion of light produced by the source of collimated light.

Abstract: A method and apparatus which can reliably inspect three dimensional objects resting on a surface such that part type, part location, side-up orientation, and orientation about a vertical axis can be determined with a single camera. The object to be inspected is supported on a support member which may be a conveyor. The support member possesses two specific optical characteristics. First, the support member must permit direct viewing therethrough of the object supported thereon without any significant loss of clarity. The support member must also be capable of diffuse reflection of a portion of the light incident thereon. A camera is positioned below the support member and a light source is positioned above the support member to back-light the object for the camera. That portion of the light diffusely reflected off the support member serves to illuminate any downward-facing surfaces of the object which are not in contact with the support member.

Abstract: An apparatus having short range motion for gripping and releasing an object utilizes a programmable stepper motor for controlling various short stroke motions of the gripper. Gears associated with each of the at least one gripper jaws supported on a carrier shaft engage a common ring gear that is driven by drive means including the stepper motor which imparts synchronous motion of the grippers for opening and closing about the object.