With Means Whereby Material To Be Heated May Be Passed Continuously Through Heated Area (e.g., Conveyor) Patents (Class 219/388)
  • Patent number: 8474373
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for treating elongate food products in a process space using a conditioned airflow, comprising: a housing bounding the process space, with a feed opening arranged in the housing and a discharge opening arranged in the housing for respectively carrying elongate food products into the process space and discharging thereof from the process space, transport means for displacing the elongate food products through the process space, blowing means for generating an airflow in the process space, and conditioning means for conditioning the airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Stork Townsend B.V.
    Inventors: Marcus Bernhard Hubert Bontjer, Sigebertus Johannes Jacobus Jozef Meggelaars, Paulus Johanus Maria Thoonsen, Willem Kasper Van Den Berg
  • Patent number: 8476559
    Abstract: Tunnel kilns serve for the thermal treatment of products in a continuous operation within a production process. The tunnel kilns are usually made up of a number of identical kiln segments, each segment having a blower, heating elements for heating up the fresh air and a common exhaust air line. For the treatment of the products, they are made to pass by either on the suction side or the pressure side of the blower. To reduce the overall volume of such kilns and to save energy, it is proposed to arrange the blower inside the kiln in such a way that it produces a circulatory flow transversely to the direction of continuous transport and to transport the products to be dried through the circulatory flow parallel to one another in the direction of continuous transport both on the pressure side and on the suction side of the blower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Umicore AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Wolfgang Hasselmann
  • Publication number: 20130146580
    Abstract: A heater unit includes a power source, a plurality of heaters, and a power supply position-switching device. The power source includes a first power source terminal and a second power source terminal. The plurality of heaters are each connected to one another in series and include a first heater and a second heater. The power supply position-switching device is configured to switch between a first state and a second state. In the first state, the first power source terminal is connected with a first heater terminal of the first heater, and the second power source terminal is connected with a third heater terminal of the second heater. In the second state, the first power source terminal is connected with a second heater terminal of the first heater, and the second power source terminal is connected with a fourth heater terminal of the second heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: IBIDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ibiden Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130133738
    Abstract: Disclosed is a firing furnace for firing an electrode of a solar cell element, which is provided with: a transfer member, which transfers a substrate having a conductive paste applied thereto; a heating section, which heats the substrate and fires the conductive paste; and a cooling section, which cools the heated substrate. The furnace is also provided with a heating means for heating the transfer member. Specifically, at the time of firing the electrode paste using the wire-type firing furnace, since a wire is fired at a temperature substantially equivalent to the ambient temperature of the heating section, deterioration of yield due to having the electrode damaged by a deposited material of the metal component of the conductive paste is suppressed, said deposited material being deposited on the wire, and the wire-type firing furnace can be continuously used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryo Mitta, Takenori Watabe, Hiroyuki Otsuka
  • Patent number: 8413646
    Abstract: A self-cleaning, gas-fired tunnel oven is provided. One embodiment of the oven provides a self-cleaning, gas-fired tunnel oven for cooking food products. The oven includes a control system that regulates oven temperature during a pyrolitic, self-cleaning procedure for incinerating contaminants that accumulate inside; a burner for cooking food products and incinerating contaminants; a modulating air and fuel control system arranged for proportionally delivering air and fuel to the burner; a plurality of convection air fingers for directing heated air toward the food products; a collapsible conveyor, capable of fitting into the oven when collapsed, for passing the food products through the oven; a plurality of blowers, each having a dedicated speed controller; a floating cooking chamber; and a vent system that maintains a negative pressure in the oven during the self-cleaning procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Middleby Corporation
    Inventors: John H. Wiker, Frank Carbonara, Gregory J. Tomko, Michael R. Matthews, Jr., Theodore James Chmiola
  • Patent number: 8415592
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an oven comprising a first chamber and a second chamber, which are separated by separation means, conveyor means for guiding products from the inlet through these chambers to the outlet, temperature control means for controlling the temperature in each chamber individually using a fluid, respectively, and means to adjust the flow distribution over the width of the conveyor means depending on at least one process parameter or recipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: CFS Bakel B.V.
    Inventor: Hendrikus Antonius Jacobus Kuenen
  • Patent number: 8399809
    Abstract: A disk processing system having a plurality of processing chambers, a load chamber comprising a heater, and a disk transport system coupled to the plurality of processing chambers and the load chamber to transport a disk there among.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: WD Media, Inc.
    Inventor: Allen J. Bourez
  • Patent number: 8378263
    Abstract: A fusing system and a method of operating the fusing system, including a first heating zone to heat marking material and a substrate using a non-condensing heat source to less than a target temperature; and a second heating zone to heat the marking material and the substrate to about the target temperature to fuse the marking material to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: David K. Biegelsen, Lars Erik Swartz, Armin R. Volkel, Ashish V. Pattekar
  • Patent number: 8367978
    Abstract: An infrared convection paint baking oven comprising a tunnel having an entrance and exit, the tunnel having top and side walls equipped with air ducts that communicate with a at least one air pressure blower to form an air plenum in the interior of said tunnel. The oven is equipped with at least one exhaust to re-circulate heated air and vent moisture and volatiles from said tunnel. The exhaust communicates said pressure blower with air make up and an RTO. The re-circulated air flow is divertible from the exhaust to the furnace to control temperature and VOC emissions. Infrared light assemblies are arranged in said tunnel interior on the top and side walls such that air from said plenum is circulated around said light assemblies to form a convection air current. The light assemblies are in close proximity to each other at the entrance and along a distance of said tunnel to form a warm up zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Magna International Inc.
    Inventor: Glenn Williams
  • Patent number: 8359975
    Abstract: This invention provides an apparatus and process for forming a printing form from a photosensitive element having an exterior surface and a composition layer capable of being partially liquefied. The apparatus includes a displaceable heater for heating the composition layer, means for removing at least a portion of the composition layer from the element, and means for displacing the displaceable heater to a predetermined distance from the exterior surface. Positioning the displaceable heater at the predetermined distance assures reproducible removal of the liquefied composition from the various types of photosensitive elements that can be thermally treated in the apparatus, resulting in the printing forms having improved relief surface uniformity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Robert A. McMillen, Dietmar Dudek, Ib Vestergaard
  • Patent number: 8354619
    Abstract: An electric wire comprises a non-oxidized conductor of copper alloy having no outer coating and in direct contact with a PTFE-based sheath. It is fabricated as follows: providing a copper alloy conductor without an outer coating; forming a sheath of a PTFE-based material around the conductor; and heating the wire in order to evaporate the lubricant and sinter the sheath. In order to avoid oxidizing the copper during the heating step, the wire is heated mainly in an atmosphere having a low oxygen content. The lubricant evaporation and/or sintering line for stabilizing the sheath of the electric wire comprises one or more ovens, each having an enclosure in which an atmosphere having a low oxygen content is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Axon'Cable
    Inventor: Sophie Perez
  • Publication number: 20120326345
    Abstract: A machine for manufacturing containers from blanks of plastic material, which includes an oven furnished with a plurality of radiation sources for heating blanks as they travel through at a predetermined speed of travel and heating profile, and a programmed control center for modifying the speed of travel and heating profile based on a temperature measurement made on a blank leaving the oven, and a pressure measurement made in the blank during a subsequent blowing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: SIDEL PARTICIPATIONS
    Inventors: Julien GENDRE, Thierry DEAU, Mikael DERRIEN
  • Publication number: 20120298651
    Abstract: Methods for forming a TCO layer on a substrate are generally provided and include sputtering a TCO layer on a substrate from a target including cadmium stannate. A cap material (e.g., including cadmium) is deposited onto an outer surface of an indirect anneal system, and the TCO layer can be annealed at an anneal temperature while in contact with or within about 10 cm of the cap material. An anneal oven is also generally provided and includes an indirect anneal system defining a deposition surface and an anneal surface such that a cap material deposited on the anneal surface of the indirect anneal system is positioned to be in contact with or within about 10 cm of a thin film on the substrate. A cap material source can be positioned to deposit the cap material onto the deposition surface such that the anneal surface comprises the cap material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: PRIMESTAR SOLAR, INC.
    Inventors: Scott Daniel Feldman-Peabody, Russell Weldon Black
  • Patent number: 8269146
    Abstract: An oven apparatus for solidifying a coating on a housing includes a supporting module, a curing module, and a transporting module. The supporting module includes a frame and of periphery boards around the frame, the frame includes at least two stacked frame sections. The curing module and the heating module are respectively mounted to the frame sections, the transporting module circularly transports the housing and passes though the heating module and heating module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignees: Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industry Co., Ltd., FIH (Hong Kong) Limited
    Inventors: Jian-Ping Jin, Cha-Biao You
  • Patent number: 8247741
    Abstract: A system is provided for heating or cooling discrete, linearly conveyed substrates having a gap between a trailing edge of a first substrate and a leading edge of a following substrate in a conveyance direction. The system includes a chamber, and a conveyor operably configured within the chamber to move the substrates through at a conveyance rate. A plurality of individually controlled temperature control units, for example heating or cooling units, are disposed linearly within the chamber along the conveyance direction. A controller is in communication with the temperature control units and is configured to cycle output of the temperature control units from a steady-state temperature output as a function of the spatial position of the conveyed substrates within the chamber relative to the temperature control units so as to decrease temperature variances in the substrates caused by movement of the substrates through the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: PrimeStar Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Michael Pepler, James Joseph Jones, Sean Timothy Halloran
  • Publication number: 20120193345
    Abstract: An improved tortilla conveying system, for sequentially conveying a plurality of tortillas to be warmed, is disclosed. The conveying system provides a stack of tortillas and automatically conveys tortillas sequentially through a tortilla warmer. The tortillas are stored in a container. A dragger at least frictionally engages the top side of the top tortilla, dragging the tortilla off of the top of the container for subsequent heating by a heating element of the tortilla warmer. In some embodiments, the tortilla container can automatically elevate the stack of tortillas, so a top tortilla always remains exposed at the top of the container. In other embodiments, an extractor delivers the tortilla outside of the heating system once the tortilla is sufficiently warmed. The tortillas are warmed in sequence by a heating element, via conduction, convection, and/or radiation. In some embodiments, various components of the conveyer are synchronized, via a gearbox for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Inventor: Ricardo Gonzalez
  • Publication number: 20120187105
    Abstract: Multi-lane, side-by-side, independently driven transport systems particularly useful for transfer on conveyor belts or finger/chains of thin work pieces, such as silicon wafers, through processing equipment for converting the wafers into solar cells, including UV pre-treaters, dopers, dryers, diffusion furnaces and metallization furnaces. The inventive multi-lane transport systems may employ wire mesh belts having a flying bridge wafer support system comprising longitudinally spaced carrier wire elements that support the wafers at their side edges at only point contacts, by means of opposed, inwardly inclined, downwardly slanted segments or wings. Alternately, finger drives comprising spaced-apart chains having inwardly projecting fingers may be used for transport of the wafers by side edge contact. Friction or sprocket drives having tensioner assemblies associa-ted therewith are used to move the transport belts or finger chains through the furnace zones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: TP SOLAR, INC.
    Inventors: Richard W. Parks, Peter G. Ragay, Luis Alejandro Rey Garcia
  • Publication number: 20120181265
    Abstract: A thermal processing system for processing work pieces such as silicon wafers for photovoltaic cells. The system include a firing furnace comprised of upper and lower banks for microzones having infrared lamps in each microzone. The microzone are lined with or formed of a reflective insulative material. Some embodiments of the system of the invention can be used as or in a continuous infrared furnace of oven having a drying, burn-off and firing zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: DESPATCH INDUSTRIES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
    Inventor: Jean Pierre Menard
  • Publication number: 20120153010
    Abstract: Provide is an apparatus for thermal melting processes that is capable of directly cooling the process object without requiring a separate cooling plate. The apparatus for thermal melting process according to the present invention is an apparatus 1 for thermal melting process that thermally melts objects 100 including solder in an atmosphere containing carbonic acid vapor, and the hand part 4 for carrying and transferring the thermally melted process objects 100 is used as a cooling plate as well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Inventor: Hideyuki Abe
  • Publication number: 20120138592
    Abstract: The present application is directed to a composition for generating heat from an applied current, comprising a mixture of graphite particles and dielectric particles. The graphite particles have a diameter from 1 to 1500 microns. The dielectric particles have a diameter from 1 to 1500 microns. The mixture has a resistivity from 0.015 ohm-meters to 2.3 megaohm-meters. The mixture is incorporated into heat generation devices and exchange devices. The devices include at least one pair of electrodes disposed within the mixture to direct an applied current through the mixture to resistively heat the mixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Inventors: Michael G. Colburn, Stephen J. Bogner, David R. McCloskey
  • Patent number: 8188408
    Abstract: A conveyorized oven that provides uniform cooking with control of the heater and/or the conveyor belt speed. The oven includes a controller that monitors power consumption of the heater and uses the power consumption to control the heater and/or the speed of the motor that drives the conveyor belt. The power consumption is monitored by counting the on time cycles of a switch that connects and disconnects the heater to a power main. Changes in the power consumption due to changes in loading are used by the controller to reduce recovery times of the oven temperature to a set temperature by controlling the heater and/or the motor. By using a stepper motor, there is no need for a gear box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Enodis Corporation
    Inventors: Jan Claesson, Raymond Carr, Roberto Nevarez
  • Publication number: 20120103965
    Abstract: A direct electrical heating flow system (100) includes at least one flow pipe (20) and at least one cable (120) disposed along the at least one flow pipe (20) for heating and/or monitoring the at least one flow pipe (20). The cable (120) includes an inner conductive region (180) surrounded by an annular insulating region (190, 200) and peripheral thereto an outer annular conductive region (210). The inner conductive region (180) encloses an optical fibre waveguide region (160) including at least one optical fibre waveguide (150) for conveying at least one information-bearing signal. Enclosing the optical fibre waveguide region (160) within the inner conductive region (180) and placing a soft bedding (170) under the conductive region (180) renders the cable (120) robust to impact damage as well as being more tolerant to stress elongation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventor: Sjur Kristian Lund
  • Publication number: 20120060758
    Abstract: A system is provided for heating or cooling discrete, linearly conveyed substrates having a gap between a trailing edge of a first substrate and a leading edge of a following substrate in a conveyance direction. The system includes a chamber, and a conveyor operably configured within the chamber to move the substrates through at a conveyance rate. A plurality of individually controlled temperature control units, for example heating or cooling units, are disposed linearly within the chamber along the conveyance direction. A controller is in communication with each of the temperature control units to sequentially cycle output of the units from a steady-state temperature output along the conveyance direction as a function of position of the leading and trailing edges of the substrates within the chamber relative to the temperature control units so as to reduce edge-induced temperature variances in the substrates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: PRIMESTAR SOLAR, INC.
    Inventors: Scott Daniel Feldman-Peabody, Frederick Harper Seymour, Edwin Jackson Little, Mark Jeffrey Pavol, Christopher Rathweg
  • Patent number: 8113108
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for storing, treating and dispensing items of food, especially baked products, which device comprises at least two sections (2, 3). The inventive device is characterized by a plurality of supports (12) for receiving the items of food (9, 10) and a transport device (17, 20, 21, 22) that configures a closed transport cycle of the supports (12) between the sections (2, 3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Inventor: Reinald Weiss
  • Patent number: 8093533
    Abstract: A modular pizza oven kit, pizza oven finger assembly support, and a method of operating a pizza oven at different speeds and a control arrangement for performing the method. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Inventors: Michael French, Mark A. Bielstein
  • Patent number: 8091471
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relates to automated production processes and associated systems, including automated bread making processes which enable the continuous production of baked bread. One aspect of the invention is directed toward a system for the continuous production of baked bread that includes an ingredient metering unit, a dough mixing unit coupled to the ingredient metering unit, a dough transport coupled to the dough mixing unit, an endless oven conveyor having a plurality of dough holders spaced apart from each other, and an oven unit coupled to the oven conveyor. The oven conveyor is configured to move the dough holders through the baking portion at a rate so the single batches of dough in the dough holders will be sequentially baked to form the baked products when the dough holder exit the oven unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Inventor: Herbert A. F. Larsen
  • Patent number: 8084717
    Abstract: The suction ports of a hot air blowing heater are arranged in a zigzag shape crossing the direction of travel of a printed circuit board, and hot air discharge nozzles project from inside or alongside the suction ports. Accordingly, in the reflow furnace according to the present invention, hot air discharged from the hot air discharge nozzles does not collide with hot air sucked into the suction ports, and turbulence does not take place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Senju Metal Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Nakamura, Atsushi Obara
  • Patent number: 8076614
    Abstract: A cooking system for cooking foods using a combination of magnetic induction, convection and radiant heat, including a magnetic induction stage proximate the inlet end of a cooking chamber in which food is cooked by convention and radiant heating. A conveyor system, either continuous or configured in stages, passes food from the magnetic induction heating stage to and through the radiant and convention heating stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Nieco Corporation
    Inventors: Edward D. Baker, Matthew J. Baker, Patrick D. Baker, Mohsen Sarfehjoo, Erik Magner
  • Patent number: 8058587
    Abstract: The present invention includes: a printing portion (12) for performing printing on a printing layer of a sheet material (5) including a sheet-like base having one surface provided with the printing layer and another surface provided with a heat-sensitive adhesive layer; a thermal activation portion (15) for heating the heat-sensitive adhesive layer of the sheet material (5) and generating an adhesive force; a temporary stock portion (14), which is disposed in a transport path for the sheet material (5) between the printing portion (12) and the thermal activation portion (15), for temporarily stocking the sheet material (5); and a casing (19) covering the temporary stock portion (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kohira
  • Patent number: 8051629
    Abstract: A heat tunnel for applying heated air to articles enclosed in shrink-wrap film includes at least one air supply unit; a conveyor; and a heat shroud spaced from the conveyor. The air supply unit includes a source of heated air, a fan, a heated air plenum, air ducts, and a return air plenum. Multiple air supply units can be provided along the conveyor to create a heat tunnel of desired length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Douglas Machine Inc.
    Inventors: Irvan Leo Pazdernik, Bruce Malcolm Peterson, Paul Howard Wagner, Bradley Jon VanderTuin, Richard Jerome Schoeneck
  • Publication number: 20110269085
    Abstract: An oven with a sensor positioned to detect an event that will cause a decrease in the internal temperature of a tunnel. The oven includes a controller configured to increase the thermal output of a heating element in anticipation of the upcoming decrease in the internal temperature. In some embodiments, the oven is a conveyor over and the sensor is positioned to detect a food item approach the tunnel on a conveyor. In some embodiments, the amount of current provided to an electric heating element is increased by increasing the target temperature. In some embodiments, the amount of current provided to the electric heating element is increased by a predetermined offset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Inventors: John H. Wiker, Mohan K. Panicker, Richard H. Van Camp, Theodore James Chmiola
  • Publication number: 20110212010
    Abstract: A thermal oxidizer assembly is adapted for mounting onto a furnace, such that a heating chamber of the assembly is in direct flow-through communication with an interior of the furnace and defines a flow path for volatile organic compounds that are released from workpieces being processed within the furnace. A heating module is mounted within the heating chamber of the assembly and is located within the flow path to create turbulent flow therethrough. The assembly is configured to allow a natural draft to pull the volatile organic compounds from the furnace and through the flow path, and the heating module heats the volatile organic compounds, within the heating chamber, to a temperature necessary to destroy greater than approximately 99% of the volatile organic compounds. A flow rate of the volatile organic compounds being pulled along the flow path is, preferably, between approximately five and thirty standard cubic feet per minute.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2010
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: DESPATCH INDUSTRIES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
    Inventor: Jeffry A. Bell
  • Publication number: 20110210114
    Abstract: A conveyor oven includes a housing surrounding an oven chamber having an inlet and an outlet. A conveyor belt moves food product through the oven chamber from the inlet to the outlet. A heated air handling device removes heated air from areas proximal to the inlet and the outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventor: Jason Edward LAUER
  • Publication number: 20110210115
    Abstract: A conveyor oven and method for cooking various food products using a plurality of different heating sources, thereby avoiding costly and lengthy changeover times between different food products. Infrared heating elements and quartz heating elements are independently controlled so that both can be on at the same time or one on and the other off at the same time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventor: Jason Edward Lauer
  • Patent number: 7989736
    Abstract: Disclosed is a heat treatment system for semiconductor devices. The heat treatment system is used in a heat treatment process for semiconductor devices, such as a crystallization process for an amorphous silicon thin film or a dopant activation process for a poly-crystalline silicon thin film formed on a surface of a glass substrate of a flat display panel including a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light emitting device (OLED).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Viatron Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Wang Jun Park, Jung Bae Kim, Young Jae Ahn, Hyoung June Kim, Dong Hoon Shin
  • Patent number: 7973266
    Abstract: In a heat treatment apparatus, a reflector is provided to cover a plurality of flash lamps arranged in an array for emitting a flash of light, and a cooling box is provided over the reflector. The cooling box has a buffer space incorporated therein, and a plurality of jet openings in communication with the buffer space are formed through a bottom surface of the cooling box and the reflector. The plurality of jet openings are positioned just over gaps between the plurality of flash lamps in the lamp array. Nitrogen gas ejected from the plurality of jet openings passes through the gaps between adjacent ones of the flash lamps in the lamp array, and is then blown against a lamp light radiation window. The flash lamps are effectively cooled down by the direct cooling using the nitrogen gas and the decrease in temperature of the lamp light radiation window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Nakajima, Jun Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7943887
    Abstract: An oven includes: an inlet elevator having multiple receiving bays for receiving a piece to be heated in the oven where the receiving bays are stacked vertically and the elevator is configured to move up or down to align a receiving bay; a mandrel having multiple shelves to correspond a shelf to a bay of the inlet elevator, each shelf configured to support a piece received from the inlet elevator, the mandrel configured to rotate each piece on a shelf between a loading position, a baking position, and an unloading position; an outlet elevator having multiple receiving bays for unloading a piece heated in the oven, the unloading bays are stacked vertically and the elevator is configured to move up or down to align an unloading bay with a material handling system moving the heated pieces; and a microwave generator configured to heat at least one of the pieces when the pieces are in the baking position. A method of heating a material is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Lunare Limited (A PA Corp.)
    Inventors: Christopher Vincent, Drew Knopfel, Richard Heckert
  • Publication number: 20110084056
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an oven comprising: a first chamber and a second chambers, which are separated by separation means conveyor means for guiding products from the inlet through these chambers to the outlet, temperature control means for controlling the temperature and/or humidity in each chamber individually using a fluid, respectively, and a passage in the separation means through which the conveyor means are directed from the first chamber to the second chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Inventor: Hendrikus Antonius Jacobus Kuenen
  • Publication number: 20110068092
    Abstract: In various embodiments, an apparatus for transporting wafers is provided. The apparatus may include a transport belt configured to transport wafers in a transport direction; wherein the transport belt is provided with supports configured to support the wafers to be transported; wherein the supports are provided with at least one bearing element for compensating for relative movements between the transport belt and the wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Applicant: DEUTSCHE CELL GMBH
    Inventor: Stefan Steckemetz
  • Patent number: 7910861
    Abstract: A cooking device including a cooking cavity, a fan located in the cooking device, the fan being configured to force air into the cooking cavity, and at least one optical heater to supply optical wave energy to heat the forced air provided by the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Hyeon Sik Nam, Wan Soo Kim, Dong Seong Kwag, Seong Ho Cho
  • Patent number: 7899709
    Abstract: A food identification and tracking system includes a plurality of containers adapted to hold food items. An electronically-readable tag is affixed to each of the containers. The data stored on the tags may include information, such as an identification of a food item being held by the container, the ingredients of the food item, and/or the price of the food item, for example. The containers may be distributed by way of a conveyor system offering the food items in the containers for consumption. One or more sensors positioned relative to the conveyor may electronically read the data stored on a tag and cause the identification of the food item in a container to be shown on a display. When the data in each tag includes an indicator of the price of the food item, the cost of all the food item(s) consumed by a consumer may be calculated for payment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Madison Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: James C. Allard, Stephen D. Rosen
  • Publication number: 20110027441
    Abstract: A method of sterilizing a liquid food product includes flowing a food product to be sterilized through an input channel. The method also includes flowing the liquid food product through a heating channel that is fluidly coupled to the input channel. Further, the method includes flowing the food product through an output channel fluidly coupled to the heating channel. The output channel is adjacent the input channel, and the output channel, the input channel, and the heating channel are all integrated portions of a heat exchanger. Further still, the method includes transferring heat between the output channel and the input channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Inventors: Geoffrey F. Deane, William Gates, Roderick A. Hyde, Jordin T. Kare, Nathan P. Myhrvold, David P. Tuckerman, Lowell L. Wood, JR., Ozgur Yildirim
  • Patent number: 7851727
    Abstract: Cooking food in a hybrid conveyor with both electric and gas-fired infrared heaters. The heat output from the gas fired infrared heater is controlled by cycling or pulsing the gas supply to one or more burners that emit infrared heat by heating a nichrome screen wire. The electric power supplied to electrically powered heaters is also controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Prince Castle LLC
    Inventors: Constantin Burtea, Sanda Burtea, legal representative, Frank Anthony Agnello, Don Van Erden
  • Patent number: 7849788
    Abstract: A method of infrared heat-processing of nuts (e.g., almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts and mixtures thereof in order to reduce the microorganism level thereof is provided wherein the nuts are sequentially moisturized by application of water and then subjected to infrared radiation, preferably through a series of treatment cycles. Nut treatment apparatus (10) includes opposed banks of infrared heaters (38, 40), with plural water application stations (48, 50, 52) along the length of the heater banks (38, 40).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Inventor: Virgil Macaluso
  • Patent number: 7847217
    Abstract: An exemplary hot-melting method includes the following steps. A hot-melting machine (20) is provided. The hot-melting machine includes a rotatable worktable (23), a heater (25), at least one cooler (26), and a plurality of carriers located on the worktable and being uniformly spaced apart. A first workpiece loaded on a first one of the carriers is cooled using the at least one cooler. Simultaneously, a second workpiece loaded on a second one of the carriers is heated using the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignees: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Foxsemicon Integrated Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shun-Ho Chen, Li-Pei Huang, Tzyy-Chyi Tsai, Yun-Hsiang Chuang, Chin-Hsien Tsai
  • Publication number: 20100301033
    Abstract: Tunnel kilns serve for the thermal treatment of products in a continuous operation within a production process. The tunnel kilns are usually made up of a number of identical kiln segments, each segment having a blower, heating elements for heating up the fresh air and a common exhaust air line. For the treatment of the products, they are made to pass by either on the suction side or the pressure side of the blower. To reduce the overall volume of such kilns and to save energy, it is proposed to arrange the blower inside the kiln in such a way that it produces a circulatory flow transversely to the direction of continuous transport and to transport the products to be dried through the circulatory flow parallel to one another in the direction of continuous transport both on the pressure side and on the suction side of the blower.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2008
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventor: Wolfgang Hasselmann
  • Patent number: 7836583
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for providing a improved device for dismounting integrated circuits for rework tools in the fabrication and manufacture of hard disk drives. Embodiments of the present invention include a vacuum cap with suction capabilities for dismounting the integrated circuits. The vacuum cap includes a cylindrical portion with a vacuum path for holding a rod-like vacuum cylinder which when pressurized causes the integrated circuit to dismount. Embodiments of the present invention further include a light weight aluminum heat-shield that is disposed around the vacuum cap to protect the vacuum cap from excessive heat and to preserve the suction capabilities of the vacuum cap. In one embodiment the heat shield acts as a stopper to prevent the vacuum cap from moving upwards and helps the vacuum cap from absorbing multiple mechanical stress in order to protect the vacuum cylinder from being damaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Netherlands, B.V.
    Inventors: Jonathan Amurao, Richard Coles, Carmela Mendoza, Rey Roger M. Pulmano
  • Patent number: 7838801
    Abstract: A heating apparatus cooling a substrate heated by a hot plate at a cooling position adjacent to the hot plate, capable of achieving a smaller height and reducing an operation time in the apparatus, in which contamination of the substrate by particles or the like is less likely, and the like, are provided. The heating apparatus includes a hot plate for heating a wafer representing a substrate from below, in a heating chamber having a wafer load/unload port. In addition, a wire for transferring the wafer between a cooling position of the substrate adjacent to the load/unload port of the heating chamber (position above a cooling plate) and a position above the hot plate is provided and extends. The wafer is mounted on a gap forming member provided on the wire, and thereafter loaded into the heating chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Osamu Hirakawa, Masami Akimoto, Shinichi Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20100267188
    Abstract: Multi-zone, solar cell diffusion furnaces having a plurality of radiant element (SiC) or/and high intensity IR lamp heated process zones, including baffle, ramp-up, firing, soaking and cooling zone(s). The transport of solar cell wafers, e.g., silicon, selenium, germanium or gallium-based solar cell wafers, through the furnace is implemented by use of an ultra low-mass, wafer transport system comprising laterally spaced shielded metal bands or chains carrying non-rotating alumina tubes suspended on wires between them. The wafers rest on raised circumferential standoffs spaced laterally along the alumina tubes, which reduces contamination. The bands or chains are driven synchronously at ultra-low tension by a pin drive roller or sprocket at either the inlet or outlet end of the furnace, with appropriate tensioning systems disposed in the return path. The high intensity IR flux rapidly photo-radiation conditions the wafers so that diffusion occurs >3× faster than conventional high-mass thermal furnaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: TP SOLAR, INC.
    Inventors: Richard W. Parks, Peter G. Ragay, Luis Alejandro Rey Garcia
  • Patent number: 7809465
    Abstract: Soldering can be performed in a state where the temperature in an object zone is stable, regardless of the heat capacity of a soldering object. A soldering device includes: a position calculation unit which calculates the position of a heated object according to operational information of a conveyer which sequentially transfers the heated object into a plurality of zones for heat processing communicated with each other; a heat capacity calculation unit which calculates the heat capacity of the heated object; and a temperature management unit which controls the temperature in an object zone into which the heated object is carried, upon receiving positional information from the position calculation unit. The temperature management unit feedforward-controls the temperature in the object zone by adjusting the heat capacity of the object zone according to the heat capacity calculated by the heat capacity calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignees: Tamura Corporation, Tamura Fa System Corporation
    Inventors: Takahito Yamaguchi, Kiyoshi Dohzono