# US 10,309,665 B2 · Gas enclosure assembly and system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,309,665 B2 - Document ID: US10309665B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/605,806 - Filed: 2017-05-25 - Published: 2017-11-09 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2008-06-13 - Assignees: Kateeva, Inc. - Applicants: Kateeva, Inc. - Inventors: Justin Mauck; Alexander Sou-Kang Ko; Eliyahu Vronsky; Shandon Alderson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309665B2 ## CPC - B41J 29/393: Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine {; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns} - F24F 3/14: by humidification; by dehumidification - F24F 3/167: Clean rooms, i.e. enclosed spaces in which a uniform flow of filtered air is distributed (air distribution by perforated walls F24F7/10) - H05B 33/10: Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of electroluminescent light sources - B05B 17/0638: {spray being produced by discharging the liquid or other fluent material through a plate comprising a plurality of orifices} - B41J 29/377: Cooling or ventilating arrangements - H05B 33/02: Details - H10K 71/135: {using ink-jet printing} - H10K 71/40: Thermal treatment, e.g. annealing in the presence of a solvent vapour - H10K 71/811: {Controlling the atmosphere during processing (H10K71/40 takes precedence)} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) - H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES ## Abstract The present teachings relate to various embodiments of an hermetically-sealed gas enclosure assembly and system that can be readily transportable and assemblable and provide for maintaining a minimum inert gas volume and maximal access to various devices and apparatuses enclosed therein. Various embodiments of an hermetically-sealed gas enclosure assembly and system of the present teachings can have a gas enclosure assembly constructed in a fashion that minimizes the internal volume of a gas enclosure assembly, and at the same time optimizes the working space to accommodate a variety of footprints of various OLED printing systems. Various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly so constructed additionally provide ready access to the interior of a gas enclosure assembly from the exterior during processing and readily access to the interior for maintenance, while minimizing downtime. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for maintenance of a printing system comprising: opening an enclosure so that an interior of the enclosure is exposed to an environment external the enclosure, the interior being controlled, prior to the opening, to provide an inert gas processing environment within a defined specification that differs from the environment external to the enclosure; while the interior is exposed to the environment external the enclosure: accessing a printing system comprising a print head assembly located in the interior of the enclosure to perform at least one of a maintenance procedure and a calibration procedure on the print head assembly, supplying clean dry air to at least one pneumatic component in the interior of the enclosure, and supplying inert gas to at least one other pneumatic component in the interior of the enclosure; after performing the at least one of the maintenance procedure and the calibration procedure, restoring the inert gas processing environment of the interior of the enclosure to within the defined specification that is different from an environment external the enclosure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the processing environment of the interior of the enclosure comprises maintaining a reactive species within a specified limit to prevent contamination, oxidation and damage of materials and substrates processed in the enclosure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the process environment of the interior of the enclosure comprises maintaining a reactive species at about 100 ppm or less. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the process environment of the interior of the enclosure comprises maintaining each of oxygen, water vapor and organic solvent vapor at about 100 ppm or less. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the process environment of the interior of the enclosure comprises maintaining a reactive species at about 0.1 ppm or less. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the process environment of the interior of the enclosure comprises maintaining each of oxygen, water vapor and organic solvent vapor at about 0.1 ppm or less. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the inert gas processing environment is a nitrogen gas environment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the gas environment comprises a nitrogen gas in combination with at least one noble gas. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the processing environment comprises maintaining a low-particle processing environment in the interior of the enclosure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the processing environment comprises providing a lighting system configured with a lighting element selected to avoid material degradation during processing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein controlling the lighting system comprises providing a lighting system configured with at least one of a cool white and yellow spectrum lighting element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising printing a substrate in the controlled process environment within the enclosure prior to opening the enclosure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein printing the substrate in the controlled process environment comprises printing a substrate having a size of about generation 3.5 to about generation 10. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein printing the substrate comprises printing an organic-light emissive material on the substrate to create an organic light emitting diode display. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the processing environment within the enclosure comprises controlling the processing environment within an enclosure contoured around the printing system, said contoured enclosure providing a volume that is 30% to 70% less than a non-contoured enclosure of comparative gross dimensions. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein supplying inert gas to the at least one other pneumatic component in the interior of the enclosure comprises supplying inert gas to at least one other pneumatic component having a dead volume. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein supplying inert gas to the at least one other pneumatic component in the interior of the enclosure comprises supplying inert gas to at least one of a pneumatic actuator and an isolator.