Vacuum oven, sysem incorporating the same and method of using the same
AssigneeWems, Inc.
InventorsDmitry Vernik, Christopher B. Dreike, Terry D. Wolfson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vacuum oven for decontaminating items, a system incorporating multiple vacuum ovens and a method of operating such system are provided. The ovens are portable. They can have a vacuum drawn in them and can be heated by being coupled to a vacuum and a power source, respectively at a first location and then be decoupled from the vacuum and power sources and moved to a second location such as a glove box or clean room while still maintaining a vacuum.
Claims57
A vacuum oven comprising:
- a hollow body having an opening providing access to an interior of said body;
- a removable shelf fitted in the body;
- a heater coupled to the shelf;
- a power interface coupled to the heater and for releasably coupling to an external power source separate from the body;
- a vacuum valve coupled to the body and for releasably coupling to an external vacuum source;
- and
- a door coupled to the body for covering said opening, said door sealing against the body by vacuum.
A vacuum oven system comprising:
- a rack comprising a bay for receiving a vacuum oven;
- a first vacuum valve mounted at the bay;
- a first power interface mounted at the bay;
- and
- a vacuum oven slidably fitted in the bay and releably coupled to the rack, the vacuum oven comprising,
- a hollow body having an opening providing access to an interior of said body,
- a first heater coupled to the body, and
- a second vacuum valve coupled to the body and in communication with an interior of the body, wherein when the vacuum oven is received in the bay, the first power interface releasably couples with the heater and the first vacuum valve is releasably coupled to the second vacuum valve in series.
A method for decontaminating items comprising:
- placing the items in an oven interior;
- coupling the oven to a vacuum source drawing a vacuum in the oven;
- heating the items in the oven to a predetermined temperature for decontaminating;
- decoupling the oven from the vacuum source;
- moving the oven to a work area after decoupling;
- and
- releasing the vacuum after moving.
A method for operating a plurality of vacuum ovens for decontaminating items:
- providing a rack having a plurality of bays;
- coupling a vacuum source to the plurality of bays;
- coupling a power source to the plurality of bays;
- mounting a first vacuum oven having an interior in a first of said plurality of bays;
- releasably coupling the power source to the first vacuum oven for providing power for heating the first vacuum oven;
- releasably coupling the vacuum source to the first vacuum oven;
- drawing a vacuum in the first vacuum oven to a first predetermined level;
- heating the interior of the first vacuum oven to a first predetermined temperature;
- mounting a second vacuum oven having an interior in a second of said plurality of bays;
- releasably coupling the power source to the second vacuum oven for providing power for heating the second vacuum oven;
- releasably coupling the vacuum source to the second vacuum oven;
- drawing a vacuum in the second vacuum oven to a second predetermined level;
- heating the interior of the second vacuum oven to a second predetermined temperature;
- and
- removing one of said first and second vacuums ovens from its corresponding bay while maintaining the vacuum within said removed oven.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.