Flat surface air bearing assembly
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsDouglas E. Brackley, David Lee Drum, Paul J. McCarthy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An air bearing assembly includes: an upper portion having a plurality of air supply and vacuum holes therethrough; a lower portion; and a plurality of spacers disposed between and maintaining the upper and lower portions in spaced relation, wherein a density of the air supply and vacuum holes is high enough to provide an air bearing for a substrate, but low enough such that at least one of: (i) a sufficient number of the spacers are employed, and (ii) the spacers are located in close enough proximity, to maintain a substantially uniform flatness of the upper portion relative to the lower portion.
Claims20
An air bearing assembly, comprising:
- an upper portion having a plurality of air supply and vacuum holes therethrough;
- a lower portion;
- and
- a plurality of spacers disposed between and maintaining the upper and lower portions in spaced relation,
- wherein a density of the air supply and vacuum holes is high enough to provide an air bearing for a substrate, but low enough such that at least one of:
- (i) a sufficient number of the spacers are employed, and (ii) the spacers are located in close enough proximity, to maintain a substantially uniform flatness of the upper portion relative to the lower portion.
An apparatus, comprising:
- an upper portion formed from granite an including a plurality of air supply and vacuum holes therethrough operable to produce an air bearing for a substrate;
- a lower portion formed from granite;
- and
- a plurality of spacers, situated between and maintaining the upper portion and the lower portion in a spaced relation such that the upper portion is substantially flat.
A method for assembling an air bearing apparatus comprising:
- providing an upper portion and a lower portion, each formed from granite and including an upper surface and a lower surface;
- boring a plurality of holes through the upper portion but not eh lower portion;
- placing a plurality of spacers between the lower portion and the upper portion without interfering with the holes, the plurality of spacers being operable to maintain the upper portion and the lower portion in spaced relation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.