Apparatus for selectively jet etching a plastic encapsulating an article
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsHerbert M. Harris, Gerald N. Hill
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for selectively jet etching a plastic which is encapsulating an article (i.e., a device, assembly, and the like). This apparatus accomplishes the elimination of the prior art problems and disadvantages by confining the etching to a preselected portion (i.e., the desired region) of the plastic encapsulation, by causing a turbulent flow of the etchant which in turn causes great mechanical agitation of the etchant and thereby results in complete etching of the plastic encapsulant, and by providing a completely closed systemic apparatus which thereby inherently precludes any danger to the personnel using the inventive apparatus.
Claims10
Apparatus for selectively jet etching a material which is encapsulating an article, comprising:
- a. at least one source of a heated etchant;
- b. at least one receptacle in communication with said source of heated etchant for receiving and storing a flow of said heated etchant;
- c. means for controlling said flow of heated etchant from said source thereof to said receptacle, with this means interconnecting said source and said receptacle;
- d. means connected to said etchant flow controlling means, for causing a high velocity jet flow of said flowing heated etchant to spray against a preselected portion of said material encapsulating said article;
- and
- e. means for removing said etchant, said encapsulant dissolved by said etchant, and insoluble particles of said encapsulant which result from jet spraying said preselected portion of said encapsulant, with this means operably connected to said jet spray means and to said etchant flow controlling means;
- whereby said preselected portion of said material is de-encapsulated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.