Spiral track oven
OwnerDrobilisch Sandorinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spiral track oven has a heated spiral track on which semiconductor chip bases move. A jarring motion about the central axis of the track supplies inertia to the bases, moving them down the track. A blanket-like laminated heater on the inside of the track supplies heat to the bases. Excess heat is vented by positive airflow out a vent. A perforated screen-like shroud wrapped around the outside of the track keeps the bases from falling off the track while allowing excess heat to escape. A pneumatic or hydraulic drive shaft extends through a table to the base of the oven where it is mounted. The drive and driveshaft turn the oven back and forth about a central shaft gently in one direction and in a jarring motion in the other, thereby supplying inertia to the bases.
Claims8
A spiral track oven comprising,
- a smooth downwardly sloping heat conducting spiral track, having dimensions for supporting chip bases of a characteristic length and having a top and a bottom,
- a means for supplying a series of jarring unidirectional impulse motions about the axis of said spiral track, thereby imparting inertia to the chip bases being induced to slide a distance of at least their length per jarring motion along said track in the downwardly sloping direction, said means for supplying jarring motions also supplying a smooth return motion in the opposite direction after each jarring motion,
- a means for maintaining said chip bases on said track,
- an inlet region associated with the top of the spiral track for the continuous introduction of chip bases onto said track,
- an outlet region associated with the bottom of the spiral track for the continuous removal of chip bases from said track, and
- a means for heating said spiral track and a means for venting excess heat.
A spiral track oven comprising,
- a heat conducting cylindrical wall having vertically aligned axis,
- a blanket-like laminated heater element in contact with the inside of said wall,
- a horizontal spiral heat conducting track on the outside of said wall, one end of said track beginning near the top of said wall and the other end of said track ending near the bottom of said wall,
- a heat insulating circular base attached to the bottom edge of said cylindrical wall, having a hole off-center, space above the table, said table having a hole beneath said hole of said base,
- a heat insulating circular top attached to the top edge of said cylindrical wall,
- a perforated screen-type shroud wrapped around said spiral track and secured to said base and said top, said shroud having openings at each of said ends of said track,
- a central shaft positioned on the axis of the cylindrical wall, extending through said base and said top, having a flange end screwed to said table and supporting said base above said table,
- a first bearing movably connecting said top and said central shaft,
- a second bearing immediately above said flange movably connecting said base and said central shaft,
- a stationary vent shroud having cylindrical lower part and conical upper part, secured at its lower end to said table, and terminating at its upper end in a circular vent, said lower part of said vent shroud being spaced around said perforated shroud,
- wire leads extending through said hole of said table and said hole of said base for electrical connection to said heater element, and
- a drive mounted beneath said table, terminating in a shaft, said shaft extending vertically through said hole of said table and mounted to said base, for turning said oven about said central shaft in the opposite direction, said direction of jarring being in the direction in which said spiral track turns downward.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.