Heated chamber including an open wall with a gas curtain
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorJohn M. Powers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An atmosphere controlled workpiece heating chamber includes a spaced apart multiple gas flow means combination which avoids contamination of the atmosphere within the chamber from ambient atmosphere such as air. In one form, the chamber includes a gas diffuser as one flow means, and a heating means, both of which are readily removable, and easily and accurately replaceable.
Claims8
An atmosphere controlled workpiece heating chamber which includes an operator access port, a chamber bottom portion spaced apart from the access port by a side wall, means to hold a workpiece within the chamber, heating means to heat the workpiece within the chamber, and an access port gas flow means to introduce gas into the chamber at the operator access port to direct a curtain of gas generally across the access port to provide a chamber atmosphere, wherein:
- the chamber atmosphere is maintained by a combination of distinct, spaced apart gas flow means comprising:
- a) a first gas flow means to introduce the gas into the chamber through the chamber bottom portion;
- and,
- b) the access port gas flow means at the operator access port is spaced apart from the first gas flow means by the side wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.