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US 6,314,686 B1Granted
Light seal for use with robotic equipment
AssigneeGenesis Systems Group, Ltd.
InventorsTimothy A. Scherer, Douglas H. Juhl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A light seal for use with robotic equipment includes a window having a divider panel rotatably mounted therein. Flexible sealing flaps at the opposite sides of the window opening engage the divider panel when the divider panel is in a sealed position to provide a light seal between the edges of the divider panel and the edges of the window opening.
Claims11
A light seal assembly comprising:
- a window frame forming a window opening and comprising at least a first side frame member positioned adjacent said window opening;
- a first seal holder attached to said first side frame member;
- a first sealing member comprising in cross section a base portion attached to said first seal holder and a first flexible tip extending from said first base portion toward said window opening;
- said first flexible tip of said first sealing member being free from engagement with said first seal holder and being made of a flexible material that is capable of bending to swing said first flexible tip relative to said first base portion from a normal position to a first deflected position;
- a divider panel having a first panel edge and being mounted within said window frame for rotation from an unsealed position spaced from said first sealing member to a sealed position engaging said first flexible tip of said first sealing member and causing said first flexible tip to bend relative to said first base portion from said normal position to said deflected position;
- said first sealing member providing a light seal between said side frame member and said divider panel when said divider panel is in said sealed position;
- said first flexible tip having resiliency which causes it to return to said normal position when said divider panel moves to said unsealed position.
4 more elements
A sealed laser system comprising:
- a work station and a load station positioned in spaced relation to one another;
- a laser tool located at said work station;
- a window frame between said work station and said load station and having a plurality of frame members forming a window opening, said frame members including a first side frame member and a second side frame member;
- first and second sealing members, each having a base portion and a flexible tip, said base portions of said first and second sealing members being attached to said first and second side frame members, respectively;
- said flexible tips of said first and second sealing members extending from said base portions into said window opening, and being flexible to bend and swing about said base portions from a normal position to a deflected position;
- a divider panel having first and second panel side edges;
- a pedestal supporting said divider panel within said window opening for rotation about a table axis from a first sealed position wherein said first and second side panel edges engage and bend said tips of said first and second sealing members respectively from their respective normal positions to their respective deflected positions;
- said first sealing member forming a light seal between said first side panel edge of said first divider panel and said first side frame member of said window frame when said divider panel is in said first sealed position;
- said second side frame member forming a light seal between said second side panel edge of said divider panel and said second side frame member of said window frame when said divider panel is in said first sealed position.
6 more elements
A light seal assembly comprising:
- a window frame forming a window opening and comprising at least a first side frame member positioned adjacent said window opening;
- a sealing member comprising in cross section a base portion attached to said first side frame member and a flexible tip extending from said base portion toward said window opening;
- said flexible tip of said sealing member being comprised of a flexible material capable of bending to swing said flexible tip in one direction relative to said base portion from a normal position to a first deflected position, said flexible tip being capable of bending relative to said base portion in another direction from said normal position to a second deflected position different from said first deflected position;
- a divider panel having a first panel edge and an opposite second panel edge and being mounted within said window frame for rotation from a first sealed position wherein said first panel edge engages said flexible tip and moves said flexible tip to said first deflected position, to a second sealed position wherein said second panel edge engages said flexible tip and moves said flexible tip to said second deflected position;
- said sealing member providing a light seal between said side frame member and said divider panel when said divider panel is in either of said first or said second sealed positions.
2 more elements
A light seal assembly comprising:
- a window frame forming a window opening and comprising at least a first side frame member positioned adjacent said window opening;
- a first pair of sealing members each comprising in cross section a base portion attached to said first side frame member and a flexible tip extending from said base portion toward said window opening, said flexible tips of said first pair of sealing members forming a V-shaped configuration with one another;
- said flexible tips of said pair of sealing members being comprised of a flexible material capable of bending to swing said flexible tips in one direction relative to said base portion from a normal position to a first deflected position, said flexible tips being capable of bending relative to said base portion in another direction from said normal position to a second deflected position different from said first deflected position;
- a divider panel having a first panel edge and an opposite second panel edge and being mounted within said window frame for rotation from a first sealed position wherein said first panel edge engages said flexible tips of said pair of seal members and moves said flexible tips to said first deflected position;
- said divider panel being capable of rotating to a second sealed position wherein said second panel edge engages said flexible tips of said pair of seal members and moves said flexible tips to said second deflected position;
- said pair of sealing members providing a light seal between said side frame member and said divider panel when said divider panel is in either of said first or said second sealed positions.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.