US 6,783,602 B2Granted

Multistep single chamber parts processing method

OwnerDonald Grayinventor

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method for controlled environment processing of parts in a chamber or chambers wherein solvents and/or solutions used for processing the parts can be introduced. The process includes applying a negative gauge pressure to the chamber to remove air or other non-condensable gases. Next a solvent, solvent mixture or solution in either a liquid or vapor state is introduced to the chamber. A first system is then applied to recover the solvent(s) or solution(s) from the object being processed and chamber, and a second system, separate from the first system, is applied that further recovers residual solvent or solution from the object and chamber. Treatment of the part may be in the form of coating, etching, deposition, cleaning, stripping, plating, adhesion, dissolving, penetrating, anodizing, impregnating, debinding or any other process in which material is removed or deposited on a solid surface by transfer from or to a liquid or gas phase.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method of treating an object in a closed circuit solvent processing system, said system including a chamber, a first fluid supply tank in communication with said chamber and a second fluid supply tank in communication with said chamber, said method comprising the steps of:

placing an object to be processed in said chamber, said chamber being filled with air;
sealing said chamber;
reducing a pressure within said chamber to evacuate the air from said chamber to create a vacuum condition;
introducing a first fluid to said evacuated chamber from said first fluid supply tank to process said object;
removing said first fluid from said chamber to a first fluid holding tank to restore said vacuum condition;
drying said object and said chamber;
introducing a second fluid to said evacuated chamber from a second fluid supply tank to process the object;
removing said second fluid from said the chamber to a second fluid holding tank;
drying said object and said chamber;
introducing a non-condensable gas to said chamber to return the pressure within said chamber to atmospheric pressure;
and
opening said chamber to remove said object.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/668,408Filed 23 Sep 2003 · division
Priority: 15 Jan 2002
Published: US 2004/0055623 A125 Mar 2004
Granted: 31 Aug 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B08B 3/04
Cleaning by methods involving the use or presence of liquid or steam: cleaning involving contact with liquid
B08B 3/08
Cleaning involving contact with liquid: the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect
B08B 3/10
Cleaning involving contact with liquid: with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by…
B08B 3/12
With additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration: by sonic or ultrasonic…

Family

Application10/047,584Parent of this division · filed 15 Jan 2002
US 2004/0055623 A1Pre-grant publication · published 25 Mar 2004
US 6,743,300 B2Parent of this division
US 2003/0131873 A1Published application
US 6,783,602 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.