Mechanical seed coupling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10968934-B2
Application number	US-201715826864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2017
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus and method of manufacturing silicon seed rod in which two silicon seeds are joined into one long silicon seed rod by mechanical coupling. A mechanical seed coupler is a body in having an outer wall, an upper surface with an upper aperture, a lower surface with a lower aperture, and an inner wall surrounding an inner space. The mechanical seed couple can be of a shape including a cylinder shape, an elliptical tube shape, a rectangular tube shape and a square tube shape. Furthermore the mechanical seed coupler can be of unitary construction, made from one solid piece of material, or it can be composed of subparts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seed rod extender for extending a seed rod comprising:
a length of seed rod having a tip at one end for coupling to a short connecting rod and a mechanical coupler with a single aperture consisting of at most two surfaces inside the single aperture: an upper surface in contact with an angled surface corresponding to a respective surface of a seed rod to be coupled to the seed rod extender,
wherein the mechanical coupler is made from polycrystalline silicon.

2. The seed rod extender for extending a seed rod of claim 1 , wherein the angled surface is disposed at an angle, from an axis line of 0° running through the exact center of the mechanical seed coupler, within the range of 14 to 22°.

3. The seed rod extender for extending a seed rod of claim 1 , wherein the angled surface is disposed at an 18° angle from an axis line of 0° running through the exact center of the mechanical seed coupler.

4. The seed rod extender for extending a seed rod of claim 1 , wherein the angled surface is disposed at an 21° angle from an axis line of 0° running through the exact center of the mechanical seed coupler.

5. The seed rod extender for extending a seed rod of claim 1 , wherein the angled surface is disposed at an 22° angle from an axis line of 0° running through the exact center of the mechanical seed coupler.

6. The seed rod extender for extending a seed rod of claim 1 , wherein both the upper surface and the angled surface are uninterrupted.

7. The seed rod extender for extending a seed rod of claim 1 , wherein both the upper surface and the angled surface are tapered.

8. The seed rod extender for extending a seed rod of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical seed coupler is made from the same material as said seed rod.

9. A seed rod extender for extending a seed rod comprising:
a length of seed rod having a tip at one end for coupling to a short connecting rod and a mechanical coupler with a single aperture consisting of at most two uninterrupted surfaces inside the single aperture: an upper surface in contact with an angled surface corresponding to a respective surface of a seed rod to be coupled to the seed rod extender,
wherein the mechanical coupler is made from polycrystalline silicon.

10. The seed rod extender for extending a seed rod of claim 9 , wherein the angled surface is disposed at an 21° angle from an axis line of 0° running through the exact center of the mechanical seed coupler.

11. The seed rod extender for extending a seed rod of claim 9 , wherein the angled surface is disposed at an 22° angle from an axis line of 0° running through the exact center of the mechanical seed coupler.

12. The seed rod extender for extending a seed rod of claim 9 , wherein both the upper surface and the angled surface are tapered.

13. The seed rod extender for extending a seed rod of claim 9 , wherein the mechanical seed coupler is made from the same material as said seed rod.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Polycrystalline Silicon America Corp Mipsa
• Mitsubishi Materials Corp

Inventors

• Lovorn Joseph
• Gurley Larry

Classifications

• B28D5/021

  by drilling · CPC title

• Y10T403/5733

  Plural opposed sockets · CPC title

• F16B2200/10

  Details of socket shapes · CPC title

• F16B7/0426 Primary

  for rods or for tubes without using the innerside thereof · CPC title

• Y10T403/74

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic