Multi-zone air turn for transport of a flexible substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11898602-B2
Application number	US-201917045831-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2019
Priority date	Apr 24, 2018
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for transporting a flexible substrate are provided. In one embodiment, an air turn is disclosed that includes a body, a porous cover disposed about a circumference of the body, and two seals. Each of the two seals are positioned about the circumference of the body and spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the body to define a central zone bounded by a second zone and by a third zone. The second zone and third zone are each positioned outside of a respective seal. The body includes a first opening formed along a longitudinal axis of the body, and a plurality of second openings formed in the body at a position other than along the longitudinal axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air turn, comprising:
a body;
a porous cover disposed about a circumference of the body; and
two seals, each of the two seals positioned about the circumference of the body and spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the body to define a central zone bounded by a second zone and by a third zone, wherein:
each of the second zone and the third zone is positioned outside of a respective seal;
the body includes a first opening formed along a longitudinal axis of the body, the first opening comprises a transverse channel that is coupled to a central radial channel that extends from the transverse channel to an outer surface of the body; and
the body includes a plurality of second openings formed at a position other than along the longitudinal axis.

2. The air turn of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a rod extending from an end of the body in the longitudinal axis.

3. The air turn of claim 2 , wherein the first opening is formed in the rod.

4. The air turn of claim 1 , wherein the central radial channel terminates at the outer surface of the body in the central zone.

5. The air turn of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of second openings comprises a transversely oriented channel that is parallel to the longitudinal axis.

6. The air turn of claim 5 , wherein each of the transversely oriented channels is coupled to a respective radially oriented channel that extends from the transversely oriented channel to an outer surface of the body.

7. The air turn of claim 6 , wherein a first radially oriented channel of the radially oriented channels terminates at the outer surface of the body in the second zone.

8. The air turn of claim 7 , wherein a second radially oriented channel of the radially oriented channels terminates at the outer surface of the body in the third zone.

9. An air turn, comprising:
a body having a rod extending from an end of the body along a longitudinal axis thereof;
a porous cover disposed about a circumference of the body; and
two seals, each of the two seals positioned about the circumference of the body and spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the body to define a central zone bounded by a plurality of outer zones positioned outside of the each seal, wherein the body includes:
a first opening formed along the longitudinal axis of the body, the first opening comprises a transverse channel that is coupled to a central radial channel that extends from the transverse channel to an outer surface of the body; and
a plurality of second openings formed in the body at a position other than along the longitudinal axis.

10. The air turn of claim 9 , wherein the first opening is formed in the rod.

11. The air turn of claim 9 , wherein the central radial channel terminates at the outer surface of the body in the central zone.

12. The air turn of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of second openings comprises a transversely oriented channel that is parallel to the longitudinal axis.

13. The air turn of claim 12 , wherein each of the transversely oriented channels is coupled to a respective radially oriented channel that extends from the transversely oriented channel to an outer surface of the body.

14. An air turn, comprising:
a body;
a porous cover disposed about a circumference of the body; and
two seals, each of the two seals positioned about the circumference of the body and spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the body to define a central zone bounded by a second zone and by a third zone, wherein:
each of the second zone and the third zone is positioned outside of a respective seal;
the body includes a first opening formed along a longitudinal axis of the body;
the body includes a plurality of second openings formed at a position other than along the longitudinal axis; and
each of the plurality of second openings comprises a transversely oriented channel that is parallel to the longitudinal axis.

15. The air turn of claim 14 , wherein each of the transversely oriented channels is coupled to a respective radially oriented channel that extends from the transversely oriented channel to an outer surface of the body.

16. The air turn of claim 15 , wherein a first radially oriented channel of the radially oriented channels terminates at the outer surface of the body in the second zone.

17. The air turn of claim 16 , wherein a second radially oriented channel of the radially oriented channels terminates at the outer surface of the body in the third zone.

18. The air turn of claim 14 , wherein the body comprises a rod extending from an end of the body in the longitudinal axis, and wherein the first opening is formed in the rod.

19. An air turn, comprising:
a body having a rod extending from an end of the body along a longitudinal axis thereof;
a porous cover disposed about a circumference of the body; and
two seals, each of the two seals positioned about the circumference of the body and spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the body to define a central zone bounded by a plurality of outer zones positioned outside of the each seal, wherein the body includes:
a first opening formed along the longitudinal axis of the body; and
a plurality of second openings formed in the body at a position other than along the longitudinal axis, wherein each of the plurality of second openings comprises a transversely oriented channel that is parallel to the longitudinal axis.

20. The air turn of claim 19 , wherein each of the transversely oriented channels is coupled to a respective radially oriented channel that extends from the transversely oriented channel to an outer surface of the body.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Frey Bernard

Classifications

• F16C32/0622 Primary

  via nozzles, restrictors · CPC title

• B65H27/00

  Special constructions, e.g. surface features, of feed or guide rollers for webs (rollers in general F16C13/00) · CPC title

• B65H2401/242

  Porosity · CPC title

• B65H2406/1115

  pivoting around an axis perpendicular to the axis of the guided material · CPC title

• B65H2406/1131

  Porous material · CPC title