Systems and method of coating an interior surface of an object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9840765-B2
Application number	US-201314055049-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2013
Priority date	Oct 16, 2013
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A system for use in coating an interior surface of an object is provided. The system includes a vacuum chamber enclosure defining an interior configured to receive the object, and a cathode coupled to the vacuum chamber enclosure. The cathode is fabricated from a coating material and has an outer surface. The cathode is configured such that when a current is applied to the cathode, an arc is formed on the outer surface and the coating material is removed from the cathode to form a cloud of coating material. The system also includes a collimator configured to be positioned between the cathode and the object configured to focus the cloud into a beam of coating material and to direct the beam towards the object, and a magnet configured to alter a path of the beam such that the beam is directed towards the interior surface of the object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for use in coating an interior surface of an object, said system comprising:
a vacuum chamber enclosure defining an interior configured to receive the object;
a cathode coupled to said vacuum chamber enclosure, said cathode fabricated from a coating material and having an outer surface, said cathode configured such that when a current is applied to said cathode, an arc is formed on said outer surface and the coating material is removed from said cathode to form a cloud of coating material;
a collimator configured to be positioned between said cathode and the object, said collimator configured to focus the cloud into a beam of coating material and to direct the beam towards the object in a downstream direction and through an open end of the object; and
a magnet configured to alter a path of the beam such that a portion of the beam directed through the open end of the object in the downstream direction is redirected in a different direction towards the interior surface of the object.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said magnet is configured to direct the path of the beam through an open end of the object and into an interior of the object.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein an orientation of said magnet is configured to be modified such that the beam impinges against the interior surface of the object at different axial locations along a longitudinal axis of the object.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said magnet is configured to attract the coating material to alter the path of the beam such that the beam impinges against the interior surface of the object.

5. The system in accordance with claim 4 , wherein said magnet is positioned exterior of the object.

6. The system in accordance with claim 4 , wherein said magnet is positioned exterior of said vacuum chamber enclosure.

7. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said magnet is configured to repel the coating material to alter the path of the beam such that the beam impinges against the interior surface of the object.

8. The system in accordance with claim 7 , wherein said magnet is positioned within an interior of the object.

9. The system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a filter positioned between said cathode and the object, said filter configured to restrict molten coating material from being ejected from said cathode towards the object.

10. A method of coating an interior surface of an object, said method comprising:
providing a vacuum chamber enclosure defining an interior configured to receive the object;
coupling a cathode to the vacuum chamber enclosure, the cathode fabricated from a coating material and having an outer surface;
supplying a current to the cathode to form an arc on the outer surface and remove the coating material from the cathode to form a cloud of coating material;
focusing the cloud into a beam of coating material that is directed in a downstream direction and through an open end of the object; and
using a magnet to alter a path of the beam such that a portion of the beam directed through the open end of the object in the downstream direction is redirected in a different direction towards the interior surface of the object.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein directing the beam towards the interior surface of the object comprises directing the beam through an open end of the object to impinge against the interior surface of the object.

12. The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein directing the beam towards the interior surface of the object comprises modifying an orientation of the object such that the beam impinges against the interior surface of the object.

13. The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein directing the beam towards the interior surface of the object comprises altering a path of the beam such that the beam impinges against the interior surface of the object.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13 , wherein modifying a path of the beam comprises generating a magnetic field to interact with charged ions contained in the beam of coating material.

15. The method in accordance with claim 14 , wherein generating a magnetic field comprises configuring the magnetic field to one of attract or repel the beam towards the interior surface of the object.

16. A method of coating an interior surface of an object, said method comprising:
providing a vacuum chamber enclosure defining an interior configured to receive the object;
coupling a cathode to the vacuum chamber enclosure, the cathode fabricated from a coating material and having an outer surface;
supplying a current to the cathode to form an arc on the outer surface and remove the coating material from the cathode to form a cloud of coating material;
focusing the cloud into a beam of coating material that is directed in a downstream direction and through an open end of the object; and
modifying an orientation of the object, translationally relative to the cathode, and rotationally, such that the beam is directed through the open end of the object and impinges against the interior surface of the object at different axial locations relative to a longitudinal axis of the object.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein modifying an orientation of the object comprises modifying the orientation of the object such that the longitudinal axis extending through the object is obliquely oriented relative to a path of the beam.

18. The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein modifying an orientation of the object comprises translating the object one of towards or away from the cathode.

19. The method in accordance with claim 16 further comprising using a filter to restrict molten coating material from being directed towards the object.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Weaver Scott Andrew
• Gray Dennis Michael

Classifications

• H01J37/32055

  Arc discharge · CPC title

• C23C14/325 Primary

  Electric arc evaporation · CPC title

• C23C14/046

  Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates · CPC title

• H01J37/32394

  Treating interior parts of workpieces · CPC title

• H01J37/3266

  Magnetic control means · CPC title