Device for interrupting a material flow

• US 5,158,262 A
• Filed: 04/26/1991
• Issued: 10/27/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Meerman, Wilhelmus C. P. M., van der Leek, Johannes J., Van Stiphout, Nicolaas H. J. M., van der Borst, Albertus J. C., Kamerbeek, Evert M. H., Larsen, Poul K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenthal, Arnold
• Application Number:
  US07/691,753
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 251/129.11, 251/337, 251/65
• US Class Current: 251/129.11
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/082 using a electromagnet and a permanent magnet

Abstract

A device is set forth for interrupting a material flow by means of a shutter 5 fastened on a spindle 11, which spindle 11 is rotatably supported in a housing 1 of the device. The device is provided with a torsion spring 33 which is elastically deformable through rotation of the spindle 11, with substantially equal amounts of mechanical energy being stored in the torsion spring 33 through elastic deformation in a first position of the shutter 5. The material flow is shut off during this operation, and in a second position of the shutter 5 the material flow begins. The spindle 11 is provided with a permanent magnet 57 having pole shoes 61, 63 which are held against stops 109, 115 of a magnetic yoke 99 in the first position under the influence of the magnetic field of the magnet 57, and which are held against stops 111, 113 of the yoke 99 in the second position. The yoke 99 is provided with an electric coil 121. The shutter 5 is displaceable from a rest position to one of the two positions by an alternating current in the coil 121, whereas a direct current in the coil 121 attenuates the magnetic field of the magnet 57, so that the shutter 5 is displaced from the relevant position to the other position under the influence of the torsion spring 33. The device is suitable for use in a system for the deposition of materials in the form of thin layers on substrates. In such a system, the shutter 5 periodically interrupts a material flow coming from a source of material and aimed at the substrate, so that a desired composition of the layer is obtained.

Claims

1. A device for interrupting material flow comprising:

(a) a housing,

(b) a shutter being displaced between a first position and a second position,

(c) mechanical spring means for moving said shutter between said first and second position, said mechanical spring means including at least one spring being elastically deformed by displacement of said shutter relative to said housing, wherein substantially equal amounts of mechanical energy are stored in said spring means during elastic deformation to said first position and to said second position,

(d) permanent magnet means for holding said shutter relative to said housing in each of said first position and in said second position against a spring force of said spring means, said permanent magnet means being fastened to a rotating spindle, and

(e) an electric field attenuation coil fastened to said housing, said permanent magnet means resting against stops of a magnetic yoke of said electric field attenuation coil in either said first position or in said second position.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said permanent magnet means includes pole shoes, said pole shoes resting against said stops.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said shutter is rotatably supported in said housing, and wherein said spring means is a torsion spring being fastened to said housing near a first end and being fastened to said rotating spindle near a second end.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein said torsion spring is provided by a circular cylindrical bush having a helical incision.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein an electric excitation coil is disposed to displace said shutter from a rest position to either said first position or to said second position, and wherein no mechanical energy is stored in said spring means at said rest position.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said electric field attenuation coil and said electric excitation coil are integrated.