Corona discharge treatment
First Claim
1. Corona discharge treatment apparatus for treating a surface of a conductive substrate, said apparatus comprising:
- a high voltage, radio frequency power supply;
a cable including a plurality of flexible conductors and other components, said cable having a first end connected to said power supply, said cable having a second end wherein said other components of said cable have been removed with said conductors depending from the remainder of said cable, the free ends of said conductors at said second cable end being disposed in general non-parallel arrangement, and the free end of each conductor being held in a separate insulator which extends beyond the free end which it holds, each free end being movable independently of the other free ends;
means for holding the conductive substrate beneath said cable second end so that the upper surface of said substrate is engaged by said insulators;
means for connecting said conductive substrate to ground; and
means for effecting relative movement between said cable second end and said conductive substrate.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Corona discharge treatment apparatus for treating or coating a surface of a conductive substrate includes a high voltage radio frequency power supply and a cable having a number of flexible conductors and other components. The cable has a first end connected to the power supply and a second end wherein the other cable components have been removed and the conductors extend from the remainder of the cable. The free ends of the conductors at the second end are disposed in a general non-parallel arrangement and the free end of each conductor is held in a separate insulator which extends beyond the free end it holds. Each free end is movable independently of the other free ends. The conductive substrate is held beneath the cable second end so that the upper surface is engaged by the insulators. The conductive substrate is grounded, and relative movement is effected between the second cable end and the conductive substrate while a gas mixture is introduced into the area of engagement between the upper surface and insulators.
98 Citations
20 Claims
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1. Corona discharge treatment apparatus for treating a surface of a conductive substrate, said apparatus comprising:
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a high voltage, radio frequency power supply; a cable including a plurality of flexible conductors and other components, said cable having a first end connected to said power supply, said cable having a second end wherein said other components of said cable have been removed with said conductors depending from the remainder of said cable, the free ends of said conductors at said second cable end being disposed in general non-parallel arrangement, and the free end of each conductor being held in a separate insulator which extends beyond the free end which it holds, each free end being movable independently of the other free ends; means for holding the conductive substrate beneath said cable second end so that the upper surface of said substrate is engaged by said insulators; means for connecting said conductive substrate to ground; and means for effecting relative movement between said cable second end and said conductive substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A cable for use in corona discharge treatment apparatus, said cable comprising:
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a plurality of discrete flexible electrical conductors and other components; said cable having a first end for connection to a source of high voltage, radio frequency power; said cable having a second end wherein said other components have been removed and said conductors depend from the remainder of said cable, said conductors having free ends at said second end with said free ends being disposed in a transposed arrangement, each of said free ends being held in an insulator which extends beyond the free end it holds, all of said insulators extending substantially the same distance from the corresponding free ends, whereby with said dielectrics engaging the upper surface of a conductive substrate to be treated, said free ends of the conductors are spaced substantially uniformly from said upper surface.
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18. A method of treating the upper surface of a length of conductive material, such as a strip or plate of steel, to improve characteristics of said material by causing the formation of a diffusion layer of an element at or adjacent said upper surface, said method comprising the following steps:
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providing a cable having at one end thereof a plurality of flexible conductors depending from the remainder of said cable, said conductors having free ends with each free end held in an insulator which extends beyond its free end away from the remainder of said cable, each said insulator extending substantially the same distance beyond the free end it holds; connecting the other end of said cable to a source of high voltage, radio frequency power; causing the insulators to engage said upper surface of said length of material; grounding said length of material so that a corona discharge will be formed between said conductor free ends and said upper surface; introducing into the area of said corona discharge a gas mixture comprising a halide gas containing the element of which said diffusion layer is to be formed and a reducing gas, such as hydrogen; and effecting relative movement between the insulators and said upper surface so that said insulators are maintained in substantially continuous engagement with said upper surface. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification