Unit for varying a temperature of a test piece and testing instrument incorporating same

• US 7,115,838 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2004
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Espec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Espec Corporation
• Inventors: Kurara, Hironobu, Enomoto, Shinichi, Sonobe, Muneaki
• Primary Examiner(s): FUQUA, SHAWNTINA T
• Application Number:
  US10/885,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20050040155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 219/444.1, 219/443.1, 219/448.11, 219/445.1, 219/446.1, 219/447.1, 219/448.12, 219/449.1, 219/454.11, 219/390, 219/405, 219/411, 392/416, 392/418, 118/724, 118/725, 118/50.1
• US Class Current: 219/444.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/68 Heating arrangements specially adapted for cooking plates or analogous hot-plates

Abstract

A disc-type unit 10 adjusts temperature of a control face 14 by means of a heater 12 and coolant, with a hollow plate 11 to which the heater 12 is secured, a cavity 13 formed in the hollow plate 11 and a piping 20 for supplying the coolant to the cavity 13, the piping 20 opening in the cavity 13, and the coolant being jetted to a portion to which the heater 12 is secured or a portion in proximity thereto and which shows high temperature rise when energizing the heater 12.

Claims

1. A unit for varying a temperature of a test piece by controlling a temperature of a control face comprising:

a hollow plate having a cavity formed therein, an inner surface defining the cavity, and an outer surface;

a piping for supplying a coolant therethrough; and

a heater thermally in contact with the plate;

wherein the outer surface has a portion acting as the control face, and

wherein the piping is combined with the plate so as to have at least one outlet in the cavity,

so that the coolant is jetted toward a target area within the cavity so as to control temperature of the control face by means of the heater and the coolant,

wherein the coolant is a refrigerant that is in gas phase at normal temperature and in liquid phase or in gas-liquid mixture phase when it is supplied toward the target area.

2. A unit for varying a temperature of a test piece by controlling a temperature of a control face comprising:

a hollow plate having a cavity formed therein, an inner surface defining the cavity and comprising at least one face, and an outer surface comprising at least one face;

a piping for supplying a coolant therethrough; and

a heater thermally in contact with the plate;

wherein the outer surface has a portion acting as the control face, and

wherein the piping is combined with the plate so as to have at least one outlet in the cavity,

so that the coolant is jetted toward a target area within the cavity so as to control temperature of the control face by means of the heater and the coolant,

wherein the hollow plate is of a substantially cylindrical shape with its top face acting as the control face,

wherein the heater is of an annular shape and secured to a portion of the bottom face of the plate,

wherein the target area is the inner surface area of the portion to which the heater is secured, and

wherein the heater is secured to at least one of the faces making un the outer surface of the plate, but not to the control face.

3. The unit as defined in claim 2,

wherein the piping comprises a main pipe extending out of the plate and a plurality of branch pipes extending radially from the main pipe,

the main pipe being positioned substantially along the central axis of the heater,

each of the branch pipes having one end in fluid communication with the main pipe and the other end directed to the target area.

4. The unit as defined in claim 2,

wherein the piping comprises a main pipe and a disc-shaped coolant distributor,

the main pipe being positioned substantially along the central axis of the heater,

wherein the distributor has a cavity therein in communication with the main pipe and further has a plurality of openings so as to make the cavity in the distributor to communicate with the cavity in the plate,

the openings facing to the target area.

5. The unit as defined in claim 3,

further comprising a coolant recovery portion formed adjacent to the main pipe so as to recover coolant jetted into the cavity in the plate.

6. A unit for varying a temperature of a test piece by controlling a temperature of a control face comprising:

a hollow plate having a cavity formed therein, an inner surface defining the cavity, and an outer surface;

a piping for supplying a coolant therethrough; and

a heater thermally in contact with the plate;

wherein the outer surface has a portion acting as the control face, and

wherein the piping is combined with the plate so as to have at least one outlet in the cavity,

so that the coolant is jetted toward a target area on a surface within the cavity having a predetermined area and so as to control temperature of the control face by means of the heater and the coolant,

wherein the target area is strategically determined so that coolant is jetted at the predetermined area in a non-uniform manner over less than the entire predetermined area and so that a temperature change in the target area produces a temperature change of the control face with a substantially uniform temperature distribution over the whole control face.

7. The unit as defined in claim 6,

wherein the heater is secured to a portion so that a temperature change in the portion produces a temperature change of the control face with a substantially uniform temperature distribution over the whole control face.

8. The unit as defined in claim 6,

wherein the coolant is a refrigerant that is in gas phase at normal temperature and in liquid phase or in gas-liquid mixture phase when it is supplied toward the target area.

9. The unit as defined in claim 6,

wherein the heater is secured to at least one of the faces making up the outer surface of the plate except the control face.

10. The unit as defined in claim 6,

wherein the hollow plate is of a substantially cylindrical shape with its top face acting as the control face,

wherein the heater is of an annular shape and secured to a portion of the bottom face of the plate, and

wherein the target area is the inner surface area of, and substantially only, the portion to which the heater is secured.

11. The unit as defined in claim 10,

wherein the piping comprises a main pipe extending out of the plate and a plurality of branch pipes extending radially from the main pipe,

the main pipe being positioned substantially along the central axis of the heater, and

each of the branch pipes having one end in fluid communication with the main pipe and the other end directed to the target area.

12. The unit as defined in claim 10,

wherein the piping comprises a main pipe and a disc-shaped coolant distributor,

the main pipe being positioned substantially along the central axis of the heater,

wherein the distributor has a cavity therein in communication with the main pipe and further has a plurality of openings so as to make the cavity in the distributor to communicate with the cavity in the plate,

the openings facing to the target area.

13. The unit as defined in claim 11,

further comprising a coolant recovery portion formed adjacent to the main pipe so as to recover coolant jetted into the cavity in the plate.

14. A unit for varying a temperature of a test piece by controlling a temperature of a control face comprising:

a hollow plate having a cavity formed therein, an inner surface defining the cavity, and an outer surface;

a piping for supplying a coolant therethrough; and

a heater thermally in contact with the plate;

wherein the outer surface has a portion acting as the control face and having an area, and

wherein the piping is combined with the plate so as to have at least one outlet in the cavity,

so that the coolant is jetted toward a target area within the cavity so as to control temperature of the control face by means of a heater and coolant,

wherein the target area is the inner surface area of the portion to which the heater is secured or the proximity of the inner surface area, the target area being determined so that it shows especially high temperature rise when the heater is energized,

wherein the heater is strategically secured to a portion having an area substantially less than the area of the control face and so that a temperature change in the portion produces a temperature change of the control face with a substantially uniform temperature distribution over the whole control face.

15. A unit for varying a temperature of a test piece by controlling a temperature of a control face comprising:

a hollow plate having a cavity formed therein, an inner surface defining the cavity, and an outer surface;

a piping for supplying a coolant thereth rough; and

a heater thermally in contact with the plate;

wherein the outer surface has a portion acting as the control face, and

wherein the piping is combined with the plate so as to have at least one outlet in the cavity,

so that the coolant is jetted toward a target area within the cavity so as to control temperature of the control face by means of a heater and coolant,

wherein the target area is the inner surface area of the portion to which the heater is secured or the proximity of the inner surface area, the target area being determined so that it shows especially high temperature rise when the heater is energized,

wherein the coolant is a refrigerant that is in gas phase at normal temperature and in liquid phase or in gas-liquid mixture phase when it is supplied toward the target area.

16. A unit for varying a temperature of a test piece by controlling a temperature of a control face comprising:

a hollow plate having a cavity formed therein, an inner surface defining the cavity and comprising at least one face, and an outer surface comprising at least one face;

a piping for supplying a coolant therethrough; and

a heater thermally in contact with the plate;

wherein the outer surface has a portion acting as the control face, and

wherein the piping is combined with the plate so as to have at least one outlet in the cavity,

so that the coolant is jetted toward a target area within the cavity so as to control temperature of the control face by means of a heater and coolant,

wherein the target area is the inner surface area of the portion to which the heater is secured or the proximity of the inner surface area, the target area being determined so that it shows especially high temperature rise when the heater is energized,

wherein the hollow plate is of a substantially cylindrical shape with its top face acting as the control face,

wherein the heater is of an annular shape and secured to a portion of the bottom face of the plate,

wherein the target area is the inner surface area of the portion to which the heater is secured, and

wherein the heater is secured to at least one of the faces making up the outer surface of the plate, but not to the control face.

17. The unit as defined in claim 16,

wherein the piping comprises a main pipe extending out of the plate and a plurality of branch pipes extending radially from the main pipe,

the main pipe being positioned substantially along the central axis of the heater, and

each of the branch pipes having one end in fluid communication with the main pipe and the other end directed to the target area.

18. The unit as defined in claim 16,

wherein the piping comprises a main pipe and a disc-shaped coolant distributor,

the main pipe being positioned substantially along the central axis of the heater,

wherein the distributor has a cavity therein in communication with the main pipe and further has a plurality of openings so as to make the cavity in the distributor to communicate with the cavity in the plate,

the openings facing to the target area.

19. The unit as defined in claim 17,

further comprising a coolant recovery portion formed adjacent to the main pipe so as to recover coolant jetted into the cavity in the plate.

20. A testing instrument comprising a unit for varying a temperature of a test piece by controlling a temperature of a control face and a cooling device for liquefying gasified refrigerant,

the unit comprising:

a hollow plate having a cavity formed therein, an inner surface defining the cavity, and an outer surface;

a portion of the outer surface acting as a control face;

a piping for supplying a refrigerant therethrough; and

a heater thermally in contact with the plate;

wherein the piping is combined with the plate so as to have at least one outlet in the cavity,

wherein the outer surface has a portion acting as the control face, and

wherein the cooling device is connected to the piping and the cavity so as to form a cooling circuit to circulate the refrigerant therein, so that the refrigerant is jetted toward a target area within the cavity so as to control temperature of the control surface by means of the heater and the refrigerant,

the plate being cooled by means of the latent heat of vaporization of the refrigerant.

21. The testing instrument as defined in claim 20,

wherein the hollow plate has a substantially cylindrical shape with its top face acting as the control face,

wherein the heater is of an annular shape and secured to the bottom face of the plate, and

wherein the target area is the inner surface area of the portion to which the heater is secured.

22. The testing instrument as defined in claim 21,

wherein the piping comprises a main pipe and a plurality of branch pipes extending radially from the main pipe,

the main pipe being positioned substantially along the central axis of the heater, and

each of the branch pipes having one end in fluid communication with the main pipe and the other end directed to the target area.