Heating head and mask apparatus

• US 7,241,964 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dillon R. Ashton, Peter F. Gerhardinger, Randall L. Bauman
• Original Assignee: Dillon R. Ashton, Peter F. Gerhardinger, Randall L. Bauman
• Inventors: Gerhardinger, Peter F., Ashton, Dillon R., Bauman, Randall L.
• Primary Examiner(s): VAN, QUANG T
• Application Number:
  US10/878,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20040232117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 219/121.38, 219/121.48, 219/121.5, 219/121.59, 219/121.47, 219/75.14, 219/541, 219/573, 219/451.1, 219/203, 219/219, 219/522, 29/254.2, 296/11, 438/98, 438/393, 427/450, 427/576, 427190-191, 427/422, 429/11
• US Class Current: 219/121.59
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0434 Glass or transparent panels
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10376 Laminated safety glass or glazing containing metal wires
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10761 containing vinyl acetal
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/016 Heaters using particular connecting means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/84 Heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas, e.g. for demisting or de-icing windows, mirrors or vehicle windshields
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/435 Solid dielectric type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49083 Heater type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49099 Coating resistive material on a base

Abstract

Heating head and mask apparatus are provided for producing electrically conductive heated glass panels that may be used to warm objects or insure unobstructed viewing through glass by removing moisture. The heating head and mask apparatus utilizes either a circularly rotating or an inline heating head and mask apparatus, which deposits conductive metal bus bars into electrical contact with electrically conductive-coatings that are-disposed on the glass panels.

Claims

1. A method of depositing a copper metal bus bar on a sheet of dielectric substrate material having an electrically conductive coating disposed thereon, comprising:

masking an area on a substrate sheet of glass, ceramic, or glass-ceramic material;

heating said area with a reducing flame;

feeding copper metal into a copper metal feeding and heating device;

melting said copper metal to form molten copper metal; and

impinging said molten copper metal at high velocity into electrical contact with an electrically conductive coating in said area, thus forming at least a portion of a copper metal bus bar.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said copper metal feeding and heating device comprises a plasma gun.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive coating comprises a doped metal oxide.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one circularly rotating mask is utilized to mask said area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one inline mask is utilized to mask said area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said reducing flame comprises hydrogen.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said reducing flame comprises oxyacetylene.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said heating of said area is provided in a stoichiometric atmosphere where oxidation of said molten copper metal is controlled, while not fracturing or de-tempering said substrate sheet of glass, ceramic, or glass-ceramic material.