Distributing a fluid evenly over the surface of an article

Claim 1

The method of claim 1, wherein the article having the liquid distributed thereover is subjected to a vacuum to remove any entrained gases.

Claim 2

A method of distributing a liquid over the sUrface of an article without overrunning the edges of the article, which comprises the steps of: placing a predetermined amount of the liquid near the center of the surface of the article, the article being polygonal; drawing the liquid to the edges of the article by flowing a fluid past said edges, the fluid flowing faster at the corners than the midpoints along the edges; and stopping the liquid at the edges so that it does not overflow them by directing the flow of the fluid upward past the edges.

Claim 3

A method of evenly distributing liquid material over the surface of a rectilinear article without overrunning the edges, the surface being in a substantially horizontal plane, which comprises the steps of: positioning orifices around and adjacent the edges at the periphery of the article, the orifices being directed upward substantially perpendicular to the surface over which the fluid material is to be distributed and larger in size at the corners than at other portions of the periphery; placing a predetermined amount of the liquid material near the center of the surface of the article; and discharging gas rapidly through the orifices past the edges of the article to draw the liquid material to the edges of the article, to prevent its overrunning said edges and to evenly distribute the liquid material out to the corners of the article.

Claim 4

A method of distributing liquid silicone rubber over a thin-film circuit on the circuit side of a substrate, the substrate being substantially horizontal and rectangular, which comprises the steps of: placing the substrate circuit-side up in a rectangular nest portion of a plenum to locate and support the substrate; placing a predetermined amount of the silicone rubber on the circuit side of the substrate near its center; positioning orifices in the plenum around the edges of the rectangular nest, the orifices near the corners of the nest being larger than those near the midpoints of the edges of the nest; blowing air through the orifices past the edges to draw the silicone rubber evenly over the surface to the edges and corners, while preventing the rubber from overrunning the edges, to evenly coat the thin film circuit on the substrate; transferring the coated substrate to a vacuum chamber; evacuating the chamber to remove any entrained gases from or under the silicone rubber and to provide a continuous dense, protective coating over the substrate to encapsulate the circuit; and removing the encapsulated thin-film circuits from the chamber.

Claim 5

An apparatus for distributing a liquid over a surface of a polygonal article, which comprises: means for dispensing a predetermined amount of the liquid near the center of the surface of the article; and means for flowing a fluid adjacent and upward past the edges of the article, faster at the corners than at the midpoints of the edges of the polygonal article to draw the liquid evenly over the surface out to the corners and edges and to prevent the liquid from overflowing the surface at the edges.