Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
158 words
An improved method of continuously making high quality pore-free copper foil, said method comprising: a. moving into an operative position an endless, continuous belt, said belt comprising a metal selected from the group of stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, copper, brass, bronze, or alloys thereof, or mild steel, iron, lead or alloys thereof; b. electro-chemically depositing in a deposition zone a clean fresh, removable, endless, seamless and continuous plateable layer of metal selected from the group of chromium, nickel and cobalt; c. depositing in a deposition zone a coating of porefree copper onto said metal to form a copper foil; d. stripping said copper foil from said metal layer in a separation zone; e. chemically removing the plateable layer from said belt in a cleaning zone in a manner to substantially preserve the structural integrity of the belt; and f. repeating the above steps a plurality of times, whereby a continuous method for producing copper foil is provided.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
158 words
An improved method of continuously making high quality pore-free copper foil, said method comprising: a. moving into an operative position an endless, continuous belt, said belt comprising a metal selected from the group of stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, copper, brass, bronze, or alloys thereof, or mild steel, iron, lead or alloys thereof; b. electro-chemically depositing in a deposition zone a clean fresh, removable, endless, seamless and continuous plateable layer of metal selected from the group of chromium, nickel and cobalt; c. depositing in a deposition zone a coating of porefree copper onto said metal to form a copper foil; d. stripping said copper foil from said metal layer in a separation zone; e. chemically removing the plateable layer from said belt in a cleaning zone in a manner to substantially preserve the structural integrity of the belt; and f. repeating the above steps a plurality of times, whereby a continuous method for producing copper foil is provided.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The improved method of claim 1 wherein said zones are physically separated from one another.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The improved method of claim 1 wherein said method is substantially continuous, and wherein said depositing comprises electroplating, and wherein said layer comprises a plateable layer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
The improved method of claim 3 wherein said removing and said reforming of said plateable layer is carried out periodically as needed to maintain the quality of said copper foil produced by said method and wherein said depositing and said stripping of said copper foil are carried out continuously and at about constant speed.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The improved method of claim 4 wherein at least one of said zones is in duplicate so as to assure steady continuous operation of said method.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The improved method of claim 5 wherein essentially all said zones are in pairs of duplicates so as to enable steady long-term continuous operation of said method.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
The improved method of claim 6 wherein means are provided in association with each of said zones for shunting said belt from one member of a pair of said zones to the other member of said pair without loss of processing speed.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
The improved method of claim 3 wherein the exposed surface of said copper foil deposited on said belt in said deposition zone is treated in a separate bonding zone to increase its bondability to plastics before said foil is stripped from said belt in said separation zone.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The improved method of claim 8 wherein said copper foil in said bonding zone is subject to controlled electroplating which generates a plurality of projections on said exposed surface.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
63 words
The improved method of claim 3 wherein said zones include a series of tanks spaced along the pathway of said belt, wherein said belt is driven along said pathway at controlled speed, and wherein said belt is moved in and out of contact with said tanks to effect efficient continuous manufacture of said copper foil at a speed which can be maintained constant.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
74 words
The improved method of claim 3 wherein said surface of said belt is at least periodically roughened before said forming of said fresh plateable layer thereon so as to cause said plateable layer and said copper foil deposited thereon to conform to said roughened surface, said roughening being controlled so as to increase bondability of said copper foil to plastics without disrupting the continuity of said copper foil when stripped from said plateable layer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
12 words
The product formed by the method as set forth in claim 1.